“The P’lishtim came up again and deployed in the Refa’im Valley. When David consulted Adonai, he said, ‘Don’t attack! Circle behind them, and engage them opposite the balsam trees.  When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, advance; because then Adonai has gone out ahead of you to defeat […]

Although David is a foreshadowing of the Messiah to come… He wasn’t a spiritual leader per se. During his reign, his objective was NOT to purify the Hebrew religion. His goal was to unite all twelve tribes of Israel into a powerful sovereign nation. Don’t get me wrong. David loved the Lord with all his […]

“So David went to Ba‘al-P’ratzim and defeated them there. He said, “Adonai has broken through my enemies for me like a river breaking through its banks.” This is why he called the place Ba‘al-P’ratzim [Lord of breaking through].“-2 Samuel 5:20 So why in the world would the Israelites use the name Ba’al to celebrate their […]

“When the P’lishtim heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the P’lishtim went up in search of David. On learning of it, David went down to the stronghold.“-2 Samuel 5:17 Once David caught wind that the Philistines were planning to attack, he ventured off to a mysterious place called “the stronghold.” Contrary […]

So as David united northern and southern Israel, what became of his Philistine buddies? Until now, the Philistines didn’t see David as a threat. This was mostly because he had built a strong friendship with Achish, the ruler of Gath while living in Philistine territory in Ziklag. When David returned to Judah, they still viewed […]