The scene in 2 Samuel 5 involves two battles between the Israelites and the Philistines. They had been enemies for many years. King David needed to defeat them in battle to maintain sovereignty of the nation.
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.
David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” The Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand” (2 Samuel 5:18-19).
The Philistines came to fight David and his army once more. David asked God for guidance again.
Once again the Philistines came up and were spread out in the valley of Rephaim.
When David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear and come upon them opposite the balsam trees.
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then be on the alert, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines” (2 Samuel 5:22-24).
In verse 24, it describes David listening for “the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees.” In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross explains that this marching was likely the angelic army that came to help him fight against the Philistines.
A Conversational Relationship with God
I remember being in a philosophy of religion class in seminary over 50 years ago when the professor said something that surprised me. He said, “God is a personal God.” I had never thought about it that way before, even though I talked to God every day. The idea of a personal God really struck me.
God has a personality and is distinct. He isn’t human, but we are made in His likeness and share similarities with Him.
Because of this, we can know that God wants to have a conversational relationship with us.
David likely used the Urim and Thummim to find out God’s will. He would ask questions, and the priest would cast the Urim and Thummim on the ground to see how they landed. This method helped him understand God’s direction.
Jesus and his disciples, however, show a more advanced way of knowing God’s will through direct dialogue with Him.
Remember the story of feeding the 5,000? Notice how Jesus and his disciples discussed how to provide a banquet for a large crowd in a remote place.
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”
They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me” (Matthew 14:15-17).
Notice how the disciples brought an issue to Jesus. He told them they could do something about the problem.
They replied that they only had a small resource and the problem was too big.
He said, bring what you have to me, and you know the rest of the story. After receiving the small amount of food, he multiplied it to feed thousands in the desert.
Our Time Vs. Their Time
It’s easy to think, “But yes, Jesus was walking with them. I don’t see Jesus walking with me now.” The Gospel of John answers this question clearly, as Jesus and his disciples talk near the time of his crucifixion.
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:8-11).
The first question is about the Trinity, even though the concept had not been considered at that time.
Philip wants to see the Father, and Jesus explains that through God’s power, everything Jesus is and does reflect the Father. He also shares that he and the Father work together in harmony.
Jesus then talks about the third member of the Trinity, the Advocate. The Advocate translates from the Greek word paraclete, which means “one who walks by your side.”
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you” (John 14:15-17).
Edward Schweitzer describes the Holy Spirit’s work by saying that “everything Jesus was to his disciples, the Holy Spirit is to us today.”
Our Experience with God Today
Let’s think about having a conversation with the Lord. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is with us in our lives. We can talk to him just like the disciples did when they worried about feeding over 5,000 people in the wilderness.
Our conversations will be similar to theirs. We can share our problems and worries with him.
He will answer us, but his answers might be different from how he answered them. Jesus is very creative, so there are many ways he might respond to us.
- Dreams are some of the ways that God gives humans answers to their prayer while they are most receptive to the Spirit.
- Bible passages that seem to take on new meaning and emphasis are one of the most frequent ways that God converses with His children.
- Input from other Christians is one way Jesus speaks to us. The church is called the body of Christ. We are not intended to be “Lone Ranger” followers of Jesus. As Jesus speaks to us through other Christians, He honors the church He founded.
- Intuitive feelings are often ways that God speaks to His more seasoned followers. When we are paying attention to the work of the Holy Spirit, we will sense His gentle nudges to do one thing or another.
I’m sure there are other ways of experiencing a conversational relationship with God. The main thing I’d encourage you to consider is that God wants to live in a personal relationship with us that includes genuine dialogue.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 