Word gets to David that the Philistines were attacking and robbing Keilah (v1-4). Keilah was a city in Judah. I guess on the border with the Philistines. The people of Keilah later played their part in the rebuilding of the wall in Nehemiah’s return (Nehemiah 3:17,18).
It should have been Saul’s job to defend Keilah, but the people turned to David. David could have said that it wasn’t his responsibility. Not only that, but it could also have been dangerous for David and his men.
David’s first move is vitally important. Now considering the Philistines were enemies of Israel you would have thought that it was never wrong to attack them, but David learned that he must always seek The LORD’s Will before he does anything. “He inquired of The LORD saying, “shall I go and attack these Philistines?” and the LORD said “Go” ” (v2). David’s men were afraid so David sought The LORD again for assurances, and again The LORD said “Go””.
The LORD assured David that He had given the Philistines in to his hand. The 400 men with David were not initially a trained army, but they were faithful and loyal.
The LORD’s word was enough, they went and saved Keilah from the Philistines (v 5). They struck them and took away their livestock.
It was amazing that this man was on the run from the king and yet he is fighting battles on behalf of that same King of Israel. David’s men said to him that they were afraid to be ‘on the run’ in Judah never mind going to fight to rescue Keilah from the Philistines, but David sought the LORD twice and had his assurance of victory, so he went with his men. Before Saul had attacked Ahimelech and the City of Nob there were 400 (22:2) when they left Keilah his number had grown to 600 (v13) no doubt picking up followers on the way, perhaps even from Keilah.
The word got to Saul that David had gone to Keilah (v4-8), a fortified town surrounded by gates and bars. (v7). Saul must have rubbed his hands in glee – “God has delivered him into my hands, for he has shut himself in by entering the town that has gates and bars”. Saul should have been overjoyed and grateful to David for this victory, but he wasn’t. He was simply looking to satisfy his own ends. He was soon ready to go to Keilah to attack David, when he had not been prepared to go and defend Keilah against the Philistines.
When David got news of Saul’s coming to Keilah, he asked Abiathar to bring the ephod so that he could inquire the LORD’s will (v9-13). Again, David does the right thing in seeking The LORD. His main concern was for Keilah – he had caused Ahimelech and the people of Nob to be destroyed because of his lying, he didn’t want the destruction of Keilah simply because he was present. Remember David has fought and rescued the town from the Philistines their enemies. Saul should have done this, but David was on the spot, and he had been led by The LORD to save this town. David was distressed that he had caused Saul to destroy Ahimelech and he is concerned that he might cause Saul to do the same again to the people of Keilah, or whether the people of Keilah will turn traitor on him and delivered him into Saul’s hand.
How can people think that God will answer their prayers when they don’t do His Will and live for Him? God was with David and leading him and answering his prayers so that there is no way that He is going to put David in danger of Saul. He can care for you and answer your prayers as well as for me and mine, though we must be a living and walking in His will for Him to guide us.
David asks God these questions in his prayer. He is specific and so can we be in our prayers. God answers him – “He (Saul) will come down” (v 11). “They will deliver you (into the hands of Saul)” (v 12). With advanced warning David and his men (now about 600) leave Keilah and the message gets to Saul, so he calls off his expedition (v 13). David continued on the run in the wilderness and the mountains. Saul sought him every day (v 14) – he was totally obsessed with destroying David. Hatred and envy had completely taken over his mind and will.
There was no indication that Saul sought God’s will, he simply acted out of revenge against David and didn’t seem to care who got hurt in the process.
What a state to get into – he had no peace because he was constantly thinking of David, ways of finding him and destroying him. But God was protecting David. It is amazing that Saul with all his allies couldn’t find David, but Jonathan had no difficulty in finding him (v 16). Whenever Saul was informed where David was, by the time he had got there, David had usually moved – God was certainly protecting David but David couldn’t sit back and let God do it, he had a part to play also to move out of the danger zone.
There are times when we do not move out of danger zones, and we are sitting targets for the devil and all his temptations. Then we complain that God has let us get into this mess.
When Saul was informed that David had moved on from Keilah, he called off his attack. David moved into the wilderness of Ziph and into a forest. Ziph was a town at the southern end of the Dead Sea. It was seemingly useful for David’s protection as it was not an easy terrain. Saul sought his life every day, but God protected him (v14,15). It seemed that Saul was spending all of his time searching out David to kill him but spending virtually no time on his kingly duties.
Whilst Saul could not find David, Jonathan seemed to have no problem in finding him, thus he came and encouraged David (v16), and said, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” It was clear now that Jonathan and Saul knew that a David was going to to be the next king. Jonathan would give David all the support he needed. Maybe Saul had convinced himself that he was trying to destroy David so that his son Jonathan could be the next king. We can often try to justify our actions. He knows that that is pointless but nevertheless he continues this useless tracking down of David in an effort to destroy the inevitable. What is more, he was spending his time fighting the will of God, which was pointless.
How true that people often continue in things which are going to end in defeat, wasting all their energy when they should be putting it into things which God wants and will be fruitful.
Jonathan and David renew their covenant before God and Jonathan returned to his own home (v16-18). Jonathan assured David of his support, but the bible would tell us that Jonathan would die before David became king. However, that did not detract from their promises.
The Ziphites, meanwhile, try to curry favour with Saul by informing on David that he was in their territory (v19-23). Saul seemed to have convinced himself that God was on his side and even resorted to pious language of conveying God’s blessing upon them. The Ziphites confirm that Saul is obsessed – “Oh King, come down according to all the desires of your soul” (v20) Saul couldn’t think of anything else, and it was obvious, and Saul says,“Blessed are you of The LORD for you have compassion on me” (v21). Nothing could be further from the truth – they could not be “Blessed of The LORD”, but Saul has convinced himself that he is right, and David is wrong. What a terrible state to get into! When we even think that God is on our side, that we are doing His will and will receive His blessing, when in fact we are not and will not. He referred to David being very crafty, but it wasn’t his craftiness that protected him, but the LORD.
At that time, David wrote Psalm 54 which is entitled, “A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”” In it called he to the LORD for help, “Save me, O God, by Your name…. And Your strength” (v1) “Behold God is my helper….” (v4) “I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good” (v6).
Alan Redpath penned some helpful comments and ends with this, “If you begin with God, your enemies grow small. If you begin with the enemy, you may never reach God.”
David and his men went to The Wilderness of Maon, south of Jeshimon on hearing that Saul was coming. Saul got quite close to reaching David (v25-28), but Saul received a message that the Philistines were attacking at home and invading the land, so he had to go and chase the real enemies, the Philistines. While he was following his imaginary enemy, the real enemy struck. We must be on our guard that we fail to notice the enemy whilst following our useless desires. David and his men called the place “the Rock of Escaping”. There is no doubt that God used the real enemy to rescue David by distracting Saul. David went up from there to En Gedi and dwelt in the strongholds there (v29).
Let us recognize and remember ‘the rocks of escaping’ in our own experiences. We may never know how often God has done that for us, but when we do, let us praise Him and remember it.
