1 Samuel 23-24 - The King Ruling from Exile

let's open our Bibles tonight the first Samuel 23 we have communion as well so we want to get right into it hmm and just look at chapter 23 in chapter 24 today together Saul had been set aside by the Lord thirty three years or so into his reign God had given saw lots of opportunity he had great potential he set it all aside for his own way of life when the Lord chose David he sent the old prophet Samuel to his house anointed David he was probably still a teenager but he was slowly brought along he was anointed for a while and nothing seemed to change then he was invited by some of the king's servants to come and play musical instruments for the king who was being harassed by a evil spirit from the Lord and it calmed Saul and so for a time David was introduced to the to the palace if you will by just coming to play the harp when the Lord set up David to come to the army at a time when Goliath was spending six weeks twice a day chastising them and mocking their God David all of a sudden came into his prominence he was upset over what he heard he couldn't believe that no one would fight this big giant in the name of the Lord he volunteered as a young man to do it himself you know the story we went through it in detail but needless to say he came upon the scene in the big whale and everyone knew his name including Saul for a while he thought gosh is a great guy to have on our army put him in in charge of the forces but it didn't take long for Saul who was already hanging on to his throne not because the Lord had given it to him but because he was unwilling to let go of it tenaciously kind of hanging on and when everyone began to notice sated sorted sawed and it wasn't long before Saul began to plot privately to kill David remove this threat to his power by the time that David is sure of that and his best friend who happens to be Saul's son Jonathan told him yes indeed that's what my dad intends to do David in chapter 21 and 22 ran off in fear he was a young guy we know from second Samuel that David was thirty years old when he came to power he would have been 22 or so years old here and he began to run for his life he went by the priestly City of Nob he picked up food and he also picked up Goliath Soros was put on display before the Lord there to honor God's giving him victory and he told the priest he was on a secret mission for the king he lied he was a he was scared he didn't know what to do he didn't pray he Iran relying on his flesh he headed out to go to of all places gas which was a one of the five Philistine cities that was hometown to Goliath a guy he had killed and then he came into town wearing his sword not a lot of planning here he was quickly arrested he didn't know what to do they went to get the King and and David decided he would just act like he was crazy like who else would have come in a town like that unless you were nuts so the King looked through the door saw David spitting on himself and running into the law and said just let him go this is disgusting David got out and it worked but it really wasn't God's will David headed back to the kids of Abdullah which were kind of on the border between the Philistine area and and Judah he went to the cave he was so sorry for his his sin of trusting in himself he he wrote several Psalms there we mentioned them to you when we went through those chapters just ask the Lord to help him to forgive him to use him and God began to bring him men that were discouraged and discontent and and those who really were on the run and David began to teach them God's Word they would become his army and and and the the biggest support that he would have for the next 40 years or so he would lead these folks to a faith in God and and God gave to David great favor not because David always did the right thing but they had a really soft heart a couple of things you can write down about David he forgave quickly didn't keep a log record of wrongs and he was quick to admit well usually quick to admit a sin with Bathsheba he went 14 months of just I'm not telling anybody and then the Lord came and knocked on his door so last time we left David in returning to that cave the problem was though David had repented there was some consequence of his sin not the least of which is when Saul found out about it he sent a man to kill those priests and their families that had supposedly helped David the preusse priest wasn't guilty he didn't even know where David was going even asked him but he wasn't told so David ends up with a fella named ABA thar who is the only priest that escaped that slaughter I decide to really seek God's heart in the years to come but but God forgives but but the consequences oftentimes remain tonight we wanted to pick up with David in chapter 23 and 24 which is really the flipside of of the of the despair that David found in chapter 21 because having repented and then said whatever's going to happen to me I'm gonna do this the Lord's way I'm gonna be faithful to him you find David at a strong point in both of these chapters and they're good chapters to learn that the tests are extremely severe they're they're different I don't know how you handle betrayal or unthanked lessness from people that you've helped and how you determine what God's will is when everything seems to be going in your favor that must be the Lord or not but but there's some good lessons for us to learn here not the least of which is can I love my enemies and leave vengeance to the Lord well today or tonight we find David at least a young 20 to 23 year old young man learning to stand in his faith and practice what he preaches and what he has learned there back in chapter 21 so verse 1 of chapter 23 it says this then they told David saying look the Philistines are fighting against Kela they're robbing the threshing floors and David inquired of the Lord and he said shall I go and attack these Philistines and the Lord said to David go attack the Philistines and save Kela but David's men said to him look were afraid here in Judah how much more if we go to Kela against the armies of the Philistines and so David inquired again of the Lord and the Lord answered him and said now arise and go down tequila for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand and so David and his young men went down tequila and fought with the Philistines striking them with a mighty blow taking away their livestock and David saved the inhabitants of Kela but it happened when a de Thor the son of him elect the priest who had been killed there in Nob fled to David their Aquila that he had come down with this Aoife in his hands so while Saul now has determined for the next and last seven years of his life only one thing I'm gonna kill David if at all costs the Philistines continue their aggression against the nation of in Israel kind of unhindered it's not a godly nation at this point Saul's effect has been minimal and certainly spiritually lacked completely but David is told of the assault and notice what David does so unlike Saul he seeks the Lord for direction and we are told in verse 6 how he was able to find God's will the ephod which he carried eb eighth are the high priests who had been killed had joined david there with this Aoife the eva was that thing that was worn by the priests it inside it was kept what was called the the Ihram and the Thummim the words mean light and perfections it is usually believed though not adequately explained in the scriptures there were two stones one white and one black and that those who would go to seek the Lord through his priests who would represent him in the Old Testament we find it happening a lot of times hundreds of times that God would then direct based upon the the willingness of the the people seeking him to obey his direction and so David had a man with him that could speak for the Lord and David unlike saw was a young man now it was determined to do things God's Way and to wait for God's direction so he hears that Israel's in trouble he's eased to be their king they're under attack Saul is too busy with murder plans but dave has got a heart a true Shepards heart for the people and so he is seeking the Lord and noticed that the Lord tells him that he's able to go it's interesting that if you have been with us David early on now has had a prophet his name is GAD and now he has a high priest named ABA Thor he's kind of like plugged into the Lord Old Testament style alright he has a prophet and a priest he has the the access to God into his word and a heart that wants to be led we have the Holy Spirit and we have his word we have the same thing don't we that God can direct our steps so the place that he had heard about was a place called Kela it's in the western lowlands of Judah it's northwest of Hebron if you have a picture of Israel and in your head it was a walled city and so the people when they grew their crops would go up to the neighboring hills because there was wind and they would Thresh you know they're green grains and all and then they would take it home for food but the Philistines waited for them to to harvest it bring it up to Thresh the wheat and then they would just attack and take it from them and leave the people without any kind of food at all so left them to starve David notice in verse two back on track with the Lord after that 21 chapter debacle wants the Lord to show him what to do and so he asks the Lord to show him first Samuel I think chapter xxxii Samuel chapter 5 are are really good illustrations of of going to the priests and getting some direction for the order there's a lot of them but those are they stand out in my mind so David goes to pray which by the way is always a good thing to do better that you pray before you act Pastor Chuck used to to say to us young men that would be pastors until you pray you can't do anything after you pray you can do anything but not until you pray and that stuck with me all of these years but you know praying eliminates impulsive behavior because to pray means to slow down right it removes kind of the emotional presumptive mistakes that sometimes we make when we're just sure we know what God wants and it looks so obvious like everyone would vote with us and yet not at all what God wants Oh David you know in his mind as a king I got to help these people are being robbed by the Philistines they're losing their food they're starving makes every bit of sense he might have just said let's just go but David is wise enough now to just first seek the Lord the more we seek Him the more the benefits of knowing him and God doesn't leave us ignorant if we ask in all your ways acknowledge him and what happens he'll direct your paths it's a promise right so seek Him and David did how refreshing David is from Saul what a good story to be at saw was just a bummer wasn't he always but David is here he you know he's a wanted man he's being hunted by the king with all of the resources of the government and he still takes great concern for God's people and you know this is the why the Lord chose him to be the king a true servant puts his needs ahead of those of others well verse 3 tells us that and I think it's logical that these men that had come to David these these you know guys that nobody wanted 600 of them now would say to David that's a bad idea in fact verse 13 tells us there are 600 it's a bad idea look we're just we're afraid here I was gonna say a frightened here but that's not a good word like they're us we're a scared here in Judah what if I we get out there in the middle of nowhere now we're surrounded first Saul's chasing us then there's the Philistines we're we're that's a bad idea and David I think understood that this motley crew that had been gathered together you know they didn't know the Lord as David did yet they thought that this was just gonna get worse and so he was he understood their worries and he does something that I think is pretty interesting he goes back to pray again and I suspect although it doesn't say that this time he took these men with him alright let's go check with the Lord because I did that and I think he said we should go but we can do that again because if it's the Lord we'll get the same answer and so he took these men who were learning to trust God with him he loved them he led by example he addressed their hesitancy of faith if you will he wanted them to grow and so he prays again and notice that in verse 4 we we read that as he asked again that the Lord again gave them basically the same direction I'll go with you I'll deliver them into your hands you'll save the town there's nothing to be worried about this is God's will so these men still had their eyes on the situation David one of them have their eyes on the Lord and so he leads them and notice in verse 5 it says so David and his men went whatever their hesitation was prayer an example one them I think back to the things of God and they they go out to be doers not just here's of God's Word but I want you to notice seek direction and then act obediently don't just be here's be doers of what you hear and as they go God uses them and indeed without any you know information beyond that the the city is delivered the enemy is forwarded the food is returned and God is honored we read in verse seven and Saul was told that David had gone down to kala and so Saul said God has delivered him into my hand he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars and Saul asked are called upon all the people together for war so they could go down to Scylla not to save them from the Philistines but did the besieged David and his men and when David knew that Saul plotted in evil against him he said to you EBE thar the priest again would you bring the ephod here I don't know how word gets back to Saul but man I'm telling you it has to be is bad in those days as it is in our days when it comes to somebody said something to somebody and that's what I heard and that's all I I got it from amazing they're like 1520 miles apart beautiful David Shaw was coming over there and it amazing to me so Saul doesn't rejoice that the Philistines are defeated he doesn't rejoice that his people in his kingdom have been spared their suffering he just sees it as an opportunity to wipe David out he's in a wall city he'll never get out and notice part of Saul and his wonderful spiritual language oh the Lord is blessing me I can kill him now he somehow can make that sound like spiritual a guy that lived in open defiance against the Lord but I think I read once that spiritual language is usually the last thing to depart from a life that has departed from God long before the last thing to go is the language itself so Saul sees this as a as a as a work of God but let me just say to you it isn't one good lesson of these chapters is how careful we have to be to interpret circumstances and and and understand whether the Lord is in them or not now in a minute when they find the Saul in a cave asleep and and David's guys go yeah the Lord is with us let's kill him they do the same thing they miss Reed the circumstance and ascribe to God an action that God's not interested in and David gets it right here saw blinded by his sin the scribes to God a benefit to himself also absolutely wrong because sometimes circumstances even though they seem to be leaning in our way is no assurance that God is with us and whether they are new believers like those with David or veteran believers like David himself you have to be able to look at the situation and apply all that you know about God and not just limit those things to what your desires might be so here's saw he has a wicked heart he has evil motives he could care less about the will of God he concludes foolishly this must be God's will but you know when you're living in sin discernment goes out the window in all your ways acknowledge me but what happens if you don't acknowledge him at all then God cannot direct your path so word gets back Saul hears about it he goes all this is great I'm gonna get but in verse nine we're told when David knew that Saul planted evil against him I don't know how this the gossip I guess they had like I don't know that the internet and David said Oh Lord God of Israel your server has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come out Aquila to destroy the city for my sake will the men of Kela deliver me into his hands will Saul come down as your servant has heard Oh Lord God of Israel I pray tell your servant and the Lord's answer was yep he's coming come the look and David said well will the men of Kela deliver me and my man into the hands the hands and Lord said yep they will deliver you now in contrast to Saul David only wants God's will and I love his heart young guy you know usually when you're young you're stubborn you get older you just well then you're stubborn too I guess but you're louder when we think he's willing to just God whatever you want risked his neck brought his guys obeyed the Lord delivered the city found God's strength only to hear that Saul was coming and he would even destroy the whole city to get to David because he could surround a walled city starve the people out destroy everyone they couldn't go nowhere could put his army all around the walls but David was notified sought the Lord on it and the Lord said yes he's coming so he just wants to serve the Lord now how do you think David David felt hearing what the people would do to him because it seems to me you're in one of those positions were you know you've done all that you can for someone and they're about to turn on you now I will argue that the people were more afraid of Saul than they were appreciative of David because he'd been there they were ready to live he's been you know he's been there to deliver them that's over but but Saul is a very present tense kind of danger but but that had to go to David's heart I would think David decides he will leave the city so Saul can't destroy the whole place looking for him but how would you feel when you're being really betrayed by those you've risked your life to serve this wasn't like he just sent them some help he put his life on the line they fought the Philistines there's no tougher guys in town to fight that was as bad of a people as you could go up against and he had done it to save their life so David verse 4:13 and his men about 600 of them they arose arose they departed from Kela and they went wherever they could go no real direction given by the Lord just get away from there and it was told saw that David had escaped and so before he got there he halted the expedition meanwhile David stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness remain in the countries and the wilderness of Ziff while saw sought him every day but God did not deliver him into his hand 600 guys are hard to hide 600 guys on the run sometimes God indeed would have us to just do our best and you know as much as the Lord's going they're coming you better go then they go wherever they could the Lord doesn't go to go left at the light you know two blocks down they didn't they just had to go let's you know they used common sense they they God leads in very natural ways and notice what you read in verse 14 that though that though David positions himself the the wilderness of Ziff by the way is where he lived this is where he grew up he familiar terra-tory if you will but but I like the last part of the verse because it said even though saw was after him every day God protected David we're not told how we're not told how spectacular might have been but just every day David got away just like David heard Saul was coming the Lord works in the most natural ways we like when the you know and the lights go down and the voice Quivers and your hand hair stands up on your arms all the Lord's here but that's usually not the way it happened with David it's not like man we survived egg thank you Lord but we really don't see how he did it we just know that he yeah and so David went wherever he could he stayed in the strongholds in the middle of nowhere he remained in the mountains he did what he could and God was able to watch over him this judy in wilderness especially the area between the Dead Sea and the Judean mountains are inhospitable they are are rugged they're isolate extremely hot being below sea level lots of caves lots of ravines lots of Kony's and ibex --is and not very many people horrible place to go it was in this area that the Jewish zealots fled from the Romans in the first century and made their stand at Masada it was here that David would write Psalm 63 you can go read it on your own or put it in the margin saw will oftentimes come to this area looking for David and David you know you just has to run and hide God was with him but it did mean that David had to run and hide it didn't just come naturally it just he just had to run and God was with him he would write in Psalm 34 I think verse 19 many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord will deliver him out of them all he learned that on the road though you read Psalm 34 and you can learn it David had to write it well we're told in verse 15 that so David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life and David was in the wilderness of Ziff there in the forest when Jonathan Saul's son came to David in the woods to strengthen his hand in God and he said to him do not fear for the hand of saw my father shall not find you you're gonna be king over Israel and I shall be next to you even my father Saul knows that and the two of them made a covenant before the Lord and David stayed in the woods and Jonathan went on to his home so Jonathan came up from Gibeah which was about I don't know 25 miles from here found his friend David Saul couldn't find him but his buddy could and he was living in the wood in the woods of Ziff hiding came at a time when David needed it man because David look he in chapter 21 remember he was spitting up on himself and running into he came in to just say Lord I'm gonna do things your way he put his life on the line for his own people only haven't turned on him haven't been going well now we can go and wherever he could not really any place to go and so you can just imagine David needing a spiritual kind of encouragement I think one of the best reasons to go to church is is we need to be encouraged our faith is not always so strong and it helps to hear from people you know and I think one of the best reasons you stay in fellowship is it's just that we need the encouragement we need to do this together we need to hang on to one another and get from here to there waiting for the Lord to come I'm sure that David thought this is never gonna end he's never gonna quit until I'm dead I don't know what to do enjoy Jonathan showed up hang in there bro you're gonna be fine I know God's chosen you I know I'll be with you my dad knows it too God will take care of you that's easy to say to people that are running but it's the running guy that's got to believe that III always remember that that scripture early on in accident in chapter 4 maybe where the the early church had had started to be a witness and for a while everything went foul but fine but then the world quickly turned against God's work and you find them at the end of chapter 4 together and in fellowship assembling praying and then says the place was shaken where were the the people were gathered and the Holy Spirit fell upon them and they spoke the Word of God again with boldness they had been filled in chapter 2 they were filled again in chapter 4 and again in chapter 7 you can continue to read God continued to fill the church David couldn't have had a better friend and certainly this was a time when he needed it maybe more than any other time so God's good timing giving David some encouragement from all biblical accounts this is the last time that Jonathan and David meet face to face I don't know that that's true because seven years are gonna pass six years are gonna that but biblically we don't have any account of them meeting again this side of heaven but the fellowship of their faith greatly lifted David up they acknowledge each other's work they acknowledge the work of God they they made an agreement together before the Lord and so there would have been a prophet and a priest there witnessing this Allegiance and Alliance and just the commitment to one another so the two of them made a covenant verse 18 David went back into the woods Jonathan went home well meanwhile the Zipp fights came to salt I don't get it the gossip Channel and they said is David not hiding with us and the strongholds in the wood he's in the hills of jacala which is just south of Jessamine now therefore o King come down according to the desire of your heart come down and our part will be to deliver him into the Kings hand and toss all spiritual man that is blessed are you of the Lord you have had such compassion upon me again David's place of hiding is betrayed by saw to Saul but this time they are zip fights which by the way are David's own countrymen this isn't another tribe this is his people and if you've been betrayed once by people who don't know you and you've sacrificed well how much worse is that now when your own family turns against you your own relatives your own people it must have broken David's heart I he must have wondered if anyone could be faithful to the Lord at all how hard is betrayal to your face now don't again I would argue that the the people of Ziff were more afraid of saw than they would ever be of David David was kind and merciful and though he had been chosen to be king this wasn't a very spiritual time in the nation's history and maybe they didn't see it they just wanted to survive but whatever they wanted to do they lacking a spiritual relationship with the Lord they were willing to put a good man in the crosshairs of a wicked King come and do whatever you want to him that sounds pretty horrible we just I think they were just afraid again like I said Paul us all uses his fake spiritual language David flees he writes Psalm 54 you can put that in your margin there if you will as it resolved this we know that because it's in the header of the of the psalm saying that he trusted the Lord that the strangers had risen up against him of oppressors ever seeking my life they haven't set the Lord before their eyes so lord help me be my helper he writes he just knew these on his own there was no one there he could look to and depend upon but he ends that Psalm and it's only seven or eight verses by saying that the Lord has delivered me out of all of my trouble and my eyes will even see my desire upon my enemies I know that I'm gonna see God come through but this is all lessons from the road it's like the lessons you learn you know you you hear God's Word but then you have to apply it so it's all set back to the people verse 22 go and find out for sure and then when you see the place where he's hiding and who has seen him there then I am told because I'm told he's very crafty see therefore and take knowledge of all of the lurking places where he hides and then come back to me with certainty and then I go I will go with you and it'll be that if he is in the land that I will search for him throughout all the life of the clans of Judah I'll find him whether he he's among his own people or another people and so they arose and went back to Ziff before Saul but David and his men they were in the wilderness of man and they they went to the planes that were south of measurement Jeshurun in other words David got wind of it again and and for the second time in as many you know stories he has to pack up and go Saul doesn't want to go on a wild goose chase he's a mean guy he's lazy he's worried about how he looks in the eyes of the people so he says to the ZIF i'ts well just pinpoint him he's kind of a crafty fella you know I'll I'll come when you tell me where he's hiding and if he gets away then I'll go everywhere looking for him I'm committed and all of us to kill an innocent man by the time the men returned home david has moved further south verse 25 says and when saul and his men went to seek him they told David therefore he went down to the rock stayed in the man wilderness and saw heard that he pursued David down into the wilderness of mayo and Saul went up on one side of the mountain David and his men on the other side of the mountain David made haste to get away from Saul for saw and his men were encircling David and his men to catch them or take them but a messenger came to Saul saying hurry come the Philistines have invaded the land therefore saw returned from pursuing David when after the fitness of Philistines and they called that place David the lot rock of escape and so David went up from there and he began to dwell in the strongholds of him getting so desperate saw besides he's bringing all kinds of guys to get David and it sounds like he almost got him doesn't it like it was pretty close he was encircling David was just one step ahead and running with all of his might God where are you God you'll deliver me God you've promised and and he could hear them breathing down his neck and at the last minute Saul gets a message you got to come home right now we got bigger problems than David and so it's comforting to know when God will move armies for you isn't it but David realizing God's deliverance called that whole area the the rocks or the cliffs of escape to honor God's deliverance and David moved further into the wilderness down towards and Getti and then Getti there was higher ground than where he was hiding in the wilderness first one of chapter 24 says now it happened when Saul has returned from following the Philistines it was told I'm saying you should take note that David is now in the wilderness of Engedi I don't know who these stalkers are but I get it and Saul took 3,000 of his most chosen men out of all of Israel to go down to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats which is exactly what the words and gety means and so he came to the ship sheepfold by the road where there was a cave saw went in to attend to his needs just happened that david and his men were also staying on the recesses of the same cave we don't know how many months all of this covered we will guess that it isn't years we will quickly get in just a couple of chapters to where it'll be the last two years of Saul's pursuit of David so God doesn't give us much to go on for those seven and a half years but but these stories are I think instrumental because they kind of say here's David learning to walk by faith and trust the Lord sometimes he just has to go wherever he can sometimes he's delivered at the last minute sometimes he suffers the treachery of people he's loved or family that he's trusted in but but he continues to grow and David will come to the throne at thirty years old so it's between 22 and 30 years old that all of these things are taking place in his life would he trust the Lord completely well he had when people betrayed him he he did when his own family turned against him but how about now so he's put into another situation and gety the rocks of their wild goats that say an oasis in the desert if you've gone with us to Israel everyone seems to like to go there it's nice when you're it's not hot it's brutal when it's 110 degrees but we usually go in March so it's not 110 degrees but it could be and Getty has been around since Genesis 14 you will find it there under the name houses on came our if you were in and gety in Bible days you could have watched the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah so that's where it's located in the plains below it's in the northern Negev it's where the Dead Sea is where Masada is David is hiding in a very difficult place to live but he's running for his life Saul shows up with eight three thousand of his finest soldiers he is older solace he is much older the place where he is hunting is 1,400 feet below sea level and because of the heat at noon he just goes into a cat cave I suspect just to get out of the heat because those soldiers are tough I don't think the saw was out that time he was in his day but he's he's kind of a lazy guy and he's old so he takes a break in a cave to get out of but in the recesses of the cave big place there's 600 guys hiding have you ever been in a car and you just know someone's looking at you well it's like 1200 eyes unsolved and he's just dead to the world is he completely imperceptible this guy but he goes into rest falls asleep and David's young trainees his men with him see this situation as the absolute perfect example of God's blessing David you've been telling us if we wait upon the Lord he'll deliver us and here he is look he's sleeping kill him I'll kill him we should all kill him this thank you God this is the coolest I'm glad I'm a believer they saw this as a god-given opportunity to remove Paul our saws could keep Colin Parker saw whisper it's just a confusing first floor then the men of David said to him this is the day which the Lord said to you said to you behold I will deliver your enemy into your hand but you may do to him as it seemed good today to you and so David arose and secretly went over to this sleeping man cut off the corner of his robe and it happened after that that David's heart troubled him because of what he had done and he said to his men the Lord forbid that I should put this do this thing to my master the Lord's anointed to stretch out my hand against him seeing he's the anointed of the Lord and so David had to restrain his servants with these words did not allow them to rise up against Saul and eventually saw got up from the cave and when he's way now remember saw jumping to conclusion based on circumstance well here's David's men quoting back to David what he had told them the Lord told me one day he's going to deliver us from the enemy this is the day David said yes this is the day to these men and to David what did it mean no more running from hardship no more you know army hunting to kill you no more price on your head this would be the road to the throne come on David kill this guy and let's go home thank God I'm so glad I'm with him and David advances and he cuts the the skirt off of Saul if you will as he's sleeping no doubt in his mind if he's a young guy flashes of vengeance you know this is this is for throwing this javelin at me this is for raiding my home this is for giving me your daughter then taking her away again this is for all those plots that you've had to kill me this is for slaughtering all those priests oh thank you lord I've got plenty of reasons to run this guy through all those hard nights where I was sleep sleeping with my head on a rock thank you lord you don't think that was running through his head I have to believe it all where he's running through his head and though reason said Amen by the time he cut his robe his conscience said no way somewhere in the middle there the motive was vengeance that's sin every good you can't be driven by vengeance that's the Lord to do what these men suggestion would be to sacrifice his faith in the Lord commit murder take the throne in his own hands follow a path not approved by the Lord he hadn't made Saul King the Lord had that's the Lord's King not mine and God forbid that I should step in and and and remove him it would mean forgetting all that he had learned about God's provision and God's guidance and God's promises and he would dishonor the Lord and he would he would set a bad example for these men that he'd been teaching would be the to betray the very things David had been telling them all along so passion in his veins vengefulness in his heart but the Spirit of God putting on the brakes can't do this remember what we said circumstances do not always say this is the Lord you've got to know the heart of God be careful how you interpret circumstance and God's providence and I think that you have to ultimately have a thorough knowledge of God's character and not just try to isolate it into one thing because things are not always how they seem that's why we were warned about being deceived and knowing God's Word because we can be deceived the Lord said there in Romans do not avenge yourself give place to your wrath vengeance is mine so David if nothing else because that's an Old Testament verse it could have said I'm doing this for the wrong reason if nothing else so I can determine that this isn't God's will oh he might have been brought in here to show these men that God was in charge but he didn't bring them in here for me to kill him vengeance is the Lord's love your enemies Jesus will say bless those who curse you and hate you and despitefully use you and persecute you and as the men concluded this is the Lord David says to the people this isn't the Lord not what you're asking me to do it isn't at all it's always I think wise at least for my own life in trying to figure out if the Lord's and something to look at your motive for doing whatever it is you're doing here vengeance certainly played a part sometimes its ambition just want to promote myself sometimes it's impatience Lord I've been waiting long enough sometimes it's just it's not the Lord's way at all I just I haven't got a clue as to what he might be doing there's that version in Isaiah 28 that that says I lay in Zion a foundation stone a tried stone a precious stone a sure foundation and then it says , who who so ever will won't be hasty in other words if you know that God's in charge you don't have to hurry but if your decisions are made with I got to do this right now probably not the Lord either so wait on the Lord that's hard isn't it wait on the Lord because I would rather do anything than wait on the Lord this isn't the Lord well David is a pretty cool leader for such a young man with these very tough guys verse six and seven would tell me he's able to slow these guys down and their street fighters explain to them God wouldn't work like this he agrees to - they agree to sit by can and let's all walk out not one guy out of line eventually saw wakes up the man who hated david the most walks out of the cave well david afterwards when he'd gotten away a bit verse 8 arose and went after him out of the cave and he yelled over to saw my lord the king and when saul looked behind him david stoop with his face to the ground and he bowed down and David said to Saul why do you listen to the words of men who say indeed David is seeking your harm look this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into the hands of the cave and someone urged me to kill you but my eye has spared you and I said I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord nor for he is the Lord's anointed moreover my father's see yes see the corner of your robe in my hand for in that I cut off the corner of your Road and did not kill you no and see that there was neither evil nor rebellion in my hand I have not sinned against you yet you hunt my life to take it let the Lord judge between you and I let the Lord avenge me of you but my hand shall not be against you as the proverb of the Ancients says wickedness proceeds from the wicked so my hand shall not be against you after whom has the king of Israel come out who are you pursuing a dead dog a flea therefore let the Lord be the judge and judge between you and I and see and plead my case and deliver me out of your hand and so it was when David had finished speaking these words to saw that Saul's that is this your voice my son David and he raised his voice and he wept David's words to saw were convicting convincing having read ahead I know that the saw was only moved for it by a moment because you're not a spiritual man he's not a godly man he living in sin is not an unrepentant heart but but David says and why are you listening bunch of liars about me you're listening to the lies that they've told here's a slice of your robe this could easily have been your head in fact I got a guy volunteered about three three to six hundred of them let this be proof to you in that I'm not out to hurt you and so here's what I want to do and let the Lord decide between us God's will is not for me to get even you got to answer to the Lord you're fighting him and David just commits it to the Lord exactly what he had written in Psalm 37 commit your ways to the Lord he'll bring it to pass David said here have it so Saul realizes how close to dying he had come for the moment he's sorry as could be he cries in verse 16 tears that not very sincere ones I suspect he says to David in verse 17 you are more righteous than I you have REME ordered me with good whereas I've rewarded you with evil and you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me for when the Lord delivered me into your hand you didn't kill me for if a man finds his enemy will he let him go away safely therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you've done to me this day and no I and now I know indeed that you have you're gonna be the king Kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me you will not destroy my name from my father's house and David swore to him Saul went home David went back into the into the woods at back into the caves seed that twice right Jonathan came hey the Lord's gonna be Lydia and Jonathan went home David went out into the woods Saul said I just know the Lord's gonna call you to be king Saul went to the palace David was out through the woods David's only got walking by faith everybody else seems to be living out their life so Saul realized how close he had come to dying for the moment he admits it it's the first time by the way publicly had knowledge is that David is gonna be the king says so out loud asks for clemency for his family when David comes to the throne David promises it and David delivers on it if you go to 2nd Samuel I think 9 and 21 you'll see David taking care of some of Saul's children and descendants so Saul shows a motion but he doesn't change his heart if he had he would say hey by the way here's the key to the palace you can move in right now he could have given up then instead he goes back and David goes back into hiding and probably will would that will be the case for the next five more years poor guy but living by faith isn't easy is it it can be so hard betrayal threats having to look at situations and determine the heart of God and is this really the Lord how even yeah people say to me all the time oh the Lord told me to tell you and I don't know how to argue with that even if I think what they're Tommy's nonsense I can't go well the Lord probably didn't tell you I can just leave it you got a kind of answer for yourself we have to determine is the Lord speaking or is it the burrito I had for dinner you know is that the Lord telling me to go to Hawaii to be a pastor or is it just me wanting to witness off the surfboard I mean you got to determine where a goddess is speaking when what is he saying to you and circumstances don't define God's will and they don't they don't approve well it's misread here in several verses the only guy who gets it right is David he he gets that far line of stuff and goes that's not the heart of God that the way I've got it the will of God it's easier it's a definite solution I have the majority opinion I got six hundred guys that will vote me in right now and no one will be the wiser but you couldn't do it something about knowing God's heart isn't there that we should learn and it isn't easy I mean seven years of this seven and a half years of this and he's doing the right thing and he's in the right place he's just got to learn to be a compassionate man and he's got to learn to trust God I don't know what the Lord is taking you through tonight but I trust that that you know the long road in the wilderness that you travel is so that you might learn faith firsthand and be ready for the work God's got planned for you there's no way to get out from that you want to say Lord used me Laura I don't use you but first I'll prepare you no no I don't want to prepare I just want to you you it's kind of like playing in the band you know we do out of practice I don't want to practice I just want to play I don't study I just want to preach I don't want to learn and go to school I just want to operate not very good so God is at work preparing you tonight for something how exciting who knows what you'll do but but practice learning that you know the voice of the Lord and the Spirit of God and to know God's heart so that you're not interpreting things so wrong all the time had someone a couple of months ago call I don't know who it is but they made a list of all the things that have gone wrong and they said God is mad at me I go really why do you think that well look what I just told you I go so how do you know that that's the Lord being angry with you and then they started telling me well you know this happened that my said are you living in sin no you're doing your best you have your prayer it yeah I don't think the Lord's mad at you you've told me nothing that you should be mad yeah but my life's gone apart well that's just living in the world welcome to the planet so help us Lord to see things clearly don't you think God could make it clear and he's got things for you to do and I'm I'm excited to see how David comes out of this but I'm telling you I read you know and it's so easy to just read their words and enclose the book but here's a king that is ruling from exile under tremendous pressure in his 20s having committed himself to the Lord he's in the place that God is richly blessing and yet he's learning all these hard lessons because sometimes you have to learn to to walk before you run you know and faith is precious enough to the Lord that he'll to invest whatever it takes to have you grow in faith in Him next week we'll well chase David down some more so read ahead in fact in chapter 26 I don't know we'll get there next week but David has a second opportunity to kill Saul and he lets them go again but by then his guys are saying Amen with him at least some of them are father tonight as we sit together we thank you that you have a purpose for our lives that some of us oftentimes includes the difficulties that come from learning to walk with God where were those verses that we have learned and memorized and and we love and we we write down and we quote all of a sudden they take on flesh and blood and we see that there is a life in those verses and and they have to be applied and we have to stand upon them like that your forests are not against us that you have a good plan that you won't leave us that you have plans for us each day and that you're gonna raise us up in our faith you're going to establish us in our going we see the difference between David and Saul in just the heart attitude so I was unwilling to serve you to put you first David even though he falls on his face often he's a soft heart and willing to to repent of his sin and once and the worst way to to please you and even under the the gun of a guy like Saul and and all of that that misery of hiding and in fearing each day he still does the right thing he doesn't deliver himself he honors you and Lord that you would give us that kind of faith that we would put you first and that's so often that the determining factor wouldn't be what's easy but what's right what what doesn't necessarily benefit it's us but it glorifies you and in so doing we'll find your best so easy to sell out and compromise on what you've said and cheat on the Scriptures and look the other way or pretend we didn't know and then end up with far less than we might have had had we just walked with you so good to see David example teach us through his life the benefits of just doing things your way if tonight you are going through something really difficult me may the Lord tonight assure you that there's a reason and it's a good one and he's not wasting your tears and he's not wasting your time and he doesn't enjoy your difficulty but he wants you to learn to trust him and rely upon him and obey him and he's going to use you in in ways that you can only begin to imagine but he gets us to the end of ourselves so that he can then begin to do the work and David will need all those lessons in the years to come as he leads a people to lead to the zenith really of their existence as a man of God false and all and he'll do that with your life tonight we're gonna have communion so if you'll hang on to the cup and the bread some of our young adults the youth ministry are gonna serve you but it's important that we realized that it's because of his sacrifice that we have a great hope tonight not only for heaven for tomorrow God is at work he's intimately involved with you as his children he wants you to check in with him often like David did let him lead and guide and direct your path and then you can rejoice when he delivers when he guides when the door is open you haven't kicked them in he he's open then you haven't forced your way in he's open when David comes to be king he'll know he's there because the Lord brought him in so let's worship Him tonight

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Id: 34l3gge0Y18

Length: 55min 38sec (3338 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 04 2019