In this chapter David was sovereignly kept by God from joining the Philistines’ camp to fight against Israel. Thus, he was not involved in the destruction of Saul, his sons (including Jonathan), and the men of Israel (1 Sam. 31:1-5). His returning to the land of the Philistines also enabled him to rescue his two wives and the families of his men, who had been captured by the Amalekites (ch. 30).

All the small things in this record show that God was working in a detailed way to carry out His economy. God exercised His sovereignty to rescue David from his dilemma. God did this not only for David’s sake but also for the sake of His economy. Jesus Christ is called the son of David (Matt. 1:1), indicating that David was very much related to God’s becoming a man to fulfill what had been determined in eternity past (Micah 5:2). Without David there would not have been the genealogy through which Christ as God became a man to be one with mankind and to thereby accomplish God’s economy.