1 Samuel 23:11–14 (ESV) —
11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will surrender you.” 13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
NOTE: One can't really blame the city of Keilah. After what happened to the priests at Nob, who is going to have mercy for a city on the border with the Philistines? Additionally, the fear of David's men is understandable -- they weren't exactly the cream of the crop, but rather the outcasts of society. Fear seems to be the resounding them in these chapters. Also, the author spends a great deal of time relating how David made his decisions. Even though David was a great military leader, he always inquires of God first. Again and again, he goes to God. Today, we don't have the ephod, but we do have prayer. And we can trust God to reveal his will to us.
PONDER:
- Do I pray first?
- Or do I only pray when things start to go awry?
PRAYER: Father, I have a number of decisions I am facing. I want to do the right thing. Give me wisdom and direction to choose correctly. Also, give family members direction in some big decisions they are facing.
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