Fire And Fear

1 Chronicles 14:4-17 – These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet. When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went out against them. Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned. And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.

Joshua 7:15 – And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”

Psalm 2:2,9,12 – The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”… You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”…Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Application:

• ·         Being caught with things devoted to the Lord for destruction Israel was an act that within Israel, as the covenant people of the Lord, was an outrageous act.
• ·         To rebel against the Lord’s Anointed is also to rebel against the One who anointed him.
• ·         Christ declares that He will appoint those who remain faithful to Him to share in His subjugating rule over the nations.
• ·         The nations felt an incapacitating terror brought on by the sense that the awful power of God is present in behalf of His people. Thus David is seen by the nations as the very representative of God.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV