When the Philistines loot the threshing floors of the people of Judah living in Keilah, a border city between Judah and Philistia, David inquires of the Lord and then delivers Keilah from the Philistines. This act blows David’s cover and Saul is informed concerning David’s location which is now in the city of Keilah.

Keilah (map here) has been identified as today’s Khirbet Qila which is eight miles northwest of Hebron in the West Bank. Keilah sets in the Shephelah (foothills) separating the coastal plain from the central hill country of Judah. Because of its location as a border town during the days of David and even before in the 1300’s BC according to the Amarna letters, Keilah (or, Qiltu) had frequently changed hands between one kingdom and another. The town had often seen battle, invasion and political conflict so for hundreds of years the citizens of Keilah had reinforced their city with gates, walls, bars and strongholds to keep people from getting in or out. Saul recognizes this fact and considers David “imprisoned…by entering a town with gates and bars.” In his arrogance Saul ignorantly gives God the credit as he mistakenly says, “God has delivered him into my hands.”

While David, the deliverer and local hero of Keilah, holds up in the Keilah he also inquires of the Lord through Abiathar the priest who has the ephod.

The ephod (details here) was worn by or held in the possession of the high priest. It was an apron like garment worn over the other clothing of the priest. On the front of the ephod were 12 stones mounted in gold which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The ephod served as a pocket to hold the two stones called: Urim and Thummim (image here). When the priest was wearing this ephod a ceremony could be conducted which would involve using the Urim and Thummim to inquire direction from the Lord. This was established by Moses and Aaron at Mount Sinai (Exodus 28:15-30)

David basically wants to know if Saul is coming to Keilah and if the citizens of Keilah will fight for David or merely turn David over to Saul. The Lord answers David through Abiathar by confirming that Saul is coming and the people of Keilah with betray David even though he delivered them from the Philistines.

With this information David and his 600 men leave to begin a period of several years of roaming from hideout to hideout in the hill country of Judah to avoid Saul.

“One man asks: What is to come? The other: What is right? And that is the difference between the free man and the slave.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In the New Testament Jesus and the Holy Spirit demonstrate or are described in Scripture as having the attributes of God.

Jesus:
Omniscience (Mt. 9:4)
Omnipotence (Mt. 28:18)
Omnipresence (Mt. 28:20)
Forgive sins (Mk. 2:1-12)
Raise the dead (Jn. 12:9)
Create World (Jn. 1:3)
Judge all men (Jn. 5:27)

Holy Spirit:
Called God (Acts 5:3-4)
Called Lord (2 Cor. 3:17)
Omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10-11)
Omnipresence (1 Cor.6:19)
Truth (1 Jn. 5:6)
A person, not a force
(2 Cor.13:14)