THE LORD OF THE BREAKTHROUGH

David was anointed by Samuel to follow Saul as the king of Israel (see 1 Samuel 16). This rather unusual selection by God would be followed by years of preparation before David would actually become the king.

In 2 Samuel 3, David is made king of Judah (the southern kingdom) and then in chapter 5 he becomes the king of the tribes of Israel (the northern Kingdom) as well. This made David the king of all the tribes of Israel.

In 5:12 (ESV) it says, “And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” The word established means that David knew that God had firmly set him in place to be the king of His people—there was no doubt in David’s mind.  

Very soon after David had become the king, the archenemy of Israel, the Philistines, moved against David and Israel. In the Old Testament the Philistines are a type of our enemy the devil.  Verse 17 says the Philistines were searching for David and that meant they were planning to depose and destroy what God had set in place.

You can mark it down that every time you begin to move ahead in God, the enemy will contest your forward progress. You may have begun to be more faithful in your daily walk with Him, in prayer, in witness, in giving. The enemy will not give that ground away without a contesting on his part. And so it was when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king: “The Philistines went up to search for David” (v. 17).

David went to prayer and asked the Lord what to do. “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” (v. 19). God responded in the affirmative to David and so we read that David and his army came to the Valley of Rephaim and he defeated the Philistines there.

God’s instructions to David were very clear: “Go up and I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” When David did what the Lord told him, the victory was his. David called the place of victory Baal-Perazim, which means, “Lord of breakthrough.” When a river breaks out of its banks in a flood, great force is unleashed and that force literally washes away everything in its path. David describes the power of God in a similar way because when God unleashed His power, there was nothing that could stop it.

Was this then the end of the Philistines coming after David? The answer is a simple no!

Verse 22 says, “The Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.” Just when you think the enemy is finished . . .  here he comes again.

Verse 23 says, “And when David inquired of the Lord.” David did exactly the right thing! I have to wonder if David wasn’t asking the Lord, “Shall I do again what I did last time? That really worked beautifully.” But God said, “You will not do it the same this time as you did last time. This time, go around and get behind them and wait. When you hear the sound of marching coming from the tops of the trees, then go, for the Lord has gone before you and struck down the army of the Philistines.”

What unusual instructions: “Listen for the sound of marching coming from the tops of the trees!”  But unusual or not, David did what God told him to do and a great victory was won.

Carol and I can testify to the validity of doing what God says even when others disagreed with our direction. When you decide to follow His voice, some of your closest friends might tell you, “Don’t do that” and then get upset when you do what God has told you to do.

HOW DO WE GET OUR OWN BAAL-PERAZIM?

1. ASK GOD—David inquired of the Lord (verses 19 and 23).

David did not assume the obvious. To inquire means to request, to ask, to consult, to pray. Our greatest problem is that we don’t ask God about our situations . . . we assume or we presume!

2. HEAR GOD—The Lord spoke to David” (verses 19, 23, 24).

Romans 10:17 –“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” We must set aside time to ask and listen—-most of our questions are clearly defined within the Word of God. Sometimes the Lord will ask us to do something that is contrary to our natural understanding, such as hearing the sound of marching in the tops of trees, but we are to listen, for He will speak to us! 

 

3. OBEY GOD— And David did as God commanded him (verses 20 and 25).

Obedience is the doorway to victory and to the blessing of God resting upon what we do.

“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built” (Luke 6:47-48).