Baal Perazim, Part Three

“Baal Perazim- God of the Breakthrough” is the title of this message and comes from

2 Samuel 5: 17-25 and is also found in I Chronicles 14: 8-17. (Please take the time to read parts 1 and 2 first so you will know how this message came about and the three principles the Holy Spirit gave to me to include.) 

17 Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 18 The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.

19 So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 21 And they left their images (idols) there, and David and his men carried them away (and burned them).

22 Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up (straight up); circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 24 And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 25 And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer. (New King James translation). 

Scripture Study

Let's go through a deeper study of this passage and see what we can learn from God's Word to help us today in our walk with the Lord. The Hebrew meaning of Baal Perazim is “the Lord who breaks out” in the New International Version. The New King James translation says, “the Master of Breakthrough.” Originally, Ba'al was a word the Israelites used for the position, authority or function of “Lord or Master.” But the pagan religions began to use it for their gods as well, such as Jezebel's prophets of Baal. So the Israelites stopped using it as a title for God. Satan always manages to provide a counterfeit for God's truth so he can deceive people. Now let's look at some of the historical information I discovered.

The Valley of Rephaim

This was a fertile valley that bordered ancient Jerusalem on the west and southwest. In the Hebrew dictionary (#8329), rephaim means “the ghosts of the dead giants.” The Lexicon Aids section (#8327) says “spirits of the dead.” This valley was known in David's time for being haunted with the ghosts of the dead giants. These giants were the same race from which Goliath and his ancestors came.

In Strong's Concordance we learn that (H7497) râphâ' is the root word of rephaim and means invigorating, powerful, a giant. (See also H1051). However, when used as a name of God, (#8330) “Repha-el”, rapha means heals. So then we have “the God who heals.” Jehovah Raphael is the God who heals, repairs, recovers, restores (Strong's 7501).

Who were the Rephaites? (Gen. 14:5, Deut. 3:11, 2 Sam. 21)

The Rephaites (giants or mighty ones) were a race of giants with superhuman size and strength that originally lived in the large fertile valley west of Jerusalem. The Philistines hired the Rephaites to fight with them against King Saul. David's first encounter with these giants was during Saul's reign when he went out to fight Goliath. The Valley of the Rephaim was known for being haunted by the ghosts of this race of giants who were between 6-10 feet tall. Giants first appeared in Scripture in Genesis 6 where they were called Nephilim. Fallen angels saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and married with them.

Who did the Rephaites worship?

In the Valley of the Rephaim, archaeologists have discovered a pagan temple site. Just outside the temple were found the bones of numerous pigs and rats. It appears that the Rephaites sanctified themselves by eating the unclean meat of swine's flesh and rats before they entered the temple. In the center of this temple was an altar area with a large hole in the ground lined with stones. Laying in the center were the bones of a pregnant sheep carrying an unborn lamb still inside the rib cage. Evidently, this was the altar where the lamb was slain and burned as an offering, a fragrant aroma to the god of Baal.

The Rephaites practiced satanic worship in the Valley of the Rephaim near David's hideout. In the scripture above, the Philistine army was empowered by the spirits of the dead giants. They were gathered to kill David, the new king of Israel. Satan has been trying to prevent men and women of God from reaching their destiny in Christ since Eve's encounter in the Garden of Eden.

Ephesians 6 tells us that our battle today is with the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We are instructed to put on the full armor of God so we can take our stand against the devil's schemes. If we are to fulfill our destiny in God's kingdom we will have to overcome all the devil's schemes to kill, steal and destroy us.

Who were the Philistines?

Panaramic view of the area morth of Adullum

The Philistines were a fierce war-like people that occupied the promise land God had given to the Israelites. They were expert iron smiths and were fully equipped with the most advanced weaponry of the day making them nearly invincible on the battlefield. They migrated from someplace near the Aegean Sea to the land of Israel. The Philistines worshiped the pagan gods Baal, Astarte, and Dagon. They were renowned for both their production and consumption of alcoholic beverages and they engaged in week-long drinking festivals. 

The Philistine army was made up of fierce fighting men controlled by demons of war, alcohol and murder. Now you understand why God instructed David to destroy his enemies and why David did not dare venture out of his cave to go to battle-- unless the Most High God Himself was going with him!


Frank Hultgren, a professor at Oral Roberts University in the 1980s wrote a book entitled, Prophetic Insights to Spiritual Warfare. I just happened to re-read his book in September and found some interesting insight into what David was up against that day. Frank reported that, “David went out to meet the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim, the valley of the dead spirits. It was a ghostly, sinister place of fear and suspicion. The giants loved to go there, because it was a satanic holy place. I believe it was the very place where David wrote the 23^rd Psalm. David literally went into the valley of the shadow of death to fight the enemies of God; the demonic powers that came after his anointing” (p. 114-115).
 
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 
 

The entrance to the Cave of Adullum in Israel

The Cave of Adullam
Adullam means “Israelite” or "justice of the people" and was the the stronghold where David hid in the desert from King Saul with 400 of his mighty men. (See 1 Sam. 22:1-14 and 2 Sam. 5)

First of all, the cave of Adullam was a place of natural protection and provision. It was a place where David could escape from the clamor of war, the confusion, the chaos, the stress and the demands on him as the future king of Israel. Israel has thousands of caves in the mountain regions and some have caverns large enough to hold 200-300 men with streams of water running through them. God provided a place of safety in the mountains for David well in advance of when he would need it.

Secondly, that stronghold was David's secret place of prayer- a place of rest and peace hidden away in the dessert. It was a secret place where his enemies could not find him in the Presence of God. You can be sure that David battled discouragement and depression, but it was a place to pray and seek the Lord for His help. The Cave of Adullam was a place of worship, a place where David heard from God and soaked in His Presence.

Psalm 91 comes to mind. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty... No harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

In part 4 of this message, we will look at the important lessons we can learn from David's desert experience in 2 Samual 5. We will also look at the hindrances to BT and five keys to receiving BT in your life and ministry.

Resources: 

1. E-Sword- an electronic Bible program with Strong's Concordance for the Hebrew meanings of the words. 

2. Hebrew-Greek Study Bible, NIV with Kohlenberger's Dictionary. 

3. http://www.biblegateway.com- for scriptures used in this article. 

4. http://www.openbible.info/geo/photos/valley_of_rephaim.

5. http://www.testimony-magazine.org/back/Special_Issues/Oct90/art16.htm- archaeological finds in The Valley of the Rephaim. 

6. http://www.biblewalks.com/sites/Adullam.html
7. Hultgren, Frank. Prophetic Insights Into Spiritual Warfare (1994), Frank Hulthren Ministries, Dallas, Texas.