1 Sam 23 - Circumstance

Sometimes God doesn’t make sense. Actually, if we were to see any pattern in God, it would be that He doesn’t make sense. Not really. What I mean is that His logic is beyond ours. When we look at circumstances and situations, we see them differently than God does. I know I mentioned this recently somewhere, maybe in another blog, maybe a recent sermon (I can’t actually remember) but the whole “first will be last”, “lead through serving”, and gaining “life through death” is simply opposite to our nature. Sometimes that disconnect can lead to frustration when trying to follow God. Especially when we’re only trying “half-way”. But we can learn from this pattern. For example, look at Saul’s pursuit of David in 1 Samuel 23. Although we know how the story ends, David was literally running for His life, and God redirected him.

“When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," he inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah." 1 Samuel 23:1-2

In the middle of his flight from Saul, God calls David not only to get involved in a new fight against a formidable opponent, but also to a location marked by vulnerability.

“Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.” – 1 Samuel 23:7-8

One would think God would create situations in which David could find simple refuge. Lay low for a while until this all blows over. But He doesn’t. He constantly keeps David in the game and the journey of his development as future King. As seen in verse 2 he goes, not just to defend Keilah, but to attack the Philistines. (There’s a huge difference between the two postures. One that as believers we should learn from.)

Later we find Saul literally nipping at the heels of David at Sela Hammahlekoth (vs.26-28). Had Saul not received message that the Philistines were invading his land, who knows what would have happened next? Once again, God had allowed Saul to close the gap. David was probably sweatin' it big time here.

It’s really a tangled web. A complicated matrix, if you will. And all along God is using it to call out and refine David for what is yet to come.

What a great reminder to look beyond our circumstance. Last night, Matthew shared at ANC from John 11 about circumstance. His main point was the question: “Do we allow ‘who’ God is, to overshadow our circumstances, so that we have the peace of God regardless of the details?”

I think that’s exactly what’s going on with David. He’s not just learning to be a better fighter. He’s not just learning to be a better leader. He’s not just learning methods of survival. He’s not just learning new strategies of politics with foreign leaders… on and on.

He’s learning to trust God for who He is. And it doesn’t always… check that… it rarely looks like we think it would. Here, God doesn’t give David clean escape. Here God keeps Saul right on his heels. He constantly puts David in situations where he has to choose to increase his dependency through obeying God’s leading, even when it appears to be a back tracking of sorts, even down the road when he has the opportunity to end it all through taking Saul’s life.

Each of of us could probably pluck David out and put ourselves in this situation. Not the situation of war and pursuit, instead with the situation and pattern of seemingly confusing and random circumstance. God is moving us somewhere. That somewhere is not a location, a level, or a time. It is a place of trust in who God is. It’s a place of peace, regardless of the circumstance.