Chapter 10
Always Check with the Lord First
The Reading: 2 Samuel 5:17-25:
The Problem:
The Philistines are mentioned no less that 286 times in the Bible. The Philistines were an aggressive, warmongering people who occupied territory southwest of Israel between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. For nearly 200 years, the Philistines harassed and oppressed the Israelites, often invading Israel’s territory.
The Old Testament indicates that the Philistines worshiped three gods: Ashtoreth, Dagon, and Baal-Zebub - each of which had shrines in various cities (Judges 16:23; 1 Samuel 31:10; 2 Kings 1:2). The Philistine soldiers carried images of their gods into battle (2 Samuel 5:21). But they were also a superstitious people who respected the power of Israel’s ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 5:1-12).
David had been King of Judah for the past seven years. But the Philistines heard that David had recently been anointed King over all of Israel. And from this point on, the story almost seems like a giant chess game.
- The Philistines came up to face David and his army.
- King David positioned his army to confront them.
- The Philistines moved their army to the valley of Rephaim, in the direct route towards Jerusalem, and spread themselves out.
- So King David inquired of the Lord whether he should attack.
- The Lord gave David permission to proceed.
- The Philistines were defeated soundly and their idols were carried away.
- But Philistines regrouped and came back for more.
- David inquired of the Lord again whether he should attack or hold back.
- The Lord responded by giving King David a new strategy and battle plan.
- David followed the Lord’s instructions precisely, and again successfully struck down the Philistines.
The Turning Point:
I think it is interesting that David didn’t assume the obvious. Both sides had come out to fight, and God had given the Israelites a mighty army with which to fight against the Philistines. It would seem self-evident that this was God’s plan all along, for them to fight every time the Philistines stepped foot on Israeli land. But David didn’t presume to know God’s thoughts. Before he engaged in battle, each time he turned to God to inquire if His favor would be upon them in the campaign.
The Bible doesn’t say how David knew that it was God Who answered him. We don’t know if a priest or prophet gave him a word from the Lord, if he heard an audible voice, or if there was some other sign. But we do know that David knew for sure that he had heard from God. God not only told David to go, but He told him He would give the Israelites the victory.
The Israelite troops decimated the troops, carried away their idols, and gave God the credit for the victory. Afterwards David said, “As waters break out, so the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” This gives me the image of a dam breaking, and the waters coming so suddenly, so powerfully, and with such deadly swiftness, there is no opportunity to escape.
But the Philistines wouldn’t give up! They regrouped and came back for more. By now, you’d think David might assume he was supposed to fight again, since God had already told him once that He would give him the victory. But, David didn’t assume anything, and he didn’t rush into the battle with an overconfident attitude. He went back to the Lord again.
The Miracle That Followed:
This time the battle plan changed. God told David to go around the back by the mulberry trees. He was to crouch down and wait until he heard marching ABOVE them, in the tops of the poplar trees. David shared the Lord’s strategy with his troops, and they all obeyed the Lord’s instructions. They squatted down below the trees to wait on the Lord’s signal.
What an awesome sound that must have been - to hear the army of God going out before them. Some commentaries have attributed this sound to just the rustling of some leaves, but it wasn’t that. It was the army of the living God going out before them into battle, and the soldiers heard it. They must have been the most bold and optimistic army ever. They knew God would be with them because they had heard His army moving out ahead of them. And once again, they successfully routed the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
The Bottom Line:
The decision making process is something that we engage in every day of our lives. Some decisions are small, but others are very important to our well-being and our future. As a matter of fact, most decisions have long-term effects. We would do well to follow David’s example and check with the Lord first, before making any major decisions. Then, listen to the Lord carefully and obey, following whatever advice He gives you.
