Lessons from David's life of refuge

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Scripture reading: Ps 56:1-4

Psalm 56:1–4 (ESV)
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
Introduction
This morning, I’d like to share the grace with you from Psalm 56:1-4. David, the writer of this psalm, has been through a lot. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel when he was only fifteen years old. He played the harp and served as King Saul’s musician. He rose to fame as the young war prodigy who slew Goliath in a single blow. And Saul became envious of him because he realized that God was with David.
1 Samuel 18:28 ESV
But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him,
In his envy, Saul sought to kill him. He threw spears at David, and even sent assassins to lie in wait outside David’s house. David’s wife helps him sneak away, and thus he begins his life as a fugitive in his own kingdom at the age of twenty. They say the twenties are the best time of your life. You’ve started earning money and you can spend it however you want. But for David, it was a time of constant danger and insecurity. He didn’t know who he could trust. He didn’t know where he could go.
The Bible records sixteen locations in his time as a fugitive. And this morning, I’d like for us to look at some key lessons we can take away from David’s life of refuge.

The anointed ones will face persecution

David must’ve been thinking, ‘God, why is this happening? Everything was going well, but now I’ve lost everything.’ And if this could happen to David, this could happen to you. God’s showing us that none of our shelters are beyond collapse. Not our finances, families, entertainment, grades, or achievements. David lost everything because of one man’s envy. And here’s the catch: God allowed it to happen to him, and God will allow it to happen to us.
Revelation 12:13 (ESV)
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
The woman here represents the church. And what we see is that the dragon, Satan, pursues the woman so as to kill her. That’s in the Bible. So what does that mean? That means we need to be ready. Not physically ready. I’m not saying to liquidate all your assets. I’m saying that we need to be spiritually ready. Instead of building a physical shelter, we need to find our refuge in God.
David was anointed when he was 15. When they anoint you, they pour oil on your head. And that oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit coming upon you. The Hebrew word for ‘anointed’ in masha, which then makes sense of Jesus coming as the Messiah, the anointed one, the one who is filled with the Spirit. Jesus then breathes on His disciples and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit.
John 20:22 ESV
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
So what that means is that now as followers of Jesus, we are also anointed by the Holy Spirit. That’s why we can expect persecution to come our way, in the same way David and Jesus experienced persecution.
The letter of 1 Peter was written to the churches somewhere in mid 60s. Not in the 1960s, but 60s AD. The readers of the letter were confused and discouraged by the persecution that they faced. And this is what the Apostle Peter had to say to them.
1 Peter 1:1–2 (ESV)
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
He calls them elect exiles. What does that mean? It means they have been chosen. They’ve been chosen by God, but they are living in a land that’s not their own. But perhaps it’s more accurate to say that because they are chosen by God, this world is not their home. Only those who are elect have the promise of a true home in heaven.
And how have they been chosen? According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit. So we’ve been chosen by God’s predestination, and also by the Holy Spirit coming upon us.
1 Peter 1:3–5 ESV
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
What’s he saying? You have been born again by the Holy Spirit. And that means that you have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Can we say amen to this? This is the promise of God for all who are chosen by the Father and anointed by the Spirit. The Apostle Peter’s telling us to make God our refuge, and the promises of God our reward.

We must remain faithful to God’s commands while enduring hardships

1 Samuel 22:3–5 ESV
And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.” And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.
David honored God’s command to honor his parents, even while he was on the run. So he brought his parents to the king of Moab and asked for asylum. Why? Because Saul would have attacked his family members or take them hostage. David considered this, and brought his parents to safety.
But something interesting then happens. David’s in the stronghold at Moab, but the prophet Gad comes to him and tells him to return to the land of Judah. God said it, he obeyed it. This is what sets him apart from Saul. We know that Saul disobeyed God’s prophet twice already. Once in the battle against the Philistines, once in the battle against the Amalekites. David is given a command to return to a place of danger, and he obeys promptly with no questions asked.

Our hardships prepare us for our crown

David was anointed at an early age, and he didn’t have the skills or leadership to fulfil his calling to be a king. And when did he gain his leadership qualities? It was during these ten years of living as a fugitive. And after the ten years, he ruled the crown of Israel.
We also have received an anointing from God. We have one pastor, seven elders, and now six ordained deacons who have the calling to serve the church and to minister to the saints. But as we saw earlier, all of us have been anointed by the Holy Spirit to fulfil Christ’s mission here on earth. We see this throughout the Bible: God equips those whom He calls.
2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
The author of Hebrews blesses their readers with this blessing.
Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
And how does God equip us to fulfil our calling? It is through hardships and trials. As we always like to say in the gym, no pain no gain. The question is, will you be like David? Will you remain obedient to the Word of the Lord even in the midst of trials and persecution? If we can overcome, then the Lord promises us a crown.
Revelation 3:10–11 ESV
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
1 Peter 5:6–7 ESV
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
I pray that we will stay faithful to the Word of God even through the hardships. May we find refuge in nothing and no one else but our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Let us conclude by reading the words of David in Psalm 56.
Psalm 56 (ESV)
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me? All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.
For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
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