Jul 26, 2020. I Samuel 15:1-13

Posted byJohn Sanzone

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NO PLACE SAFE. I SAMUEL 15:1-13. 7/26/20. PM. #73.

I SAMUEL 15:1-13 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

1 Samuel also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ” 4 So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. 10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. 12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.” 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”

  • The battle for Keilah
    • David and his men are hiding south of the territory of the Philistines
      • They hear that the Philistines were attacking Keilah, due south of Adullam, the caves David had hid in
      • The Philistines were seeking to steal Keilah’s harvest
    • David was still a loyal Israelite
      • He desires to rescue Keilah from the Philistines
      • He uses Abiathar’s ephod to inquire of the Lord (Urim and Thummin) whether he should attach Philistines
    • David’s men were concerned about going back into Judah
      • Saul has spies everywhere looking for David
      • David again asks the Lord if he should attack
        • God guarantees he will deliver Philistines to him
        • As long as David seeks Lord he succeeds
    • David’s men overwhelmed the Philistines
      • David captures all the Philistines livestock
      • David stayed in Keilah, where he was a hero
  • No safe haven
    • Saul heard about David’s victory at Keilah
      • Saul plans to surround Keilah and capture David
      • Saul does not care that David rescued one of the cities in Judah
    • David continually inquires of the Lord
      • At his point until the Bathsheba scandal, David is focused on the will of God
      • David asks God 2 questions: (1) will Saul come to Keilah after him?  (2) will Keilah turn David over to Saul?  God answers “yes” to both questions
    • Several factor must be considered
      • Citizens of Keilah were grateful for David’s rescue
      • Saul’s threat put Keilah in danger again
        • If they died by the Philistines or Saul, they would  still die
        • Keilah had no choice but to surrender David, even though David had saved them
      • The village and David could not hope to hold out against Saul’s army
        • When David asks the Lord if Keilah would give him to Saul, the answer was obvious
        • The village didn’t hate David, they wanted to survive
    • In most cases people will betray benefactors to survive
      • Israel turned Samson over the Philistines
      • Judges 9 Shechem made Abimelech king and helped him kill sixty-nine sons of Gideon
    • Some risked their lives to protect God’s people: the midwives saved the Hebrew boy babies, Rahab saved the Hebrew spies, Stephen was martyred rather than deny Christ…
  • Safety and sacrifice
    • David is forced to leave Keilah, so Saul calls off pursuit
      • David can’t depend on help from populace
      • Citizens of Israel are caught between Saul and David
    • Choices have to be made as to what is worth protecting and risking life for and what should be surrendered
    • Choices of conscience will become more prevalent: allowing your children indoctrinated or trying to protect them and have them taken away; state control of worship (China) or losing church facility; employing homosexuals or being fined…