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“What's In Your Wallet?” • 7.26.15 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- We are continuing to follow a storyline that
began in chapter 18. The reigning,
yet non-approved King of Israel began to cast suspicious eyes upon God's
anointed man David.
- In chapter 19, Saul turns from subtle and secret plans, to a complete policy
of eradication. In the process David loses his job, his home and his mentor and
Pastor, Samuel.
- In chapter 20, David is stripped of his best friend, Saul's son, the prince,
Jonathan, when Jonathan confirms Saul's murderous plans and sends David into
hiding.
- At this point, you and I would think,
"This is a perfect time to turn to God for his guidance and direction!"
David is God's choice to succeed Saul. How can His plan be thwarted?
- If David stops to think about it, God has
protected him from flying spears at point blank range, from raging Philistines,
from a spiritually compromised marriage and several special ops units!
- When the bottom drops out from underneath
you, when God strips you bare of external resources, sadly, you and I are left
with that which must also be exposed as helpless: Ourselves!
- In the chapter before us, David employs his own
resources and provides us with good reason not to ever trust in ourselves! Look
at verse 1.
Text
• I Samuel
21:1-3 : "Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the
priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, 'Why are
you alone, and no one is with you?' So David said to Ahimelech the priest, 'The
king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know
anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’
And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. Now therefore, what
have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be
found.'" : David is traveling south from Ramah
and comes to the priestly city of Nob to meet with Ahimelech.
- It was very strange to see David alone, as he
was usually accompanied by a troop. Ahimelech instinctively knows something is
wrong and asks him plainly about it.
- David has a chance to confer with this
priest, to seek direction and wisdom from the Lord. It's a perfect opportunity.
Instead, David lies through his teeth, lying about the King's secret directive.
- David chooses to lie about his situation.
"But he's desperate! He's running for his life!" Certainly our flesh
sympathizes because we are comfortable acting like this under pressure.
- The Bible describes what happened, but would
never prescribe this as an action we should take. This lie will cost David
tremendously and it costs you each and every time you lie as well.
- It costs you your peace and joy in the Lord.
Eventually, it will cost you your reputation, which will grieve you when your
God is implicated along with you!
- This is David, the man after God's heart,
lying for the sake of gaining bread!
- Whatever we gain for our lie in immediate
satisfaction, rarely is worth the cost that will be required in the long run. This
bread will come at a hefty price.
• I Samuel
21:4 : "And the priest answered David and said,
'There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men
have at least kept themselves from women.' Then David answered the priest, and
said to him, 'Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came
out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect
common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day.' So the priest
gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had
been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the
day when it was taken away." : After the desolation of
Shiloh, the tabernacle or some semblance of it now stood in Nob. The makeshift
tent still housed the table of the showbread.
- Each week, 12 loaves of fresh bread,
representing the 12 tribes of Israel, were to be placed before the Lord in the
"Holy Place," just outside of the Holy Of Holies.
- It was to remain there one week, symbolizing intimate
fellowship between God and His people. After it's week, the priests were
allowed to snack on it.
- Ahimelech is bound by the Levitical law not
to share any of the consecrated showbread with non-priestly personnel, but
would certainly be constrained to share in the case of human need.
- David was hungry and Ahimelech could not hide
behind the law and let his brother starve to death. Human need supercedes legality.
Jesus teaches this lesson in Mark
2:23-28.
- David was alone before the priest, but was
either meeting or had men nearby, and they all met the minimum requirements.
They had not been made ceremonially unclean.
- But even if they were not clean, the bread
was just bread at this point because it had been replaced already by the
freshly baked bread.
- It might have been old and stale, but David
was happy to receive it. Sadly, he missed the lesson. The bread spoke of God's
concern and fellowship with His people.
- God is calling David to renounce his own
resources and trust in His concern and capability.
- He seems ignorant of the lesson, but I can't
help but think that this bread was God's invitation to him to reconsider his
actions. With every temptation, there is a way of escape!
- David ignores his first warning and God sends
him another immediately. Verse 7.
•
I Samuel 21:7-9 : "Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day,
detained before the Lord. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the
herdsmen who belonged to Saul. And David said to Ahimelech, 'Is there not here
on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons
with me, because the king’s business required haste.' So the priest said, 'The
sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there
it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For
there is no other except that one here.' And David said, 'There is none like
it; give it to me.'" : Secrecy was of the utmost
importance, but the Author informs us that David's arrival coincided with
Doeg's delay.
-
We aren't told how or why he was delayed, but he was forced to wait there for
some reason. I'm inclined to believe that he was constrained to remain just as
a warning and check to David.
-
Doeg, whose name means fearing, was an Edomite, a cousin of the people of
Israel through their Father Esau, but more importantly, was employed as the
overseer of the King's flocks.
-
Here is a man who is a shepherd who would like to be much more than he is!
-
I believe that this is why David asks for a sword. There is an imminent danger,
which leads David to yet another lie.
-
The King's business required haste! Yes, the King's business was to kill him!
The only sword on hand was the sword that David gave into the Priestly
treasury!
-
It was Goliath's sword, the one that he had to employ to kill Goliath with
because he went out against him with only a sling. They are the priest's words,
but God's voice!
-
"Remember that boy? The one who trusted me in the Valley of Elah?"
Listen to the Spirit of God: There's the sword, wrapped in a cloth behind the
ephod!
-
What was the ephod? It was the vest that the priest would put on when a person
inquired of the Lord! In the front pocket of the ephod, were the deciding
stones, the Urim and the Thummim.
-
God is once again, graciously inviting David to procure His wisdom, to seek His
counsel.
-
You will have to move the ephod aside to get to the sword. Which will you trust
in? Will it be your might and strength or His wisdom? David chooses his own
power to defend himself.
-
David has to physically move the ephod aside to get to the sword. Is that not
what we do with the Lord? Lord, please, step aside so I can get to the resource
of my own might!
-
David is content to have the sword of Goliath by his side, but makes a curious
choice with it.
•
I Samuel 21:10-12 : "Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to
Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, 'Is
this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in
dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?' Now
David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of
Gath." : David realizes that there isn't a place in
Israel where he won't be recognized or ratted out. Too many people stood to
gain from David's capture.
-
Logic demands that he go somewhere where he is less familiar, which might
welcome him, but would certainly not welcome the King of Israel, Saul. It makes
perfect sense.
-
David heads into the enemy's territory. Perhaps he will stay on the fringe, the
outer territory of Philistia in a small town.
-
In unprecedented foolishness, David goes right into the very hometown of
Goliath, armed only with Goliath's sword!
-
It's never good to make a decision when your motives are shrouded by fear. It's
been several years since David's victory over Goliath, but it hasn't been long
enough to make David obscure!
-
The Abimelech's servants not only recognize him, but they consider David the
king of the land! They have even heard that great song from the Hebrew dances
about David's ten thousands!
-
Guess whose people suffered that loss? It's very likely that David was
surrounded by the widows of the husbands David had circumcised! Not a great
place to be!
-
As David heard their words and understood their intention, he took them
seriously and became greatly afraid of the King of Gath! He understands his
folly, in the moment, far too late!
-
Don't you wonder what could be going through his mind? Thank the Lord we don't
have to guess! Later today, you would do well to read Psalm 56 and Psalm 34 in
their entirety.
-
For our purposes, I'll summarize David's thoughts. The Philistines had captured
David and brought him to Achish for questioning.
-
Psalm 56:5,6 tells us that they
twisted his words with the evil intent of taking his life! It was here that he
cried out for God's mercies and began to confess his sin. Regarding his lying.
•
Psalm 34:12,13 : "Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, the he may
see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit." : David learned his lesson well, but was still in grave danger.
What did he do?
-
Psalm 34:4 tells us that he "sought the Lord," and he "cried out to the Lord" (v.6) who delivered him, from his fears (v.4), troubles (v.6) and afflictions (v.19).
-
David's heart had changed before the Lord. He repented from his way and the
lesson that he learned was powerful.
•
Psalm 34:18 : "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves
such as have a contrite spirit." : Oh to have learned this
before he had any trouble! Gratefully you and I can store up the wisdom contained
here and renounce our own resource!
-
We can refuse to gratify ourselves or to lean upon fleshly measures to deliver
ourselves. We can look at David and see that end nearly crushing him.
-
David changed his mind internally and then he changed his behavior. Notice
verse 13.
•
I Samuel 21:13-15 : "So he changed his behavior before
them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and
let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, 'Look,
you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you
have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow
come into my house?'" : One minute David was a
normal human being in the courts of Achish and the next he took on an entirely
new persona putting on the show of a lifetime!
-
David is acting upon the superstitious beliefs of the Philistines, who believed
that if you mistreated an insane person, the gods would defend them!
-
You can't help but wonder if David wasn't imitating what he saw in Saul's
courts! Achish, the Abimelech, wouldn't have him there! He had enough madmen to
deal with and forcibly removed him!
•
II Samuel 22:1,2 : "David therefore departed from there
and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s
house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress,
everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So
he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him." : David departed and escaped. That's the right word! God had
delivered him, but he escaped to the cave of Adullam.
-
Psalm 57 records David's troubled
thoughts, reflecting a continual desire for God's mercies as he returned to a
land of predators, whose net was spread out before him.
-
You can almost hear his plaintive voice: "Lord, I believe. Help my
unbelief!" And God began to act on his behalf beginning first with a
revisit to a site of previous victory.
-
The cave of Adullam, meaning "justice of the people," could only be
arrived at by passing through the Valley of Elah!
-
God is leading David back through a place of profound victory, maybe even
making him tread on the very same spot that he had last used Goliath's sword
which was still in his possession!
-
"David, was it really the sword that won the day or was it Me working
through you!?"
-
When God wants to bring His person back to Him, He brings to mind previous
victories that were won. He hasn't changed. Look back and see God's spotless
record.
He
has never failed and He has never needed your help! When you trusted Him, you
invoked the wit, might and logic of heaven, and He won the day!
-
David keeps crying out to God for mercy and help. What does God do? He sends
people, beginning with his family whose safety is compromised by relation to
David.
-
To this point, David had been virtually if not completely alone. What a comfort
to have received his family at this time! Then, God brought David the future
army of Israel!
-
Don't miss this: When David needed comfort, God brought people into his life
who were in similar danger and had a similar mindset! Does that not describe
the church!?
-
Are you not people who face the same trials and temptations each week? Who else
do you share that with? Are you not thinking what I think about the current
state of the state?
-
Look at the people that God brings beside the physical family of David.
-
These were people who were in distress, pictured as one who is confined in a
narrow place. These are stressed out, burdened people, likely having become so
because of Saul's policies.
-
Proverbs 29:2 tells us that when the
wicked rule, the people groan! They yearn for godly leadership. These people
were at Adullam to find that leader.
-
Aside from being distressed, they were also in debt. The people were not only
not prospering, they were near poverty! God told them that government would
cost them and it had!
-
The final group of people were discontented or as the ESV puts it, "bitter in soul." They were sick to the very
core of their being of the world as it has become!
-
When a viable leader was in town, the members of society who had come to the
end of themselves found hope in this man David.
-
This motley crew found themselves at David's cave! This motley crew finds
themselves at the Savior's church!
-
It might have been a trickle at first, but before you knew it David became the
captain of 400 men, hidden out in the Israeli wilderness!
-
David will not just shelter them. He will train, feed and prepare them for
battle, which we will see him wage soon.
-
Whatever these people were to begin with, being with David would offer them
opportunities to become great men of valor and distinction!
•
II Samuel 22:3,4 : "Then David went from there to
Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, 'Please let my father and
mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.' So he brought them before the king
of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold." : David could be the captain of 400 men, but he would not put
himself in the position of guarding his aging parents.
-
One of David's Great Grandparents, Ruth, had come from Moabite lineage. David
goes before the King of Moab and requests that the King take in his parents.
-
There is no deceit or trickery needed! Neither is there a lack of faith. David
will return to them when what God has promised to him comes to pass.
-
He doesn't know how long this will be, but we are talking about a decade of his
life! During that time, his heart will be calm with regard to his parents.
•
II Samuel 22:5 : "Now the prophet Gad said to David, 'Do not stay in the
stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.' So David departed and went
into the forest of Hereth." : The
author now tells us that a prophet came to David, whose name was Gad. This is
our first introduction to him.
-
It's likely that he was one of the "Triple D" club that had come out
to David in hopes of new leadership. Consider the timing.
-
David has just set up his parents for safety in the territory of the Moabites.
He is either still there or has returned to the cave of Adullam, either place
would suffice as a place to hide out in.
-
I imagine David thinking that it would be easy to remain hidden, to simply wait
out Saul's campaign or even his life. That's when God sends Gad to him.
-
Gad speaks to him on behalf of the Lord: "Don't stay in the
stronghold!" But it's safe here? "Depart and go to the land of Judah."
But Judah is close to where Saul is!
-
What has God given David since his return to Him? He's delivered him from the
very mouth of his enemy, reminded him of his past faithfulness, surrounded him
with fellowship.
-
Now, God gives him his Word. Does David argue? Does he present an alternate
solution?
-
David departed from the stronghold, knowing that the greatest place of strength
would be in the very center of God's will!
-
From this point, God will employ David, who will take an offensive posture against
Israel's enemies, because Saul will be focusing of His enemy!
Conclusion
- Would you trust in your wit to deliver you this week? May you remember
David's lie to Ahimelech, perhaps reading forward to the devastating effects!
- Would you rely upon your might? May you
remember Goliath's sword lies behind the ephod, God's tool of direction!
- Would you rely upon your logic? May David's
fearful trip into Goliath's hometown make you too fearful to enter your enemy's
playground!
- Instead, align yourself with the Captain of
the Lord's army, Jesus Christ! Admit that you are sick and tired of your own
resource.
- Admit that you are distressed, in debt and
discontent and come into the cave of justice for the people, the very justice
of God Himself!
- God poured out the wrath that you deserve
upon Jesus that He might pour out the love that Christ deserves upon you!
- Like the people of Israel, we were helplessly
under the rule of a psychotic, tyrant, with no place to turn until Jesus, the
greater David came to be our leader!
- Having trusted in His Father's plan of
redemption, Jesus went back into Jerusalem and gave His life, that He might
lead us out from under the enemy's rule in triumph!
- Is He not worthy of our trust? Is He not
worthy of our lives? There is no other Name worthy of mention. Let us put our
trust and hope in Jesus Christ alone!