Stubborn Mercy
Notes
Transcript
Of all the things that the writer of 1 Samuel is concerned with, chronology is not necessarily one of them. He’s playing a bit of fast-forward, rewind story telling. Remember, he interrupted the flow of narrative at the beginning of chapter 28, telling us that David had gone with Achish to war against Israelites. Well, the rest of chapter 28 actually hits the fast forward button and finds the armies gathered at Gilboa. Now, hit the rewind button again and we come back to David with the Philistines preparing for battle. The message isn’t a timeline of history. It’s theological telling of the events in Israel’s and David’s story.
As the story turns its attention back to David, it’s clear the author is intentionally contrasting David and Saul. This point, this idea, hang on to it, because it will come full circle at the end of David’s story. So, what happens?
Verse 1, the Philistines have gathered their forces at Aphek while the Israelites are encamped by the spring in Jezreel. As the forces are amassing, the Philistines are passing by, parading as an army in their regiments and divisions, by the hundreds and thousands. David and his men are with Achish, bringing up the rear. If you’ve ever watched a movie like Braveheart, you’ve probably seen an army gather on the battlefield as their leaders parade and pass by, sort of a show of force and an accounting of soldiers.
As the “warlords” as one translation calls them pass by, guess who they see: David and his men. So one of the officers calls out, “Hey! What business do these Hebrews have being here?”
Achish responds, “Don’t you recognize David, ex-servant of King Saul of Israel? He’s been with me a long time (16 mos. or so). I’ve found nothing to be suspicious of…to complain about, from the day he defected until now.”
Well, as you can imagine, bringing the enemy to the battle, probably not going to sit well with most people, no matter how loyal they’ve been. They get upset with Achish and tell him to send David and his men back where they came from. Their reasoning? Pretty logical, I think. “What better chance to get back in favor with Saul than by stabbing us in the back! Don’t forget, this is the same David they used to sing about and celebrate at their parties: ‘Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand!’”
So Achish sends for David. You know, half the ink in this passage is spent on Achish defending David in some form or fashion. He tells him what’s up, affirms David’s faithfulness, but let’s him know that not everyone sees it that way. Come to think about it, the text doesn’t note this, but it’s true. David had so deceived Achish that he won’t hear it from his own Philistine brethren — he defends David.
Then, we get to verse 8, and I’ll admit it’s a bit puzzling to me, but David’s like, “But what have I done? Have you had a single cause for complaint from the day I joined up with you until now? Why can’t I fight against the enemies of my master the king?” Odd, right? When you first read through the beginning of chapter 28, and you see David caught between a rock and a hard place, you’re thinking, “Surely he has an escape plan?!” But, that doesn’t seem to be the case. He just appears to be upset that he can’t fight.
Well, Achish doesn’t relent — the choice isn’t his, and it’s not even David’s “character.” Achish actually views him as “God’s angel!” But, the other officers have spoken: not today, David. He can stay the night, but first thing in the morning, they must leave.
As we try and make sense of this passage, we need to start with an assumption, lest we simply think that David is one lucky dude. What’s the assumption? That this is God’s world, God’s story, and that He is not inactive even though He’s been relatively reserved. If there’s one thing that has certainly come to light the past couple of weeks, it’s this: David’s story, Saul’s story, even Samuel’s story, it’s not their story…it’s God’s story. With that in mind, let’s see how this passage opens our eyes to view our God a little more clearly.
God’s Presence Is Quiet
God’s Presence Is Quiet
Strangely, the only place God is mentioned by name — YHWH — is when Achish swears by His name. Other than that, God is quiet. Isn’t it a little sad when a pagan king is the only one who saves the text from secularism?!
But then again, the Holy Spirit will do this. Often in the book of Judges we’re not necessarily told what to think. The text allows us to discern the situations using the tools the Bible has already given us. And, the book of Esther never makes an explicit mention of God, even though His providence is evident all along the way.
One scholar says this, “…we are dealing with a highly self-conscious theological literature that observes the undercurrent of divine governance without being explicit” and notes that the writer is confident that “the outcome of the narrative” isn’t “luck.” Translation: the God inspired Bible knows that God is in control even if it doesn’t say it.
So let’s pause a moment. Are there not times when you thought God quiet…silent even…only to find out He was graciously leading and providing the entire time? Honestly, think about your life. Have you ever stopped to list out and contemplate and dwell on God’s quiet yet clear provision? And, as we think about the twists and turns that we’ve taken in life, the mountain tops He’s carried us to and the muck and the mire He’s carried us through, can we not see God’s gracious sustaining every step of the way? We don’t always notice them right away, and it’s not until we see the bigger picture, until we see the past from the present, that those small and silent and quiet carryings become evident. Why God works in silence sometimes I cannot say, but is there not some grace in it that He doesn’t blare it like a car horn but invites us on a path of discovery where we have to think, struggle…wrestle even…to see God’s hand at work? When this happens, our faith tends to be more mature, rooted not so much in how we feel, and much more in what we know to be true about our God.
God’s Ways Are Surprising
God’s Ways Are Surprising
We’ve seen this before, and here it is again: God’s surprising means of rescue. Who’d’ve thunk it — God once again uses pagans to preserve His servant. The last time, chapter 23, God uses the Philistines starting a war to deliver David. Now, YHWH uses Philistine leaders to send David home from war, once again saving him. Those Philistines…such “unwitting but effective servants” (Davis). But then again, YHWH was never one to take counsel from others and tends to do what He does according to the counsel of His own will (Isa.40:13-14).
Now, I think it’s wise for us to remember that just because God acted this way for David this time, when folly and foolishness nearly had him ruined, it doesn’t guarantee that God will do the same for us. But, there is a reminder that God works in a thousand “unguessable ways” to rescue His people, even if it means using the enemy. Often, what others intend for evil, God will use it for good. As Davis notes,
“He not only prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies…
“but also has a knack of making the enemies prepare the table!”
There is a story that tells of a devout Christian woman who found herself in poverty, alone and desperately hungry. As she diligently prayed, her atheist neighbor overheard her conversation with God. Thinking that he finally had his gotcha moment, the man went and purchased a grocery cart full of food and had it delivered to her doorstep. Obviously, the woman rejoiced in heartfelt praise and thanksgiving to God, and that’s when the neighbor sprung his “trap.”
“You silly woman. God didn’t provide that for you…I did! All your praying and asking of God, believing in fairytales and myths, it was me all along. It wasn’t God that answered your prayer…it was me!”
Her simple faith refused to be silenced… “Oh, yes indeed it was Jesus who answered my prayer...even if He used a devil to do it!”
The surprising ways of God are not meant to be mere observations. Rather, they call for a response. Just like the poor woman with simple faith, they call us to respond with praise and thanksgiving, worship and adoration. And, they call for a bolstered faith that quotes:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
Finally…
God’s Mercy Is Stubborn
God’s Mercy Is Stubborn
David pleads his case, and all that is within us wants to scream at the words on the page, “What are you doing?! Take the win that you don’t deserve!” Thankfully, it doesn’t come to that.
As we get to the end of the chapter, we once again need the bigger picture. We know that David being here in the first place was…foolish at best. But, when we put the text up against David’s folly in 27-28:2, we see the character of God even more clearly and brightly. In the middle of David’s dumbness, God’s mercy becomes all-the-more clear. His mercy still pursues His servants even through their “follies and fainting fits.” What a marvelous never-ending, never-stopping, never-giving-up mercy He pursues His people with. He is slow to anger and compassionate and long-suffering with a stiff-necked people that do not deserve it.
It’s so counter to what we tend to think and believe. It’s so unlike us in the first place. We go into fits of rage, thinking, “Well, you’ve made your bed. Now you’ve got to lay in it.” But, is that Israel’s God…is that our God? Not at all. Even when it’s necessary, even when He disciplines those whom He loves:
For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
and finally…
“Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
We take heart at and hope in God’s mercy. If we were to poll the congregation today, I guarantee every one of us would have a story or an example of their dependence on their own ability and cleverness, only to see things prove to be disastrous and just short of destruction. Times when we think maybe God is done with us because we surely would’ve been done with ourselves.
But the stunning mercy of God says that He does not cast us off in our foolishness. Our debacles do not deplete the stores of His mercy. As stubborn as we are in our rebellion, His mercy is more stubborn in His pursuit of us. No wonder David writes that God’s mercy follows him…no, too weak a word for a solid translation…pursues him all the days of his life.
But then, there’s that matter that I told you to hang on to back in the beginning, the thing that adds clarity to God’s mercy, and it’s the difference in the ending of chapters 28 and 29. Some may say it’s just an interesting detail. I say it’s a significant inclusion. When Saul leaves at the end of 28, he departs into the night, into the darkness. But not David. When he departs, the day is just beginning to break, saved by the Philistines who would destroy Saul, knowing nothing of the darkness, only the tale of the mercy of God, so that one day he would confidently write, “Weeping may endure of a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps.30:5b).
Which direction are you walking today — into the night of self-reliance, or into the morning light of God’s mercy?
Will you step into His light and trust Him with whatever darkness you’re facing?
