Facing the Giant of Discouragement
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Introduction
Introduction
- School year started, had a great time at BWR, had a great back to school youth service
- Theme of the year “bring on the giants”
— When you first hear the phrase “bring on the giants” the first immediate thought is why. Don’t bring any giants I don’t want to face any giants. However, giants in the Christian life are inevitable. Giants are trials, temptations, burdens, or anything else that Satan may use to try to bring you down. So these giants are a metaphor. Sometimes we call them storms, right, Brother Andrew often says that everyone is either in the storm, about to come out of a storm, or about to go into the storm. You never know what people are dealing with. So these giants are inevitable. At first glance that can be intimidating. But, thankfully the Lord is on our side so that we can face those giants. So today I want to read about David and the giant he faced. No, not Goliath, but a different giant. Turn with me to the book of 1 Samuel 30.
- did a quick devo on this passage for teacher orientation, but wanted to develop it a bit more and dive deeper into it.
— So who is this David character? David is one of the most popular characters in the Bible. Let me quickly refresh your memory of who he is:
David was from the tribe of Judah and from the town of Bethlehem
He was Ruth and Boaz’s great grandson
He was the youngest of seven sons
David was a shepherd
David was a musician
He was a king
David was a sinner
David lived around 1000 BC
He wrote about half of the Book of Psalms
He was known as a man after God’s own heart
He was a great warrior
He was a giant slayer
(summarize at breaks)
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; 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. 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. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. 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. And David inquired 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. So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick. We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company. And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 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. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
The Amalekites in this story are the same ones from 1 Samuel chapter 15 that God told Saul to utterly destroy, and Saul ultimately disobeyed.
1 Samuel 15:3 “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”
1 Samuel 15:9 “But Saul and the people spared Agag (the king), and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”
The story then goes on that the Lord is disappointed in Saul because He did not obey Him fully. Just by the way, this story teaches us that partial obedience is still disobedience. I try to tell the teens that often. If your momma tells you to clean your room and your bathroom, but you only clean your room, then you are still disobeying.
Anyway the amalekites are not even supposed to be a problem for Israel any more. They’re not even supposed to exist. But because of Saul’s disobedience, David is facing the consequences. Which, another side note, teaches us that your actions affect others.
So at first glance, it seems somewhat out of character for our merciful and gracious God to command a man to commit genocide against an entire nation. We read so much about how God is all loving, and gracious, and merciful so it just doesn’t seem right that we would want to wipe out an entire people. However, you have to remember that while yes, God is loving, and gracious, and merciful, He is also just. What is justice?
Justice is a term used for what is right or “as it should be.” Justice is one of God’s attributes and flows out of His holiness. Justice and righteousness are often used synonymously in the Bible. Since righteousness is the quality or character of being right or just, it is another attribute of God and incorporates both His justice and holiness.
We cannot begin to understand God’s justice unless we first understand sin. Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4) and iniquity (Daniel 9:4-5; Micah 2:1; James 3:6). It embodies everything contrary to God’s holy nature and is offensive to Him. Thus, sin is a crime against God, and justice demands a penalty of death and separation from Him for it (Romans 1:18-32; 2:5; 3:23). But God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to pay that penalty for us (Romans 5:8-11; 6:23) and made salvation available to all who believe in His name (John 1:12; 3:15-17; 20:31).
God’s own righteousness is provided as a gift to sinners who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and is based upon His grace and mercy in response to our faith (Romans 3:23-26; Ephesians 2:3-7). His mercy and grace are not in spite of His justice, but because of it. He loved us so much that, despite the fact that our sin demands our death, He sent His Son to be our substitute upon the cross, thus demonstrating that His justice was not violated, but instead satisfied (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9).
So, God is just. And this isn’t even the biggest genocide in the Bible. That title refers to the flood, and perhaps in the end times when God’s wrath is released for the final time.
This genocide is not the first interaction between Israel and the Amalekites. There have been others—all violent, and all instigated by the Amalekites. The first is right at Israel’s birth as a free nation in Exodus 17—it’s the famous story of the Amalekites attacking Israel and Moses holding up his hands to give Israel victory. Several times more the Amalekites attack Israel. No record exists of this being a reprisal for Israel’s bellicose actions. Indeed in Deuteronomy 25 God orders Israel to do exactly what Saul is called to do in 1Samuel15. And the reason given is their determination to wipe out the people of God.
The Amalekites are viewed as an existential threat, not simply to Israel, but to the covenant promises of God; that he will bless the whole world through his chosen people. The Amalekites are not simply threatening a people group with their determination to wipe out Israel, but they are a threat to the salvation plan of God for all other nations. As descendants of Esau they had despised the covenant themselves and now were determined that none others could have access to what they had rejected. This existential threat motif is ramped up even more when we realize that Haman, the advisor to King Xerxes in the book of Esther is an Agagite (the name given to the royal leaders of the Amalekites, including the Amalekite king in 1Samuel15). And which people does Haman hate with a murderous hatred to the point he organizes a genocide against them? Israel of course. Only when Esther steps in is Israel saved.
So now that we understand this story in its context, let’s see how David faced the Giant of Discouragement:
1. David was discouraged (v.6)
1. David was discouraged (v.6)
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
— We use a few different words that kind of all carry a similar meaning. Here in this passage we see the word “distressed”. We may use other words like disappointment, discouragement, depression, and so on.
This Hebrew word for distress is “yatsar” and it means to be squeezed or pressed upon. It’s a very physical word for an emotional feeling here. There’s even slang today that is kinda similar to this. The word “pressed” is sometimes used by young people to convey the feelings of stress, upset, or annoyance.
Funnily enough, the first time this word appears in the Bible is actually when Jacob is about to meet Esau for the first time after he had stolen his birthright, and Jacob was very afraid, he was distressed. And now David, the descendant of Jacob is now distressed because of Esau’s descendants, the amalekites.
This word is also used in the context of a potter. In Isaiah 64:8 it says “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Formed here is that same word “yatsar”.
And so the imagery here is that “yatsar” is not inherently bad. Because if you are being pressed and squeezed and formed by God, then it’s a good thing. However, if you are being pressed and formed and distressed by other things in the world, then that is definitely not a good thing.
So David is returning with his men to ziklag where they had left their families and discovered that their city was burned down and their families were taken captive. It says that the men cried and wept until they had no power to weep. And after they finished weeping, they were angry and they were taking their anger out on David and wanted to stone him.
We’ve all been there before. We’ve been in those seasons of life where it seems like when it rains it pours. Just one thing after another. It seems like nothing can go right. Everything is falling apart. This is where David was at.
David has lost his family, his city has been destroyed, and now his men is all that he has left and now they want to kill him. So David is deeply discouraged and understandably so. But our verse doesn’t end there.
2. David encouraged (v.6)
2. David encouraged (v.6)
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Despite everything that David just experienced, David was able to encourage Himself in the Lord. Some versions say that he strengthened himself in the Lord. And this word encourage means to become strong, or hardened, or resolute. So where do we get our strength from?
He giveth power to the faint;
And to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings as eagles;
They shall run, and not be weary;
And they shall walk, and not faint.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee:
Be not dismayed; for I am thy God:
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Finally in the words of David
I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.
Hopefully you realize this morning that your strength is dependent on the Lord. If you depend on your own self and rely on your own strength, you will fall every time. However, the Lord has infinite strength that you can use.
- Encourage yourself in His Word
- Remind yourself of who He is
- Remind yourself of all that He has already done
3. David enquired (v. 8)
3. David enquired (v. 8)
And David inquired 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.
So how did David encourage himself in the Lord? It doesn’t tell us specifically what he did, but right after it tells us that he sought out the ephod and the high priest. His eyes were not stuck on the terrible situation and circumstances around him, rather his eyes were lifted to Heaven as he enquired of the Lord. Too enquire is basically to ask for help.
— Too often when we face difficult situations we rely on our own strength or maybe we even ignore it and hope it goes away. Maybe we seek counsel from friends or family, which isn’t a bad thing, but have you sought the Lord? Have you enquired?
David sought Abiathar priest to enquire of the Lord, but can I tell you you have an even better high priest that you can seek counsel from?
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
No longer do we rely on a human priest as the mediator between God and man, but we have Christ:
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Jesus is at the right hand of the Father right now making intercession for you! On your behalf! That is why you can come boldly into the throne room of grace, because your Savior is in there already speaking for you on your behalf.
Don’t let your eyes focus on the circumstances around you, don’t try to make up your own solution or seek counsel from ungodly people, GO TO THE HIGH PRIEST. Go boldly into that throne room.
When you don’t enquire of the Lord, you are telling God that you don’t need him. When you look for help from other things or other people, you are telling God, “I trust them more than I trust you.” Why else would you seek help from other people rather than God?
What if you do seek the Lord but it seems like He’s not there? That’s a question I hear a lot. Here in our Scripture, the Lord replied to David. He spoke plainly to him. Today the Lord does not speak audibly, but He does speak. He speaks through His Word. You can’t pray and ask for help and expect an answer without seeking an answer in His Word. We speak to God through prayer and He speaks back to us through His Word.
- Every step you take should be guided by Christ, but how will you know where to step if you are not praying and asking where to step?
Psalm 119:105
NUN.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
And a light unto my path.
- Your word is a lamp unto my feet illustration
My soul followeth hard after thee:
Thy right hand upholdeth me.
David enquires of the Lord 9 times in 1st and 2nd Samuel alone.
Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
Over and over and over we see this phrase: David enquired of the Lord.
I wonder if your biography was written down and it detailed all your awesome successes and worst downfalls, how often would it say you enquired of the Lord? How often would it say “Zain enquired of the Lord” ?
Nine times. He has made this a habit. He is familiar with the process of seeking God’s will and doing God’s will in every decision he made. How often do you enquire of the Lord when a decision must be made?
4. David obeyed (v. 10)
4. David obeyed (v. 10)
But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
- David didn’t just sit back and do nothing, after he encouraged himself and enquired what the Lord’s will is, he did something about it.
— David obeyed after inquiring of the Lord. He did exactly what he was told. As compared to King Saul from chapter 15 who only, partially obeyed, David did what he was told and pursued the amalekites.
— David would not have obeyed if he did not believe the Lord. Belief precedes action. Faith precedes obedience. If you’re struggling to obey then you are struggling to believe God and His Word.
— Remember that these men were weary, they were extremely tired. They just had a long journey and now they were emotionally drained because of what they have just encountered at Ziklag. They were so tired that two hundred even stayed behind, look at verse 10 again:
But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
— So they’re exhausted. look at verse 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.
— David and his men fought for from twilight to evening, or basically about a day, around 24 hours.
— There is no possible way, humanly speaking, that David and his men could have accomplished this great feat. But it also seemed impossible for David to kill a lion and bear, it seemed impossible for David to kill Goliath, it seems that almost everything that David accomplished in his life would be impossible. But God is the one who carried him through it.
There is a sign out in this hallway that says “the will of God will not take you where the grace of God wont protect you”. You must consciously remind yourself of this truth. If God has called you to it, He will bring you through it. Don’t let the fear of man or the fear of the unknown control your mind and thoughts, you can rest in the fact that your God is sovereign and in control, and that He is wise enough and powerful enough to bring you through whatever situation you feel stuck in.
5. David recovered (v. 18)
5. David recovered (v. 18)
And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
Our God is a God who fulfills His promises and His covenants. Look back at verse 8:
And David inquired 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.
God said He would do it, and David believed Him, and wouldn’t you know God did it. Maybe you feel like the enemy has stolen something from you.
Maybe your joy has been stolen. Maybe you’re discouraged. Remember that David is the one who penned the verses Psalm 51:12
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
And uphold me with thy free spirit.
Maybe this needs to be our prayer today.
Our God is a God of promises and covenants. And He has made a New Covenant and has invited you into it. In the Old Testament here, the Jews were the only ones who were God’s people. But He has now opened that up to every person, because He wants a relationship with you. This New Covenant was initiated on the cross of Calvary. Hebrews 9:16
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Christ died for you so that you could be brought into this covenant. He didn’t stay dead, but rose again defeating death and sin, and the Bible says in Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
All of our points this morning have been about David, but I hope you realize that David is not the main character of this story. It is God and how God worked in David’s life.
When Mr. McBrayer was doing his devotional on David and Goliath for teacher orientation a few weeks ago, he made it clear that we are not David.
The point of this message is not to walk away with the thought of I want to be more like David, the point of this message is to realize that you serve the same God as David and that God can do the same things for you that He did for David.
The goal is not to be more like David, it is to be more like Christ and to rely on Him more, each and every day.
David was discouraged / 2. David encouraged / 3. David enquired
4. David obeyed / 5. David recovered