I like David

1 Sam 23:1-14
 When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," he inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?"
The LORD answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

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!"  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."

 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. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
 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." And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." 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. 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."
Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?"
And the LORD said, "They will."

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.   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.

Perhaps as much as any other story...the David kills Goliath story, the David is friends with Jonathon story, the David and Abigail story (one of my very, VERY favorites), the David is king story...this one is central to my understanding of David.

My daughter Erica (a BRILLIANT GIRL) took a class in college (during her stint at APU) where she studied the life of David. She discovered, and we had lots and lots of talks about the fact that she did not like David. She found him (my words, not hers) ruthless, and vindictive, and brutal...and well, unlikeable. And, I think, she didn't like the fact that David "got away with" doing some dastardly things: had an affair, committed a murder-by-frontline-assignment, did an abysmal job as a father. I agreed with her in her assessment, but not her conclusion. I like David. He is a "schmuck" from time to time...but that is not the deciding factor for me.

The deciding factor for me is David's intimacy with God.

Here is David, living in the wilderness. He had plenty to complain about...the whole "Saul is still on the throne and he is trying to kill me" scenario. When word spread, as word does, that David was out in the hills, people began to go climb on his bandwagon...just, I am sure, the people he was hoping for  {not!} :

 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.  1 Sam 22:2

Ever been around people like that? Sounds like some "fun" nights around the campfires...right?

But what we see is David the king . . . David knowing that his JOB is to stand in authority over the nation and protect the people from their enemies. So he hears that the Philistines are looting the threshing floor...that's gotta make you mad!
Israel tilled the ground ~ and the Philistines let them ~
and Israel sowed the seed ~ and the Philistines let them ~
and Israel watched over the fields, weeding and tending ~ the Philistines let them ~
and Israel harvested the wheat ~ the Philistines let them ~
and Israel threshed the wheat, and then...
then the Philistines show up and take the grain. WHAT THE HECK??!!

David hears about it and INQUIRES OF THE LORD. He asks God if he should go do kick some Philistine tail...no big surprise...God says "Yes you should". The people he is with think that is a pretty bad idea! "like life here in the caves isn't bad enough? you want to go fight some Philistines?" So David GOES BACK and asks God AGAIN! God says, "I am going to give the Philistines into your hand. So they go and they beat the Philistines and save the people of Keilah. Then Saul hears David is there and Saul plans to go find and kill David. {yeah...and I want to know WHERE was Saul when the Philistines were attacking the threshing floor? Why didn't he hear about that and why didn't he come to Keilah's rescue...right??!!} David INQUIRES OF THE LORD again, asking him a great question: Will these people hand me over to Saul? and the answer is "YUP!"

The point isn't what happened
OK, it does make me want to scream : So unfair! Why save this scum? Let the Philistines HAVE them. Saul was the king they deserved.

 Ok, beyond all that...this story for me is about what relationship with God really looks like.

David and God have a relationship...intimacy. David and God talk. David does what God says to...not based on an outcome he'd like. Life is real and pretty ... well ... raw. Not comfortable. Not fair. Like life IS...mine is like that. Is yours?

So...moral of the story: Intimacy with God is the only thing that makes life work. You don't always get to be on the "A" team. You don't always get to live in a comfort zone. You don't always get treated fairly. You don't get the rewards you expect you should. That's just real life. And you can scream and complain...or  you can talk to God and keep doing what He says to and living in His care. David kept on acting like the King ... fighting the enemies, protecting the nation because he trusted God, his Friend.

Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

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