1 Chronicles 14:1 – 17 “Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters, to build a palace for him. And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had highly exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
And David took more wives in Jerusalem and became the father of more sons and daughters. These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
Two Victories over the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:17–25)
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went out to face them. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim. So David inquired of God, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”
“Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will deliver them into your hand.”
So David and his men went up to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, God has burst out against my enemies by my hand.” So they called that place Baal-perazim. There the Philistines abandoned their gods, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire. Once again the Philistines raided the valley. So David again inquired of God, who answered him, “Do not march up after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because this will mean that God has marched out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”
So David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. And David’s fame went out into every land, and the LORD caused all nations to fear him.”
God is a God of infinite variety; He never does things quite the same way twice. If we want to succeed, we must be attuned to God’s leading. David has become king and is now in Jerusalem. God moves King Hiram of Tyre, that rich trading city on the coast, to send artisans and materials to David to build David a palace. Hiram is politically savvy and realizes that now there is a king in Israel worth acknowledging. David realizes that God is moving Hiram to do this for the sake of the nation of Israel and not merely for David’s sake. David goes on to firmly establish his dynasty by taking more wives and fathering more children.
When the Philistines realize that David has become king over Israel, they go out hunting for him. After all, when Saul was persecuting David, David actually hid with the Philistines for a time. The Philistines also remember that David is the one who killed their champion Goliath. Better to make a quick end of this upstart before he solidifies his support throughout all of Israel! But David has learned a few things all those years that Saul has chased him, and David is smart enough to ask God for advice. David meets the Philistines head – on in the Valley of Rephaim and soundly defeats them, capturing their idols and burning the idols.
The Philistines can’t believe that David has defeated them, so they raid the Valley of Rephaim a second time. Here is where David distinguishes himself from Saul. Were Saul the one facing this challenge from the Philistines, Saul would simply shrug his shoulders and meet the Philistines head – on again. After all, that strategy worked the first time, why not the second? But David inquires of the Lord, and God advises him to circle around the Philistines and meet them in front of a grove of balsam trees. Not only are the Philistines not expecting this plan, but by getting between the Philistines and the trees, David also is cutting off potential escape routes. God orders David to wait until he hears the sound of marching feet in the treetops indicating that God’s angel armies are going out ahead of David to attack the Philistines. Unlike Saul who rarely if ever followed orders, David follows God’s instructions to the letter. The result is a resounding victory that sends the Philistines westward to their five cities to lick their wounds.
APPLICATION: If you have tried a strategy and it has worked, it’s very tempting to repeat that approach without considering the possibility that circumstances may have changed. But flexibility is critically important. When we were first training as missionaries, one experienced instructor advised us, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall never be bent out of shape.” Proverbs 29:1 tells us, “A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.”
The key to David’s success is simple: he asks God for advice, he takes that advice, and he waits until God moves before he moves. We can read all the books and watch Ted Talks. We can ask friends and superiors for advice. But unless we have consulted God, we are setting ourselves up for failure.
The HMS Bounty was a replica of a famous sailing ship. October 25, 2012, this three – masted wooden ship left the safety of New London, Connecticut, bound for Saint Petersburg, Florida, despite the fact that Hurricane Sandy was making its way up the East Coast of the U.S. The captain of the Bounty foolishly assumed that this relatively small ship would be safer at sea than at anchor and sailed with a small inexperienced crew (15 rather than the 25 generally on board), poorly functioning pumps, and inadequate safety precautions.
The Bounty sank on October 29, 2012. Coast Guard helicopters rescued 14 of the 16 crew members. One sailor died and the 63-year-old captain, Robin Walbridge, was never found. In a later report, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded, “To set sail into an approaching hurricane introduced needless risk,” the safety board wrote. The probable cause of the sinking was “the captain’s reckless decision to sail the vessel into the well-forecasted path of Hurricane Sandy, which subjected the aging vessel and the inexperienced crew to conditions from which the vessel could not recover.” Had Mr. Walbridge consulted the God who controlled Hurricane Sandy, he would have stayed in port.
God is always willing to help us and to advise us. Our problem is us; we dream up approaches and then ask God to bless them without ever considering that we might be as foolish as the captain of the Bounty replica. King David was wise enough to ask God for help; let us do the same!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to always seek Your advice and then to take it, even if our common sense is telling us something quite different. Thank You for not giving up on us when we do fail to take Your advice. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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