David demonstrates the best attitude for us: to recognize that we are here to do as the Lord pleases. God is not our servant, but rather, the other way round. At the same time, David shows us the Lord’s heart to rescue us. The Lord has not forgotten you, and was willing to go to extreme lengths to save you. Once we know this, we can trust him as he calls us to do things that stretch us beyond our comfort zone.

To listen to the sermon, click the play button:

For some people, the player above may not work. If that happens to you, use the link below to either download, or open a player in a new page to listen.

To download, right click on the link (or do whatever you do on a Mac) and save it to your computer: Download 1 Samuel Part 24

1 Samuel #24. The Lord’s Heart for Rescue. 1 Samuel 23:1-14

We are reading a book of the Bible that is primarily a record of history. Theologians call this kind of Biblical writing, “narrative.” In Sunday school, we all called them “bible stories.” The gospels – the bible stories about Jesus – are narrative. So is the book of Acts. So also, is much of the Old Testament. Whenever we read narrative we should keep in mind that there are three basic layers to it.

First, narrative parts of the Bible are descriptions of actual historical events. Archaeology has consistently confirmed and correlated the bible stories we read. Skeptics used to claim that it was all made up – but in trying to prove that, they instead proved how historically reliable the Bible is.

Even so, we need to realize the second layer: that this history was written with a purpose in mind. In other words, it wasn’t just recording history for the sake of history. In the case of Biblical narrative, it is history for the sake of learning about who God is, and how he deals with his people. By the way, all history is told with some kind of purpose like this, told with the purpose of advancing a particular kind of perspective. As a for instance, a few years ago, my friend, historian Dr Mark Cheathem published a book about Andrew Jackson: Andrew Jackson, Southerner. It informed readers about actual facts surrounding Andrew Jackson and his life, to be sure. But Mark also told the events of Jackson’s life from a definite perspective, and built a case that it is a valid perspective. His main thesis is that Jackson’s life was shaped by his own perception of himself as part of the Southern gentry class. (If you are interested in Mark’s book, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Jackson-Southerner-Southern-Biography/dp/0807162310)

In a similar way, the Bible tells us real history, with a certain particular perspective about God and his people. The perspective used in the Bible is that God was at work in these events, and the writers, inspired by God, document how God was interacting with humans through the incidents that are recorded. So we not only look at the historical events, but, trusting that God inspired the writers, we look at how God was at work in them.

Finally (the third layer), we recognize that God is still telling the story, and he uses the Bible to communicate with us today, to tell us how he is at work in us and around us today. The bible is there to help us know God better through Jesus Christ. So as we read, we look for how he wants to communicate with us in this very moment, and how it helps us to know Jesus better, and walk in relationship with him.

In 1 Samuel 23:1-13, David heard that the town of Keilah, near both the cave of Adullam and the forest of Hereth, was under attack by the Philistines. As soon as David heard of it, he had two immediate reactions. First, he wanted to go rescue them. Second, he chose to ask the Lord if he should do that. Remember, both a prophet and priest were with David at this point, and I am sure that together, the three of them asked God about it. As it turned out, the prophet and priest discerned that David’s first reaction was exactly what God wanted. God’s heart, and David’s heart, was to deliver his people.

However, David’s men had a different reaction:

But David’s men said to him, “Look, we’re afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces! ” (1Sam 23:3, HCSB)

Remember David now had about six hundred men with him. The way war was waged in those days, it is possible that some of them had previously been sent to help Saul for a short time in some of his earlier battles. These citizen-soldiers usually just stayed for one battle or one short campaign, and they were not as important to battles as the professional warriors. Generally, they just hung around, and if the battle went well, they provided manpower for pursuing enemies; if the battle went badly, they would have been the first to flee. Because these men were so low in society, however, it is even possible that some of them had no experience in warfare at all. Certainly, aside from David, none of them were professional warriors – yet. Quite simply, they were afraid.

Consider the contrast between David and Saul in this kind of situation. When Saul’s men didn’t want to obey his orders, Saul sometimes tried to manipulate them through false religion, as he did by offering the sacrifice himself, before Samuel arrived, in chapter 13, or through his rash oaths in the second half of chapter 14. Or, he assumed that he didn’t need to ask for God’s guidance, as in the early part of chapter 14. Or, he caved in to whatever his men wanted, even if that conflicted with God’s desires, as in chapter 15. In chapter 22, Saul tried to goad his men into killing the priests by speaking insultingly and sarcastically.

Now, it was David’s men who are baulking at obeying him. His approach was very different from Saul. He had already asked the Lord if he should attack the Philistines, and received an affirmative response. When his men were afraid, he asked the Lord a second time. This is so good at several different levels. In the first place, it shows that David was humble. He thought he had heard correctly from God, but he was willing to entertain the possibility that he was wrong. He wasn’t too proud to admit that. Second, it showed he had compassion on his men. David wanted to fight. But he could see that his men were afraid, so the second time asking God was for their sake, not his. However, once he did hear a second time that this was what God wanted, David didn’t tolerate any more discussion. His men could either follow him, or not, but he was going to follow the Lord. He did not seem nearly as insecure as Saul. So, he led them into battle, and they won a resounding victory, saving the town of Keilah.

But all was not well. No doubt David and his men were tired of living in the forest and the cave. So they weren’t in a hurry to leave Keilah – a real town with houses and even a wall. They were glad to hang out in civilization for a while. Saul heard that they were there, and declared: “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates.”

I want to pause and point out two things. The first is a small difference. In all David’s interactions with God in this passage, he calls him “the Lord.” Saul calls him “God.” “The Lord,” is the way most English translations express the Hebrew personal name for God (we might pronounce it: “Yahweh.”) So, in fact, it is a more casual and intimate way to talk to God. To picture it another way, say you were talking about a man named John Smith. David is calling him “John” and Saul is calling him “Mr. Smith.” I think this is a reflection of their different relationships with God. To Saul, God was a distant Supreme Being, one that might possibly be manipulated into helping him (Saul). To David, he was a close personal relation, a friend in all things.

The second thing I want to highlight is their different approach to God’s guidance. David paused and talked to the Lord multiple times on many occasions. He asked what God wanted to do in every situation. Four times in these thirteen verses, we see David seeking God’s guidance. On the other hand, Saul simply assumed that God existed to assist him to fulfill his (Saul’s) own ambitions. In these verses, he did not once seek to know what God wanted him to do.

Let me state this even more clearly. In Saul’s mind, the whole point of God’s existence is to help Saul have the kind of life he wants. God is his assistant. But in David’s mind and heart, he (David) exists to serve God and carry out his will on earth. He is God’s servant, and even calls himself that exact thing in verse ten. I think that these two attitudes compete for dominance in everyone who believes in the existence of God. Is God there to help us live our lives – or are we here to express His Life and fulfill His Purpose here on earth? In other words, is my life about me (with God as a help and support to me), or is my life about God (with me as his valued tool and helper)? I think we all know the correct answer to that question. But practically speaking, many Christians live as if God is their servant, not the other way round. It is so easy to start thinking that the main point of God is to do good things for me. The truth is, the main point of my life is to let God work through me.

The citizens of Keilah were apparently not very grateful to David for his help. There is no record of any expression of thanks. Instead, when David asked the Lord if it was safe to stay there, the Lord told him that the people of Keilah would hand David and his men over to Saul, if he stayed. Saul’s intention was to surround the city and destroy it, with David and his men inside. It does not say so overtly, but it seems likely that it was a citizen of the town who went to Saul with the information that David was there.

This is ironic. The people of Keilah rejected their rescuer, David. Instead, they sent for Saul to come and capture David. In rejecting God’s anointed one, the citizens of Keilah were inviting their own destruction. In their rejection of David, they were destroying themselves.

Thankfully for everyone, David sought God’s guidance, as he did so frequently, and he led his men back into the wilderness, saving both himself and the town of Keilah, yet once again.

Now, we have heard the history of what happened. We have noticed how God was involved back then. But what does this mean for you today? How is the Lord using this to speak to you, to help you know Jesus better and walk with him?

Remember that David is a type of Christ. God used his life to show us what the ultimate “anointed one” is like. One of the things I think the Lord shows us here is that the heart of God is to rescue us. David, anointed with God’s spirit, heard of people who were in trouble and oppressed, and his first response was, “Can I go save them? Please?”

So, too, the heart of Jesus is for our redemption. He saw the people of earth being oppressed and destroyed by sin, and he said to his Father: “Let me rescue them!” And the Father said: “Yes!” He sees you and me, and says to his Father: “Let me rescue them!” And the Father says “Yes!”

God’s heart is for redemption. I know there are many things that happen in this life which we don’t understand. Believe me, I am a living illustration of difficult things that are hard to comprehend. I don’t know why God has not delivered me from my unrelenting pain, pain that afflicts me even right now as I write this.

But we can’t doubt that God loves us and wants to save us. He came in the flesh, he gave up his body in tortuous suffering to rescue us. More than that, he suffered unimaginable torment of soul for us. So, we know, His heart is for our redemption. Whatever you face, you are not forgotten. There is One who sees you as precious and valuable. His heart is for your ultimate salvation, for your best good.

David rescued the people of Keilah. Today, three thousand years later, it makes no difference to those people because they are dead. But the redemption we get through God’s Ultimate anointed one is eternal. It is the redemption of our spirits, souls and eventually the re-making and resurrection of our bodies. Three thousand years from now, the redemption of Jesus will still make all the difference in the universe.

Sometimes, like the people of Keilah, we don’t welcome the one who delivers us. Their rejection of David is pretty poor behavior. Here, he has just saved them, but now they turn around and try to have him killed. But if they had succeeded, they would have brought about the destruction of their own town as well. When we reject Jesus, it is just as offensive and ugly. He gave his life for us. He gave up his soul to be tormented on our behalf. Some people would like the benefits of his salvation, but want nothing to do with him – they don’t want a daily relationship with him. They feel that following Jesus, that surrendering our lives to him, will make us uncomfortable in various ways. Perhaps he interferes with our lives in ways we don’t like. Just as the town of Keilah, When we reject God’s anointed redeemer, we are inviting not freedom, but destruction into our lives. Let their behavior caution us to receive what God wants to do in our lives.

Maybe you identify with David’s men. You aren’t a professional, like he is. Perhaps God, through Jesus, is inviting you into something new and scary that you aren’t sure you are ready for. When God’s anointed (Jesus) invites you into his mission, don’t shrink back. David’s rough group of beggars and rabble weren’t fighters at this point. They were afraid, too. But out of that same group came the greatest warriors in the history of Israel.

Maybe you think you don’t have the background to pray for others, or to share your faith with your neighbor, or make a stand for God. You might be right. You probably don’t have the right background. But neither did David’s men. All they really needed was enough trust to follow where God’s anointed one led them. That’s all we need. We small, no-account group of Jesus-followers might be exactly the tools God chooses to use.

Let the Lord speak to you right now.