2 Samuel 5:20-25: a reflection

20David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there. Then he said, “The LORD has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 21They left their images there, and David and his men took them away. 22The Philistines came up yet again and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 23When David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them in front of the mulberry trees. 24When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then stir yourself up; for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 25David did so, as the LORD commanded him, and struck the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.

When the Philistines attack a second time, David inquires of God, and God gives him a particular instruction: not to attack directly, but to circle around behind them, and to wait for a signal. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, God says, then stir yourself up; for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines. David was to wait for God's signal, and to move when God moved, acting in step with God who went out before him. He was not to act on his own timing, but in step with God's.

Notice the instruction: to wait for God's signal, and to act when God went out before him. David was not to rush ahead on his own; he was to wait for the sound in the treetops, the signal that God had gone out before him, and then to move. His action was to be in step with God's: he was to stir himself when God stirred, to go out when God went out before him. The victory would come as David moved in step with God, acting on God's signal, not ahead of it or apart from it. God went before, and David followed in step.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too are to act in step with God, moving on his signal rather than ahead of him. We can be tempted to rush ahead on our own timing, acting apart from God; but David was to wait for God's signal and move in step with God who went out before him. There is a moving in step with God, waiting for his signal, acting when he acts, rather than rushing ahead on our own. Do not rush ahead on your own timing, acting apart from God; wait for his signal, and move in step with him, as David waited for the sound in the treetops and moved when God went out before him. Learn to act in step with God, moving when he moves and on his signal, trusting that he goes out before you, as David heard the sound of God going before him in the treetops and moved in step with him to victory, rather than acting ahead of God or apart from his leading.

Lord, when the Philistines attack a second time, David inquires of you, and you give him a particular instruction: not to attack directly, but to circle around behind them, and to wait for a signal. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, you say, then stir yourself up; for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines. David was to wait for your signal, and to move when you moved, acting in step with you who went out before him. Show me the instruction: to wait for your signal, and to act when you went out before him. David was not to rush ahead on his own; he was to wait for the sound in the treetops, the signal that you had gone out before him, and then to move. His action was to be in step with yours. The victory would come as David moved in step with you, acting on your signal, not ahead of it. You went before, and David followed in step. Take that to my heart, for I too am to act in step with you, moving on your signal rather than ahead of you. I can be tempted to rush ahead on my own timing, acting apart from you; but David was to wait for your signal and move in step with you. Keep me from rushing ahead on my own timing, acting apart from you; help me wait for your signal, and move in step with you, Lord, as David waited for the sound in the treetops. Help me learn to act in step with you, moving when you move and on your signal, trusting that you go out before me.