Security in “Keilah” Discipleship Journey

Deeper Reflection
DAVID’S “KEILAH” discipleship journey (1 Sam 23:1-13) begins with David fighting for Keilah to save their lives (vv.1-5), but ironically, it ends with David fleeing from Keilah to save his own life (vv.12-13). When God spoke to David about saving Keilah from the Philistines, He gave him this assurance: “I will give the Philistines into your hand” (v.4). God kept His word and David delivered Keilah with a great slaughter of the Philistines (v.5). Then when David inquired of God if Keilah would surrender him to Saul, God’s word to him was just “They will surrender you” (v.12) – and nothing more. There was no promise of deliverance. No word of direction. No word as to what David should do next. All David and his troops did next was they “departed from Keilah and they went wherever they could go” (v.13). But the narrator calls for eyes of faith to see God’s presence and providence in this “wherever they could go”, which appears to speak of lostness and uncertainty. David faced almost constant danger from Saul, but he always “escaped” (v.13) – a continuity of David’s “escape” journey (1 Sam 19:10, 12, 17, 18; 22:1). Keilah would surrender David “into the hand of Saul” (vv.11-12), but “God did not deliver him into his hand”, even though Saul “sought him every day” (v.14). David might be going “wherever they could go” with Saul pursuing him “every day”, but he was secure in God’s hand.