July 2, 2010
David inquired of the LORD, "Should I go and fight the Philistines?" God answered, "Go!" When the men with David became fearful, David inquired of God again, and once again God said, "Go...I will help you." So David went and the Philistines were defeated.
Saul learns David went and defeated the Philistines at Keilah. He is excited because Keilah is a walled and gated city so Saul thinks he has David trapped and he makes an incredible statement. "God has handed David over to me! He has trapped himself..." You can just hear the exhilaration and excitement in his voice. Aha! God has handed him over! David has trapped himself, NOW I got him. (Never mind that David "trapped himself" by doing a good thing—protecting Keilah.)
What I find so incredible about Saul's statement of "God" handed him over is the delusion he was living under. In Chapter 15, God made it very clear to Saul that because of his disobedience there was going to be consequences. The consequences were severe. The LORD was no longer going to be with him, the LORD rejected him as king, and the LORD had taken his kingdom from him. Even after being told all of that, Saul still misguidedly believed that he could do whatever he wanted and that God was handing over to him (who was disobedient to God) the man who was obedient to God. It is incredible the way sin can blind you and the mind deceive you. Saul just would not give up.
David finds out Saul knows where he is and he inquires of God, "Is Saul going to come?" God replies, "Yes." David inquires of God again, "Will the men of the city (the city he just saved) turn me over?" God replies, "They will." So, David escapes the city. It says that every day Saul looked for David BUT the LORD did not surrender David to him. Every day. Think about that! Pure obsession. Saul could not have possibly fulfilled his role of king very well when every day he was searching for David. What part of what God told Saul in Chapter 15 didn't he understand? How could he possibly believe that he could be successful in fighting against God?
The answer lies in the very thing that took him away from God. "I." The problem of "I." He believed in himself more than he believed or trusted in God. "I" is what got him into trouble and "I" is what kept him there. It was the "armies of the LORD"—verses—"I," and Saul chose not to see it and refused to accept it. In I Samuel 23:17 - Jonathon tells David that he (David) will be king and that "even my father Saul knows this..." But even though Saul knew it, he wouldn't accept it. He was just so sure that if he kept trying and if he strategized enough God would hand David over.
The people of Ziph tell Saul where David is hiding. Saul's response is, "The LORD bless you for helping me." Really? He really thinks he has the ability to give the LORD's blessing when he is living in disobedience? Saul pursues David and his army is close to catching him when God intervenes and distracts Saul. A messenger comes to inform Saul that the Philistines are attacking his land... and Saul leaves.
Next Entry: I Samuel 23:1 – 24:22 (Continued)
David inquired of the LORD, "Should I go and fight the Philistines?" God answered, "Go!" When the men with David became fearful, David inquired of God again, and once again God said, "Go...I will help you." So David went and the Philistines were defeated.
Saul learns David went and defeated the Philistines at Keilah. He is excited because Keilah is a walled and gated city so Saul thinks he has David trapped and he makes an incredible statement. "God has handed David over to me! He has trapped himself..." You can just hear the exhilaration and excitement in his voice. Aha! God has handed him over! David has trapped himself, NOW I got him. (Never mind that David "trapped himself" by doing a good thing—protecting Keilah.)
What I find so incredible about Saul's statement of "God" handed him over is the delusion he was living under. In Chapter 15, God made it very clear to Saul that because of his disobedience there was going to be consequences. The consequences were severe. The LORD was no longer going to be with him, the LORD rejected him as king, and the LORD had taken his kingdom from him. Even after being told all of that, Saul still misguidedly believed that he could do whatever he wanted and that God was handing over to him (who was disobedient to God) the man who was obedient to God. It is incredible the way sin can blind you and the mind deceive you. Saul just would not give up.
David finds out Saul knows where he is and he inquires of God, "Is Saul going to come?" God replies, "Yes." David inquires of God again, "Will the men of the city (the city he just saved) turn me over?" God replies, "They will." So, David escapes the city. It says that every day Saul looked for David BUT the LORD did not surrender David to him. Every day. Think about that! Pure obsession. Saul could not have possibly fulfilled his role of king very well when every day he was searching for David. What part of what God told Saul in Chapter 15 didn't he understand? How could he possibly believe that he could be successful in fighting against God?
The answer lies in the very thing that took him away from God. "I." The problem of "I." He believed in himself more than he believed or trusted in God. "I" is what got him into trouble and "I" is what kept him there. It was the "armies of the LORD"—verses—"I," and Saul chose not to see it and refused to accept it. In I Samuel 23:17 - Jonathon tells David that he (David) will be king and that "even my father Saul knows this..." But even though Saul knew it, he wouldn't accept it. He was just so sure that if he kept trying and if he strategized enough God would hand David over.
The people of Ziph tell Saul where David is hiding. Saul's response is, "The LORD bless you for helping me." Really? He really thinks he has the ability to give the LORD's blessing when he is living in disobedience? Saul pursues David and his army is close to catching him when God intervenes and distracts Saul. A messenger comes to inform Saul that the Philistines are attacking his land... and Saul leaves.
Next Entry: I Samuel 23:1 – 24:22 (Continued)
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