What does 1 Samuel 23:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Amid outward strife, God is sure to provide some rill of human love-a tender friendship, a Jonathan. See Psalms 106:46. This is the mission of a friend-to strengthen our hands in God, whisper words of hope, and enter into renewed covenants with us. Is not this what our best Friend does? He finds us out in the deepest woods, and whispers His Fear not. There is no hunted soul to whom Jesus will not come to pour in the oil and wine of His presence.

Let us always strengthen our friends' hands in God. We sometimes weaken their good resolutions by our timid entreaties, as Peter did when he urged the Lord to spare Himself, Matthew 16:22. No, you must always help your friend to be his noblest and strongest. The angel strengthened the Redeemer in the garden. The one word for us to pass on is, "O man, greatly beloved, fear not; peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong," Daniel 10:19.

The Ziphites made a direct bid for Saul's favor, but their plot miscarried. When a man puts his life into God's hands, he has no need to fear "the arrow by day nor the terror by night." Whatever difficulties threaten him, there is ever a way of escape. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 23

¹  David, enquiring of the Lord by Abiathar, rescues Keilah
⁷  God showing him the coming of Saul, and the treachery of the Keilites,
¹³  he escapes from Keilah
¹⁴  In Ziph Jonathan comes and comforts him
¹⁹  The Ziphites discover him to Saul
²⁵  At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the invasion of the Philistines
²⁹  He dwells at En Gedi