Inquire of the Lord
1 Samuel 23:1-14
1 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah [about 3 miles southeast of the Cave of Adullam where David is in hiding with his company of followers] and are robbing the threshing floors.”
2 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.”
3 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?”
4 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.”
5 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.
6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David in Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.
7 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.”
8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
10 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.
11 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.”
12 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.”
13 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.
14 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.
One of the greatest struggles inside of a living faith is hearing the voice of the Lord clearly. Not even David was immune to this problem. Those who want to live in a vibrant, intimate relationship with God want to be able to discern His voice with clarity and having it be easy would be really nice, wouldn’t it? Our story for today points to just such a time for David.
Just for clarity, let’s examine David’s method of hearing from God this time. He was using the Urim and Thummim which were found in a pocket on the Ephod that Abiathar had brought with him (vs. 6) as he escaped the bloodbath in Nob that we read about yesterday. The Ephod was the high priestly garment worn as the work of the temple was done. This item was sacred to the people and had been established by God back during the time of Moses. The Urim and Thummim are somewhat mysterious, as we are not 100% certain what they looked like. Speculation has been made that they were similar to dice. They would be cast and God would use them to direct the people. There are several examples throughout the Old Testament where they are used. (Our most recent example was when Saul was trying to discover who had eaten during the fast he had foolishly declared during battle. See 1 Samuel 14:41-42.)
The progression of David decision making, as he decides whether or not to help the people Keilah, is interesting. He asks the Lord first, gaining a positive response. Then the men with him (600 by this point!) express their fear. David listens to them, but not to the point of changing his mind. Instead, he asks the Lord again. When the Lord affirms the decision, the men go along with David and they go and help the people of Keilah. David does nothing rashly (unlike Saul) and when the Lord speaks, David obeys. David also applies the lessons he learned from Saul’s destruction of Nob. With the heart of a king, he is concerned about the people of Keilah and what his interaction with them might cost. Upon hearing that Saul was on his way, David and his men disappeared in order to spare the town the same fate as Nob. God’s hand moves to spare both David and Keilah.
While David had the advantage of the Urim and Thummim at his disposal, we do not. I would not recommend casting lots in order to discern God’s will for you. What we do have is even better. We have the indwelling presence and voice of the Holy Spirit. So what stands in the way of our hearing clearly? I believe the list is long. We are a distracted people. Most of us carry a phone that tethers us to the rest of the world so that we can be interrupted on a continuous basis. We have TV, newspapers, internet. All of it pulls at our psyche and fills our minds with all kinds of information – much of it useless. God’s voice just becomes one of many that vie for our attention and our loyalty. Does God want to communicate with you? Yes indeed! But don’t make Him shout at you. Chances are, you won’t like it if God has to shout. Instead, trust that His still small voice is speaking to you with words of love, comfort, and guidance. His way is not supposed to be a mystery but a path. It is well lit if we only look and listen.
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