NBBC SS: 1 Samuel 23-24

Introduction:

1 Samuel 23 “1 Then they told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors.”

Oh no, friends!

The Philistines are attacking God’s people in Keilah!

Something must be done!

Friends, can’t you feel the pressure here from the messengers to David!

They want for David to do something right away!

No, friends, it was wrong of the Philistines to attack Keilah, just like all sin is wrong.

In fact, friends, do you know what it means to plunder?

It means to forcefully take something from someone that doesn’t belong to you, even if it might hurt or kill the other person.

Friends, what do we call it when you take something from someone that doesn’t belong to you?

Stealing.

Friends, what does God think of stealing?

It’s wrong.

Friends, it’s a sin.

No matter if you take something from someone by force and it hurts them or you take something when someone isn’t watching, stealing is still a sin.

The truth is friends, you might be thinking of a time now where you took something from someone that doesn’t belong to you.

In fact, as you think about it, you may be feeling sad because you’ve done it.

Friends, God’s hates stealing an all sin.

Because God hates sin, God must punish sin.

But, friends, Jesus died on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven when we believe on Jesus to save us from our sins.

Not only will Jesus forgive us but He’ll also give us the Holy Spirit who will remind us through God’s Word that stealing and all sin is something that God hates, makes Him sad.

He’ll empower us to live to do what’s right and please the Lord.

Friends, if you have yet to believe on Jesus to save you, let’s talk soon about what this means.

Notice, friends, what David does next.

2 So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”

Friends, David could have just sprung into action to defend Keilah against the Philistines.

This is exactly what the messengers wanted David to do.

But, friends, what does David do instead?

He “inquired of the Lord.”

Friends, this is just another way of saying that David sought the Lord in prayer.

Friends, this is huge.

Instead of acting right away, David did the first best thing - seeking the Lord in prayer.

Friends, David asked the Lord what he should do.

Do you know why David sought the Lord first?

Because David wanted to please the Lord.

David wanted to do what the Lord would have him do.

Friends, I can’t stress enough how important this is!

David had people around him that were pressuring him to act right away.

The truth is, friends, you face this everyday!

You might have friends at school who want to encourage you to not listen to the teacher.

But, friends, you know that God’s Word encourage you to respect those that God has put in authority over you.

Are you going to give in to the pressures from friends?

Or, are you going to live to please the Lord?

Instead, David recognizes that the most important thing than acting right away is living to please the Lord.

Friends, notice what happens next … something that can happen to all of us.

3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?”

Friends, David’s men are afraid!

Do you know what they’re doing?

They’re presenting a challenge to obeying God’s Word.

Friends, God has told David what to do.

And David’s men know it.

David’s men have God’s Word.

Yet, they’re choosing to look at their circumstances - what’s going on around them and be afraid.

The truth is friends, you also can be discouraged from obeying God’s Word.

If you sibling is doing something they ought not to do and you try to tell your mom or dad, they might discourage you from obeying your parents but trying to hurt you.

Friends, let’s see what David does next that encourages us to live to please the Lord.

4 Then David inquired of the Lord once more. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

Friends, David continues to seek the Lord!

Friends, this demonstrates that David wants to please the Lord, regardless of what others say!

Friends, David wants to please the Lord even though others are pressuring him to act now and discouraging him.

Friends, we should always want to live to please the Lord, regardless of what others do or say.

And look, friends, Abiathar comes with the Ephod!

This was a tool that the ancient Israelites used to seek the Lord.

Friends, Abiathar brings this because he knows that David will want to continue to seek the Lord.

Friends, this means that David is know among others as one who wants to live to please the Lord!

Friends, I hope that you’re known as one who wants to live to please the Lord.

7 When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.” 8 So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

Friends, what do you notice that Saul doesn’t do here that David has done many times before?

Saul doesn’t seek the Lord.

But, friends, doesn’t Saul say, “God has delivered him (David) into my hand”?

He does!

Where did Saul come up with the idea that the Lord is going to give David over to Saul?

Not from the Lord.

Friends, Saul gets this idea on his own!

He’s looking at his circumstances and making a conclusion based on his own reasoning!

Friends, did you know that people do the same thing today?

They’ll say, “Well this must be the right thing to do because God gave me the ability to think and I think this is right.”

Friends, the truth is, you’re thinking is influenced by your desire to do sin, to make God sad.

Friends you can’t trust what you think!

This is why God tells us to trust Him and He will lead us, like what David has been doing.

God also reminds us that when we do what we think is right, it will only lead to destruction.

Notice, friends, what is Saul prepared to do based on his evaluation of the circumstances?

March against David.

Who is Saul taking with him?

The people for war!

Friends, these are trained soldiers!

Saul plans to fight against David and, kill David if necessary!

Friends, this demonstrates to us the dangers of following our own thinking!

Following our own thinking can be destructive!

And, friends, Saul is doing this right away.

In other words, friends, Saul is acting impulsively!

He’s doing whatever pops into his mind to do.

Oh friends, we have to beware of doing whatever pops into our mind to do.

Because, friends, it can lead us into doing things that don’t please the Lord.

Say, friends, you and your family are watching a movie.

And, you decide that it’s time to get up and make some noise because it came into your head and you want to do it and you think it’s the right thing to do because you want to.

Friends, what’s going to happen is you’re going to destroy your family’s ability to finish watching the movie - they’re not going to know how the movie ends!

And, probably, you’ll have members of your family become angry with you because you did something that will keep them from finishing the movie.

Friends, there’s a better way to live than just by doing whatever comes into our mind that we want to do.

Look at what David does next.

9 Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. 11 “Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will surrender you.” 13 Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit. 14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

Friends, what does David do here that is different from what Saul did?

He seeks the Lord.

Friends, David seeks the Lord even knowing that Saul is coming for him!

Friends, it took time for David to seek the Lord, time that David could have spent running away from Saul!

Yet, friends, David wanted to live to please the Lord, not what he thought would be best.

Friends, David is modeling for us how we ought to live.

We need to test our thoughts about what we do with what would please the Lord.

Friends, where can we go to find out what would please the Lord?

God’s Word!

So, friends, let’s say that you’re playing in your room.

You hear your mom call you to clean up.

If you were to follow Saul’s thinking, you might say, “Hmm, I want to continue to play, so since playing is what I want to do, I’m going to continue to play.”

Friends, this would not please the Lord.

Because you would not be obeying your mom like God’s Word tells you to.

If you were to follow David’s line of thinking, you might think, “While I really want to play, I really want to please the Lord Who tells me to obey my mom; therefore, I’m going to clean up.”

Friends, look at what happens next that turns out to be exactly what David needs.

15 Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. 17 Thus he said to him, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.” 18 So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

Friends, who comes to visit David?

Jonathan.

Who is Jonathan?

He’s David’s best friend!

Friends, look at what Jonathan does with David.

What does Jonathan do with David?

He encourages David!

Friends, when we’re seeking to live to please the Lord, it can be really hard sometimes, like it was for David.

This is why, friends, you need friends around you who will encourage you to live to please the Lord.

Friends, look at what happens next.

19 Then Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? 20 “Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to do so; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” 21 Saul said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22 “Go now, make more sure, and investigate and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. 23 “So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24 Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape. 29 David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.”

Friends, Who was it that kept Saul from getting David?

It was the Lord!

Friends, Saul thought that the Lord was leading Saul to get David!

Instead, friends, the Lord was leading Saul away from David by allowing David to get away and sending the Philistines to attack.

Friends, the Lord is in charge, even when others are doing things that they intend to hurt others.

Friends, we seek the Lord rather than act impulsively because we want to please the Lord Who is in charge of our life.

Friends, what happens if you act impulsively like Saul rather than seeking the Lord like David?

Let’s keep reading to answer this question.

1 Samuel 24 “1 Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. 4 The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. 5 It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. 6 So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the Lord that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” 7 David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way. 8 Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. 9 David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’? 10 “Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 “Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it. 12 “May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. 13 “As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you. 14 “After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? 15 “The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.” 16 When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. 18 “You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me. 19 “For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. 20 “Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 21 “So now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household.” 22 David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.”

Friends, what does David do here?

He cuts off a piece of Saul’s robe.

Friends, how does David feel about that actions?

Terrible.

Why?

Because you should not do anything that might harm the leader that God has chosen!

But, friends, David’s friends told David that this is what David should do, even that God was leading David to do it!

Were David’s friends right?

No.

Friends, the truth is that there are going to be people who look around and say, “Well this must be what God wants you to do,” based on your circumstances.

However, friends, if we want to please the Lord, we have to seek Him.

When we seek Him, He will lead us to what pleases Him.

He will do this by His Spirit through His Word - like we saw in David’s life.

Friends, if you act impulsively rather than seek the Lord, what do you do?

You ask for forgiveness.

Just like we see in David.

Conclusion: