Changing What Would Have Been

In seeking the Lord and following His divine direction, is it possible that what would have been can be changed? We have a most remarkable account of such in the life of David recorded by Samuel under inspiration in 1 Samuel 23:1-13:

Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up. Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.

What an amazing account! Throughout the narrative, David enquires of the Lord what he should do. The Lord gives guidance, and David in faith obeys.

Initially, David asks the Lord if he should attack the Philistines. The Lord responds affirmatively. David asks a second time, due to the fear of his men. The Lord again responds affirmatively and adds a promise of success. David obeys in faith, and God’s promise plays out. God led, faith responded, and God worked. 

Then Saul plans to attack David since he was in a walled town. But David hears of the plan and seeks the Lord. He specifically asks first, if Saul is actually going to come, and secondly, if the town’s people would hand him over to Saul. David is informed by the Lord, “He [Saul] will come down” and “They will deliver thee up.” So believing the Lord, David and his men departed and Saul then decided not to go. God led, faith responded, and God allowed what would have been to be changed. 

Since the Lord said specifically that Saul would come and that the town would hand David over, then we must conclude that this is what would have happened had David done nothing. But David’s faith response changed what would have happened. David departed, and Saul did not come since his plan was foiled. 

We can conclude from this inspired narrative that in God’s sovereign wisdom He did not make life for individual men deterministic as if nothing could change. Rather, God, in His sovereign wisdom,  chose to make man responsible for faith responses to God’s leading. God leads, and when faith responds to God’s leading, God responds to faith. Faith is never a work, but a response of dependence on God. Faith starts with hearing God speak, and when faith responds to God’s leading, God works. In this economy of grace, God gets the glory because faith is always a response to God’s leading and never a work but dependence on the worker—God. 

God authors faith by providing divine direction, and God finishes faith by fulfilling His promise. But without faith, what would have been will not be. 

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