For many years, David has been one of my favorite Bible characters. He has become a friend to turn to, and his life has encouraged mine. I especially resonate with his earliest years; the ones spent preparing for his leadership role in Israel. Many of those years were spent on the run, and the sweet psalmist of Israel penned many of his best works during that chaotic time. Because the texts explaining his life are precious to me, I am going to write a series of articles on the early years of David's life (1 Samuel 16-2 Samuel 1), with some snapshots of his later years on the throne (2 Samuel 2-24) and I will release these teachings once per month. As always, thank you for reading and I pray God ministers to your heart as we inspect His word. You can find all articles here.
Every human has had the experience of being misunderstood. In some instances, we feel the problem lies with our audience. Sometimes we think the problem lies with us, especially when it feels impossible to connect with our innermost thoughts and communicate them accurately. Throughout our lives, we find difficulty in understanding the thoughts, intentions, and desires of even those we love, those closest to us, let alone other mortals. Communication is difficult.
In each instance of difficult communication in human interactions, two or more finite beings struggle to understand one another. But, consider, there is an infinite God who desires to reveal Himself to finite humanity. He exists outside of time, but we are at fixed points in time. He is eternal, but we deal with the temporary. He is holy, but we have been marred by sin. He is transcendent, but we are dust. How can the infinite, timeless, eternal, holy, transcendent God speak to finite beings who are bound by time and space, living in the temporary realm, marred by sin, and created from the dust? How can God speak to humanity?
For these questions, we must remember that any breakdown in communication between God and man is not the fault of God. He is love, always good, and without error in all His ways. He is good at speaking to humanity. He is also willing. So He speaks through creation. If we listen, we can observe His “invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). He also speaks through the conscience, and if we do not sear and suppress it, our conscience can teach us much about God's nature and character (Romans 2:15). But God reserves His clearest and most authoritative words for the Holy Scripture, the Bible, the Word of God. For 1,189 chapters, He speaks. Everything we need to know about God is found in the Bible. And in His Word, we learn of the cross, which is God’s loudest voice, His strongest word. At the cross, we see the most profound manifestation of God’s love and His evaluation of humanity. Yes, God speaks.
In our story, David is a man on the run, for King Saul desires to kill him. But rather than run in fear, doubting the promises of God, David has been spiritually revived, and now he is in step with God. He is no longer in Philistine or Moabite territory but the Israelite territory of Judah. He is where God wants him to be. He is walking in the light, where God is, so he is in fellowship with God. And because he is living in friendly fellowship with God, he will hear the voice of the Lord. Today, we long for the same. So, with humility, we must use every instrument God has supplied us, including godly people, to hear His voice, awaiting His reply. In observing David's life, most notably the way God spoke to him, we should stand encouraged in how God might speak to us today.
1. Seek Confirmation — David Humbly Listened Again (1 Samuel 23:1-5)
“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.” (1 Samuel 23:1–5, ESV)
The story picks up with the Judean citizens crying out to David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors” (1 Samuel 23:1). They could not have told him if he had not been where God wanted him to be. If he was in Moab or Philistia, he could not have heard their cry. But, back in Judah, back where he was meant to dwell, they came to David’s aid. That they did not run to Saul seems noteworthy, for God is raising up the new king in the eyes of the people.
Upon hearing the news of Keilah’s plight, David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” (1 Samuel 23:2). God’s reply was sure: “Go and attack these Philistines and save Keilah” (1 Samuel 23:2). With God’s word in hand, David was ready to move into battle, but his men were not. They were already afraid for their lives while roaming in Judah, so to fight the Philistines and have their whereabouts exposed to Saul in the same moment felt too risky to them (1 Samuel 23:3). David, at this point, did not ridicule their lack of faith or strength, or love for God’s people in Keilah. Instead, David servant-led his men and “inquired of the LORD again” (1 Samuel 23:4). God, patient as well, confirmed His will to David afresh, and they went into war and saved the inhabitants of Keilah (1 Samuel 23:5).
David was willing to listen to God a second time. For his men, for the people under his care, David was ready to get confirmation from God -- this was humility on David’s part. Rather than pridefully rebuke their implication that he hadn’t heard God correctly, David went back to the Lord to become doubly certain God was leading them into battle. This confirming word, and the humility required to get it, is important for hearing the voice of God, for our minds often cloud what He is trying to say. We often hear what we want to hear, for our sinful flesh gets in the way of His message, so sometimes, especially when leading others into hard or sacrificial decisions, we need to be doubly sure we have heard from Him. David had the humility to go back to hear a confirmation, and so should we.
God has given the modern believer many paths for confirmation. First, God has given us an internal witness. “It is God who works in you,” Paul wrote, “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). So God is at work inside the believer, shaping and molding us from the inside out. At times, He will put a desire in us to do something that would lead to “his good pleasure,” not ours. These sacrificial desires are often from God and not our flesh. When you find yourself desiring to do something difficult, costly, good, and for God’s glory, you are likely receiving confirmation of something He has whispered for you to do.
Second, God has given us the witness of other people. Good counsel is a helpful aid to the believer. “By wise guidance you can wage your war, and an abundance of counselors there is victory” (Proverbs 24:6). People who know you, love you, and love the Lord are people who can often offer you godly counsel that can serve as a confirming voice for God. But be certain it is godly counsel they are giving, for the Bible is filled with stories of counsel filled with fear, rather than faith, and flesh, rather than Spirit. In fact, for much of the Old Testament, the majority opinion was wrong. What you need is not the voice of the majority, but the voice of the Lord, the voice of faith, the voice of trust, the voice of sacrificial love.
Third, God has given us the witness of church leadership. It may be that a pastor, mentor, or ministry leader who had watched your life can serve as God’s confirming voice in your life. Their observations and approval are to be valued highly in our pursuit of God’s voice, for church leaders "are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account" (Hebrews 13:17).
Fourth, God has given us His Spirit. He is a greater help and confirming voice than all the others combined. In fact, He is the One who will author all the others. Sometimes the Spirit will confirm God’s voice through visions, dreams, and prophecies, but those are not His normal or primary means of confirmation. Mostly, He will confirm through the Word of God, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Spirit will take the sword of the word and use it powerfully and effectively in our lives, speaking to us with it (Ephesians 6:17). As you continually read and digest God’s word through sermons, but mostly through personal reading, you will experience His confirming voice. But, the Spirit will also confirm through impressions as He bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). At times, He will put an impression on your heart, a way in which He wants you to behave as a child of God. When you feel that urge to do an act of good or obedience, do it, for it is likely from the Spirit.
2. Use God’s Channels — David Used the Resources of His Biblical Era (1 Samuel 23:6-13)
“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. David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 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.” 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.” 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.” (1 Samuel 23:6–13, ESV)
After saving Keilah, David and his men lodged there, for it was far better than the cave. Any dreams of everyday town life were disrupted when “it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah” (1 Samuel 23:7). His interpretation of this news evidenced saul’s madness. Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars” (1 Samuel 23:7). Saul’s envy and disobedience blinded him from reality, so when he heard of David staying in Keilah, he thought it was God’s way of giving David into his hand. Saul then gathered his army and prepared for war.
When David heard of Saul’s plot, he inquired of God. “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 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.” (1 Samuel 23:10). The LORD responded by telling David that Saul would come down and that the citizens of Keilah would surrender David into Saul’s hand. With this information, David and his men -- now six hundred -- fled and “went wherever they could go” (1 Samuel 23:13).
When David asked these questions of God, the story mentions that he did so via the means of an ephod Abiathar the priest had brought with him in his flight from Nob. The ephod was part of the high priestly garment, included the breastplate of judgment, and had something called the Urim and Thummim connected to it (Exodus 28:30). The Urim and Thummim mean “lights and perfections,” and, though we cannot say with precision how it worked, it was used to help determine the will of God, especially in times of major crisis. Some think certain stones would illuminate as the seeker asked their questions of God. Some think it was a dark and light stone that would indicate ‘yes’ and ‘no’ replies from God. How it worked is conjecture, but it is clear that they used it to determine God’s purposes with the aid of the priests. So, in our episode, David used the ephod to discern God’s plan for his life.
Modern believers might wish for something as straightforward to aid them in their quest for God’s will and desires. We might long for a simple ‘yes’ and ‘no’ device with which to hear God’s replies. We might find ourselves jealous of David. Yet if David were to visit the modern believer, he would surely tell us he is jealous of us, for we have a Father, who gave us His Son, and deposited His Spirit in us, that we might have fellowship with Him, especially in His word. We might not have the ephod, but we have access to the throne of God. By the blood of Jesus Christ, we have the possibility of a close and personal relationship with God. He lives within us by His Spirit so that now it can be normal for a person to “walk with God.”
But when Abiathar and the ephod aided David, David was using a resource available to him in his biblical era. That era has now ended, of course, and there is no ephod or Urim and Thummim for us to seek in our modern time. But what are some of the resources available to us in our era, this time in God’s redemptive history?
Modern believers have the full counsel of God’s word, the Bible. David was armed with Scripture, but we now have all of it, the complete and finished revelation of God. We believe His word is authoritative, that to believe and obey it is to believe and obey God. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Because the “Scripture” (a term used to denote both the Old and New Testaments, 2 Peter 3:16) is “breathed out by God,” we consider it to have authority over our lives.
We believe His word is clear, written in an intelligible way that sincere believers can understand. There is certainly a place for biblical scholarship and pastoral teaching, but all believers can understand the Bible. God had told parents to teach the word to their children, implying they could read it and, at least in general, understand it enough to re-communicate it to their kids (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). The New Testament letters were written, not primarily to church leaders to digest and hand down to the people, but directly to the congregation. The expectation is clear: God’s people can understand God’s word.
We believe His word is necessary because one cannot learn the gospel and God’s will for our lives without it. Though one can know of God’s existence and, to a limited degree, of His character simply by looking to creation, it is through the Scripture we come to know the gospel and God’s desires for our lives. Paul asked, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14). He went on to state, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
We believe His word is sufficient. Every word God intended every generation to have was available for that age. A simple reading of the Bible reveals progressive stages to God’s redemptive plan, and each one of those stages had everything needed for faith and obedience at that time.
So we have the Bible, a major instrument at our disposal in seeking the will of God for our lives. In a sense, believers can simply look into the Bible to discern God’s will for their lives today. God has spoken, so we can learn. No modern revelation is ever to be put on the same level as Scripture. Nothing is sin that is not forbidden in the Bible. Nothing is required of us not found in the Bible. Our teaching should emphasize the Bible. The Bible is our great instrument in hearing the mind of the Lord.
Modern believers also have a full relationship with the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, for by faith in Christ we are born again of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19, John 3:3, 5). Jesus had told His disciples he would depart and send the Spirit to help them (John 14), and modern Christians are living in that age, the age of the Spirit.
Be quiet before Him. Allow time and space to Him that He might regularly have a chance to speak to your heart, to put impressions upon you. Much of life is frenetic and loud, but we must get before the Spirit and, in the silence, allow Him to move us.
Humbly ask Him for help. The proud man will not pause for the Spirit, nor ask for His help. God looks to lead those who sense they need His leadership and guidance, so we must humbly ask the Spirit to lead us.
Be willing to obey Him before you hear from Him. We might want to hear His voice and then weigh out whether or not we’d like to obey, but He is looking for those willing to follow Him regardless of the invitation. Once your heart is postured for obedience, whatever He commands, you will hear Him more easily.
Read the Bible, and allow Bible teaching into your life. The Spirit will often lead you by reminding you of Scripture, for it is His word for your life, a scalpal by which He can perform His surgery (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12). There is little the Spirit can remind you of if only a little of His word is in you. Feast on His word, for it is often in our daily interactions with Scripture God will lead our lives.
Wait expectantly for His guidance. He wills to lead your life. He wants to take you from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). He has good works for you to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). Believe that He will lead you at the proper time, and wait for His guidance.
Modern believers also have a full relationship with the cross of Christ. David’s era was saved as ours is: by faith. But in our era, we see the full glory of the great exchange that took place at the cross. It is an exchange that still takes place. There, at the cross, our shame is exchanged for love, our sins are exchanged for forgiveness, and our unworthiness is exchanged for worth. The cross of Christ enables us to run in a new identity under the banner of the love of God. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
3. Be Cautious — David Listened to the Right People (1 Samuel 23:14-23)
“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. David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, “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. Saul my father also knows this.” And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home. Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” And Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning. See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” (1 Samuel 23:14–23, ESV)
So David, upon realizing the danger of remaining in Keilah, “remained in the strongholds in the wilderness” (1 Samuel 23:14). Like a hunted bird, David fled for his life. “Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand” (1 Samuel 23:14). Eventually, Jonathan learned of David’s whereabouts, rose, and went to David at Horesh. There, Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God (1 Samuel 23:16). With confidence in his voice, Jonathan told David not to fear, for he was certain the day would come when David would sit on the throne as king over Israel. The two men, once again, and for a final time, made a covenant with one another. Jonathan departed, and David remained in hiding.
Meanwhile, Saul received a visit from the Ziphite people, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?” (1 Samuel 23:19). They assured Saul they would surrender David into Saul’s hand. Saul, elated by the news, thanked them for their compassion and then told them David was rumored to be a “cunning” man who could escape stealthily (1 Samuel 23:22). If they brought him more concrete intelligence, David’s specific location, he could act upon it.
These two movements of the story -- Jonathan with David and the Ziphites with Saul -- illustrate for us a key component in hearing the voice of the Lord. David let Jonathan in his ear gate, while Saul let the Ziphites in his. Each decision was crucial to their fate, for if we want to hear God speak, we must be careful who we listen to. The world is filled with philosophers, editorialists, musicians, celebrities, and the like who are willing and ready to give us advice. But they are, so often, as the Ziphites were to Saul. They are harmful voices with a harmful message. What we need more of is the voice of men and women like Jonathan, those who love God and are fearless in their devotion to him. Their boldness is lion-like, and their counsel is not filled with fear or unbelief but trust and faith in the living God.
But the modern believer has a million decisions to make on who to allow into their eye and ear gate. The resources at our disposal seem limitless. Much good teaching and biblical counsel are at our fingertips. We can read, listen, and watch solid biblical instruction any time we choose. But this ease of access to spiritually strengthening voices is made possible because of the modern age we live in, and that same modern age has brought us unhealthy and perverted voices as well. We must be on guard, watching over our minds and hearts to make sure we are advised by the right voices. Then, when the Ziphites speak, we will stand ready to discern their error.
4. See Circumstances — David Waited for God’s Intervention (1 Samuel 23:24-29)
“And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went to the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.” (1 Samuel 23:24–29, ESV)
Finally, the Ziphite report came to Saul, so Saul and his men went to seek David in the wilderness of Maon. David was informed, so he fled to the rock and lived in the wild for a time. A massive and cartoonish hunt took place. From Ziph to Maon to Jeshimon to the rock to the wilderness, and, finally, to a mountain, Saul pursued David. David and his men hurried to escape Saul’s clutches. “As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, ‘Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.’” (1 Samuel 23:26-27). Upon hearing this news, Saul departed. David and his men named that mountain “the Rock of Escape,” for God had delivered them at the final moment, enabling their escape.
David, and anyone else, could easily hear God’s voice at this moment. God had delivered David. At the final moment, God made a way of escape for his man. God was not early, nor was he late, but right on time. As the pressure mounted, as Saul pursued and closed in on them, David and his men must have felt panicked at the thought of Saul finally alighting upon them. But God’s deliverance at the last and final moment would have taught them a valuable lesson. God is calm. God is in control. God is not worried, nor has he ever been worried. And when He saves in the last and final moment, it teaches His followers to become calmer for the battles and struggles ahead.
So God had made His voice clear to David. David had heard God’s confirming voice, through the ephod, through Jonathan, and through the apparent circumstances. With humility, let us do the same, using every instrument God has supplied to hear His voice, awaiting His reply.
