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1 Chronicles 14 – Praying through the Bible #127 – A Prayer that Bursts Out
Be honest, do we ever tire of praying? Are there times we think don’t need prayer? Sometimes getting tired of praying shows how much we still need to pray.
God blessing David in battle (1 Chronicles 14) is also told in 2 Samuel 5. When the Philistines hear David is king, they decide to attack. When David hears of this, he inquires of the LORD, “Should I go to war against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?” (14.10). God answers, “Go, and I will hand them over to you.” The battle is authorized and blessed.
Victory is Israel’s! David memorializes by changing the name of the battle scene to “Baal-perazim,” meaning “the Lord Bursts Out;” because “Like a bursting flood, God has used me to burst out against my enemies” (14.11). Seeing the name “Baal” used for God might be disconcerting; but here it simply means “master” and not the pagan god. Once again the Philistines raid in the valley, and once again David inquires of the God. This time God not only blesses and authorizes, He gives the battle strategy (14.13-15). Oh how good it is to have God on our side! That’s what prayer does!
What strikes me as more than coincidental is a running theme through chapters 13-15. Remember, David renames the field of battle to “the Lord Bursts Out” and in Hebrew, Baal-perazim. In 1 Chronicles 13, David runs afoul of God by not inquiring of the Lord, and moves the Ark in a sinful, unauthorized, unblessed way. The result is God striking dead Uzzah. David gets mad at God and renames that place too, Perez-uzzah meaning, “Outburst Against Uzzah.” Can you see the similarities between the meanings and the Hebrew? “Bursts Out” and “Outburst.” “Baal-perazim” and “Perez-uzzah.”
When coming to 1 Chronicles 15, David and Israel are moving God’s Ark again. This time David says, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For the LORD our God burst out (emphasis mine) in anger against us because you Levites were not with us the first time, for we didn’t inquire of Him about the proper procedures” (15.12-13).
What is the Chronicler teaching? Don’t make a move without inquiring of the Lord. It is better that God burst out against our enemies for us, than against us.
I don’t know if David got tired of praying and didn’t think it necessary when moving the Ark. But I do know he didn’t make a move in either battle without inquiring of the Lord. Never tire of bursting out in prayer!
Prayer Challenge: Examine through prayer and meditation as to why we don’t pray. Can we find times God burst out negatively towards us because we didn’t inquire of Him?
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