1 Samuel 23: Seek God's Counsel

1 Samuel 23 shows God’s counsel, promises, and sovereign care pointing to Christ’s saving work through His death and resurrection.

Introduction

1 Samuel 23 shows you how God’s counsel rescued David at every turn. God used His guidance to save Keilah from destruction, to pull David away from the betrayal of the very people he rescued, to strengthen David through Jonathan’s promise of future glory, and to stop Saul through a Philistine invasion. You see God’s counsel, His promises, and His sovereign ordering of events working together to protect His anointed king. This same pattern points you to Christ, whose death and resurrection bring you into God’s saving wisdom, steady your heart with future glory, and assure you that nothing can overthrow God’s purpose for those who trust Him.

Proposition

You should seek God's counsel

Because His Counsel Saves You (1–6)

David refused to act until he knew God’s counsel (1–2). The word inquire (sha’al) describes a pleading request for guidance, showing how David depended on God’s wisdom rather than impulse. God used that counsel to save Keilah from the Philistines (5) and then to save David from Keilah’s betrayal (12). God’s guidance is not a formality. It is life-saving truth. Paul told Timothy that the Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ (2 Timothy 3:15). Christ crucified is the wisdom of God and the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:23–24). The gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Through Christ’s death and resurrection for your sins (1 Corinthians 15:1–4), God saves you from the penalty of sin by forgiving you, from the power of sin by uniting you with Christ in His resurrection life, and from the presence of sin by promising future glory. Just as David’s life depended on God’s counsel, your salvation depends on receiving God’s wisdom revealed in Christ. You take refuge in Christ because His counsel leads you out of danger and into life.

Because His Promises Strengthen You (14–18)

Saul hunted David daily, yet Jonathan strengthened him with the promise that David would reign (16–17). The word strengthen (chazaq) means to make firm, like reinforcing a soldier’s shield. God used this promise to keep David from collapsing under fear. The same pattern appears throughout Scripture. Before Christ suffered, He prayed that God would restore Him to the glory He had before the world existed (John 17:5). When Stephen faced death, God gave him a glimpse of Christ’s glory standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55–56). Paul declared that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come (Romans 8:18). God strengthens you through the certainty of the future He has promised. If you suffer with Christ, you will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). Because Christ died for your sins and rose again, your future glory is secure, and that hope gives you stability when life pressures you. You take refuge in Christ because His promises give you strength to endure.

Because Plans Assure You (19–29)

The Ziphites betrayed David (19), and Saul nearly trapped him on the mountainside (26). But God stirred up a Philistine invasion and pulled Saul away at the exact moment needed (27–28). God controls the timing of every event. He works all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). He causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Paul explained that those whom God justified, He also glorified (Romans 8:30). He speaks of your future glory in the past tense because God’s purpose is unbreakable. Nothing will separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38–39). God’s sovereign ordering of David’s escape points to the absolute certainty of Christ’s saving work. Because Christ died as your substitute and rose from the dead, your final outcome—glory—is already settled. You take refuge in Christ because God’s counsel assures you that nothing can overturn His purpose for your life.

Invitation

1 Samuel 23 warns you that danger surrounds every soul. Keilah faced destruction. Saul’s envy grew darker with every step. Betrayal came from those David saved. Yet in every moment of danger, God’s counsel rescued David and fulfilled His purpose. This warns you of the danger of resisting God’s wisdom. Sin blinds, corrupts, deceives, and destroys. If you remain outside of Christ, you stand exposed to judgment, trusting your instincts while rejecting the only counsel that saves. But God, in His mercy, offers you perfect wisdom in the gospel. Jesus Christ died for your sins, bearing the penalty you deserved so that God could forgive you without violating His justice. His resurrection proves He satisfied God’s righteous demands. He calls you to change your mind about sin and to call on His name for salvation. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Do not cling to your own wisdom. It cannot save you. Run to Christ, whose death and resurrection provide the only refuge from sin’s penalty and the only hope of life.

To you who already trust Christ, this passage calls you to seek His counsel, rest in His promises, and stand assured of His sovereign care. God guided David step by step. He strengthened David with hope. He used every event—even an invading army—to preserve His servant. In Christ, you possess far greater promises. Let His Word guide your steps, His promises anchor your courage, and His sovereign hand quiet your fears.