2 Samuel 5:11-26 also records these events.
The Lord God was blessing David in all he did. David inquired before he went to battle with the Philistines (10, 14). “Shall I go and attack…” Though defending one’s territory seems obvious when an enemy attacks David inquired anyway. The Lord was fighting in the battle (15).
I am jealous of David at this point in his life. He was king. He was building a palace. He had wives and children. He was winning battles. Most jealousy of all these is that the Lord God answered his prayers and was fighting with him in battles. Yes, it is true David was not always living like this. Still, I am jealous of David at this time in his life.
Was David living such a life to be jealous of? How did he feel when the Philistines raided the Valley of Rephaim (9) not once but twice (13)? These were the same people he had aligned with around 10 years earlier when he was in exile because of Saul. I suspect David was hurt and shocked. I am not jealous of the attacks that lead to victories.
When things are going well and something bad seems to keep happening need to remember to inquire of the Lord and know that God has a victory in store if I obey him. It must have been just as hard for David to wait under the balsam trees (14) as it is for me to wait for the Lord to begin the fight. Yet he did. So here I am waiting to hear God’s instructions and waiting to hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees.
