Fight Song
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
Thanksgiving for the invitation
I love stories behind songs. Some of history’s greatest songs—what’s the stories behind them?
One of the greatest gifts we have in the Bible is the book of Psalms. A lot of it is like David’s personal diary. So, while we’re seeing what David is going through from a 3rd person perspective…the Psalms give us a look at what’s going on IN DAVID’S HEART (first person) while all of this is going on.
David spent a good part of his life on the run. David is on the run from Saul. Saul is paranoid, he’s jealous of David’s growing popularity and the reality that God has said that David will ultimately become king. So, Saul has deployed his entire army to hunt David down. He’s fled to a place called Ramah, a place called Nob—where he met Ahimelech and received bread and a sword.
And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,
‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.
OUTLINE OF CHAPTERS 22-23
David leaves the cave of Adullam and travels to Mizpeh in Moab and asks the king of Moab if his parents can stay and be watched after because he knows they’re not safe. The king of Moab agrees.
Prophet Gad warns David not to stay in his stronghold and he hides in the forest of Hereth.
Meanwhile, Saul hears about this, and his paranoia grows to a climax. He accuses everyone around him of conspiring with David against him—when one of his men, Doeg, speaks up. Now, we saw Doeg last week in 21:7 when
David is receiving help from Ahimelech the priest. Doeg just happened to be there in Nob that day and witnessed it. So, trying to make sure Saul knows he’s trustworthy, he tells Saul everything he saw. Saul goes off the rails, sends word summoning Ahimelech and his entire priestly family to him, and has them murdered (except for Abiathar—one of Ahimelech’s sons).
• Rest of chapters 22 & 23 is David continuing to flee and live on the run from place to place/city to city.
>>TRANSITION<<
Today—Psalm 57…So, turn in your bible to Psalm 57.
THIS IS A SONG—JUST LIKE EVERY GOOD SONG—3 VERSES AND A CHORUS.
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
(VERSE 1) — God WILL take care of me (vs. 1-4)
“Be gracious to me, O God…” (2x)
David is desperate. He is in a place of utter helplessness. He’s in a place of complete desperation.
MAYBE THIS IS A PLACE THAT YOU’RE IN. Maybe you’re in a struggle right now…with ___________ (you name it). Maybe it’s with another person, like David. And you’re in a place where you feel trapped. It’s all out of your control.
How does God take care of me?
A) GOD IS A PLACE OF REFUGE (SAFETY) (VS. 1)
First of all, I want you to see this—David is in a cave. He’s literally/physically hiding for safety. We see that in 1 Samuel 22. But…pay attention to what David says, here in vs. 1. He doesn’t write, “Day 137—hiding in a cave from Saul.” No! He KNOWS where his safety lies. He knows where his refuge is.
I TAKE REFUGE IN YOU! I SEEK REFUGE IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS!
Where do you seek safety during the storm? Maybe it’s in unhealthy things. Maybe you seek safety in (examples)…
B) GOD IS A PLACE OF RENEWAL (VS. 2)
“God who fulfills his purpose for me.” If you have a KJV…your translation says, “Unto God that performeth all things for me.”
Listen…David is trusting in God’s sovereignty. God has a purpose. God has plan.
We wait. God works.
C) GOD IS A PLACE OF RESCUE (VS. 3)
“He reaches down and saves me.” With what? How does God do it?
Listen to this…it’s not by David’s strength…it’s not by the sword of Goliath…or by his hundreds of men that would willingly fight for him.
“Sends his faithful love & truth.”
God REALLY loves us.
Truth—His Word
D) GOD IS A PLACE OF REST (VS. 4)
David describes his current situation as being surrounded by lions…devouring lions. Who is he talking about? Saul and his army. PEOPLE. He says their teeth are spears and arrows…their tongues are sharp as swords.
Have you ever had those people in your life? Look—I have. People that want to rip you apart with their words. They want to tear down your character, your reputation, and they want to tell as many people as they can so that everyone sees you in a negative light. Their words of arrows and spears and swords are attacking you relentlessly and spreading it to as many people as they can.
So, what is David doing? Look…I know what I do. I know what I struggle with. Paranoia. Anxiety. Worry. Fear. How about you? What about David? You can almost imagine David hiding in the cave and hearing the shouts and threats of Saul & his men.
“I lie down.” // Psalm 23
>>CHORUS<<
WORSHIP—GOD, MAY YOUR GLORY BE ALL OVER THE EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GOD, MAY WHAT YOU DECREE IN HEAVEN COME TO PASS ON EARTH.
(VERSE 2) — God WILL take care of ‘them’ (vs. 3-6)
Vs. 3—God challenges the one who tramples me.
Vs. 6—David’s enemies are led into self-destruction.
VERY IMPORTANT—There is nothing David does “offensively,” here. He doesn’t plot. He doesn’t scheme. He doesn’t gather his men for a battle plan or a counterattack. He’s not rushing to put out fires—to defend himself.
This is our—my—natural tendency…go on the counterattack.
But, listen, I had a particular issue at a church I served where a person was dead set on running down my character and name and leadership to just about everybody they talked to. Calling people! Trying to divide and pit against me. My natural tendency is to get on the phone, too!
Here’s what the Lord taught me//continues to teach me. The fact that a person will do that says more about their character than mine.
Give that person enough time and their own character will reveal itself and will lead them into a trap of destruction.
Trust the Lord to fight for me and watch him work.
(VERSE 3) — God WILL be magnified (vs. 7-11)
“My heart is confident” (2x)
What a turn! In vs. 1…at the beginning of this song, David repeats a cry for mercy! He’s in need!
Then…vs. 6—he admits that he’s despondent.
Look at this change! It’s like he’s a new person. David has gone into a cave of despondency and is emerging restored, renewed, and revived.
He’s singing! He’s worshiping! He’s waking up the day with praise!
He goes into the cave a fugitive and comes out a worshiper!
Maybe this is the work God wants to do in your hear/your life in the fight you’ve found yourself in.
Maybe the purpose of God’s faithful love and care in your life during the darkest moments and the hardest struggles isn’t just to deliver you but to change you.
That you would KNOW the faithful love of God…not just about it or know of it as a concept…but that you would experience the faithful love of God that reaches to the highest heavens and into the deepest caves.
So that the nations would know.
God desires for his glory to be magnified.
MAIN TAKEAWAY :: GOD MAGNIFIES HIMSELF IN MY STRUGGLE THROUGH HIS FAITHFUL LOVE AND CARE.
The greatest display of God’s faithful love and his care for you and me was on the cross.
