1 Samuel - Chapter 23 with Psalm 54

David is on the run from King Saul and has a following of 400 men. Saul kills priests because they helped David. David asks the Lord for guidance and is told to attack the Philistines. David and his men defeat the Philistines. Saul plans to capture David but is distracted by the Philistines. David escapes to En-Gedi. Psalm 54 is a cry for God's help against enemies. David and his men find refuge in En-Gedi. Seek guidance from the Lord, love your enemies, and obey God's voice. I am Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at vab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are covering chapter 23 with Psalm 54. David is on the run from King Saul, but he is not alone. In chapter 22 verse 2 we learn he now has a following of about 400 men with him. Also in chapter 22 we saw that King Saul had learned from Doeg the Edomite that Ahimelech the priest had helped David by giving him the sacred showbread from the tabernacle and Goliath's sword, but since David had lied to the priest, he had not realized this was not in the king's support. The priest told Saul that when he was questioned, but the king would not listen and he commanded his men to kill the priest and the whole family. His men would not, so Doeg the Edomite killed 85 priests, plus all the men, women, children, infants, cattle, donkey, and sheep. One of the sons of Ahimelech escaped Abiathar and he ran to David who vowed to protect him. This is where chapter 23 starts. David was told that the Philistines were fighting the people of Caela, which is in Judah, and they were raiding the threshing floor, which means taking their grain. Verse 2 tells us that David inquired of the Lord. We're not sure if it was with the prophet named Gad, which was mentioned in chapter 22 verse 5, who told them that the Lord wanted them to go to the land of Judah, or if it was through Abiathar the priest, or if the Lord spoke directly to David in prayer. In the New Testament book of Acts chapter 2 verse 30, the apostle Peter declared that David was also a prophet. What is important is that David kept asking the Lord what to do. He asked if they should attack the Philistines that were attacking the city of Caela. The Lord said yes. The men were afraid because they thought they could easily get caught. In verse 4 says that David again inquired of the Lord if they were to go, and the answer was yes. So David and his men went to Caela and beat the Philistines and took their livestock. The people were saved, but Saul heard about it. In verse 7 Saul says, God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars. It was a walled city, which on one hand brings protection, but on the other hand the enemy can surround it and not let water or food in, and the people could starve. What I find interesting in Saul's words is that it was made clear to him that the kingdom would be taken from him, and he's pretty sure that it is David that's going to be the guy, yet Saul does not want to accept the truth from God. He has chosen to live in some fantasy world, thinking that he can fight against God's word. As the reader, we know he's going to lose. The question is, how badly and by whom? David learned Saul was coming, and David asked the Lord, will Saul come like I've heard? He will. Will the citizens hand me over to Saul? They will. I am sure that they heard what Saul did to the priest in their village of Nob in chapter 22. Verse 13 says, So David and his men, about 600 in number, left Calah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Calah, he did not go there. Did you notice that now David has 600 men with him, instead of 400 from chapter 22? David and his men stayed in the desert strongholds, and moved southeast toward the salt sea, also known as the Dead Sea. He was in the desert of Ziph, and every day Saul went looking for him. Then verses 16 through 18 say, And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. Don't be afraid, he said. My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be a king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this. The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh. If you remember, David and Jonathan made their first covenant in chapter 18 verse 3. Then in chapter 20 verses 16 and 17, it says that Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David. It was reaffirmed in chapter 20 verse 42, and there we see that their friendship and covenant was all done in the name of the Lord. Both of these men were seeking the Lord and accepting His will. Reading through this story this time, I am amazed at how humble Jonathan was. He was not like his father, craving for power and control. He was willing to be David's right hand man. Not everyone is called to be a top dog, and ladies, one of the keys to life is accepting our talents and gifts and living in truth with them. One example is I love piano music, but I just can't play it well. Now I admit, I passed my piano proficiency test in college, but that was largely due to the professor who graciously chose the only hymn that I knew, and he knew, I could play well. The truth is, can I get better if I practice more? Yes, but will I ever be great at it? No, my brain will not move my left hand like it should. Another example is I watched an interview with Angela Lansbury once, and she commented that she realized she would never be placed in the role of a beauty queen, but she was okay with that. But for any of our older listeners out there, where would we be without murder, she wrote? Are we to follow our passions? Absolutely. God gave them to us. Can we be great at many things? Yes, but there is peace when we also accept our calling from the Lord and His gifts that He gave us, and didn't give us, and Jonathan accepted this. I also find it funny that Jonathan could find David, but Saul couldn't. Verse 19, we see the Ziphites knew where David was and told Saul he was hiding among them. He replied in verse 21, the Lord bless you for your concern for me. Saul is still all about himself. He and his men came and pursued David. Verses 26 and 27 say, Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul saying, come quickly, the Philistines are raiding the land. Saul broke off his pursuit to go and fight the Philistines, and David went from there to live in the strongholds of En-Gedi. Now Psalm 54 is entitled, For the Director of Music with Stringed Instruments, a Mascal of David, when the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, Is not David hiding among us? This is mainly an imprecatory psalm, which is a cry to the Lord to take care of the enemy. This psalm also does not have any names in the psalm itself, which I love, because then it can apply to all of us as we struggle with our enemies. Psalm 54, Save me, O God, by your name, Vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God, Listen to the words of my mouth, Strangers are attacking me, Ruthless men seek my life, Men without regard for God, Selah. Surely God is my help, The Lord is the one who sustains me, Let evil recoil on those who slander me, In your faithfulness destroy them. I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you, I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good, For he has delivered me from all my troubles, And my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. I can just see David and his men at En Gedi, which also has fresh water springs. You should look it up online, it is an oasis in the desert, and they may have stopped there first for water before they went into hiding. The Lord had rescued them again and just in time. The Lord's timing is perfect. So ladies, have you heard from the Lord today? Have you gone to him in prayer and asked him what direction should your life go? As Jonathan came and encouraged David, is there someone the Lord has laid on your hearts that you need to call or visit or send a card to remind them that they are not alone? Do you need to cry out to the Lord about an enemy of yours? Jesus had enemies too. One thing I love about the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5 verses 43-48, Jesus says to love our enemies and to pray for them, but that also acknowledges the fact that we have enemies. Or has the Lord told you what you need to do, but you don't like it because you are not the top dog? If you have heard his voice today, please don't harden your heart like Saul and the Zephites. Instead, let's be like Jonathan and David and let's obey the Lord. Until next time, and thanks so very much for listening.