Monday, December 13, 2010

God's Way

As David lived with the Philistines and the Philistines prepared to do battle against God's chosen people, Israel, not all the Philistines were pleased with David- an Israelite who had fought against them- who had slain Goliath, who had been touted as having slain thousands of those against Israelites.


Read this…


1Sa 29:1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
1Sa 29:2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.
1Sa 29:3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?
1Sa 29:4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?
1Sa 29:5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?


They didn't want David and his armies to fight with them, they were worried David would turn on them instead of fighting against his own people. Yes, Saul was his enemy. Yes, Saul wanted him dead, but more than once David could have slain Saul and yet he spared his life because he'd been anointed king by God Himself and David wasn't about to murder him- even though Saul had no trouble wanting David murdered.


Imagine it, seriously, make it personal to you for a moment. You are taken in by a king appointed by God so and then that king turns on you. You have to run and hide so you're not murdered by this king and his minions. Then miraculously you are presented with an opportunity to kill before you are killed, your mortal enemy is right there- delivered into your hands seemingly by God Himself! No one would fault you for killing someone who is trying to kill you first, no one. It's self-defense right? It's self preservation! Can you imagine living knowing someone is out to kill you? We'd go to the police and they'd try to get a hold of this person and see if there is any real threat. They might issue a restraining order which we ALL know means NOTHING if someone wants you dead- they aren't caring about obeying an order of restraint. How many battered woman have taken out restraining orders on abusive husbands only to be killed by them, how much is that order really worth in the grand scheme of things? Still we obey the law and get that restraining order and hope for the best. Sometimes we'll get a weapon to defend ourselves- pepper spray, a gun, a knife. We do this so we can try to protect our lives just incase the one who is after us gets close enough to try and hurt us. Now I've just been describing this in more civil terms and not warfare related. Let's take it to the battlefield where there is an army intent on killing you for your enemy's sake. Imagine our soliders over in Afghanistan being hunted by a band of killers, they miraculously get into a situation where they come upon those hunting them and can over take them- the LEAST they would do would be to take them prisoner- right? Would they ever just choose to let them go? Maybe but it wouldn't be something considered prudent, would it?


David could have killed his arch nemesis, Saul, but David didn't dare because he feared God more than he feared man.


The Philistines knew that David had done this, they knew that David had spared the life of their enemy even though that enemy was set on killing David. It's no wonder at all that they didn't want David going to war with them. They really couldn't trust that during battle David would kill those they were killing. It was the right thing to do to send David and his armies back. How did David react to this...


1Sa 29:6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.
1Sa 29:7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.

1Sa 29:8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?


David wasn't happy with being sent away from the battle to come, was he? He asked- 'What have I done? I've been with you all this time and did nothing against you. I want to fight against the enemies of my lord the king.'

David was giving his civil allegiance to the Philistine King, not to King Saul. David was giving his allegiance to the one giving him shelter from Saul. But it wasn't enough.


1Sa 29:9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
1Sa 29:10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.
1Sa 29:11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.


The king found nothing wrong with David, King Achish called him 'an angel of God'. Still David had to leave.


Isn't it all a little bizarre? To us it's strange and yet God had it all in hand. God uses situations, God allows situations that we can't possibly understand, to take place for our own good yet we can't always see that. We have to have… FAITH. David was holding fast to God in faith in the situations he was in.


After David was sent back to where he lived this happened…


1Sa 30:1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
1Sa 30:2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
1Sa 30:3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives


Another enemy can attacked while they were gone, taking their wives, their children, their goods!


So what does David do? Does he rush off to get them back? NO. David consulted God first!


1Sa 30:7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
1Sa 30:8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.


David's trust in God was amazing! Is it any wonder God favored him????


1Sa 30:17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
1Sa 30:18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
1Sa 30:19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
1Sa 30:20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.


David did not get to do what he wanted to do.
David wanted to go fight with the Philistine king, but he was sent away.
David did not just rush off to fight to retrieve what was stolen from him- his wife and children.
David wanted God's guidance!


We need to see the reality of David's life for what it was and not glamorize it. God worked in David's life and God will work in our lives if we give our lives to Him. God needs to come first in our lives.


We can't judge ANYONE'S situation. We don't know how God is working in people's lives. We might never imagine God in some situations using those situations for ultimate good, but it's not up to us to do so. God is in charge! God is in control! It is our job, our duty, to LOVE God and to LOVE one another, not to judge, not to presume to know things we can't possibly know.


By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we be found in Him now and forever!


In His amazing love!


Amen.

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