Should I or should I not?

 1 Samuel 23:1-14

Should I or should I not, that a question that confronts all of us, but do we ask the question of the one that will always give us the right answer?  David had learned to seek the counsel of the LORD; men will give you their feelings, or opinions but God who all knowing will guide you in truth.  So shall we look at the question David is asking of the LORD in verses two verses of chapter 23?  “Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 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.”

So it a done deal for David or is it, no asking the question is step one, listening for the answer is step two, but then often the problem comes when those under the leader says no way am I going to do that.  It necessary to understand David not king over these people, but he is greatly respected by them.  So maybe some of the people with influence ask David to go back and make sure that what God is saying for they were fearful.

This we do know David ask the question of the LORD a second time, and this was the answer found in verse four and five. “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.” 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.”   

Would it be wonderful if we learn something from the Scripture, no head knowledge, but application?   And doing what David is doing would serve each of us; it would be a life changer.

When you have engaged the enemy of your nation and won a major battle it hard to keep that information from the press, and it got back to King Saul he saw an opportunity to once and for all kill David and that ragtag group that was hanging out with him.  You see Keilar was a walled city with gates and one the King and his men surrounded the city David would be trapped in side.  Now Saul had no moral compass if he had to kill all the people of Keilar to kill David, so be it.

When David heard about the King’s plan he asks the Lord, the following; “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. 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.” 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.” 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. And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.” (1 Samuel 23:10-14)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice