Check out all the previous David readings here.
David Reading | Week 3 | Day 4
Prayer
Take a moment to be silent and still. In order to be fully present in body and mind, take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Do this three times. Ask God to give you His wisdom today.
Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 23:7-29
Read these verses three times slowly.
Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will.”
Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will.”
So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.
The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.”
Saul replied, “The Lord bless you for your concern for me. Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”
So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.
Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
Reflection & Questions
David is still on the run, an outlaw in the eyes of Saul, and yet King of Israel in the eyes of God. These dueling identities were bound to be a hard burden on David. He needed to keep the faith of the future, in the midst of fear of the present.
In our reading today we see two ways that God helped David as he endeavored to keep the faith.
Firstly, through his friend Johnathan. What a beautiful phrase that Samuel records, “Johnathan…helped [David] find strength in God.” That is a true friend. Notice Johnathan’s prophecy: “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel.” Jonathan reminded David of the truth. His real identity. As we encourage fellow believers in our sphere, reminding them of identity in Christ is so important. Encouragement doesn’t first come in propping them up by their unique abilities, but in their value as a child of God.
Secondly, God provides just in time help for David. Saul was “closing in on David.” This was a situation where panic was probably setting in. But just in the nick of time, “a messenger came distracting Saul sending him another direction. There’s no doubt, God sent this messenger to save David. They named that place Sela Hammahlekoth which means “Rock of Escape.” How often, God will rescue us “just in time.” Our fears overflow into panic. Then just in the nick of time, God intervenes.
We live in dualities like David. We are broken people in a broken world. Yet, if we are in Christ, we are children of God, with a certain future in heaven. If you are walking in anxiety today, keep the faith. Reach out to a friend who can strengthen you in your faith. And trust that God will show you His goodness, even if it seems impossibly late – He’s right on time.
- Who do you know who needs strengthening in their faith today? How could you help them?
- How has God come through for you in the past? How can you trust Him more in the present?
Prayer
Talk to God in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
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Questions?
Ed Applegate
