HE NEEDED TO "TESTIFY"

I wonder how I might feel if I had been on the run for seven years. The man on the run that I’m writing about was not a career criminal and had not committed a crime in a moment of weakness. His only crime was being a good soldier and supporter of his country and his leader. His skill and faithfulness made him popular and that’s when the trouble began. His leader was a jealous type and he grew increasingly envious of the young warrior’s popularity. One day in a fit of rage, King Saul tried to kill David and David had to flee to preserve his life.

David ran for his life for about seven years. Not only were Saul and his special forces on David’s trail but so were the Philistines. Israel was in a protracted war with the Philistines and David had risen to fame by killing one of the all-time Philistine bad guys. At times, during the years of flight, David was able to forge temporary truces with the Philistines but they never seemed to last because the Philistines never trusted David, nor did David trust them.

Imagine seven years of pressure, of living on the edge, of expecting that at any moment Saul’s killers might strike. Seven years of constant moving and looking over your shoulder, wondering if someone might betray you. Years of running, hiding, waiting and watching…seemingly not much of a life.

I believe it was during these years that David’s character and integrity were forged. At one point David and his men were hiding in a cave at En-Gedi (1 Samuel 24) and Saul and some of his men came to rest in the same cave. David and his men were hidden deep in the back of the cave and Saul did not know they were there until after he left. David had a perfect opportunity to get the pressure off by killing Saul—and who would have faulted him? The depth of David’s character showed in this encounter as David restrained himself and his men from harming Saul in any way.

David showed respect when Saul demonstrated jealousy. David was truly a king and Saul was a disobedient failure. It was during these turbulent years that David’s walk with God was deepened and expanded. David was waiting for deliverance to come and he didn’t waste the waiting! (See Psalms 119:67.)

When Saul died by his own hand, David was able to come out of hiding—finally the pressure of being hunted was off. God had protected David and his men, and with the threat of death from Saul finally gone, David wanted to praise God for His faithfulness. He needed to “testify”—and so he did. Were you ever in a service when spontaneous testimonies were asked for? Some were fun but it was sometimes embarrassing when nobody had anything to say. Here is a sampling of David testifying.

“For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3

The whole of Psalm 18 (and 2 Samuel 22) is David’s testimony of God’s faithfulness, provision, protection and guidance. The rest of the Psalm is just as rich and is there for you to explore.

One of the descriptive words that David uses twice in these verses and four times in the chapter is “rock,” as in “The Lord is my rock,” meaning that God is our secure refuge. “The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (v. 2).

“Strength” is speaking of prevailing, of being made strong. The Apostle Paul understood this well and said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Strength comes from the Lord.

“Fortress” is a strong castle and is speaking of security. God is our fortress and our defense!

“Deliverer” is a word rich in meaning. One of the meanings is to be slippery or smooth, referring to God providing a way of escape, a way of deliverance. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.)

“Refuge” speaks of a place of shelter and also speaks of trust. We are to trust God and His refuge. If we don’t trust Him, there is no refuge.

“Shield.” The Lord is the protector of His people.

“Horn” is a symbol of strength, power and victory.

“Stronghold” is often translated high tower, as in Psalm 9:9 and both mean a place of refuge.

Remember that David is giving thanks that the season of his life of running and hiding is over. There is almost a euphoric element to his testimony and, frankly, it sounds good from here.

Thank you, Lord, for preserving David and thank you, David, for sharing your testimony. It encourages me!