In 1 Chronicles 19 we have David's condolences and war with the children of Ammon, Joab's bravery, and Israel's repeated victory. Hear now the Word of Almighty God inspired by His Spirit and profitable for us. 1 Chronicles 19, the whole chapter starting at verse 1. Now it came to pass after this that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun, the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him. But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Are not his servants come unto thee for to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land? Wherefore Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks and sent them away. Then there went certain and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return. And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia and out of Syria Maaka and out of Zoba. And they hired 30 and 2,000 chariots and the king of Maaka and his people who came and pitched before Medeba and the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities and came to battle. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men. And the children of Ammon came out and put the battle in array before the gate of the city. And the kings that were come were by themselves in the field. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians. and the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai, his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon. And he said, if the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me. But if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee. Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people and for the cities of our God and let the Lord do that which is good in his sight. So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle and they fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worst before Israel, they sent messengers and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river. And Shophok, the captain of the host of Hadarizer, went before them. And it was told David, and he gathered all Israel and passed over Jordan and came upon them and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. And the Syrians fled before Israel. And David slew of the Syrians 7,000 men which fought in chariots and 40,000 footmen and killed Shofak, the captain of the host. And when the servants of Hadarizer saw that they were put to the worst before Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants. Neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon anymore. Thus far the reading of God's inspired word. May the Lord bless us in the reading and hearing of it and now in consideration of its teachings. This chapter is likewise a parallel passage to a chapter in 2 Samuel, this being 2 Samuel 10. Verses one through four, we have David's civil condolences to the king of Ammon and the incivil reply of the king. This is parallel in 2 Samuel 10 verses one through four. Note verse one, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died. The name Nahash being added is not put in in 2 Samuel 10 verse 1. Although here, Hanan, his son, is named as well. 2 Samuel 10 verse 1. Verse 2, David sent messengers to comfort by the hand of his servants in 2 Samuel 10 verse 2. His servants were his messengers. We are told here in verse 4 that they were shaved One half of their beards is identified in 2 Samuel 10, for here it is a crystallization or a summarization of what's in 2 Samuel 10. Verses five through seven, we have David's just resentment of these shameful actions and the war which broke out for them. This is paralleled in 2 Samuel 10, five and six, as here in five through seven. We find out a fragment gathered up here in 1 Chronicles 10,000, or excuse me, 1,000 talents of silver. We are told that they hired them in 2 Samuel 10.6, but not the sum of money that they paid in order to hire them. That's given to us here. Also notice verse six mentions Mesopotamia. Now mezzo means the middle or a division and potamia is rivers. Mesopotamia is the division of two rivers. The Hebrew word here is Aram Naharaim, which means Aram of the two rivers. So Mesopotamia is the Greek word, Aram Naharaim is the Hebrew. Now, if you'll recall, Aram Naharaim or Mesopotamia is where Abraham's servant went to get Isaac a wife, Genesis 24 verse 10. In fact, Balaam was also from this place, Deuteronomy 23 verse 5, and this is described as the location of Joab's slaughter of Moab in the title of Psalm 60. Now verse seven tells us that they hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah and his people. Now in 2 Samuel 10 verse six, we read of 20,000, and the king of Maacah and 1,000 men, and of Ishtob 12,000 men. So this, what we're reading here, 32,000 is the conglomeration of the 20,000 from the king of Maacah, and the 12,000 from Ishtob, and then the Maacah and his people, the extra 1,000 are not mentioned in 1 Chronicles by number, but only by name. So then we have Joab's bravery in verses 8 through 13. This is paralleled in 2 Samuel 10 verses 7 through 12. You'll notice here in verse 13, Joab makes a statement. This is perhaps one of the highlights of Joab's career in the Bible. Let us behave ourselves valiantly. Now this is very similar to where it says let us play the men in the text of 2 Samuel 10 verse 12. Translated a little differently in the authorized version, in fact of interest, is that both the Septuagint and Jerome's Latin translation also use different words between these two passages, although in Hebrew they're almost identical. The verbs mean to behave ourselves valiantly or to play the man. It literally means to harden yourself, to strengthen yourself, to be firm in your conduct. Not merely to wise military policy does Joab appeal, but also to the manly duty of hardening yourself against dangers. Readiness to do your duty, being strong and lethal when the situation calls for it. He says that we should behave ourselves valiantly to his fellow soldiers for what? What cause? What reason? For our people. and for the cities of our God. For the good of the people the Lord has put you among, for the inheritance God has granted. This is Christian patriotism. Love for God, love for our people, love for our land. That's what he says they're to fight for. Then verses 14 through 19, Israel is once and again victorious. This is again a parallel passage, 2 Samuel 10, 13 through 19. Now the vantage point in verse 17 is that David put his battle in array against the Syrians. In 2 Samuel verse 17 of the 10th chapter, the opposite. The Syrians set themselves in array against David. Now both are true. They both set themselves in array against each other. One records one, the other records the other. Verse 18, there is a reference to David's slaying of the Syrians 7,000 men, which fought in chariots. stated in 2 Samuel 10, 18, David slew the men of 700 chariots of the Syrians. So 7,000 versus 700. And we saw this earlier in chapter 18, where there would be a reference to the principal actors in the chariots, and then those subordinated to them. The Westminster Annotations comment, They say the chiefest and most principal are set down in 2 Samuel 10, 18, and the whole number here. So 700 principal men, 7,000 total men. Also notice verse 18, 40,000 footmen. In 2 Samuel 10, verse 18, 40,000 horsemen. Now this is remarkable. Not only were 40,000 horsemen slain on horses, maybe with chariots, but 40,000 footmen. This exalts the greatness of the victory to 80,000 men, not merely the 40,000 recorded in 2 Samuel 10, verse 18. Here another fragment gathered up, the amplification of God's greatness and the exaltation of David and his kingdom here given to us in 1 Chronicles. Also note that verse 19 tells us that Hadarizer saw that he was put to the worst, and it says that he made peace with David. In 2 Samuel 10 verse 19, it says that they made peace with Israel. Well, which is it? Did you make peace with David or did you make peace with Israel? And the answer is yes, both are true. David was the principal magistrate and so his transactions represent whom? the entire nation. So if they become servants of David, they're servants of Israel. If they make peace with David, they make peace with Israel. Both are true. Matthew Henry comments, making an interesting application He says, let those who have stood in vain, stood it out against God, be thus wise for themselves. Remember, these Syrians stood out against David. They're saying, if you're standing out against God, be wise for yourself. Agree with him quickly while you are in the way. And thus far the exposition of this 19th chapter of the book of First Chronicles.