Faith The Evidence - Bible Studies

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

God's Providence Session 10 - David Finds Himself in the Pits

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.

In Session 9 when David felt that he and his men had been disrespected for the job they had done in protecting the staff and assets of a wealthy man who refused to share his profits which was typically done in those days. God's providence kicked in in the form of a very wise woman to keep David from exacting revenge.

In Session 10 David after his success in not taking revenge on his advisories changes his focus from a vertical one, seeking God, to a horizontal perspective, using human reasoning. The result is depression, deception, and eventually tragedy.

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 talked about David losing his cool and almost taking revenge on someone that he felt had done him wrong. This after not taking revenge on someone who was trying to kill him. Perhaps he had just had enough.

Anyway, God’s providence kicked in and God used a woman, who David later married, to keep David from exacting revenge and letting God do what it says in

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.

We talked about the entire incident last week which ended with the man that David was upset with dying and then David marrying his widow.

1 Samuel 25:32‭-‬35 NIV David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.” Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”

1 Samuel 25:36‭-‬38 NIV When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak. Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

Lessons Learned

First of all, whatever you do when conflicts arise, be wise. David wasn’t wise but Abigal was.

Second, take each conflict as it comes . . . and handle it separately. Don’t take it for granted that you can react the same with each conflict that comes so be discerning.

Wait before you act.

David finds himself in the pits.

After two spiritual and emotional highs David becomes depressed and falls into the pits. That often happens to us. After great victory there is a tendency to take a break and congratulate ourselves. It is at that time we are very vulnerable. One of the things we said last week is that conflict or trouble is inevitable. We like to think not but in a fallen world trouble is inevitable. It’s how we handle it that will determine whether we will be victorious or not.

Remember, David could have killed Saul, but he didn’t. Then he was about to kill Nabal, but Abigail talked him out of that, thankfully.

There is nothing ethically, morally, or spiritually wrong with our experiencing cloudy days and dark nights in fact the bible says when the dark days come, we should rejoice.

James 1:2‭-‬3 NIV Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

And at first blush it looked as if that is what David did

1 Samuel 24:11‭-‬15‭, ‬20‭-‬21 NIV 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.” I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”

However something happened that caused him to become depressed. Perhaps he reflected over what had happened to him.

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 the lost his self-respect. He actually went to the enemy. 1 Samuel 21:10‭ NIV That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.

So now David is depressed. Here’s what Chuck Swindal says caused this depression.

David took a humanistic viewpoint and not a spiritual one. In other words his viewpoint was horizontal not vertical. Woah is me. In fact, in chaper 27 of 1 Samuel where we are going to concentrate today you will not find one time that David prayed. He started out saying woah is me.

He also resorted to pessimistic reasoning. He also used rationalistic logic.

We see all of these things, a humanistic or horizontal viewpoint, pessimism and rationalistic logic. In

1 Samuel 27:1 NIV But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

But David thought to himself … Horizontal

“One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. Pessimism.

Worrying about something that you can’t control because you can’t control the future and assuming that the future holds bad for you. David forgot all of God’s promises

Samuel anointed him on God’s instructions

1 Samuel 16:1‭, ‬10‭-‬13 NIV The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” 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.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

Other’s realized that he was going to be king including the man that was trying to kill him.

1 Samuel 24:16‭-‬20 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. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.

The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” Rational logic.

He thought, “Times are hard. God’s has deserted me. I thought I could be king, but I’ll never be king. I’m gonna die if I keep on the front edge of Saul’s army. They’ll finally catch up with me. I’ll have to escape. The best solution is to go to Philistia.”

So in essence David says I’m on my own. You remember a study we did some time ago, Christian Atheist. Remember what a Christian atheist is - someone who believes in God but acts as if he doesn’t exist. That is David right now.

He is a believer on the inside, but on the outside, he looks just like a non-believer because of the way he’s living his life.

There’s a statement by a Psychologist Rollo May “Man is the only animal that runs faster when he has lost his way.”

The only problem is that David is now alone he is dragging 600 men and their familes along with his family down it the pits with him. It’s the same with us. We forget that we influence other people and, in many cases, as with David others depend on us and our ability to deal with whatever is going on.

David, in his depressed state, runs back to the enemy again. Remember the first time he went they kicked him out, but he obviously convinced them to let him stay this time. They even gave him his own town.

Here’s the first time

1 Samuel 21:10‭-‬11 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’?”

Here he is again back in Gath

1 Samuel 27:2‭-‬4 NIV So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

1 Samuel 27:5‭-‬7 NIV Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. David lived in Philistine territory for a year and four months.

So, here’s depressed David and all these other people.

He thinks he’s safe. One of the problems with rationalizing things on a horizontal basis is that you can get a false sense of security .

1 Samuel 27:4 NIV When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

We we feel a sense of relief, we often let our guard down and we are susceptible to attack from the enemy, and we may and often do sin.

Then we leave ourselves open to working with the enemy. David got his own town to live in.

Then it is hard to get out of the trap.

He has to keep up his charade. He is an Israelite and actually the anointed king but he feels that in order to stay alive he has to appear to be working with the enemy. We also try often to have one foot in the enemy camp and one in the kingdom. Christian Atheist.

David is trying to make the Philistines think that he is on their side when he really isn’t he’s playing charades to try to survive.

1 Samuel 27:8‭-‬12 NIV Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish. When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’ ” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.”

The Geshurites and Girzites and Amalekites were the enemies of Israel, but they were not enemies of the Philistines. Still, they were not their allies either. So, when David slaughters these Geshurites and Girzites and Amalekites, he slaughters people who are neither enemies nor allies of Philistia. He had to kill everybody to cover his tracks. We will destroy relationships often times in order to not be found out. You don’t want anybody asking. So you cover up.

That’s what happens when you spend your time in what a pastor friend of mine calls the “carnal corral.” Inside, you’re a believer, but on the outside you want to look like the rest of the world.

There’s a lack of absolute allegiance. This miserable dilemma creates the need to compromise.

When you are in this type of situation you don’t get better you become more depressed and you bring those who follow you down with you.

When one first walks away from God, it feels pleasurable and freeing, maybe even delightful. But after a while the bills come due and you gotta pay the piper. It’s when you start paying the piper that disillusionment sets in. Then the bottom drops out.

First his protection goes. The Philistines tell David’s benefactor that David has to go. Read 1 Samuel chapter 29 for the full story but a few verses.

1 Samuel 29:1‭-‬5‭, ‬9‭-‬11 NIV The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish. The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.” But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances: “ ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light.” So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

And when they get back to Ziklag

1 Samuel 30:1‭-‬6 NIV David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

Now there is a big problem not only are David’s wives gone so are the families of David’s men. Now everybody is upset.

We you lose your perspective you view is horizontal not vertical and those following you go down to the pits because they followed you they begin to see you as the problem, and as the leader you are the problem so they start to distrust you and may start thinking of ways to get rid of you.

David was now so far down the ladder of despair that he’d reached the bottom rung. The last stop. The place where you either jump off into oblivion or you cry out to God for His forgiveness. For rescue. The wonderful thing is that we do have that choice, because God never gives up on His children.

1 Samuel 30:6‭-‬8 NIV David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

Thursday, February 9, 2023

God's Providence Session 9 - David Loses it but God's Providence Kicks In

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, but what we saw was that David left the vengeance to God. He made the decision to not touch the Lord's anointed.

However, in Session 9 when David felt that he and his men had been disrespected for the job they had done in protecting the staff and assets of a wealthy man who refused to share his profits which was typically done in those days. God's providence kicked in in the form of a very wise woman to keep David from exacting revenge.

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 talked about David’s response to a very real temptation we all face and that is the temptation to get even when someone has wronged us.

David had every reason to exact revenge. Saul was trying to kill him and David had done nothing to deserve it. He had been a faithful servant to Saul as a military leader and his son in law. All he had done was to win battles against Israel’s enemies, and he had even been the one to settle Saul down when he was oppressed by an evil spirit. So when he got the opportunity to exact revenge and even kill Saul what did he do?

He didn’t kill him and his conscience bothered him about what little he did do which was to show Saul that he could have killed him. He did confront Saul however to let him know that Saul was wrong and that he had not done anything wrong but rather than handling it himself, because Saul was God’s anointed, he would let God handle 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.”

Saul leaves and David, knowing what kind of man Saul was, stayed away with the army he had trained while on the run.

While David spared Saul he didn’t feel the same way when he felt his kindness was unappreciated and disrespected later and he almost made a tragic mistake. But because God had something in store for him in His providence, He provided a way to keep David from making it.

David and his men were in a part of the wilderness known as Paran. Paran would have been familiar to the Isralites because they spent some time there on their way to Cannon from Egypt

Numbers 10:11‭-‬12 NIV On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the covenant law. Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.

After Samuel died that is where David went

1 Samuel 25:1 NIV Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.

This is where our story starts

When David and his army of misfits was in the wilderness trying to survive one of the things they did was to protect the shepherds in the area from those who would rob and kill in order to survive.

David and his men were the bodyguards or security guards, so to speak.

David and his men had provided protection for a guy named Nabal, whose name means fool and we will see why in a little bit. Nabal had a large herd of both sheep and goats so he was quite wealthy.

1 Samuel 25:2‭-‬3 NIV A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.

So here what happens typically. At the time the sheep were sheared it was common for the owner of the animals to set aside a portion of the profit he made and giveit to those who had protected his shepherds while they were out in the fields. There was no written law saying you had to do it, but it was a way of showing gratitude for a job well done.

David and his men have been faithfully watching out for the flocks of Nabal, and word reached them that he was shearing his sheep. So it’s payday. It stands to reason, David thinks, that after the careful protection he and his men have provided it is only fair that they receive some remuneration. But remember what we read about Nabal and what his name meant. He was surly and mean in his dealings.

So David figures Nabal would be grateful and do what was traditionally done and pay the body guards from the profits from the shearing if his sheep. So he sends some of his men to get what he felt Nabal owed.

1 Samuel 25:4‭-‬8 NIV While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! “ ‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.’ ”

Here’s Nabal’s response

1 Samuel 25:10‭-‬11 NIV Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”

Now you would expect David to respond similar to the way he responded to Saul who was hunting him down to kill him. We read and talked about how he handled Saul. He was going to let God handle it. David was right Saul was wrong but David would let God avenge him.

Maybe it was because Saul was “the Lord’s anointed” or David had just had it but he had an entirely different response this time. He was going to handle it himself.

1 Samuel 25:12‭-‬13 NIV David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

David lost control.

Here’s where I believe that God’s providence God’s will for David and his future as the king and the man after God’s own heart kicks in.

Nabal’s wife, Abigal was the opposite of Nabal who was surly and mean. Abigal was intelligent and beautiful

1 Samuel 25:3 NIV His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.

She hears about what her husband tells David’s men from Nabels folk who apparently know that David is really upset and is coming for some retribution.

1 Samuel 25:14‭-‬17 NIV One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”

So Abigail sets out to save her husband and at the same time save David from becoming a murderer.

1 Samuel 25:18‭-‬28 NIV Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!” When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my Lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. Please pay no attention, my Lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my Lord sent. And now, my Lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my Lord be like Nabal. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my Lord, be given to the men who follow you.“Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my Lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live.

She somehow knows that David is going to be the king and she doesn’t want him going into that position with blood on his hands. God’s providence.

1 Samuel 25:29‭-‬31 NIV Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my Lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. When the Lord has fulfilled for my Lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, my Lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my Lord success, remember your servant.”

David gets it and sees the hand of God in it.

Remember what we have said about letting God handle it.

Nabal has no idea that his wife has saved his life. He is just partying because he had a successful shearing season. So she waits until the next day to tell him what happened.

So as the story ends it works out for David. He and his men get paid, he doesn’t take revenge and become a murderer, Abigal gets rid of a bad husband and then she becomes the wife the guy who is going to become king.

1 Samuel 25:39‭-‬44 NIV When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.” She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my Lord’s servants.” Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

Keep these last two verses in mind because they show a flaw in David that is going to negatively affect him later after he becomes king.

Lessons Learned

First of all, whatever you do when conflicts arise, be wise. David was not wise he got angry and was going to kill Nabal. If you’re not careful, you will handle conflicts in the energy of the flesh. And then. . . you’ll be sorry.

David made a quick decision without really thinking. I have protected this guy’s assets. He knows what usually happens and yet he refuses to share his profit, so I’ll just go take my share and get rid of him at the same time. I don’t really care that he has others working for him and I don’t care about his family. I want what’s due me.

There is no mention that David consulted God at all. He just said let’s go take what’s coming to us.

Abigail on the other hand used wisdom. She thought it through, and she did what she did and averted a disaster for David and for her and those who worked for Nabal.

Second, take each conflict as it comes . . . and handle it separately.

David acted with wisdom in his encounter with Saul. He could have felt really good about what he did in not killing him yet letting him know that he was wrong but he wasn’t going to take revenge himself has going to let God handle it. Then after that triumph of wisdom and godliness. Handles another conflict entirely differently.

The point is that yesterday’s victory doesn’t carry over because there is a different battle today.

Matthew 6:33‭-‬34 NIV 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.

You may have won a battle yesterday, but that doesn’t count when today’s skirmish comes. You may have a great measure of patience today, but it makes no difference tomorrow when the attack comes again. God doesn’t give you patience on credit. Everyday is a new day.

Wait before you act. In the case of Saul David didn’t act in haste and didn’t listen to his men who advised that he kill Saul. In fact his conscience bothered him for just cutting off the corner of Saul’s robe. In this instance he didn’t wait to act until Abigail slowed him down by bringing provisions and talking him down.

David obviously learned this lesson well, for he writes in Psalm 40,

Psalms 40:1‭-‬17 NIV I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened— burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, Lord, as you know. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly. Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me. May all who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be appalled at their own shame. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.

Psalm 40 never says that David’s situation changed. It says David changed. When you wait, your situation may not change, but you will. In fact, you may discover that the reasonfor waiting was all for your benefit, because you’re the one who needed to change.

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

God's Providence Session 8 - David Resists the Temptation to Get Even

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.”

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 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.

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

Bible Study Audio