Crisis at Ziklag David A Man after Gods

Crisis at Ziklag David: A Man after God’s Own Heart Series [14] 1 Samuel 30: 1 -31 © June 11, 2017 Pastor Paul K. Kim

RECAP: DAVID’S SPIRITUAL LIMBO LIFE AT ZIKLAG SO FAR [1 SAMUEL 27 & 29] • Out of desperation, David fled from Saul to Ziklag, the land of the Philistines (Israel’s enemy), leaving God out of his self-reliant plans. • At Ziklag, a chain effect of compromise took David to become a brutal mercenary, and a liar, living a double life in spiritual limbo for 16 months. • Eventually, David’s resourcefulness and self-reliance backfired on him, getting trapped by his own duplicity—i. e. , going to a war against Israel. • But, God was faithful even in the messiness of David’s life, delivering him out of the trap by an ironic intervention of the Philistine lords.

So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel. 1 Samuel 29: 11 11

THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG [1 SAMUEL 30] • An Unthinkable Crisis: They wept until exhausted with weeping (30: 1 -6). Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 1

THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG [1 SAMUEL 30] • An Unthinkable Crisis: They wept until exhausted with weeping (30: 1 -6). Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. (vs. 1 -6) 4 Ø It was such an unthinkable crisis—their town was burned, their wives and children were taken; moreover, they didn’t know who did it to them. Ø David and his men wept loudly until they were too exhausted to weep. Ø To worsen it all, the men began to blame David, talking about stoning him; but NOTICE the spiritual effect of this unsinkable crisis on David.

THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG [1 SAMUEL 30] • Awaken by the Crisis: David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I…? ” (30: 7 -10). And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod. ” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them? ” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue. ” 9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. (vs. 7 -10) 7 Ø Waking up from spiritual slumber, David returned to inquiring of the LORD. Ø He hadn’t done this for a long time; through this crisis, David regained his spiritual vision and trust in his God, staying wide awake spiritually.

THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG [1 SAMUEL 30] • God’s Providence: They found a sick Egyptian left behind (30: 11 -20). They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from? ” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. ” 11

THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG [1 SAMUEL 30] • God’s Providence: They found a sick Egyptian left behind (30: 11 -20). And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band? ” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band. ” 16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 15

THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG [1 SAMUEL 30] • God’s Providence: They found a sick Egyptian left behind (30: 11 -20). And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David's spoil. ” (vs. 11 -20) 17 Ø Behind this crisis, God’s sovereign hand had placed this sick Egyptian as God’s providence for redemption and restoration—not a coincidence! Ø David recovered everything-–nothing was missing; it was all by God’s sovereign grace and providential mercy.

THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG [1 SAMUEL 30] • Blessings of the Crisis: The LORD’s gifts…they shall share alike (30: 21 -31). Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart. ” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike. ” 21

THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG [1 SAMUEL 30] • Blessings of the Crisis: The LORD’s gifts…they shall share alike (30: 21 -31). When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord. ” 27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed. (vs. 21 -31) 26 Ø The unthinkable crisis had turned into an incredible blessing to David by God’s grace; what David had received by grace, he had to share by grace. Ø His gifts to the elders of Judah were not merely political gestures but a sign of his regained sense for his true identity and calling as a future king.

THREE LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG • Lesson #1: God uses crisis in our lives to wake us up and to get us out from living in spiritual limbo back to a life of spiritual vitality and focus. And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod. ” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them? ” (vs. 7 -8) 7

THREE LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG • Lesson #1: God uses crisis in our lives to wake us up and to get us out from living in spiritual limbo back to a life of spiritual vitality and focus. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word… 71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. Psalm 119: 67, 71 67 Ø God gets our full attention in crisis—it’s God’s megaphone to our souls [C. S. Lewis]. Ø In crisis, we must see God’s sovereign hand beneath what we can see. Ø We are to persevere hardship and pain as God’s wake-up call restores us to the spiritually vital, focused self.

THREE LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG • Lesson #2: A mark of true faith in crisis is to strengthen oneself in the LORD, turning from self-reliance to God-reliance. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. (v. 6) 6

THREE LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG • Lesson #2: A mark of true faith in crisis is to strengthen oneself in the LORD, turning from self-reliance to God-reliance. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 2 Corinthians 1: 9 -10 9 Ø Unlike Saul who didn’t turn to God at his most distressful moment (1 Sam. 28), David “strengthened himself in the LORD”—it is a mark of true faith. Ø To strength himself in the LORD meant to find his faith in God’s promise and character as his source of strength and encouragement. Ø This requires us to turn away from self-reliance to God-reliance.

THREE LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG • Lesson #3: Crisis offers us God-given opportunities to regain our true calling for God’s sovereign purpose in our character and conduct. They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate… 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. . . They shall share alike. ”. . . he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord. ” (vs. 11, 23, 24, 26) 11

THREE LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF DAVID’S CRISIS AT ZIKLAG • Lesson #3: Crisis offers us God-given opportunities to regain our true calling for God’s sovereign purpose in our character and conduct. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve or good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1: 11 -12 11 Ø Our calling is more important our physical life because our identity and purpose come from our calling for God’s sovereign purpose. Ø The regaining of our calling means to live out our character and conduct worthy to God’s sovereign purpose for our salvation and His kingdom.

Gospel-living in Your Calling for God’s Sovereign Purpose It was enough that they get their wives and children back, but nothing else— not a single piece of Amalekite plunder, not so much as one sheep or goat or heifer. Just then David stepped in. His intervention is the climax of the story. David intervened at the Brook Besor, and his intervention is pure gospel. David ruled that everybody at the brook that day—the two hundred who had been unable to continue and had been given the undramatic, behind-the-scenes work of watching over the supplies at the brook (1 Sam. 30: 24) and the four hundred who had fought for their lives—were equals and would share everything equally: “Everything we have is a gift from God; we share it with all who are saved by God” (1 Sam. 30: 23 -25)… Everything they experienced was sheer grace. How could they talk about dividing things up fairly? God was treating them with marvelous and generous grace; David would see to it that they treated one another with marvelous and generous grace. ― Eugene H. Peterson

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1. In what ways will you see crisis in your life through the eyes of faith— embracing them as a wake-up call that restores us back to God? 2. What would it mean for you to strengthen yourself in the LORD, turning from self-reliance to God-reliance in your distressful moments? 3. What is your first step toward regaining/sharpening your true calling for God’s sovereign purpose in your character and conduct?