1 Samuel 27:1-12


Circumstances have a way of making us fearful and forgetful.  David has been on the run for many years and Saul has repeatedly told him that he would stop trying to kill him only to come after him again.  David get tired of running and being on edge and knows that he will not be able to “settle down” in Israel so he takes matters into his own hands and goes back to Gath, a country of the Philistines in order to escape.  This is the same place he had gone before and had to act like a crazy man in order for them to keep him alive.  It seems David has forgotten the faithfulness of God to protect him and given in to his fears and frustrations.  God has told David he will be the next king.  God has enabled David to kill giants and win many battles.  God has repeatedly delivered David from Saul’s grip.  Yet in spite of all of this David decides to put his trust in the hands of a Pagan king instead of the Lord.  We must be careful not to be controlled by our circumstances fear is the opposite of faith and can easily control us when we forget the power and faithfulness of God.

DAVID FLEES TO THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL:  Since David has become tired of running from Saul and fears that one day Saul will catch up to him; he flees back to Gath, a country belonging to the Philistines.  This is ironic because David has fought the Philistines over and over again.  Apparently, the Philistines know that David is on the run and is now the enemy of Saul so they decide that the enemy of their enemy must be their friend and they welcome him into the country.  David asks to live outside the royal city with his men and their families, so the king gives David the city of Ziclag.  I don’t believe that David is doing the right thing in these circumstances.  This seems a lot like Abraham going down to Egypt in order to escape the famine in the land that God had led him to.  We must be very careful not to take our eyes off of the Lord in times of trials.  However, it is a comfort to know that God seems to understand our weaknesses and continues to protect and provide for us even when our faith is weak.

DAVID FIGHTS THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL:  David seems to fear losing his life to Saul, but does not seem to have any fear at all of losing his life in battle.  Even in exile he continues to fight the enemies of Israel.  He is not fighting his host, but he is going out and destroying other enemies of Israel that God had called Israel to destroy a very long time ago.  He seems to tell the king of Gath that he is fighting against Israel so that the king will trust him and believe that David has truly become the enemy of Israel, but that is clearly not the case.  David continues to have victory after victory.  It seems that as long as David can fight his battles, he is confident and fearless.  However, since he cannot raise his own hand to fight Saul he has a hard time just sitting back and trusting God to fight that battle for him.  David is a man of action and it seems that men of action have a hard time resting in the promises and provision of the Lord.  God may bring us to a place where there is truly nothing that we can do about our circumstances.  It is vital that we meet these circumstances with faith and not with fear and simply be still and let God do what we cannot do.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than a...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:3-7

I thank God   whom I serve, as did my ancestors,   with a clear conscience, as I remember you   constantly in my prayers night and day.    As I remember your tears,   I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.    I am reminded of   your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and   your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.    For this reason I remind you   to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us   a spirit not of fear but   of power and love and self-control. It is easy for us to forget many important things especially in the face of difficulty or danger.  Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing difficult times in ministry so there are important reminders that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands.  God has given us everything we need to face the difficulties He allows i...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Therefore   do not be ashamed of   the testimony about our Lord, nor of   me his prisoner, but   share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,   who saved us and   called us to a holy calling,   not because of our works but because of   his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus   before the ages began, and which now has   been manifested through   the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,   who abolished death and   brought life and   immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But   I am not ashamed, for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that day   what has been entrusted to me.  Follow   the pattern of   the sound words   that you have heard from me, in   the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ...
Read more