“Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 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.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more than if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4 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.” 5 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.”
1 Samuel 23: 1-5
(BTW, Keilah is pronounced “kee-EYE-luh.”)
David can’t shake off the desperation of the Keilahites. Their plight becomes a passionate purpose for David. He hears of the need, and understands the injustice of these Philistine raiders. He knows deep down that they must be stopped.
Spiritual “wealth” is found here in this passage. Gold nuggets, and flawless diamonds for the taking. Let’s get started.
But here’s a few things that might be helpful.
- It seems that David is quite approachable. He listens to the guidance of his men. He listens and then responds. David never diminishes their concerns, they’re depending upon him.
- David seeks the guidance and will of the Lord twice because of their caution.
- David is going to do what King Saúl was supposed to do; to protect and defend the city of Keilah. It seems Saul had abdicated his call as king in his desperate pursuit of David.
- There seems to be a real risk involved. This was not a summer stroll.
- David knows in his heart what he has to do. Since Saul didn’t come to defend Keilah, he must do what is needed.
- God does not chide David for asking twice. There seems that there were several men in the Old Testament that required another ‘conversation’ with God.
Can we do what is right when the situation demands it? Sometimes we see a need that others have neglected to meet. Can we step into what is needed at that moment?
What if the “detours” and the interruptions are really the path we were meant to take?
These are good questions to ask ourselves. Our compassion should not be rigid. I remember a time when the Lord asked me to be interruptible. That is, to set aside what I thought was essential, to take up something that made little sense, but did matter to the one asking.
When I learned to be interrupted, it ended up giving me a blessing that came out of nowhere. Hitting the pause button is rarely a mistake if you believe the Holy Spirit is leading you.
