2 Samuel 8:15–18

We have now come to one of the divisions of this book. Verses 15 to 18 of our chapter, 2 Samuel 8, mark this division. We find these verses again, with some changes, in 2 Samuel 20:23-26. They present the order of David's reign, and 2 Samuel 8 ends the history, strictly speaking, of the king's establishment as a picture of the Messiah. But Joab at the head of the army, and two high priests serving at once, prove that the final order has not yet come. It will come under Solomon's reign.

We now look at the kingdom from the inside. First comes the administration of righteousness, and the order set up for it. Then, at greater length, comes its character of salvation. Mephibosheth is a beautiful illustration of that.

David united Judah and Israel and reigned over the whole nation (2 Sam. 5:1; 2 Sam. 8:15; 1 Chr. 29:26). The hostility and division were healed under his wise leadership. His Greater Son will gather the scattered ones of Israel and bring Judah and Israel together as one, never to be divided again (Isa. 11:11-13).

A united Israel is under his hand, and he gives judgment and justice to all his people. This, above all, is the character David represents to us, as we have seen. Sadly, we know that at times he fails badly in this. But it is the general character of his reign, and what he stands for as a picture. We will find the lessons of his failure in full elsewhere. Here, for the sake of that picture, all of this is left out.

Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of God's throne (Ps. 89:14). Carrying out righteousness and judgment marked David (2 Sam. 8:15; 1 Chron. 18:14), Solomon (1 Kings 10:9; 2 Chron. 9:8) and Josiah (Jer. 22:15). A king will yet reign at Jerusalem, carrying out judgment and righteousness.

But David has now reached the place God called him to. "So David reigned over all Israel, and executed righteousness and justice among all his people." The prophet Isaiah says of the Branch out of Jesse's roots that righteousness will be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins. And if David carried out judgment and justice, can any human picture come nearer to Him?

Verses 15-18 give a summary of David's government in its righteousness and justice for all the people. Compared with other nations, his reign was far fairer than usual. Yet David was guilty of sad failure too, so he is only a faulty picture of the Lord Jesus, who will reign in perfect righteousness. … David also gave his sons places of some prominence in government, as "chief ministers," though some of them were not fit for such positions. … In the kingdom of the Lord Jesus no one will be favoured over another: all will be perfect justice and truth.

Last of all, at the right moment, the account sets before us David's order and government, along with his own place as supreme ruler… It sets before us the priests, the scribes, and the various other officers, each in his place.

Verses 15 to 18 of our chapter, 2 Samuel 8, mark this division. We find these verses again, with some changes, in 2 Samuel 20:23-26. These verses present the order of David's reign. With 2 Samuel 8 the history of how the king was established as a type — a picture — of the Messiah really comes to an end. But Joab stands at the head of the army, and two high priests share the priesthood. This proves that the final order has not yet come, as it will come under Solomon's reign.

As for detail here, we have only the names of the men put in charge of their various departments… We already know, and will see more fully as we read on, how different the actions of these men could be from the beauty of their names. But at this point the history is idealized on purpose, because Christ is before the mind of the Spirit. So the Spirit keeps His inspired writer from letting in anything that would spoil the picture.

All these names, it is evident, speak as with one consent of righteous, wise, and beneficent government… As has been said, the history is carefully idealized that the type may not be marred. When we come to the details of actual history, things will be seen far otherwise; but the Spirit will not be hindered from presenting to us this view of a perfect kingdom, which Christ alone will actually consummate.

The office meant here is not certain, but the word literally means "remembrancer." It might match, or include, the work of a historian, but it seems first of all to be that of the king's referee and counselor. Jehoshaphat means "Jehovah has judged," and fits his office well: Jehovah's judgment is the rule for guidance at all times. But Jehoshaphat is himself the son of Ahilud, which means "the brother," or "kin of the one born." Just as man is by nature the "offspring of God," so God is in that sense kin to the weak creature He has made. His judgments are the fruit of this kinship: He remembers this tie of His own making in all His dealings with them.

Our task is not so much to write down "our" history… but the "history" of our Lord's ways with His people, and His principles for His people today… Such a ministry is much needed today: to bring back to memory the principles of the "true David" and His ways with His people.

When it came to righteousness, David failed badly. He let Joab murder both Abner and Amasa and go unpunished. David's own sons Amnon and Absalom were guilty of grievous sins, and they also went unpunished… But Joab was an able military commander, and so useful to the state. This is far from the only time the sins of public men have been excused. But it is not righteousness.

Compared with other nations, his reign was far fairer than is common. Yet David was guilty of sad failure too, so he is only a faulty type of the Lord Jesus, who will reign in perfect righteousness. Joab was David's commander in chief of the army, a soldier through and through, hard and determined, not the kind of servant the Lord Jesus would choose… In the kingdom of the Lord Jesus no one will be shown favoritism: all will be perfect justice and truth.

Verses 15 to 18 of our chapter, 2 Samuel 8, mark this division. We find these verses again, with some changes, in 2 Samuel 20:23-26. They present the order of David's reign, and 2 Samuel 8 ends the history, strictly speaking, of how the king was set up as a type of the Messiah. But Joab still stands at the head of the army, and two high priests still carry out the priesthood. These things prove that the final order has not yet come, as it will under Solomon's reign.

There is a difficulty in 2 Samuel 8:17 and 1 Chronicles 18:16, where "Ahimelech (or Abimelech) the son of Abiathar" is named as priest with Zadok in David's time. Some think the names should be swapped, and that Abiathar is meant. But this Ahimelech may have been a son of the Abiathar named above. It was not at all unusual to name a son after his grandfather, and for some reason these passages name him as priest instead of his father.

It is not an unlikely explanation that the priest who helped David carried the two names Ahimelech and Abiathar, and that his son, who escaped the massacre at Nob, carried the same two names... People have often noticed many cases of double names in the Old Testament: Reuel, Jethro, and Hobab; Esau and Edom; Benjamin and Benoni... But few have noticed that the priests in particular seem to have carried double names, and that father and son were often called by the same names.

Eleazar's line is given the first place in Zadok. That fact shows this is an ideal picture, for Zadok only gained the first place at the start of Solomon's reign, after Abiathar had joined Adonijah's conspiracy. Yet for the type Zadok had to come first. As the "righteous" one, he reminds us, from this angle, of the Melchizedek character of priesthood in Christ.

In the Old Testament this word is used for the officer who handled the letters for a king, the army, and so on — what we now call a secretary. 2 Samuel 8:17... It is also used for those who wrote and explained the Scriptures. So Ezra was a scribe skilled in the law, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, though he was also a priest.

All these names clearly speak with one voice of righteous, wise, and kind government... As has been said, the history is carefully idealized so that the type is not spoiled. When we come to the details of the actual history, things look very different. But nothing will stop the Spirit from setting this view of a perfect kingdom before us, and Christ alone will bring it to completion.

Even though the priests are not mentioned first in these lists, we want to begin with them, because priesthood is surely one of the most important parts of service. It is also a service open to every believer, which could not be said of all the other kinds of service we are going to look at.

The Cherethites and Pelethites serve as King David's bodyguards, foreigners like the Gittites.

Fifth in the list comes Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, set over the Cherethites and Pelethites — or, as Gesenius says, probably "executioners and couriers." Here again the names of God stand out. Benaiah means "Jah has built"; Jehoiada means "Jehovah knows." Do these names show us that His purpose to build up and bless governs how judgment is carried out? And that this building up grows out of His own perfect knowledge? Clearly all these names agree in speaking of a government that is righteous, wise, and good.

This brings us back to where we started, because the word used here is usually translated "priest." But these men (for example, David's sons) were clearly not from the priestly tribe. They had another job at the palace. The German Elberfelder translation gives the marginal rendering "intimate counsellor."

The Hebrew word for a priest is "cohen" all through the Old Testament, except in three places. In 1 Kings 4:5 the Authorised Version translates it "principal officer"; in 2 Samuel 8:18 and 20:26 it translates it "chief rulers" (margin, "Princes"). "Possibly the way the word is used in these passages is a leftover of its first meaning, from a time when one man held both the priestly and the kingly office" (R. B. Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament).

Benaiah had charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites; these two names mean "executioners and runners," while David's sons were also ruling with him. Order ruled in everything. When that true kingdom is set up on earth, there will also be men who rule under the King, with charge over five or ten cities (Luke 19:17-18). David's sons who ruled with him may represent, as a type, believers who are sons of God in Christ and fellow heirs with Him.

These verses show the order of David's reign. 2 Samuel 8 closes the account of how the king was established as a type of the Messiah. But Joab still stands at the head of the army, and two high priests still serve. That proves the final order has not yet come, as it will under Solomon's reign.

David also gave his own sons prominent places in government, as "chief ministers," though some of them were not fit for such posts. Samuel's sons did not walk in Samuel's ways (1 Sam. 8:3), and Absalom certainly did not walk in David's ways (2 Sam. 13:28-29). In the kingdom of the Lord Jesus there will be no favoritism shown: all will be perfect justice and truth.

Doesn't this remind us that even today, perhaps more than ever, we need men of God who take special care to "guard" the holy person of our Lord? They make sure that all the basic truths about His person are held fast and defended: His eternal sonship, His virgin birth, His sinless humanity, His divine person, His atoning death, His resurrection and ascension, His second coming, and more.