From Strength To Strength

Synopsis     1Sam 21:12-22:5     10/16/2018

David left Nob and travelled to Gath. But the Philistines immediately recognized him. And they reported him to Achish, their king. So David feigned mental disease. As a result, Achish dismissed David as a lunatic.

He fled from Gath to the cave of Adullam. Here he reconnected with his family. And it was here that David attracted a following of men who were social outcasts. Nearly four hundred men placed themselves under his authority.

Once he had established himself, David took his mother and father to Moab. He entrusted their protection there to the king of Moab. Then he returned to his stronghold. However, a prophet named Gad warned him to relocate back in the land of Judah.

David Moved From Strength to Strength

David was desperate. With trepidation, he searched for safety and protection.

Initially he tried to find safety in the one place Saul could never go. He travelled  to Gath of the Philistines. Gath was Goliath’s home town. David somehow imagined that he could be there undetected. But his fame extended farther than he realized. And so, he was immediately recognized. And he only escaped the situation by feigning madness.

But from there he went up to a stronghold. The cave of Adullam provided protection. It was a place to safely rest. At this stronghold, he was able to re-establish communications with his family. And it was there, that David began to attract followers.

Because he had this new stronghold and over four hundred followers, David regained some confidence. At this point, he felt the need to protect his parents. So he travelled to Moab. There he petitioned the king of Moab to protect his father and mother.

David recovered incrementally. He went from strength to strength.

From Strength to Strength

Necessity is the mother of invention. And need drives us to achieve.  But there is no skipping steps. David built a base and gained a following of men to support him before travelling to Moab seeking protection for his family.

So, I can’t skip steps. And I have to build a foundation first. I have to work up through the potential of each moment if I hope to achieve lasting success. Because in the end, success is the motion from strength to strength.

This is true in every quest, spiritual or social or material.

The trustworthy will be richly blessed; but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. Prov 28:20