The Rustle in the Trees

The Rustle in the Trees
Words of Faith 1-16-25
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2025
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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2 Samuel 5:17-25
[17] When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. [18] Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; [19] so David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you." [20] So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim. [21] The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. [22] Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; [23] so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. [24] As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." [25] So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

The next few chapters describe David as he grew into the anointing and destiny that the Lord had set before him as the king of Israel. He had two initial victories over the Philistines, Israel's longtime enemies.
Each of the two confrontations resulted from the aggression of the Philistines, who must have taken special note of David's rise to power. They may have regarded David as a loyal vassal up to this point, but now he was seen clearly as the successor to Saul. A king was on the rise, and they had to deal with him.
David carefully sought the Lord's blessing: "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The Lord answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you."
David marched against the Philistines who had gathered for battle in the Valley of Rephaim, only three or four miles southwest of Jerusalem. There, he dealt them a resounding defeat. The place became known as Baal Perazim, which means "the Lord who breaks out" or "here Israel's God breaks out." "As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me."
Ironically, the Philistines abandoned their idols to the Israelites. In a scene similar to the way Israel had once abandoned the Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines, their idols were abandoned and left behind. The Israelites carried off these idols as trophies of war, though it is not clear what they did with them.
Little wonder the Philistines came up to Rephaim to attack again. They probably were coming back after their idols. This time, the divine strategy was different. Israel circled behind the Philistines, and when they heard a marching-like rustle in the balsam trees, they attacked and drove the Philistines from Gibeon to Gezer, a distance of 15 miles (1 Chron. 14:16).
We don't know precisely what caused the "marching-like rustle in the trees." It may have been a divine wind, or it may have been the army of the Lord of hosts led by the Commander of the Lord's army, as in the days of Moses and Joshua. Whatever the case, the power of the Lord broke out against the enemies of God, and the evidence of God's protection and power over David and his kingdom was clear to all.
These battles marked the rise of David's strength and power in the land. However, it is important to note the elements in these battles. This was not the result of Israel's might or even brilliant human strategy.
First, David had the anointing of the Lord and the anointing of supporters and those who opposed him in Israel. Next, David listened and watched and became aware of the threat. He did not go out to "conquer;" instead, he asked the Lord about what he should do. With the blessing and favor of God, it was the Lord who "broke out against" the enemies of the Lord.
Are you ready for the Lord to break out against your enemies? Are you prepared to move into God's plan and destiny for your life? It starts when we receive the anointing of the Lord, which, which is affirmed by those around us. Our anointing is our path, the calling and empowered gifting for our lives. Then, we submit ourselves to the Lord and seek His plans. We do not run ahead or lag behind. The Lord God will break out against the enemies who oppose us. We may even hear the rustle of marching around us. The idols in the hands of our enemies will fall to the ground, and we will walk in victory.

Father God, I want nothing more than to walk into the destiny You have planned for me. I submit myself to You. I surrender my destiny to You and receive the anointing You have for me. I will not run ahead, nor will I lag behind. I am listening for the rustle in the trees. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.