Lesson 20 - David's First and Second Escape

As we left off with chapter 22, David and his men are hiding in the forest of Hereth, 22:5. While there, Saul destroyed the town of Nob, along with the priestly family, 22:6-19. Only one of the sons of Ahimelech survived, Abiathar. David invited him to stay with him in order to be protected, 22:20-23. As we come into the next chapter, David learns of a Philistine attack on the town of Keilah. Keilah was located in the foothills between the coastal plain to the west and the hill country of Judah to the east. The Philistines were plundering the grain from the threshing floors. Immediately, David inquired of the Lord as to whether or not he should attack the Philistines. One wonders why Saul did not come to Keilah’s rescue. Through the prophet, God told David to go. However, David’s men were afraid to fight. They would have been vastly outnumbered. David inquired again and was told that God would deliver the Philistines into his hand. 23:5 records David’s victory and he took the livestock of the Philistines as spoil. This would have provided much needed food and resources for David and his 600 men.