Same, Same, But Different

​“When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?’ The LORD answered him, ‘Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.’ So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, ‘As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.’ So that place was called Baal Perazim…Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, ‘Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.’ So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer” (2 Samuel 5:17-25).
 
David finally became king over all Israel, he conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital (“the City of David”), and he defeated the Philistines—not just once but on 2 separate occasions. The first time was at a place called Baal Perazim which is in or near the Valley of Rephaim, where, on God’s instructions, David and his men smashed the Philistines by way of a frontal assault (2 Samuel 5:19-20). We can safely assume that David undertook a frontal attack because, as we shall see, in the subsequent military engagement with the Philistines, God told David to tactically avoid “going straight up” (2 Samuel 5:23), which implies he did go straight up in the first engagement.
 
The second engagement against the Philistines also took place at the Valley of Rephaim, but this time, again on God’s instructions, David gained victory by way of a flanking maneuver rather than by frontal assault (2 Samuel 5:23-25). Same enemy, same battleground, but 2 quite different strategies. What’s the common thread here? 
 
David sought the Lord each time and received God’s game plan custom-tailored for each specific occasion. The temptation for us is to think: We’ve been here before, let’s rely on what worked for us previously and we’ll be fine. Or to conclude, this is too much, it isn’t worth the trouble, let’s just throw in the towel. But what is so impressive about David’s attitude and approach is that he did not take anything for granted! He certainly did not take God for granted! Two occasions, facing the same enemy the Philistines, on the same battlefield at the Valley of Rephaim. He’d already defeated the Philistines the first time, and we would not begrudge David—a seasoned military commander and a veteran campaigner—if he’d decided to take his foot off the gas pedal just for a bit. But no, he inquired after God, he waited on the Lord for direction, and he followed God’s instructions to the “T”. 
 
Likewise, let’s not be caught failing to inquire of the Lord and obeying His word, as we face another season full of trouble and uncertainty—but also a season full of promise and opportunity for us to see God move in powerful and miraculous ways!