With God's help, we return to the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 23, and we continue with David in his escapes from Saul, in his time of exile. But what we notice in 1 Samuel 23, very different from what we observed in the second portion of 1 Samuel 22, is that while there was this downward spiral of sin when it comes to Saul, When it comes to David, what we see is the blessed growth and grace. The blessed growth and grace that is peculiar to those who are blessed by Yahweh. The anointed of the Lord, David, continues then to pursue a path of embracing his calling as the anointed king of Israel. And as Keilah, this city, is being attacked by the enemies of God's people, David then speedily goes to assist Keilah in this time of danger. And therefore we see a more and more, contrary to a downward spiral, an upward spiral in the life of David, which should also Make us think of our upward spiral as the Spirit of God indwells the Christians and bring them closer to the image of Christ. So please, with this in mind, turn to 1 Samuel 23. We read verses 1-13 of 1 Samuel 23. Then they told David, saying, Look, the Philistines are fighting against Sceila, and they are robbing the threshing floors. Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah. But David's men said to him, Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the arms of the Philistines? Then David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hands. And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. Now it happened when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah that he went down with an ephod in his hand. And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars. Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. And David knew that Saul plotted evil against him. He said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here. Then David said, O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. Will the man of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell your servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. Then David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver you. So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, so he halted the expedition. Thus far the reading of God's word. Would you please turn with me to Psalm number 54. Remember that the book of Psalms give us a commentary of these events in David's life. And we notice here in this passage when this very same moment takes place in David's life and we notice then an x-ray, we have here an x-ray of David's soul. So notice the superscript of the psalm. So the chief musician with the stringed instruments, a contemplation of David when the Zephites went and said to Saul, is David not hiding with us? Save me, O God. I'm very sorry. Yes, thank you. I apologize. Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God. Give ear to the words of my mouth, for strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life. They have not set God before them. Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in your truth. I will freely sacrifice to You. I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me out of all trouble, and my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies." Let us now address our great God in heaven in prayer. Let us pray. Almighty God in heaven, we come before Your majestic presence praying, Lord, grant us understanding, grant us wisdom as we seek to once again see the Messiah revealed unto us in these words. Lord, we pray that You would bless our hearts and souls and enlighten our minds through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Father, we pray that through the proclamation of Your Word would not only strengthen our faith, but also, Lord, help us to search our hearts. In Jesus' name, Lord, we pray these things. Amen. Well, very early in writing research papers, I discovered how to do research is something very hard and time-consuming. It takes a lot to try to put together information and organize thoughts and ideas in a paper and bring it to someone to evaluate and to correct. And I remember that very early in writing these papers, I had an interaction with one of my professors who kept sending me back to different resources for different books saying, you know, the argument is not quite right. What is being written here doesn't make much sense. And he said something that really stuck with me throughout my life of studies. He said, you are searching everywhere but in the right places. You are consulting everything, but the right sources. You're going everywhere but in the right place. And isn't that exactly a description of our Christian life when we are in trouble? When we are oppressed? When people presses us against the wall or when difficult circumstances and situations arise in our midst, aren't we prone to look for solutions and directions everywhere? We are confused and without trajectory, without direction, and we keep knocking the very wrong doors instead of going to the right place where help can be found. As we look at 1 Samuel 23, we are reminded that David learned that lesson. David is speedily now running to Yahweh. Whatever the situation is, if it is a situation of battle, he runs to Yahweh for counsel. If it is a situation of danger and peril, he runs to Yahweh for counsel. David is not looking for a solution in all sorts of places and getting the wrong answers, but he's looking at the right place and getting the right answers and finding them God's divine protection and communion with the Lord. As in whatever situation, two very difficult situations, pressure situations, we find in this verse, He immediately seeks the Lord. Christian, is this your description? Just like David, we are all sometimes in the midst of battles. We are all sometimes in the midst of persecutions and attacks. Are we trying to find solutions everywhere but in the right place? Or like David, are we speedily seeking the words of the Lord to guide us, to lead us, to give us the solution? You see, as we turn in our attention to 1 Samuel 23, this is what we learn. We learn that it is Yahweh's revelation that provides to His people courage and wisdom amid conflict and danger. Christian, let us have this firm in our minds. Are we in the midst of conflict? Are you in the midst of danger? Well, the Word of the Lord reminds us tonight that it is Yahweh's revelation that provides people with courage and wisdom in the midst of conflicts and in the midst of danger. And that's exactly what we see in this text, isn't it? We consider this text tonight under two headings. First, we notice that divine guidance powerfully equips us for any battle. We see that in verses 1-5 as the Lord instructs David to rage war against the Philistines at Keilah. But we also notice in verses 6-13 that divine guidance safely delivers us from any peril. Divine guidance powerfully equips us for any battle. Divine guidance safely delivers us from any peril. Well, as we turn then our attention to the text, we notice that David has this, perhaps, a network of information. News come to him. The last we heard of David, he was at the cave of Adullin. The text told us in chapter 22, verse 2, that 400 men gathered with David and that company increased. We notice in verse 13 that in Keilah, around 600 men were with David. And therefore, what we notice is that David is still in this hiding situation, but he hears that a city within the kingdom of Judah, a Israelite city, is being attacked by the Philistines. Keilah is the city of Judah, not very known. We don't have a lot of information about Keilah. But what we know here clearly in the text, if you look at verse 1, is that they're being attacked. Someone, or the Philistines clearly, are robbing their storage of grains. The text tells us that the Philistines are robbing the threshing floors of that city. And that causes two things at least. As there is this robbery of resources, the first thing is scarcity, isn't it? The inhabitants, the dwellers of Keilah are now unable, if their resources are being robbed, they are unable to put food on the table for their own homes. What a great discouragement and chaos that was bringing upon the city. But if you think more macroly, you notice that the city's existence itself is at danger, is in peril. Now what's really interesting to notice here is that the news come to David. We never hear the news about the Philistines coming to Saul. In fact, when Saul hears that David is in Keilah, he doesn't really care why is David there. His only concern is that, now I can get him. You see how the inspired narrator is setting aside, is setting apart David and Saul. One who cares for God's people. One who will speedily comes to the aid and secure, to help, to fight the battles of the Israelites. And another one who is only concerned with their own personal plans and personal designs. It is interesting to observe as well in verse 2 what David does. David does not gather his now 600 men. He does not gather them and consult with them. Okay, what do you think we should do? I received this news about an attack in Keilah. These are our brothers and sisters, Israelites. Should we go there? Are you going to support me going there to attack and to destroy the Philistines? No. David does not bring around him perhaps his best captains, his valiant men, the valiant warriors which we know he had. The text tells us in verse 2, he inquired of Yahweh. Now remember that the previous text ended up with this great picture of how Israel in seed was exhibited in those who were in the cave of Adullin. We notice that David had a prophet with him, and he himself is the anointed king. And Abiathar, as we learned in verses 20 to 23, came to join the group. And therefore, the three offices of Israel who were supposed to point to the Messiah were already present in seed form right there at the cave of Adullin. With the Lord, there is always a remnant, a genuine, true, remnant, and therefore there was a prophet, a priest, and a true king." How is exactly then David inquiring of the Lord? Well, verse 6 already gave us that answer. Abiathar is with David. And Abiathar is not only with David at a cave, but he goes to Keilah as well with the instruments of a priest, with the ephod. Remember that the ephod had the uri and the tumi through which those appointed by the Lord would be able to consult with the Lord and get direct revelation from Yahweh Himself. The text tells us then that the Lord is inquired of David. Notice the word or the name of the Lord that is in verse 2, the covenantal name of God. David inquire of Yahweh because Yahweh has a covenant with His people that assures, that secures the people of God to enter in the presence of Yahweh, to address Him in prayer. Do you notice the dependence, the humility with which he addresses Yahweh in this question? Shall I go and attack this Philistines? Is that your guidance? Is that your command, my commander? Is that what you designed me to do and to pursue? The Lord responds positively as we read again in the text, verse 2, go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah. Notice how that reassures David of his position as a king. That is the role of the anointed. The role of the anointed is to fight, to defend, and to save his people. To save the ones that the Lord has placed under his wing. To save the ones that the Lord has placed under his protection. The words here are carefully and craftily used so that we Christians would be reminded of what to be a king is really all about. It is to save those who are in danger. It is to save those who are in peril. Well, while David is encouraged with this revelation, his men is not exactly very confident. Verse 3 tells us that they are afraid. Well, this is a company that has been persecuted. This is a company that has been hiding. We don't know for how long, and that's the concern of the soldiers. They say, look, we are afraid here in Judah. We are persecuted from all sorts of angles, and we are going to place ourselves in this fragile position, attacking the Philistines? Do we have enough resources? Are we not placing ourselves in the place of danger and of domination? And verse 4 tells us once again how to recognize the Messiah. Do you remember what Saul did in the previous chapter when he was trying to convince people to help him? He was addressing the Benjamites. Remember how he blackmailed them? Look at verse 6. of the previous chapter. And Saul heard that David and the man who were with him had been discovered. Now Saul was staying in Gibeah, under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand and all his servants standing about him. Saul said, Here now, you Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? You see, remember that Saul is trying to coerce his own people, the people of his own tribe, to be of help to him. But that's not what a true king does. A true king, a true leader, does not coerce, does not force. A true leader leads, and leads by God's Word. And that's exactly what David does. Look again, verse 4, David inquired of the Lord again. This perhaps could be a moment when David would say, are you questioning the anointed of the Lord? Do you dare to question my orders? I have just consulted with Yahweh. Are you saying that I'm lying? David patiently, in long suffering, and also with the desire of encouraging his own man, inquire of the Lord once again. And the God of the covenant again confirms his call. Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines in your hands. And this is really the saying that soothes the soul and the heart of a follower of Yahweh, isn't it? The battle is mine. I will do it for you. I will deliver them into your hands. David was experienced in that specific aspect of his relationship with Yahweh. If we think about the previous victories and the previous battles that David was involved with, especially if we consider his collision with Goliath, He himself knew that that battle was the Lord's battle, not his battle. You see what David is doing here in this text. David is living by faith and not by sight. David is trusting the word of Yahweh. And in this moment of conflict and battle, he is trusting entirely in Yahweh. Instead of coercing or intimidating his companions, he is feeding them with Yahweh's revelation. He is assuring them with Yahweh's words that the battle belongs to God Himself. He is then now ready to exercise his calling as a Messiah. You see, Christian, in spite of a downward spiral with David, what we see is an upward spiral of more dependence in Yahweh, more seeking of His will, more desire to self-sacrificial service to this great God of the covenant who comes to us with a gracious and merciful manner and love. uplift us and sustain us even in the most dangers of the conflicts. Verse 5 tells us of the victory. It tells us that David did obey the Lord despite of what eyes could transpire, despite of what eyes could see, David and his companions went down and they mightily struck the Philistines. That city in Judah is delivered The people of Keilah is saved. The inhabitants... Look how exactly that is the word employed once again in verse 5. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. And you see, Christians, that's the reason why we can look to the Lord Jesus Christ and see that is indeed the Messiah our souls need. As we look at verses 1-5, one who communicates the word of God, seeks the will of the Lord, and encourages his companions through the revelation of the Lord, we are being reminded of the role of an anointed king. What is it that an anointed king does to save his people? He keeps intimate communion with the Lord. He seeks to do the Lord's will, even if it means self-sacrificial service. Isn't that exactly what we see all the time in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ? No coercion, no anger, no humiliation, or no attempt to humiliate others. But loving guidance, loving words, sweetly bending sinners through the power of His will. There is no blackmailing, there is no imposition of authority, but those who come to serve the King come because they have been sweetly attracted to Him. Verses 1-5 give us indeed a perfect picture in shadows and times of the ministry of the Messiah. Let us therefore delight in our Savior tonight. Let us be reminded that as we see in verses 1 through 5, 1, He speedily comes to succour, to help, to fight the enemies of His own people. That's exactly what we see in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? Will not Christ, Christian, do the same thing with you and for you? Sometimes we are in the midst of our battles and we think that we are alone. We think that we are not equipped. We think that we are left to our own resources when the Word of God reminds us and comforts us and encourages us and empowers us reminding that we have a King who will speedily come to our aid. Notice that was exactly what our forefathers taught us in Lord's Day 12. Remember, in question 31 of the Hartburg Catechism, our fathers explained to us what is the meaning of the word anointed. What is the meaning of the word Christ? And in their description of king, notice what they teach us. The Lord Jesus is called Christ and anointed because he's our eternal king who governs us by his word and spirit, who guards us and keeps us, and who free us. with the freedom that He has won for us. Isn't that what we see in this passage? Let us therefore rejoice in our Savior, King Jesus, tonight. Let us be once again reassured that the Son of David is indeed the Son of God, the Son of Man. And let us be reminded of what He does for us. How He reveals the Word of the Father to us. How He speedily comes to our aid. How He will not leave us and forsake us, but He will come and save us in times of danger and peril. He has already done that once for all at the cross of Calvary. Has not He? Has not He delivered us from our own sinfulness? Has not He delivered us from the bill of debt that brought curse and condemnation upon us? Will He not continue to come speedily to our aid and secure us in our need? Let us therefore stop looking for solutions and answers in the wrong places. Consulting all sources but finding the wrong answers. Let us be reminded tonight that just like David, in moments of battle, in challenging times in our lives, just as well as in peaceful times, Our call is to seek the revelation of the Lord. Perhaps that's exactly how you find yourself here tonight, confused, in the midst of battle, in the midst of the cry out of enemies. What are you to do? Notice how David teaches us tonight that we are not to forsake God's revelation. Aren't we to seek as well the will of the Lord? Whatever situation that is, whatever problem that is, whatever solution we are seeking, isn't that exactly what is being taught here in this text? That we are to speedily go to the Lord in prayer. That's exactly what the anointed does. Would we do anything different? Isn't that exactly what we are called to do by the king himself, the anointed one in the New Testament? Aren't we called to live in constant communion with the Father? With the words of the Lord Jesus in the Gospel, isn't that exactly how Christ Himself is described as waking up early in the morning and seeking the presence of the Father? Or even in a moment of greatest collision, greatest confusion, greatest battle, He runs into the garden seeking His presence in prayer. See, one of the reasons why we find ourselves doubtful and fearful like this man of Judah is because we neglect to use the means that the Lord has appointed to strengthen our souls. Undoubtedly. Look, how David comes to this man with God's revelation saying, let's go to Keilah. This is the word of the Lord. And while David is looking to God's revelation, these men are looking to the circumstances. Look at where we are. Look at where we are going to be if you take us to Keilah. This is a very dangerous situation. But where does David's faith relies? In God's revelation. Perhaps you're saying, well, Pastor, it would be wonderful if we had an ephod. If I could consult the Lord, should I buy this house? Should I take this job proposal? Should I marry this gal or should I marry this man? And we could consult the uring and the tuming and get a direct revelation from God, and we don't have that anymore, and that's true. But are we lacking any wisdom? Isn't the promise of the New Covenant that we would all, from the least to the greatest, from the youngest to the oldest, be indwelt by the Spirit of God with power? Do we not have the 66 books of the Bible as God's revelation to us? Do we need an ephod with a uri and tuming when all of God's revelation has been given us in written form and you can take it anywhere you go? And aren't you indwelt by the Spirit of God to enlighten your path and to guide your mind, to understand, to reveal you unto all truth? Has not the Lord given you the church to help and come alongside you in understanding God's will and understanding God's Word and guiding your paths? Christians, we are in no less advantageous situation than was David with an ephod and a priest and an uri and a tumi. But the problem is that we disregard sometimes what the Lord has given us. He has promised He would feed us through His Word, but then we neglect His Word. And then we complain when we don't have wisdom and guidance to make holy decisions. Why is that? Because we are neglecting God's revelation. And then we complain that we do not feel peace and that we are troubled by all the problems. Are you taking advantage of the privilege of prayer? That the gates of heaven is open? That you have your divine high priest who together with your prayers, he mixes his priestly works and bring your petitions before the ears of the Almighty? Do you see how we are not in any way less blessed than David? But the question for us tonight is, are we seeking to be powerfully equipped using the means that the Lord has appointed to us. You see, this coming week or this week, we begin another season of preparation to partake of the Lord's Supper. Are we truly mindful? Do we truly understand how the Supper is a means of grace to us? Are we ready, both in mind and faith and in soul, to partake of those elements in such a way that our souls will be strengthened to fight any fight for God's glory and for His name's sake? The Lord has given us the Word, prayer, and the sacraments as means of grace to do for us the same thing what His direct revelation to a priest and an ephod did for David. Let us not neglect God's means of grace, Christians. Let us persevere in it. Let us persevere in it with this great assurance as we see in this text. Our anointed has saved us. Our Anointed has defeated all our enemies. All roadblocks and big walls have been demolished and destroyed by the powerful cross of Christ towards His people, towards the elect. And therefore, we can come rejoicing in His work, knowing that if we need divine guidance, He will receive it. And it will powerfully equip us for any battle. But as we move on in the text, verses 7-13, what we notice now is that divine guidance continues to equip David, but now in a different circumstance. Not in peril anymore, but now in danger. Now in the midst of threats. We notice here, once again, that Saul and David is contrasted by the inspired writer. Saul knows news about Keilah. And again, let me bring this to your attention. Notice how his reaction is so different from David. David was very much concerned about the state of affairs in the city of Keilah, how the citizens are going to manage now that they are being attacked by the Philistines. Now Saul knows about that and his first reaction is to take the name of the Lord in vain. Look at verse 7. And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah and Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand Now according to Saul's own testimony, it seems that Keilah had only one way in and one way out. And therefore, in Saul's mind, David would be boxed in like in a trap. He has trapped himself in that town. But notice two things in addition in verse 7. Number one, notice how Saul could care less about what's going on with the inhabitants of Keilah. As the king of the nation, still in operation, he could care less that they were being attacked by Philistines. His concern is not with the welfare of the citizens of Keilah. His desire and His response is not to come to those Israelites who were in danger to bring them safety. No. And that's the other aspect verse 7 really points us to. Saul's evil intent. Notice how he again takes the name of the Lord in vain. He attributes to God something that has nothing to do with God's designs, something that is not related at all with God's intents, and that's going to be very clear at the end of the story since David escapes and flees. You see, this is a clear breaking of a breach, a clear breach of the third commandment here in verse 7. Saul has already experienced over and over again reproach, but there's no growth. And that's a very sad picture, isn't it? By now, we would expect Saul to be repentant, acknowledging his sin of persecuting an innocent man, noticing how the kingdom now is crumbling, is escaping like sand through his fingers, but he has only one design. His sinful heart only inclines him to persecute the anointed of the Lord. Well, the text tells us that the news also comes to David. Once again, verses 8 and 9 tells us that David gets the news, he receives news that Saul is plotting against him. And once again, notice the upward spiral in the life of David. His first response is not, okay, citizens of Keilah, I saved you, now it's time to pay back. I scratched your back, now it's time for you to scratch my back. You need to support me against Saul. No, David continues to be extremely careful for the life of the Israelites but also careful that he receives direction and guidance from the Lord straight from God's own revelation. Notice how David appeals to the services of the priest. Verse 9, David is a king. But also he knows that in the structure of Old Testament Israel, the Lord has appointed the priest, not the king, to consult the Lord. In the structure of the Old Testament, each one of those offices have their own role. And David does not then puff up himself and says, I am the king, like Saul, remember, who offers sacrifices on his own. No, he brings the priest and he appeals to that specific office in the community of Israel to serve him. just as the Lord has designed things to function. It's not because David is the anointed one that he will now neglect the structure that God has himself appointed in the kingdom. Sadly, isn't that what we do? Sometimes it's exactly what we do, isn't it? We profess to believe in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We profess to believe that the Lord has appointed deacons and elders to shepherd us. But when things get tight, when peril surrounds our lives, do we really go to them? Do we really honor them in their positions that the Lord has placed in them? Notice how David is honoring Abiathar. Is that our disposition when it comes to God's kingdom here and now? If with the Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 4 we profess that pastors, elders, deacons are the gift of the Lord to the local congregation, shouldn't that be also our very first reaction when problems arise? But as an elder in our concessory says, the elders are the last to know. And isn't that true in many, many cases? And when we get to know things, things are about to blow up. There's no way we can interfere or interact or shepherd or come alongside because things have gone too far in silence. That's not what David does. David goes to Abiathar. Bring the ephod here. He doesn't say, give me the ephod. He says, bring you, Abiathar, who are the priests. Bring the ephod here. And obviously, David then, through Abiathar, consults the Lord. Notice again how he appeals to the God of the covenant. Please observe his appeal. Notice how he pours out his heart before the Lord. Notice how he brings before the Lord not only his faith, but also he brings in a humble manner, with true sincerity, what is afflicting him. Is that a portrait of your prayers? Christian, do you pray like David prayed? Oh Lord God, look at verse 11. Oh Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell your servant Is this what's going to happen? Is Saul really coming? Are the Keilah dwellers going to deliver us in Saul's hands? David pours forth his heart entirely before the Lord, and the Lord, graciously, full of mercy and compassion, responds. Yes, they are coming. And yes, the dwellers of Keilah will deliver you to Saul. Now, there's a lot of debate regarding why are the dwellers of Keilah going to deliver David to Saul? Are they ungrateful? Are they weak? And now, before the king, the king would be coming, Saul would be coming, they would say, the king will prevail against us. We need to submit to the king. We need to give them to David. The text doesn't tell us what is the heart intent of the dwellers of Keilah. But here's what the Lord reveals to us in this text. Very clearly that in this moment of danger, in this moment of threat, in this moment when you pour out your heart before the Lord because there is no other escape but Yahweh, He comes and assists immediately His servant. He hears the petition of His servant and He speedily comes to His aid. And David obeys. So David and his men, about 600, arose and departed. And now Saul's designs, Saul's plans are all destroyed. Saul halts the expedition. It was not God's will after all. And now the frustration of Saul is a reminder to David how he receives the favor of Yahweh. as He pursues His calling. Christian, be reminded of the same as you pursue your calling. We are surrounded by dangers and perils, aren't we? Not by swords and spears and shields as we can clearly think or perceive here in this passage as Saul would bring his armies, his soldiers against David. That's all that David would see. This is not the kind of danger that surrounds us today, but we do have so many dangers. The Christian face the danger of oppression and tyrannical government. Will not the Lord protect us against that? The Christian faces the danger of a relativistic society. A society that says that there is no good and evil or that calls evil good and call good evil. Will not the Lord protect His people as well? We live in a time when we are attacked from all angles with the danger of sensuality and sexual immorality. Will the Lord not protect His people as they seek refuge and protection in Him? You see, this text affirms to us once again tonight who is the one who keeps us safe. And the Lord Jesus has already revealed that to us in the Gospels. That's how the New Testament reveals to us that that's exactly the function of the Messiah. You see, as the Messiah is faithful to his role as God's anointed, the Messiah will continue to deliver, to protect, and to care for the people of God regardless of the danger. It is battle, the Son of Man will be there to protect His people. It is peril, danger, or threats, the Son of God will be there to take care of His people. While this text encourages us to pursue the will of the Lord and to seek His wisdom from above, through His word, through the means of grace, through the aid of the church, it also comforts our hearts, reminding us this is just a picture, just a shadow of your anointed Christian, of the one. who will save you from any danger, any peril. That doesn't mean that there will not be discouragements and persecution. Isn't that what this text also teaches us? David has just fulfilled the word of the Lord. He has just been faithful to deliver the dwellers of Keilah according to the Lord's will and now what comes next? Persecution for Saul. Isn't that a discouragement for us sometimes? We are pursuing God's will and we are seeking to fulfill God's will in our lives and we continue to receive blow after blow after blow. And the temptation is to question God's designs. Let us therefore be encouraged tonight with these verses. Instead of questioning God's designs, Let us seek God's help. Let us seek God's comfort. Let us seek the Lord's instructions. For we indeed have an anointed one in heaven, way more powerful than David, who together is with his people, and who gives them, equips them, and encourages them in the midst of conflict or in the midst of danger. Let us pray together. Almighty God in heaven, we thank You for Your Word and for the reminders You give us tonight. Thank You for revealing to us, O Lord, the role of the Messiah, even in the Old Covenant. For reminding us, O Lord, that be it battle or be it threats, be it dangers, be it oppression, our Messiah will be always with us. He will speedily come to our succor, to our help, to our protection, for He is our King, Priest, and Prophet. But Lord, we also pray that You would lead us, O Lord, unto this very same disposition we see in this text tonight. That You would guide us, O Lord, unto the disposition of seeking Your wisdom. Not trusting material elements, worldly devices, but that we would, O Lord, seek Your will through the means of grace that You have appointed to guide us, to encourage us. and to make us persevere in Your way. Lord, help us to be a people of the Word, to be a people of prayer, to be a people that diligently use the Church and the sacraments to live for Your glory, to pursue Your will. And who will, O Lord, do Your will in self-sacrificial disposition? Help us, O Lord, in this. In Jesus' name, Lord, we pray.