King of the Mountain

Reflections on 2 Samuel 5:17-25; 1 Chronicles 14:8-17

Because of his higher position, the king on the mountain enjoys a great advantage over his rivals.  However, the rivals are more numerous and with time can dislodge the king at the top.  But then, the new king on the mountain suddenly finds that his allies have turned against him.  His success does not bring rest.  Instead, it invites attacks from all sides.  David's elevation to the throne over all Israel antagonized the Philistines, who like David had been counted enemies by Saul's house.  They were troubled because David had become their chief rival.  They gathered their forces and marched toward Jerusalem from the southwest.  They occupied the fertile Valley of Rephaim (Isaiah 17:4-6) midway between Bethlehem, where they had established a garrison (2 Samuel 23:14), and Jerusalem.  Before the Philistines gained complete control of the countryside around Jerusalem, David took a small force to Baal Perazim, where he could observe the movement of Philistine troops between Philistia and the Valley of Rephaim.

THE LORD BREAKS FORTH.  Although David was accompanied by brave and proven soldiers, he inquired of the Lord before attacking the Philistines.  After receiving God's approval, David attacked the Philistines near Baal Perazim with such suddenness that they abandoned their idols.  David and his men carried off the idols (2 Samuel 5:21) and burned them (1 Chronicles 14:12) according to the Lord's command (Deuteronomy 7:5, 25).  After the battle, David noted that the Lord had "broken out against my enemies before me.  Still, one battle seldom wins a war, and the Philistines returned with reinforcements.

THE LORD GOES IN FRONT.  Again David inquired of the Lord, and God instructed David to circle around the Philistines and attack "in front of the balsam trees," that is, probably from the cover of a wooded area in a guerrilla style ambush.  The "sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees" signaled that the Lord had "gone out in front" of them "to strike the Philistine army."  Perhaps as the trees hid David's men from the sight of the Philistines, so the sound in the treetops masked the sound of his men as they moved into position.  Since David had circled around behind the Philistines, they could not flee down the valley westward when they were attacked.  Instead, they had to go north over the hills five or six miles to Gibeon and then westward 15 miles to Gezer on the border of Philistia.

Twice the Philistines had attacked, twice David inquired of the Lord, twice the Lord had led the way, and twice David and the Israelites won the victory.  When Israel sought the Lord's will and obeyed his command to destroy the idols in the land, the Lord blessed Israel and gave them victory.