David is now thirty years old (2 Samuel 5:4-5) and king of the whole nation. He now needed a base. If he stayed at Hebron he would be favouring one tribe at the expense of the other tribes. He set his sights on Jerusalem. It had been occupied by the Benjaminites but they had lost it and it was now occupied by the Jebusites, a pagan people. Jerusalem looked impossible to capture but David felt God had given him this stronghold.

Jerusalem looked unassailable. It had two deep valleys on either side, the valley of Hinnon and the valley of Kidron. It had high walls so was difficult to attack and easy to defend. Within the city was the stronghold of Zion. Not only was it an imposing structure, the people were confident against any attack.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”-thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 2 Samuel 5:6.

As pastors we are convinced that our own town is the most difficult one on the planet. In our congregations there are people who in their hearts think that their husband or wife won’t get saved. We look at wrong thinking and sinful behaviour, fears and hurts and adapt to living with them. Is this a platitude or truth? “Nothing is impossible to God”

Paul says this to the church in Corinth.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 2 Corinthians 10:3.

No, we are not looking at things though the eyes of flesh but through the eyes of God. A huge change of thinking has to take place. Get this…

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4

What are our weapons? Truth, righteousness, faith, assurance of salvation, the Word of God, prayer, praise, God’s power, God’s ability etc. What are the world’s weapons that Paul objects to? Human ingenuity and wisdom, showmanship, flash, charm, powerfully persuasive personalities, eloquence, what I can see, what I can understand.

It’s time for our Jerusalems to not bother us and to believe God can demolish any stronghold set up against him.

I love the short description of how easy the job was, but there was a key, we will come back to that in a minute.

Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 2 Samuel 5:7

But how did he do it? He had one of those Joshua moments like go blow trumpets at the walls of Jericho. It’s sort of like the money for the tax is in the fish’s mouth. It’s sort of like hit the water with a stick and it will part. It’s sort of Ezekiel like. The temple had been destroyed, and the people had been banished from their land. God told Ezekiel to communicate this punishment by acting out the wrongdoings of the people. Part of this included lying on his left side for 390 days, which symbolised the 390 years that Israel had sinned.

Anyway, back to the story. There was a tunnel that ran from inside the city to the outside giving access to the spring of Gibeon. Part of it was vertical and it was at this point that buckets were lowered to get the water. It was thought to be impossible to climb. David’s idea was to attack the city from outside and sent a team of soldiers to surprise the Jebusites by climbing up the water shaft.

If we are praying and seeking God, if our hearts are one of obedience there will be times when he is leading us in surprising ways. But the impossible can sometimes be done in the twinkling of an eye.

The Jebusites were prepared for a siege but when God’s guidance was followed Jerusalem fell in a moment. It became known very quickly as the City of David (vs9)

We are all living with impossible situations, things that look entrenched.

Firstly let’s choose to look at things with the eyes of faith. Secondly let’s listen to God’s prompting, even if it is to go and climb a vertical water channel.

Let me finish by quoting how revival came to the Isle of Lewis, how God spoke, and how two elderly ladies were obedient even at their age. They saw strongholds tumble and revival break out. Let Duncan Campbell speak to us.

Now I am sure that you will be interested to know how, in November 1949, this gracious movement began on the island of Lewis. Two old women, one of them 84 years of age and the other 82-one of them stone blind, were greatly burdened because of the appalling state of their own parish. It was true that not a single young person attended public worship. Not a single young man or young woman went to the church. They spent their day perhaps reading or walking but the church was left out of the picture. And those two women were greatly concerned and they made it a special matter of prayer.

A verse gripped them: “I will pour water on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground.” They were so burdened that both of them decided to spend so much time in prayer twice a week. On Tuesday they got on their knees at 10 o’clock in the evening and remained on their knees until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning–two old women in a very humble cottage.

One night, one of the sisters had a vision. Now remember, in revival, God works in wonderful ways. A vision came to one of them, and in the vision she saw the church of her fathers crowded with young people. Packed to the doors, and a strange minister standing in the pulpit. And she was so impressed by the vision that she sent for the parish minister. And of course he knowing the two sisters, knowing that they were two women who knew God in a wonderful way, he responded to their invitation and called at the cottage.

That morning, one of the sisters said to the minister, “You must do something about it. And I would suggest that you call your office bearers together and that you spend with us at least two nights in prayer in the week. Tuesday and Friday if you gather your elders together, you can meet in a barn-a farming community, you can meet in a barn-and as you pray there, we will pray here. Well, that was what happened, the minister called his office bearers together and seven of them met in a barn to pray on Tuesday and on Friday. And the two old women got on their knees and prayed with them.

We know the rest of the story.