1Ch 14:10 | KingComments | STEP | The Philistines go up against David as soon as they hear that David is “anointed king over all Israel”. That places us back in time to 1 Chronicles 11, where David is anointed king over all Israel ( ). This fact leads the Philistines “to go up in search of David”, not to honor him like Hiram, but to kill him. The battle that the Philistines search of is purposed by the LORD as an exercise for David to teach him to consult Him. He did not do this in the previous chapter when he brought up the ark. But here he consulted the LORD. This is the practical reason for mentioning this. The spiritual reason is that there are spiritual conditions attached to what we want to do for the Lord. The first condition is that we must do what we want to do for the Lord in the way He indicates. Another condition is that in doing the Lord’s will we keep ‘the Philistines’ as far away from us as possible. Philistines claim the same place as God’s people, while they are not God’s people. They are a picture of the nominal Christians, who confess that Jesus is Lord, but are essentially His enemies ( ). David inquires of God , of Him Who is the Almighty, whether he should go up and also whether God will give his enemies into his hand. The LORD , the God of the covenant with His people, answers both questions in the affirmative. When David goes up, he defeats the Philistines, as the LORD has said. He gives God the honor of the victory and gives the place where it happens the name that honors God as the Lord of victory. “Baal-perazim” means “Lord of the breakthrough”. The name Baal-perazim reminds of the name Perez-uzza ( ), that is to say of the breaking through of the anger of the LORD against Uzza (Perazim is the plural of Perez). In Uzza, the breaking through of God’s anger is the result of not consulting the LORD. Here the LORD’s anger breaks through against the enemy because David has asked God and is walking in His way. David’s description of how the victory is achieved – he speaks of “a breakthrough of water” – is reminiscent of the violence of a torrential flood. Apparently David ran with his army down from the heights and ran the enemies underfoot (cf. ). The Philistines who were able to escape have not thought of taking their gods with them in their haste to flee. Their gods, whom they have taken with them to help them in their fight against David, have of course served them in nothing. How worthless they are is underlined when they are burned on David’s orders. This is done in accordance with the commandment of God ( ).

‏ 1 Chronicles 14:10

David Defeats the Philistines

The Philistines go up against David as soon as they hear that David is “anointed king over all Israel”. That places us back in time to 1 Chronicles 11, where David is anointed king over all Israel (1Chr 11:3). This fact leads the Philistines “to go up in search of David”, not to honor him like Hiram, but to kill him. The battle that the Philistines search of is purposed by the LORD as an exercise for David to teach him to consult Him. He did not do this in the previous chapter when he brought up the ark. But here he consulted the LORD. This is the practical reason for mentioning this.

The spiritual reason is that there are spiritual conditions attached to what we want to do for the Lord. The first condition is that we must do what we want to do for the Lord in the way He indicates. Another condition is that in doing the Lord’s will we keep ‘the Philistines’ as far away from us as possible. Philistines claim the same place as God’s people, while they are not God’s people. They are a picture of the nominal Christians, who confess that Jesus is Lord, but are essentially His enemies (Mt 7:22-23).

David inquires of God, of Him Who is the Almighty, whether he should go up and also whether God will give his enemies into his hand. The LORD, the God of the covenant with His people, answers both questions in the affirmative. When David goes up, he defeats the Philistines, as the LORD has said. He gives God the honor of the victory and gives the place where it happens the name that honors God as the Lord of victory. “Baal-perazim” means “Lord of the breakthrough”.

The name Baal-perazim reminds of the name Perez-uzza (1Chr 13:11), that is to say of the breaking through of the anger of the LORD against Uzza (Perazim is the plural of Perez). In Uzza, the breaking through of God’s anger is the result of not consulting the LORD. Here the LORD’s anger breaks through against the enemy because David has asked God and is walking in His way.

David’s description of how the victory is achieved – he speaks of “a breakthrough of water” – is reminiscent of the violence of a torrential flood. Apparently David ran with his army down from the heights and ran the enemies underfoot (cf. Jdg 4:14-16).

The Philistines who were able to escape have not thought of taking their gods with them in their haste to flee. Their gods, whom they have taken with them to help them in their fight against David, have of course served them in nothing. How worthless they are is underlined when they are burned on David’s orders. This is done in accordance with the commandment of God (Deu 7:5 ; 25a).