Reign of David
635
direction. “And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to
the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord
said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into
thine hand.”
David advanced upon the enemy at once, defeated and destroyed
them, and took from them the gods which they had brought with them
to ensure their victory. Exasperated by the humiliation of their defeat,
the Philistines gathered a still larger force, and returned to the conflict.
And again they “spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.” Again
David sought the Lord and the great I AM took the direction of the
armies of Israel.
God instructed David, saying, “Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a
compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry
trees. And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops
of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall
the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.” If
David, like Saul, had chosen his own way, success would not have
attended him. But he did as the Lord had commanded, and he “smote
the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer. And the fame
of David went out into all lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him
upon all nations.”
1 Chronicles 14:16, 17
.
Now that David was firmly established upon the throne and free
from the invasions of foreign foes, he turned to the accomplishment
of a cherished purpose—to bring up the ark of God to Jerusalem. For
many years the ark had remained at Kirjath-jearim, nine miles distant;
but it was fitting that the capital of the nation should be honored with
the token of the divine Presence.
David summoned thirty thousand of the leading men of Israel, for
it was his purpose to make the occasion a scene of great rejoicing and
imposing display. The people responded gladly to the call. The high
priest, with his brethren in sacred office and the princes and leading
men of the tribes, assembled at Kirjath-jearim. David was aglow
with holy zeal. The ark was brought out from the house of Abinadab
and placed upon a new cart drawn by oxen, while two of the sons of
Abinadab attended it.
The men of Israel followed with exultant shouts and songs of
[705]
rejoicing, a multitude of voices joining in melody with the sound of
musical instruments; “David and all the house of Israel played before