Vision in the Wilderness
1 Samuel 26:2-4 (CSB) So Saul, accompanied by three thousand of the fit young men of Israel, went immediately to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there. 3 Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon. David was living in the wilderness and discovered Saul had come there after him. 4 So David sent out spies and knew for certain that Saul had come.
David had been living in the wilderness for some time now, on the run from Saul. By the time this latest campaign of Saul to murder David occurred, David was, no doubt, very familiar with the wilderness. The scripture says that this is where he abode:
-abode (Strong’s H3427) - “properly, to sit down (spec. as judgment in ambush, in quiet), by implication, to dwell, to remain; to settle, to marry” (Vine’s) - swell, sit, abide, inhabit remain.
Did David make gains by abiding in the wilderness? Lord, I believe You placed him there for his benefit. (And You place us there for the same reason). It’s not comfortable; It’s not convenient; it’s not prized or respected, but it is of great value when the Lord has us to dwell there for a while.
From the wilderness, David had clear perspective. He could see for long distances. He had greater insight and “farsight.” He could see that, once again, Saul was coming after him. This is a lot easier to do in the desert than in a forest or a city. The desert doesn’t have a lot of obstructions that hinder one’s view. There are no trees. There are no buildings. In the wilderness, distractions are at a minimum, and one can notice the slightest movement, even at long distances. It’s quieter in the wilderness. The cacophony of forest rustlings is absent, as is the blare of city bustlings. Therefore hearing, like sight, is heightened here. In the wilderness, one is unlikely to miss both the enemy’s approach and strategies as well as the Lord’s leading and instruction.
Saul, by contrast, set up camp in the wilderness as well, but beside the road. The Lord had led David our into the depths of the wilderness, where he was totally dependent upon his God. Saul, though, always one to lean on the arm of the flesh, kept to the uninspired, commonly tread, worldly path. The Lord may lead us as He led David, into the wild wilderness where no path has been laid for us to follow.
Don’t be afraid if the Lord has had you remain for a long time in a setting that is rather harsh and rugged. It is more beneficial for knowing God than any camp in a city or along a roadside.The wilderness is missing the entertainment, merchants, fashion, and other things found in the relative ease of other settings. Be grateful for it.
Do you see that abiding in the wilderness can give the perspective, the high perch, to see easily the movements and schemings of the evil one? Let us not descend from this high perch down to the dumbing, numbing, clatter-chatter claptrap of common things, but let us abide in the wilderness for as long as God wants us there.
In what areas have you been resisting the quiet separation that God has called you to?