The Commander

Posted by Dion Todd April 18th, 2024 1,275 Views 20 Comments

The Philistines came up yet again and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. When David inquired of Yahweh, he said, "You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them in front of the mulberry trees. 2 Samuel 5:22–23 WEB.

The Philistine army invaded the Valley of Rephaim, and David asked the Lord what to do. The last time David had faced the Philistines, he met them straight on in the battle, but this time, the Lord told him to flank them, and He would help. The Philistines had dominated parts of Israel since the battle of Mount Gilboa when King Saul and his sons were killed in 1 Samuel 31. In David's battle with the Philistines, the Lord was the Commander in charge. David prayed, got his orders, and followed them to the letter. The mission was successful. They pushed the Philistines entirely out of their land, which was a great victory.

This is an excellent example of how we are supposed to work with God today. When we face a problem, we pray and give God a chance to provide insight. James said that if we lack wisdom, "let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." (James 1:5) and also "we have not, because we ask not" (James 4:2). We have to be willing to be wrong and put His plan before our own.

In the next chapter, David decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This was the Ark God had commanded Moses to build more than 400 years before David's time. It was a wooden box overlaid with gold, the Holiest artifact in Israel. The Philistines had captured the Ark, but after they all came down with hemorrhoids, they hastily returned it (1 Samuel 5:12).

The Ark was taken by the men of Kiriath-jearim and placed in "the house of Abinadab," who put his son Eleazar in charge of it (1 Samuel 7:1). The Ark had sat there forgotten for seventy years, and after Saul died, it became trapped behind enemy lines. Kiriath-jearim was located about nine miles west of Jerusalem, roughly halfway between Geba and Gezer, the area David had just reclaimed from the Philistines. It was time to return "the glory" to Israel (1 Samuel 4:22). David was sure this was what God wanted, so he didn't bother to ask Him the details.

David assembled the largest group of elite troops that he had ever had before. He took over 30,000 armed men with him to get the Ark. Though the Ark was designed to be carried by four Levites (Exodus 25:12), David had a new cart built for it pulled by oxen. While David and everyone were celebrating with songs, harps, and cymbals, the cart hit a bump in the road. A soldier named Uzza reached out his hand to steady it, and he was instantly struck dead. The situation was a mess. After God "divided" Uzza, David became afraid of Him that day and abandoned the project until later.

I want to clarify that we have to align with God and not expect Him to align with us. Yes, there is grace to cover mistakes, but they waste valuable time and resources. It cost Uzza his life. Take the time to ask before you make a big decision, or you may regret it later.

We are not automatically acting "in His will" because we are on a mission that we believe is from God any more than David and the ox cart. We are to pray and get His advice, then try and follow it. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice" (John 10:27). If you pray and pray about something, and He will not talk to you about it, then change the subject for a while. Find out what He does want to talk about today, and listen. It may be more important than what you have in mind.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please guide me today. I am sorry for not involving You in my decisions. I want what You want. May Your Kingdom come. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Ladies, today is Thankful Thursday at the "Ladies in Distress" group (our RHM women's group)! You are welcome to join in our weekly sharing of thankfulness for the Lord's presence and any blessings you may have experienced, big or small! Until we get our small group areas up again, Thankful Thursday will take place at the home page at RHM! As always, If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network