Life of David – 1 Samuel 23

David, “Shaping a heart in a clay pot” 

1 Samuel 23:1-13

Vs. 1-5 Faithful men in forsaken places

Vs. 6-13 A faithful God in a faithless city 

Intro.

There seems to be at times in my mind a formula to success that says, “If I seek the Lord and obey His leading in my life, then the events of my life will follow my expectations.” David experienced this very dilemma not just once but over and over as he sought the Lord, and each time he did, things did not turn out as he expected. I find in my life that these are the most difficult of circumstances to overcome, don’t you? You see, we know that we have heard from the Lord and that He is good and only has the best for us, yet the circumstances and situations we are dealing with don’t seem to indicate this. 

It is here in David’s life as a refugee that we can gain insight into our own discouragement caused by this paradox. David was destined for the throne (God sent Samuel to tell him so), but if this was true, why was he having to live in caves instead of the palace? Follow me on this one, dear saint; you see, even though David will finally be crowned King in 2 Samuel, his preparation to reign is already under progress during this 10-year stint as a fugitive! That makes this time the time of training and preparation for the throne. How much more so for you and me, as our throne is not for the fleeting breath of time on this earth; no, it is for eternity! Perhaps we should reevaluate the meaning of success to how freed slave Booker T. Washington so eloquently put it when he said, “I have learned that success is not to be measured by the position one has reached in life but rather by the obstacles you’ve overcome while trying to succeed!”

Faithful men in forsaken places

Vs. 1 Based upon the text chronologically and geographically, 22:5 and 23:1 are in sequential order. You will recall that David dropped off his parents in Moab and then went up to his stronghold (many believe this to be Massada) to wait out Saul’s reign when Gad the prophet comes and tells him to leave his comfort zone and head to the forest of engraving (hereth) in Saul’s backyard. Amazingly, the text simply says, “So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.” Now in the 1st verse of chapter 23, David is told the Philistines are attacking the food supply of the city of Keilah (kay-li-la), which was a border town in Judah only a few miles from the forest of Hereth. There are three things close by this location:

• ROCK: Saul and Doeg have just destroyed the priests at Nob.
• Hard Place: The Philistines, as they are attacking the city of Keilah.
• REFUGE: The cave of Adullam is also close by.

Furthermore, it appears that the arrival of Abiathar the priest happens after David defends the city, as there is no mention of David inquiring of the Lord with the ephod that Abiathar brings with him from Nob in verse 6. So throughout this section of scripture David inquired of the Lord three times, twice with the prophet of God present and once with both the prophet of God (Gad) as well as the priest Abiathar present. And in each of these situations, David follows the Lord in obedience to what His will has revealed, going against common wisdom, not presuming to know the will of the Lord nor basing his decisions upon personal interests. My point is to show the extent of David’s seeking the will of the Lord, which would lead us to believe that in so doing this would guarantee the outcome meeting our expectations, but as we shall see, it does not. 

What is even more remarkable is that these conflicts of faith have not hindered David’s desire to seek the Lord nor obey His word! A case in point is right before us as David is hiding out in the “Forest of Hereth” when someone comes to him saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.” Had David been “outcome-based” in his faith, he might have been tempted to respond to both man and the Lord by saying, “So, what does that have to do with me? I’ve got my own problems, and it doesn’t seem that God or anybody else for that matter cares about me.”

After all, David could have justified such a response because it was King Saul’s responsibility to defend Keilah, and if he was more interested in defending his people instead of defeating David, everybody would be better off! ” It is very easy for us to pull away from serving the Lord or to become bitter when we view our seeking God’s will and obedience as a formula to getting what we want. But God’s interest is in David and him being a man after His heart, not a man after his own interests; Saul was already supplying that position.

“Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The other side of the coin that says, “Let Saul take care of this,” is just to presume that opportunity equals God’s will for our lives. Hey Christian, an open door does not necessarily indicate the will of God; only His word can do that. David makes no presumption and instead takes the opportunity before the Lord with no bias and simply asks if he should go to war. And the Lord speaks to his heart to go and fight and even tells him that the outcome is that the city will be saved.

Robbing the threshing floor was tantamount to hitting a bank when payroll was done. You see, the threshing floor had to be outside the protective walls of the city so that the wind could separate the wheat from the chaff. So these Philistines were waiting until the pile of grain grew and then swooped in and took it to feed themselves, essentially starving the inhabitants of the city. There are several reasons why the Lord has you and I leave our “Massada’” (our comfort zones) to a place of uncertainty:

• First, God calls us out of our comfort zones so He can use us to be a blessing to His people! These folks were being ripped off, and their King was not interested in protecting them, but their God was.
• Second, God wanted David to behave as king before he was ever crowned as one. Look throughout scripture, and you will always see this as part of God’s plan for the leaders He appoints over His people, as God always calls us to act before he ever gives us a title.
• Finally carrying on with the theme of separating the wheat from the chaff is the idea that the Lord was working on David’s heart. You will recall, as I’ve already said, that hereth means engraving. Well, Keilah comes from the root word that means “to carve and toss away.” Now I spent many years as a goldsmith, and I learned how to hand engrave, and that is exactly what happens when you engrave something: you gouge out the material and toss it away. The word is used to describe a potter as he takes and shapes the clay with tools to cut out and toss away the imperfections to form the vessel of His desire.

Don’t miss this, dear Christian, as this answers the reason why the Lord is working the way He is in yours and my life. You see, the Lord is wanting to get you to move outside your comfort zones to be a

• Blessing to others 
• So you will pursue His purpose and calling upon your life.
• Cutting away those imperfections of your life, you will be a vessel of His honor.

Vs. 3-4 Apparently David shares what the Lord wanted with his “Mighty Men,” those 400 fellows who came to him “stressed out, put out, and bummed out” (22:2), and they are not too keen on the idea, and I can see two very solid reasons why:

• First they were supposed to be hiding from Saul, and as it was, they were doing so in his backyard. Now David was suggesting that the Lord was leading them out into the open by defending a city next door to Saul.
• Furthermore, these fellows were not trained fighting men, and David wanted to go out against an enemy where David had killed their champion, mutilated 200 of their soldiers for dowry, and faked being crazy to escape their grasp.

But notice how David handles their anxiety as he again “inquires of the Lord.” It never ceases to amaze me how seeking the Lord changes my heart from fear to security. It is also a mark of a good leader not to impose their will on those who are in fear but to demonstrate the antidote to fear: faith in the Lord and allowing the Lord to change their heart. The Lord seems to have used David’s failure to trust the Lord before in Nob with Ahimelech to give him a heart that can’t stand the thought of a destruction of another city by oppressors who are only serving themselves. It was David’s inability to think of others before himself that led to the destruction of Nob that caused him to place Keilah’s well-being above his own!

David receives confirmation from the Lord as well as a promise of victory if he is obedient. And they trusted the Lord at His word and struck them with a “mighty blow,” and not only did they save the city, they gained spoil, taking the livestock of the Philistines’s as a bounty, so the city not only gets to eat their cereal again but steaks are on the Lord as well. Clearly, all involved could see the leading of the Lord and the benefits of trusting in Him.

A faithful God in a faithless city

Vs. 6 It is here that Abiathar comes with the ephod in his hand. It might be helpful in understanding this passage to understand just what the ephod was. You see, the ephod was that religious garment that the priest would wear. Over the top of the ephod, the high priest would wear the breastplate with the 12 different stones, each bearing the engraving of the name of a tribe of Israel. Then lastly, tucked in a little pouch were two stones, many believe to be diamonds, that the high priest used to determine the will of the Lord.

The Urim and Thummim, or “Lights and Perfection’s,” would in some way illuminate when the high priest asked specific questions. It was the way in which they would inquire about the specific Lord’s will. Now today we have the “word of God,” by which God speaks to our hearts concerning His will in our lives. There was an old southern preacher who was asked by a young pastor how he could better determine God’s will for his life: “Well, son, you gots—to do more Urim and Thummin of the Lord’s Word!”

Vs. 7-8 Now David is going to need to know the specific will of the Lord in a moment as news gets back to Saul that David has entrapped himself in Keilah with no way out. So Saul gathers an army to fight against David and Keilah! Saul did not want to defend the city against the Philistines, but he did want to attack the city to defeat David!

Look at Saul’s words here: “God has delivered him into my hand”! Saul made the assumption that David would not, and that was that opportunity equals God’s plan; clearly, this was not God’s plan as it went against God’s word. Saul was using his own sentiments to interpret God’s will, which is a very dangerous thing. Just because we don’t like someone or something doesn’t mean God doesn’t.

You see, God is not on our side; we are on His! I can’t help but notice the irony in the words, “Saul called all the people together for war.” War, against God’s anointed but not against the oppressors! Be careful, dear Christian, who you go to battle against, and ask yourself, whose kingdom are you defending—yours or the Lord’s?

Vs. 9-12 The word gets back to David that Saul has heard of his victory over the Philistines and is planning evil against him. I’m blown away by what David does, as he again does not make any assumptions based upon his following the Lord to save the city. Remember that Keilah was a city of Judah, not Benjamin, which tells us that it was David’s people, not Saul’s. Furthermore, David was their hero, protector, and provider, as the city clearly saw that God was with David. The assumption would have been that these people would be loyal to David and his men for several reasons. But David doesn’t make any such assumptions; instead, he seeks the specific will of the Lord and needs answers to two questions:

• Vs. 11: Is Saul coming?
• Vs. 12: Will the people of the city turn against me?

The answer to both questions was yes, but there is a question that I want answered, and that is why? Why would the Lord lead David to deliver a city and risk his own life for those who would in the end betray him to a man who was disobedient and did not even consider their suffering at the hands of the enemy worthy of defending? Listen up, Christian, as the answer is extremely important! God is interested in shaping David’s heart concerning leading people and listening to the Lord.

This is important, as David will be a God-pleaser and not a man-pleaser. There is a tendency to have greater expectations of the people we are blessed to serve than of our regular jobs. Take, for instance, David when he was the shepherd boy with his father’s flock. He risked his life for them against the bear and the lion, but none of those sheep ever came up to him and thanked him. The truth be told, most of us would be willing to commit ourselves to something or someone as long as we eventually get some return on our investment! But then our service becomes work in which we expect a paycheck.

Here is my point: David was being taught to minister from the Lord and not to get something from the Lord! The Lord would have you and I give because we have already gotten and not to DO in order to get!

Vs. 13 This then is the 2nd time David saves the city, this time by his departure! Hey, is that not interesting? David sought the Lord in order to save the city, and the Lord told him to go and save the city. Ah, but when the city was in jeopardy because of his presence, he sought the Lord, and the Lord told him to leave in order to save the city! Notice as well that the Lord has added 200 more men to David during his stay in Keilah; most likely they came from that city!

I conclude with David’s words in one of the three psalms that it is believed that he wrote during this time (psalms 27, 31, and 54) to illustrate the one consistent thing through this passage, “seeking the Lord.” David wrote in Psalm 27:3-5. “Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the LORD is that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.”

   David, “Taking Refuge in Refinement” 

1 Samuel 23:14-28 

Vs. 14-18 Strengthening our hand in God 

Vs. 19-23 The blessing of betrayal

Vs. 24-28 The rock that refines protects 

Intro.

• The 23rd chapter provides a practical guide to some of the processes God uses to shape “the person after His heart.” What I so often fail to realize is that life as I know it is not about me “getting what I want out of God when I want it.” Rather, it is about God transforming me into who he wants me to be. (2 Cor. 3:18) Now as I look at my life, God uses two primary tools to accomplish this in my life, the first of which we looked at this morning adversity. Most often, this adversity is seen in situations or circumstances that go against us. Such was the case at Keilah when the Lord used a city to “carve and toss away” parts of David’s life, preparing him for the throne. 

   Ah, but there is another useful tool God uses to further transform us, and the use of this tool is much more difficult for me to appreciate. Here in this section we will look at this tool being used in three different ways, one of which we don’t mind, in fact we rather enjoy. Oh, but the other two ways we tend to become quite upset when the Lord uses the tool on us. I’ll remove the suspense; the tool I’m speaking of is “people.”. In verses 14-28, we see the Lord using people in three different ways to further refine and shape David to be king:Vs. 14-18 Friend (Jonathan) verse 16

• Vs. 19-23 Family (Ziphites) verse 19

• Vs. 24-28 Foe (Philistines), verse 27

Strengthening our hand in God

Vs. 14 The 13 verses provide for us David’s departure from the betrayal at the hands of the inhabitants of Keilah whom he had just delivered twice, once from his coming into the city taking on the Philistines and once upon leaving the city so that Saul and his army would not destroy it while trying to kill David. 

The 13th verse also tells us that David’s men now numbered about six hundred, an increase of 200 hundred from the 400 who originally came to him while he was in the cave of Adullam. It is safe to assume that these 200 were themselves inhabitants of Keilah who observed not only a man who was willing to deliver the city from an enemy, but they also saw that he was a man willing to have parts of his life carved and tossed away, drawing him ever closer to the Lord.

Hear me out, Christian, what God often uses to change others hearts is the very thing He used to change yours! I have no doubt those 200 men were blessed by David’s heart to be their deliverer, but I’m inclined to believe that they were even more amazed at how he handled the betrayal from those he had just delivered. The risking of a life to save a city is a great thing, and it made him a hero. Ah, but the wounding of a heart from those whom you just saved revealed a man after God’s heart! 

Geographically, David and his 600 men retreat into the desert hill country of Judah between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. There are two very important details given us right up front:

• Purpose: The area where David seeks refuge is called the “Wilderness of Ziph,” and as we shall see, those who make this area their home are called “Ziphites.” The word means refining; thus, this area would be the “wilderness of refining.” I don’t know about you, but I always find that when the Lord is refining me, I seem to be in a wilderness. Furthermore, according to verse 19, that would make those that dwelt there the “refiners.” What fascinates is that these refiners were not strangers but rather family, as they were from the tribe of Judah.
• It has been well observed that we can always determine what kind of servant we are not by what we do for the Lord but rather by how we act when someone treats us like one! People can be abrasive, can’t they? Why do they tend to “grit” on us by rubbing us the wrong way? Oh, but don’t miss this saint. Have you ever considered the possibility that the Lord has sent them to sand off some of your ruff spots? Could it be that the Lord may be using the misbehavior of others to further shape you into His image?
• Plan: “Ok, I get the purpose, to further shape me, but knocking off and smoothing out is painful, and I don’t much care for it!” How true, but you know what helps? It is when we see that God is doing a great work in our lives, and that work may not lessen the pain but does make it worthwhile. So what is that plan? Well, in Jonathan coming to David in verse 16, we are told he was sent to “strengthen his hand in God.” Now I know that in context this speaks specifically of Jonathan’s plan in coming to David, but I rather think that it fits God’s overall plan as He allows us to be refined.
• You see, God brings refinement our way to strip away those things that we have held onto that have lessened our hand in God! They don’t necessarily have to be sinful or bad things; they can be wonderful things that we have held onto, but they were never designed to be that which is strong enough to support us. We tend to grab as many of these things as we can, and with our hands full of them, there is not enough room in our grasp for the One thing that can support our lives, God! So periodically the Lord sends us out into the wilderness of refinement to “strengthen our hand in Him”!

• • Verse 15: “So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.” The wilderness of refinement is a temporary thing! It is important for us to realize this, as David did, that the Saul’s of this world are coming out against us, and our being in the wilderness is not where we will make our permanent home.
    

    There is a marvelous truth in the commentary of verse 14, as we are told that “Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.” As it relates to our refinement, this is a significant verse as it tells us that God may use the Saul’s to further His refinement in our lives because they are not able to go beyond the purpose that He has intended. As relentless as Saul was, God would not allow Saul to move beyond that which the Lord wanted for David, and it’s important for our perspective in our refinement that we understand this. 

    Two important points in these verses come to mind:

   Oh, don’t misunderstand me, no time spent in the wilderness with someone seeking your life is a fun thing, but often we can lose perspective and become very discouraged, believing that we will always have Saul coming out against us, causing us to sleep in the bushes or caves. The truth is that God, in His wisdom, is allowing it for a season of refinement, and He will not leave you in the wilderness any longer than is necessary to accomplish His purposes in your life. 

   “Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.” I love the fact that verse 16 starts with the word “then,” as it tells us that Jonathan’s seeking David out to strengthen his hand in God directly corresponded with him seeing his father daily come out to kill David. The greatest friendships and encouragement in our lives often go hand in hand with our refinement. God never allows a Saul that He doesn’t send a Jonathan, dear Christian, to “strengthen our hand in God.” Look throughout scripture, and you will see Barnabas, whose name means “son of encouragement,” seeking a forgotten Paul just at the right time.

Vs. 17-18 The Jewish paraphrase gives us insight into how Jonathan “strengthened his hand in God” as it reads that Jonathan “strengthened his hand in the Word of the Lord”! Based upon verse 17, Jonathan observed David’s “fear” and lack of trust in the Lord, and what he needed was assurance in the Word, and he offers him three such assurances:

 “The hand of Saul, my father, shall not find you.” In the midst of this refining from Saul, David needed to hear the truth that God will protect him. Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 10:13, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” What a precious promise to have close to our hearts when the Lord uses people to refine us. 

“You shall be king over Israel”: Ah, this truth is also a great comfort, isn’t it, as it reminds us that refinement has a purpose that cannot be thwarted. How prone we are to discouragement, we fail to see the purpose of our refinement. 

“I shall be next to you”: Though specifically Jonathan would not himself be the person who would be next to him during his refinement, God promises to “never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5). I’m so thankful for this truth, as we all need someone. Paul wrote to Philemon, “We have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.” Most often in my life it is my wife who has been next to me propping my weary, tired hands up, and this Wednesday will mark 26 years she has faithfully done so! 

Jonathan lets David in on the heart of his father by telling him that “Even my father Saul knows that.” Listen up, Christian, as this verse reveals something about our flesh: “We can know the Word of God and the Will of God but still fight against the rest of our lives.” We are far too prone to think that our understanding or comprehension of truth ensures our obedience to it. I can think of no worse condition in the human heart than the one that says, “I was born this way, and I’m going to die this way!” Don’t you realize that Jesus died so you don’t have to stay the way you are? 

Vs. 18: This is the 3rd time that Jonathan and David made such an agreement, and it will be the last recorded time that they will see each other. David remained in the wilderness, and Jonathan returned to the palace, but it will be David who removes Jonathan’s lifeless body from the walls of Beth Shean. There is something dear saint that we all ought to practice a little more often, and it is to be found in the psalm written by Moses (90:12), “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Just from the standpoint of the value of friends and family, we all ought to treasure every minute.

 The blessing of betrayal

Vs. 19 The refinement of encouragement is as sweet as honey, but it is not the only refinement we may taste; here we see the refinement of betrayal. The Ziphites were relatives of David, who we are told had a great panoramic view of David’s wanderings from a flattened ridge above where David was hiding. We need to again reflect upon the fact that these folks were not the enemy, but they were acting in sin. I suppose one could make the argument that the inhabitants of the city of Keilah were going to betray David out of fear, which still makes it wrong but a little more palatable. But that is not the case of the Ziphites, who appear to have betrayed David for political gain. 

Vs. 20-23 Notice that Saul sees blessing in betrayal, as he is so consumed by his rebellion that he sees this as God’s hand of delivering David to him. In the 54th Psalm there is an inscription as to the timing of when this song was written by David, and it reads, “A contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, Is not David hiding among us?” Most amazingly, David chooses this time of “refinement” to write a praise song. 

Stick your finger here and turn to Psalm 54 and read what David says about his refinement in these seven verses. “Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. Strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them. Selah, behold, God is my helper. The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me out of all trouble, and my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.”

About the only thing David has to say about the Ziphites is that they acted towards him as if they were strangers and Saul as an oppressor. But concerning his refinement at their hand, he declares, “God is my helper; the Lord is with those who uphold my life,” and “I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.” Do you see those words, “for it is good”? Why David is praising the Lord for the work He had done through his refinement. Oh yes, there are words about God repaying them for their evil, but it does not overshadow the fact that God used the betrayal of the Ziphites to further solidify God’s faithfulness. 

Saul had become so embittered that he had mistaken the Lord’s faithfulness for what he calls David’s craftiness. David’s response is to turn his heart towards the Lord and those who had so acted as well. 

The rock that refines and protects

Vs. 24-26 We have all played this game when we were playing tag; have we not? You get the person who is faster than you, so you go behind a car, and as they pursue one direction, you go the opposite, keeping the car between you and the one that is chasing you. Well, it appears that David was playing that game with Saul and his army. As we bring this study to a close, there are yet two more points to make about the people that the Lord allows into our lives to refine us. 

• Vs. 27-28a “But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hasten and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land! Therefore, Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines.” Here the Lord uses the enemy, the Philistines, as part of His hand of deliverance. David and his men were in danger of being encircled by Saul and his army when the Lord caused the Philistines to invade the nation. Our God is not limited by our understanding. 

Deut. 32:4 declares, “He is the rock; His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice,” and Psalm 10:5 tells us that “His ways are always prospering.” Is that not true? The Lord is able to prepare an enemy to act on our behalf to further “have delivered us out of all trouble” (Psalm 54). 

• Finally, we are told that David calls the rock “the Rock of Escape.” Literally the rock that stands between us and everything else. And who is this “rock”? Well, again, at psalm 54, we are told that the rock is the Lord. 

It has well been noted that a life that is to be guided by the Lord is dependent upon a cleansed heart. And it will take refinement to shape our hearts. Yes, the Lord will use adversity as well as people to shape us, and this will wound us, but there will never be a wound that the Lord cannot heal.