Gospel Reflections #981: Hardest Question: What is God's Way?

1 Samuel 23:5 ‘David and his men went to Keilah and fought against the Philistines; they raided their flocks and inflicted a heavy defeat on them, and rescued the people of Keilah.’

This is a dramatic scene in which David, following God’s guidance, rescued the people of Keilah from the hands of their enemies.

David asked God twice beforehand, ‘Should I strike the Philistines?’, and only acted after receiving confirmation.

We can see that even when his men objected out of fear of Saul’s pursuers, David made God’s word—not his own judgement—the ultimate criterion for his decision.

At that time, David was a fugitive, with his life threatened by King Saul.

The fact that he risked his life to fight for his fellow countrymen (the people of Keilah) in such harsh circumstances, where even his own safety was not guaranteed, demonstrates his qualities as the future ‘King of Israel’ and, furthermore, his role as a prototype of the ‘Saviour (Messiah)’.

This event highlights David’s journey of faith, in which he prioritised ‘protecting God’s people’ over ‘protecting himself’.

Furthermore, as the story unfolds with the inhabitants of Keilah subsequently betraying David (attempting to hand him over to Saul), this serves as a crucial foreshadowing that contrasts human unfaithfulness with God’s steadfast faithfulness, who continues to guide us despite it all.

We possess a weakness that often places our own interests first, or causes us to alter our approach depending on others’ reactions.

However, in order to seek God, accept His response, and put it into action, we must first know what kind of God He is; otherwise, we cannot turn towards Him.

By facing God, wrestling with Him, throwing tantrums, and taking that first step of obedience, our God works within us to bring about what is best for us.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.