King Saul had just murdered 85 priests of the LORD along with all of their relatives, wives, children and their livestock. David had hid his family among the Moabites so that they would be safe and he and his brothers and a band of 400 stayed on the run from the king. Most people in David’s position would have felt justified in killing Saul; after all, the king had issued a death warrant for David. Who could possibly have faulted David? But as we will see, David refused to strike back at the LORD’s anointed; no matter how evil he became.
It came to David’s attention, that the Philistines; had been raiding the Israelite’s grain supply in Keilah at the threshing floor. So David asks the LORD if he should go and attack and the LORD said yes. So the LORD sent him to rescue Keilah. David’s men didn’t want to go, they were afraid. David asks the LORD again and the LORD said that He would help them conquer the Philistines and so they went. The LORD was with them and they slaughtered the Philistines and rescued Keilah; taking away all of their livestock. It was a great victory. Now Abiathar had fled to David at Keilah and he had an ephod in his hand. This is significant, because Abiathar’s father was the High Priest Ahimelech who helped David. He was murdered by Saul along with all of the other 85 priests. Commentaries say that this ephod was the High Priest’s Ephod because Abiathar would have been wearing his linen ephod of the common priest; but he grabbed the holy garment which had fallen to him because of the death of his father. Because it was “in his hand,” the implication was that it was the High Priest’s Ephod. The High Priest had direct access to God. Abiathar having the High Priest ephod in his hand meant that he had the direct access to God. It represented the continuation of authority through the priesthood. See Gill and Webster below for more details.
“he came down with an ephod in his hand”; not with a linen ephod on his back, which the priests in common wore, but the ephod with the Urim and Thummim in his hand, which was peculiar to the high priest; and his father the high priest being dead, it belonged to him, and therefore he took care to bring it with him; though the words may be literally rendered, "the ephod came down in his hand"
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
EPHOD
In Jewish antiquity, a part of the sacerdotal habit, being a kind of girdle, which was brought from behind the neck over the two shoulders, and hanging down before, was put across the stomach, then carried round the waist and used as a girdle to the tunic. There were two sorts; one of plain linen, the other embroidered for the high priest. On the part in front were two precious stones, on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
1 Samuel 23:4-6 KJV Then David, enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. (5) So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. (6) And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
There is significance in the fact that David had Abiathar the High Priest with him. There are distinct differences between priests and prophets.
PRIEST – Represents the people to God
PROPHET – Represents God to the people
When Saul learned that David was in Keilah, he rejoiced because he believed that God was putting David in his hands. Saul was living out the delusion of his rebellion. He didn’t believe the Prophet Samuel’s words that God had forsaken him and would bring an end to his kingdom. Saul mobilized his entire army to go to Keilah and kill David. Saul’s plan became known by David, and he asked Abiathar to ask the LORD if Saul was indeed coming and if the people of Keilah would protect him or betray him. Remember here; David just rescued them from the Philistines. Keilah was a walled in city and if David stayed there, he would be an easy capture and that would have meant death. The LORD replied that, Saul was coming and that the people of Keilah would surely betray him. David and his 600 men left Keilah, fleeing into the countryside. His small army was growing constantly with new supporters. They stayed in the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph; using the natural strongholds of the terrain. When Saul found out that David had left Keilah, he didn’t go there.
1 Samuel 23:13-14 ESV 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. (14) 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.
When David was near Horesh, he found out that Saul was coming to Ziph to kill him; but Jonathan came to David and said that his father didn’t know where to look. They renewed their pact of friendship before the LORD and Jonathan returned home and David stayed in Horesh. Then David was betrayed by some men from Ziph who told Saul where to find David; and he had to flee even deeper in to the wilderness. The Philistines started raiding Israel again and Saul had to take the army to fight against the Philistines. This gave David a reprieve.
David fled to Engedi. As soon as Saul was finished with the Philistines; he took 3,000 of his elite troops and went to Engedi to kill David. Now there happened to be a cave near where the road passes some sheepfolds. Saul went into the cave to relieve himself not knowing that David and his men were in the innermost part of the cave. His men implored him to take this opportunity to kill Saul. Instead, David crept near Saul and cut off part of his garment. David restrained himself and his men from killing Saul. When Saul had left, David shouted out to him and said, “Why listen to those who say that I would do you harm. The LORD gave you to me today, but I spared your life!” David would not put his hand against God’s anointed.
1 Samuel 24:5-10 ESV And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. (6) He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed." (7) So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way. (8) Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. (9) And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Behold, David seeks your harm'? (10) Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, 'I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed.'
David was being tried and tested before the LORD to see what manner of man he was. Given the opportunity to take matters into his own hands, David chose to wait on the LORD. Saul was still God’s anointed and David didn’t believe that it would be right to kill Saul. He knew that the kingdom was going to be given to him. He put his total trust in the LORD!
Prayer: Father in Heaven there are no short cuts to Godly character development. Help me to grow in faith and trust in you. Let me always respect your anointed and walk in unity with you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment