1 Samuel 23:19 – 29 “Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon? Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hands.”
“May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me. Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”
So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.
Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!” So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth (Rock of Escape.) And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-Gedi.”
This photo shows the strongholds of En – Gedi along with their springs. It was here that David fled after escaping from King Saul once again.
Despite Saul’s erratic behavior, there are still groups in Israel that are trying to curry favor with him by reporting David’s whereabouts. The men of Ziph are the latest informers. Saul makes one of his sweeping dramatic statements about searching David out “among all the clans of Judah.”
There are some tense moments when David and his men are on one side of a mountain while Saul and his men are on the other. Just as it looks as if Saul will catch David, a messenger runs up, informing Saul that the Philistines are raiding again. Saul’s vendetta against David is a private one while protecting Israel from the Philistines is a national problem. Saul has no choice except to break off his pursuit of David and attack the Philistines. In honor of this episode, the people of the area rename the place “Rock of Escape.” David now goes to En – Gedi, close to the Dead Sea, where there are springs of water and where he and his men may hide among the rocks and caves.
APPLICATION: It sounds like a scene from a thriller action movie. David and his men are on one side of the mountain and Saul and his army are on the other. Just as Saul is about to catch up with David, a new threat appears. Saul leaves to attack the Philistine raiders and David quickly takes off for a nearly impregnable stronghold on the banks of the Dead Sea.
The name “En – Gedi” or “Ein – Gedi” means “spring of the kid.” En – Gedi is an oasis on the west shore of the Dead Sea, near Masada and the Qumran caves. At various times, the oasis has held palm trees and even vineyards. Certainly, En – Gedi would be a great hiding place, since there are an almost unlimited number of caves in which to shelter.
While David is in En – Gedi, he writes the verses we now know as Psalm 63.
“1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.”
Perhaps you can identify with David! You feel that events have pursued you to the point that you have had to find shelter in a “dry and parched land where there is no water.” You are longing for rest and respite. Take heart! The same God who delivered David from King Saul is still on the throne. God’s power is just as great today as it ever was. You must make certain that you are truly suffering for righteousness’ sake and not because of any wrong – doing. Had David not honored God, God would not have delivered David. But because David did honor God, he could sing that he was “in the shadow of God’s wings.” You can also take heart that eventually “the mouths of liars will be silenced.”
Generally, our biggest problem is that we want God to act IMMEDIATELY! Patience is not in our vocabulary.
We don’t want to be out in this desert! We want instant deliverance. But God used the desert to form David’s character, and He still uses trials to shape us and mold us into His Image. Remember this: David sang to the Lord, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands.” David was sitting in a rocky cave at En – gedi looking out on a broiling landscape when he spoke those words. If we will follow David’s example, we will find that God can transform our desert into His temple.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, there are many people who feel as if they are stuck in a desert permanently. They see no way out and they see no help. Lord, open the eyes of these people to see that Your deliverance is at hand, although it might not look like it at the time. Thank You for Your divine provision. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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