The Prophet Gad
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“It seemed certain to him [David] that he must, at last, fall into the hands of his pursuer and persecutor. But could his eyes have been opened, he would have seen the angels of the Lord encamped round about him and his followers. The sentinels of Heaven were waiting to warn them of impending danger, and to conduct them to a place of refuge when their peril demanded it. God could protect David and his followers; for they were not a band in rebellion against Saul. David had repeatedly proved his allegiance to the king.” Now a man who will figure prominently in the life of David enters the narrative. “Perhaps it was Samuel who dispatched Gad to connect himself with David. The future king of Israel would be greatly benefited by the presence of a divinely inspired seer. As long as David lived, Gad was his seer (2 Sam. 24:11–19). Gad, along with Nathan the prophet, was the compiler of David’s biography (1 Chron. 29:29). Since he survived his lifelong friend and king, the indications are that he came to David while yet a young man. . . . “What God did for David in providing prophetic guidance He had done for Saul. These two lives are placed in contrast and demonstrate that God is no respecter of persons. Those who fall short of the divine standard fail, not because the Lord does not do everything that Heaven can devise to make true success possible, but because Heaven’s plan is persistently rejected.” Saul was headstrong and so preoccupied with his vendetta against David that he neglected Israel’s defense.
The Philistines were raiding settlements, and someone needed to defend the innocent shepherds. “God, who had protected him [David] so many times in the past, would not now forsake him, but would shape events in such a way through hardship and suffering that he would receive the training necessary for future leadership.” Though we may not see it, God has a plan for each of us. Ask Him to reveal yours.
