2 SAMUEL SIX
2 SAMUEL SIX
JT It is important that we should see the import of the Philistine attack at the end of chapter 5 before we proceed into chapter 6. There are two great military operations in chapter 5, first the attack on Zion and then this attack by the Philistines (verse 17 to end). It affords us important military [p. 36] instruction, first as to conflict with spiritual wickedness in high places — that is particularly Zion, where it is a question of the Jebusites and second as to how the anointing is attacked. Christ is apprehended as anointed, having secured His place above. Even if we regard Him as the anointed One here below, this kind of attack is to be noted in persons typified by the Philistines, persons having a place in the land but being there other than through Jordan. The earlier operation alludes to His obtaining a place in our hearts. Zion is typically the place He has from the heavenly point of view.
Ques Is there a spiritual suggestion in the fact that the Philistines went up and David went down?
JT David went down to the stronghold, I suppose so.
Rem It indicated the height at which he was, and they rose to the attack.
JT “And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold”, 2 Samuel 5:17. It is to be noted because it would allude in the antitype to a certain trustworthy position. I suppose when the Lord went on high in the Acts He had the twelve, and indeed the assembly down here, for the Spirit to come to. It was a trustworthy position in which to carry on His operations. In chapter 5 we have the stronghold in two ways, the stronghold and the Millo, which would allude to a trustworthy position.
Rem He has his people in mind. In verse 17 of chapter 5 the Philistines heard that the people had anointed David — the Philistines move in relation to the place that David has among the people.
JT Their position was jeopardised. They were big men, such for instance, as the leaders of Israel in the early part of the Acts, or earlier, as seen in the gospels. The anointing of Christ jeopardised their position; whether it be His future anointing or with God above, the position is the same. He is in the [p. 37] stronghold and the Philistines are concerned as to His being anointed king over Israel. “All the Philistines” came, as if it were a universal matter. They saw their position jeopardised.
Rem “So also is the Christ”, (1 Corinthians 12:12) as if that is the position the saints occupy.
JT It alludes to the assembly there, of course.
Rem As Christ increases, this element is to be displaced but not without an immense struggle. The Philistines spread themselves.
JT They have to make a show. They are all involved in this. It is a critical matter in their minds, it means their whole position is jeopardised.
Rem They would almost feel desperate.
JT They select their own battlefield, the valley of Rephaim.
Rem I suppose the secret of David’s success was that at the beginning he enquired of Jehovah.
JT The lesson for us is in all our conflicts to have recourse to the stronghold, whatever it be, as holding to divine principles; then God alone can give the victory. David says God taught him to fight: “Blessed be Jehovah my rock, who teacheth my hands to war, my fingers to fight”, Psalm 144:1.
Ques Last week we referred to Isaac who became very great so that the Philistines envied him; do we see that coming out here?
JT They are the kind of enemy that begins in Genesis and runs down through. That obviously would denote something of their character and prowess, the kind of thing they would rely on, they spread themselves, making a show outwardly.
Rem This military strategy of David involves going down to the stronghold which is over against the spreading out of the Philistines.
JT It is keeping out of sight. He says, “Shall I go up?” And Jehovah answers, “Go up; for I will certainly give the Philistines into thy hand,
[p. 38] And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there”, 2 Samuel 5:19,20. This name, Place of breaches, was given afterwards but it has this meaning here; and David smote them there, as if it were a sudden thing, not a slow matter. The suddenness was God’s way. David was moving under the direction of the Lord.
Rem The keeping out of sight is like Paul at Corinth; he would make the position clear before he came there. Writing the epistle would be keeping out of sight.
JT And putting a man like Timothy there so that they might have his spirit before them. It was not the Philistine spirit. Timothy was a timid retiring sort of man.
Rem Paul’s whole approach to the Corinthians was the opposite of what was Philistine in character. “Timothy my child”, he says, will show you my ways. I suppose this is the element that operates in our own hearts as the Lord has His place there. The danger is lest the Philistine element should come into activity among us.
JT Well, it is bigness, what is giant-like. It would afford an opportunity for such men as they were, whereas here David’s victory is all on the principle of hiding. The valley of Rephaim is the Philistine idea, as if they thought that would get the best results. The stronghold being emphasised would allude to what is trustworthy, what God can rely on in conflict, the trustworthiness of His system of things.
Ques Does it give the heavenly side in verse 9 and our side in verses 17 and 18, that is, would the second be a reference to possibly “two of you” spoken of in Matthew 18?
JT I was thinking of that. It is just the way the subject is treated in this chapter. Verse 9 would be divine operations inward, and from the Millo, the point of trustworthiness it seems. Now he goes down without specifying what stronghold it was, it is [p. 39] one to go down to; and then divine guidance in that connection seems to set out typically the whole Christian position from the military point of view.
Rem In verse 17 it says “they” had anointed David king. It was what the people had done that attracted the attention of the Philistines. I was wondering if the suggestion is that the Lord would identify Himself with His people in meeting the Philistine attack?
JT I think that is how it is to be worked out. After the Lord was anointed He came in contact at once with these big men. His position and character and the power of His anointing jeopardised their position. Then when He went up on high, which this chapter really contemplates, I think, and the Spirit came, the conflict began again. The attack was immediate. It seems as if this 17th verse would also apply, for the Lord operated in relation to what was trustworthy at Jerusalem. The apostles stand out remarkably in the early chapters of Acts and the conflict was carried on in that connection.
Ques In recent years where the truth of the Person of Christ has come before the hearts of the brethren in a practical way, that moment has been chosen by the enemy to attack. Will it not always be so?
JT I think the battlefield was ordered of the Lord. The Lord directed the point of attack, notwithstanding their having chosen the battlefield.
We have an example of it in Acts 4. When Peter and John were released they prayed; they are very lowly in their attitude, they speak to Jehovah or God as a despot, in absolute subjection as bondmen, and they add, “thy holy servant Jesus”. They are taking a lowly position and they talk about the persons who attack as the great ones, the leading men made the attack. “For in truth against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou hadst anointed, both [p. 40] Herod and Pontius Pilate with the nations and peoples of Israel, have been gathered together in this city to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had determined before should come to pass”, Acts 4:27,28.
And the answer comes in overwhelmingly, so that the battle goes on, not in destruction, but in healing. The point for us is always to maintain the characteristics of the dispensation in the conflict. The great ones of the earth are alluded to, kings and rulers, as against the anointed one, Christ.
Peter and John tell the whole matter — what the elders had said to them — there was no danger of disclosing secrets there. The title they employ in addressing God is in keeping with what we are saying about going down. The word means “despot” in the original. “And they having heard it lifted up their voice with one accord to God and said, Lord”, Acts 4:24. There is a reference to it in the margin, “the master of a slave”. That is how they spoke to God, so that they took a lowly place, but they are on sure ground.
Rem The position of liberty that we are speaking of seems to be secured in John 17 — the Lord laid aside his garments.
JT You mean He had confidence to do it. The lesson for us lies there in conflict: if you take a lowly place you are in trustworthy circumstances. So that Matthew gives us the great general principle in the conflict in the Lord’s remarks about the assembly, that “the gates of hades shall not prevail against it”. (Matthew 16:18) That is the place of confidence, the place of reliability the assembly. It is brought down to two or three, and “there am I”.
Ques Do you think that from Acts 4 and 5 on, this offensive on the part of the Philistines continues until Paul goes into Europe? They are attacking all the time.
JT This thought of Baal-perazim, “Jehovah has broken in upon mine enemies before me”, (2 Samuel 5:20) is, I think,
[p. 41] to bring out the suddenness of divine warfare. It may be prolonged on account of the low state among us, but the state being ready there is a suddenness and unexpectedness in the way God acts in attacking the enemy.
Ques Is it a place reached somewhat like the places reached in Mr. Darby’s day and then in Mr. Raven’s day?
JT The Philistines have their own men, leading men, here; and in those days, fifty years ago, an unknown man was used to break in, it was God’s doing.
Rem The matter of suddenness is perhaps confirmed in the way prayers are answered in the Acts. And our prayers will be answered.
Ques Has there not been a movement somewhat like that, an impulse to break forth, recently?
JT It could not have been met were it not that there was confidence among the brethren.
Rem And stronghold conditions too, in a general way.
JT The truth of the assembly has been developed more and more ever since. It all depends upon confidence among the brethren. We shall never have the truth of the stronghold worked out without confidence.
Rem I was wondering whether the thought of the images (chapter 5:21) would indicate the presentation of other thoughts as detracting from the truth of Christ. There are interesting differences between these two attacks: images in the first, and evidently something more subtle in the second, in the thought of the mulberry trees. Then later we have another attack of the Philistines of more insidious character, with the new cart, quite a Philistine idea.
JT Yes, a cart would be a Philistine mode of doing things.
Rem In the last conflict the breach was a little closer than in Mr. Darby’s or Mr. Raven’s days, and it was really amongst so-called brethren.
JT I think the unity that God brought about among the brethren saved us. The trustworthiness is the centre and base of operations.
Rem So that if there were two in a meeting of thirty that the Lord could rely upon, though there might be a great deal of feverish speaking the stronghold would be seen in those who are reliable, so that the position would be held and maintained.
Rem The stronghold is not taken until you get unity.
Rem Paul’s conversion helped in the solidifying of the saints and the fulfilment of church ministry.
JT I think it was the great binding truth that was needed at the time. The twelve did not bring that out, but there was remarkable confidence among the twelve. The woman seen in Revelation 12 has a crown of twelve stars: that would be some trait of the saints; besides the sun and the moon there are twelve stars. “Hold fast ... that no one take thy crown”, (Revelation 3:11) is said to Philadelphia. What is the crown at any given time? Let us assume that love is the great principle; what could we do without it? It never fails. It is a stronghold, and I believe that is the idea of the crown, it is what the saints cherish. I believe that is what comes out here, unity. The anointing was by all the tribes, suggestive of unity and affection, “they anointed David”. So that I think in meeting the enemy, the crown of twelve stars is significant, the man-child would bring all these thoughts into concrete fulfilment; the enemy was there, but the crown was there. I think that is the secret that has met any threatened cleavage in a wide way. Thank God there was no cleavage.
Rem Love was operative when Paul and Barnabas went [p. 43] forth.
JT The assembly had a great place in that proceeding. Paul and Barnabas were received by the assembly and later were sent out in relation to the assembly.
Ques What is the difference in the character of these two conflicts? In the first place David is to go up and act, and in the second place he is to wait until he hears the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees: “when thou hearest a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees ... then thou shall bestir thyself”, 2 Samuel 5:24. In the first place he is taking the initiative, and in the second he is waiting.
JT The first lesson I think, is the going down to the stronghold and the breaking forth as waters; it is the suddenness of divine attack. Then the second lesson would be that the enemy is not very far-sighted, he does not understand the spiritual. They are assuming something, as if to say, we know the mode of attack, this is the best valley for us and David will do the same thing again. But he does not do the same thing again, that is the secret of success. The Philistines think that we shall think as they do; but we shall do something different because Jehovah is a man of war. The issue would be between Jehovah and the Philistines: “It shall be, when thou hearest a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shall bestir thyself; for then will Jehovah have gone forth before thee”, (2 Samuel 5:24). Who are the marchers? Whose army is that? Jehovah is doing the fighting. “Thou shall bestir thyself”. That is not a very military term, but the idea is that you should not sit down, you must have a military ear for that sound. The Philistines say, He will do the same thing again; but that is where they are defeated. The enemy does not know the Spirit.
Ques Would the thought of feeling come into this, in the mulberry trees? I was thinking of Psalm 84.
JT I do not know. It is not a solved question [p. 44] as to what the mulberry trees really mean, but anyway God is using them.
Rem The element of spiritual discernment comes into view.
JT If they are ordinary mulberry trees, they are of low stature, they are not pretentious trees such as the olive or the cedar; God can move on the top of them. It is in keeping with the general thought of lowliness.
Rem The truth is attacked first of all in an open way, which may be more readily discerned and met than another more insidious movement in regard to the same truth.
JT Another lesson is that David is not too sure. He enquired of Jehovah again and the answer was, “Thou shalt not go up”; “turn round behind them”, 2 Samuel 5:23. They would not expect that.
Rem One victory might tend to give you self- confidence. This matter of marching tends to bring about another victory; it is a suggestion of a forward movement among the saints.
JT Especially a military move. Marching is in military precision. A military step seems to be understood now; we are dealing with military matters, then let us be military men. It is the sound of marching; what kind of step is it?
Rem God is in the matter in a military way.
JT Maybe David had to learn something about marching. Perhaps we have got to learn here tonight how to march together, not one saying this and one saying that; marching is military precision.
Ques Would marching suggest a movement among the brethren?
JT “When thou hearest a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees”, 2 Samuel 5:23. Let us assume that the brethren are the mulberry trees; there are no pretentious persons. God says, Now I am going to move among the brethren, on the top of them. They [p. 45] are ready for Him and you hear the sound of that. I think perhaps that is where the lesson lies.
Rem We bestir ourselves, when we hear the sound of God moving amongst His people.
JT We have experience as to God’s way in conflict. The stronghold must be there and then order and alertness in military movement. It taxes our sensibilities as to whether we can hear the sound of what God is doing.
Ques Does Paul use these tactics in bringing the saints into line in 2 Corinthians 8:1 - 4? He refers to other localities and districts where the saints were marching, acting together.
JT That is good. There is a great deal made of order in that letter. Whether you get the marching I do not know. In the house of Chloe or of Stephanas there would be persons who are true, on whom the apostle could rely.
Rem It is a well known thing that the sound of marching, the playing of martial music, is one of the most stimulating sounds.
JT I do not know whether we can be too sure about the marching, but it looks to me as if it is the thought of the tops, God has them, He can use them, for that is what is said, “the tops of the mulberry trees”.
Rem The way is made for another victory in chapter 5.
JT Quite so. I believe the sound of marching is to be followed right through, it is the way God has of carrying on His conflict at all times. The Acts has been called a book of precedents; you get there a great variety in God’s doings. He moves through others, and I think the mulberry trees must allude to persons available for His purposes.
Rem There is another difference between these two attacks: the first is a frontal attack, whereas the second is from [p. 46] behind.
JT Yes, you come in behind people who are in that way attacking the truth. They may make a good show; these Philistines spread themselves, they are prominent men opposing in these matters, men who use their titles and their university degrees; well you see behind that, you know it is weakness when they are trusting in that. They may make a good show in titles and books and learning, but when you come behind you see the weakness.
Rem The apostle says in 2 Corinthians 2:11, “I also ... if I have forgiven anything it is for your sakes ... that we might not have Satan get an advantage against us”. I was wondering whether we get the thought there of alertness in regard to the attacks of the enemy?
JT That fits in; “for we are not ignorant of his thoughts”, (2 Corinthians 2:11) is a great matter; it is a great matter to know the enemy’s thoughts.
Rem Paul approaches different cities as he preaches. He approaches Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth and finally Ephesus by the upper districts and finds certain disciples.
JT That might allude to marching, one continuous battle. We read of “the ears of the church”, (Acts 11:22) suggesting that we have church ears and we know what is going on. Joshua did not recognise the sound in Exodus 32:17, he had not a good ear; but this is the ear for war, the sound of marching.
Ques Would you say that in this first battle God was with David and in the second David was with God?
JT It says, “then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then will Jehovah have gone forth before thee”, 2 Samuel 5:24. God is in the lead, what could withstand God? Very beautiful and very instructive as to warfare, getting to God about anything to see what He will do, whether He will put it on you or whether He will say, “as captain of the army of Jehovah am I now come”, Joshua 5:14. That is. He takes charge Himself; and if He does, well, there is only one end to that.
Rem This might bring out criticism from certain ones that they are being attacked from behind.
JT That is where we ought to attack if it is a Philistine matter.
Rem The whole organisation is smitten by God.
JT And then: “from Geba until thou comest to Gezer”, (2 Samuel 5:25) which I suppose would allude to a thorough decision of the matter, it is not left open, it is a settled matter.
Ques. Was this defensive?
JT It is defensive because they are attacked. In the early part of the chapter it is spiritual wickedness in high places, but here David is attacked by another set of warriors.
Rem It really takes manhood to enter into this kind of conflict.
JT Quite so. As coming out of Egypt the children of Israel were led round another way because they were not mature.
Ques Does Acts 15 show men who are qualified to take up things and settle them for all?
JT The apostle and elders, is that what you mean?
Rem During the Great War certain battlefields in France were known as the place where the thing was settled. The ground here is very suggestive.
JT Yes, Geba to Gezer, these are our military landmarks which we can refer back to in the history of the assembly as to how things were decided.
Rem As we come there.
JT Quite so, “until thou comest”. It would indicate that we ought to come there and see how God’s battles are fought and finished.
Ques When they went into the land in Joshua they had been through the Jordan and the Red Sea;
[p. 48] do we not have to see God’s purposes of love in the death of Christ securing His counsels?
JT Quite so. The Philistines never went that way and they could not stand up against men that had come through Jordan.
Rem Chapter 6 makes much of the military men and very little of the priesthood.
JT The next thing is that David approaches a great priestly matter on military lines. He is carrying the military too far, for chapter 6 concerns a great priesthood matter. He gathered “chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people that were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from thence the ark of God”. He did not need so many as that to carry the ark.
Rem David seems to have forgotten the breach made at Baal-perazim because God has to make a breach here, a breach upon Uzzah; the Philistine idea is working and God has to deal with it among His people.
Ques Would it involve a change of clothing from the military to the priestly?
JT It is obviously a priestly matter. What does that cart refer to? It was a military matter before but why now? And why 30,000 men? It shows that David is not right in his soul in this matter.
Ques Is there not always a danger of our moving on in the flush of victory on military lines, when we should be brought into priestly conditions?
JT We are so apt to go too far on any given line of things. In 1 Samuel 7:9 Samuel offered a sucking lamb and Jehovah discomfited the Philistines that day, and it says, “the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and smote them” (1 Samuel 7:11).
They finished the matter, they went the whole way, but then that is enough. Now God is going to do something else; it is not now a military matter, it is a priestly matter. It is a question of God finding a [p. 49] place for Himself. We need to be priestly if we are to carry the ark; it is a poor thing if we have to be always fighting.
Rem Even with these 30,000 men they still require a cart.
JT There never was a question of carrying it in a cart before in Numbers or Deuteronomy, it was purely a Philistine idea; because they used it David is borrowing it.
Ques And two brothers driving the cart, one going before it; it was all wrong. How does that apply?
JT It is a solemn passage, especially when the breach is made upon Uzzah. We may go too far on one line; this is another matter altogether, the military side should not be so prominent for it is a matter of God’s rest. Having to do with the Philistines you are apt to get their way of doing things. They had never seen this thought of the cart before; make it as new as you like, it is still a cart.
Rem I suppose we are far more influenced by what is around us in the world religiously than we have any idea of.
Rem Once in a while we may make something new and sometimes it is accredited very quickly.
JT If it is new it is apt to “take on”; people say: I never heard that before; but that does not prove anything. We are to “prove all things”,
David should have said, I have been looking through Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers and there is no word about a cart on which to carry the Ark.
Rem There may be care for the Lord’s interests among the brethren and one is thankful for it, but that does not qualify a brother or brothers to take hold of the Ark.
JT There is no word here as to David turning to God about this matter first. That is the secret of failure.
[p. 50] Ques Do we not see this very thing working out in the world? The military side will possibly overbalance the political, economical, agricultural and other departments of the nation, and thus the very thing used for protection will be used for destruction in the end.
JT It was remarkable in Solomon’s day that he had superintendents for every department; all was looked after. It is important that we do not carry on on one line too much. Why did not David pray about this matter also? They were having a good meeting! This was a fine time as far as outward appearances went, “and David and all the house of Israel played before Jehovah on all manner of instruments”; but it is the underlying condition that God is dealing with.