When it is Not a “Good” Answer
Have you ever had someone give you advice, tell you to do something, that made no sense? We all have given, or been given, that kind of marching orders at some point in life. For me, the key to whether or not I took that advice was who gave it. Was it someone I trusted or was it someone who didn’t have the best track record of advice-giving.
Now let me ask: If you consider yourself a Jesus-follower, has God ever asked you to do something that to you, from your point of view, made zero sense. You said, “Say what?”
Today I want to look at a story in the Old Testament in which God told David something that probably sounded like bad advice to David, and certainly sounded ridiculous to David’s army. The story is found in 2 Samuel 5:17-25, which tells of David defeating the Philistines.
Let me give some background and context.
Who are the Philistines? We are told in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) that they came from the lineage of Ham, one of Noah’s sons. Who were Ham’s sons? – Cush, Egypt (Mizraim), Put, and Canaan (v.6). And in v.14 we are told that Mizraim fathered seven children, one of which was Casluhim, from whom the Philistines came.
When the Israelites left Egypt, the Philistines settled along the coastal strip between Egypt and Gaza. They continued to be a nemesis to the Israelites for many years. It was during Saul’s rule that a young David defeated Goliath the Philistine. Over time, the Philistines took control of the hill country as well, thus the Israelites needed a mighty warrior king. After Saul’s disastrous reign, David becomes king.
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king, they became concerned and went looking for him. David retreated and found a stronghold, most likely a cave somewhere in southern Judah, where he had also retreated to hide from Saul.
David inquires of the Lord and the Lord tells him to go into battle expecting a victory. David and his men defeat the Philistines at Baal-perazim (which means Lord of breaking through). The Philistines would have taken their idols into battle with them, as protection. When David defeated his enemy, his troops carried the pagan idols away, burning them in accordance with the stipulations of the covenant that Moses gave after coming down from the mountain – “But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop the Asherim and burn their carved images with fire” Deuteronomy 7:5.
David credits the victory to his Lord. The Philistines then re-group and come at David and his men a second time. Again, David inquires of the Lord. This time, he is told to wait. David tells his men that God has told him to wait until they hear a sound in the tops of the trees.
Whoa whoa, hold on for a minute! You want us to do what? Wait to attack until we “hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees” (v.24). Come on, you are joking, right?
But what does David do. He waits, trusting God’s promise of going out before him into battle. And we are told that when the sound is heard, they attack the Philistines, and defeat them once again (v.25).
This is a great illustration of seeking God’s plan in everything we do. Whether it is asking for guidance or begging for a breakthrough. David prays; he inquires of the Lord. He waits upon the Lord to answer. He obeys, even when the answer doesn’t make sense, even the answer isn’t seemingly a good answer. He experiences victory. He remembers where the victory was won – Baal-perazim. And he gives credit where credit is due.
So, when you need guidance, when you need a breakthrough, when you need a victory, when you stand at your Baal-perazim, do you inquire of the Lord, do you wait upon Him, and do you obey, even when the answer doesn’t seem to be a good answer?
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