The Philistines once again made an appearance, this time as David was crowned king over Israel. David prayed before he made a decision concerning a counter attack (1 Chr. 14:10). Here we see a king who is submitted to the Lord as King. Unlike Saul, David didn’t make a move until he had heard from the Lord. The Lord answered David and said, “Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.” God broke out against the Philistines so much that they left their handmade gods behind (1 Chr. 14:12).
Unfortunately, the Philistines attacked David once again. What did David do this time around? He enquired of the Lord just as he did previously. But the Lord’s answer was different on this occasion. The Lord said, “Go not up after them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines” (1 Chr. 14:14-15). Previously the Lord had told David to meet the enemy head on. This time, however, God had another tactic to use against the enemy.
Had David not prayed, and instead done what he had done earlier, then he would have been defeated. David wasn’t to attack until he heard the wind rustling in the mulberry trees. More than likely, David probably experienced some impatience waiting for the wind to rush through those tree limbs. He had to wait on the Lord. Do you remember Saul’s lack of patience? He was told to wait on Samuel, but when he couldn’t wait any longer he “forced” himself to offer a burnt offering (1 Sam. 13:8-16). Saul’s impatience with God’s Word and timing led to his eventual downfall. Who was Saul’s battle with? None other than the Philistines. God’s instruction for victory was to wait on the prophet Samuel to show up. Saul didn’t believe God would take care of the battle, so he took it upon himself. What a contrast between David and Saul!
Some would like to spiritualize the wind in the mulberry trees. The significance of the story isn’t in the mulberry trees. No, the significance is in David’s enquiry of the Lord, and God’s instructions concerning this particular battle. David didn’t neglect prayer and assume that God would do as before. Instead he sought and waited.
Beloved, there is much we can learn from this account. First, unlike David our enemy isn’t flesh and blood. Our battles are spiritual (Eph. 6:12). This is why it is crucial that we fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. Furthermore, though our enemy remains the same, the battles maybe ever changing and evolving. The one constant that should never change is prayer. No matter the battle, we must always enquire of the Lord. We may question God’s answers and instructions, but we can always be assured of His involvement and victory.