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David-Saul Surprised By David
August 8, 2020

As the life of David continues, once again David is facing a fight with the Philistines in Keilah. Having recently killed their strongest fighter, Goliath, and having also recently killed two hundred Philistine men to marry his wife, David could have considered his past successes and jumped to the conclusion to go fight the Philistines again. David did not do that. Instead we see that David deferred to God and asked God if he should go fight the Philistines showing that David had confidence not in himself, but in God and God did tell David to go fight.

When the men who were with David heard that God had told David to go fight the Philistines, they were naturally concerned. They were already afraid in Judah and the thought of going to fight in Keilah was nerve wracking for them. David listened to the men and again asked God if he should go and fight in Keilah, and God told him he would defeat the Philistines. There is no lack in faith asking God the same question a second time. David wanted to verify he understood God correctly the first time, and David did what God told him to do. He took his men with him and they fought and destroyed the Philistines in Keilah, giving back the city to the inhabitants.

Joining David in Keilah was Abiathar and Saul kept eyes on Abiathar, possibly sparing him so that he could use the movements of Abiathar to locate David. Word got back to Saul that David was in Keilah, a city that was hard to escape from because it was fortified. Saul saw David’s presence there as a sign that God had delivered David into his hand. Unlike David who asked twice if he should go fight the Philistines at Keilah, Saul was presumptuous and not even thinking about asking God if he should go to Keilah to engage David, Saul made a unilateral decision to go fight David. They wanted to put a siege around the city and starve David out.

David knew that Saul used Abiathar to track his movements and asked Abiathar to bring the ephod to him. In the presence of Abiathar, a priest of God, David asked God if Saul would come to Keilah and if the people of Keilah would deliver him to Saul. God told David both would happen. This answer from God prompted David and his men, by this time about six hundred men, to immediately depart out of Keilah. Word of David’s departure got back to Saul, who cancelled plans to go there.

David retreated to the mountains of the wilderness of Ziph, and even though Saul sought him every day, God would not deliver David into the hands of Saul. Saul could have spared himself aggravation if he would have simply asked God. Even though Saul claimed to trust God, Saul’s actions spoke otherwise. It was during this time that Jonathan, Saul’s son, and who Saul thought would be the next king of Israel, reached out to David by meeting him in a nearby forested area. Jonathan acknowledged that David would be the next king of Israel, and also pledged his loyalty to David and concluded the meeting by making a covenant before God. After Jonathan returned home, a group of people, the Ziphites came to Saul in Gibeah and told him where David was hiding, in a forest on the hill of Hachilah just south of Jeshimon. They conspired with Saul to kill David and again without conferring with God, even though he saw himself as a faithful person, Saul decided once again to take action against David. He asked the Ziphites to return ahead of his arrival and to stake out the area so that David would more easily be found.

The Ziphites departed and when they returned to where they thought they would find David, David once again had moved, this time nearby to the wildnerness of Maon which was on a plain south of Jeshimon. When Saul heard that David was located, he quickly arrived to engage David, and as the hand of God would have it, they soon found themselves on opposite sides of the same mountain, with David quickly trying to get away knowing that Saul wanted him dead. Again, David was not acting without faith. David was acting in faith taking reasonable precautions and in this case that would be getting away from somebody who wants to kill you. God intervened by sending the Philistines to invade and disrupt Saul’s plans to attack David. David used this pause in Saul’s pursuit to go the strong holds of Engedi.

1 Samuel 23:1-29
Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up. Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand. And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me. Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth. And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.

After dealing with the Philistines, and the record doesn’t show that Saul fought the Philistines, David returned to fight David knowing that David was at Engedi. Wanting to be sure to take out David and once again without consulting with God, Saul took three thousand men with him to fight David who was in a rocky area normally used by wild goats. Along the way, Saul needed to use the bathroom, and found a cave where he could have some privacy, not knowing that David and his men were hiding in that very cave.

David’s men told him that this was a sign that God would deliver Saul once and for all, and uncharacteristically, David chose to sneak up on Saul and instead of killing Saul, just cut of the part of his clothes on the ground and took it with him. David must have been very quiet for Saul to not notice him. After this deed was done, David felt bad, because deep down, he knew he trusted his men and his own instinct and not God in taking this action. David told his men he would take no action against Saul, because Saul had been anointed king by God as Saul was leaving the cave.

1 Samuel 24:1-7
And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

David followed Saul and bowed before him as Saul exited the cave. He told Saul he had no intention to hurt him. He told him he could have killed him in the cave and took no action because he knew Saul was anointed king by God. David pointed out to Saul that he had gotten close enough to kill him because he had with him part of Saul’s robe. David told Saul God would make the final decision between the two and that it would be God and not David to avenge David against Saul. David clearly told Saul he would not harm him.

Saul was taken aback by what David said and cried realizing that David was more righteous than he was. Saul asked David to swear that he would not take the life of Jonathan and acknowledged that David would one day be king of Israel. David agreed to Saul’s request who then departed home while David and his men moved to a more secure location.

1 Samuel 24:8-22
David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

In many ways, David was more righteous than Saul. Saul only saw the difference between the two how Saul wanted to kill David and David would never kill Saul. We know that unlike Saul who acted without asking God, David constantly asked God what should be done.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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