Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

The increasing strength of Israel, united under David, stirred
the hostility of the Philistines, and they again invaded the country,
taking up their position only a short distance from Jerusalem. David
withdrew with his men of war to the stronghold of Zion. "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.'"
David attacked at once, defeated them, and took from them the
gods that they had brought to ensure victory. Frustrated because of
their defeat, the Philistines gathered a larger army and returned to
the conflict. Again David asked the Lord for guidance, and the great
I AM took direction of the armies of Israel.
God instructed David: "You shall not go up; ... come upon
them in front of the mulberry trees. And ... 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." If David, like Saul, had chosen his own way, he
would not have been successful. But he did as the Lord commanded,
and he "drove back the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as
Gezer. Then the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord
brought the fear of him upon all nations." (1 Chronicles 14:16, 17).
Ark Returned to Jerusalem
Now that David was established on the throne, he turned to
accomplish a cherished goal--to bring the ark of God up to
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