David and Tragedy

Introductio

I think sometimes we Christians struggle with certain things. One of them is remembering that the stories in the Bible are not fairytales but reality, true, historical accounts of things that actually happened. It’s relatable and has real power to transform lives because it connects us to the Living God. Though we are connected to God because of Christ, even though we are redeemed and are on our way to heaven, life is still hard.

The Bible deals with real life. People faced problems, endured failure, success, and everything in between. I know we come to church to be encouraged, recharging our spiritual batteries to face another week. On occasion, we need to be challenged because God does not shy away from dealing with tough questions and circumstances. We need to know how to deal with the pains and chaos of life on earth.

I. A Tragedy (1 Samuel 22:11-19)

A. After the glaring realization that Saul would not keep his vow, David is in full retreat. The insane jealousy that captured Saul’s heart would stop at nothing, he would pursue until David is dead. David is on the run for his life.

1.Thankfully, he wasn’t alone. He had 400 men who stood by his side

a. 1 Samuel 22:2 describes them, “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.” What a group to have following you

b. Maybe they wouldn’t be your first choice but it showed tremendous loyalty: these guys were in distress and understood David’s plight, they knew what it was to be joined at the hip to someone who held all the cards, and they understood what it was like for life not to work out the way you expected

c. So they stuck by David, a man who brings confidence, healing, and purpose. But they didn’t have much in the way of supplies, so David had an idea.

2. David fled to Nob (meaning, City of the Priests) where he met an old friend, Ahimelech the priest

a. Ahimelech was trembling with fear, not knowing what David needed or what trouble might be following him. And David, probably seeking to put his mind at ease, didn’t tell him the whole story but sought food and weapons

b. No weapons were there but the sword of Goliath, no food but the consecrated bread that only priests could eat. Ahimelech the priest, from his generosity, gave these things to David.

3. But they weren’t the only ones there. A slimy man named Doeg the Edomite, who was a servant of Saul, overheard the entire conversation

a. He knew that this could come in handy someday and it did. Before long he was in the presence of Saul along with many other servants. Saul was lamenting and tearing down his soldiers because they had not proved their loyalty by finding David

b. That is, until Doeg spoke up saying, 1 Samuel 22:9–10 “Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.””

B. This is where we pick up our story (v. 11-19)

1.Saul is so enraged at David and anyone who would help him that he left a mass of destruction in his wake

a. “How dare you help my mortal enemy who seeks to destroy me!” Anger and jealousy skew our perception of reality, often giving us a victim mentality

b. Ahimelech simply stated the truth, “I know nothing about what you’re talking about. I merely helped David as I have done in the past because that has always helped you. Who has done more good to you than David?”

2. Saul’s fit of rage brought on a command to his servants to destroy the priests of God, but none would. That is, until he turned to his only “loyal” servant, Doeg. He struck down 85 priests without a second thought and even attacked the rest of the city on his own

C. What a horrible tragedy. Innocent men, women, and children were slaughtered because a man was jealous

1.I can only imagine the questions and mentality of the people in that day who heard about it:

a. “How could something like this happen?”, “Where is our king in all of this?”, “Why would God let this happen?”

b. It can be easy to shift blame and become angry in these moments, shaking our fist at the sky and demanding an answer. But there are no easy answers when it comes to tragedy

2. We see tragedies all over our world today:

a. Iran and Israel have entered into all out war, destroying hospitals, taking lives, and bringing about calamity on all sides

1. Just last week in Austria a former student of a high school, who did not graduate, went back to school with the intention of opening fire. The death toll has grown to 11 after some victims have died in the hospital

2. San Antonio, Texas has endured severe flooding with at least 13 fatalities and immense damage to homes and properties.

b. What kind of devastating things happen to you? You may never have had your whole town destroyed with the sword, but the pen is mightier than the sword, right?

1.Calamity strikes when that letter from the IRS comes in the mail auditing you for all you’re worth

2. When that pink slip slides across your desk on Monday morning, when your bank statement is at an all-time low

3. When those divorce papers are sitting on the dining room table

4. When there’s a ticket stuck under your windshield wiper.

5. When our loved one dies unexpectedly. Tribulations impact our beings at the deepest part of who we are

c. When great atrocities come to our attention our temptation is to avoid it, not wanting to acknowledge the existence of such great evil

1.We wonder who could do such horrendous things? Where is God in all of this? Is there a purpose for all of this pain and suffering?

2. We don’t have any easy answers. These are tough questions to wrestle with

3. How do we respond to tragedy?

a. Like Saul? Who was so angry and jealous that he didn’t care who he hurt? He’s the one who gave the command to slaughter the priests at Nob, after all. He felt like the victim of a tremendous plot and reacted in revenge. He blamed David, he blamed the priests, he might have even blamed God. Do we?

b. Do we respond like Doeg? Eager to use the ebb and flow of the tide to get ahead? Even going so far as to pull others down so we can benefit?

c. Maybe we respond like the other servants of Saul, doing nothing when we could something. Sitting idly by while calamity befalls others, just being glad it isn’t happening to me

4. Once again, there are no easy answers. Is there some hope we can find in the midst of our tragedies? Is there some good that can come from all of this?

II. David’s Humility (v. 20-23)

A. There is only one person who took any sort of responsibility for this disaster and it was David (v. 20-23)

1.David had an inkling when he went to Ahimelech that something was off and that Doeg had the capacity to do something horrible, he wasn’t even of the people of Israel and yet he served in their king’s ranks

a. David had deceived Ahimelech, not telling him the whole story and painting a false picture. Maybe to protect himself, maybe to preserve the king’s reputation, maybe he was pressed for time and wanted to keep running

b. Still, David couldn’t have known what Doeg would do. Surely, he would never dream that Saul would have Doeg commit such atrocities

c. All the same, David took responsibility for his actions and sought to rectify it as best he could, “Stay with me, do not be afraid.. for you are safe with me” (v. 23)

2. We may ask the question, “Why are these things happening?” There can be multiple answers, and yet, no easy ones

a. Is the tragedy we are facing a result of man’s actions? Natural disasters? Satan’s schemes? God’s vengeance?

b. It can be hard to tell if it’s just one or multiple. It can be easy to cast blame and run in fear.

3. The tragedy is not the end of the story, it’s an opportunity for hope

a. As Frodo Baggins and Sam Wise reach the end of their journey with the One Ring they trudge up Mount Doom; dehydrated, starving, weak, scared behind enemy lines. They’ve lost friends along the way, faced many dangers and nearly lost their lives on multiple occasions. They saw the final climb and Frodo collapses, unable to recall the taste of food or the sound of water. Finally, Sam declares about this ring, “Then let us be rid of it, once and for all. Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can’t carry it for you but I can carry you” and he picks up Frodo over his shoulders and marches up to Mount Doom.

b. Our tragedies are debilitating but don’t lose hope

B. Remember these things when you face tragedy

1.1) God is still good

a. We may not see the whole picture or understand why God would allow this. But God is not the author of evil

1. In Psalm 52 (the Psalm David writes about this incident), David declares this about God in v. 1-5, “Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah”

2. God will not sit by and allow evil to triumph, He will repay evil according to His justice (Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”)

b. Don’t blame God for the calamities of life, instead, seek to find the good of God

2. 2) Take Personal Responsibility

a. We must not always play the victim. It takes two to tango. Sometimes we play a hand in the difficulties we face

b. Matthew 5:23–24 “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Take initiative, even if it isn’t your fault. Jesus did. He prayed on the cross saying, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”

c. Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

d. Take initiative and hold yourself accountable. Don’t participate in evil but take responsibility for your actions

3) Do What is Right

a. It may not be your fault but you can be part of the solution. You can be that place of safety, like David was for Abiathar.

b. Find a way to help, to reconcile, to forgive, to heal. We can be the beacon of hope that shows God’s goodness in the face of trial

Conclusion

We will face tragedy. It’s a sad reality. How we approach it, our perspective, our hope, can make all the difference for enduring it.

I want to close with a couple verses of hope. David ends Psalm 52 this way: Psalm 52:8–9 “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.”