1 Samuel 23
We know early on in life that David had the favor of God resting on him. Here, we begin to discover David as a man seeking after the Lord rather than a man seeking the hand of God. Several times in this chapter, he seeks the Lord.
2- In courage- David could have decided to stand guard and let the Philistines attack Keilah. Instead, the Lord clearly told him to attack the Philistines.
4- For confirmation- David, knowing the Lord is true to His word, sought the Lord rather than listen to the fears of those who served him. The Lord confirmed his original word.
9-12- For discernment- David, rather than assuming he should flee, first consulted the Lord. The Lord confirmed the common sense choice.
15-16- In strength- Here, David is surely growing weary of Saul’s pursuit. David finds strength in the Lord through the encouragement of Jonathan.
17-18- in future hope- David trusts God’s Word that he, and not Jonathan, would be the future king of Israel.
26-28- through divine intervention- As David is pursued closely by Saul, he flees, surely knowing that Saul is closing in quickly. Miraculously, a messenger shows up to distract Saul from his pursuit.
Don’t miss the true context of this passage: Seek the Lord in faith, NOT for what the Lord can do for you.
Jason Marshall