The Test of Obedience
1 Samuel 23:1–15
Paul J. Bucknell
Keilah’s need | Two tests of faith | Obedience and faith
Unknown but important
What is Keilah? Keilah was a small town northwest of Hebron in Judah. It is only mentioned once more in scripture, in one of those long lists (Joshua 15:24). It’s interesting how, sometimes, a town becomes known not because of its greatness but because of the trouble it faces. Who would have even heard of this town if it hadn’t been attacked? When we get sick, it’s the affected organ that gets our attention. It’s the hurt finger that receives special care. It’s the hurting brother and sister who get our focused prayers. Keilah was this hurting, broken-down town.
1 Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are plundering the threshing floors." 2 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines, and deliver Keilah." 3 But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?" 4 Then David inquired of the LORD once more. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand." 5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7 When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars." 8 So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. 9 Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." 10 Then David said, "O LORD God of Israel, Thy servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. 11 "Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Thy servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Thy servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down." 12 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." 13 Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit. 14 And David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 15 Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. (1 Samuel 23:1-15 NASB).
Vulnerability in Aloneness
You might ask, “What was the problem?” We have two issues: the problem itself and the severity of the trouble. First, in 23:1, we read that the Philistines are fighting against Keilah. It is true that Keilah literally means fortress, so we can assume it was a somewhat protected city. Yet, when an entire nation comes against you, attacking a city, it shows how desperate the situation truly is. I think of the inner city—those should be the strongest places. We've been looking at it all wrong. One of the weak points in our church and society today is that we are scattered. What good is a brother if he’s halfway across the country? Proverbs says a brother nearby is more helpful to your specific needs.
The inner city is a place of strength because it has the strongest community. I know my neighbors. When asked if the area is safe, I say yes. It could be better. If there were more politeness, there would be less offense. It can also be a place of more hatred because people live so close together. But we haven't yet considered the beauty of these places if we reclaim the city. If our church members decided to live closer, we would see a very strong community where God’s love would be more visible. I'm not suggesting a commune, but when we think of how the enemy attacks, it’s easy to see how an isolated soldier or platoon can be overcome. The enemy was targeting Keilah.
Demoralization
Let’s consider the extent of the damage. We observe that the Philistines were attacking Keilah to the point that they would push the inhabitants back, steal the winnowed wheat, and then retreat. This creates a pattern of ‘constant depression,’ where hope is lost and morale is destroyed. A little damage here and a little damage there—this kept happening. Every effort they made seemed to vanish. In their case, they cultivated the wheat or crops, worked hard plowing the land, caring for the soil, and watering it. Then comes the joy of harvesting. They take it to the threshing floors to separate the grain from the chaff, the valuable part from the useless. But how discouraging it must be to do so much work repeatedly, only for the enemy to come, chase you off, and take all your hard-earned grain! What pain and misery. They had no hope within themselves; their hope only came from outside, which is why they told David.