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? In Session 7 we see that David looks at his current situation and makes the decision to make the best out of it using the abilities and skills that God has given him. In Session 8 David gets an opportunity to get even and rid himself of the man who is trying to kill him. How does he respond? We will see in Session 8.
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 David had lost everything and escaped to a cave where he is joined by his family and 400 others who have left the society of the day. They, like David, had lost everything. David though looks to the only place that he can to God because there was nothing else.
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. He was alone in a dark cave, away from everything and everybody he loved. Everybody except God, so he cried out to Gog.
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.
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 and use what God had given him to start over.
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.
What does the change in David’s perspective mean for us today?
First David admitted that he had a need.
Second, he was honest enough to cry for help.
And third, he was humble enough to learn from God.
God used the time in the cave to further develop David for his role as the king of Israel. Today God uses the church and His word.
The Temptation to Get Even
David was forced to become a fugitive in the wilderness of Judea, giving his life to training a band of guerrillas now grown to six hundred men. In the meantime, Saul was working overtime to find David . . . and kill him. Saul and his army actually find out the general area of David and his band of malcontents. But he consults with God and escapes
1 Samuel 23:7-14 NIV Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will.” Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will.” So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there. David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
Saul does not stop looking, however.
1 Samuel 23:19-29 NIV The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.” Saul replied, “The Lord bless you for your concern for me. Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.” So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David. Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
Finally, Saul stops pursuing David for a while because he has to deal with the Philistines and then all of a sudden David gets what looks like a fantastic opportunity to end all this running. He can kill his enemy take the throne and it’s all over.
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 were 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.
Saul has to go relieve himself. He has to go to the bathroom. It appears that God has set this up for David to take advantage and step into what God has purposed. After all he had already been anointed. His men say now’s your chance.
What does Devid do? He doesn’t kill Saul all he does is cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. What would we have done? We might have thought God has set this up for me to be able to
do what he has called me to do. Here’s the problem David realized that he might be running ahead of God here. He consulted God on things before acting and in this case had he killed Saul without first consulting God things may have turned out very differently. Remember the reason Saul had been kicked to the curb is because he was presumptive and did what he thought was best not what God instructed him to do.
1 Samuel 15:20-23 NIV “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
Soi after he cut off the corner of Saul’s robe David’s conscience bothered him. It was just the corner of his robe after all, he hadn’t killed the man. He didn’t yield to the temptation to take matters into his own hand.
He would let God handle it.
1 Samuel 24:5-7 NIV Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.
However even though he didn’t kill Saul he did want him to understand that he was being chased and hunted for nothing that he had done but that he would let God take care of it.
1 Samuel 24:8-15 NIV Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My Lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my Lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you. “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”
Now before you think that what happened next will happen to you don’t be surprised if it doesn’t
Here’s Saul’s response to David.
1 Samuel 24:16-19 NIV When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today.
You’re responsible for telling a person the truth, but it is impossible to make him change his opinion. He may die believing the lie. But down inside your heart you will know the fulfillment of that sense of righteous dealings. Your conscience will be clear.
Application for Today
First, since man is depraved, expect to be mistreated. The same nature that beats in the heart of Saul beats in the heart of every person, yourself included. When we are involved in the flesh, we will respond like Saul.
Or, if you are the person who’s doing the mistreatment, the offense, come to terms with it. Call it sin.
Second, since mistreatment is inevitable, anticipate feelings of revenge. I’m not saying retaliate. I’m saying anticipate the feelings of revenge, because you can be sure they will come. It’s the nature of the beast.
Handling mistreatment doesn’t come naturally. Which is why Jesus’ truth is so revolutionary:
“Do unto others as you would have them do to you,”—not as they do to you. Rare is the individual who will not retaliate, or at least not want to.
Third, since the desire for revenge is predictable, refuse to fight in the flesh.
If you are resentful of the way someone has treated you, if you are holding it against that person, hoping you can retaliate or get back, you need to ask God to free you from that bondage.
The secret, plain and simple? Forgiveness! Claim God’s power to forgive through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, who went through hell for you, can give you the power you need to overcome the worse kind of condition in your life.
We are never to seek revenge
Romans 12:17-21 NIV Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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