August 13,
2007
Rise up,
LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee
before thee. (Numbers 10: 35 KJV)
1 Samuel Chapter 23 Author:
Unknown KJV
David
Saves Keilah
(1
Samuel 23:1-2 KJV) "Then they told
David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the
threshingfloors. {2} Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall
I go and smite these Philistines?
And
the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save
Keilah."
Rather than
go on his own, David inquires if he should go and rescue the people in
Keilah. Likewise we as a nation
should have come before the Lord before we went off to Afghanistan and Iraq
fighting terrorism. No doubt the
Lord would have been with us had we first come to him, but we didn’t. I am just as guilty as anyone else,
however the overall responsibility to bringing the nation to prayer would have
been the president’s. On the other
hand, he might have gone before the Lord privately. Funny hind-sight is always
20-20.
(1
Samuel 23:3 KJV) "And David's men
said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come
to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
The Lord has
David and his men living among the people in Judah rather than in the caves out
of the way. In this way, David
along with his men will be able to act for the benefit of the nation as Saul was
to busy with his own things like trapping and capturing David to worry about the
people of Israel.
(1
Samuel 23:4 KJV) "Then David
inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go
down to Keilah: for I will deliver the Philistines into thine
hand."
For the
benefit of the men, David inquires of the Lord a second time and this time the
Lord promises the Philistines would be given into their
hands.
(1
Samuel 23:5-6 KJV) "So David and
his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their
cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of
Keilah. {6} And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled
to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his
hand."
How was it that
David was inquiring of the Lord? It
is said the Abiathar brought with him an ephod. An ephod was simply an outer garment,
which not only was a sign of a priest, but it also protected the priest from the
blood and gore of slaughtering an animal for sacrifice. It was also possible that this was the
ephod of the High Priest which contained the breastplate of judgment. Inside this breastplate was a pouch,
which contained the Urim and Thummim the names meaning “lights and
perfections”
No one is sure haw
the Urim and Thummim were used, but it was thought they were two stones. A simple yes or no question was asked of
the Lord and depending on which stone was retrieved from the pouch the answer
was given. Hardly a scientific way
to get an answer, but it was a way of determining the will of the Lord.
Guzik suggests
“Many
Christians today would consider the Urim and Thummim as crude tools of
discernment; sort of an Old Testament “Magic 8-Ball.” In fact, using the Urim
and Thummim was superior to the tools many Christians today use: relying
purely on feeling, or on outward appearances, or simply using no discernment at
all”.
“Each
child of God has his own Urim and Thummim stone, which is a conscience void of
offense, a heart cleansed in the blood of Christ, a spiritual nature which is
pervaded and filled by the Holy Spirit of God.” (Meyer)
The
key to the effectiveness of the Urim and Thummim was that God’s
Word gave them. In seeking God through the Urim and Thummim, one was
really going back to God’s Word for guidance, because it was the word of God
that commanded their place and allowed their use. Today, if we have the same
focus on God’s Word, He will guide us also. One old preacher was asked to
explain the Urim and Thummim. He said, “Well, this is how I understand
it. When I need to know God’s will, I get out my Bible and I do a lot of
usin’ and thummin’ through my Bible, and God always speaks to me.” More
Christians would know God’s will if they did more usin’ and thummin’!
(David Guzik)
Also,
notice that David was not asking God about something that God had already
revealed in His Word. David didn’t ask, “Now Lord, do You really want me to keep that
third commandment?” David was fulfilling the Lord’s revealed will to the best
of his ability, and trusted that God would lead him in His specific will.
(David Guzik)
(1
Samuel 23:7-8 KJV) "And it was told
Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into
mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and
bars. {8} And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to
Keilah, to besiege David and his men."
Saul could
have cared less about the people Keilah, all he wanted to do was kill
David. He sees now that David is
entrapped and Keilah so now he gathers his men kill David. Saul thinks the Lord has finally handed
David over to him.
(1
Samuel 23:9-13 KJV) "And David knew
that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the
priest, Bring hither the ephod. {10} Then said David, O LORD God of
Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to
destroy the city for my sake. {11} Will the men of Keilah deliver me up
into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of
Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant.
And
the LORD said, He will come down.
{12}
Then
said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?
And
the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.
{13}
Then
David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out
of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David
was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth."
The Lord
told David essentially, if you stay in Keilah, Saul will entrap you and the
people will hand you and you men over so that they themselves will not be killed
as the priests and the town of Nob.
Perhaps through the Urim and Thummim David learned it was time to leave
town and live in the desert.
David was not in
anyway going to take a stand before Saul because Saul was also anointed of God
to be king. If Saul were to be
removed, God would have to do it not David. David therefore flees Saul and the Lord
protects him.
(1
Samuel 23:14-18 KJV) "And David
abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the
wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not
into his hand. {15} And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his
life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. {16} And
Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his
hand in God. {17} And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my
father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be
next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. {18} And they two
made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went
to his house."
Jonathan
comes to see David to comfort and strengthen him. This will be the last time
Jonathan and David see each other. Jonathan knows that Saul will not lay
hands on David because the Lord has so commanded.. Saul also knows David is to be the next
king. Jonathan is more than happy
to be David’s assistant when David becomes king but this will not happen. Jonathan will die before David ascends
the throne.
Secondly it was not
really that Jonathan and David make a covenant at this time as they had already
made a previous covenant. Perhaps
this is a renewal of the covenant.
This renewal would make their original covenant more endearing to both
parties.
(1
Samuel 23:19-20 KJV) "Then came up
the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in
strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south
of Jeshimon? {20} Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the
desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him
into the king's hand."
Jesus
blessed his apostles and they were a blessing to him. On the other hand Judas was his
traitor. Jonathan was the blessing
David needed but the Ziphites where David’s
traitors.
(1
Samuel 23:21-23 KJV) "And Saul
said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me. {22}
Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is,
and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth
very subtly. {23} See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking
places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and
I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will
search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah."
Saul still
thinks he is in the Lord’s will and he blesses the Ziphites for their
information. He thinks David is
crafty, but the difference is David is in the will of the Lord and Saul is
not. The Lord is protecting David
having him to move from location to location.
(1
Samuel 23:24-29 KJV) "And they
arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the
wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. {25} Saul also
and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down
into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that,
he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. {26} And Saul went
on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the
mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his
men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
{27}
But
there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the
Philistines have invaded the land. {28} Wherefore Saul returned from
pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called
that place Selahammahlekoth. {29} And David went up from thence, and
dwelt in strong holds at Engedi."
24 The LORD bless
thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his
face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up
his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall
put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless
them.
Numbers
6 KJV
Have
a blessed day
Lee
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