3 Aug. 2 Samuel 5:17-25

3 Aug.  David defeats the Philistines

“When the Philistines heard that David had been made king over Israel, all the Philistines went to look for him. But when David heard the news, he went down to the stronghold.”

“The Philistines came and camped in the Valley of Rephaim. David asked the LORD, ‘Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?’ The LORD said to David, ‘Go! I will certainly hand them over to you.’”

“So David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines there. David said, ‘Like a flood of water, the LORD has broken through my enemies in front of me.’ So David named the place Baal Perazim. The Philistines left their idols behind at Baal Perazim, so David and his men carried them away.”

“Once again the Philistines came and camped at the Valley of Rephaim. When David prayed to the LORD, he answered, ‘Don’t attack the Philistines from the front. Instead, go around and attack them in front of the balsam trees. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act quickly. I, the LORD, will have gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.’”

“So David did what the LORD commanded. He defeated the Philistines and chased them all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.”

          (2 Samuel 5:17-25)

 

 

When they heard that David had been made king over both Israel and Judah, the Philistines marched towards Jerusalem and camped in the Valley of Rephaim, to the west of Jerusalem. 

David consulted God and asked whether he should remain in the secure stronghold of the City of David on Mount Zion, or whether he should march out and meet the Philistines in open battle.

The LORD promised David victory in battle, so he assembled his men, marched out from Jerusalem, and defeated the Philistines at Baal Perazim (meaning ‘Lord of the breakthrough’) in the Valley of Rephaim.

Some years later, the Philistines marched towards Jerusalem again, once again camping in the Valley of Rephaim. This time, the LORD instructed David to mount a surprise attack on the Philistines from the rear. After he had broken through the main force, he pursued the fleeing Philistines north towards Gibeon, then all the way west to Gezer (which had not yet been conquered by the Israelites) (see 6 on the map on 27 July).

The photo (by Joe Freeman) shows the City of David on Ophel Hill in the foreground, with the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives in the background. 

You can read more about the City of David @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/30-israel-becomes-a-kingdom-under-saul-and-david/david-captures-jerusalem/

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