It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.” (2 Samuel 2:1)

David Inquired Of The Lord

There are two kinds of people in the world. What separates men from one another is whether they seek the Lord or not. In the early days of the earth, the generation of Cain followed after wickedness, and the generation of Seth sought the righteousness of God. By the time of Noah, the two had merged into a wicked conflagration of evil that brought the wrath of God to destroy them. God gave Israel a choice of life and death when He told them to seek Him with all their heart. They refused. The key to understanding the difference in the hearts of men lies in David’s response after learning of Saul’s death.

Saul had been killed along with his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. When the news reached David, he was crushed and mourned and wept and fasted until evening. David had been anointed king to replace Saul and faced the burden of leading the people of God in a time of civil war. The first thing that David did was to inquire of the Lord. Unlike Saul, who often presumed what God wanted, David asked the Lord whether he wanted him to go up to any of the cities of Judah. The Lord told him to go. Then David inquired of the Lord again, asking where he should go up. God directed him to go to Hebron.

David was a man of war. He was skilled in warfare. It would be easy for a man of his caliber to view himself as a great leader who needed no one to guide him. The humility of David’s heart began with asking God where he needed to go and to which city. David inquired of the Lord first before beginning his journey. The will of the Lord was first in his life in making decisions – all decisions. David trusted in the word of the Lord rather than his own wisdom. Saul lost God’s favor because he did not put God’s will first in his life. Looking for God’s blessing to guide his path, David inquired of the Lord.

Jesus taught His disciples to seek first the kingdom of God. He taught them the principle of David’s example that everything in life must begin with inquiring about what the Lord desires. The power of prayer is seeking the counsel of the Lord before acting. When the heart is tuned to the word of God, the wisdom of man is never put first. In everything a man does, he wants to know what the Lord wants him to do. This applies to every facet of life and should be taught early to children, who learn to trust in the will of the Lord to guide their lives.

When a young man and woman are considering a career, do they ask the Lord whether that path would glorify God? When job offers come, often the last thing on the mind is whether or not there is a body of believers in the area. Many take jobs on Sunday that take them away from the assembly because they did not inquire of the Lord first. When the time comes to fall in love and find that person to spend the rest of one’s life with, do they inquire of the Lord whether the choice will help them to Heaven? So often, unions are formed where the goals of the man and woman are strained because one is an unbeliever. Without inquiring of the Lord, the decision to marry may bring heartache.

David went to the place where he was most comfortable and where he had history. When facing Goliath, he trusted in God. Saul tried to kill David, but David put God’s will first by not killing the anointed of the Lord. At the death of Saul, David mourned because the anointed of God had been killed. David was a man after God’s own heart because he inquired of the Lord first. His example is well worth the lessons it offers in finding ways to inquire of the Lord in making decisions. Before making a decision – ask God first.