Hamstringing the Horses

I recently read a portion of 2 Samuel which brought to my attention an action by King David that is both perplexing and completely practical. 2 Samuel 8 records the military establishment of Israel over its surrounding enemies, all under the rule of King David. In terms of national pride, this is one of the highest points in Jewish history as the people of God are united together under the rule of the king whom God has chosen…a king “after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Among Israel’s various enemies, the Arameans to the north posed a significant threat. 2 Samuel 8:3-4 records an enemy force containing 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. The writer of 2 Chronicles records this same event, providing what most scholars believe to be a more accurate number of 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen, along with the 20,000 foot soldiers. It was a victory of notable significance!

However, upon defeating the Arameans, King David performs an act which at first seems quite strange—he hamstrings almost all of the defeated armies’ horses. “Hamstringing involves cutting through the rear tarsal tendon in the hock joint (equivalent of human Achilles tendon), leaving the horses unable to walk” (Bible Background Commentary - The IVP Bible Background Commentary – Old Testament). At this particular point in history, the accumulation of horses provided any military with a significant advantage. Horsemen would normally rout an army of foot soldiers because of tactical superiority. Why would King David commit such a seemingly ludicrous act, particularly with many battles before him?

Practically speaking, the instructions contained in Deuteronomy 17:16 provide explanation. Giving direction to Israel’s future kings, Moses writes, “he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’” The victories achieved by God’s people were always overwhelmingly miraculous in nature as they came by the power of God. It was not because of Israel’s superior military might or its resources that they overcame in battle. Their victory was only due to God’s favor upon them. Had David not hamstrung the horses, they may have been tempted to depend upon the strength of horses rather than the strength of the Lord (which is precisely what happened in the reign of King Solomon).

In our own day, it is so tempting to rely upon our own resources for victory rather than trust in the Lord. Perhaps the greatest false resource upon which we hopelessly rely is that of finances. We are truly foolish to place our hope in a supply which is so unreliable and dangerous to our souls (read 1 Timothy 6:6-10). Perhaps like King David we must also “hamstring the horses.” God invites us to trust in Him and find freedom from untrustworthy idols. As we give our resources and ourselves to the Lord, we find ourselves making the most perplexing and practical decision of all—trusting in the Lord!

In the coming weeks, the church’s finance team will be presenting next year’s ministry budget. We are facing the enemies of overwhelming need and suffocating debt (our church debt currently stands at more than $800,000). Undoubtedly, you have needs in your family that you believe can only be met by financial resources. However, what would happen if we hamstring the horses and trust completely in the Lord to provide? Please pray that our church leadership will have the perplexing and practical courage to trust in the Lord as we formulate the budget. And consider your own part in trusting the Lord to meet our ministry needs.

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7)

Hamstringing the horses,

Jason