Yeah, so we come this evening to not really quite the easiest of passages.
Graham this morning talked about how the passage he had was an ocean,
that there was so much, so much depth and riches in it.
And today we come to a passage that at first glance doesn't seem to much we can learn from it.
But some of our studies in 1 Samuel have been relatively straightforward.
Some have been a bit challenging to work out what's going on.
I particularly don't envy the speaker that's got the next passage in chapter 28
with all the strange supernatural goings on there.
But this chapter at first seems to have not much happening in it.
And then at a second look you realise, wait, what's going on here?
This is strange.
And then once you work that out it's, okay, what's really going on here?
In many of our studies recently we've been thinking of David as a type or a picture of Christ.
And legitimately so.
Later prophets and the New Testament writers frequently make much of the links between David
and great David's greater son.
But David is just a man.
A fallen man like the rest of us.
And in this passage we see him not so much as a picture of Christ,
but as a picture of us in all our weakness and folly.
I hope I'm not being too harsh on David.
But while some of his actions in this chapter may be debatable,
his motives certainly seem to be compromised.
So if we start at the beginning in the first four verses of chapter 28,
we find David in a low place.
Fear has overwhelmed him.
He's sure that it's only a matter of time until Saul kills him.
Saul promised in the last chapter that he would not try to harm him again,
but David knows that Saul can't be trusted.
But fear is nothing new to David.
Saul's been chasing him on and off for the last nine chapters,
probably about as many years.
In fact, if anything, we could say that David's written a textbook on fear
and on how to deal with it.
In Psalm 57, which he wrote while hiding in the cave at Adullam,
he writes in his desperation,
In the shadow of your wings,
I will take refuge till the storms of destruction have passed.
Or in Psalm 24, he writes,
So he knows fear.
But he knows that he can trust God to deliver him.
So what's changed?
Why has fear overwhelmed him now?
We're not told.
But I think there are two possibilities.
The first is that Samuel is dead.
We don't really know what interaction David and Samuel have had
over the last few years.
When Saul first tried to kill David,
David fled to Samuel,
but we don't hear of them together after that.
But still, David would have been aware
that there was this great prophet
who had anointed him king,
who was still around supporting him
and praying for him.
But Samuel is dead now.
And maybe he feels that the promise died with Samuel.
But the second reason,
and I think probably
most likely,
is just that the danger has been going on
for so long.
He knows God's promises to him,
but he's been waiting so long
and his focus has slipped.
It's dangerous for us to base too much
on what the passage doesn't say.
But I don't think it's insignificant
that God is not mentioned once
in this chapter.
In all the chapters before and after,
he's mentioned several times,
frequently explaining David's motives
or David seeking guidance from God.
But in this chapter,
God is not mentioned at all.
That obviously does not mean
he's not present
and not active,
but it does suggest
that he's not at the forefront
of David's mind.
But,
so instead,
David takes things
into his own hands
and comes out
with his own strategy.
Because living in Judah
under Saul
has become so dangerous
that David considers it safer
to go and seek shelter
with the Philistines,
Israel's enemy.
He goes by the logic
that the enemy of my enemy
is my friend.
And it seems
that Achish
is willing to go
by the same logic.
Unlike the previous time
that David had turned up
on his doorstep
as a lone fugitive
and had to feign insanity
to escape,
this time he's coming
with a large entourage.
he's got 600 fighting men
and their households.
And Achish decides
he can make use
of a band of warriors
with which they seem
to share a common enemy.
But we can already see
that this is going wrong.
In the last chapter,
David said to Saul,
they've driven me today
from my share
in the Lord's inheritance
and have said,
go serve other gods.
Now do not let my blood
fall to the ground
far from the presence
of the Lord.
He knows he should
not be going there.
He knows that's not
where he should be.
When David
was merely a boy
fighting Goliath,
everything was clear
to him.
These pagan Philistines
were God's enemies.
and here,
he's basically entering
into an alliance
with the Philistines.
He's been waiting
so long for God
to follow through
on his promises,
he's given up waiting
and has turned instead
to his own wisdom
and cunning
to save him.
Waiting can be difficult,
even for people like me
that give the appearance
of being so laid back
all the time.
I think there's
a good reason
why patience
or long suffering
is listed
in the fruit
of the Spirit.
It's not natural.
We naturally
struggle
to wait,
especially
when what we are
waiting on
is God's timing
because as Peter
would write,
the Lord
is not slow
in keeping
his promise
as some
understand slowness.
I.e.,
God's timing
is not ours.
God's plans
are not ours.
But there are
so many things
that we need
to wait for
in our lives.
Each of our lives
is different,
the challenges
are different,
but for many
of us
there will be
things that
don't happen
to the timing
that we would
like.
We would like
if things
happen now
to our
timetable,
but God
asks us
to wait.
And maybe
that waiting
like David
is full of fear,
fear about
health,
about family,
about employment.
we want
answers now.
But God
asks us
to wait.
And maybe
there are
things in our
church that
we need to
wait for.
We'd love to
see this or
that happen
now.
We'd love to
see much
greater impact.
We don't
want to keep
working away
and only
seeing little
fruit.
But God
asks us
to wait.
But waiting
can wear us
down.
We can
lose patience
and decide
to come up
with our
own plans
and our
own
clever
solutions.
I'm not
suggesting we
should just
sit back
and wait.
Let go
and let God
as the phrase
was.
Because we're
called to
action.
We're called
to fight,
to wrestle,
to endure.
But are we
fighting our
battles,
our gods?
But I
think we
also struggle
as the
church Peter
was writing
to,
in waiting
for our
future hope.
Peter was
writing in
the first
century to
people who
were then
questioning,
is this
ever going
to happen?
heaven.
And here
we are,
20 long
centuries
later.
And like
most things,
it seems to
be something
that the
church has
gone to
two extremes
on.
Either
it's front
and centre
in our
thinking,
almost to
the exclusion
of everything
else.
And life
here is
seen as
no more
than a
waiting room
for heaven.
Or
it's just
something
vaguely on
the edge
of our
consciousness
that doesn't
really affect
how we think
about our
day-to-day
lives at
all.
I wonder
if we're
at risk
here of
getting caught
up in the
challenges of
here and
now and
losing our
perspective.
I wonder
if possibly
that inhibits
our evangelism.
the promise
and threats
of future
realities seem
so distant
that it's
hard for us
to reconcile
them with
the people
that we meet
around us
day-to-day.
It seems
two very
different
things.
But in
Hebrews 11,
which the
first passage
I ever
actually spoke
on,
we read
of how
future hope
shaped the
lives of
those who
came before
us.
Because we
read there
that Abraham
was looking
forward to
the city
with foundations.
His architect
and builder
is God.
And all
these people
were still
living by
faith when
they died.
They were
longing for
a better
country,
a heavenly
one.
Therefore,
God is not
ashamed to be
called their
God,
for he
has prepared
a city
for them.
They were
living their
lives here
while waiting
for what
they knew
was to
come.
I've been
recommending
the songs
of Andrew
Peterson to
various people
recently.
And what I
really like
about them
is they're
so grounded
in the
joys and
sorrows of
life here
and now.
they're
also filled
with longing
for something
beyond.
One of
them says,
And I
know you
hear the
cries of
every soul
tonight.
You see
the teardrops
as they
roll tonight
down the
faces of
saints who
grow weary
and faint
in your
fields.
And the
wicked roam
the cities
and the
streets
tonight.
But when
the God of
love and
thunder speaks
tonight,
I believe
you will
come,
your justice
be done.
But how
long?
How long
until the
burden is
lifted?
How long
is this the
song that
we sing?
How long
until the
reckoning?
And as
our Bibles
would finish
in Revelation
22,
with that
cry,
come Lord
Jesus,
as we
wait for
that which
is to
come.
But before
we go off
on too
much of
that tangent
from what's
not said
in the
passage,
let's get
back to
the passage.
And
taking
most of
the rest
of the
chapter,
so from
verse 5
to 12
in one
section,
and here
we see
that at
first it
seems that
David's
strategy has
worked,
because Saul
gives up
searching for
him.
His
hatred for
David isn't
enough to
push him to
all-out war
with the
Philistines.
But as we
read on,
we see that
David's scheme
gets more
and more
cunning,
convoluted,
and
compromised.
Firstly,
we see
David in
apparent
humility
in
verse 5,
requesting
that he's
given a
place in
one of
the lesser
towns
instead of
in the
royal city,
making out
that he's
not worthy
to be in
the main
city,
along with
the king.
But when
we look at
how his
deception
develops,
we realise
this is not
about humility.
This is
about distance.
He wants
to be
somewhere
close enough
to be
under the
Philistine
protection,
but he
wants to
be far
enough away
that his
comings and
goings won't
be watched.
He wants
to pull the
wool over
Achishud's
eyes.
And so he's
given Ziklag
that he
uses as
a base
and he
carries out
raids from
there.
And this
is where
we start
getting
confused.
Is David
here carrying
out raids
against Israel?
Against his
own people?
Surely not.
But then
when you
read the
passage
carefully,
you realise
there are
two accounts
of what
he's doing.
In
verse 8,
read,
So David
and his
men went
up and
raided the
Geshurites,
the Gerzites,
and the
Malachites.
But then
in verse
10,
when Achish
asked,
where did
you go
raiding
today?
David would
say,
against the
Negev of
Judah,
or against
the Negev
of Jeremiel,
or against
the Negev
of the
Canaanites.
Verse 8
says what
David is
actually doing.
Verse 10
says what
he's reporting
to Achish.
The situation
he's got
himself into
is one
where he
has to
continually
lie about
what he's
doing in
order to
remain
welcome
there.
Because
Achish
believes he
is raiding
Israel,
while actually
he's raiding
Israel's
enemies.
Now,
it is
possible
that David's
not strictly
lying here.
The
Negev
was the
desert land
to the
south of
Israel.
Israel,
and so
it's
possible
that
although
this
is
within
the
borders
of
Israel,
that the
peoples he's
raiding
against are
in that
land.
So maybe
technically he's
speaking the
truth,
but certainly
he's intending
to deceive
here.
in fact,
the people
that he
claims that
he was
raiding,
we actually
will see
later in
chapter 30
that he's
giving the
spoils of
his raiding
to them.
He was
raiding
Israel's
enemies,
building up
his support
in Israel
by giving
them the
plunder,
meanwhile
making Achish
believe that
he was
becoming so
obnoxious
to Israel
that the
Philistines
would have
his loyalty
for life.
It's not
exactly clear
who the
Geshurites
and the
Gerizites
are,
various things
seem to
suggest
different
things,
but certainly
the Amalekites
are one of
the peoples
in the land
that Israel
should have
wiped out
when they
entered the
land several
centuries earlier.
Israel
compromised
and never
completed the
task.
In fact,
in the next
chapter,
one of the
things that
Saul is
accused of
is not
destroying
the Amalekites.
So,
is David
doing right
here?
It's not
totally clear,
but certainly
his motives
aren't godly.
His reason
for total
destruction
is not
because these
are the
enemies of
God,
or anything
like that,
but pragmatically
so he can
continue his
deception,
so they
can't report
back what's
happening,
so as to
save his
own skin.
He's got
himself into
such a
compromised
position,
and none
of his actions
seem clear
cut.
everything he
does is
tainted.
It's so
easy for us
to compromise.
It's so
easy for us
to look at
the challenges
we see
around us,
especially
when God
doesn't seem
to act to
our timetable,
and come up
with our own
solutions.
Sometimes we're
willing to be
flexible on
what we believe
to be right
and wrong,
because we
think it's
the best we
can do
under the
circumstances.
Yeah, we
might know
that technically
our actions
are wrong,
but we
don't think
we have any
other option.
Have we
forgotten God?
Have we
forgotten David's
words that we
read earlier?
Many are the
afflictions of
the righteous,
but the Lord
delivers him
out of them
all.
Or the words
that we sang,
where there
seems to be
no way,
you make
it possible.
It's often
interesting seeing
how people's
view on an
issue changes
completely when
it affects them
personally.
They have
very clear
views on
what's right
and wrong.
But when it's
no longer an
abstract issue,
they're willing
to come up
with excuses,
exceptions,
mitigating
factors,
why it's
okay for
them.
Now,
part of
this is
probably a
healthy
developing
of a
nuanced
view of
the complexities
of the
issues,
but all
too often
it's mere
pragmatism.
It suits the
situation they
find themselves
in,
and if that
means they
have to
slightly revise
their morality,
so be
it.
But I
think one
question that
must be
asked is
why is no
one giving
David advice
here?
Why is no
one saying
to him,
I think you're
making a big
mistake?
Remember God's
promises.
You can trust
him.
Hold on in
there.
Surely among
all these people
he had with
him,
there was
someone that
would have
had the
nerve to
say something.
Certainly
Abigail doesn't
seem one
who's likely
to keep her
opinion to
herself.
In the
book that
some of us
read with
Alistair
recently,
side by
side,
one of the
things it
challenged us
to do was
to confront
each other
with her
sin.
Now,
that of
course must
be done
carefully,
sensitively,
unlovingly.
But have
we got
people around
us that
know they
have our
permission to
challenge us
when they
think we're
making mistakes?
Or do we
surround ourselves
with people who
will just
politely agree
with us and
tell us what
we want to
hear?
Do we have
people around
us that will
remind us of
God's
promises?
Who will
remind us
that he is
so much
more glorious
than anything
we could
possibly put
in his
place?
And so
we get
to
essentially
the end
of our
passage,
the first
couple of
verses of
chapter.
After all
this fear,
this compromise,
are we
left on a
downer?
Is there
anything
positive?
in the
first couple
of verses
of chapter
28 here,
we see
just the
difficulty of
the situation
that David's
got himself
into.
After almost
a year and
a half,
the major
challenge
comes.
Dachish is
marching out
against Israel
and expects
David to be
there fighting
with him at
his side.
what's
David to
do?
Initially,
he digs
himself even
deeper into
the hole by,
in a rather
ambiguous manner,
pledging his
loyalty.
And Dachish,
who believes
the reports
that he's been
carrying out
raids against
Judah all this
time,
appoints him
to be his
bodyguard,
in a place
of honour,
but also a
place where
he can keep
his eye on
him.
David's not
going to have
an opportunity
to quietly
slip away,
or even go
over to the
other side
here.
But is
there any
hope?
Earlier
I said that
it's dangerous
to base too
much on what's
not said,
and in this
case there's
nothing in
this passage
to give any
hope.
But we'll
discover in a
couple of
chapters that
God does
intervene.
All this
time David
may have
been ignoring
God, but
God's not
been ignoring
him.
David may
have given
up waiting
for God,
but God
was still
going to
fulfil on
his promises.
As Paul's
devotion this
morning reminded
us, failure
isn't final.
And here
we see that
God gets
David out
of the
situation that
his own
foolishness had
got him
into.
And in
the meantime,
God has
continued to
bless.
In 1
Chronicles 12
we read of
all the
men who
came to
David while
he was at
Ziklag.
He started
with 600
men.
By this
point he's
got more
because they
keep hearing
about them,
they keep
hearing about
all he's
doing, and
they keep
coming to
him.
So his
army is
continuing to
grow, ready
for when it
would be
needed.
And one
day David
would sit
on the throne
of Israel
with a
glorious
reign.
And his
line would
be preserved,
and the
promised Messiah
would come
from it, and
we would be
here today.
He was a
fearful,
compromised,
broken man,
like the
rest of us.
But God
was faithful.
This wouldn't
by any means
be his last
mistake, or
even probably
his worst.
And yet God
could still
describe him
as a man
after my
own heart.
David may
have failed
repeatedly,
but he
came back,
and God
was still
there,
waiting for
him.
Because David's
the one who
would write
in the
psalm that
Graham
read for us
at the
beginning,
completely
unplanned.
as far as
the east
is from
the west,
so far
has he
taken our
sins from
us.
But also
in the same
psalm,
he knows
how we are
formed.
He remembers
we are
dust.
And so
as we go
from here,
let's not
be burdened
by our
regrets of
the past
and our
present
failures,
but let's
bring them
and leave
them at the
foot of the
cross,
knowing that
they have
been dealt
with there.
As we
head into
Holy Weekend,
the Easter
weekend,
let's make
extra special
effort to
take time
out to
remember what
we remember
every week,
in fact,
every day,
that we
have died
with Christ.
We have
been buried
with him
and we
have been
raised to
new life.
The waiting
may seem
a long
time,
but let
us have
confidence
in what we
have believed,
that Christ
has died,
Christ
has risen,
and Christ
will come
again.
And as
we wait,
let's pray
in the words
of our
final song,
Don't
Let My
Love
Grow Cold.
If someone
was to write
our biography,
would there
be chapters
in it where
God's not
mentioned?
As the
song says,
Don't
Let My
Love
Grow Cold.
I'm calling
out,
light the
fire again.
Don't
Let My
Vision
Die,
and calling
out,
light the
fire again.
Thank you.