Miquéias 2

Miquéias 2

Pink - He who has said, "Seek ye My face" will not mock that soul who sincerely and trustfully responds with, "my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek" (Ps. 27:8-note). Gods of wood and stone, the idols of earthly fame and material wealth, will fail their devotees in the hour of need, but the living God will not disappoint those who are subject unto Him and seek His aid in the time of emergency. The Lord is ever "a very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1-note), and the sure promise is "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8-note). The divine ordering of our ways, the directing of our steps, is urgently needed by all of us, nor will it be withheld if sought after the appointed order. ("I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.") This also is recorded for our instruction and comfort; then let us earnestly seek faith to appropriate the same and make it our own. Those words were graciously spoken by the Lord to encourage and nerve David for the battle. We too are called upon to fight—"fight the good fight of faith." Yes, and it is only as faith is in exercise, only as the divine promises are actually laid hold of (expectantly pleaded before God), that we shall fight with good success. Has not God said to us He will "bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Ro 16:20): how that ought to animate us for the conflict! If we lay hold of that promise we shall be able to exclaim, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air" (1Cor 9:26-note). (The Life of David, Vol 1: His Victory Over The Philistines) (Words in red all related to idea of break) 20 So David came to Baal-perazim (perazim = burstings) and defeated them there; and he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies (Note: David ascribes victory to Jehovah, not to HIMSELF! A good pattern to emulate!) before me like the breakthrough (perets 06555- breach, a bursting forth, outburst) of waters (as waters break a dam - Have you ever seen flood waters begin to break through a dam, carrying all before it? Remember the destruction that ensued when the levies broke in New Orleans during Katrina [click video of a break in the levy]? So here we see God break through David's enemies like violent, forceful flooding waters. And this is just the "fringes" [Job 26:14] of the mighty power of Jehovah, our Breaker!).” Therefore (term of conclusion) he named that place Baal-perazim ("Lord of the breaches," "Lord of the breakthroughs," "Breach-maker," "Lord of Outbursts," or "Divine Outburster"! - Many regard this place name as in the same location as the mountain by the same name in Isa 28:21). (In other words David is saying "Jehovah has burst through [parats] my enemies before me like an outburst [peres]"). Pink: Here, too, David has left a noble example for us to follow, and the more closely we do so, the more will God be honored, and the more will further successes be assured for us. Having obtained mercy to be dependent, David found grace to be humble, and ascribed the victory unto its true Author: "The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me"—as when a swollen river bursts its banks and carries all before it. In every forward step, in every resistance to temptation, in every success in service, learn to acknowledge "yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1Cor 15:10-note). May writer and reader be delivered from the self-praising, boastful, Laodicean spirit of this evil age, saying, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory" (Ps 115:1-note). 2Sa 5:21 They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away (1Chr 14:12 = "David gave the order and they were burned with fire."). Pink: No doubt the Philistines had expected both protection and help from their idols, but they failed them in the hour of need: equally vain and impotent will prove any visible or material thing in which we put our trust (Ed: Contrast the truth of Pr 18:10 with Pr 18:11!). Now they were unwilling to preserve such gods as were unable to preserve them: "God can make men sick of those things that they have been most fond of, and compel them to desert what they doted upon, and cast even the idols of silver and gold to the moles and bats (Isa. 2:20)" (Matthew Henry). In burning the idols of the Philistines, David not only made clean work of his victory, but obeyed God’s order in Dt 7:5: "“But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire" 1Chr 14:11 (Context: 1Chr 14:9-12) So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there; and David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand (Ed: Notice this addition. A clear juxtaposition of God's provision of power and man's dependence upon that power. God was the Breaker, but David had to carry out the "breaking" of the stronger Philistine army.), like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim. Dearly Beloved, Are You In Need of a Spiritual Breakthrough Today? Then meditate on David's Pattern of Trusting The Breaker for Victory: Surely we can imitate David's pattern because the Breaker Christ Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8-note)! What strong spiritual adversary or deep affliction (temptation directed at our fallen flesh, lust inflamed by the godless world, fiery missile from the Evil One [Eph 6:16-note], etc) seems too simply too overwhelming for you to overcome? First, recognize that it is TOO STRONG for YOU to overcome (see 2Sa 5:18). However it is not too strong for The Breaker Who has already broken down all obstacles that might seek to impede our spiritual journey to heaven! Seek The Breaker as did David (2Sa 5:18), then obey Him (2Sa 5:18-19 - David went up to Baal-perazim as directed by God), fighting (cp David's testimony "by my hand" 1Chr 14:11 Notice the balanced juxtaposition - God's Power, My Participation.) the enemy that Jesus has already broken! Here we see the repeated theme of God's Power, My Participation, of God's Sovereignty ("God has broken through") and man's Responsibility ("by my hand"). David was commanded to "work out his salvation (deliverance) in fear and trembling (Php 2:12-note), knowing that it was "God who would give him the desire and the power." (Php 2:13NLT-note - observe the strategic "for" at the beginning of verse 13 [note]) Don't rely on your strength, but trust in Christ your Breaker to defeat your foe even like the breakthrough of waters breaking through the seemingly impenetrable breach. Then like David who named the place of victory Baal-Perizim, give the glory to God for the great things He has done! And set up a memorial, so that in future fights with your indefatigable adversaries (the world, the flesh and the devil) you might recall this to your mind and "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD" (Isa 51:9), not making the mistake of relying on your own vain strength! Let us not be sluggish be imitators of David's pattern for victorious Christian warfare and living and "through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Heb 6:12-note)! And remember that Baal-perazim means "Lord of the Breakthrough." Do you need a spiritual "breakthrough?" Then run to the One known as "The Breaker." Cry out to Him. Listen to Him. Then obey Him and enter into the victory He has already provided by the breaking of His own body on the Cross! And don't forget to "memorialize" the event (plant a tree, make a note in journal, etc - something that allows you to recall the victory in the future) when the Breaker breaks through. It's now been almost 3000 years since this victory, but we still remember it because David gave it the unique name, Baal-perazim! ILLUSTRATION: One of the most spectacular successes of Allied bombers during WWII was the bombing of one of the dams in the Ruhr valley in Germany, causing torrents of water to flood the area below. David saw a similar outburst of the power of God upon the idol worshipping Philistines. (Battle of the Ruhr - See Picture of the Break in the Dam) In the present context the ''Breaker'', the ''One Who breaks through'', is none other than the King of the Jews, their long awaited Messiah, Who at His Second Coming returns first to the land of Edom and leads the remnant (Many feel that the Jews in the time of the Great Tribulation will flee to Petra in Edom and Messiah will return and defeat the Antichrist and his armies as they seek to kill this hidden remnant) (See notes on Isaiah 63:1-6). As an aside, be a Berean (Acts 17:11-note) when using Dake's Study Notes, as Dake gives an absurd interpretation of the Breaker in Micah 2:13 as the Antichrist! The remnant (cf. Isa. 10:20-22; 11:11) will be many, like the sheep of the fold (Mic 3:12, cf 2Ki 3:4). Walter Kaiser explains "If the remnant of the flock are to be gathered and brought back to their land, they will need a leader. And what better leader is there than the One who is called here “the Breaker.” He breaks the power of cancelled sin He sets the prisoner free His blood can make the foulest clean His blood availed for me. (O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing) John