Sermon 82: 1 Samuel 23:1-6

1. And they told David, saying: Behold, the Philistines are attacking Keilah and plundering the threshing floors. 2. David therefore consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And the Lord said to David: Go and strike the Philistines and save Keilah. 3. And the men who were with David said to him: Behold, we are afraid here in Judea; how much more if we go to Keilah against the bands of the Philistines? 4. So David again consulted the Lord, who answered him: Arise and go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand. 5. David therefore went, and his men, to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and drove away their cattle, and struck them with a great slaughter; and David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6. And at the time when Abiathar son of Ahimelech was fleeing to David at Keilah, he had come down with the ephod in his hand.

We saw in yesterday's sermon that David, although placed in the greatest difficulties, compared himself to a flourishing olive tree because he was in God's hand. And yet he seemed rather to have withered and to have no living roots remaining. For when on his account the priests of the Lord had been killed, all seemed about to rise up against him, inflamed with hatred, intending that no one should embrace him with any favor or help him. So in human opinion David seemed cast as it were into despair; but his root lay hidden in secret, in that he placed his hope in the Lord. For it is certain that we are tossed about in this earth and shaken by many tempests, but our anchor is fixed in heaven, in which we must be founded.

Next we shall hear how God provided for David, although on his account the priests had been killed — and through Abiathar himself brought him a means of safety, namely the priestly ephod, as will be declared hereafter. But here first occurs a noteworthy history, from which it appears that David was never wearied of doing good, even though from men he had not only no occasion for it, but rather the malice of Saul moved him from his duty. For it often happens that if anyone has been zealous for the public good according to his ability, and yet trouble is given him, and he receives loss for the labors he has sustained, and his life is sought, indignant he is unwilling to lend his services any longer to such ungrateful and malign men. David's condition seemed the same. For we saw that he had often exposed his very life to dangers in defense of his country, and had won memorable victories, so that the whole kingdom was bound to him in many ways — and especially because by his deed the giant had been defeated and the kingdom had retained its standing.

David therefore, having borne himself so bravely that nothing could be desired in him, and having faithfully discharged his duty, in return for so many benefits is forced to be exiled from his country, and to hide in forests and caves, because nowhere is it safe for him to stand; and his parents, exiled from country and home, must be as it were laid down in a foreign land, and to wander here and there, as those who are shaken by great storms and tempests. Nevertheless he contributes his services for the defense of his country against the Philistines, and exposes his life to dangers for Saul. But what kind of reward, I ask, does he receive from Saul and others? For, as we shall see hereafter, so far was Saul's anger from being eased and mitigated by this deed of David, that on the contrary Saul raged the more, and rejoiced that David was shut up in some city, as if he were now about to come into his power.

From all these things we should derive a singular instruction — namely, that when men's malice has exercised itself against us, and they have boiled with ingratitude and inhumanity against us, we should not therefore depart from our duty, but render what God commands, and strive to cultivate friendship even with our enemies, and repay evil with good. Indeed, this doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ had not yet been pronounced from his lips: Do good to those who persecute you, pray for those who curse you. But it was nevertheless deeply fixed in David's heart, just as it is also part of the divine law. Indeed, David also took up what was afterward delivered in writing by his son Solomon: that we should heap burning coals on the head of our enemies by ceaselessly doing them good — that we may, if possible, try to recall them to a better mind and add to their confusion, that they may be turned from their malice and brought back into the right way; with their confusion and damage being greater in the future if they obstinately persist in their malice. This David has taught us by his example, which we should imitate the more eagerly because our Lord Jesus Christ has confirmed it by his own teaching.

Indeed, if, as most people are accustomed, we have said that loving our enemies and repaying evil with good are repugnant to our senses and to all human affections, let us consider that David was not made of iron, nor was he stupid; rather, he had the same affections as other men. But God's holy Spirit ruled him from within, and therefore he used gentleness and kindness even toward his enemies, all his passions having been overcome and subdued by the power of the Holy Spirit, even to the point that he did not cease to do good to those persecuting him to death — especially when the salvation of the whole people was at stake. From this let us learn to bear patiently men's ingratitude when they repay our benefits with evil, and to overcome their malice by doing good as far as we can. We owe this duty even in private matters; but when the salvation of the whole people is at issue, we must be moved more keenly, and never weary of doing good, even though men give us no occasion but rather seem of themselves to want to move us from our duty.

And these things must be considered in the narrative which says that David, when he had heard from the Philistines that Keilah was being besieged, immediately ran to bring help to the wretched Keilites, even though not summoned by them. For what wretched men would have called for David, scarcely safe in a cave, to come to their aid? He therefore came of his own accord, impelled by the recollection of God's calling. For he had been designated king by the ministry of Samuel, and had been anointed for that end. And although he had not yet come into possession of the kingdom, he nevertheless felt himself bound and as it were constrained by God's hand to take up the care and defense of the Israelite people, and faithfully to consult the welfare and safety of all his subjects. David therefore closes his eyes to men's malice, lest he be deterred from his duty, but holds all his senses intent upon God's calling. And since he has been called to procure the people's salvation, he does this one thing alone, having overcome all difficulties — making God's command of more importance than any injuries he may suffer from men. By his example let us learn to bring help to our laboring neighbors, not waiting for them to summon us with great cries, but looking to God's command — whose voice ought continually to strike our ears — let us take care that it have greater weight with us than the importunate voices of all men. I confess indeed that we ought to be more bent to mercy by the tears of wretched men imploring our service; but I also say that we are bound to be zealous for their interests and to bring help to those laboring, even if they do not flee to us. And it ought to suffice that we are called and stirred up by God, who teaches us what our duty requires of us.

Nor indeed do we see that David rashly brought help to the Keilites, even though they were laboring; for it would have been great rashness if David, accompanied by a few soldiers, had attacked so numerous an army of Philistines, and it would have been attributed rather to arrogance and rashness than to fortitude and virtue, unless he had first relied on calling upon God and been made certain by him of future victory. David therefore undertook nothing rashly, but managed each thing in the order it should be done; for he sought God's will before undertaking anything. Now in what manner he consulted God is not expressed, but it is easily gathered from the following inserted sentence — for it is the custom of the sacred tongue that often, before something is expressed in words, it is understood. By the ephod, then, it appears that the Lord was inquired of by David. We saw above that all the priests wore a certain ephod, which was a sign of the purity and perfection that is in our Lord Jesus Christ. But the ephod of the high priest was special, as we taught elsewhere, in which were the Thummim and Urim — that is, splendor and perfection — with which the high priest was clothed when he was about to approach God and appear before his face with prayers, that he might be heard, as if he no longer retained human nature but was clothed with a special dignity and perfection more than angelic.

The sense of this passage, then, in which David is said to have inquired of the Lord, is that he sought God's will through the ephod. For shortly after follows: that Abiathar, fleeing, brought the ephod with him. Finally, we see that David did not rashly nor relying on his own forces proceed against the Philistines, but contained himself within the bounds of modesty and undertook nothing without God. But how could he know God's will? Namely, by following the way prescribed by God and being certainly assured by his testimony of truth. Hence let us learn to undertake nothing unless God has first been consulted, so that we may be made more certain of his will. Indeed, today we do not have that ceremony which was used in the time of the ceremonial law, for we have no priestly ephod; but in Scripture we have so open a declaration of the divine will that it ought to suffice for us, nor are new revelations any longer to be expected.

Therefore let us employ what the prophet Isaiah teaches us: that in all our counsels and deliberations we give the first parts to God, and inquire at his mouth — that is, that we seek what he himself teaches us and holds pleasing and acceptable. Moreover, since we are so dull of understanding that, although God's will is more than sufficiently revealed to us in his word, we cannot grasp and comprehend it with our mind, we must flee to the grace of the Holy Spirit, that he may illumine us with his light. For this reason God through the prophet pronounces a curse on those who undertake plans without the Lord, whose thoughts do not reach to God, that they may know what is expedient for them. They do not admit my word, he says, and they despise my Spirit — in which passage we see God's word joined with his Spirit. Therefore, lest we come to such audacity that we manage our affairs according to our own arbitrary judgment, we must imitate David's example — namely, to render ourselves obedient to God and undertake nothing without his will, just as it is certain that we will never be destitute of good counsel when we walk in humility. For as I said before, Holy Scripture abundantly supplies us with doctrine, with which as our guide we may govern our counsels; then the Holy Spirit also supplies prudence and discernment. Therefore let us not grow sluggish, having been taught by the Lord, but rather earnestly pray him to govern us by his Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, the answer was given to David that he should go boldly. Go, he says, and strike the Philistines and save Keilah. Therefore David prepares himself for the expedition. But behold, a grave temptation tests him, since the men who were with him refused to follow. For they say: Behold, we who are stationed here in Judea are afraid; how much more if we go to Keilah against the bands of the Philistines? We are few in number, but they are many; therefore we will be exposed to six hundred dangers of death, since here in our hiding places, far from the enemy, we are nevertheless greatly afraid. This certainly seemed contrary to the answer the Lord had given. For if he was about to grant David the victory, why did he not also dispose the spirits of David's companions and make them brave to follow David as their leader? Therefore there seems to be a kind of contradiction in these things.

Yet David overcomes this difficulty by fleeing to God in prayer and seeking out a way to dispel his men's fear and weakness. So great indeed seemed the fear of his men that he might appear to be able to be discouraged, so that he would desist from his undertaking; but yet he was not unaware of the remedy to be sought against any evil, since God offered it. He therefore again flees to God — not himself indeed doubting about God's will, in which he completely acquiesced. He was not like the unbelieving, who always defer and are never ready to follow God; and even if perhaps they have some good motion and seem disposed to follow God and his word, in a moment they change and always return to their former principles. Not so David, who, having been certified of God's will, did not doubt that he would prosper his journey. But because he was not alone but accompanied by unbelieving companions, he therefore again addresses God and asks what is to be done. Hence let us learn that when God calls us to some work, we should not be affected with too much fear; and if any deter others from their duty, let us, as far as it is in us, give them courage. For that doctrine of Paul must be applied to our use — although it speaks of foods and outward ceremonies — that those who are strong in faith ought not to oppress the weak, but rather to lift them up and confirm them. David therefore teaches us this by his example, again inquiring of God, not for himself but for the weakness of his men, so that if we see our neighbors still raw and weak, we may strengthen them as far as we can; and let us advance in God's school so that we may also be able to help others, so that what we ourselves have learned may become common to the edification of all.

Furthermore, let us learn not to be disturbed, even though many winds and tempests are stirred up by which we are gravely shaken. For God often allows us to be surrounded by such people, who strive to call us away from the right way. Therefore we must be fortified with constancy and magnanimity, lest we ever turn aside from the way, even though many give us occasion to depart from our duty. Nor will it be a sufficient excuse if we say that we indeed had the will to serve God, but we were called away by this or that person, we fell into bad company, no occasion for doing good was offered — all of which certainly do not come into account before God. Therefore let us learn to adhere so firmly to God's will that, although many may strive to move us from his service, we may nevertheless steadily persevere in his obedience.

And David himself sets before us the use of this history in Psalm 3, when he says: Many say, who shall deliver you from the hands of your enemies? Where there is no doubt that he speaks of his own soldiers, and treats of the various speeches of unbelievers, by which the righteous one might be shaken and his faith seem to be able to be unsettled, since God did not at the first opportunity come to their aid. But against these temptations of unbelievers he sets the splendor of God's face above himself, which he says will be to him in place of many soldiers, and his perfect happiness and joy. Therefore if we wish to adhere firmly to God, and not be turned away from him by the unbelief of those around us, let us pray to God that he illumine us with the splendor of his countenance — that is, that he show himself in deed to be our protector and defender, that we may rest in his benevolence, which alone is far more precious to us than any wishes of all men by which they are vehemently agitated. For unless this conviction has penetrated more deeply into our hearts — that God favors us, and is ready to bring help in distressing circumstances to those who labor — we shall never keep faith nor retain measure, but shall always burn with insatiable desire.

Next follows that David, made certain of God's will, advanced against the Philistines, drove away their cattle, and struck them with a great slaughter. Here it is asked how mention is made of the flocks or cattle of the Philistines, since they had come to attack that city Keilah. But it must be observed that cities are not besieged by such a numerous army unless flocks and herds are driven along as far and wide as possible, so that they may bring greater hardship to the enemies and starve them more quickly. Then for the food of so great an army not a few cattle were needed. Furthermore, since that city was very near the borders of the Philistines, and the Philistines occupied the plain, they were able to bring their flocks and herds to pasture, to the disadvantage of the enemy. So David is said to have driven away the flocks of the Philistines after he had struck them with a great slaughter, and not only carried off some in a slight battle, but had routed the entire army with a great slaughter. From this it appears that David's victory was miraculous. For although the number of Philistines is not here expressed, nevertheless from what we have seen above we can conjecture that not just three or four thousand men had run forth to vex the inhabitants of Keilah, but had filled the land with a vast number of soldiers like locusts. This was easy because Keilah was near their borders, and in such a region all who are summoned can very easily come together.

So today we see that the Turks can very easily feed a hundred thousand horses on the plain at little cost, when elsewhere ten thousand can hardly be nourished with greater hardship and expense. And besides, the inhabitants of that region more easily endure life with a meager diet than those of these regions. So therefore in those times it was easy to gather such a numerous army, which seems most difficult to us. But David, accompanied by only six hundred men — and those not as well equipped as the enemies were, but rashly gathered, as we saw above, from men in distress and oppressed by debt, and therefore almost unarmed, and moreover stunned with fear, since they had hitherto hidden in caves — nonetheless made an attack with great courage on that great multitude. And as the text follows, after the attack was made, that vast army of Philistines was routed, who were trained in arms and far superior in number, and in many battles had been superior to the Israelites, and indeed had laid them low with great slaughter, as we heard above. We can therefore judge no otherwise than that God lifted his arm from heaven to give David the victory over his enemies — which is sufficiently clear from the outcome. For who could say that such a great army was routed by the courage of David alone? It was indeed necessary that he be endowed with extraordinary courage but one which yet rested only on God's power, not on human strength. And in deed itself God testified that he had animated David with those few soldiers of his against the enemies, and given him strength and vigor. Indeed, then a great occasion of joy was offered to David, when in the midst of his calamities and afflictions he experienced God as his defender and gracious. And his soldiers' spirits also had to be raised, when they noticed that God had given them undoubted signs of his favor and grace.

On the contrary, Saul ought to have been overwhelmed with the greatest confusion; and if he had had any drop of common sense and reason, to be recalled to a better mind. For God's manifest work in this slaughter of the Philistines could not be hidden from him; and he was sufficiently aware that David was being helped by God by no doubtful signs, even though he had previously been mentally captive and mad. Why then does he not return to good fruit and give glory to God? But thus reprobate men are accustomed to nourish their own wickedness and fury, so that even if God himself reveals himself, they nevertheless resist with the greatest stubbornness and obstinacy of mind.

I grant indeed that if you ask them what they accomplish by fighting against God, they will reply that they have no intention of resisting God. Yet if they have seen God's goodness shining in certain people, how fiercely they are carried against them is conspicuous. Therefore though they swear a thousand times by God that they are unwilling to be carried away further into malice, their own wickedness is sufficiently manifest to all. Saul therefore, not glorifying God nor giving him thanks for the salvation procured for the Keilites who had been freed from the siege, always plunges into worse. For a great occasion was offered him for loving David, if ever there was one, since he had never been turned from his duty and good will toward Saul and the people, but had always heaped new benefits upon both himself and the people. Indeed, unless he had had an iron and steel heart, he ought to have been bent by these services of David. But as I said before, he was not only forsaken by God but possessed by the devil. And the very things that ought to have bent him to love David rather sharpened him against David.

Therefore he imagines David has occupied that city in order to refresh himself there gradually and gather his forces, until he comes into possession of the crown. David indeed was without doubt thinking nothing of the sort, but only feared falling into Saul's hands. Saul therefore, thinking David enclosed within the walls of Keilah — when he ought to have considered with himself what he would gain by pursuing the wretched little sheep — resolves that David must by all means be pursued; and since he is shut up in a city, he persuades himself that he cannot escape his hands, because the city is closed by gates, posts, and bars. These were Saul's thoughts, whose hatred against David was therefore sheer fury so deeply engrained that it could be appeased by no reasoning, although God offered him many opportunities to bend his mind.

Let us hence learn not to harden ourselves against God. For otherwise, although we should see the heavens opened, and God should flash from heaven and reveal his power more closely, and threaten in a thousand ways, these things would have no weight with us, and we would be terrified by none of his judgments. Therefore as long as God illuminates us with some splendor of his light, let us walk in his obedience and give place to his admonitions, and submit our heads when chastised by him, and meekly bend our necks; and whenever he exercises us with afflictions, let us patiently and meekly bear his correction; and let us be more and more aroused to call upon him in prayer; and let us obey all that he teaches and prescribes by his word.

Meanwhile let us also observe here how proudly God's enemies, fascinated by their own arrogance, rise up against God, and always promise themselves all happy things — that everything will turn out according to their wish. So Saul persuades himself that David, shut up in the city, will never escape from his hands. But why, I ask, does he not recall that David is in God's hand and protection? Why does he not also remember that David has often slipped from his hands? For how often has he tried to kill him, and the blow has been ineffective? He hurled his javelin at him, and David, dodging, made the attempt vain — as if God himself had interposed himself in the middle. And how often had he pursued him and assailed him with deceits, with no result? How then does he not notice that David is helped not by men's powers and aid, but is protected solely by God's benevolence and power? Why, I say, does Saul not call all these things to memory and become wise? But wicked and unbelieving men are accustomed thus, preoccupied by their passions, to despise God and his power; whose action they persuade themselves is none, either for good or for evil — that is, on one part they do not fear God, and they do not believe an account of their deeds will one day be rendered to him, and that their life is in his power; so on the other part they persuade themselves that he cannot defend and protect those who trust in him.

From this the unbelieving take courage so boldly to persecute the children of God and afflict them in every way, such as we see today in the counsels and machinations of the enemies of truth against the church, since they think they can overthrow the church without great labor. Yet they make their reckonings alone; for if they think we have been forsaken by God and are also hated by him, they go astray completely, since God's benefits toward us appear with so many undoubted signs. Therefore whenever we shall see God's enemies rising against us with such fury and rage that we seem about to be torn to pieces and skinned by them in a moment, let us wait patiently until God shatters their audacity. And the more they rage against us, and seem to have entangled themselves in their own snares, let us be persuaded that God will mock their folly and rashness, and in wonderful ways from their hands will rescue, and in a moment, when affairs seem most desperate, he will bring help to those laboring.

Let us pass to those words in which it is said that as Abiathar fled, it happened that he had the ephod in his hands. Here the papists and the unbelieving, as they are most fond of miracles and most prone to them, fabricate that miraculously God put the ephod into the hands of the fleeing Abiathar. But these trifles must depart from us, and we should not seek empty interpretations or fabricate vain dreams for ourselves. Let us therefore understand this simply — namely, that Abiathar did not flee at random, but took the ephod with him, that is, the priestly ornament. Where it must be observed, as I touched upon a little before, that God provided for David, who was not thinking, a remedy against grave trials. For David used this ephod for inquiring of the mouth of the Lord, that he might undertake nothing without consulting God — as was done here, when, having consulted God, he dared to march against the band of the Philistines, and bring help to the laboring inhabitants of Keilah, so that, as if a banner had been raised, David was stirred up to battle against the enemies. Then, using the same ephod, he departed from the city lest he should come into Saul's power through betrayal by the inhabitants.

This therefore was the refuge David had in narrow circumstances, of which he had not himself thought when he passed through Nob, and had not asked from Ahimelech such a great and excellent benefit; indeed, hindered by modesty and shame, he would not have dared to hope that such a praiseworthy testimony of divine favor would be granted him — which was nevertheless given to him without his thinking of it, and indeed at the very time when his strength and magnanimity were languishing and all hope seemed perished. Furthermore, the fact that God sent him the ephod with the priest had greater weight with him than if God had sent him thirty thousand soldiers as reinforcements. For although surrounded by many strenuous and brave soldiers, he would not have been saved by his own power and strength, as he himself teaches in Psalm 33: that the king is not saved by his own valor, nor by the swiftness of a strong horse, but salvation comes from God alone. Therefore though David might have been carried by the strength of many soldiers, the help would not have been so certain as when he received the ephod. For through the ephod access to God lay open to him, so that he might understand what needed to be done in narrow circumstances, and God might as it were grasp him by the hand and assure him that he himself would be present with him in all dangers, and would render him safe and unharmed from all of them.

See in what manner God provides for his servants the necessities they had never thought of. We certainly should not be so negligent that we do not anxiously investigate what is necessary for us, so as to solicit God in prayer for them, until we obtain them from him. Therefore the greater dangers we are surrounded by on every side, the more diligently we ought to flee to God; and when we have done whatever is in our power, we should not therefore think that our salvation has flowed from ourselves, but whatever we have accomplished, let us say that God by his power has worked it and directed our counsels to the desired end.

For this reason the prophet says that God supplies food and drink to his children while they sleep — that is, he gives them rest, even though the unbelieving roar and torture themselves in wonderful ways and undertake pernicious counsels against God's children, by which the faithful might be greatly disturbed. But God will save his children sleeping — that is, he will rescue them from dangers, even though they cannot promote their own salvation by force, by counsel and industry, or by anxiety. See how God surpasses our thoughts, and provides for us, who do not think and are unaware, the necessary things, so that affairs even succeed for us much better and more happily than we would have dared to hope. Therefore this passage is most worthy of observation, where we read that the ephod was brought by Abiathar to David — not indeed asking for it, nor thinking of so great a benefit, but with God having mercy on him, whom he foresaw would otherwise be without counsel in difficulties.

Moreover, it is certain that God indeed was not bound to that ephod, and could have communicated his presence and help to David without it. But this method of inquiring the divine will God had prescribed in the law, and therefore wished the same to be followed, so that David might be retained in the fear and reverence of the divine majesty. By this ephod, therefore, the Jews were reminded that they had been chosen as God's people, and that the grace of the priesthood was retained in the love of God. For the priesthood was a kind of introduction to our Lord Jesus Christ — which had nothing firm and solid in itself, but was only a shadow and figure of Christ's priesthood. When therefore God revealed himself to David through the ephod, by that means he confirmed him more and more in his promises, and in the hope of divine help that would never fail him — as experience more than sufficiently testified that God was David's preserver and protector, and as he himself so often professed by public testimony.

The text follows that David, after he understood that Saul was gathering an army to crush him in that city Keilah, ordered the priest Abiathar to bring the ephod. Furthermore, it must not be supposed that David ascribed any divine power to that ephod through some superstition, as magicians and enchanters are accustomed to attribute much to certain papers and similar trifles, deluded and bewitched by Satan; and indeed even to those described from God's own law or the Gospel — as the devil is accustomed, like an ape, to imitate God's works in order to impose upon wretched men, who themselves cling to his illusions. But David was led by no superstition, since he was neither the inventor of the ephod nor did he cling to it, but he placed his hope in God, while using the ephod as a means by which God had promised his presence. David therefore did not cling to the figure, but referred it to its proper end. And in this way the faithful differ from the unbelieving in all outward things and ceremonies. For the unbelieving fabricate and imagine many things for themselves, which they persuade themselves are so many means of persuading God and reconciling him to themselves. But men are not allowed to introduce some new worship; rather, they must keep themselves within the commands of his word.

Just as today the papists retain this figure together with many others, in which they say the pure worship of God consists, and they follow whatever superstition has suggested. But if it is more closely investigated from where these rites have flowed, we shall find them to be sheer trifles which each man has fabricated for himself according to his lust — so that the man has been thought good and holy who introduced some external rite, and feigned piety more by an external gesture, though God's word was despised. Let us therefore learn to remain within the simplicity of the divine word, persuaded that our salvation is placed in it. Then, since such is men's weakness that they very easily abuse the divine word, we must take care that we refer God's commands to their right end and goal.

For example, many corrupt the legitimate use of baptism and the supper through foolish superstition. For some place their trust in the visible and external figure; others even turn them into sorceries and tricks. But we, when we have received certain signs from the Lord, let us take care that, looking to the end for which they were proposed by God, we also aim at it. So David used this external sign. For he did not place his faith in that ephod, but used it as an image and sign of divine favor and presence, in which he knew he must not stop, but must look further — namely, must rise up to the mediator. To this end therefore David asked the priest to bring him the ephod. We therefore should use external signs to confirm our weak faith, but always rise up to God and seek him alone — so that, if any of us use what God gives for the confirmation of faith, they may not be more of a hindrance than a help to us.

Furthermore, here too it must be observed that David did nothing outside his own calling. For he left the ephod to the priest, and did not himself touch it. From David's modesty let us learn to undertake nothing beyond our measure and calling, but in whatever calling each has been chosen by God, let him exercise himself, and observe what God permits to each. King Uzziah, when he wished to make incense at the altar and arrogated to himself an honor that did not pertain to him, God smote with perpetual disgrace and dishonor — namely with leprosy. On the contrary, when we read that David left the ephod to the priest which God had delivered into his own hands, let us know that he walked in the fear of God with such great care and reverence that he undertook nothing contrary to his calling prescribed by God; and placed his hope in the help, favor, and blessing of the Lord, which he had so often experienced.

Hence let us learn that if we wish to have God favorable and obtain his help in uncertain affairs, we should flee to him in prayer, and so press the way set before us by him that we do not turn aside to the left or to the right; and we should not undertake anything rashly, and lay aside all pride and arrogance. Instead, let us approach him with humility and modesty, conscious of our own littleness, persuaded that pressing on the way set for us by him, we shall find his presence and help in necessary matters; and that he will not only be easy and kind toward us, but also most ready to bring us help.

Now then, let us proceed, etc.

1. And they told David, saying: Behold, the Philistines are attacking Keilah and plundering the threshing floors. 2. David therefore consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And the Lord said to David: Go and strike the Philistines and save Keilah. 3. And the men who were with David said to him: Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the bands of the Philistines? 4. So David again consulted the Lord, who answered him: Arise and go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand. 5. David therefore went, and his men, to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and drove away their cattle, and struck them with a great slaughter; and David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6. And at the time when Abiathar son of Ahimelech was fleeing to David at Keilah, he had come down with the ephod in his hand.

In yesterday's sermon we saw David, though placed in the most desperate circumstances, comparing himself to a flourishing olive tree because he was in God's hand. And yet to all appearances he had withered and had no living roots remaining. When the priests of the Lord had been killed on his account, it seemed as though everyone would rise against him, inflamed with hatred, determined that no one should help him or show him any favor. By every human reckoning David appeared cast into hopelessness — yet his root lay hidden in secret, in his hope in the Lord. We are tossed about on this earth and shaken by many storms, but our anchor is fixed in heaven. That is the foundation on which we must stand.

Next we will see how God provided for David, even though the priests had been killed on his account — bringing him a means of safety through Abiathar himself, namely the priestly ephod, as we will explain shortly. But first there is a remarkable episode here, showing that David never grew weary of doing good — even though he received from men not encouragement but only ingratitude, and Saul's malice was working to drive him from his duty. It often happens that when someone has labored eagerly for the public good, and in return receives nothing but trouble, loss for all his effort, and his life being hunted, he grows indignant and refuses to serve such ungrateful and hostile people any further. David's situation appeared exactly like this. We saw that he had repeatedly risked his life in defense of his country, winning remarkable victories — so that the whole kingdom was deeply indebted to him, above all because his defeat of the giant had preserved the kingdom itself.

David had conducted himself so bravely and faithfully discharged every duty — and in return for all these services, he was forced into exile from his country, hiding in forests and caves because nowhere was safe for him. His aged parents, driven from their home and homeland, had to be left in a foreign land, wandering from place to place like people battered by great storms. And yet David went out to defend his country against the Philistines, and risked his life for Saul. But what kind of reward did he receive from Saul and the others? As we will see, Saul's anger was not softened or eased by this act of David. On the contrary, Saul became even more furious — and rejoiced that David was now shut up in a city, thinking that his prey was finally within reach.

From all of this we should draw a singular lesson: that when men's malice has turned itself against us, and they have responded to our service with ingratitude and cruelty, we must not therefore abandon our duty. We are to do what God commands — working to cultivate goodwill even toward our enemies, and repaying evil with good. To be sure, the explicit command of our Lord Jesus Christ — 'Do good to those who persecute you, pray for those who curse you' — had not yet been spoken from His lips. But it was nonetheless deeply fixed in David's heart, just as it is part of the divine law. David also practiced what his son Solomon would later put into writing: that we should heap burning coals on our enemies' heads by continually doing them good — trying, if possible, to bring them to a better mind, adding to their shame if they persist in malice, and increasing their future condemnation if they stubbornly refuse to turn from their evil. David has taught us this by his example, and we should imitate it all the more eagerly because our Lord Jesus Christ has confirmed it by His own teaching.

If — as most people are quick to say — loving our enemies and repaying evil with good feel contrary to our instincts and all human feeling, let us remember that David was not made of iron, nor was he unfeeling. He had the same emotions as other men. But God's Holy Spirit ruled him from within. Through the power of the Holy Spirit all his passions were overcome and brought into submission — and so he practiced gentleness and kindness even toward his enemies, never ceasing to do good to those who were actively hunting him down to kill him, especially when the salvation of the whole people was at stake. Let us learn from this to bear patiently with men's ingratitude when they return our kindness with evil, and to overcome their malice by doing good as far as we are able. We owe this even in private matters. But when the welfare of the whole people is at stake, we must be moved to even greater resolve — never growing weary of doing good, even though men give us no encouragement and seem determined on their own to drive us away from our duty.

All of this is visible in the account before us: when David heard that Keilah was under attack by the Philistines, he immediately set out to bring help to the people of Keilah — without being summoned. After all, what desperate people in a besieged city would think to call on David, himself barely surviving in a cave, to come to their rescue? He came entirely on his own initiative, driven by the memory of God's calling. He had been designated king through Samuel's ministry and anointed for that purpose. And though he had not yet come into possession of the kingdom, he nonetheless felt himself bound and constrained by God's hand to take up the care and defense of the Israelite people — to faithfully seek the welfare and safety of all his subjects. David therefore closed his eyes to men's malice, lest it distract him from his duty, and kept all his attention fixed on God's calling. Since he had been called to secure the people's salvation, he did this one thing — overcoming all obstacles, valuing God's command above any injuries he suffered from men. His example teaches us to bring help to our struggling neighbors without waiting for them to beg us with tears, but looking instead to God's command — whose voice should always be sounding in our ears — and letting it carry more weight with us than the most urgent voices of men. I grant that the tears of wretched people pleading for help should move us all the more to compassion. But I also say that we are bound to care for their interests and bring help to those in need even when they have not come to us. It ought to be enough that God has called and stirred us up — teaching us what our duty requires.

And we can see that David did not rush recklessly to help the people of Keilah, even though they were in danger. It would have been reckless arrogance — not courage — for David to attack so large a Philistine force with only a handful of soldiers, unless he had first called on God and been given certainty of victory. David therefore undertook nothing rashly, but handled each matter in its proper order — first seeking God's will before moving forward. The text does not spell out exactly how he consulted God, but this is easily gathered from the sentence inserted a little later — for it is the habit of the biblical text to imply something before stating it explicitly. From the mention of the ephod it is clear that David inquired of the Lord through that means. We noted earlier that all the priests wore an ephod — a sign of the purity and perfection found in our Lord Jesus Christ. But the high priest's ephod was special, as we explained elsewhere — it contained the Urim and Thummim, meaning light and perfection — with which the high priest was clothed when he was about to come before God in prayer and seek to be heard. It was as if, by wearing it, he no longer appeared in mere human nature but was clothed with a dignity and perfection surpassing even the angels.

So when the text says David inquired of the Lord, this means he sought God's will through the ephod. Shortly afterward it confirms this, noting that Abiathar brought the ephod with him when he fled to David. The key point is that David did not proceed against the Philistines rashly or relying on his own strength. He kept himself within the bounds of humility and undertook nothing apart from God. But how could he know God's will? By following the way God had prescribed and receiving a certain testimony of truth from Him. From this we learn to undertake nothing without first consulting God, so that we may be made certain of His will. Today we do not have the ceremonial observance used under the old covenant — we have no priestly ephod. But in Scripture we have so clear a declaration of God's will that it ought to be sufficient for us, and we are not to expect new revelations beyond it.

Let us therefore apply what the prophet Isaiah teaches us: that in all our plans and decisions we give God the first place and seek His word — asking what He Himself teaches and what He holds to be pleasing and acceptable. And since we are so dull in our understanding that, even though God's will is more than sufficiently revealed in His Word, we still struggle to grasp and comprehend it with our minds — we must flee to the grace of the Holy Spirit, asking Him to illuminate us with His light. This is why God through the prophet pronounces a curse on those who make plans without the Lord, whose thoughts never rise to God to seek what is right. 'They do not receive My word,' He says, 'and they despise My Spirit' — in which statement we see God's Word and His Spirit joined together. So that we do not fall into the arrogance of managing our affairs by our own independent judgment, let us imitate David's example — submitting ourselves to God and undertaking nothing apart from His will. We can be certain that we will never lack good counsel when we walk in humility. As I said before, Holy Scripture supplies us richly with teaching, which can guide our decisions. Then the Holy Spirit also grants wisdom and discernment. So let us not grow sluggish, having been taught by the Lord, but earnestly pray that He would govern us by His Holy Spirit.

The answer God gave David was clear: go boldly. 'Go,' He said, 'and strike the Philistines and save Keilah.' So David prepared for the expedition. But then a serious temptation arose — the men with him refused to follow. They said: 'We are afraid here in Judah. How much more afraid will we be if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces?' In effect: we are few and they are many; going there will expose us to certain death. We are already greatly afraid here in our hiding places, far from the enemy. This seemed to contradict the Lord's answer directly. If God was going to give David the victory, why had He not also prepared David's men to follow him boldly? On the surface there appeared to be a kind of contradiction here.

David overcomes this difficulty by fleeing to God in prayer and seeking a way to address his men's fear and weakness. So great was his men's fear that it might have seemed enough to discourage him and make him abandon the mission. But David knew where to find the remedy for every difficulty, since God offered it. He therefore turned to God again — not because he himself was doubting God's will, in which he had fully rested. He was not like the unbelieving, who always delay and can never bring themselves to follow God — and even when they feel some impulse toward obedience and seem ready to follow, they change in a moment and always drift back to their old habits. Not so David. Having been made certain of God's will, he had no doubt that God would prosper his mission. But since he was not alone — he was accompanied by weaker men who lacked his faith — he brought their need back before God and asked what should be done. From this let us learn that when God calls us to some task, we should not be paralyzed by excessive fear. And if others are being pulled away from their duty, let us do what we can to encourage them. Paul's principle applies here — though he is speaking of food and outward ceremonies — that those who are strong in faith should not trample the weak but should lift them up and strengthen them. David teaches us this by example: he inquired of God again, not for himself but for the sake of his weak companions. Let us similarly, when we see our neighbors still immature and fragile in faith, strengthen them as best we can — and let us advance in God's school so that we are able to help others, sharing what we have learned for the benefit and growth of all.

Furthermore, let us learn not to be unsettled even when many winds and storms arise and shake us severely. For God often allows us to be surrounded by people who work to draw us away from the right path. We must therefore be armed with steadiness and strength of character, so that we never turn aside from the way — even when many give us every occasion to abandon our duty. It will not serve as an adequate excuse to say that we had the will to serve God but were drawn away by this or that person, fell into bad company, or found no opportunity to do good. None of these excuses holds before God. Let us therefore learn to cling so firmly to God's will that, though many strive to pull us away from His service, we press on steadily in obedience to Him.

David himself draws the lesson from this kind of experience in Psalm 3, when he says: 'Many say, who will deliver you from the hands of your enemies?' There is no doubt that he is speaking of his own soldiers — recording the various words of unbelievers, by which the righteous person might be shaken and faith made to seem unstable, since God did not immediately come to the rescue. Against these temptations of unbelief, David sets the brightness of God's face shining above him — which, he says, is worth more to him than any number of soldiers and is his perfect happiness and joy. If we want to hold firmly to God and not be turned from Him by the unbelief of those around us, let us pray that God illumine us with the light of His face — that He show Himself in deed to be our protector and defender, so that we may rest in His goodwill. That goodwill alone is far more precious to us than all the ambitions and desires that agitate the hearts of men. For unless the conviction has sunk deeply enough into our hearts that God favors us and is ready to help those who struggle in desperate circumstances, we will never hold firm or keep our course. We will always be burning with restless, unsatisfied longing.

Then, made certain of God's will, David advanced against the Philistines, drove off their livestock, and struck them with a great slaughter. One might ask why the Philistines' livestock is mentioned, since they had come to attack the city of Keilah. The explanation is that cities are never besieged by large armies without the army driving great numbers of livestock along with them — both to deprive the enemy of food and to feed the large force over an extended siege. Moreover, since Keilah was located close to the Philistine border, and the Philistines controlled the surrounding plain, they were in a position to bring their flocks and herds right up to the city's edge, to the enemy's disadvantage. So the text says David drove off the Philistines' livestock after striking them with a great slaughter — not just a skirmish, but a full rout of the entire army. From this it appears that David's victory was miraculous. The text does not state the number of Philistines, but based on what we have seen before, we can judge that this was not a mere raiding party of three or four thousand men. They had flooded the land with soldiers like locusts. This was easy to do because Keilah was near the Philistine border — in such a location, men can be mustered quickly and in great numbers.

So even today we see that the Turks can easily feed a hundred thousand horses on the open plain at little cost — while elsewhere feeding ten thousand requires far greater difficulty and expense. Furthermore, the people of that region can endure a meager diet far more easily than people of other areas. So in those times it was perfectly feasible to gather an enormous army, even though it would seem nearly impossible to us. David, however, had only six hundred men — and these were not well-equipped soldiers, but men hastily gathered, as we saw, from those in distress and burdened by debt, practically unarmed, and still numb with fear after their time hiding in caves. And yet he led them in a bold assault on that great multitude. What followed was that the vast, well-trained, numerically superior Philistine army — the same force that had repeatedly bested the Israelites in battle and struck them down with great losses — was routed. We can only conclude that God stretched His arm from heaven to give David the victory — which the outcome itself makes sufficiently plain. Who could claim that so great an army was defeated by David's courage alone? He certainly needed remarkable courage — but a courage that rested entirely on God's power, not on human strength. Through the victory itself, God testified that He had put fire into David and his small band of soldiers, and given them strength and ability. This was a great occasion for joy for David — right in the middle of his calamities and afflictions, experiencing God as his defender and receiving His grace. And his soldiers' spirits must also have been lifted, seeing that God had given them unmistakable signs of His favor.

Saul, on the other hand, ought to have been overwhelmed with shame. Had he possessed even a shred of common sense, he would have been brought back to a better mind. God's clear work in the defeat of the Philistines could not have been hidden from him — and he was fully aware, even in his madness, that David was being helped by God through undeniable signs. Why then did he not produce good fruit and give glory to God? But this is how the reprobate feed their own wickedness and fury — so that even when God reveals Himself plainly, they resist with the utmost stubbornness and hardness of heart.

I grant that if you were to ask them whether they intend to fight against God, they would deny it completely. And yet how fiercely they attack the very people in whom God's goodness is clearly visible — that is plain enough. Though they may swear a thousand times by God that they do not want to pursue their malice further, their own wickedness is evident to all. So Saul, rather than glorifying God or giving thanks for the salvation of the Keilites who had been rescued from the siege, only plunges deeper into evil. If ever there was an occasion to love David, this was it. David had never wavered in his duty or good will toward Saul and the people — he had only kept adding benefit upon benefit to both. Unless Saul had a heart of iron and steel, such service should have moved him. But as I said before, he was not only forsaken by God — he was possessed by the devil. And the very things that should have drawn him toward David only sharpened his hatred against him.

So Saul imagined that David had taken the city of Keilah as a base from which to rest, rebuild his strength, and gradually build up forces until he could seize the throne. David was thinking nothing of the sort — he was only trying to avoid falling into Saul's hands. Saul, convinced that David was now trapped within the walls of Keilah, resolved to pursue him with all he had. Instead of asking himself what he would actually gain by hunting down one desperate fugitive, he told himself that with David shut up in a city — locked in by gates, walls, and bars — this time he could not escape. This was Saul's thinking — a man whose hatred of David had become so deep and irrational that no reasoning could soften it, though God repeatedly placed opportunities before him to change his mind.

Let us learn from this not to harden ourselves against God. For if we do, it will not matter if the heavens are opened before us and God flashes from heaven revealing His power, or threatens us in a thousand ways — none of it will have any weight. No judgment of His will frighten us. Therefore, as long as God illuminates us with any ray of His light, let us walk in obedience to Him. Let us give place to His correction, bow our heads when He disciplines us, bend our necks in submission — and whenever He tests us with afflictions, bear His correction patiently and gently. Let us be stirred more and more to call on Him in prayer, and let us obey all that He teaches and prescribes through His Word.

Meanwhile, let us also observe here how arrogantly God's enemies, blinded by their own pride, rise up against God — always assuring themselves that everything will fall out exactly as they want. So Saul convinced himself that David, shut inside the city walls, could not possibly slip away from him. But why did he not recall that David was in God's hand and under God's protection? Why did he not remember how often David had already slipped from his grasp? How many times had he tried to kill him, and every attempt had come to nothing? He had hurled his spear at him, and David dodged, making the throw useless — as if God Himself had stepped between them. How many times had he hunted him and laid traps, all to no effect? How could Saul not notice that David was not being protected by men's power and cunning, but was kept safe solely by God's goodwill and power? Why, I say, did he not remember all these things and come to his senses? Because the wicked and the unbelieving, driven by their passions, are accustomed to despise God and His power — persuading themselves that He accomplishes nothing, for good or ill. On one side they neither fear Him nor believe they will answer to Him for their deeds, or that their lives are in His hand. On the other side they persuade themselves that He cannot actually defend and protect those who trust in Him.

This is why unbelievers take such bold courage to persecute God's children and afflict them in every way — as we see today in the plots and schemes of the enemies of truth against the church, since they think they can overthrow it without much difficulty. But they are making their plans without consulting God. If they think we have been forsaken and even hated by God, they are badly mistaken — because God's benefits toward us are visible in so many unmistakable signs. Therefore whenever we see God's enemies rising against us with such fury and rage that we seem about to be torn apart and devoured in an instant, let us wait patiently until God breaks their arrogance. And the more fiercely they rage against us, the more firmly let us be persuaded that God will mock their foolishness and rashness — and in remarkable ways will pull His people from their hands. At the very moment when things seem most desperate, He will bring help to those who are struggling.

Let us turn to the words where it says that when Abiathar fled, he had the ephod with him. At this point the papists and the credulous, who are always eager for miracles, invent the idea that God miraculously placed the ephod in Abiathar's hands as he fled. But we should leave such empty inventions aside and not conjure up fanciful explanations. The simple meaning is this: Abiathar did not flee in a panic, but deliberately took the ephod — the priestly garment — with him. Here we must notice, as I briefly touched on earlier, that God provided David with a resource he had never thought to seek. David used this ephod to inquire of the Lord, so that he would undertake nothing without consulting God. This is exactly what happened here: having consulted God through the ephod, he dared to march against the Philistine force and bring help to the people of Keilah — as if a battle standard had been raised for him. Later, using that same ephod, he learned to depart from the city before the inhabitants could betray him to Saul.

This was therefore the refuge David needed in his desperate circumstances — a refuge he had not thought to secure when he passed through Nob. He had not asked for such a great and excellent gift from Ahimelech. Restrained by modesty and embarrassment, he would never have dared hope for such a precious token of divine favor — and yet it was given to him without his thinking to ask for it, at the very moment when his strength and courage were failing and all hope seemed to have vanished. Furthermore, the fact that God sent him the ephod with the priest carried more weight for him than if God had sent thirty thousand soldiers as reinforcements. For even surrounded by many strong and brave soldiers, he could not have been saved by their power and strength — as he himself teaches in Psalm 33: the king is not saved by his own valor, nor by the speed of a strong horse, but salvation comes from God alone. So though many soldiers could have given David a sense of strength, the help would not have been as certain as it was when he received the ephod. Through the ephod, access to God was open to him — so that he could understand what needed to be done in desperate circumstances, and so that God could, as it were, take him by the hand and assure him that He would be with him through every danger and bring him through safely.

See how God provides for His servants the very things they never thought to seek. We certainly should not be so careless that we neglect to diligently seek out what we truly need — asking God for it in prayer until we receive it from Him. Therefore, the more dangers press in on us from every side, the more earnestly we must flee to God. And when we have done everything in our power, we must not then conclude that our salvation has come from ourselves. Whatever we have accomplished, let us say that God by His power accomplished it and directed our plans to the desired outcome.

This is why the prophet says that God supplies food and drink to His children while they sleep — that is, He gives them rest and security, even while unbelievers rage and torment themselves with remarkable effort, plotting against God's children and doing their utmost to destroy them. But God will save His children as they sleep — that is, He will rescue them from dangers even when they are unable to promote their own salvation through force, strategy, ingenuity, or anxiety. See how God surpasses our thoughts and provides for us — for those who are not thinking about it and are unaware — the things we need, so that our affairs succeed far better and more happily than we would have dared to hope. This passage is therefore most worth noting: we read that the ephod was brought by Abiathar to David — not because David had asked for it or even thought of such a benefit, but because God had mercy on him, foreseeing that David would otherwise be without guidance in his desperate circumstances.

It must also be said that God was certainly not bound to the ephod and could have communicated His presence and help to David without it. But this was the method of inquiring God's will that He had prescribed in the law, and He wanted it to be followed — so that David would be kept in the fear and reverence of the divine majesty. Through the ephod, the Jewish people were reminded that they had been chosen as God's people, and that the grace of the priesthood was maintained by God's love. For the priesthood was a kind of introduction pointing toward our Lord Jesus Christ — it had nothing firm and solid in itself, but was only a shadow and figure of Christ's priesthood. So when God revealed Himself to David through the ephod, He was by that means strengthening and confirming David more and more in His promises and in the hope of divine help that would never fail him — as experience had more than sufficiently shown that God was David's preserver and protector, which David himself openly testified on many occasions.

The text continues: once David understood that Saul was gathering an army to crush him inside the city of Keilah, he called for the priest Abiathar to bring him the ephod. We should not suppose that David was attributing some magical power to the ephod through superstition — in the way that sorcerers and enchanters place significance in certain papers and objects, deceived and bewitched by Satan. Satan even imitates works drawn from God's own law and the Gospel, as the devil is known to do, mimicking God's works in order to trap wretched people who cling to his illusions. But David was driven by no such superstition. He did not invent the ephod, nor did he cling to it as though the object itself had power. Rather, he placed his hope in God, while using the ephod as the means through which God had promised to make His presence known. David did not stop at the outward sign but followed it to its proper end. This is how the faithful differ from the unbelieving in all outward things and ceremonies. The unbelieving fabricate and imagine all sorts of things for themselves — convincing themselves that these are so many ways of appeasing God and drawing Him to their side. But men are not permitted to invent new forms of worship. They must keep within the bounds of God's Word.

The papists today retain this pattern along with many other figures, claiming that true worship consists in these things — following whatever superstition has suggested. But if you look closely at where these rites actually came from, you will find they are mere inventions — things each man fabricated according to his own preference. The person who introduced some new outward rite was considered good and holy, and one who could put on a greater show of piety through external gestures was admired — while God's Word was despised. Let us therefore learn to remain within the simplicity of God's Word, persuaded that our salvation is found there. And since human weakness is such that men very easily abuse even God's Word, we must take care to apply God's commands to their proper purpose and goal.

For example, many people corrupt the proper use of baptism and the Lord's Supper through foolish superstition. Some place their trust in the visible outward sign itself. Others go further and turn the sacraments into something like magic tricks. But when we receive signs from the Lord, let us take care to keep in view the end for which God gave them — and let us aim at that. This is how David used the outward sign. He did not place his faith in the ephod itself, but used it as a visible sign and image of God's favor and presence — knowing he could not stop there but had to look further, rising up to the Mediator. For this reason David asked the priest to bring him the ephod. Let us likewise use outward signs to strengthen our weak faith — but always rising up to God and seeking Him alone, so that what God gives for the confirmation of faith becomes a help and not a hindrance.

We should also note here that David did nothing outside his own calling. He left the ephod to the priest and did not handle it himself. From David's restraint let us learn to undertake nothing beyond our own measure and calling. Whatever calling each person has received from God, let him carry it out faithfully — observing what God permits to each. King Uzziah, when he tried to burn incense at the altar and seized an honor that did not belong to him, was struck by God with perpetual shame — leprosy. By contrast, when we read that David left the ephod to the priest — even though God had placed it in David's own hands, as it were — let us recognize that he walked in the fear of God with such great care and reverence that he undertook nothing contrary to his assigned calling, and placed his hope in the help, favor, and blessing of the Lord, which he had experienced so many times.

From this let us learn that if we want God to be favorable to us and to receive His help in uncertain circumstances, we must flee to Him in prayer — pressing forward on the path He has set before us without turning aside to the left or to the right. We must not undertake anything rashly, and we must lay aside all pride and arrogance. Instead, let us approach God with humility and a clear sense of our own smallness, persuaded that pressing forward on the path He has given us, we will find His presence and help when we need them most — and that He will not only be kind and gracious toward us, but most ready to bring us the help we need.

Now then, let us proceed, etc.