Clarity in the Midst of Chaos - 1 Samuel 23:1-14

We live in a world overflowing with opinions. Everyone has one—and everyone is convinced they’re right. With the rise of social media, we don’t even need to ask anymore; just log on, and you’ll see exactly what someone thinks about politics, parenting, or pineapple on pizza.

But the problem with this opinion-saturated world isn’t just noise—it’s confusion. In times of crisis, when we actually need clarity, the sheer volume of voices can become overwhelming. Where do you turn when you’re hurting? Who do you trust when life starts to unravel?

In 1 Samuel 23, David is facing a real crisis. He’s on the run, hunted by a paranoid king, trying to do what’s right but with no easy answers. And it’s in this wilderness moment—surrounded by uncertainty—that we see what true wisdom looks like: not following every voice, but seeking the voice that matters most.

And that’s where we begin today.

In a moment of uncertainty, clouded by the opinions of others, David turned to the Word of the Lord.

This morning’s passage breaks down neatly into three parts: first, David sought the Word of the Lord (vv. 1-2), second, David trusted the Word of the Lord (vv. 3-13), and lastly, David was saved by the Word of the Lord (v. 14).

Now remember, David was on the run from Saul who was desperately trying to hunt him down in order to kill him. He was so desperate to hunt David down and kill him that he was willing to kill all the priests in Israel because he thought they were aiding and abetting David.

Seek the Word of the Lord (vv. 1-2)

David was in hiding, on the run from Saul, when he received some distressing news: the Philistines were raiding the town of Keilah and “robbing the threshing floor.” Keilah was a fortified village in Judah, right on the border with Philistia—making it a vulnerable and easy target. These hard-working farmers were losing their grain to enemy raids.

Now David faced a dilemma. Should he intervene to help Keilah, risking exposure to Saul’s army? Or should he stay hidden and let the people fend for themselves?

It’s the kind of situation where we might expect David, a seasoned military leader, to gather intelligence, evaluate the terrain, and develop a tactical plan. And certainly, military leaders throughout history have done just that.

I’ve been listening to a book on the life of General Stonewall Jackson, who was well known for his attention to geography and topography before heading into battle. He relied heavily on his brilliant cartographer, Jedediah Hotchkiss, whose maps gave him a strategic edge. In fact, most Civil War generals prioritized topography, knowing that controlling the high ground could determine the outcome of a battle.

You’d expect the same from David—convene a war council, consult maps, consider his advantages.

But that’s not what David did. The first thing he did was inquire of the Lord. Before any strategy, before any action, David sought God’s Word. Because he understood something vital: everything that happens in the world happens under the sovereign care of God.

David lived out what James 4 warns us about: making plans without acknowledging God. James writes:

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13–15)

James isn’t condemning planning. He’s condemning presumption—living as if you’re in control and leaving God out of the process.

Because if you make decisions without acknowledging God, you reveal who you really trust—yourself. But if you begin by seeking God’s will, you acknowledge who’s truly in control.

So David inquired of the Lord: “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

That’s a good question for us: when you face a hard decision, where do you turn? Do you go to friends? Google? Do you just act on instinct? Or do you stop and ask: What does God say?

Paul reminds Timothy in 2 Timothy 3 that,

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

In other words, God’s Word is not just true—it’s useful. It equips us for every good work.

The Westminster Confession of Faith puts it this way:

“The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture…”

In short: everything you need to know to live a faithful life is found in God’s Word—either explicitly or by implication.

That’s why David sought the Word of the Lord in the midst of his dilemma. And that’s exactly what you and I should do in the uncertainties of life. When you don’t know what to do—start by asking what God says.

Now maybe you're thinking, That’s great for David. God gave him direct instructions. But I don’t get divine messages about whether to propose to my girlfriend, change jobs, or confront my neighbor about his overgrown yard.

True. The Bible isn’t a step-by-step manual for every detail of life. But it is a clear and sufficient revelation of God’s character—and the more you understand God’s character, the more clarity you’ll have in life’s decisions.

That’s the key: the better you know God’s Word, the better you’ll discern His will. And the more you understand His will, the more peace and direction you’ll have when life is uncertain.

So don’t skip the most important step. Before you act—seek the Lord. Open His Word. Let Him lead.

Because, like David, we don’t just need information—we need direction. And God gives it to those who trust Him enough to ask.

Trust the Word of the Lord (vv. 3-5)

At this particular time in redemptive history they would use an ephod, which one commentator referred to as, “a sacred apron.” And tucked inside the ephod was the Urim and Thummim. Now, we’re not exactly sure what the Urim and the Thummim were, but we do know what it did. The Urim and the Thummim was a God-ordained device used to discern God’s will, typically through yes-or-no questions.

Hopefully, this sheds some light on why David told Abiathar to “bring the ephod here,” in verse 9. He was seeking a word from the Lord.

Interestingly enough, the Kings in Israel were supposed to be totally dependent upon the Word of the Lord.

Before the first king in Israel was ever crowned, Moses stressed that the Kings would be dependent upon the Word of God. We’re told in Deuteronomy 17,

“And when [the king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.”

In other words, the kings in Israel were not only supposed to read the law (or God’s Word) everyday, but they were supposed to make their own personal copy of it as well. Obviously, there would be a cumulative effect to all of this – the more you interact with God’s Word by reading it and writing it down, the better you would know it.

And the reason it was so important for kings to know God’s Word was so that they would lean on it when making decisions. Because after all, the Kings in Israel were merely place holders for the true King. The Kings in Israel were supposed to always remember that they were utterly dependent upon the Lord.

Which of course highlights a key difference between David and Saul. David, who wasn’t the king yet, was much more dependent upon the Lord and his Word than King Saul. In other words, David was acting more like a King than the King himself.

Trust and dependence on God’s Word isn’t demonstrated in simply consulting it. That doesn’t mean anything. We’re not called to simply be hearers of the Word, we’re not supposed to simply know the Word of God, we’re supposed to be doers of the Word.

Demonstrating trust in God’s Word is actually following through on what it says, which is exactly what David did.

And we know this because of what happens in verses 3-13. God told David exactly what he was supposed to do: “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

There’s absolutely no ambiguity there. It’s absolutely crystal clear what God wanted David to do – go save the people of Keilah from the Philistines.

But right after he received the Word of God – what happened?

His men said, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

From the perspective of the men around David, Keilah was in Judah, which was King Saul’s turf. And if Saul found out that David and all his band of outlaws were in Keilah he would certainly attack them. Remember, Keilah was a fortified village which meant there were only a few ways in and out. If they went into Keilah they would be sitting ducks for Saul, nevermind the fact that it was not a guarantee that they would defeat the Philistines.

Saving Keilah simply didn’t make logical sense. Stonewall Jackson, who was a risk taker, would have probably told David that this was too risky.

So does David say, no you’re all wrong, this is a great idea? Does David suggest some sort of strategy that they hadn’t considered? No. When challenged, David went back to the Lord, “And again the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”

What David is experiencing is a common Christian problem. And that common Christian problem is that the Word of God will inevitably conflict with the conventional wisdom, opinions, and thoughts of the day.

This seemed like mission impossible, and yet God was clearly telling them to go save Keilah. It reminds me of when Jesus looked out at the crowd of 5,000 and told his disciples, “you give them something to eat.”

Jesus knew that the disciples were incapable of providing something to eat for a crowd of 5,000 people. What the disciples should have said when Jesus said, “you give them something to eat,” is, “Lord, we can’t feed these people, but we know that you can!” And of course, he did!

When God’s Word comes into conflict with what your friends think you should do, or your coworkers think you should do – the question that lurks in the background is, who do you trust more?

Because we all know what’s on the line. If you defy conventional wisdom and obey God, then there’s a very good chance people will start looking at you differently, mock you, or worse, it could destroy relationships altogether. And so at some point, you have to ask yourself is your comfort, friendships, and reputation more valuable to you than obedience to God? After all, God’s Word might force you to take an unpopular or politically incorrect stand.

So when God’s Word stands in contrast to what seems logical or safe, do you live by it anyway? Do you, like David, seek and trust the Lord, even when it means going against the grain?

David obeyed—and the result? “He struck them with a great blow… and saved the inhabitants of Keilah.”

The call is the same for us: don’t just hear the Word. Trust it. Do it. Let your dependence on God’s Word be seen in your obedience, even when the path is hard.

Salvation comes through the Word of the Lord (vv. 6-14)

So God was true to his Word. God told David that He would “give the Philistines into your hand,” and he did just that.

But then everyone’s worst nightmare comes true. Saul finds out that David and his band of outlaws are in Keilah.

And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”

As a side note: isn’t it fascinating how those who often have no interest in obeying God’s Word are often willing to invoke his name? But again, Saul knew that it would be difficult for David to escape from Keilah with its “gates and bars.”

But David knew that Saul was going to come after him, but he had two important questions for the Lord: Is Saul on his way? And will the people of Keilah protect him or betray him to Saul? Because if the people protected them they may not have to flee.

And once again, God answered him, “Saul is on his way and the people of Keilah will surrender you.”

A number of years ago, I was having a conversation with a pastor friend and he was relaying to me a piece of advice he once got that stuck with him and it has stuck with me too.

He was complaining to another friend about how some people had treated him unfairly, and it had really bothered him. And his friend looked at him and said, “you know, as pastors, we’re in the business of being taken advantage of.”

I think that’s entirely accurate. Pastors are in the business of being taken advantage of, but I don’t think it’s just pastors, I think it’s Christians in general. I’m sure all of us have stories where we went out of our way to do something nice for someone because we felt like it was the right thing to do, it was the Christian thing to do, only for that person to be entirely ungrateful and throw it back in your face.

You’d expect the people of Keilah to celebrate David as their king! After all, he and his men had just saved them from the Philistines who were stealing from them. And yet, the people of Keilah were more than willing to betray him to Saul. David had to think he was just taken advantage of, right?

But remember whenever you faithfully obey God’s Word and wind up being taken advantage of, you’re not alone. Isn’t that exactly what happened to Jesus? Throughout the gospels it’s quite clear that people are only excited to see Jesus because of what he could do for them. People were excited about Jesus so they could take advantage of him.

Jesus knew this. The Apostle Paul reminds us that it wasn’t once we had washed the stain of sin off of ourselves that Christ accepted us, no, it “while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

Here’s a tough truth – Jesus perfectly obeyed the Word of God and it led him to the cross.

Sometimes you’ll hear Christians talk about the infallibility of Scripture, and what that means is God’s Word is incapable of leading you astray. It will always lead you into the truth, into righteousness, and into deeper fellowship with God. It may not always tell you what you want to hear, but it will always tell you what you need to know in order to walk humbly with your God.

If faithfulness to God’s Word has made you walk down a difficult path, remember you’re not alone, Jesus walked that same path too.

And it’s that path, of trusting in God’s Word that will ultimately lead you to your heavenly home.

In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian is given a scroll—his certificate of entry into the Celestial City. It’s a symbol of the promises of God’s Word, and he’s told to keep it with him at all times. As he journeys, Christian faces all kinds of dangers, distractions, and detours—from the Slough of Despond to Doubting Castle, where he’s imprisoned by Giant Despair.

But what finally leads him out of that dark place isn’t his strength or cleverness—it’s remembering the key he’s had all along: the promises of God. He exclaims, “What a fool I am, to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom called Promise, that, I am persuaded, will open any lock in Doubting Castle.”

Just like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, we’re on a journey toward our heavenly home. And the key to finishing that journey isn’t found in our opinions or in the shifting advice of the world—it’s found in the unchanging Word of God. It is God’s Word that directs our steps, revives our hearts, and gives us hope. And it’s that path—of trusting in God’s Word—that will ultimately lead you home. It will ultimately save you.

Here’s the thing about God’s Word – it might take you down the path of hard obedience, it might make you do difficult things, but it will never lead you astray.

So as we close, let me ask you: What are you leaning on today? Whose voice are you following? In a world filled with noise, confusion, and competing opinions, there is one voice that cuts through the chaos with absolute clarity—the voice of God in His Word.

In Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian nearly gave up hope while trapped in Doubting Castle. Fear and despair had locked him in. But then he remembered the promises of God—the key of hope he had been carrying all along. That key didn’t just open a door; it set him free.

And that’s what the gospel does for us. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, entered our world not just to show us the way, but to be the way. He lived the life we couldn’t live, died the death we deserved, and rose again so we could be set free—free from sin, shame, and the crushing weight of trying to navigate life without Him.

The Word of God doesn’t just give you direction—it gives you a Savior. And through that Savior, you are not only shown the path, you are carried along it by grace.

So hold on to the Word. Open it. Trust it. And remember that every page points you to Jesus, the One who walks with you, strengthens you, and will surely bring you home—not because you never falter, but because He never fails.

Walk by His Word—day by day, step by step—until faith becomes sight and you stand before Him, finally home.

Amen. Let’s pray.