Originally posted: 12/26/2019
And the LORD helped David wherever he went, (8:6, 14).
The phrase is repeated, exactly repeated, twice.
The NIV translates it this way; The LORD gave David victory wherever he went, (8:6, 14 NIV).
And when He repeats Himself, we know it is to our advantage to pay close attention.
Our English language however, does not fully capture all the LORD did for David in His help and giving of victory. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines the Hebrew verb translated as helped or gave victory as follows:
3467. יָשַׁע yāšaʿ: A verb meaning to save, to help, to deliver, to defend. The underlying idea of this verb is bringing to a place of safety or broad pasture as opposed to a narrow strait, symbolic of distress and danger.
When the LORD helps us and gives victory, He delivers and defends as He Brings His people to His Broad Place, a place of safety, free from distress and danger, a place we can never arrive in and of ourselves.
Consider Him Who Brings Us to His Broad Place
- He Brings us to His Broad Place, a place of victory.
- Now after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them… 2 He defeated Moab… 3 Then David defeated Hadadezer… 6 Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute, (8:1, 2, 3, 6).
- He Brings us to His Broad Place, a place of continuous support.
- And the LORD helped David wherever he went, (8:6, 14).
- He Brings us to His Broad Place, a place of worship.
- King David also dedicated these to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued: (8:11).
- He Brings us to His Broad Place, a place of notable reputation.
- So David made a name for himself… (8:13).
- He Brings us to His Broad Place, a place of justice and righteousness.
- So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people, (8:15).
How do we respond to Him Who Brings Us to His Broad Place?
When we come to Him by faith, trusting He is faithful, He Brings Us to His Broad Place. And once again we see Jesus.
- In Jesus, His Broad Place is a place of victory.
- But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, (2 Corinthians 2:14).
- In Jesus, His Broad Place is a place of continuous support.
- But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you, (John 14:26).
- In Jesus, His Broad Place is a place of worship.
- “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He,” (John 4:23-26).
- In Jesus, His Broad Place is a place of notable reputation.
- Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus, (Acts 4:13).
- …and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life, (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
- In Jesus, His Broad Place is a place of justice and righteousness.
- Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, (Romans 8:1-4).
Oh may He Bring Us to His Broad Place today, to see Jesus, our Deliverer, Defender and Helper, that we would walk in His victory and continuous support and be moved to live lives of worship. May His Presence in our lives manifest that others would recognize we have been with Jesus. And may we live in His Broad Place, free from condemnation as we walk according to His Spirit.