David Inquired of the Lord...

T

TMK Dec 3, 2015

There are numerous examples in the Books of Samuel where it says David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord told him what to do.

Example: I Sam. 30:48- "David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," He answered.

My question is how did David inquire of the Lord? And how did the Lord answer? Was it by Urim and Thummin? Through a priest or prophet? Some other way? Simple prayer? For some reason from the context of the various passages it does not seem to be prayer.

J

JFW Dec 3, 2015

Brother Todd,

Idk for sure but I've always imagined David to be, since his youth, very attuned to Gods voice and quite intimately acquainted with Him so from that perspective,... Could it be that he simply heard it in his heart? Felt a peace and compulsion when meditating on that option?
Just a thought-

sermonindex Dec 3, 2015

This is just a very small sampling in Psalms which indicates that David spoke to the Lord, prayed, cried with his voice.

Psa_3:4 I cried unto the LORD WITH MY VOICE, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
Psa_5:2 Hearken unto the VOICE OF MY CRY, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
Psa_5:3 MY VOICE shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

The meaning of "Urim" is lights and Thummim is perfection. They were shadows (foreshadowing) of the Messiah who is the Light of the World and the Perfect Sacrifice. (John 8:12, 1 Pet 1:18-19).

Though the Urim and Thummin were worn by the Priests (in a pouch in their breastplate), there is no scripture that indicates David used the priests to enquire of the Lord, but he may have. We do have this about Saul (below).

1Sam 28:6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

J

Jeremy221 Dec 3, 2015

You are asking the wrong question. There is a reason God has not revealed these things. A better question is how did David know God's voice? The devil sent many to deceive him and try to pervert justice but David had to lead in righteousness and accept Holy Ghost breathed council to do so.

How was he able to test it?

T

TMK Dec 3, 2015

You are right Jeremy-

I am just fascinated by how things "really were" in the OT. I wish there were more details. We have barbarism mixed with Godliness on a regular basis. Different time in Gods economy for sure.

sermonindex Dec 3, 2015

1Sa_16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON DAVID from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

Many people hear the Lord, but do not have a heart to obey and follow Him.

Cain heard the Lord, but rejected God's words. (Gen 4:6-7)

Moses, Peter, Paul, Isaiah, Samuel, David and John heard the voice of the Lord. So did the Israelites, but they perished in the wilderness, because they would not obey the Lord’s voice.

Samuel was taught to discern the Lord's voice by Eli (1 Sam 3:7-10). Later, David was taught to "enquire of the Lord" and discern what God was saying to Him, by Samuel's example.

There is a process in all of our lives to "discern the voice" of the Lord. Part of it is knowing and loving God's word above anything else in this world.

But, Samuel had a heart to love and obey God once the Word of the Lord was revealed to Him.

1Sam 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, NEITHER WAS THE WORD OF THE LORD YET REVEALED UNTO HIM.
1Sam 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and DID LET NONE OF HIS WORDS FALL TO THE GROUND. (In other words, he was obedient to the word of the Lord).

David also loved God's Word and was humble (teachable) and he had a "heart after God". If you read Psalm 119, you will get many clues as to why David could hear the Lord's voice and distinguish the Lord's voice from the Adversary's voice.