The Ephod's Edge: David's Hidden Advantage In A Chaotic World - 1 Samuel 22:23-23:18 Series

1 Samuel 22:23 Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me." 23:1 When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," 2 he inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah." 3 But David's men said to him, "Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!" 4 Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, "Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand." 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.) 7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." 8 And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. 9 When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." 10 David said, "O LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will." 12 Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will." 13 So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there. 14 David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. 15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. 16 And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 17 "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." 18 The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

Introduction: The value of guidance

The first time Saul ever gets any intel about where David is, the trail is extremely cold. After a lot of cajoling Saul finally squeezes something out of one of his men. Doeg says, “I spotted him at Nob.” But by this time David had left Nob. He has been in and out of the country twice, he has traveled all over the place, was captured, escaped, stayed in a cave, gathered an army, fought and won one of Saul’s battles, and after all that, just now Saul finally gets word – “Hey, David was seen in Nob!”

The reason for that is Saul is not chasing him yet. Instead he is trying to establish proof of a conspiracy against him that includes Jonathan, David, many of Saul’s own officials, and the entire priesthood. And by accusing the priests, and punishing them, Saul declared war on God. Actually, the one thing Saul was right about in this whole mess was the fact that God was against Him. God really was against him because God was the true King, and Saul was disloyal to Him.

But David was loyal to the true King in heaven, and in return for his loyalty God grants David a priceless gift. God gives David one of the most valuable treasures a person could ever have in this world.

The form of guidance: the priesthood

Saul attempted to exterminate the entire priesthood and influence of Yahweh. But he failed in that attempt, and at least one of the priests escaped.

22:20 But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David.

But what Saul seeks to destroy David welcomes.

22:23 Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me.

Saul is the enemy of the priesthood and David is the protector of the priesthood. But the protection David provides for the priest is nothing compared to what David receives from the priest. What David receives is that priceless, invaluable gift from God that I mentioned a minute ago.