SEEDS OF SPIRITUAL DEFEAT

Passage: 1 Chronicles 20:1-8

Key verse: 2

NIV

The Capture of Rabbah(A)

20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah(B) and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.(C) 2 David took the crown from the head of their king[a]—its weight was found to be a talent[b] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 3 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes.(D) David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

War With the Philistines(E)

4 In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer.(F) At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites,(G) and the Philistines were subjugated.

5 In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.(H)

6 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

8 These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or of Milkom, that is, Molek
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Capture of Rabbah

20 (A)In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And (B)Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 (C)And David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent[a] of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 3 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor[b] (D)with saws and iron picks and axes.[c] And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Philistine Giants Killed

4 (E)And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. 5 And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of (F)Jair struck down Lahmi (G)the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 6 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 7 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of (H)Shimea, David's brother, struck him down. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew he sawed
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew saws
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. A jeweled crown for David (1-3)

Rabbah was across the Jordan, on the eastern-most boundary of Israel. Joab led the army out to fight, while David stayed in Jerusalem. David's sin with Bathsheba occurred at this time (2Sa 11), but Chronicles does not record this. We can see, however, a small seed of corruption in David's heart. He went out to join his army later, after the big battle was over. In the past, the spoils of war had been dedicated to the building of God's house. This time, no mention is made of this, and the golden crown is put on David's head. After all the Ammonite towns were subdued David and the army returned to Jerusalem.

2. War with the Philistines (4-8)

Philistia was to the west, on the seacoast. The Philistines had been Israel's most persistent and powerful enemy. Saul had finally been defeated and his army scattered by them. There were some mighty warriors among the Philistines, but they were no match for David's mighty men. God helped David enlarge and make secure the borders of Israel.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to become proud and complacent when everything goes well.

One Word: The jeweled crown is the Lord's