God's Providence Session 7 - David the Cave Dweller

The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying God's providence or divine providence in the lives of David and Joseph and how we can apply His providence in their lives to our lives today.

The providence of God or divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. Divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe. He is in control of the physical world. He is in control of the affairs of nations. He is in control of human destiny. He is in control of human successes and failures. He protects His people.

The doctrine of divine providence can be summarized this way: “God in eternity past, in the counsel of His own will, ordained everything that will happen; yet in no sense is God the author of sin; nor is human responsibility removed.”

We learned in Session 6 that David loses his position in the palace, his wife, Jonathan, his best friend, Samuel, the one that anointed him king, and he loses his self-respect. He ends up in a cave discouraged and probably depressed. How did he respond? We talk about it in Session 7.

For our study we will be using Great Lives: David: A Man of Passion and Destiny, by Charles R. Swindoll, and The Hand of God by Alistair Begg. To study along with us you can purchase the books by clicking the Links here or the images after the notes.

The providence of God or divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. Divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe as a whole, He is in control of the physical world, He is in control of the affairs of nations, He’s in control of human destiny, He’s in control of human successes and failures, He protects His people.  Through divine providence God accomplishes His will. 

Last week we saw that David the man God picked to become the king of his chosen people, the man that had become a hero and military leader, king Saul’s son-in-law, and the best nd to Saul’s son Johathan, began to lose everything because Saul had become jealous and then afraid of him, so things started to slip away.  Chuck Swindoll, the author of the book we are studying, says that David started to lose his crutches. 

The first thing to go was his position in the kingdom. The next thing was his wife. He lost his counselor Samuel, he lost his best friend Johathan, and we said that he lost his self-respect.  He actually went to the enemy.

1 Samuel 21:10‭-‬15 NIV That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “ ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

David had hit rock bottom.

The enemy doesn’t even want him around.

1 Samuel 22:1‭-‬2 NIV David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 

This was the lowest moment of David’s life to date.  He had no security, he had no food, he had no one to talk to, he had no promise to cling to, and he had no hope that anything would ever change. 

The way he felt about now is reflected in Psalm 142

Psalms 142:1‭-‬7 NIV I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me. Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

He was alone in a dark cave, away from everything and everybody he loved. Everybody except God, so he cried out to God. 

He had nowhere else to go.  He couldn’t go to Saul because Saul would kill him, he couldn’t go to his wife, Saul’s daughter, he couldn’t go to Samuel because he would be captured, he couldn’t go his friend because he was Saul’s son.  His enemies didn’t want him around because they felt they couldn’t trust him and for good reason so the only place he could go was to God. 

Human perspective says, “Aha, you’ve lost this, you’ve lost that. You’ve caused this, you’ve caused that. You’ve ruined this, you’ve ruined that. End your life!” But God says, “No. No. You’re in the cave. But that doesn’t mean its curtains. That means it’s time to reroute your life. It’s time to start over.  

Now’s the time to start anew!” That’s exactly what he does with David.

What did I say Sunday

Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So, watch God work.  First, he brought his family to him in the cave.  You remember we said last week that he couldn’t count on his family.  His father had forgotten about him when Samuel told him that he was there to anoint one of his sons king.  

1 Samuel 16:10‭-‬11 NIV Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

His brothers were jealous.

1 Samuel 17:28‭-‬29 NIV When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?”

Now that God had stepped in the first people to come to David now that he has lost everything is his family.

1 Samuel 22:1‭-‬2 NIV David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 

Not only did God send his family He also sent some other folk who like David had hit the bottom of the barrel.

1 Samuel 22:3 NIV All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

So here’s David with his family and about 400 other misfits and their families all in a cave or series of caves.

So what does David do now that he sees a glimer of hope.  His family is there and supportive and there are now another approximately 400 more men.  Well David does what we should do when we see that God has moved and giving us resources that we need.  He realizes that he is a leader, he was after a leader in Saul’s military, in fact his success is what caused the problem with Saul.  So, David decided to train these folk.  He would accept his situation and make the best of it.

David is beginning to come out of the doldrums because he know has a purpose to train these men so that all these people who he is now responsible for can survive.  

As a leader he wants all those he is leading to depend on God just as he does Psalm 34 is the way he wants them to respond and the way that we should respond when God delivers us for difficulties.

Psalms 34:1‭-‬22 NKJV I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

The first thing that we should do is focus vertically.  For those of us like many of the malcontents that came to David who are depressed David says 

Psalms 34:3‭-‬4‭, ‬8‭-‬10‭, ‬19 NKJV Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

What does the change in David’s perspective mean for us today?  

First David admitted that he had a need.

When you are hurting, you need to declare it to someone, and especially to the Lord.  Remember what I said Sunday about how we should deal with need. When we have a need, we are not to hide it, deny it, or disregard it.   Declare it to the Lord.  

              

Second, he was honest enough to cry for help. 

Today in our culture we don’t cry for help we worry.  We don’t want to feel vulnerable, so we don’t ask for help.  We would rather worry.  Again, from Sunday’s sermon about facing need.  

The natural tendency in a time of need is to worry, fret and often lash out.  But worry is not the answer!

               

God’s Word says we are not to worry about anything.

Matthew 6:25‭-‬34 NIV “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

When we worry, we are sinning by showing a lack of trust in God. Instead, we are instructed to commit our requests to God in prayer and allow him to be Lord in our lives.

Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace comes through prayer as an act of worship, through through asking earnestly for our personal needs to be met, and through thanking God for meeting those needs whenever He meets them. This brings a peace that is beyond human understanding which keeps guarding our inner life. It calms us.  

We have lived under such a veneer for so long in our generation that we hardly know how to cry for help. But God honors such vulnerability. He did then . . . He does now

And third, he was humble enough to learn from God.   Remember one of the characteristics of being a man after God’s own heart is humility.  

We need to be humble enough to be teachable. 

The Lord may use a need to develop us.  The Lord sometimes uses a need to develop us and sometimes He uses a need to discipline or test us.  Nothing happens in your life that He is not aware of. God has a great plan for your life! He knows that you will struggle through painful situations, but He can sustain you during the worst of times. 

God used the time in the cave to further develop David for his role as the king of Israel.  Today the church can be our cave the place where we can admit that we have a need and we can learn how to respond to those needs as a child of God not as the world responds.  

The church can be our cave or refuge.  When David hit the bottom of the barrel like we will from time to time he ran to a cave and sought God’s help.  Today we should be able to run to the church and find refuge in God.  

Psalms 31:1‭-‬24 NKJV In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. I have hated those who regard useless idols; But I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away. I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me. I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. For I hear the slander of many; Fear is on every side; While they take counsel together against me, They scheme to take away my life. But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me. Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake. Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence, Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord, For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! For I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You. Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.

We need a refuge because we are in distress and sorrow accompanies us.

Psalms 31:1‭-‬5 NKJV In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

Psalms 31:4‭-‬5‭ NKJV Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. 

We need refuge because we are sinful, and guilt accuses us. 

Psalms 31:10 NKJV For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away.

We need a refuge because we are surrounded by adversaries and misunderstanding assaults us.

 

Psalms 31:10‭-‬12 NKJV For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away. I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me. I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.

Discouraged people don’t need critics. They hurt enough already. They don’t need more guilt or piled-on distress. They need encouragement. In a word, they need a refuge.  A place to hide and heal. A willing, caring, available someone. A confidant. A comrade at arms. You can’t find one? Why not share David’s shelter? The One he called “my Strength. . . my Mighty Rock. . . my Fortress. . . my Stronghold. . . my HighTower.”

               

We know Him today by another name: Jesus. He’s still available. . . even to cave dwellers, lonely people needing someone to care.

Bible Study Audio

God's Providence Session 6 - David Loses all His Crutches

The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying God's providence or divine providence in the lives of David and Joseph and how we can apply His providence in their lives to our lives today.

The providence of God or divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. Divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe. He is in control of the physical world. He is in control of the affairs of nations. He is in control of human destiny. He is in control of human successes and failures. He protects His people.

The doctrine of divine providence can be summarized this way: “God in eternity past, in the counsel of His own will, ordained everything that will happen; yet in no sense is God the author of sin; nor is human responsibility removed.”

These are the notes to Session 6. Now that we know that Saul wants David dead, we let’s look at how things start to slip away from him.  He loses his position in the palace, his wife, Jonathan, his best friend, Samuel, the one that anointed him king, and he loses his self-respect.

For our study we will be using Great Lives: David: A Man of Passion and Destiny, by Charles R. Swindoll, and The Hand of God by Alistair Begg. To study along with us you can purchase the books by clicking the Links here or the images after the notes.

The providence of God or divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. Divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe as a whole, He is in control of the physical world, He is in control of the affairs of nations, He’s in control of human destiny, He’s in control of human successes and failures, He protects His people.  Through divine providence God accomplishes His will. 

Remember one of the things we said a few weeks ago about God’s selections are always being sovereign and sure, so be sensitive, so we should never presume how God would do something.  When we presume and God doesn’t do things the way we thought he would or the way we would have done it we second-guess God.  When we do that, we forget that we that He is God, and we are not.  

W sometimes forget that God already knows what is going to happen in the future and we don’t.  We can only control ourselves we can’t control anybody else, and we certainly can’t control God.  If we knew the future especially when in it there would be some very tough times, we may want to back out of God’s plan for us, what we need to do is to trust God to be with us today and not worry about tomorrow.  There are two days which we can’t do anything about, and they are yesterday (the past), and tomorrow (the future). 

God never changes but we do.  We change where we live, we change jobs, we change relationships.  Things happen in our lives that cause us to make changes.  Some are good, some are bad.  

A quick review.  David was anointed king by Samuel, but he did not assume the throne right away in fact he went back to being a shepherd for his father.  But because God had a plan for him good things seemed to happen.  

David was a musician, and his music was so soothing that when Saul was tormented by an evil spirit because he was not out of favor with God, it would calm him down. So, David is now in the palace working for Saul.  While there he becomes not only a help in settling Saul down but he becomes a good friend to the heir apparent Johathan.  He then becomes a champion, by killing Goliath, he becomes a military leader in fact such a great leader that they sang songs about him.

So far so good.  Remember David already knows that he is going to be the king and he may expect an easy road to the throne although he doesn’t yet know what that road is going to be like.  Because of David’s success Paul became paranoid and afraid of David’s popularity.

1 Samuel 18:6‭-‬9 NIV When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

So David’s bubble burst so to speak and he was now persona non grata and  he had a very powerful enemy Saul. Last week we talked about what we need when that happens to us.

take one day at a time

Hebrews 11:1‭-‬3 NIV Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

have an intimate friend helps us face whatever comes our way. 

David had a good friend Jonathan who realized that David had God’s favor on his life, and he provided David with a lot of support even to the point of it creating problems with Saul his father.

1 Samuel 19:1‭-‬5 NIV Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.” Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”

Third, being positive and wise is the best reaction to an enemy. 

It takes a lot of faith and humility to rest and trust God when you’re under attack, when you’re misunderstood, and when rumors are spreading about you. When that happens, it’s tempting to want to do something about it.

But you are most like Christ when you remain silent under attack. Jesus was constantly attacked, yet he never retaliated—even on his way to the cross. He remained silent before his accusers because he had entrusted himself to the care of the Father.

The Bible says, “If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19 NLT).

So now that we know that Saul want’s David dead let’s look at how things start to slip away from him.  

1 Samuel 18:10‭-‬11 NIV The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

1 Samuel 19:9‭-‬10 NIV But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

The first thing to go was his position in the kingdom. He had proven himself a faithful—even heroic— soldier, and now it’s all gone forever.

The next thing was his wife.  If you remember when Saul was trying to find someone to fight Goliath, he made a promise to give his daughter to that man.  

1 Samuel 17:25 NIV Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”

Well, we know that David kills Goliath and the Israelites defeat the  the Philistines. Saul’s oldest daughter was Merab and that is who he was giving to the champion, but David a humble man, as we know didn’t feel that he was worthy to become the king’s son-in-law.   

1 Samuel 18:17‭-‬19 NIV Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!” But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

Saul had another daughter, Michal, who loved David and he David was convinced that he should take the opportunity to become the king’s son-in-law.  This was a great opportunity for the man that had already been anointed king.  But he needs to be able to pay a dowry because he is not being given Michal as a reward.   David is poor and but Saul, who still  wants David dead, comes up with an idea that may solve his problem. He will let the Philistines kill David.      

1 Samuel 18:22‭-‬25 NIV Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’ ” They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.” When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

Well David exceeds Saul’s requirement

1 Samuel 18:27 NIV David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

Saul then concocts another plan to use his daughter, now David’s wife, in his plot to kill David.  

1 Samuel 19:11‭-‬17 NIV Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head. When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.” Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair. Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?” Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’ ”

  Now Michal resurfaces later but this is after her father is dead and David is the king.  We will get to that later in our studies.

So now David has lost his position in the palace, and he has lost his wife because he has to split, he is on the run.  And the person he runs to is Samuel the guy that anointed him king and who is apparently a counselor, sort of like his pastor.

1 Samuel 19:18‭-‬24 NIV When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied. Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said. So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

David had to leave Naioth because Saul knew he was there.  There is no indication in scripture that David ever saw Samuel again. Ok so David has now lost his position, his wife, and his pastor.  So where does he go now?  Well we talked about needing an intimate friend when we are facing enemies so David now runs to his friend Johathan.  That doesn’t last either.

1 Samuel 20:1 NIV Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill 

me?”

Jonathan is in denial and thinks that his father tells him everything but David knows otherwise so they work out a way for Jonathan to check it out and if he’s convinced that his father wants to kill David he will let him know for certain.  The plan is in 1 Samuel Chapter 20.  To cut to the chase Johathan is convinced that Saul wants to kill David to he wants to see his good friend one more time before David must leave perhaps forever.

1 Samuel 20:35‭-‬42 NIV In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.” After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most. Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

Now David is alone for real.  He is kicked out our the palace.  He can’t go home to his wife, he can’t go to  his pastor, and he can’t go to his friend.  Remember also that his brothers are not real sympathetic right now either.  

1 Samuel 17:28‭-‬29 NIV When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?”

So here’s the man after God’s own heart all alone.  We know that God is still with him, but we all need people too.  Now that he is all alone and thinks nobody love him like most of us, he becomes depressed and thinks it’s over for him and he’s useless. So, he loses his self-respect.

He really loses it, in my opinion because he now runs to the enemy.  Today we would call that treason.

1 Samuel 21:10‭-‬15 NIV That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “ ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

David had hit rock bottom.

David lost what Chuck called crutches and he gives us three warning about crutches. 

The first warning is that a crutch becomes a substitute for God.

Only God is to be our strength; in the final analysis, we are to lean only on his everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:1‭, ‬27‭-‬29 NIV This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ So Israel will live in safety; Jacob will dwell secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew. Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights.”

Isaiah 41:8‭-‬10 NIV “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

God says. But as long as you lean on someone else, you can’t lean on Me. As long as you lean on some other thing, you won’t lean on Me. They become substitutes for Me, so that you are not being upheld by My hand.

Second, crutches keep our focus horizontal. When you lean on another person or another thing, your focus is sideways, not vertical.

Colossians 3:1‭-‬4 NIV Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Third, crutches offer only temporary relief.       

2 Corinthians 4:16‭-‬18 NIV Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

God doesn’t give temporary relief. He offers a permanent solution.         

  

TWO FINAL LESSONS FOR “LEANERS” 

1. There’s nothing wrong with leaning, if you lean ultimately and completely on the Lord. In fact, being human you have to lean; you can’t walk the life of faith alone. That’s why you have Christ.

Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 37:3‭-‬7 AMPC Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday. Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

2. Being stripped of all substitutes is the most painful experience on earth. There is nothing more painful than being stripped of the toys of the heart. So relieve yourselves of them before He has to take them away. Don’t make an idol out of your mate or your children. Don’t make an idol out of your position. Don’t make an idol out of some possession. 

Bible Study Audio

God's Providence Session 5 - David Hits the Bottom of the Barrel

The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying God's providence or divine providence in the lives of David and Joseph and how we can apply His providence in their lives to our lives today.

The providence of God or divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. Divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe. He is in control of the physical world. He is in control of the affairs of nations. He is in control of human destiny. He is in control of human successes and failures. He protects His people.

The doctrine of divine providence can be summarized this way: “God in eternity past, in the counsel of His own will, ordained everything that will happen; yet in no sense is God the author of sin; nor is human responsibility removed.”

These are the notes to Session 5. David the hero, the one who calms Saul down when he is tormented, the best friend of Johathan, the heir apparent to the throne, David "the man after God's own heart" loses everything.

For our study we will be using Great Lives: David: A Man of Passion and Destiny, by Charles R. Swindoll, and The Hand of God by Alistair Begg. To study along with us you can purchase the books by clicking the Links here or the images after the notes.

The providence of God or divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. Divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe as a whole, He is in control of the physical world, He is in control of the affairs of nations, He’s in control of human destiny, He’s in control of human successes and failures, He protects His people.  Through divine providence God accomplishes His will. 

Remember one of the things we said a few weeks ago about God’s selections are always being sovereign and sure, so be sensitive, so we should never presume how God would do something.  When we presume and God doesn’t do things the way we thought he would or the way we would have done it we second-guess God.  When we do that we forget that we that He is God and we are not.  

We sometimes forget that God already knows what is going to happen in the future and we don’t.  We can only control ourselves we can’t control anybody else, and we certainly can’t control God.  If we knew the future especially when in it there would be some very tough times we may want to back out of God’s plan for us, What we need to do is to trust God to be with us today and not worry about tomorrow.  There are two days in which we can’t do anything about and they are yesterday (the past), and tomorrow (the future). 

God never changes but we do.  We change where we live, we change jobs, we change relationships.  Things happen in our lives that cause us to make changes.  Some are good, some are bad.  If we knew the bad stuff that was going to happen to us would become depressed and not deal with the stuff, we need to deal with today.  We already know that God is going to cause whatever happens to work for our good.  

Romans 8:28‭-‬30 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Let’s take a look at our hero David.  Last week we talked about the fact that Saul brought him into the palace to calm him whenever the evil spirit affected him.   

1 Samuel 16:14‭-‬23 NIV Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our Lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.” So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.” One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

We also know that he killed Goliath and as a result the Israelite army was victorious over the Philistines.

.  

1 Samuel 17:51‭-‬53 NIV David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

 He also became a very good friend of Saul’s son Jonathan who was the heir apparent to the throne.

1 Samuel 18:1‭-‬4 NIV After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

So, David is a hero, a friend of the heir apparent to the throne and in good with the king.  Plus he knows that he will be the king because he had been anointed.   Because, as we know David is a humble man because even after being anointed he went back to his job as a shepherd because he knew that there was already king and it was Saul.  

That’s the good news but there is bad news coming and it’s a good thing David didn’t know it ahead of time.  God in His grace and mercy did not give David a preview of what was ahead  and He doesn’t give us a preview either.  What did Jesus say?

Matthew 6:28‭-‬34 NIV “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

David had proved himself faithful among the sheep and on the battlefield went from the highest pinnacle of popularity to the lowest depression of despair. God was good not to tell David all that was coming his way.

God was always with David and never left him but he had to groom him to become what He wanted him to be which was to be Israels great king.  That meant, for David, and often us He had to break David, although we know that David was humble He still crushed him through years of adversity. 

It starts out great with him prospering

Because of his popularity Saul became jealous and then afraid.

1 Samuel 18:6‭-‬9 NIV When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

So now Saul is paranoid.  When imagination is fueled by jealousy, suspicion takes over . . . and at that point, dangerous things occur. Saul’s great goal in life became twisted. Instead of leading Israel onto bigger and better things, he focused on making David’s life miserable and David had to live like a fugitive. . . for years. How gracious of God not to reveal to David the pain of those tragic years!

Relevance for Us Today 

First, not knowing the future forces us to take one day at a time. That’s the sum and substance of the life of faith. 

Hebrews 11:1‭-‬3 NIV Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Second, having an intimate friend helps us face whatever comes our way. 

 

David had a good friend Jonathan who realized that David had God’s favor on his life, and he provided David with a lot of support even to the point of it creating problems with Saul his father.

1 Samuel 19:1‭-‬5 NIV Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.” Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”

Proverbs 18:24 NIV One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

An intimate friend is willing to sacrifice. You don’t have to beg a close friend for a favor.               

               

1 Samuel 18:4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt.

An intimate friend is a loyal defense before others. He’s not a fair-weather friend. He won’t talk against you when you’re not around.

We already read that Jonathan stood up to his father and said, “Dad, you’re wrong about David.”defended his friend, 

Intimate friends give each other complete freedom to be themselves. When you’ve got a friend this close, this knitted to your own soul, you don’t have to explain why you do what you do. You just do it.  You can be yourself you don’t have to put on airs.  

               

1 Samuel 20:41 David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David more.

When a good friend is hurting, let him hurt. If a good friend feels like weeping, let him weep. If a good friend needs to complain, listen. An intimate friend doesn’t bale; he’s right there with you. You can be yourself, no matter what that self looks like.

An intimate friend is a constant source of encouragement.       

        

 1 Samuel 23:15–16 Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was inthe wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.

If you don’t have a friend, ask God to give you one—someone you can relate to and who will be a source of encouragement and support.

Third, being positive and wise is the best reaction to an enemy. 

When you see your enemy coming, don’t roll up your mental sleeves, deciding which job you will throw. Remember how David handled Saul. David just kept prospering—just kept behaving himself wisely. And when the heat rose, he fled the scene. He refused to fight back or get even.

David had two opportunities that we know of.           

               

 1 Samuel 24:1‭-‬4 NIV After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men 8were far back in the cave. The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ ” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

1 Samuel 26:2‭-‬3‭, ‬5‭-‬11 NIV So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand select Israelite troops, to search there for David. Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him. David then asked Ahimelek the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?” “I’ll go with you,” said Abishai. So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.” But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”

People who do this reveal the smallness of their hearts. Small people belittle others, thinking it will make them feel better.

But great people make other people feel great. King David was a pro at this. He knew what it meant to be attacked emotionally, verbally, and physically. As a young man, he was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but David spent two years running from his predecessor, King Saul, who wanted to kill him. He hid in caves while being criticized constantly behind his back.

Yet David never said a bad word against Saul; he never retaliated. God was preparing David to be a king after his own heart.

David says in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (NIV).

David recognized God’s goodness to him. God anointed his head with oil, which says to the world, “This is my guy! Back off! He is going to be the next leader.” David’s cup overflowed, which meant God kept blessing him, even when others attacked him.

Does it sound like David was stressed out? No! He didn’t have to use up all his energy defending himself because he trusted God to be his defender.

It takes a lot of faith and humility to rest and trust God when you’re under attack, when you’re misunderstood, and when rumors are spreading about you. When that happens, it’s tempting to want to do something about it.

But you are most like Christ when you remain silent under attack. Jesus was constantly attacked, yet he never retaliated—even on his way to the cross. He remained silent before his accusers because he had entrusted himself to the care of the Father.

The Bible says, “If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19 NLT).

God won’t let you down. Trust him to be your defender today.

Walking in victory is the difference between what pleases us and what pleases God. Like David, we need to stand fast, to do what is right without tiring of it. Plain and simple, that’s what pleases God.   That’s why David was a man after God’s own heart.

Bible Study Audio