Reliance in the Midst of Trials
December 31, 2021
Commentary
When David heard that the Philistines were attacking Keilah, a border town about 15 miles southwest of Bethlehem, he inquired of the Lord as to whether they should help them (vv. 1-2). Sometimes in ministry we are faced with opportunities that to us might seem obvious. People are in trouble? We should go help them, right? No need for Prayer. But in today’s passage, David models a different approach to decision making, one of complete reliance on God. David’s men were understandably afraid to get involved, so once again David asked the Lord for guidance, and the Lord answered, “Go to Keilah & I will give you Victory” (v. 4). David obeyed, his men followed him, and God gave them victory (v. 5).
Soon after this, Saul was told of David’s whereabouts. He summoned his army and prepared to capture David at Keilah (vv. 6-8). But David found out about it and once again inquired of the Lord. This time he had two questions: (1) Will Saul attack us here & (2) will the people of Keilah surrender me to Saul if I stay? After all the trouble David had gone through to save the people of Keilah, it must have been depressing to hear God’s response. Saul would come and if David stayed, the Keilahites would give him up rather than allow Saul to destroy their town (vv. 9-12). David took the news like a true leader, with grumbling or bitterness towards the people he came to save. He led his 600 men into the wilderness of Ziph where they hid from Saul (vv. 13-14). This was a desolate, hilly and wooded area between Hebron and the Dead Sea. During his time in Ziph, David received a visit from this friend, Jonathan, the son of Saul (vv. 15-18). Jonathan encouraged David in the Lord and expressed hope that one day David would be king, and he would be there at David’s side to support him. Sadly, Jonathan would not live long enough to see this hope fulfilled.
After Jonathan returned home, the local Ziphites went to Saul to divulge David’s location (vv. 19-24). For the second time in this chapter, David was under threat from his own people of Judah betraying him to the King. If Saul had gone with them right away, he might have caught David, but instead he sent them back to be doubly sure of his location. David shifted from Ziph to Maon, 10 miles southeast of Hebron, and Saul pursued him there (v. 25). It was a near thing. Saul was on one side of a mountain and David fled from him on the other side when word came to Saul of a Philistine attack. Saul was forced to call off the hunt, and David escaped to the strongholds of Engedi, an oasis 10 miles north of Massada on the Dead Sea (vv. 26-29).
Application
At several points in today’s passage, it would have been easy for David to have expressed doubt or disappointment. Instead, the Psalms reveal that he rejoiced in God's goodness (Psalm 31:23). What is my reaction when adversity strikes?
1 Samuel 23:1– 29 (NET)
1 They told David, “The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors.” 2 So David asked the Lord, “Should I go and strike down these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”
3 But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid while we are still here in Judah. What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 So David asked the Lord once again. But again the Lord replied, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”
5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them. David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod. 7 When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates.” 8 So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9 When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him, he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. 11 Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, please inform your servant.”
12 David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand?” The Lord said, “They will deliver you over.”
13 So David and his men, who numbered about 600, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another. When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition. 14 David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul looked for him all the time, but God did not deliver David into his hands. 15 David realized that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph.
16 Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him through God. 17 He said to him, “Don’t be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this.” 18 When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord, David stayed at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? 20 Now at your own discretion, O king, come down. Delivering him into the king’s hand will be our responsibility.”
21 Saul replied, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22 Go and make further arrangements. Determine precisely where he is and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. 23 Locate precisely all the places where he hides and return to me with dependable information. Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him among all the thousands of Judah.”
24 So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the rift valley to the south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men went to look for him. But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, but Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to capture them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”
28 So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. Therefore that place is called Sela Hammahlekoth. 29 (24:1) Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi.