David Saves Keilah
August 6, 2025
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
1 Samuel 23:1-17
Introduction: Why Suffering?
“Why?” That tiny word rolls off our tongues with tears and trembling. Why the cancer? Why the betrayal? Why the silence of heaven when our world collapses? If you’ve ever whispered it in the dark night of the soul, you’re not alone—and you’re not unbiblical.
The question “why?” is more than an expression of confusion—it’s a scream of moral intuition. We ache because something in us knows: life should not be like this. There should not be so much suffering. It shouldn’t be this unjust, this senseless, this relentless. And yet here we are—stumbling through a world where even the godliest suffer.
We’ve been discipled—often unknowingly—by a secular world that treats suffering as random, power as protection, and morality as subjective. Suffering, we’re told, is just part of the chaos. So we numb it. We distract from it. We idolize control, influence, strength. We chase fitness, wealth, relationships, charisma—believing some form of “power” can insulate us from pain. But it doesn’t. Because it can’t.
Which brings us to David.
In 1 Samuel 23, David is God’s anointed—a type of christ for Israel, the chosen king. And yet, he is hunted, betrayed, wearied, worn. This chapter, like the one before it, drips with danger, disappointment, and divine delays. It’s tempting to ask, “If God loves David so much, why is he suffering so deeply?” That there is the scandal of the gospel.
Jesus said:
“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer…?” (Luke 24:26)
“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer…” (Luke 24:46)
The disciples didn’t understand it. The Jews rejected it. The Greeks mocked it. But heaven declared it.
And so when we open 1 Samuel 23, we are seeing the foreshadow of the crucified Messiah. David’s caves are Christ’s Gethsemane. His betrayal by the Ziphites echoes Judas’ kiss. His prayers through the ephod mirror Jesus’ sweat-soaked pleas in the garden.
His suffering is not a detour from anointing—it is the path to the throne. And if that’s true of David, how much more of Jesus? And yes, how much more of us.
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” (2 Tim. 3:12)
“For it has been granted to you… not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake…” (Phil. 1:29)
We need to look beyond the surface narrative. This study is not just about survival. It’s about sovereignty in the shadows. It’s about trusting God when your enemies are closing in, your friends betray you, and your only hope is that the Rock of Escape still holds. So if you’re suffering, struggling, or just holding on by a thread—this chapter is for you.
I. David saves Keilah from the Philistines
1 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 then 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.” (1 Samuel 23:1–4)
David is not on the throne—he’s on the run. Yet his heart is still tuned to God’s people. The impulse of the anointed is not self-preservation, but sacrificial protection. Saul was not fulfilling his role as king over Israel. It was Saul’s job to protect Keilah and it was Saul’s job to fight the Philistines, but Saul wasn’t doing his job and the Lord called David to do it.
Like Jesus, David risks his life for people who will later betray him (v.12). This is the pattern of Christ: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8)
This is also an important point in the story because this is the first time we hear of a direct line of communication between the Lord and David. This showed David’s wisdom and godliness.
Most may say, “This isn’t my responsibility, let Saul deal with it.” Others might have immediately said, “Let’s go! I can fix this problem!” Either course was foolish, but David was wise because he inquired of the Lord.
The very notion of David taking this on seems foolish on the surface. First, David was fleeing from Saul. Why draw unnecessary attention to himself by fighting a war? Secondly, David had enough on his hands with Saul. Why add the Philistines to his list of troubles? Third, David has a small group of men who hardly fit the idea of an army
David did this for two reasons. He had the command of God and the need of the people. David was willing to endanger himself to obey the command of God and to meet the need of the people.
But David’s men don’t see things the way David sees them. They see the odds and the situation. Notice that David didn’t just dismiss their words. Rather, he took the words from his men into account. He wrestled with their advice but at the same time, he knew this was an issue that had to be decided before the Lord and the Lord confirms his command.
Most of the time, the call of God is not a path of comfort or popularity. What God asks of you will often fly in the face of human logic, worldly wisdom, and unfavorable circumstances. But obedience isn’t about ease—it’s about trust.
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 23:5)
David didn’t stop at discernment—he stepped into obedience.
It’s one thing to ask God what to do; it’s another to actually do it. Far too many believers stop at the point of revelation, content to know God’s will but hesitant to obey it—especially when it costs them. But David moved. He didn’t delay, debate, or demand more details. He acted. Because knowing God’s will is useless if you won’t walk in it.
6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks 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, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your 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, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. (1 Samuel 23:6–13)
God never leaves His anointed without direction—even in caves, even in crisis.“God has given him into my hand…” Warning: Saul’s theology is infected. He assumes divine favor based on circumstances and his own ambition. Just because someone assumes they know the plans and the mind of God, doesn’t mean that they do. Saul becomes a shadow of the antichrist—drunk with control, cloaked in religious language.
Be careful who claims to speak for God. Look for the fruit, not the phrasing.We live in a time when spiritual language is cheap but spiritual fruit is rare. A smooth voice, a Scripture quote, and a big platform do not mean someone is sent by God. In fact, some of the most dangerous voices in the Church today are cloaked in charisma and Christian lingo. They sound biblical—but they are spiritually bankrupt.
Jesus warned us plainly: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (Matthew 7:15–16)
That’s the test: not how well they quote the Bible, but whether their lives, their doctrine, and their ministry bear the fruit of repentance, holiness, and sound doctrine. One obvious example is the heritic Kenneth Copeland, who recently claimed that he made a covenant with God and that he will be dying on December 6, 2056. This would give the 88 year old preacher another 32 years before perishing at the exact age of 120.
So David, knowing the circumstances, doesn’t panic or make a rash decision, he goes back to the Lord and what he learns is that not only will Saul come after him, but the people of Keilah, whom he just rescued from the Philistines, will give him and his men over to Saul. So, David humbled himself and escaped.
II. David narrowly escapes Saul in the Judean wilderness
And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand. 15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. (1 Samuel 23:14–15)
Ziph was a town below the southern tip of the Dead Sea, marked by rugged cliffs, dry hills, and a wildly varied landscape. It was not a place of comfort—and certainly not one of ease. But that’s exactly where God led David. It’s where He protected him. It’s where He refined him.
David became a man after God’s own heart in the quiet fields of Bethlehem—but he became a king in the caves and canyons of the wilderness. And friend, the same is often true for us.
God’s greatest work in your life rarely happens when everything is going right. It happens in the hard places—when you’re unsure, unseen, and feeling undone. The wilderness may feel like a detour, but it’s often where God does His deepest work. It’s where He strips away self-reliance
Along the way through the wilderness, God provides David and Jonathon one last reunion…
And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” 18 And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home. (1 Samuel 23:14–15)
Ziph was dry. Barren. Isolating. The kind of place that exposes everything you don’t have and everything you wish you did. It reflects the point in life when you don’t have any more to give. David had God’s promise, but he didn’t yet have the crown. He had God’s protection, but he didn’t have peace. He had the anointing—but not the outcome. And like any of us, in the pressure of prolonged waiting, the soul can begin to wear thin.
That’s when God sent Jonathan. Jonathan didn’t come to rescue David. He didn’t come with a plan. He didn’t bring supplies or an army. He brought something far more powerful: he strengthened David’s hand in God (v. 16). That’s what true spiritual friendship looks like. Jonathan couldn’t fix everything—but he reminded David of everything that mattered. He gave David reason to reject fear:
Because God’s protection was still holding: “Saul my father shall not find you.”
Because God’s promise was still true: “You shall be king over Israel.”
Because he wasn’t alone in the fight: “I shall be next to you.
Jonathan believed in David’s calling—even more than David may have in that moment. And though his hope of standing beside David would never be fulfilled (Jonathan would die before David ascended the throne), his encouragement gave David exactly what he needed to keep going. And isn’t that how God so often sustains us in our own wilderness?
He sends someone—not to take the cave away, but to remind us God is still in it. Not to fast-forward the outcome, but to renew our grip on the promise. Sometimes the greatest gift God gives in the wilderness is a Jonathan—a voice that strengthens our hand in God. And sometimes… we are that voice for someone else.
Before they parted, David and Jonathan renewed their covenant again. This was the last time they would see each other on this side of eternity. But they parted in loyalty, in love, and in faith—confident that the God who had led them this far would be faithful to the end.
Conclusion
So what do we take away from Ziph?
God shapes His people in caves, not castles.
He leads us through the wilderness—not to punish us, but to prepare us.
And in our darkest moments, He surrounds us with what we truly need:
His presence, His promise, and sometimes… a friend who strengthens our hand in Him.
“The wilderness may be dry—but it’s never deserted. God meets His anointed there. And what He builds in the wilderness… will one day rule from the throne.”
