Learning to Listen to God
1 Samuel 23:2 (ESV) 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."
David is going to enter the training of the Lord. How so? He’s going to be betrayed by the very people he is sent to save. The training will begin even before he gets to them. For after David inquires of God here about attacking the Philistines and saving Keilah his own men are afraid.
1 Samuel 23:3 (ESV) 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?"
Remember these are that rag-tag group of rejects from the kingdom of Saul who haven’t go much strength or experience with victory. But when they show fear David prays again...
1 Samuel 23:4-5 (ESV) 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.
How important it is for us to go back to God when we hear differently from people. Please remember Christian, you will not experience smooth sailing with the opinions of people when you start to hear from God and act on it. You will get resistance from the very people you are called to lead! Why? Because the heart of man is desperately sick and does not understand or comprehend the things of God. They are spiritually discerned. The sooner a leader can identify that people’s opinions are not sanctified, the sooner he gets busy listening to the voice of God.
David wins the battle of Keilah and the village is saved from the enemies of Israel. However, right after this, Saul is planning an attack against the city to take David out. David again goes to prayer. Incredibly, he’s learned quickly not to trust people. Notice his question about the very people he just saved:
1 Samuel 23:10-10 (ESV) 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.
When I first read that the people David just saved were ready to hand him over to Saul to save themselves I was disgusted. But then I remembered the truth about men’s hearts. They are bent of self-preservation at all costs. Betrayal is to be expected if you are going to serve God. The good news for David here is he had Abiathar who had been the lone survivor from Saul’s slaughter in Nob. People from similar events can form strong bonds. God gives David a man he can trust and Abiathar brings the Ephod vestment so that David is able to inquire of the Lord.
When in leadership, you cannot afford to listen to everyone. Those who love you today may betray you tomorrow. But you have to keep your eyes open for an Abiathar, a soul-brother/sister who will have your back. God will provide them just when you need them.
The 23rd chapter of 1 Samuel is eye opening. It teaches God’s man that men’s hearts are not to be trusted. For this very reason, we MUST learn to listen to God. If we hear differently from those we lead, we must confirm with the LORD not with man! David sets a wonderful example and Christ is the one who fulfills it perfectly for us. He’s the truly betrayed king who listened to God and saved those who don’t deserve it.
May we grow in His likeness, spending more time in His Word and hearing His voice than filling our minds with the noise of the world.
David is going to enter the training of the Lord. How so? He’s going to be betrayed by the very people he is sent to save. The training will begin even before he gets to them. For after David inquires of God here about attacking the Philistines and saving Keilah his own men are afraid.
1 Samuel 23:3 (ESV) 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?"
Remember these are that rag-tag group of rejects from the kingdom of Saul who haven’t go much strength or experience with victory. But when they show fear David prays again...
1 Samuel 23:4-5 (ESV) 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.
How important it is for us to go back to God when we hear differently from people. Please remember Christian, you will not experience smooth sailing with the opinions of people when you start to hear from God and act on it. You will get resistance from the very people you are called to lead! Why? Because the heart of man is desperately sick and does not understand or comprehend the things of God. They are spiritually discerned. The sooner a leader can identify that people’s opinions are not sanctified, the sooner he gets busy listening to the voice of God.
David wins the battle of Keilah and the village is saved from the enemies of Israel. However, right after this, Saul is planning an attack against the city to take David out. David again goes to prayer. Incredibly, he’s learned quickly not to trust people. Notice his question about the very people he just saved:
1 Samuel 23:10-10 (ESV) 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.
When I first read that the people David just saved were ready to hand him over to Saul to save themselves I was disgusted. But then I remembered the truth about men’s hearts. They are bent of self-preservation at all costs. Betrayal is to be expected if you are going to serve God. The good news for David here is he had Abiathar who had been the lone survivor from Saul’s slaughter in Nob. People from similar events can form strong bonds. God gives David a man he can trust and Abiathar brings the Ephod vestment so that David is able to inquire of the Lord.
When in leadership, you cannot afford to listen to everyone. Those who love you today may betray you tomorrow. But you have to keep your eyes open for an Abiathar, a soul-brother/sister who will have your back. God will provide them just when you need them.
The 23rd chapter of 1 Samuel is eye opening. It teaches God’s man that men’s hearts are not to be trusted. For this very reason, we MUST learn to listen to God. If we hear differently from those we lead, we must confirm with the LORD not with man! David sets a wonderful example and Christ is the one who fulfills it perfectly for us. He’s the truly betrayed king who listened to God and saved those who don’t deserve it.
May we grow in His likeness, spending more time in His Word and hearing His voice than filling our minds with the noise of the world.
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