42 David’s Victory at Keilah

In chapter 23, we find David and his men now hiding in the forest of Hereth in Judah, but still not far from Philistia. And because of the nearness to the Philistine territory, David would be made aware of raids the Philistines were enacting upon the small Judean town of Keilah.

1 Inquiring of the Lord

1 Samuel 23:1-4

The small town of Keilah was so close to the Philistine stronghold of Gath, that it would always be vulnerable to attack from the Philistines. Meanwhile David’s hiding place, was approximately ten miles from Keilah.

However, it should be noted, that Saul was the king, and therefore it was his responsibility to defend all Israelite territory, yet at no time did he respond to the Philistine raids.

But despite the fact that David was a fugitive from his own king, and hiding in the forest, there were those who made David aware of the situation at Keilah, since they were certain that David would do something to rescue his fellow Israelites.

While there seem to be an expectation that David would immediately mount a rescue operation, that isn’t what he did. But he did something else which spoke volumes about his character and spiritual life, as he inquired of the Lord, as to whether he should involve himself in the situation at Keilah.

That is a great example for all believers, showing that we should ask the Lord for direction in all things, rather than presuming what He would have us to do.

The following passages provide examples of how the Lord invites us to call upon Him:

Psalm 91:15

Isaiah 65:24

While the Lord answered David in the affirmative, David’s men expressed fears about attacking the Philistines, obviously because the Philistine army was well-fortified, and as mentioned previously, they were currently so close to Philistine territory.

After hearing the fears of his men, David asked the Lord a second time, whether they should go down to Keliah. The Lord not only reaffirmed that they should go, but that He promised to deliver the Philistines into David’s hands.

2 David Rescues Keilah

Once the men received the second reassurance, David assembled them into troops, and the attacked and defeated the Philistines:

1 Samuel 23:5

The fact that the Lord instructed David to leave the forest of Hereth, and go to the rescue of those in Keilah, affirmed that He had plans to use David in Israel, and particularly in Judah. The Lord was moving David into positions where he would be recognized more and more by the Israelites as a leader they could trust and rely upon.

• The passage also teaches that God never fails. He had promised He would use David to bring about the victory, which is exactly what he did.

The passage states that David and his men struck “a mighty blow” against the Philistines, which shows that it was a decisive victory.

Amazingly, not long before, David had been so concerned for his own safety, that ironically, he sought protection from the Philistine king at Gath, and now he had defeated a great number of Philistines, possibly even some from Gath itself.

However, the greatest problem he would face at this time wouldn’t be from the Philistines.

3 Saul Targets David

Even though the Philistines were indeed a formidable foe, David’s greatest “constant” enemy remained Saul, who was relentless in his desire to find and kill him:

1 Samuel 6:8

David had kept the sole surviving priest, Abiathar safe from Saul. When Abiathar escaped, he also brought with him an ephod, which was an important piece of the priest’s garment, which showed that he was recognizing David as Israel’s true leader, and not Saul who had disqualified himself by executing all the other priests.

On the other hand, Saul was showing defiance against the Lord, as he seemed to believe that God had delivered David into his hands, that he might destroy the man he considered his enemy:

1 Samuel 23:7

The Lord had indeed sent David to Keilah, but not to trap and deliver him to Saul, but so that he might deliver the citizens from the invading Philistines.

Saul had either forgotten or was simply dismissing, that God had already declared that He had removed the kingdom from him.

Therefore, Saul called the people together to besiege David and his men.

Saul’s relentless attacks against David, even though he knew God’s decree, is much in the way Satan continues his attacks against believers, even though he is a defeated foe. Yet, the Lord’s Word stand sure, and He will not relent from what He has decreed.

4 David’s Escape

While Saul was dismissive of God’s declarations, David sought the Lord’s Word for his life and situation:

1 Samuel 23:9-13

In this passage, we see David asking step-by-step directions from the Lord, which is an example for us to follow.

We see how the Lord only answered David’s questions, without providing additional information, which required him to ask additional questions, which is exactly what the Lord desired. He wanted constant communication with David, which is what He wants with us.

David’s final question to the Lord, was whether the men of Keilah would hand him over to Saul, to which the Lord replied that they would.

Amazingly, after David and his men had risked their freedom and lives to help those at Keilah, the men of that town would have delivered David into Saul’s hands. However, David acted proactively, with he and his men scattering in various directions. Saul then temporarily halted his pursuit of David.