April 25, 2014 - Friday

Start Time: 6:42 A.M.

End Time: 7:13 A.M.

Title: David Delivers the City of Keilah

Scripture: 1 Samuel 23:1 – 29

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ They told David, “The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors.”  So David asked the Lord, “Should I go and strike down these Philistines?”  the Lord said to David, “Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”  But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid while we are still here in Judah!  What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”  So David asked the Lord once again.  But again the Lord replied, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”  So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines.  He took away their camp and thoroughly defeated them.  David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

NOTES:

Ø God continues to answer our questions and concerns no matter how many times we asked about it!  God already replied to David and confirmed to David that He will deliver the Philistines into David’s hands.  Yet when David’s men brought out their fears, David went back to ask God about this again.  No matter how doubtful we are, God’s will does not change because of how we feel.  It remains the same and when we follow His will, our hearts will change.  He will give us boldness to conquer our fears when we are following His will.  But in the process, no matter how many times we ask of Him or inquire of Him about His will despite of our fears, doubts or concerns, He is faithful and patient to give us answers and His will or plan remains the same.  Praise Jesus!

→Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod.  When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates.”  So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

NOTES:

Ø Without God, we can easily be misguided or misinterpret what we see!  Saul’s own conclusion was that God delivered David into his hands when he heard that David is in Keilah because of the location of the place but this comes from his own interpretation and not of God.  We are easily deceived when God is not on our side.  The enemy can easily show us things and formulate conclusions into our mind which will lead to our defeat.  Let us never walk this life without God for it will only be for our ruin.

→ When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him, he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod!”  Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.  Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand?  Will Saul come down as your servant has heard?  O Lord God of Israel please inform your servant!”  Then the Lord said, “He will come down.”  David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand?”  The Lord said, “They will deliver you over.”  So David and his men, who numbered about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another.  When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition.  David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the desert of Ziph.  Saul looked for him all the time, but God did not deliver David into his hand. 

NOTES:

Ø God will cause our enemy to stop his mission to destroy us!  No matter how strong or powerful our enemy is, know that God is more powerful that He can cause our enemies to stop their mission against us!  Hallelujah!  God did it in the life of David, He can surely do it for us too.  Saul was in pursuit of David and he thought he had David cornered yet David managed to escape because of God and due to that, it caused Saul to stop his expedition of pursuing David.  Amen!

→ David realized that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the desert of Ziph.  Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh.  He encouraged him through God.  He said to him, “Don’t be afraid!  For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you.  You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command.  Even my father Saul realizes this.  When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord, David stayed on at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.  Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?  Now at your own discretion, O king, come down.  Delivering him into the king’s hand will be our responsibility.”  Saul replied, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me.  Go and make further arrangements.  Determine precisely where he is and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning.  Locate precisely all the places where he hides and return to me with dependable information.  Then I will go with you.  If he is in the land, I will find him among all the thousands of Judah.”  So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.  Now David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.  Saul and his men went to look for him.  But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon.  When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the desert of Maon.  Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain.  David was hurrying to get away from Saul, but Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men so they could capture them.  But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”  So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines.  Therefore that place is called Sela Hammahlekoth.  Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi. 

NOTES:

Ø Even in the worst or most difficult times, when we know and think that all fails and we can no longer run from our enemy, God finds a way to divert our enemies attention and allowing us to escape in the clutches of our enemies!  Praise the Lord!  The devil may be cunning but our God is wiser!  And He has given us every way out even in times when we feel like we are at the end of the rope.  God provides an extension of the rope so we can continue to live.  All we need is to hold on to Him.  Thank You Jesus!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus I am grateful for You are patient and loving to me.  You are faithful to answer all my concerns even when those concerns are petty or small.  No matter how many times I tell You about it, You are not irritated or You do not ignore me instead You continually reply to my questions and give me assurance of Your love.  Thank You Jesus because with You in my life, I have wisdom and so I can see the path clearly.  Thank You because You teach me to understand Your will and do not allow me to decipher Your plans using my own understanding, which leads to me misguided or misinterpreting it.  Thank You Jesus because You reveal the truth to me and therefore I understand.  Thank You because in my worst situations, You find a way out for me and many times, You stopped my enemy in pursuing me because I have led myself into a trap where the devil can devour me.  Thank You Jesus for You are my Protector, my Savior, and My deliverer!  Thank You for everything and for always keeping me safe.  I love You Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!