Skip to content Prepared by the Wilderness: David's Leadership Journey in 1 Samuel 22-23 May 26 · 15 min ...more
Prepared by the Wilderness: David's Leadership Journey in 1 Samuel 22-23
May 26, 2026 · 15 min
How God shapes leaders through trials—David in the cave of Adullam, the 400 men, and the truth that the journey prepares us for God's purpose.
Series Stand on the Word - Video On Demand May 26, 2026 · 15 min · Stand on the Word - Video On Demand
How God shapes leaders through trials—David in the cave of Adullam, the 400 men, and the truth that the journey prepares us for God's purpose. ...more Show the full description Show less How God shapes leaders through trials—David in the cave of Adullam, the 400 men, and the truth that the journey prepares us for God's purpose.
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Saul's Paranoia and the Slaughter at Nob 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning as we read first Samuel chapters 22 and 23, verse 14 of chapter 23. And David stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness and remained in the0:21 mountains of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hands. Saul's jealousy not only leaves him fixated on killing David, but it0:33 also leads the nation into brutal lawlessness. Now in the meantime, David begins assembling what I would describe as a shadow government with the core of his leadership team. Now some0:45 of these men who come to him are gonna stay with him for the rest of his life. Now I'm pretty confident this was not how he thought things would be when Samuel anointed him king. But you know what?0:57 Our ways are not God's ways. Can can you imagine from David going from shepherd to king and a straight route? Wouldn't it just wouldn't work. And and that's often the way it is with us.1:09 The Lord takes us through a lot of experiences to prepare us for where he's taking us. And and and that journey is a part of it. Alright? The journey is not just the destination. The journey matters.1:21 And so what what's happening here is David is entering the master's course in leadership. You know, god uses the challenging and the distressing events in our lives to bring to bring us to a1:33 point where we just say, you know what? We're done. I I can't tell you how many times I've said, uncle, lord, just I've had enough. That's it. Just let me let me sit on the porch. But it's all about preparing us for1:45 god's purposes and his plans for our lives. Verse 1, chapter 22. David, therefore, departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to1:57 him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him, so he became captain over them, and there were about 400 men with him. Now this was2:09 a very difficult group to lead. Did you did you see the description there? In debt, discontented, in distress. I mean,2:20 if David could master the art of leading this group, he would be prepared to lead the nation. Verse 3, then David went from there to to Mizpah of Moab, and2:32 he said to the king of Moab, please let my father and mother come here with you till I know what god will do for me. So he brought them there before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was2:43 in the stronghold. So concern for his parents' safety, and, again, he's prioritizing his parents. He's honoring his parents here. This is important. David takes him to Moab, the land of his2:55 great grandmother, Ruth. He understood he understood how evil and despotic Saul was, and he did not want his parents to be used as3:07 leverage or to be harmed by Saul. Nothing was beyond the imagination of Saul and what he might do. And so David takes his parents to a safe place. Verse 5. Now the3:18 prophet Gad said to David, do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go to the land of Judah. So David departed and went to the forest of Hereth. Now I don't know what the significance of this specific instruction3:30 from Gad is, but it's another contrast that we see here between David and Saul. David listened and acted upon the instructions of the prophets, and we're gonna see here just a moment that,3:43 Saul actually kills the priest. Verse 7, then Saul said to the servants who stood about him, hear now, you Benjamites. Will the son of Jesse give every 1 of you fields and vineyards and3:55 make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? All of you have conspired against me. The whole world's against him. And there is no 1 who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with4:07 the son of Jesse, and there is not 1 of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie and wait as it is this day. Now this is another very revealing4:19 passage about Saul's self centered nature. Saul accuses the men around him of being bribed by David to betray him. He accuses his son of treason.4:31 And of David, he's you know, who's actually running from Saul for his very life. He accuses him of some murderous plot, calling him basically an insurrectionist. He next accuses the4:43 priest of siding with David because of the showbread given to him, even though the priest thought that he was on a mission from the king. Verse 13. Then4:55 Saul said to him, why, he's talking to the priest, why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him that he should rise against meDavid's Responsibility, Victory at Keilah, and Jonathan's Covenant 5:07 to lie and wait as it is this day? Verse 16, and the king said, you shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house. Now in contrast, as I said a moment ago, to David, who listened5:19 to the words of the men of God, Saul had them killed, accusing them of treason. Verse 17. Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, turn and kill the priest of the Lord because their hand also was5:31 with David and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me. But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priest of the Lord. At least they had some common sense. Verse5:43 18. And then the king said to Doeg, you turn and kill the priest. Now Doeg, let me pause here for a moment. As we read in the previous chapter, he was actually there at Nob5:55 when David came in, and, he saw what took place and went back and reported it to Saul. So Doeg, the Edomite, turned, struck the priest, and6:07 killed on that day 85 men who wore a linen ephod. Also, Nob, city of the priest, he struck with the edge of the sword both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys6:19 and sheep with the edge of the sword. Now this is just be very candid. This is another 1 of those very disturbing passages of scripture. How could this happen? How could God let these6:31 innocent people die? This is another picture of the intersection of the fallen nature of man and the unfolding purposes of God. This is a6:42 fulfillment, number 1, this is a fulfillment of the prophetic judgment upon the house of Eli that we read back in first Samuel chapter 2. But but something we need to know, this was Saul. This was not God that did this.6:54 He did not perpetrate this horrific act. Saul did. This is 1 of those accounts I think are are are are are we're confronted with, intentionally confronted with so that we have to wrestle7:07 with the reality of the fallen nature of man unrestrained by the power of the Holy Spirit. I mean, this is we're seeing this evil today. In fact, when you we7:19 read in the second Thessalonians of what's gonna happen after the church is taken out in this in the the son of law the lawless 1 is going to be revealed, the7:30 1 who restrains will be gone. That is the church. The holy spirit in the church in us is what restrains evil. But as we back away from our engagement in society, that evil7:42 and as we're not walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, evil marches forward, the fallen nature of man. Verse 20. Now 1 of the sons of Ahimelech,7:54 the son of Aetab named Abathar escaped and fled after David. And Abathar told David that Saul had killed the lord's priest. So David said to Abathar, I knew that8:06 day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would surely tell Saul, I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house. Now as I said last time when this when David lied, that8:18 is certainly not a characteristic of a man who is described as being after god's own heart. But here's what makes David different. He takes responsibility for that lie that he told, which8:30 led to the deaths of these innocent people. Verse 23. Stay with me. Do not fear, for he who seeks my life seeks yours. But with me, you shall be safe. On8:42 into chapter 23 verse 1, then they told David saying, look. The Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors. Therefore, David inquired of the Lord saying,8:54 shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah. Notice what's happening here. Okay? David no longer had a position in Saul's army. He had noPrayer and Conclusion 9:06 government title. He served the lord. He was commissioned by god. You know, often, we feel like, you know, we don't have, we don't have don't have the official9:18 title. We don't have a position. We don't have the authority to act. But in in God's kingdom, we have authority, and we need to operate in that authority and seek direction from the lord as David does here. You know, I I9:29 have this conversation a lot with pastors when we look at what's happening in our communities across the country where we see murderous spirit, the rise of of of lawlessness and murder9:41 and violence. That is a manifestation of what's happening spiritually, a murderous spirit in the nation, a lawless spirit and or in a in a community.9:53 As as believers, we need to take authority over that, and we need to act upon the authority we've been given in what Ephesians 6 says. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, against principalities, against powers,10:03 against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in heavenly places. You know, we're not, you know, fighting in the physical realm. We're fighting in the spiritual realm, but we need10:14 to take authority this over this the the spirits that are dominating our communities as we've been given that authority by God.10:27 Alright. As David does right here. Alright. Verse 3. But David's men said to him, look. We are afraid here in Judah. How much more if we go Tequila against the armies of the Philistines? Now this is this is a part of10:37 that leadership training. David had to bring his men along. He he he he could not just force it upon them. He had to bring them along. So verse 4 says, then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him,10:49 said, arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand. And David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock so David11:00 saved the inhabitants of Keilah. You know, nothing solidifies a team like a great victory in the face of overwhelming odds, and so his team is beginning to come together. Verse 7, and Saul was told that David had11:12 gone to Keilah. Kill. 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. Now another stark11:24 contrast between the 2. Right? David sought direction from the lord. Lord, should I do this? Should I go up? Saul attributed direction from the lord11:35 based upon his own evil desire to kill David. And we're gonna see more of Saul using God as a pretense to spirituality of, to advance his11:47 own evil. Notice and then we also notice here that David's band of men is growing. Alright? Verse 14. And David stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness and remained in the mountains of the11:59 wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. Now Saul is obsessed with pursuing David. I'm not sure how Saul was able to get anything else done. It probably12:11 wasn't. So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness as if in a forest. Then Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the woods and12:23 strengthened his hand in God. This was the last meeting that we know of that was recorded of Jonathan and David. Now I don't think it's it's clear that they didn't think it would be as12:34 Jonathan pledged his support to David as he embraced God's plan for David's life. Look look in verse 17. And he said to him, do not fear for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel,12:47 and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that. So the 2 of them made a covenant before the Lord, and David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house. The Ziphites send word12:59 to Saul that they know where David is hiding, obviously, attempting to gain favor with the crazy king. Verse 20. Now therefore, oh king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down, and our13:10 part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand. And Saul said, blessed are you of the lord, for you have compassion on me. Blessed are you of the lord. Really? How can 1 be13:22 blessed for working against the lord, and how can 1 who is working against the lord speak a blessing on those who are joining him in that task. Father, we13:34 thank you for your word. And once again, we see this contrast between David and Saul. David not perfect, but, lord, seeking you, relying upon you. And, lord, I pray we would do the13:46 same, that we would seek your direction, and we would respond to that direction. And even as we go through your word, Lord, we pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truths of your word,13:58 their application to our lives in this world in which we live. May we bring honor and glory to you in all that we do. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for joining me this morning, and until nextBible Reading Plan Promo 14:10 time, keep standing on the word.14:14 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, youGod's Preparation in the Wilderness 14:26 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at f r c dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Saul's Paranoia and the Slaughter at Nob5:00 David's Responsibility, Victory at Keilah, and Jonathan's Covenant9:00 Prayer and Conclusion14:00 Bible Reading Plan Promo14:15 God's Preparation in the Wilderness
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