Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

from Saul, and the Keilites received him with gusto and enthusiasm, assuring him of their fidelity
and support, illuminated by that spiritual gift, denominated in 1 Corinthians 1:12, “discernment of
spirits,” he read them like books and saw falsehood and treason in their countenances. Turning the
problem over to God on his knees, he inquires of the Lord, “Will Saul come down to Keilah?” The
answer comes promptly, “He will come down.” Then David proceeds to inquire, “Will the men of
Keilah deliver me up?” The answer comes promptly, “They will deliver thee up.” David was
acquainted with God’s method of dealing with man, he understood the perfect compatibility of
human contingency with divine providence. Hence he understood “Saul will come and the Keilites
will deliver you up if you stay.” Consequently he leaps from his knees, roars a loud bugle blast,
orders march at double-quick, till they all precipitately skedaddle away from the traitors who were
ready to purchase royal favor with the head of David and his men. From this inspired history we
learn that even the divine predictions are compatible with the perfect freedom of the human will.
What was the result? Saul, close on David’s track, heard that he had fled away from Keilah, turned
his course in the direct pursuit of David and did not come down to Keilah. Hence, we see that neither
of these predictions ever took place; because David having fled, Saul did not come down, and, of
course, the men of Keilah did not deliver up David to Saul. David understood the voice of the
Almighty when He responded to him at Keilah, “Saul will come down and the men of Keilah will
deliver thee up,” though there is no mention of any possible defalcation; yet David well understood,
“He will come down” if you stay, and “they will deliver you up” if they have a chance. Hence, David
immediately fled, thus preventing the coming of Saul to Keilah and his own betrayal by the Keilites.
From this and innumerable Scriptures we learn the co-existence and compatibility of divine
sovereignty and free agency, though our poor little minds may not be able to reconcile them. If Judas,
Caiaphas and Pilate had never been born, nevertheless my Lord would have died to redeem the world
with His blood. He came for that glorious philanthropy and, regardless of human or Satanic agency,
would have verified it.
25. “I foresaw the Lord always before me, because he is my right hand that I may not be shaken.”
These words are applied to Christ; like much of David’s testimony this is only applicable to David’s
greatest Son. We must bear in mind that the humanity of Christ is our only exemplar. The great
importance of sanctification consists in the fact that it saves us from human leadership, which is
always uncertain, fraught with peril, conducive to the damnation of millions. Truly sanctified people
have no Leader but Jesus and no Guide but the Word, Spirit and Providence. The carnal clergy in
all ages have fought sanctification with uncompromising virulence, from the simple fact that it takes
the people out of their hands and turns them over to God, thus interrupting their cherished
ecclesiastical policy of human leadership. In the fact that the man Jesus is our great and only
Exemplar, we are assured in this verse that it is our privilege to enjoy spiritual apprehension of His
constant presence. As the advocate in criminal court stood on the right hand of the accused while he
defended and delivered him from the hands of his enemies, so it is our privilege to enjoy a constant
spiritual apprehension of the inspiring and consolatory presence of the great Deliverer.
27. “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see
corruption.” We have two words used by the Holy Ghost and translated “Hell” in E.V., i.e.,
“Hades,” which in R.V. is not translated, but transferred very correctly to our language, while the
other word Gehenna in R.V. is constantly and correctly “Hell.” The difference between the two is
simply that of genus and species, Hades being a generic word simply meaning the “unseen world,”