Proper and Improper Ways of Asking God for Something (2 Sam 5.19, 23)
David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?”
2 Samuel 5.19, 23
When David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come upon them opposite the balsam trees.”
These prayer passages are two of the last times that we read of David (or any leader of Israel) “inquiring” of God.1 The practice of gaining a “yes” or “no” answer from God is coming to an end (at least in the biblical story). Instead, David and later leaders seek more guidance from God than could be gained from a mere throwing of dice.2 Another reason for the change might also be because many of the surrounding nations sought their gods and goddesses in that manner,3 and Israel wanted to distinguish themselves from their neighbors.
In this passage, we see, once again, the characteristic of David that he seeks God’s will in every important decision. (In the larger context of this prayer, we also see David’s character in how he treats his rival kings with compassion and honor.) Yet there is also some foreshadowing of difficulties to come, despite being “a man after God’s own heart.”
Meaning
As we seek to enrich our prayer lives, this summary of “inquiring” of God encourages us to develop the habit of turning to God at every important decision. It should be our first impulse. Whether we seek a sign through random events (casting lots) or through seeking the advice of others and watching for doors to open or close, the goal is to find God’s will, not ours. Therein lies the danger, for we sometimes see and hear what we want…
Application
How do we protect ourselves against these dangers in prayer? We cannot, at least not always. This is why we turn to God: we need rebuke and forgiveness when we stumble. But we can do things to protect against it. We can examine ourselves and our petitionary prayers for signs of selfishness; we can ask ourselves tough questions about our motives. It is quite difficult to ask ourselves, “what is it I am not seeing or hearing”—but that in itself can be a matter of prayer: “God, open my eyes that I may see.”
- The final instance is in 2 Sam 21.1. See “Choosing the Right Type of Prayer (2 Sam 21.1).” ↩
- This is not to say that the practice was completely neglected. The choice of Matthias to replace Judas is one example in the New Testament (Acts 1.26). ↩
- See, for example, Deut 18:11; 1 Chr 10:13; Ezek 21:23; Hos 4:12. ↩
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