1 Samuel 29:1-11

God helps us in our helplessness

Introduction: (v1. ) - the Philistines and Israelites are preparing for battle against each other.

Problem: (v.2) David and his men is fighting in the side of the Philistines under the banner of Achish.

David puts himself in this difficult situation wherein he has to fight against God’s people.

Will David fight against God’s people and against God?

or Will David betray Achish?

Checkmate si David - If he goes forward he will fight against God’s people. If he goes backward he will fight thousands of Philistines, Either way, he will not win! No positive thing will come out of his situation. He will taint his Kingship in the process and this event would have prevented him from being accepted by the Israelite as their king. David is in a helpless situation.

Climax: (vv.3-5) The Philistine leaders are suspicious of David and they refused to let David fight alongside them.

They were angry at David.

They were afraid that David and his men will betray them in the midsts of the battle (cautious sila)

Achish tried to defend David but he made the Philistine leaders got angry at him.

Resolution: (vv.6-10) - David and his men were told to go back to Ziklag.

You are pleasing in my sight David and I have not found evil in you - Achish.

Achish did not know that David was raiding Philistine cities.

David tried to justify himself “what have I done. I want to fight against the enemies of my lord the king!”. Why David? Is he acting and pretending nga nagoul?

David, You are like an angel of God! - Achish (whose God?)

David was SPARED from fighting God’s people or the huge Philistine armies which he can’t defeat.

Conclusion: (v.11) David depart and went to Ziklag

David listened to Achish. If I were David I would be relieved!

Antagonist - David, he put himself in this difficult situation wherein he has to fight against God’s people. David continued to show loyalty to Achish (v.10).

Protagonist - God!

God used the distrust of the Philistine commanders to remove David from the difficult situation.

David was helpless but God intervened to save him and so David was able to avoid committing more mistakes.

What: The war between Israel and Philistines put David in a difficult situation where in he has to show loyalty to King Achish and fight under him against the people of God. This will taint David’s kingship should he proceed. But God intervened through the Philistine commanders and so they wanted David out of their rank.

Why: The narrator wanted to tell the readers that God did not abandoned David despite David’s wrong decisions in the past because David honored God while in Ziklag. God rescued David from that impossible and helpless situation. This also shows that David has no part of conspiring or killing Saul (chap 31) because David was removed from the battle field.

Homiletical Idea;

Our wrong decisions has consequences that leads to more pain and trouble. But God is powerful to change circumstances in our favor without our help. It is will for us to remember that God honors those who honors him and He rescues them from their trouble.

The Gospel

God helps us in our helplessness - Romans 5:8 “8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Like David, we were in a helpless situation. Ephesians 2:1–2 “1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”

The goodness is this Ephesians 2:4–9 “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Proper Response:

Because God helps us in our helplessness, we must

I. Wait upon the Lord.

David stayed in Ziklag until it was time for God to remove Saul and David has to wait. David has to wait for the time for him to go back to Israel.

While in the presence of the Philistine armies, David waited for the Lord to act to save him.

In our times of trouble, it is better to wait upon the Lord. God’s timing is alway perfect.

Isaiah 40:31 NASB95

31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Psalm 27:14 NASB95

14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27 is a prayer to God for help. David expressed his authentic faith and courageous trust in God in times of trouble.

Waiting reveals our trust and confidence in God.

Waiting is not doing nothing. Waiting for the Lord means seeking the Lord - Psalm 27:4 “4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.”

Are you good at waiting upon the Lord?

Waiting for partner (spouse). Do you seek the Lord?

Waiting for promotion. Do you seek the Lord?

Waiting for solutions to problems. Do you seek the Lord?

Waiting for the conversion and transformation of our loved-ones. Do you seek the Lord?

We have the tendency to act and find solutions right away (like Saul who went to the spirit medium / necromancer) we fail to seek the Lord and make our hearts right with the Lord.

Transition: God helps us in our helplessness so we must wait for the Lord by seeking Him.

and when God makes a move, we need to submit to His leading.

II. Submit to God’s leading

David chose to submit to God’s leading by going back to Ziklag and so he escaped from committing more mistakes.

Having a humble and submissive heart is a choice we make. As Christians, we make a CHOICE daily to submit ourselves to God or not submit to God. Submitting to God helps us to “conform us to the image of Christ.”

Romans 8:28–29 “28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

- God will use the situations of our lives to bring us the opportunity to submit to Him. Only when apply the Word of God in our lives and we submit to the will of God that we become more like Christ.

- God does not require us to submit because He is a tyrant, but because He is a loving Father and He knows what is best for us.

Conclusion:

God helps us in our helplessness. Long before we ask for help, God already knows. God will continue to show Himself faithful to us despite our unfaithfulness at times. In your time of helplessness, just remember wait upon the Lord and submit to His leading.