Keep Your Eyes Open and Your Sword Sharpened

1 Samuel 23:1–8 ESV

Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

Evil Never Sleeps

David goes to fight for Keilah. To understand the issues going on, I feel it is important to know the back story. What brought David and his men to this point?

David had gathered 400 men. They were not the best warriors. They were suffering in one way or another. They were in debt to someone. They did not find their life, mental state, or condition of their heart in a favorable. So much so, they were willing to be outcasts or maybe they already were to follow David. Which if David failed, they would all be killed.

1 Samuel 22:2 ESV

And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

Kind of sound like Jesus Christ. He takes our worst and He uses it for His glory. This is what David did. He took the rejects of society and utilized them.

MAP

David had gone to see the priest in the city of Nob. He lied to him in order to receive food and the sword of Goliath. David would, after making some stops in Gath and Moab, make his way to the forest of Hareth.

In the mean time, King Saul goes to the city of Nob. Saul accuses the priest of treason. The priest answers honestly what he gave David and how would he think otherwise since David was the son-in-law to the king and honorable in all his dealings. (Except for this). The king orders all the priests to be killed, which was 65. That was not enough to soothe his anger. He had the entire city destroyed. Everyone (men, women, children) and all animals were massacred. Only one man escaped.

This brings us to our scripture today. David was the original Robin Hood. Living in hiding but doing what he could to free the country from the tyranny of King Saul and the Philistines.

Now this town, Keilah, was near the Philistine border and it was originally an inheritance to the tribe of Judah

Joshua 15:44 ESV

Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages.

The Philistines were stealing the grain from the threshing floors. Now if you have ever tried to thresh wheat, or the process of separating wheat from the straw or chaff is hard work. The Philistines would wait until the hard work was done and then steal it.

David wants to go fight the Philistines, but he goes to God first. Very important. So many times we allow our emotions to lead us. We need to seek God and allow the One who holds all in His hands to direct us.

God gave them the go ahead but it was not enough for the men. They know what Saul did and they were afraid. How could they come out of hiding and fight the Philistines when this would alert King Saul to where they were.

Do you sometimes think or feel like God does not have all the facts? This is what faith is:

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

So David inquired of the Lord again and God gave the same answer. So they went and fought the Philistines and they won. They pushed the Philistines back and liberated the town of Keilah. Praise God. There was celebrating I am sure. Then comes the blow.

Saul declares war against David and his men in Keilah. David just can not get a break it seems.

Do you ever feel like you just can not get a break? You feel like you need to remind God you are there?

David could have turned his back on God and trusted in his own men. He trusted God and look what happened? But he does not turn his back on God, and he does something different. He knows that his life, whether success or failures are in God’s hands.

This is a powerful, liberating place to be. So if we put all our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, then we win no matter what. Even if we fail, we win. WOW!! The cross looked like a failure, but it a great win for all who call upon the name of the Lord.

David, knowing he is about to be surrounded by the King, goes to the Lord. No matter what we face, we must go to the Lord. The Lord is never our enemy. He is never against us if we are serving Him. He has our best interest at heart.

This part cracks me up. But it certainly was not a laughing matter at the time.

David has been anointed king by Samuel.

David refuses to kill Saul because he is the king even though he has opportunity to do so.

God tells David to fight the Philistines at Keilah.

As a result, Saul has declared war on Keilah.

Will Saul come to kill me? Yes, he will come.

Will the city deliver me and my men to King Saul? They will deliver.

I would be like, a little more information please. Such as … what should I do next?

David had already been very good at hiding from the king. He did not need God to paint it in the sky that he needed to flee from the city right away.

Sometimes we get scared and our mind stops working. But there is something beautiful about being in the presence of the Lord. Even when everything seems to be falling apart, God has not fallen apart or abandoned us.

1 Samuel 23:14 ESV

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.

Conclusion:

A - Acknowledge

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

B - Believe

Acts 16:31 (ESV)

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”

C - Confess

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.