5d • Revelation
I bet you didn’t know this…
Did you know that King Saul’s name literally means “asked for”—and the tragic irony is that the king called “Asked For” stopped asking God, while David the fugitive wouldn’t make a single move without inquiring of the LORD.
In 1 Samuel 23, David faces life-or-death decisions constantly—should he fight the Philistines? Will Saul hunt him down? Will the people he just saved betray him? And every single time, David does something revolutionary: he asks God first. The Hebrew word is sha’al—“to ask, inquire, request”—the exact same word that forms Saul’s name (Sha’ul). The man whose identity was built on being “asked for” had completely stopped asking. Meanwhile, David—hiding in caves with 600 outlaws—won’t take a step without permission from heaven.
But here’s what will blow your mind: David wasn’t waiting for a voice in his head or trying to interpret his feelings. He had an actual, physical, God-ordained system for hearing directly from heaven. He would call for Abiathar the priest and say, “Bring the ephod here.” Abiathar would approach wearing the sacred priestly vest with a breastplate embedded with twelve precious stones representing Israel’s tribes. Hidden inside a pocket in that breastplate were the Urim and Thummim—two sacred objects (most likely stones with different colors or markings) that functioned like divine yes/no answers. David would speak his question out loud before the LORD: “Will Saul come down to Keilah? Will the men of Keilah betray me?” The priest would reach into the breastplate, consult the Urim and Thummim, and one would be revealed—giving God’s direct answer. This wasn’t mysticism or guesswork. This was covenant communication. God speaking definitively through the mechanism He established. And David submitted to whatever answer came—even when it was terrifying.
Here’s the game-changer for us: we don’t need a priest with stones anymore because we have something infinitely better—the Holy Spirit living inside us 24/7. Under the Old Covenant, access to God was mediated and limited. Only priests, prophets, and kings heard from God directly. Everyone else had to go through someone. But at Pentecost, everything shifted. Now every believer carries the presence of God internally. We hear from God through six primary ways: the Holy Spirit’s inner voice and leading (John 14:26 says the Helper will teach us all things), the written Word of God (which is God’s revealed will and answers most of our questions), the inner witness of peace or disruption in our spirit (Colossians 3:15 says to let God’s peace act as an umpire in our hearts), prophetic words and spiritual gifts operating in the Church (tested against Scripture), the counsel of mature, Spirit-filled believers who know us and carry proven character, and circumstances with open or closed doors that God sovereignly orchestrates. The process is simple but requires discipline: search Scripture first to see if God has already spoken on the matter, pray and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom (James 1:5 promises God gives liberally to those who ask), listen for the inner witness of peace or unrest in your spirit, test everything against the written Word, seek confirmation through godly counsel for major decisions, and then move forward in faith and obedience. Most believers don’t lack God’s voice—they lack the discipline to quiet themselves, read the Word daily to recognize His voice, and obey what they already know. God is speaking. The question is: are you tuned in?
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” — James 1:5
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I bet you didn’t know this…
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