1Ch 14:14 | KingComments | STEP | The Philistines have suffered a defeat, but they do not give up the battle. We must also remember that we are dealing with an indefatigable enemy who will never give in. Every defeat we inflict on him will sooner or later be followed by another attack. So also here. Again the Philistines seek to attack David. It will result in a second battle, which will result in more enemies being defeated and the power and fear of David being spread into all the lands ( ). There is also great fear for him on all the nations, a fear that the LORD places on them ( ). When the enemies threaten David again, he inquires of God again for advice. He is not lax and does not ignore the enemy. He recognizes the danger. At the same time he is not overconfident in assuming that it will be good to attack the enemy again because it was good the first time. God also answers now, but indicates that David must now follow a different tactic. It means a new exercise for David in following the instructions of God. The exercise he gets now is greater than the first one. He must wait for God and listen carefully if he hears Him. The sound he has to pay attention to is “the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees”. This sound must not have been the rustling of the leaves, but the sound of Someone walking (cf. ). It will be an army of God, an angelic power, facing the enemies of Israel. Only when God sets the signal to green, David may go. He does so. The result is that the Philistines are again completely defeated. The Philistines who fled are followed far away and killed. If we notice God’s work around us, it is like “the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees”. It should arouse us to prayer and commitment. When we hear that some believers want to pray together, it is a ‘sound of God’s footsteps’. A time of crisis or tragedy in our lives is also like the sound of God’s footsteps. If we hear that sound, let us go more than before into the struggle of prayer. In prayer we can fight for a blessing on the preaching of God’s Word, both in the gospel and in the building up of the church. God is working and uses us to do His work. David goes out to defeat the enemies and does what God has commanded him to do and defeats the enemies. Doing what God says is the way that victories are achieved.

‏ 1 Chronicles 14:14

David Defeats the Philistines Again

The Philistines have suffered a defeat, but they do not give up the battle. We must also remember that we are dealing with an indefatigable enemy who will never give in. Every defeat we inflict on him will sooner or later be followed by another attack. So also here.

Again the Philistines seek to attack David. It will result in a second battle, which will result in more enemies being defeated and the power and fear of David being spread into all the lands (1Chr 14:17a). There is also great fear for him on all the nations, a fear that the LORD places on them (1Chr 14:17b).

When the enemies threaten David again, he inquires of God again for advice. He is not lax and does not ignore the enemy. He recognizes the danger. At the same time he is not overconfident in assuming that it will be good to attack the enemy again because it was good the first time. God also answers now, but indicates that David must now follow a different tactic.

It means a new exercise for David in following the instructions of God. The exercise he gets now is greater than the first one. He must wait for God and listen carefully if he hears Him. The sound he has to pay attention to is “the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees”. This sound must not have been the rustling of the leaves, but the sound of Someone walking (cf. Gen 3:8a). It will be an army of God, an angelic power, facing the enemies of Israel.

Only when God sets the signal to green, David may go. He does so. The result is that the Philistines are again completely defeated. The Philistines who fled are followed far away and killed.

If we notice God’s work around us, it is like “the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees”. It should arouse us to prayer and commitment. When we hear that some believers want to pray together, it is a ‘sound of God’s footsteps’. A time of crisis or tragedy in our lives is also like the sound of God’s footsteps. If we hear that sound, let us go more than before into the struggle of prayer.

In prayer we can fight for a blessing on the preaching of God’s Word, both in the gospel and in the building up of the church. God is working and uses us to do His work.

David goes out to defeat the enemies and does what God has commanded him to do and defeats the enemies. Doing what God says is the way that victories are achieved.