23 1-2 It was reported to David that the Philistines were raiding Keilah and looting the grain. David went in prayer to God: “Should I go after these Philistines and teach them a lesson?”
God said, “Go. Attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”3 But David’s men said, “We live in fear of our lives right here in Judah. How can you think of going to Keilah in the thick of the Philistines?”
4 So David went back to God in prayer. God said, “Get going. Head for Keilah. I’m placing the Philistines in your hands.”
5-6 David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He scattered their cattle, beat them decisively, and saved the people of Keilah. After Abiathar took refuge with David, he joined David in the raid on Keilah, bringing the Ephod with him.
7-8 Saul
learned that David had gone to Keilah and thought immediately, “Good!
God has handed him to me on a platter! He’s in a walled city with locked
gates, trapped!” Saul mustered his troops for battle and set out for
Keilah to lay siege to David and his men.
9-11 But David got wind of Saul’s strategy to destroy him and said to Abiathar the priest, “Get the Ephod.” Then David prayed to God:
“God of Israel, I’ve just heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah and
destroy the city because of me. Will the city fathers of Keilah turn me
over to him? Will Saul come down and do what I’ve heard? O God, God of Israel, tell me!”God replied, “He’s coming down.”
12 “And will the head men of Keilah turn me and my men over to Saul?”
And God said, “They’ll turn you over.”
13 So David and his men got out of there. There were about six hundred of them. They left Keilah and kept moving, going here, there, wherever—always on the move.
Saul and David eventually went on this journey to fight/hide from each other. David hid, Saul seeked. But the difference is that David had God. It is so funny how God works in the midst. He was being pursued by the king and still desires to kill Philistines. And the most important thing is that God said Go! So, imagine this. You are an exile of Singapore and lets say country Y is our enemy. Then while u are in exile, you still dislike country Y and you ask God. God said go and destroy country Y. DOES IT EVEN MAKE SENSE? you are in exile and u are running away from the king for your life and there u go killing the enemy. It is like trying to fight a war with 2 fronts. No saint person would ever do this. That's why David's men questioned David's decision (which was God's) to attack the Philistines. Basically, no saint person would ever do it. Only with the power of God.
David and God fellow-shipped. Really fellow-shipped. how much more should we fellowship with God? Walk with God, not because of the benefits, ie. can know stuff and have heavenly wisdom, but because we love Him and He is our God.
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