Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20020512.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part XXVII: Learning In Leadership To Rely On The Right Parties
(1 Samuel 23:1-18)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though every leader can lead effectively only if he can trust those whom he leads, if he does errantly trust in traitorous parties, it can mean lots of trouble and even lead to his undoing.
    2. David learned to rely on the right parties through his experiences in life in walking with GOD and relating to other people: how he did this is displayed for us for our learning in 1 Samuel 23:1-18:
  2. Learning In Leadership To Rely On The Right Parties, 1 Samuel 23:1-18.
    1. On the one hand, David had learned he could rely on Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech and on Saul's son, Jonathan as credible supporters due to their track records of self-sacrificing support of David:
      1. Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, had put his life in David's hand when he fled from the slaughter of his family and father during Doeg's atrocity against the city of the priests at Nob, 1 Samuel 22:18-21.
      2. Also, Jonathan, Saul's son, effectively sacrificed his right to his father's throne in warning David to flee from his father, Saul for his life, cf. 1 Samuel 20.
      3. David thus realized Abiathar and Jonathan were proven to be trustworthy due to their past self-sacrificing track records in his behalf.
    2. Conversely, David had learned it was unwise to trust a man about whom he had reason to doubt:
      1. When David spoke with Ahimelech at Nob, David had seen Saul's herdman, Doeg there, and wondered at the time about his turning traitorous to Ahimelech, 1 Samuel 21:7; 22:22.
      2. Only later when his worst concerns proved true as Doeg slaughtered the whole town of the priests at Nob did David realize he had to be defensive against such potentially unreliable men, 1 Samuel 22:22.
    3. David ultimately learned he could trust the LORD: God had repeatedly helped him defeat a bear and a lion followed up by a defeat of Goliath, so David knew God was trustworthy, cf. 1 Samuel 17:34-50.
    4. Accordingly, David sought the Lord's advice about those he had reason to doubt and relied on those who had proven in their track records to be his self-sacrificing supporters:
      1. When David heard the Philistines were attacking Keilah, a town that bordered Judaea and Philistia (cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 1 Sam. 23:1), he inquired of the Lord as to what he should do in response through his trusted associate, the priest, Abiathar, 1 Samuel 23:1-2a, 6:
        1. When Abiathar had left Nob, he had taken the high priest's ephod, an outer garment containing the Urim and Thummim used to discern God's will, 1 Samuel 23:6; Z.P.E.B., v. Two, p. 332.
        2. David knew Abiathar had a proven track record of loyalty to him by way of his self-sacrificing trust in him since Abiathar had fled to him for safety; thus, David depended on Abiathar to find God's will as to what he should do about the Philistine attack at Keilah, 1 Samuel 23:1-2a.
      2. When the Lord through Abiathar signaled David should attack the Philistines there, his band of fugitive men were afraid of harm by way of a lack of support from others in Judaea, so David asked God again through Abiathar for assurance on the decision to attack the city, 1 Samuel 23:2b, 3-4a.
      3. God again assured David by Abiathar he should attack at Keilah, so he did so with success, 23:4b, 5-6.
      4. When David learned Saul knew he was at Keilah and was on his way to attack him, David wondered if the men of Keilah would support him for his delivering their town or if they would support Saul, their king. Having learned to be wary of people he had reason to doubt due to his experience with Doeg, David sought the Lord's will about staying at Keilah by way of Abiathar's trusted testimony, 23:7-12a.
      5. David learned this way that the men of Keilah would betray him to Saul, so he fled into the wilderness of southern Judah to stay away from all the men of Judah he had reason to doubt, 1 Sam. 23:12b-15.
      6. However, when Jonathan, Saul's son sought David, David received him and trusted his words as they came from a man who had proven by selfless sacrifice he had David's welfare at heart, 23:16-18.
Lesson: From experience as a leader, David learned to RELY ONLY on GOD and upon those who by SELF-SACRIFICING acts had displayed they intended only David's RIGHTEOUS WELFARE.

Application: In oversight, we should RELY ONLY on God and those who by SELF-SACRIFICIAL ACTS have PROVEN they seek RIGHTEOUSNESS and our RIGHTEOUS blessing!