THE VALLEY OF REPHAIM. 123 smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim" (v. 20), thus giving to God all the honour of the victory. Second victory. "And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim." (v. 22.) The Philistines came up again in great numbers; but David did not rush out at once, saying, "It is clear I am to do the same thing. again, I was so successful last time." He went straight to God, and asked for guidance. "And when David enquired of the Lord, He said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees." (v. 23.) God works in different ways. The work was to be done on a different plan this time. David had the credit of it before, David was prominent, David and his men faced the Philistines. Now the instrument is to stand aside. God met and attacked them. David was to go behind them. "Let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines." (v. 24.) God gave certain signs of His working. David was to wait and watch, then he · .. would know what to do. He could not see; but he was to listen. "When thou hearest the sound of a going then bestir thyself." He was not to move till God went forth in power. David and his men were to rest this time; they were saved the toil and peril. Probably the Philistines were greatly alarmed by the noise of the trees; they retreated in confusion, and fell into the hands of David. "And David did as the Lord commanded him." Sometimes the Lord uses man in His work, sometimes He does it all without any human instrument; so that we may learn neither to be selfimportant nor negligent. We must learn to expect frequent attacks from our enemies, and just wait upon God for guidance, help, and strength. Take every matter straight to God, and ask His will for us. How often we make plans, and then pray about them. We make up our minds to a certain course of action, a certain choice, to go to some place perhaps, to take up some work for the Lord, and then ask God to bless us. Let us learn in this valley that, first of all, before thinking and planning, we must "enquire of the Lord." "Make Thy way straight before my face" should be our constant prayer. Many alter it, and say, "Make my way straight before Thy face." They pray it very earnestly; but such a prayer is not "praying in THE VALLEY OF REPHAIM. 125 the Holy Ghost." Look at the sad instance (Josh. ix. 41) of Joshua and the Gibeonites not asking counsel of the Lord before they acted. Also an instance of going up to fight without the Lord. (Deut. i. 41-44) The children of Israel were not ready at God's time to go up and fight, not willing to go with Him. When they were ready to go up it was the wrong time, and God was not among them. They went up presumptuously, and were destroyed. See also 2 Chron. xviii. 3, 4, &c. Jehoshaphat made his plans to go to war and help Ahab; afterwards he thought of asking the Lord about it. Learn also in this valley both to watch and pray. Not the one without the other. Watching without prayer is self-confidence and self-conceit; praying without watching is fanaticism. We must also watch and wait to see signs of God's working; then we must bestir ourselves, for there will be work for us to do. See Nehemiah's safeguard against the enemies. "We made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them." (Neh. iv. 9.) "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance," &c. (Eph. vi. 18.) "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life. . . . Watch ye therefore, and pray always." (Luke xxi. 34–36.) This is the safeguard against danger from within, and from without. "Blessed is the man that heareth ME, watching daily at My gates." (Prov. viii. 34.) "Served God with fastings and prayers night and day." (Luke ii. 37.) "Prayer links man's weakness to omnipotence." "How many pray who have not learned to watch and wait.” "We must not only wait on God, but for Him too." "Have faith, and patience too, and wait God's time." "Let every plan begin and end with God." The valley of Rephaim is a striking contrast to the valley of Megiddo. "Christian! seek not yet repose,' "Watch, as if on that alone Hung the issue of the day; |