1 SAMUEL 19 TO 21 narrates a chain of events of David fleeing and escaping from Saul’s attempts on his life. David “fled and escaped” from Saul’s spear (1 Sam 19:9-10), but Saul relentlessly pursued him, such that David had to flee from the places and people which he hoped to find help in: his own home (1 Sam 19:11-17), Samuel (1 Sam 19:18-24), Jonathan (1 Sam 20), Ahimelech the priest (1 Sam 21:1-9) and Achish king of Gath (1 Sam 21:10-15). And in 1 Samuel 21, we see a desperate David whose faith in God was wavering. Then, while staying “in the stronghold” of Moab, David focused on God again, seeking and waiting to “know what God will do for me” (vv.3-4). God answered David through the prophet Gad (v.5). God commanded David to leave his “stronghold” in Moab and return to Judah. In obedience, David “departed and went into the forest of Hereth” in the south of Judah.
18 But immediately, the narrator tells us: “Then Saul
heard that David and the men who were with him had been
discovered” (v.6). That would be bad news for David! But it is noteworthy that in the narrative, this happened immediately after
God had spoken to David, commanding him to return to Judah, and David obeyed (v.5). David had been running far away from Saul, but God had placed him near to his enemy instead. Should David know of this, God’s word spoken and God’s will revealed to him would be his only security. He had only to trust in God.
18 David G. Firth, 238
