1 Sam 23:1-15 The Will of God and Predestination CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Here is one of the most remarkable passages in the Bible on the will of God and the foreknowledge of God.  In it we see the will of God:

Revealed – v.2 – God revealed to David that he wanted him to defeat the Philistines.  But that’s all the Lord revealed to him.  David did not know what the Lord’s will was beyond that.  And he didn’t need to know – like Solomon said, “the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth,” [Prov17:24].  Bob Jones, Sr. said that the best way to prepare for tomorrow is to do what you ought to do today.  After all, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.”  So, all you need to concern yourself with is the nest step.

Confirmed – v.3-4 – David’s men were afraid to go up to Keilah and so David inquired again to be absolutely sure of God’s will.  Gideon confirmed the will of God three times, twice with the fleece [Jud6:36-40] and once with the dream [Jud7:10-14].  So, don’t be hasty with your feet.

Fulfilled – v.5-6 – If it’s his will, it will be fulfilled.  The will of God for Paul and Silas was to go toPhilippi.  They did not know that his will included a beating and a little time in jail.  But they were able to sing and pray because they knew they were in God’s will.  The will of God for Stephen was under a pile of rocks.  But through his death, Paul’s conscience was pricked until he got saved.  How would you like to have a convert like Paul?

Exploited – v.7-8 – Saul was a fool to believe that David was in Keilah to be delivered into his hand.  And simply stating it did not make it God’s will.  You can say all you want to others about God’s will for your life when you are embarking into an area that is not God’s will and God isn’t going to change his mind.  You are just exploiting God’s will like Saul did in order to further your own cause.

And in this passage, we see the foreknowledge of God.  Men try to couple the foreknowledge of God with the will of God so that they can prove predestination.  But the problem is that the foreknowledge of God isn’t always the will of God.  Just look at the foreknowledge of God:

Revealed – v.9-12 – The Lord answered David’s inquiry very precisely and succinctly.  “He will come down,” and “They will deliver thee up.”  No conditions were presented as limiting factors.

But Not Predestined – v.13-15 – When David heard that, he left town.  And when he did, Saul DID NOT come down and the men of Keilah DID NOT deliver him up.  Likewise, the foreknowledge of God is that you are on your way to hell without Christ.  But the moment you trust Jesus, you are suddenly on your way to heaven, predestined to be conformed to his image, to be adopted into his family and to receive an inheritance with him!!