The Name and the Kingdom Text: 2 Samuel 8:13-14
Introduction: Two Ways to Make a Name
There are two ways for a man, or for a civilization, to make a name for himself. The first way is the way of Babel. It is the way of frantic, heaven-storming rebellion. Men gather on a plain, full of mud bricks and ambition, and say to one another, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:4). This is the spirit of raw humanism. It is the desire for a name that is not bestowed, but seized. It is the quest for glory that is manufactured from the ground up, a monument to human autonomy. And God always, without fail, comes down to judge it, to confuse it, and to scatter it.
Then there is the second way. This is the way of Abraham, to whom God said, "Go from your country... and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great" (Gen. 12:1-2). Notice the profound difference. At Babel, man says, "Let us make a name for ourselves." To Abraham, God says, "I will make your name great." One is grasping; the other is receiving. One is rebellion; the other is covenant. One is built on the shifting mud of human pride; the other is built on the granite of a divine promise.
Our text today finds King David, the great son of Abraham, making a name for himself. But we must be careful to read this with biblical eyes. David is not having a Babel moment. He is having an Abraham moment. His fame is not the result of a self-glorifying project. It is the byproduct of covenantal obedience. It is the fruit of God's prior promise to him in the Davidic Covenant, "I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth" (2 Sam. 7:9). David's victories, his administration, and his growing renown are not the story of a man building his own little empire. They are the story of God building His kingdom through His anointed king. And this story is given to us as a picture, a type, a foreshadowing of the greater David, Jesus Christ, who would win the ultimate victory and establish a kingdom that shall have no end.
The Text
So David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Arameans in the Valley of Salt. Then he placed garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he placed garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went.
(2 Samuel 8:13-14 LSB)
A God-Given Renown (v. 13)
We begin with the first part of verse 13:
"So David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Arameans in the Valley of Salt." (2 Samuel 8:13)
On the surface, this sounds like the world's formula for fame. A mighty warrior returns from a great victory, and his reputation deservedly grows. The Valley of Salt was a place of decisive conflict, and David was decisively victorious. But the Bible is never content to give us just the surface. The verb here, "made a name," is the same root used by the builders of Babel. But the context is entirely different, and that makes all the difference.
David's name is not made in a vacuum of personal ambition. It is forged in the context of his calling as God's anointed king. He is not fighting for personal glory; he is fighting the Lord's battles. He is securing the borders of the promised land. He is executing God's judgments against the enemies of God's people. This is not David's project; it is God's. The fame that comes from it, therefore, is not a monument to David's ego but a testament to God's faithfulness. When God's anointed is obedient, God keeps His promise to make his name great.
This is a crucial lesson for us. The world tells us to "make a name for yourself" through self-promotion, branding, and relentless ambition. The Scripture teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things, including a good name, will be added to you (Matt. 6:33). A good name is a gift from God, not a prize you snatch for yourself. It is the aroma that follows faithful service, not the perfume you douse yourself in before you've done anything. David's renown was the direct result of doing his duty where God had placed him. He was tending to the business of the kingdom, and God was tending to the business of his reputation.
The Garrisons of a Secure Kingdom (v. 14a)
The narrative continues, showing us not just the victory, but the administrative follow-through.
"Then he placed garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he placed garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David." (2 Samuel 8:14a)
This is not just military cleanup. This is kingdom administration. A garrison is a military outpost, a tangible sign of rule and authority. David doesn't just defeat the Edomites and go home; he incorporates them into his kingdom as a subject people. He establishes lasting order. This is the work of a king who is building something permanent. He is not a mere raider; he is a ruler.
Why Edom? We should remember that Edom descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. There was a long history of rivalry and enmity. The subjugation of Edom was the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. When Rebekah was pregnant, the Lord told her, "Two nations are in your womb... and the older shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23). Later, Balaam prophesied, "A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be a possession" (Num. 24:17-18). David's victory is not a random geopolitical event; it is God bringing His declared Word to pass in history.
This act of placing garrisons is a picture of how Christ's kingdom advances. The victory is won at the cross, but the implications of that victory are then worked out in history. The church, in its gospel ministry, is like a garrison. It is an outpost of the kingdom of heaven in a hostile world. It is a place where the rule of Christ is acknowledged, taught, and lived out. And from these garrisons, the influence of the King goes forth. As the Great Commission is fulfilled, the nations of the earth are discipled, and they become, in a much richer sense, "servants to David", that is, servants to the Son of David, Jesus Christ.
The Source of All Success (v. 14b)
The verse, and indeed the entire chapter, concludes with a summary statement that reveals the ultimate cause behind all of David's success.
"And Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went." (2 Samuel 8:14b)
This is the divine commentary on the whole affair. It pulls back the curtain of history and shows us the hand of God at work. Was David a brilliant general? Yes. Was he a courageous warrior? Absolutely. But the text does not allow us to terminate our analysis there. The ultimate reason for his success was not his skill, his army, or his strategy. The reason was this: "Yahweh granted salvation to David."
The word for salvation here is yeshua. It means deliverance, victory, preservation. It is, of course, the root of the name of Jesus (Yehoshua). This is not an accident. The salvation that Yahweh gave to David was a political and military salvation. It was a real-world, historical deliverance from his enemies. But it was a picture, a type, of the ultimate salvation that Yahweh would grant through the ultimate Yeshua. David was saved from his enemies so that he could establish a kingdom of peace and justice. Jesus saves us from our ultimate enemies, sin, death, and the devil, so that we can be citizens of an eternal kingdom of peace and righteousness.
Notice the scope: "wherever he went." This was not a spotty, occasional success. It was a consistent, comprehensive pattern of victory. This points to the inexorable, unstoppable advance of God's kingdom. This is the engine of our postmillennial hope. The Son of David, King Jesus, has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. And as His gospel goes out, He is granted salvation, victory, wherever He goes. His kingdom is advancing, and it will continue to advance until all His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Conclusion: The Kingdom of the Son of David
So what do we take from this brief account of David's victory over Edom? We see the stark contrast between man-made glory and God-given honor. We see that true renown is the fruit of faithful obedience in the place God has put us. We see a king not only winning battles but patiently building a secure and lasting kingdom, fulfilling ancient prophecies as he does so.
But most importantly, we see in David a sketch of his greater Son. David made a name for himself through battle, but Jesus was given "the name that is above every name" through His suffering and death (Phil. 2:9). David placed garrisons in Edom to secure his earthly rule, but Jesus sends His Spirit to establish garrisons in the hearts of men and women from every tribe and nation, securing His spiritual rule. Yahweh granted David salvation wherever he went, but through Jesus, Yahweh grants eternal salvation to all who call upon His name.
David's kingdom was a glorious foreshadowing. But it was just that, a shadow. The substance is Christ. The victories of David were real, they were bloody, and they were important. They established a zone of peace and righteousness in a violent world. But they were temporary. Our King, the Lord Jesus, has won the decisive victory. He is now building His kingdom, not with swords and garrisons of soldiers, but with the sword of the Spirit and garrisons of believers. And He will be granted victory wherever He goes, until the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. David's name was made great on earth for a time. Christ's name will be praised by every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth, for all time and for all eternity.