Thoughts on 2 Samuel 5

Today's reading: 2 Samuel 4-5; 2 Corinthians 7

The end of 2 Samuel 5 always strikes me as a great example of the importance of reliance on God despite your competence in a given area.

At this point in the story, David is already a great military general. He was incredibly effective and successful under Saul, and his military prowess has only increased since then. So as we come to the end of 2 Samuel 5, we are dealing with a David that really does not need God's input on how to win these battles; he knows the strength of his army, he's a great tactician, he knows the terrain for the battle, and he knows how best to go about defending Israel from this aggression by the Philistines; what could he really need from God? And yet, despite his immense competence in this area, when faced with the Philistine advance, David turns to God for direction.

After the first battle, David could be forgiven for thinking there was really no need to talk to God about it. God told him to go ahead and go, and that He would give the Philistines into his hands, but the rest really seems like it was up to David. God doesn't tell him how to arrange his troops or what strategies to employ, He just tells him he's good to go and leaves the rest up to David.

But thankfully, David doesn't let his success or his personal competence stop him from seeking the Lord, because when it comes to the next battle, things are different. When David asks God about the next Philistine advance, God tells him not to go confront them, but to instead circle behind them and wait for for the sound of troops indicating that God has already gone forth before Israel to strike down the Philistines. We aren't told what would have happened if David had gone to confront the Philistines like he had in the past; maybe he would have been just as successful as before, maybe he would have won but lost some men in the battle, or maybe he would have lost; but what we are told is that God fought this battle for David. If David had just gone to battle, even if he won a decisive victory, he and his men would have missed out on the opportunity to see the Lord miraculously intervene on their behalf.

This story has always stuck with me because it is so easy and natural to let our competence lead us to self-reliance.

I still remember when I first taught the Bible. I was brand new to teaching and still pretty new to the Bible, and the result was a LOT of prayer and a very clear recognition that I needed God to be the one providing for me and carrying me through the entire process of study, prep, and teaching. That same recognition was really just as strong the second and third time I taught, but the more times I taught, the more experience I gained, the more I learned the Word, etc. the easier it was to operate under my own power instead of the Lord's. Obviously I would turn to Him if I got stuck somewhere in the process, but until I got stuck, I was pretty well capable of handling things on my own. Thankfully, through a couple experiences I had pretty early on in teaching, and through some advice I received from a much more experienced Bible teacher, God has impressed on me, at least as far as teaching is concerned, that I cannot afford to go about it under my own power without engaging Him every step of the way. No matter how well (or not) I may be able to teach on my own, I don't want to go out under my own power or authority. If hearts are to be changed by the Word, it has to be the Holy Spirit driving the ship, not me.

I'm betting my experience here is not unique. When we first step out for the Lord in any area, we see our need most clearly and it forces us to rely on Him, but the more experience we gain and the more competence we build, the easier it is to go out without relying on the Lord. 2 Samuel 5 is such an important example here because if David had gone forth in his competence, he never would have seen the greater salvation the Lord actually had in store for him that day.

Never let your competence deceive you into thinking you do not need the Lord.