Desert Strongholds

1 Samuel 21 to 24, Psalm 91

David the outlaw

Living on the run.

With a band of merry men.

Other outlaws.

There are a couple of moments in this story of David staying out of Saul’s reach that are really moving.

Saul seems to have eyes and ears everywhere.  While not a great strategist, his military intelligence gathering is amazing.  He always seems to know where David is, but he can’t quite get a hold of him.  He devotes a lot of man-hours to the search for David.

The moment where David asks Ahimelech for food at Nob, and the only available items are the day-old loaves of the consecrated Bread of the Presence. Jesus uses this incident to illustrate the Spirit of the Law in Matthew.  I love that this holy bread, used to honour God and bless Him for His life-giving Providence, become literal life giving bread.  God who longs to bless us with abundant life, and fill our emptiness, and satisfy our hunger.

David spends these chapters on the run,

hiding in the desert strongholds. 

Inaccessible places.

Inaccessible places that by nature are safe hiding places, easy to defend and guard from attack.  

Inaccessible places that are also isolated.

Places that where you are safe,

But alone with your fears.

This.

This is where Jonathan comes to find David and helps him to find strength in the LORD.  (Ch 23:16)

That’s the kind of friend Jonathan was.  

Coming to the lonely, distant, dry, and barren place.  

Somehow, he knows where to find David.

Blessed is the woman who has a friend who will follow her out into the dessert. 

Jonathan finds David when he is feeling low and brings him the gift of his heart and his soul.  Reviving his thirsty spirit.  And they make a covenant before the LORD.  (Ch 23:18) It turns out to be the last recorded meeting between these two brothers.  

Throughout this story there is no shortage of men willing to betray David for their own advancement.  

When David is presented with an opportunity to take Saul’s life for his own advancement, he chooses not to.   In a cave in the desert of En Gedi, David catches Saul in an unguarded moment and cuts off a piece of his robe.  He refuses to take advantage of the opportunity.   “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.”

The moment where David steps out of the cave after Saul and bows deeply before the king, with his face touching the ground.   David revealing his willingness to be completely vulnerable, the true nature of his heart and his soul laid out on the stones for Saul and his men to see.  

And I love the glimpse we catch of Saul’s unguarded heart.   Wide open.  So fully moved and affected by this deep sign of love and loyalty. 

It makes Saul cry out loud.  This mental picture of David prostrate and Saul sobbing.  David honouring God’s leading and trusting God’s appointed moment to give him the throne.   But David knows better than to trust Saul.  And after this moment passes he retreats to his stronghold.  

Such neat moments captured among such turbulent and violent times.  Moments each of us encounter during desert days and nights.  Moments that teach us a lot about ourselves and those around us.   In our strongholds.  In the shallows, and the shoals, and in the deepest places.  

This is the place where David likens God to his fortress and refuge.  (Ps 91:2) God “who covers us with his feathers and under wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”