Sermon 84: 1 Samuel 23:19-28

19. The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying: Does not David hide among us in the most secure places of the forest, on the hill of Hachilah, which is to the right of the desert? 20. Now therefore, as your soul has desired to come down, come down; and it shall be our part to deliver him into the king's hands. 21. And Saul said: Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22. Go therefore, I pray you, and prepare more diligently, and act more carefully, and consider the place where his foot is, or who has seen him there. For it has been told me that he is

23. Consider and see all his hiding places where he conceals himself, and return to me with certain information, that I may go with you; and if he has hidden himself in the ground, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah. 24. And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain to the right of Jeshimon. 25. Saul therefore went with his companions to seek him; and it was reported to David, and immediately he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard this, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26. And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain. Now David despaired of being able to escape from the face of Saul; so Saul and his men encircled David and his men in the form of a crown, to capture them. 27. And a messenger came to Saul, saying: Make haste and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land. 28. Therefore Saul returned, ceasing to pursue David, and went to meet the Philistines. For this reason they called that place the Rock of Dividing.

As God exercises us with various calamities and afflictions, he brings a remedy against them; indeed he even acts in advance, lest sudden necessity overwhelm us unprepared. Therefore he so provides for our evils that before the blow we perceive that he has had mercy on us. Just as we see physicians caring for the sick, foreseeing at what time the period of fever will return, and prescribing that food be given to them at that hour, because they will have to fast the next day. Or as a father does not let his son who is about to travel abroad depart barefoot and empty-handed, but provides for him the necessary things. Or as a general, foreseeing a future battle with the enemy, orders the soldiers to take care of their bodies and provide what is necessary. Not otherwise, I say, God exercises fatherly care over us, accompanies us, receives us into his protection, heals all our miseries, and as he exercises us with various and diverse afflictions, equips us against them with the necessary remedies. The present narrative bears witness to this teaching, in which the Ziphites are said to have come to Saul to betray David. This indeed could have been a serious temptation for David, and could have somewhat shaken his mind, as if God were frustrating his hope. But God met this temptation by sending Jonathan ahead to David, who would console him in his affliction and assure him of the promises made about the kingdom to him through Samuel. Therefore we must observe that God foresees our necessities, and does not wait until we come into such straits that salvation seems hopeless, but fortifies us in advance with remedies, as it were antidotes, which we had not even considered, and which fill us with wonder. Thus God sometimes treats us very kindly and shows himself generous to us, because he wishes to arm us with these things as it were amulets against impending calamities, which shortly afterward we recognize was done not without cause, but that God wished to prepare us for impending calamities. This therefore is to be observed from the fact that we see Jonathan came to David and consoled him, God blessing that journey, because David had to be exercised by more severe temptations than before, just as we now see the Ziphites came to Saul to betray him. And the ingratitude of these men was remarkable. For although David had not freed them from siege as he had the Keilahites, yet that benefit pertained to all Judea, and therefore to the Ziphites, who were part of the Jewish people. And not just once did David come into open danger of death, but he repeatedly exposed his life to dangers for the preservation of the people. But he had to experience such ungrateful human character so that he might learn to place his hope in God alone and to conform himself to his will, even though many causes of despair were offered him by men. And what great hypocrisy of Saul reveals itself here, who so encourages the Ziphites and speaks well of them as if they were blessed by God! Or we may say it was a prayer by which he flatters the Ziphites who were treacherously plotting to hand David over into his hands, vainly using God's name, which is indeed confirmed by frequent experience. For you will usually see those who have no fear of God frequently having his name on their lips, and using it as a shield for their impious purpose, and profaning it in many ways. Thus thieves or robbers are accustomed to give thanks to God for what they have seized and plundered, as if they had obtained the spoil by his hand, not without insult and profanation; nor can any greater injury be done to God. And it is a notorious blasphemy to make God an accomplice of their crimes and robberies. Yet everyone knows how many grow rich by evil arts and accumulate vast wealth, and yet refer it to God. Kings and princes who, burning with excessive ambition and greed, have shed human blood, despoiled and injured this one and that, nevertheless always glory in the name of God, and profess that they reign by the grace of God. We see this vice has prevailed in all ages; but we must diligently observe what God once declared in his law, namely that he will not allow his name to be taken in vain by anyone. Therefore we must be extremely careful not to give thanks to God for received blessings with hypocrisy and pretense, and not to rashly take God's name to cover our crimes.

Moreover, with what great difficulties David struggled on the other hand, and into what straits he was driven when he was pressed on every side by Saul, must be considered. It is said therefore that Saul did not rush forward immediately, but encouraged the Ziphites to track David's footsteps, so that he himself could more safely pursue and follow the trail, and ordered them to return to him, and then he would come down to them with his soldiers and seize David. He did this deliberately so that he could gather his army at leisure. Therefore we should not think he procrastinated, since we saw before that he burned with fury and madness; but God imposed a delay on his fury while he planned to advance his affairs by strategy, and to overwhelm David by a rash attack so that he could not slip out of his hands. And meanwhile David, having been warned of the Ziphites' betrayal, had time to escape. And although that message could have come to David by human counsel, we should nevertheless be persuaded that it was sent by divine providence having mercy on David. Moreover, we do not read here that the high priest gave him any response, since that message came to him as if by chance; but nevertheless nothing prevents God's secret providence from having administered the whole thing. From this it appears that what I said at the beginning is true in reality, namely that God by his providence goes ahead to meet all our dangers, without whose guidance and direction we could not advance a single step, and whose providence also sustains us when we waver and are uncertain, lest we completely fall. So we read here that David was warned of Saul's approach so that he would have time to take counsel for himself. Let us seriously meditate on this teaching and recognize that since we are by nature blind, we need to be governed by God, since we cannot extend the range of our sight far ahead unless he opens our eyes. And although we may be sufficiently aware of impending dangers, we do not have the means to flee them unless he himself stretches out his hand and opens a way. Therefore let us learn to rest in him and so call upon him in our straits, knowing that he nevertheless anticipates our prayers and does not wait until we flee to him. For often while we are sleeping he must keep watch for us.

Moreover, although David's salvation seemed desperate, he nevertheless invoked God, as he himself testifies clearly enough in Psalm 34, which he wrote about this history, where he expresses his most severe temptations, by which he confesses he was so shaken and suspended in fear and dread, not knowing what would become of him, wretch that he was, that he nevertheless professes he fled to God. Hence those words of his to the Lord: 'Lord, save me in your name, and in your power judge me.' By which words he first commits himself entirely to God, because his life seemed to be finished. Then he nevertheless teaches that he does not flee to God rashly or for nothing, since he offers himself to be judged and asks that God pronounce sentence on his cause according to his integrity. This is worthy of observation. For often many are bold and impudent enough to invoke God, whom nevertheless, if God dealt with them by strict justice, it is certain they would deserve to be thrust a thousand times into the abyss of divine judgments, because they invoke God under a false name. Let us therefore observe that David makes his integrity and the uprightness of his life the foundation of his being heard, for which reason he asks to be judged by God, as if to say that he does not invoke God as patron in a bad cause, as many often wish God to favor them in a bad cause against all right and equity, and desire to subject him to their own lusts and corruptions. But David presents himself to God for examination and asks that, after examining the case, he pronounce sentence as a just judge. Meanwhile, however, he also implores God's power. For he well knew that God must exert his power to save us, even if we have endeavored to live in integrity. In which matter we should differ from the pagans, so that even though we may rely on the goodness and equity of our cause and the integrity of our conscience, we should nevertheless know that God must extend his hand to save us, without which none of these things would profit us. David then further pursues his complaints at length in that psalm, saying that strangers had risen up against him and that cruel and barbarous peoples had plotted against his life. Some interpret the word 'strangers' in such a way that they say David is designating the Jews and reproaching them for their degenerate characters, because they had fallen away from Abraham's lineage. This manner of speaking is frequent enough in sacred Scripture; for that nation was always boasting of its lineage and praising its ancestors. But also God often holds up to them their first origin and reproaches them for the corruption of their fathers and rejects them as an illegitimate race. But the two words David uses, joined together, rather indicate that the Ziphites together with Saul and the rest of the people were like barbarous nations rising up against their neighbors and raging cruelly. This is far harsher than if such things were done by distant nations, since neighbors expect kindnesses rather from neighbors or those joined by some familiarity than from strangers far away. But when that familiarity turns into the opposite condition, and all shame being laid aside, they rage against neighbors, far more grievous hatreds and crueler deeds are practiced than by more remote nations, so that you may rightly call those furious barbarians who were previously friends. In this sense therefore David complains that cruel and barbarous peoples are persecuting him as a stranger and unknown person, even though connected by blood. Therefore he calls them terrible and cruel, submitting his cause to God's judgment and calling on God as the arbiter of his cause; and he implores help against them, and professes that he will persevere in prayers and supplications to God. This was a notable proof of his faith. For it is easy to speak of God's power and goodness when one is beyond all danger of blows, and to cite passages of sacred Scripture, and to profess some fearless and unconquerable faith; but when dangers press in and one must come to the thing itself and undergo a severe examination, then we plainly fail and collapse in terror. But faith is not idle; it perpetually produces its effect, especially in the greatest crisis of affairs, and when things are, as it were, desperate, and in human opinion salvation is lost. Then, I say, faith most exerts itself and is strengthened by continual prayers to God. Let us therefore acknowledge David's singular faith, and the greater in proportion as his struggles were harder and the straits into which he was driven were greater. For who would not be shaken by violent fear if he experienced not such a temptation as David, but one far lighter? For not only the Ziphites are said to have pursued him, but all of Saul's retainers, so that they chased him like dogs pursuing a wild beast, and barked at him, and seemed about to tear him apart at any moment, and no hope of salvation by human reckoning remained. When therefore David in such great straits remembers God, and has recourse to his help, and perseveres in pouring out prayers to him, it was no uncertain testimony of great courage and a praiseworthy sign of supreme faith. For if David, imitating the unregenerate, had in despair decided that nothing more was to be hoped for from God's help, he could have rashly formed wicked plans and complained that he was forsaken by God, indeed that he was continually cast into new difficulties by him. But David on the contrary remains undaunted and retained his constancy in adversity, and was never wearied of invoking God. His constancy shows that his faith was singular and had struck deep roots. Therefore this passage must be observed by us all the more carefully, as David's constancy and firmness of spirit were more remarkable, so that by his example we may learn, when God casts us into such straits and difficulties, never to cast away faith, but always to flee to him with fervent prayers. Moreover, David shows that he did not flee to God with doubt, and did not invoke him in his extreme straits with trembling, but overcame all difficulties by faith, when he adds that he would offer sacrifice to God, by which words he promises that he will give thanks to God, and indeed with a solemn sacrifice. Yet at that time David was in exile from the Lord's sanctuary, to which he had no access, and so far from having sacrifices to offer to God, he was destitute of all things and struggled with hunger, thirst, heat, cold, and other such hardships. Where then would David, an exile destitute of all things, have sacrifices to offer to God according to the commandment of Scripture, and to give thanks with a solemn sacrifice? Therefore his faith appears to have been remarkable, which overcame so many difficulties with which he had to struggle before he could offer victims to the Lord. When therefore he vowed a sacrifice of praise to the Lord, he testified clearly enough that he did not invoke God rashly or with doubt, but was persuaded that he would be heard by the Lord and delivered from the imminent peril of death. This also must be diligently observed by us, since often it happens that we are exercised by various evils and calamities, and indeed pray to God, but perfunctorily only, and by habit rather than by faith, since we think we are wasting our effort, not knowing the outcome of our calamities, and we are struck by fear as if we had never experienced his goodness. And like waves of the sea driven by winds, we are carried here and there, and accordingly it happens that our prayers are not only useless but also harmful and detrimental, because we rather withdraw from God than approach him, invoking his name rashly and with distrust. But Scripture commands us to approach God confidently and with certain trust of mind; indeed it promises that God will never disappoint those who approach him with such confidence. Therefore we cannot open our mouths to invoke God unless we are persuaded that we are his children and that he calls us, nor can we acknowledge and invoke him as father unless we are sure that he counts us among the number of his children. In short, we could not even utter a word unless we were certainly persuaded that access to God's goodness is opened to us by him. And so by David's example let us learn, when invoking God, never to lose heart, even if he seems for a time to be deaf to our prayers and to turn his eyes away from us, and indeed to consign us to oblivion; but on the contrary let us be persuaded that he will at last reveal in reality that he has lent attentive ears to our prayers. Here therefore let us also recall that teaching of the apostle Paul, who admonishes us to cast all our care and anxiety upon God, and invoke him with thanksgiving. By these words Paul teaches that our prayers will never accomplish anything unless we first cast upon God all the cares and anxieties that weigh upon us. Then he promises that God will be near to us and will have singular care for us. Moreover, he warns that we must take great care not to murmur against God in prayer, and not to interrupt him with indignation as many are accustomed to do, or even to burst forth into blasphemous words, but rather that on the contrary our prayers and all our petitions must be joined with thanksgiving, so that we may rest in God, being persuaded that he will at last accomplish more than we dare to desire.

And of these things enough. It follows that Saul and his companions went to seek David, and when this was reported to him he immediately went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard this he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon, and Saul went on one side of the mountain and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain. Moreover David despaired of being able to escape from the face of Saul. Behold then David enclosed as it were in the very jaws of death, so that no hope of salvation remained for him. What then had it profited him to have been informed of Saul's approach? He could indeed have withdrawn for some time, and have had enough leisure, and moreover experienced in reality that God had not completely forgotten him, since he opened some way of salvation for him. But as dangers afterward increased, from which no exit appeared (for in human judgment it could never happen that David would escape Saul's hands), how great do we think David's difficulties were, and into how many different directions his mind must have been tossed? Surely he himself in Psalm 116 clearly enough declares that he was greatly disturbed and struck by enormous fear at Saul's approach, as if unexpected. For where he said, 'I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my prayer,' he nevertheless acknowledges that he was encompassed by the pains of death and seized by the anguish of hell. These words pertain to this history, in which David appears to have come into the greatest straits, which although he does not pursue and amplify with ornamental words, yet it sufficiently appears from his few words that he struggled with the greatest difficulties. For when he says he was encompassed by the pains of death, it is as if he said he had despaired of his salvation, since in human judgment no hope of salvation remained for him. But truly he says that in those straits and difficulties he believed and therefore spoke, and confesses his weakness, by which he was almost crushed and overcome. But he nevertheless professes that he believed and therefore also spoke, by which words he declares that he would not rashly speak of things unknown, but of things he had learned by experience. For many talkative and garrulous people often relate many things as if experienced in many matters, who nevertheless have no experience of things and are completely ignorant of what it means to place confidence in God, to flee to him in adversity, to retain constancy in adversity, and to struggle in temptations.

But David, so that we may derive greater fruit from his teaching, says he does not speak of things unknown, nor as one who plays a role in a play, but speaks because he believed. And it appears that he believed those things that the Lord himself had taught him by experience. Nor does he boast of perfect faith when he says he believed, as if he had not been moved by afflictions; for on the contrary he confesses that in his haste, or trepidation, he said every man is a liar. Some refer this haste to David's flight, as in this history we read that David was before the face of Saul, by whom he had been overtaken, and in this flight was troubled by such great distrust that he thought little of the promises made to him by Samuel with the added symbol of anointing, and thought that all was vain and that the message sent to him by God was worthless. But that interpretation is crude and forced. Therefore when David speaks of his haste, it should be considered as spoken by a kind of simile: for just as confidence is accompanied by faith and tranquility, so also unbelief is accompanied by disturbance, fear, and confusion. For he who trusts in God is quiet and tranquil; therefore Scripture, when it commands us to have certain confidence in God, frequently uses these words: of resting and being silent. But on the contrary, speaking of men's distrust and unbelief, it compares them with trembling leaves of trees. Such then was David's experience at that time; and therefore he so praises his magnanimity and fortitude of spirit not as though he was not disturbed by the fear of dangers that pressed upon him, but rather confesses that he was vehemently agitated and stirred by disturbance of mind, so that he was like a man in haste, fearing nothing but a fatal fall. Therefore he says that in that haste he said every man is a liar. By these words not only did that thought come to his mind that the message about Saul seemed vain and worthless, but he also speaks about all men in general, among whom he also recognizes himself, as if to say: I found nothing but vanity and falsehood in any men whatever. Great indeed is that wisdom, to know that all men are liars and subject to vanity, as the prophet teaches us in Psalm 62, that the sons of men are vain and liars, who if weighed in the scales are all together lighter than vanity.

Let us learn to grasp David's speech and weigh God's wisdom in exercising him. For David, observing nothing but vanity and falsehood in men, was on the contrary taught by God how men are changed and strengthened so that they are no longer falsehood and vanity: namely by the divine word, which supports the wavering in all their straits, and through the Spirit of God working in us strips away all distrust and vanity. Finally he teaches us that in God alone is our refuge, and our life consists in him, and therefore that as long as men trust in themselves they are always tossed by perpetual waves and shaken by disturbances of mind without any rest or tranquility. For this reason sacred Scripture frequently compares men with a flower or grass, which, blown by some light breeze, withers, and the grass turns to hay. By these words Scripture casts down and humbles man so that he may not forget his nature and not grow insolent. But I ask, if we rest in this weakness of nature, what will become of us wretches? What perpetual confusion will overwhelm us? Only the material for despair will remain, and we will be far worse off than brute animals. But although Scripture compares the life of men to a flower or hay, and thereby checks the pride of men, which Isaiah expressly does in chapter 40, yet it also applies consolation and brings a remedy against such corruption. For according to Peter, a faithful interpreter of the Scriptures, when Isaiah says that man is like grass, and all his glory like the flower of the field, that the grass has dried up and the flower has fallen, because the Spirit of the Lord has blown upon it -- then he adds shortly after that the word of God abides forever. Unless we knew Peter's interpretation, that teaching would seem very slight and of little use, especially if we consider those things stated elsewhere, namely that God will shake heaven and earth, and that all earthly things will fall apart, since nothing is firm and constant except God alone. The consideration of these things, I say, would rather deter us from God than give us confidence of approaching him. But when Peter, explaining those words, says that although we are nothing but corruption by nature and wither in a brief moment, nevertheless we are strengthened by the efficacy of that incorruptible seed, so that the divine power appears in us and exerts its strength in us, to the extent indeed that the flower retains its beauty not for one day or two, nor for many years, but in perpetuity, we receive great consolation; since we know that we who are by nature subject to corruption and most like a flower are confirmed by God's power for eternity, and our natural corruption is exchanged for incorruption and eternal glory. For this reason the prophet in Psalm 102 says that the heavens will perish and grow old like a garment, and the earth and whatever is in it will perish, and nothing firm will endure in it, and all the delights of the world will pass away in smoke, and God alone will always remain like himself and endure forever. But by these things men seem to be so cast down that nothing is left to them, since God alone endures forever. But Peter teaches that men will be confirmed by God's word, and that those who fear the Lord will be established by the Lord forever.

David therefore, saying that men are subject to vanity and falsehood, condemned himself, and grounded in a good principle, fled to God with prayers. And he shut himself up in the cave for a time, struck by fear and dread, although the promises made to him through Samuel never slipped from his memory. And his faith was remarkable and unshaken, but not without suffering, since he felt the dangers threatening him and was moved by them as a man. This example teaches us to imitate him and to recognize that God, governing us by his power, causes us to persevere in his fear and obedience, so that we may become partakers of his life, and in the midst of any storms and tempests arrive safely at the blessed port; and even if we have stumbled on the way, to be raised by him. Therefore it is to be observed that David, although he retained his faith, nevertheless labored under great weakness. For on the one hand we see him terrified by imminent dangers, but on the other hand in turn confirmed by God's word, assiduous in prayers, and never having lost heart, and having set his faith against all temptations like a sevenfold shield, since in the midst of difficulties he vowed to God a sacrifice of praise as though he had already won the victory. These things, I say, as though contrary to each other, are to be observed in David, namely his faith joined with weakness, lest when cast into similar straits we should ever lose heart. For if David had been struck by no fear, when we are exercised by various calamities we would say, 'Woe is me, what will become of me in my affliction, who feel such great weakness and do not attain to David's faith, whom we read struggled with such great difficulties and was never terrified or cast down -- but I am vehemently struck; and therefore I seem quite unworthy of God's favor.' We, I say, would rather be terrified by David's example than receive consolation, and would rather shrink from God than flee to him in prayer. But when David's difficulties are set before us, and we see that he was not without suffering, but rather came into such great disturbance that he said all men are liars, and that God wished him to be in such great straits for a time, let us know that we, though tossed by various storms and pressed by the greatest straits, ought never to lose heart, but must rise to God with ardent prayers, that he may free us from fear and all corruption. For not without reason does David elsewhere say that his feet were plunged in the mire. These words indeed can be taken of outward things, but there is no doubt that his spirit was agitated by the greatest disturbances. Yet David did not long remain stuck in that mire of disturbance, but besought God with prayers and was heard. Therefore let us recall to memory the teaching of the apostle Paul, conformable to this, who in 2 Corinthians teaches that God, exercising his people with various calamities, does not wish them to fall into despair, but rather to flee to God with fervent prayers. Thus David in Psalm 34, after treating of the various calamities by which he was incessantly exercised day and night, says: 'Come, and I will instruct you.' He indeed, taught by the experience of so many evils, was speaking and instructing others about things well known to him. He therefore says that he will rightly speak. But, I ask, what will his words be? On the one hand he reveals his weakness, lest we, exercised by the same evils, should lose heart and recoil from duty when God casts us down with various calamities. Then on the other hand he declares his faith, by which as by a guide he approached God, and placed his confidence in him, and was not ashamed to importune him with prayers, and those not fruitless or empty, since, full of hope and trust in God's will, he dares to vow to him a sacrifice of thanksgiving, when he has been delivered from all dangers.

David therefore, in the greatest straits of his affairs, sustained himself by trust in divine goodness -- far unlike those who, tossed by various temptations, seem deliberately to plunge themselves more and more into them, as it were gathering into a bundle whatever could draw them away from God's grace and favor and thrust them into the abyss of sadness, until at last they come to despair and leave no more place for the consolations drawn from the gospel, nor flee to God in prayer. Therefore, full of despair, they are accustomed to wail: 'Wretched me, ruined me, oh me rejected by God!' But what is the cause of this disturbance and despair, except that they themselves voluntarily lead themselves into these snares? Other fanatical men, when they sense some changes in things, as if filled with the prophetic Spirit of God, fashion for themselves I know not what dreams, by which they are entangled more and more, expecting to receive once the deserved reward from God for their deeds. But we see David in those calamities of his did not depart from the thought of God's grace, nor did he make his evils worse, nor did he block for himself the access to soliciting God's grace by prayers, but always rose up to God. Nor indeed must this be called a human work, but rather divine, since it was necessary that God should rule David by his Holy Spirit. Yet let us also acknowledge that God is not to be tempted, nor is his grace to be choked by our negligence. Therefore Paul exhorts the faithful to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, because God is in us. But what do you say, Paul, that the faithful must work out their salvation, which far exceeds all human powers? But we are not commanded to work out our salvation ourselves, but each must do his duty. For Paul himself teaches that it would be the greatest pride and arrogance if we believed we ourselves could accomplish our salvation. Why then? Because of ourselves we can do nothing, but God works all in all. Therefore let us recognize that we ourselves can do nothing, since by nature we are unfit for every good thing; but God works in us. Therefore let us offer ourselves, and when he comes near, let us not recoil from him.

Moreover here again is to be noted the divine providence toward David. For David's salvation was, in human opinion, desperate, and his life had been given up for lost; but nevertheless God so subjected him to the trial of various calamities that he protected him with his hand. For, I ask, what prevented David, with so few men accompanying him, only six hundred, from coming into the hand of Saul who was equipped with so numerous an army? For what could so few do against such a multitude? Indeed David also for this reason did not prepare for battle, but placed all hope of his salvation in hiding and flight. Therefore it appears that God protected David with his hand, and blinded Saul, which David in many places acknowledges, and confesses that no hope of salvation remained for him except in the shadow of the Lord. Therefore let us look up to the secret providence of God, who promotes the salvation of his own and watches for them while they sleep or act incautiously. For example, David indeed pursued some way of escape, when it is said that he was on one side of the mountain, and Saul with his soldiers on the other, so that one was always opposed to the other. And yet, since Saul's army was so numerous, he could have surrounded the entire mountain, and blocked David's way, and shut him within the jaws of the mountain. Therefore it appears that David did not escape by his own power, but was as it were led out of the tomb by the protection of God alone. For David, seeking some protection in human affairs, had no more present help than to hide in a cave and protect his life in those hiding places, yet as if banished from the company of the living, as we saw above. Therefore, when God snatched him from such great dangers, he delivered him not only from death but from six hundred deaths. And there was a kind of resemblance to resurrection in his being led out of the cave as out of a tomb, and his restoration to life. And indeed what would become of God's wretched children if God did not have mercy on them? Their condition would be far worse than that of all other creatures. Indeed what would become of all living things and all created things, if God did not govern the world by his providence? For neither do rains fall by chance, nor do trees rashly produce their fruits, nor does the earth bring forth grass, except insofar as God by his providence cherishes the power once placed in them, and governs them by his providence, and blesses them. But if God's providence extends to those lower things, what kind do we think it will be toward his children? And since the devil, the most hostile enemy of the human race and most equipped with many arts for harming, always plots something against God's children, what would become of us wretches if God did not in his goodness receive us into his clientage and protection? Therefore let us turn to our own use what is said about David's defense, and apply it to each of us individually.

Moreover, the divine providence toward him was wonderful, in that suddenly Saul's army was called away from pursuing David elsewhere. For a messenger is said to have been brought to Saul about the Philistines' invasion of the Jewish territory, by which means God then willed to provide for David's salvation. For in human opinion no way of salvation appeared to David, no place was left for any forces or industry, but he had to die altogether and meet death bravely, unless he had wished to come alive into Saul's hands to be torn and rent in pieces. So it should not seem strange when he says he was surrounded by the dangers of death and despairing of life, that he ran to God as the only redeemer and entrusted himself wholly to him. But meanwhile God miraculously delivered him by stirring up the Philistines, who were thinking nothing less than about his salvation, since they hated him worse than a dog or snake and would have wished to tear him apart. Yet God to them uses for saving David, and miraculously accomplishes that whole business. Let us therefore by this example learn to rest in God's goodness, and to commit ourselves wholly to him, and to ascribe our salvation to his providence and secret counsel; and let us never doubt that he will bring help at the opportune time, when we have come into the greatest straits. And although we must walk through a thousand perils of death, he will never permit us to be wholly swallowed up, but will protect us by his hand and guard until he has led us to the enjoyment of eternal salvation.

Now then come, etc.

19. The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying: Does not David hide among us in the most secure places of the forest, on the hill of Hachilah, which is to the right of the desert? 20. Now therefore, as your soul has desired to come down, come down; and it shall be our part to deliver him into the king's hands. 21. And Saul said: Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22. Go therefore, I pray you, and prepare more diligently, and act more carefully, and consider the place where his foot is, or who has seen him there. For it has been told me that he is

23. Consider and see all his hiding places where he conceals himself, and return to me with certain information, that I may go with you; and if he has hidden himself in the ground, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah. 24. And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain to the right of Jeshimon. 25. Saul therefore went with his companions to seek him; and it was reported to David, and immediately he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard this, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26. And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain. Now David despaired of being able to escape from the face of Saul; so Saul and his men encircled David and his men in the form of a crown, to capture them. 27. And a messenger came to Saul, saying: Make haste and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land. 28. Therefore Saul returned, ceasing to pursue David, and went to meet the Philistines. For this reason they called that place the Rock of Dividing.

Even as God exercises us through various calamities and afflictions, He provides a remedy against them — and He often acts in advance, so that sudden danger does not overwhelm us unprepared. He so provides for our troubles that before the blow falls, we can already see that He has had mercy on us. Think of a physician caring for a sick person, who foresees when the fever will return and instructs that food be given at that hour precisely because the patient will need to fast the next day. Or think of a father who does not let his son leave for a long journey barefoot and empty-handed, but provides him with everything necessary. Or a general, foreseeing an upcoming battle, who orders his soldiers to rest and stock up on what they need. In exactly this way God exercises fatherly care over us — accompanying us, receiving us into His protection, healing our miseries, and as He exercises us through various afflictions, equipping us against them with the necessary remedies. The present account bears witness to this truth: the Ziphites came to Saul to betray David. This could have been a serious blow to David, shaking his confidence as if God were frustrating his hope. But God met this temptation by first sending Jonathan to David — to console him in his affliction and confirm the promises that had been made to him about the kingdom through Samuel. We must therefore notice that God foresees our needs. He does not wait until we are in such straits that salvation seems hopeless — He fortifies us in advance with remedies, like antidotes, that we had not even considered and that fill us with wonder when we see them. Thus God sometimes treats us with remarkable generosity, as if arming us against approaching calamities — and shortly afterward we recognize that it was not done without reason but that God was preparing us for what was about to come. This is precisely what we see in Jonathan's visit to David before the Ziphites arrived. God blessed that visit because David was about to face trials more severe than any before. The ingratitude of the Ziphites was remarkable. David had not freed them from a siege as he had the Keilahites — but the benefit of his service pertained to all Judah, which included the Ziphites as part of God's people. And David had not once but repeatedly put his life at risk for the preservation of the people. But he had to experience this kind of human ingratitude so that he might learn to place his hope in God alone and conform himself to God's will — even when men gave him every reason for despair. And what great hypocrisy Saul displays here, congratulating and blessing the Ziphites as though they were favored by God! Or perhaps it was a prayer by which he flattered the Ziphites who were treacherously plotting to hand David over — invoking God's name for a corrupt purpose, which frequent experience has confirmed is a very common pattern. You will regularly see those who have no fear of God with His name constantly on their lips, using it as a cover for their ungodly schemes and profaning it in every way. Thieves and robbers are accustomed to thank God for what they have seized and plundered, as if they had obtained their spoil by His hand — and there is no greater insult or profanation of God. It is outright blasphemy to make God an accomplice in one's crimes and robberies. And yet everyone knows how many people grow rich through dishonest means and accumulate vast wealth, and yet attribute it all to God. Kings and princes who, burning with excessive ambition and greed, have shed human blood and despoiled and injured countless people — they still boast in the name of God and profess that they reign by God's grace. We see this vice has appeared in every age. But we must carefully take note of what God declared in His law: that He will not allow His name to be taken in vain by anyone. We must therefore take the greatest care not to give thanks to God for received blessings with hypocrisy and pretense, and not to rashly invoke God's name to cover our crimes.

We must also consider how severe the difficulties were that now pressed in on David from every side. Saul did not rush forward immediately. Instead, he encouraged the Ziphites to track David's every movement so that he himself could pursue with more certainty once the trail was confirmed. He ordered them to return to him with a report, and then he would descend with his soldiers to seize David. He did this deliberately, so that he could gather his army at a more convenient time. We should not take this as hesitation — we saw before that Saul burned with fury and madness. God simply imposed a delay on his rage while Saul was planning to advance by strategy and catch David in a coordinated trap from which he could not escape. Meanwhile, David was warned of the Ziphites' betrayal and had time to flee. And although that warning may have come to David through ordinary human means, we should still be persuaded it was sent by God's providence showing mercy to David. We do not read here that the high priest gave any formal response to an inquiry — the news came, as it were, by chance. But nothing prevents God's secret providence from having managed the whole thing. This confirms what I said at the beginning: God by His providence goes ahead to meet all our dangers. Without His guidance and direction we could not advance a single step, and His providence also upholds us when we waver and are uncertain, keeping us from falling entirely. So here we read that David was warned of Saul's approach so that he had time to take precautions. Let us seriously meditate on this truth and recognize that since we are blind by nature, we need to be governed by God — we cannot see far ahead unless He opens our eyes. And even when we do become aware of approaching dangers, we have no means of escape unless He stretches out His hand and opens a way. Let us therefore learn to rest in Him and call on Him in our desperate moments — knowing that He anticipates our prayers and does not wait for us to cry out to Him first. Often, while we are sleeping, He is keeping watch for us.

Although David's situation seemed completely hopeless, he called on God — as he himself makes abundantly clear in Psalm 54, which he wrote about this very history. He expresses in that Psalm his most severe trials, confessing that he was so shaken and suspended between fear and dread — not knowing what would become of him — that he fled to God. Hence those words to the Lord: 'Lord, save me in Your name, and in Your power judge me.' By these words he first commits himself entirely to God, because his life seemed finished. But he also shows that he is not fleeing to God rashly or on false grounds — he offers himself to be judged and asks that God pronounce sentence on his case according to his integrity. This is worth careful attention. Many are bold enough to invoke God who, if God dealt with them by strict justice, would deserve to be cast a thousand times into the abyss of His judgments — because they invoke Him under false pretenses. Let us notice then that David makes his integrity and the uprightness of his life the basis of his plea to be heard. He does not invoke God as a patron for a bad cause, as many want God to favor them against all right and equity, wanting to bend God to their own lusts and corruption. Rather, David presents himself to God for examination and asks that God, having examined the case, pronounce sentence as a just judge. Even so, he also implores God's power. For he knew full well that God must act to save us, even when we have endeavored to live with integrity. This is where we must differ from the pagans: even if we stand on the goodness of our cause and the integrity of our conscience, we must still know that God must extend His hand to save us — without His hand, none of these things profit us. David then continues in the Psalm, pursuing his complaints at length, saying that strangers had risen up against him and that cruel and barbarous peoples had plotted against his life. Some interpret the word 'strangers' to mean that David is reproaching the Jews for having fallen away from Abraham's lineage and become degenerate. This manner of speaking is common enough in Scripture, since that nation was always boasting of its ancestry, and God often confronted them with their origins and rejected them as an illegitimate race. But the two words David uses together more likely indicate that the Ziphites together with Saul and the rest acted like barbarous foreign nations attacking their own neighbors with savage cruelty. This is far more painful than being attacked by distant enemies, since neighbors expect kindness from those nearby and familiar to them — not hostility. But when that familiarity turns into its opposite, and all shame is cast aside and they rage against their own neighbors, the hatred and cruelty shown is far worse than what distant nations inflict. You can rightly call those people savage barbarians who were once your friends. In this sense David complains that cruel and barbarous people are pursuing him like a stranger and an unknown person — even though they are his own kindred. He calls them terrible and cruel, submits his cause to God's judgment, calls on God as the arbiter of his case, implores help against them, and vows to persevere in prayer and supplication to God. This was a remarkable testimony of faith. It is easy to speak of God's power and goodness when all danger has passed — easy to cite Scripture and profess some bold and unconquerable faith. But when dangers close in and one must come to the actual trial and undergo a severe test, we plainly fail and collapse in terror. But faith is not idle — it perpetually produces its effect, especially in the greatest crises, when things are desperate and salvation seems lost by every human measure. Then, I say, faith exerts itself most powerfully, and is strengthened through persistent prayer to God. Let us therefore recognize David's singular faith — all the more remarkable in proportion to how hard his struggles were and how desperate the circumstances into which he was driven. For who would not be shaken by violent fear if he experienced not David's temptation, but one far lighter? Not only the Ziphites were pursuing him — all of Saul's forces chased him like hunting dogs tracking a wild animal, barking at him and seeming about to tear him apart at any moment. By every human calculation, no hope of salvation remained. When David in such desperate straits remembers God, turns to His help, and perseveres in pouring out prayers — this was no uncertain testimony of great courage and no small sign of supreme faith. Had David, imitating the unregenerate, despaired and concluded there was nothing more to hope for from God, he could have formed reckless, wicked plans and complained that God had abandoned him and kept casting him into new difficulties. But David remained unmoved, held firm in adversity, and never grew weary of calling on God. His steadiness showed that his faith was singular and had taken deep root. This passage therefore deserves our most careful attention — the more remarkable David's steadiness and firmness were, the more clearly his example teaches us that when God casts us into such desperate straits, we must never throw away our faith but always flee to Him with fervent prayer. Furthermore, David shows that he did not flee to God uncertainly or invoke Him in his extremity with trembling and doubt. He overcame all difficulties by faith — which is evident when he promises to offer sacrifice to God, pledging to give thanks with a solemn offering. Yet at that time David was in exile from the Lord's sanctuary, with no access to it. Far from having sacrifices to offer, he was stripped of everything and struggling with hunger, thirst, heat, cold, and every hardship. Where, then, would David — an exile destitute of all things — find sacrifices to offer to God in thanksgiving, as Scripture commanded? His faith therefore appears remarkable — overcoming all these obstacles before he could ever offer the promised sacrifice to the Lord. When he vowed a sacrifice of praise to the Lord, he made clear that he was not invoking God carelessly or with doubt, but was persuaded that He would be heard and delivered from the immediate danger of death. This too must be carefully noted by us, since it often happens that we are battered by various troubles and calamities and do pray to God — but only out of habit and not truly from faith, thinking our effort is wasted, not knowing how our calamities will end, and struck with fear as if we had never experienced God's goodness. Like waves of the sea driven by the wind, we are carried back and forth — and as a result, our prayers become not only useless but even harmful, because we are drawing back from God rather than approaching Him, calling on His name carelessly and with distrust. But Scripture commands us to approach God with confidence and with a settled trust of heart. It promises that God will never disappoint those who approach Him with such confidence. We cannot even open our mouths to call on God unless we are persuaded that we are His children and that He calls us — we cannot acknowledge and invoke Him as Father unless we are certain He counts us among His children. In short, we cannot utter a single word in prayer unless we are firmly persuaded that access to God's goodness has been opened to us by Him. So by David's example let us learn, when calling on God, never to lose heart — even if He seems for a time to be deaf to our prayers, to turn His face away from us, even to have forgotten us. Let us instead be persuaded that He will at last reveal in practice that He has heard our prayers all along. Here let us also recall Paul's teaching, where he urges us to cast all our care and anxiety upon God and to invoke Him with thanksgiving. By these words Paul teaches that our prayers will never accomplish anything unless we first cast upon God all the cares and anxieties that weigh us down. He then promises that God will be near us and will care for us in a remarkable way. He also warns us to take great care not to murmur against God in prayer or to address Him with indignation — as many are accustomed to do — or to burst out into blasphemous words. Instead, our prayers and all our petitions must be joined with thanksgiving, so that we may rest in God, persuaded that He will at last accomplish far more than we dare to ask.

Enough has been said on that point. What follows is that Saul and his men went searching for David, and when David was informed he immediately descended to the rock and remained in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard this and pursued David there — Saul on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other. David despaired of escaping from Saul. There was David, enclosed as if in the very jaws of death, with no hope of salvation left. What good, then, had it done him to be warned of Saul's approach? He had been able to withdraw for a time and to experience in reality that God had not entirely forgotten him — since God opened some path of salvation. But as the dangers mounted with no way out in sight — since by every human calculation it seemed impossible that David could escape Saul's hands — how overwhelming must his struggles have been, and how violently must his mind have been torn in different directions? He himself says plainly in Psalm 116 that he was deeply shaken and struck by overwhelming fear at Saul's approach, as if by something unexpected. When he says, 'I love the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my prayer,' he still acknowledges that he was surrounded by the pains of death and seized by the anguish of hell. These words refer to this very history, where David found himself in the greatest danger. Though he does not elaborate with dramatic language, his few words make plain that he wrestled with enormous difficulty. When he says he was surrounded by the pains of death, he means that by every human measure he had lost hope of survival. And yet in that desperate moment he says he believed — and therefore spoke. He openly confesses the weakness that nearly crushed him. But he still declares that he believed and therefore spoke — not to boast of speaking about unknown things, but to testify to what he had learned through actual experience. Many talkative people speak as though they have faced everything and know everything, yet have no real experience of what it means to trust in God, to flee to Him in trouble, to hold firm in adversity, and to persevere through temptation.

David says he does not speak of unknown things, and he is not playing a role on a stage — he speaks because he believed, and what he believed was what the Lord Himself had taught him through experience. Nor does he claim to have had perfect faith when he says he believed — he is not suggesting he was unmoved by his afflictions. On the contrary, he confesses that in his distress and panic he said that every man is a liar. Some interpret this panic as referring to David's flight in the account before us — the idea being that as Saul overtook him, David was so distressed that he doubted the promises made to him through Samuel's anointing and concluded that God's message to him had been worthless. But that reading is forced and unconvincing. When David speaks of panic, we should understand it as a figure of speech: just as faith comes with confidence and inner calm, so unbelief comes with agitation, fear, and confusion. The person who trusts in God is at rest and at peace — which is why Scripture, when it calls us to confident trust in God, so often uses the language of resting and being still. In contrast, when Scripture describes distrust and unbelief, it compares people to trembling leaves on a tree. That is exactly what David experienced. He does not praise his own courage as if he felt no fear from the dangers pressing in — rather, he confesses that he was violently shaken and thrown into such mental turmoil that he was like a man in a panic, afraid of nothing but a deadly fall. In that state of panic, he says, he declared that every man is a liar. By those words he means not only that the promise about Saul seemed empty and worthless to him in that moment — he also speaks of all people in general, including himself, as if to say: I found nothing but vanity and falsehood in any person whatsoever. There is great wisdom in this: to recognize that all people are liars and subject to vanity, as the Psalmist teaches in Psalm 62 — that the sons of men are vain and liars, and if placed on a scale they are all together lighter than vanity.

Let us learn to take hold of David's meaning and reflect on God's wisdom in training him. David saw nothing but vanity and falsehood in people — but God taught him how people are changed and strengthened so that they are no longer empty and false: through the divine Word, which supports the wavering in all their difficulties, and through the Spirit of God working in us, which strips away all distrust and emptiness. David ultimately teaches us that God alone is our refuge and that our life consists in Him — and that as long as people trust in themselves, they are perpetually tossed about on waves and shaken by mental turmoil, with no rest or peace. For this reason Scripture frequently compares people to a flower or grass, blown by a light breeze — it wilts, and the grass becomes hay. By these images Scripture humbles people so that they do not forget their own nature and do not become proud. But if we simply rest in this weakness of nature, what will become of us? What endless confusion will overwhelm us? There will be nothing left but despair, and we will be worse off than animals. Yet although Scripture compares human life to a flower or hay — as Isaiah does deliberately in chapter 40, to check human pride — it also brings consolation and a remedy for that weakness. As Peter, a faithful interpreter of Scripture, explains: when Isaiah says that man is like grass and all his glory like the flower of the field, that the grass withers and the flower falls because the breath of the Lord blows upon it — he then adds, shortly after, that the Word of God endures forever. Without Peter's interpretation, that teaching might seem of little comfort — especially when we consider what Scripture says elsewhere: that God will shake heaven and earth, that all earthly things will dissolve, since nothing is firm and constant except God alone. Taken alone, these truths would drive us away from God rather than draw us to Him with confidence. But Peter explains it this way: although by nature we are nothing but decay and wither in a moment, we are nevertheless strengthened by the power of that incorruptible seed, so that God's divine power appears and exerts itself in us. The result is that the flower keeps its beauty not for a day or two, nor for many years, but forever. This brings great consolation — for we who by nature are subject to decay and are most like a flower are confirmed by God's power for eternity, and our natural corruption is exchanged for incorruption and eternal glory. For this reason the Psalmist says in Psalm 102 that the heavens will perish and wear out like a garment, that the earth and everything in it will pass away, that nothing firm will endure, that all the pleasures of the world will vanish like smoke — and that God alone will always remain unchanged and endure forever. By themselves, these words seem to leave nothing to humanity, since God alone endures. But Peter teaches that people will be established by God's Word, and that those who fear the Lord will be made firm by Him forever.

So when David declared that people are subject to vanity and falsehood, he included himself in that judgment — and grounded on that solid principle, he fled to God in prayer. He shut himself in the cave for a time, struck by fear and dread, yet the promises God had made to him through Samuel never left his memory. His faith was remarkable and unshaken — but not without suffering, since he felt the dangers threatening him and was moved by them as any person would be. This example teaches us to imitate him and to recognize that God governs us by His power so that we persevere in His fear and obedience, become partakers of His life, and arrive safely at the blessed harbor through all storms and tempests — and even when we stumble on the way, He raises us up. We must observe that David, though he held fast to his faith, still labored under great weakness. On one hand we see him terrified by approaching dangers. On the other hand, he was confirmed by God's Word, diligent in prayer, never giving up — and he set his faith against every temptation like a sevenfold shield, vowing a sacrifice of praise to God in the midst of his difficulties as though he had already won the victory. These two things — faith joined with weakness — must both be observed in David, so that when we are driven into similar straits we do not lose heart. If David had felt no fear at all, we would say in our own afflictions: 'How terrible — what will become of me? I feel such great weakness and can never attain David's faith. He struggled with such enormous difficulties and was never terrified or brought low — but I am completely overwhelmed. Surely I am utterly unworthy of God's favor.' We would be terrified by David's example rather than comforted by it, and would shrink from God rather than flee to Him in prayer. But when we see David's difficulties laid before us — when we see that he was not exempt from suffering, but was thrown into such great turmoil that he declared all people to be liars, and that God willed him to be in such desperate straits for a time — then we know that we too, though tossed by storms and pressed on every side, must never lose heart, but rise to God with fervent prayer, that He may free us from fear and corruption. It is not without reason that David elsewhere says his feet were plunged into the mud. Those words can refer to outward circumstances, but there is no doubt that his spirit was also thrown into deep turmoil. Yet David did not stay stuck in that mud of disturbance — he cried out to God in prayer and was heard. Let us recall Paul's teaching in 2 Corinthians, which aligns perfectly with this: God exercises His people through various troubles not to drive them to despair, but to drive them to fervent prayer. So also David in Psalm 34, after describing the many troubles by which he was relentlessly tried day and night, says: 'Come, and I will instruct you.' He speaks and teaches others about things he knows thoroughly from experience. He says he will speak plainly — but what will he say? On one hand he reveals his weakness, so that when we face the same troubles we will not lose heart or pull back from duty when God brings us low. On the other hand he declares his faith — by which, as by a guide, he drew near to God, placed his confidence in Him, and was not ashamed to press Him urgently with prayers. Nor were those prayers wasted, for filled with hope and trust in God's will, he dares to vow a sacrifice of thanksgiving even before he has been delivered from danger.

In the greatest crisis of his life, David sustained himself by trusting in God's goodness — very different from those who, tossed about by temptations, seem to deliberately plunge themselves deeper and deeper, gathering together every reason to doubt God's grace and favor, until they sink into despair and shut out every consolation from the Gospel and stop praying altogether. Full of despair, such people are prone to cry out: 'Wretched me, ruined me, rejected by God!' But what causes this turmoil and despair, except that they have led themselves into these snares by their own choice? Then there are those fanatical people who, sensing some change in circumstances, imagine they are filled with the prophetic Spirit of God and fabricate all sorts of dreams for themselves — becoming more and more entangled in them, expecting to receive from God the reward their deeds deserve. But David, in all his calamities, never lost sight of God's grace. He did not make his troubles worse, and he never cut off his own access to God's grace through prayer — he always rose up to God. This must not be called a merely human achievement, since God had to govern David by His Holy Spirit. Yet we must also acknowledge that God is not to be tested, and that His grace must not be smothered by our own negligence. This is why Paul urges the faithful to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, because God is at work in them. But how can Paul say the faithful must work out their salvation, when salvation far exceeds all human ability? We are not commanded to accomplish our salvation on our own — each person is simply called to do their duty. Paul himself teaches that it would be the greatest pride and arrogance to believe we could achieve our own salvation. Why? Because of ourselves we can do nothing — God works all in all. Therefore let us recognize that we can do nothing on our own, since by nature we are unfit for every good thing — but God works in us. So let us offer ourselves to Him, and when He draws near, let us not pull back.

Here again we must notice God's providence toward David. By every human estimate David's situation was hopeless and his life was as good as lost — and yet God subjected him to this trial of calamities while still protecting him with His hand. What prevented David, with only six hundred men, from falling into Saul's hands, who commanded a vast and well-equipped army? What could so few do against so many? David did not even prepare for battle — he placed all his hope of survival in hiding and flight. It is clear that God protected David with His hand and blinded Saul — something David acknowledges in many places, confessing that no hope of salvation remained for him except in the shadow of the Lord. So let us look to God's hidden providence, who works for the salvation of His own and watches over them even while they sleep or act carelessly. In this account, David sought some way of escape by keeping to one side of the mountain while Saul and his army were on the other, so that the two sides were always kept apart. Yet Saul's army was large enough to have surrounded the entire mountain, cut off David's route, and trapped him in the mountain's jaws. It is clear that David did not escape by his own strength — he was led out as if from a tomb by God's protection alone. The best David could manage on his own was to hide in a cave and guard his life in those hiding places — living, as we saw earlier, like someone banished from the company of the living. When God rescued him from such overwhelming danger, He delivered him not just from one death but from six hundred deaths. There was something like a resurrection in his being led out of the cave as if out of a tomb and restored to life. What would become of God's children if He did not have mercy on them? Their condition would be far worse than that of any other creature. And what would become of all living things, of all creation, if God did not govern the world by His providence? Rain does not fall by chance, trees do not bear fruit at random, the earth does not bring forth grass on its own — all of this happens only because God by His providence sustains the power He placed in creation and blesses it. If God's providence extends to these lower things, how much more will it extend to His children? And since the devil — the most hostile enemy of the human race, equipped with countless arts for causing harm — is always plotting against God's children, what would become of us if God in His goodness did not receive us into His care and protection? So let us apply what is said about David's deliverance to ourselves individually.

God's providence toward David was also remarkable in that Saul's army was suddenly called away to deal with something else. A messenger arrived reporting that the Philistines had invaded Judah — and by this means God chose to provide for David's salvation. By human calculation, no way out existed for David. There was no room for any plan or effort — he would simply have to die, or else fall alive into Saul's hands to be torn apart. So it should not seem strange that when he said he was surrounded by the dangers of death and had given up hope of life, he ran to God as his only redeemer and entrusted himself entirely to Him. Meanwhile God miraculously delivered David by stirring up the Philistines — people who were thinking nothing less than about David's safety, since they hated him worse than a dog or a snake and would gladly have torn him apart. Yet God used even them to save David, and brought the whole thing to completion in a remarkable way. Let us therefore learn from this example to rest in God's goodness, to commit ourselves entirely to Him, and to credit our salvation to His providence and hidden counsel. Let us never doubt that He will bring help at exactly the right moment, when we have come into the greatest danger. Even if we must walk through a thousand perils of death, He will never allow us to be swallowed up entirely — He will protect us with His hand and keep us until He has brought us to the enjoyment of eternal salvation.

Now then come, etc.