OK, so you’re an ancient, godly king and you learn that an army of angry God-haters is coming to kill you and all your citizens.
We’re talking an army of thousands.
So what do you do?
You hurriedly round up your army generals and you tell them to get the troops ready for battle, right?
And you work up an inspiring speech to motivate the troops, right? The kind of speech that script writers would weave into an epic Hollywood war movie?
Not if you’re King David.
It’s intriguing to see how he responded to national threats like the one above.
It’s also instructive for us since we will face smaller-scale threats through the years of our lives.
In 2 Samuel 5:17-21, the Philistine army prepared to attack David and his army.
David did something that you and I might not have done.
He asked God if he should go out to attack the Philistines.
What?
These pagans have come to wipe the Israelites off the map and yet David is asking if he should attack them? What’s up with that?
This is not a case of David being a wimp, but instead his being submissive, patient warrior wanting to act according to God’s timing.
“David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
David knew that conflict was coming with the Philistines one way or another. And he was confident that God’s plan for establishing and enlarging the place of Israel would not be snuffed out by a pagan army.
The issues for David were timing and trust.
Should he wait to be attacked and then fight? Or should he pro-actively confront and conquer those who detest God and godly people?
“The LORD answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
“So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.”
In this case and another that follows in 2 Samuel 5, God told David to confront the enemy before the people of God were attacked.
The military aspects of this chapter are interesting, yes. But I’m moved and instructed by David’s demonstration of a faith principle best described in Proverbs 3:5-6.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
Human logic told David to make the first strike. But David didn’t want to trust only logic. He wanted to trust the will of God revealed through prayer.
Because He did, God provided the victory.
Whatever conflict situation we face, whether at work or home or school or church, let’s not rely solely on human logic. Instead, let’s discipline ourselves to seek God’s leading before we start kicking tail and taking names.
Who knows that God won’t resolve the problem for us before the battle begins?
Praying first for divine wisdom almost always leads to God receiving more glory when the victory comes.
And that is a very good thing.
As always, I love you
Martin
