Fear Not, Follow God | 1 Samuel 22 & 23

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever felt pursued by problems, trapped in a season where everything seems against you? David, once anointed for greatness, found himself on the run from Saul, hiding in caves, and surrounded by distress. Yet, in the midst of his trials, God was at work—guiding, protecting, and providing for him. Today, we are going to see how David’s journey reveals God’s unwavering grace in our struggles and how we can trust Him in every season.

Fear Not, Follow God

1 Samuel 22 & 23

Context:

David was anointed king of Israel; 1 Samuel 16.

David is enrolled in King Saul’s service; 1 Samuel 16.

Saul grows jealous of David and tries to assassinate him; 1 Samuel 19

David leaves from the palace and also had to part from his friend Jonathan; 1 Samuel 20

David goes to Nob and takes Goliath’s sword; 1 Samuel 21. Doeg, Saul’s agent was there.

He then goes to Gath and pretends to be insane; 1 Samuel 21.

In 1 Samuel 22, David is on the run. David left Gath and escapes to the cave of Adullam.

1 Samuel 22:1-2

¹David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. ²All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

Until now David was alone, now he people are coming to him. Here is his family and is a bunch of malcontents (a person who is rebellious or dissatisfied) show up to David. They become David’s private army. This is group who is discontented with Saul and has become an outlaw army of sorts. That is what David has now. David is not going to get away from leadership.

Have you ever felt —overwhelmed, discouraged, and wanting to be left alone? Have you felt like like hiding in a cave? Life’s pressures, disappointments, and betrayals can push us into isolation, where we avoid people and conversations. David experienced this in 1 Samuel 22:1-2, fleeing from Saul and retreating to the cave of Adullam. He had lost his home, away from his wife, his status, and even away from his closest friend, Jonathan. But even in the cave, God was at work. If you find yourself in a season of loneliness or uncertainty, remember—God meets us in the cave, strengthens us, and prepares us for what’s ahead. You’re not alone!

Now, David has to take care of them, provide for them. He has to take decisions for them. He is suddenly in a responsible position, when he wants to be left alone.

In uncertain times, God’s mercy is found in our responsibilities.

1. We Find God’s Mercy in the Responsibilities God Gives us.

Usually when we are facing a situation, some of us do not want much people around us. Here he has 400 people to take care of including his family. I realized that sometimes that is what God does for us. There are times where we feel that it is good to be left alone but because we have a family depending on us, it serves us a conveyor belt to pull us through this season. Because you have got a family, kids, you have got to feed them. You have to get up, bring groceries, you got to send children to school. When people depend on you, you will have to do things. Sometimes that is mercy. Sometimes it is good for us. When we have no one to be responsible for, it is much easier to fall into depression or self-pity. When we have no only to look after, it is much easier to sit on the couch and see TV and fall into self-pity. But when the whole family is counting on you, we learn to just do it tired, do it hurting. But the blessing is we are doing it. So people depending on us can be God’s mercy in our life. Perhaps, it was God’s mercy to David too.

David goes to Mizpah

1 Samuel 22:3-4

³From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” ⁴So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

So David has got Moabite blood in his ancestry. Maybe that explains what he is doing here. Moab is David’s great-grandparent’s home. David’s great grandmother, Ruth was from Moab. So for David’s parents, this is grandma’s hometown.

A prophet Gad will come and serve David.

1 Samuel 22:5

But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

The prophet said to David, “God does not want you in foreign, Moabite territory. God wants you back where you belong in Judah.”

2. God’s Messengers Give us Direction in our Struggles.

God still speaks through His messengers today. Just as the prophet Gad directed David back to Judah, God uses His servants to remind us of His promises, realign us with His will, and encourage us to trust Him. God’s messengers often come in unexpected ways—through a sermon, a conversation, a timely scripture, or even a friend’s encouragement. When we are struggling, God doesn’t leave us alone; He sends people to speak truth, strengthen our faith, and lead us back to His purpose. Be open to His voice through them!

So David left and went to the forest of Hereth even though it is really not a safe place.

The Forest of Hereth.

Now, the scene is going to shift a little bit and Saul is going to become the primary focus of the author. Now we are going to see a tragedy that struck the village of Nob.

Sign of a Bad Leader

1 Samuel 22:6-7

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

⁶Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, (Remember this spear? Twice he tried to kill David with that spear. He also tried to kill his son, Jonathan with the spear. We are being remind that Saul is dangerous. We are being reminded of the past hostility of Saul. That is going to continue. He is a dangerous man. He is on a mission to murder David and better watch out.) under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. ⁷He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! (Saul is making it a tribal thing here. God is working to unify his people and Saul is going to be talking in tribal terms; Men of Benjamin) Will the son of Jesse (when Saul refers to David as the son of Jessie, it viewed as derogatory. He will not call David by name. Son of Jessie is a negative comment here.) give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

Saul: Talking in tribal terms and causing disunity.

Saul is promising special status to the people under his authority as king.

Bad Leaders Causes Division

Bad Leaders are Partial to Those who Serve Them.

A Bad Leader Accuse those Under Them; v8.

1 Samuel 22:8

Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

Everybody is against me, Saul says. I picture the silence. Doeg pierces the silence.

1 Samuel 22:9

But Doeg the Edomite (He happened to be down at Nob when David arrived to Ahimilek), who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob.

Saul is shouting at his fellow Benjaminite because he says that they have not been completely loyal to him. Doeg sees an opportunity to get good with Saul. Do you come across people who take advantage when someone is cornered? Doeg is such a person.

1 Samuel 22:9-10

⁹But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob.

¹⁰Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

So Doeg reports what he has seen.

1 Samuel 22:11-13

¹¹Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king.

Saul is the prosecutor, the judge. There is one witness, Doeg. All the priests are sentenced to death. Shame of a trial.

1 Samuel 22:17

Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.” But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

Saul calls them the priests of the Lord. It is almost as if Saul is saying, “Loyalty to me trumps anything, even service to the Lord. I come before the Lord.”

Bad Leaders Put Self-Interest Above People’s Interest And God’s Interest.

1 Samuel 22:18-19

¹⁸The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

Saul has aligned himself with an Edomite of all people, against the priests of the Lord. David never did anything like this. Not only do they kill the priests, they go down to the town of the priests with its men and women and everything in it.

Saul and Doeg partnered in evil.

David and Jonathan is partnering in good friendship.

Saul’s Unchecked Emotions Blossomed Into A Full Psychosis.

Why did Saul forfeit his throne? What did he do?

Earlier, when the Lord told him to wipe out the Amalekites; man, woman, child and animals; did Saul do it? No. He left the king alive and he left the best of the animals alive. He did not obey the Lord. He rejected the word of the Lord the way Samuel put it. But ironically, through Doeg, the Edomite, Saul is doing to the priests of the Lord and their families and their possessions what he failed to do through the Amalekites.

God told Eli in 1 Sam. 2, that that no one in his house will reach old age. Fulfilment began with his sons but here it is continuing on in a big way. But there is one survivor.

1 Samuel 22:20-22

²⁰But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. ²¹He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. ²²Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family.

David is feeling guilty and responsible. This is called Survivor’s Guilt. This refers to the deep sense of remorse or self-blame a person experiences after surviving an event in which others were harmed or killed. Such people may feel responsible, even if the accident was beyond their control.

This was misplaced guilt. It was Saul who ordered the murder.

These kind of things happen to us as well. We feel guilty for things that we truly were not accountable for.

What do we do with misplaced guilt?

We say:

If we had not taken that trip, this would not have happened.

Had I not sent my son to the camping, this would not have happened.

I knew I was supposed to call them yesterday, now it is too late.

We think that somehow we are the ones behind it. We cannot live in a sense of misplaced guilt.

Overcome the weight of misplaced guilt

David simply found himself in a difficult place, circumstances where he feels responsible. To his credit he is sensitive and David feels responsible for what has happened. I think he realizes that if I had not gone there this wouldn’t have happened to them.

1 Samuel 22:23

²³Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. (We are both wanted. We both have death penalty on us. You be with me.) You will be safe with me.”

To David’s credit, he does the next best thing. He realizes that he did not intend it this way, but he has brought a horrible, horrible situation to pass by going to Nob, but he is going to do what he can now. He is going to care for Abiathar.

Abiathar shows up on David’s doorstep when David was at Keilah.

David at Keilah

1 Samuel 23:1-2

¹When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” ²he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

The Lord again gives David guidance.

1 Samuel 23:3

But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

David senses his men are afraid. They realize Saul is after them.

1 Samuel 23:4

Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”

David goes back in Israel, he is delivering his own people from their enemies. This is what Saul should be doing.

What is Saul doing?

He is killing the priests of the Lord, who he views as his enemies and he is pursuing David. While David is fighting the enemies of the Lord. This is powerful for the apology of David.

1 Samuel 23:5

⁵So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.

David is Israel’s saviour while Saul is the murderer of Israel’s priests.

1 Samuel 23:6

⁶Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah. ⁷Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” ⁸And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

David has saved this Israelite town, but Saul is after David’s life now. Saul sees it as an opportunity. Saul is willing to wipe out another town to find David. He is so warped in his thinking at this time. Having just murdered the priests of the Lord, he is still viewing himself as the agent of God. He thinks God is on his side; v7.

This is what sin will do. Saul is getting worse and worse and has actually deluded himself into thinking that God is on his side against his enemy, David.

So Saul is ready to attack. In this next section, we learn something about the omniscience of God.

1 Samuel 23:9-11

⁹When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” (David is slowing down now and inquiring of the Lord. The Lord is communicating to David. God is continuing to guide David. When we get older we depend on experience. That problem, I know how to fix that. This is a good reminder for us to stop and inquire of the Lord. Lord what should I do? Will this be good for me. Will this be good for my family. Before I step out, I need to inquire of the Lord.) ¹⁰David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. ¹¹Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”

David wants to know if Saul is really going to come as I heard the report. If he does will the citizens of Keilah in spite of what I have done for them surrender me to them? How will this paly out?

1 Samuel 23:11b-12

And the Lord said, “He will.”

¹²Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will.”

God is Omniscient. This of this passage of our understanding of the Omniscience of God. God knows everything that has happened. God knows everything in the past, present, and the future. Everything. That does not mean that God is endorsing everything that happens. It does not mean that God is causing everything that happens. But he knows what will happen in the future.

How will David respond?

This information from the Lord is valuable and he decides to leave.

1 Samuel 23:13

So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

1 Samuel 23:14

David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

So the narrator here is countering what Saul had said earlier, “God has delivered him into my hands for David has imprisoned himself.” The narrator is telling us at this point, “No, No. God did not give David into his hands.” God is guiding David.

The Lord Guides those who trust in Him.

David in the desert of Ziph.

1 Samuel 23:15-16

¹⁵While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. ¹⁶And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.

The Lord Strengthens and Encourages the Weary.

Now God is going to encourage him through Jonathan. Discouraged people don’t need critics, discouraged people usually don’t need advice. What discouraged people need is encouragement. See what Jonathan did to David: Jonathan helps David find his strength in God.

¹⁶And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.

This is what good friends do for one another. They point one another to the Lord.

1 Samuel 23:17-18

¹⁷“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. (Jonathan envisions a day in which he will be David’s second in command. He is perfectly loyal to David and he would have made a great second in command, but we are going to discover is that Saul’s sin is going to have serious repercussions for his entire family and that is never going to happen). Even my father Saul knows this.” ¹⁸The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

How kind of Jonathan to go to David and strengthen him in the Lord and assure him.

God Encourages Us Through Others.

a. Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God. We will get discouraged and fatigued in the lane that God has put us in. And that is before a pilgrimage, problems sets in. Then we are especially discouraged and fatigued in the task that God has sent before us. And when someone comes along and strengthens our hand in God, that is great comfort.

b. You shall be King. Jonathan believed God had a plan for David even though it sure did not look in the moment that there was any kingship coming into his life. So he reminded David of what he knew. David knew he was anointed to be king. So Jonathan reminded him, this will come to pass in God’s time and in God’s way.

c. Jonathan Exhorted David, “Do not fear, my father shall not find you.” He was saying, “It is a tough time right now, but this is going to end, and this is going to end well.” Jonathan was a very sensitive man. Every time Jonathan opens his mouth he has some great insights and he reminded David that God had a plan and he was not going to perish in this situation. Jonathan was say, “Don’t worry, don’t fear; it will not always be like this.”

D. Jonathan said, “You shall be king over Israel.” He was the coming king whose kingdom will outlive his whole lifetime. God had a purpose, God had a plan and David would model, David will show us a type of another coming King.  This is all part of God’s unfolding plan of redemption. So, Jonathan was reminding David of things that were bigger than himself. Sometimes that is useful for us as well.

So Jonathan goes to David and strengthens him and assures him that Saul is not going to lay a hand on David and assures his loyalty.

Now, The Ziphites are not as loyal.

1 Samuel 23:19

¹⁹The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? ²⁰Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.”

1 Samuel 23:21

²¹Saul replied, “The Lord bless you for your concern for me.

He is still thinking that he is the Lord’s agent. This sounds so pious. Saul calling a blessing on the Ziphites because they showed concern for him. Not all blessings are the same. Not all prayers are the same. This is fake. The Lord is not going to bless them for what they are doing, collaborating with Saul against the Lord’s anointed, David. Saul has no right to be calling upon the Lord to bless anybody, having just murdered the Lord’s priests.

1 Samuel 23:22

Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty.

This is not good news for David:

The Lord has been guiding David.

The Lord has been encouraging David.

Will the Lord protect David?

Saul beings to track David down.

1 Samuel 23:23-25

²³Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”

²⁵Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

²⁶Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, (It is not looking good. Saul seems to have tracked him down.) ²⁷a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” ²⁸Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth. ²⁹And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

David is protected by the Lord.

The Lord is our Protector and Refuge

The Lord Guides, Encourages, and Protects.

Look how he is working providentially. He controls the movements of the Philistines. He used the Philistines to remind David of who he is and what the Lord had accomplished through him. Now he is using the Philistines to deliver David as it were. They show up at just the right time and the messenger comes and says, “The Philistines are coming, you have got to come back.” Saul leaves.

2 Corinthians 1:9

If you are weighted down with problems, we need to consider the fact that God’s work in our life is not necessarily to get rid of the problems, God’s work in our life is not to rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

LIFE APPLICATION

Embrace Responsibility as God’s Mercy

Even in struggles, responsibilities anchor us. Instead of seeing them as burdens, recognize them as God’s way of keeping us moving forward and strengthening us.

Question: What responsibilities in your life feel overwhelming right now? How might God be using them to shape your faith and perseverance?

Seek God’s Direction Before Making Decisions

Like David inquiring of the Lord, we should pause and seek God’s wisdom through prayer, Scripture, and godly counsel before taking action.

Question: When was the last time you sought God’s guidance before making a decision? How can you develop a habit of seeking Him first?

Trust That God is Leading, Even in Uncertainty

When life feels like a cave experience, remember that God is guiding you even when you can’t see the way forward.

Question: In what area of your life do you struggle to trust God’s leading? What steps can you take to surrender that situation to Him?

Encourage Others in Their Weary Seasons

Just as Jonathan strengthened David, we should uplift those around us with words of faith and encouragement, pointing them back to God.

Question: Who in your life needs encouragement today? How can you be intentional about speaking life and faith into their situation?

Overcome Misplaced Guilt and Surrender to God’s Grace

Don’t carry guilt that isn’t yours. Let go of past regrets and trust God’s sovereignty in every situation.

Question: Is there something you’re holding onto that God never intended for you to carry? How can you release that guilt and walk in His grace?

God’s Timing is Always Perfect

Saul was about to capture David, but God intervened. Even when things seem impossible, trust that God’s deliverance comes at the right time.

Question: Have you ever doubted God’s timing? How can you remind yourself to trust in His perfect plan even when answers seem delayed?

God is Our Ultimate Refuge and Protector

No matter what enemies or challenges we face, God remains our stronghold. Lean on Him for strength, provision, and security in all circumstances.

Question: What is one area where you need to stop striving and start resting in God’s protection and provision?