1 Samuel 23:23
Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah."
Sermons
The Training in the WildernessH. E. Stone.1 Samuel 23:4-26
TreacheryB. Dale 1 Samuel 23:19-23














1 Samuel 23:19-23. (THE HILL OF HACHILAH.)
One of the most painful of the afflictions of David (suspicion, hatred, calumny, ingratitude, etc.) was treachery, such as he experienced at the hands of some of the people of Ziph. They were men of his own tribe, had witnessed his deliverance of Keilah from the common enemy, were acquainted with his character and relations with Saul, and might have been expected to sympathise with him when he sought refuge in their territory. But "those who should have rallied around him were his enemies and betrayers." They had "a panoramic view of the country from Tell-Zif, and could see from thence David's men moving about in the desert;" went and informed the king that he was hiding himself "in strongholds in the wood (Horesh), in the hill of Hachilah (south of Tell-Zif, which is four miles southeast of Hebron), on the right hand of the desert;" urged him to come down and accomplish his desire, and promised to deliver David into his hand. This new affliction came upon him almost immediately after he had been encouraged by the visit of Jonathan, and in it we see -

I. AN EXHIBITION OF HUMAN DEPRAVITY. There can be no doubt, after what had taken place, about the motives by which they were actuated. Underneath their apparent "compassion" for Saul (ver. 21) lay hatred of David, aversion to his principles, and the "evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God," which exists in all ages, and manifests itself in an endless variety of ways (Psalm 14.; Romans 3:10; Hebrews 3:12). It appears in -

1. Unfeeling faithlessness; indifference to the claims of close relationship, superior worth, and valuable service; deficiency of compassion for the needy and unjustly persecuted; voluntary misuse of advantages, and abuse of trust.

2. Subtle selfishness, making some temporal good its chief aim; for its sake doing injury to others, eagerly seeking the favour of the wealthy and powerful, and disguising itself under professions of loyalty and public service; running "greedily after the error of Balaam for reward" (Jude 1:11; Matthew 26:14, 15).

3. Ungodly zeal. Any one at that time in Israel who feared God more than man could not lend himself to be made a tool of Saul's blind fury. God had already manifestly enough acknowledged David" (Delitzsch). Saul knew that it was the purpose of God that David should be king (ver. 17), notwithstanding his pious language (ver. 21), and the men of Ziph participated with him in his endeavour to defeat that purpose. Their character is described in Psalm 54., 'The Divine Helper against ungodly adversaries' (see inscription): -

"O God, by thy name save me,
And in thy might judge my cause.
For strangers have risen up against me,
And violent men have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them." They were strangers "not by birth or nation, but as to religion, virtue, compassion, and humanity" (Chandler); and in calling them such "there is a bitter emphasis as well as a gleam of insight into the spiritual character of the true Israel" (Romans 2:28, 29; Romans 9:6).

II. AN EXPERIENCE OF SEVERE TRIAL often endured by good men, who "for righteousness' sake" are betrayed by false friends, and even those "of their own household" (Matthew 10:36), in whom they have put confidence. The trial -

1. Causes intense suffering; grieves more than the loss of earthly possessions, and inflicts a deeper wound than a sword (Psalm 55:12).

2. Becomes an occasion of strong temptation; to indulge a spirit of revenge, to doubt the sincerity of others, to refrain from endeavour for the general good as undeserved and vain (Psalm 116:11). But when regarded aright -

3. Constrains to fervent prayer and renewed confidence in the eternal and faithful Friend.

"O God, hear my prayer;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
Behold, God is my Helper,
The Lord is the Upholder of my soul"


(Psalm 54:2, 4)

III. A FORESHADOWING OF MESSIAH'S SUFFERINGS, for the afflictions of David on the way to the throne of Israel were ordained to be a type of "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." "He came unto his own, and his own received him not," was persecuted by the rulers of the nation, and, after escaping many treacherous designs of his enemies, was betrayed by Judas (the only Judaean among the twelve) "into the hands of sinners." And his betrayal was necessary to -

1. The completeness of his experience as the chief of sufferers.

2. The setting forth of his example of spotless holiness and quenchless love.

3. The perfection of his sympathy as the Succourer of the tempted. "It became him," etc. (Hebrews 2:10, 18). "The end of Christ's incarnation was that he might draw up into his own experience all the woes and temptations of humanity, to draw around him all the swathings of our imperfect nature, and make our wants his own, till not a cry could go up from it which had not first come into his own consciousness" (Sears). - D.

Shall I go?
David lived under the Mosaic dispensation. Now, that dispensation, as it was remarkable for many extraordinary circumstances, was so more especially for the particular revelation which God was pleased to make in it of Himself to mankind upon special occasions. The will of the Lord appears to have been made known in five several ways:(1) By voice, as when God conversed with Moses by an audible voice; and with Samuel, when he was yet a child.(2) By dreams.(3) By visions, in which a prophet in an ecstasy, without being asleep, saw some striking parabolic representation of what was about to take place.(4) By special revelation, in which was communicated to a prophet, probably by some remarkable impression on his mind, which clearly discovered its Divine origin, the will of God, or the notification of some future event. And(5) By Urim and Thummim. When the primitive Church had been some time established in the world, a practice prevailed amongst some of its members of consulting the Scriptures as a directory of conduct, — the Bible was opened at random, and the passage which first presented itself was considered as indicating the Divine will. By degrees this practice came to be generally disused, and men were contented to remain in ignorance concerning events before them, trusting only in the general superintendence of Providence. Another way by which many persons have in all ages endeavoured to discover the direction of God respecting their conduct, has been by observing what they have termed the landings of Providence; that is, by attentively considering those impressions on the mind, or those extraordinary circumstances, by which they suppose God may point out His will that they should act in this or that way. But it will be asked, Are not promises of direction and guidance given to us in Scripture? Are we not told that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and are we not bidden to acknowledge God in all our ways, and assured that He will then direct our paths?For our guide in temporal things, God has given us our understanding.

1. Let our first rule be, that we are chiefly solicitous to discharge Duty.

2. Beware of mistaking your own inclinations for the suggestions of Provident.

3. It may be laid down as a maxim that Providence never sanctions the neglect of any duty to point out other courses of action. There is a beautiful uniformity in the conduct which God prescribes for us. No duties over clash with each other.

4. We ought to beware of seeking for other directions than those which Providence has been pleased to appoint. Do not expect revelations where God has not promised them.

5. Let me also caution you against a partial use of the means which Providence has afforded us for our direction. You pray, perhaps, very sincerely; but do you also listen to the suggestions of prudence; do you take the advice of wise and faithful friends?

(John Venn.)

People
Abiathar, Ahimelech, David, Jonathan, Maon, Saul, Ziphites
Places
Arabah, Engedi, Gibeah, Hachilah, Horesh, Jeshimon, Keilah, Maon, Rock of Escape, Ziph
Topics
Anywhere, Area, Ascertain, Care, Certainty, Clans, Cover, Definite, Doubt, Families, Hides, Hideth, Hiding, Hiding-places, Information, Judah, Learn, Lurking, Lurking-places, Note, Pass, Places, Prepared, Return, Search, Searched, Secret, Sure, Taking, Thousands, Throughout, Track, Uses
Outline
1. David, enquiring of the Lord by Abiathar, rescues Keilah
7. God showing him the coming of Saul, and the treachery of the Keilites,
13. he escapes from Keilah
14. In Ziph Jonathan comes and comforts him
19. The Ziphites discover him to Saul
25. At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the invasion of the Philistines
29. He dwells at En Gedi

Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Samuel 23:23

     5342   hunting

1 Samuel 23:19-23

     5817   conspiracies

1 Samuel 23:21-23

     7266   tribes of Israel

1 Samuel 23:22-23

     5948   shrewdness

Library
Jonathan, the Pattern of Friendship
'And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? 2. And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. 3. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Exile --Continued.
We have one psalm which the title connects with the beginning of David's stay at Adullam,--the thirty-fourth. The supposition that it dates from that period throws great force into many parts of it, and gives a unity to what is else apparently fragmentary and disconnected. Unlike those already considered, which were pure soliloquies, this is full of exhortation and counsel, as would naturally be the case if it were written when friends and followers began to gather to his standard. It reads like
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David

Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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