“The P’lishtim had left their idols there, so David and his men took them away.”-2 Samuel 5:21
Yesterday, we discussed the contrast between Israel’s victorious battles in Scripture and those of their gentile counterparts.
The big difference is the Scripture doesn’t make a big deal about Israel’s victories.
Nor do they heap excessive praise on their battle leaders.
One of the reasons why the Lord loved David so much was he gave proper credit where credit was due.
After he defeated the Philistines, David proclaimed:
“ADONAI has broken through my enemies for me like a river breaking through its banks.”-2 Samuel 5:20
Recall the battle place, Ba’al Pratzim, which means “Lord of Breaking Through.”
I’ve already explained why this has nothing to do with honoring the pagan Canaanite deity Baal.
So I’m not going to go over it here.
The bottom line is the name “Baal” had found its way into common Hebrew speech and was so powerful it was still remembered over 250 years later in Isaiah’s time!
You can review what I wrote on this topic by clicking HERE.
Onward.
What’s interesting is a detail described in verse 21.
We’re told the Philistines had brought their idols into battle, just like the Israelites brought the Ark of the Covenant years before.
But this time, David had the Philistines’ deities captured and burned, just as the Ark had been lost to the enemy when Israel was defeated long ago.
So we see a complete reversal with the situation favoring Israel this time around.
The takeaway for today is that even in our modern age, we see the same phenomenon.
Every pagan culture pays homage to their false gods in the hopes of receiving a blessing.
I just saw a post on LinkedIn today from a lady who runs a business in Tokyo helping foreigners get approved for permanent residency.
In her post, she wrote about how she stops at a Shinto Shrine daily and prays to the gods that they will bless her clients so she can get their visas approved.
Another example is I am currently taking a list-building course taught by a Muslim guy (a great copywriter and digital marketer by the way)…
He is constantly referencing Allah in his promotional emails and even during the live Zoom lessons.
The point is nothing has changed since the Biblical era.
It’s as King Solomon said:
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
See ya all next time.
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN 2 SAMUEL CHAPTER 6
Good points, as always.
Let’s add some of the more common, but lesser recognized false gods everyday people use without realizinng what they are doing.
How about those who read their horoscope each morning?
How many “good believers” play Lotto and pray to win?
How many people ignore family to watch Monday night Football? Oh, and now there is Thursday night, not to mention the regular Sunday games. And even if the family watches together, is that really family time?
I don’t think so.
Do you know someone who washes their car every time there is a clear day on the weekend?
What about the work-a-holics in your circle of friends and family? Isn’t that false worship, of a kind?
Get the idea?
It isn’t so much those who worship Allah or Buddha or Krishna- we all know about them and can easily recognize the difference between those gods and Adonai.
No- it is the false gods and idols we worship that we don’t see as worship, the ones that take us away from the real God of Israel and his Messiah because, even though we may say we worship God and accept Yeshua as our Messiah, if we give honor and time and money to these other things more than we do to God, then they come before God, and that is the definition of idolatry.
Do you pray to Yeshua? He is the Intercessor of our prayer, not the Intercepter of it; he said “Pray in my name”, not “Pray to me”.
Now, I am not saying to stop watching sports, or let your car get filthy, or give all your time and money to charity, but I am saying that we need to see what we really worship in our everyday life, and make sure that it doesn’t interfere with, or come between, our relationship with God.
As for me, I trust in God more than a horoscope, more than the weatherman (a LOT more!), and more than anything else on earth.
Great points, Steven. True, the idols in our lives can be those common customs in our culture…like worshipping Monday night football, etcetera.
I love your last concluding statement: “I trust in God more than a horoscope, more than the weatherman (a LOT more!), and more than anything else on earth.”
Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case for most people in the world.