1 Samuel 23:1-5

1 Samuel 23:1-5

[1] Then they told  David,  saying,  Behold, the Philistines  fight  against Keilah,  and they rob  the threshingfloors.  [2] Therefore David  enquired  of the LORD,  saying,  and smite  these Philistines?  And the LORD  said  unto David,  and smite  the Philistines,  and save  Keilah.  [3] And David's  said  here in Judah:  to Keilah  against the armies  of the Philistines?  [4] 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  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. 

What does 1 Samuel 23:1-5 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Keilah was about three miles southeast of Adullam in the Shephelah, the foothills between the coastal plain on the west and the hill country of Judah on the east. The Philistines were plundering the threshing floors there. The threshing floors were places where the Israelites stored their threshed grain after threshing it (cf. 2 Kings 6:27; Joel 2:24). David sought to defend his countrymen and fellow Judahites from their hostile foreign enemy, even though he was also watching out for Saul. Saul should have come to their rescue since he was the king, but there is no mention of him doing so.
The writer recorded in this passage that David inquired of the Lord four times ( 1 Samuel 23:2; 1 Samuel 23:4; 1 Samuel 23:10-11). He placed himself under God"s authority, though Saul did not. For this reason God could and did work through David as His vice-regent. God manifested His will through the Urim and Thummim in the priestly ephod ( 1 Samuel 23:6; 1 Samuel 23:9; cf. Exodus 28:30). The Urim (lit. lights) and Thummim (lit. perfections) were evidently two stones or similar objects, one light and the other dark in color. The high priest carried them in the pocket on the front of his ephod (apron). He ascertained God"s will by drawing one out after mentally assigning a meaning to each. Evidently Abiathar interpreted the will of God for David.
David was not just defending himself during this period of his life. He was aggressively carrying out the will of God by defeating Israel"s enemies as the Lord"s anointed servant. God told David to go against the Philistines first. Then, in response to David"s second prayer, He promised that He (emphatic in the Hebrew text) would give the Philistines into David"s hand. David"s men were understandably afraid to attack the Philistines who had greater numbers and stronger forces. Nevertheless David attacked and soundly defeated the Philistines because of God"s promise and power. The writer gave credit to David for the victory ( 1 Samuel 23:5), but clearly it was God who enabled him to win against such a daunting foe ( 1 Samuel 23:4).