Sermon Tone Analysis

No service next Wednesday

Introduction

In chapter 26, we saw what was almost a replay of the events of chapter 24.

There were plenty of differences, but the similarity was that David could have killed Saul, yet spared his life.

He had a conviction not to touch the LORD’s anointed … but to allow the LORD to do what He will with Saul.

God had anointed David to be the next king of Israel.

But that was up to God’s timing … and to some extent, David understood that and was willing to yield to it.

At the same time, it was really hard for David.

He was not only under the threat of being killed by Saul, … he was essentially exiled.

In fact, in the last chapter, David lamented, “For they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’”

for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

1 Samuel

The lies of Saul’s men, and Saul’s continual pursuit of David was preventing him from being able to live in his family lands.

1 Samuel 26:

It was also keeping him from being able to worship the Lord at the tabernacle.

And from chapter to chapter, it seemed as if David had resolved himself to dependence on the Lord … and now suddenly he’s relying on himself.

When you read through David’s Psalms, He seems to have had extreme moments of exhilaration and extreme moments of doubt and discouragement.

and he seems to have had extreme moments of exhilaration and extreme moments of doubt and discouragement.

And chapter 26 is one of those times when it seems like David would have been on a great spiritual high.

But then in the beginning of chapter 27, we find that he’s in a valley of doubt and acting impulsively.

In his later years, David recorded God saying, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Do not be like the horse or like the mule” (, nkjv).

Do not read below:

Do not be like the horse or like the mule … an interesting instruction from the LORD.

The horse is impulsive and tries to throw it’s driver.

It rushes forward, wants to go where it wants and requires a whip to follow directions.

The mule is stubborn and holds back.

All of us have done both.

God doesn’t want to deal with us as men deal with animals.

He wants to be close to us and guide us with His instruction, the way a parent guides a child.

These chapters record some experiences of David when he was bucking against the Lord, instead of being attentive to God’s loving guidance.

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In the last chapter, David had kind of strangely alluded to going to the lands of the ungodly.

These chapters record the experiences of David when he was living without that kind of intimate, loving guidance.

And now, in this Chapter, David follows through on that thought … going to the land of the Philistines.

It is an indication of David’s desperation, and unfortunately doubt ... that he was prepared to go to the very enemies he had successfully fought on Israel’s behalf, and offer them his services.

He may have gone over to the Philistines in an act of desperation, but David didn’t have any intention of becoming a traitor.

However, to live in Philistine territory, he would have to appear to be a traitor.

And he does just that … and it works.

But as is always the case, when we

This was not David’s first attempt to enlist Philistine protection, as you may remember.

He had fled to Gath as recorded in chapter 21 … a humbling experience in which he had to act insane in order to get out alive.

This time, however, the situation turned out very different.

Prayer: Lord, this evening we open up Your word desiring to hear from You ... not man's word or wisdom, but Your Words and Wisdom.

Please soften our hearts to receive from You. Teach us about Your love for us so that we may also love one another.

In Jesus' Name.

Amen.

V1-4

Notice that it says David said in his heart.

The heart that the Bible so often speaks of is not the muscle in our chest that pumps blood.

Scripturally, the heart is the seat of the emotions.

This is why in scripture the heart is at times described as "troubled, fearful, joyful, and glad" ... or even "filled with hatred" or "filled with love."

The heart is the location of the intellect, the place where knowledge and understanding reside ... the seat of emotions, the will, and morality.

When we say “Jesus is seated on the throne of my heart” we re not talking about Jesus sitting on a little throne inside your physical heart.

not talking about Jesus sitting on a little throne inside your physical heart.

Instead, it's about handing over your emotions, will, morality, knowledge, understanding and intellect to the LORD to do with as He wishes.

the heart is the location of the intellect, the place where knowledge and understanding reside ... the seat of emotions, the will, and morality

We see this illustrated really well in the language of :

NKJV

David’s issue here was not manic depression.

Some would have you believe that David was a Biblical example of manic depression … severe ups and severe downs.

But the true problem was that at times he yielded himself over to the Lord and at other times he himself claimed the seat of his heart.

And so we have this phrasing here … “David said in his heart.”

He was acting not according to what he knew … but according to what he felt.

And our feelings very often lie to us, drawing us away from what is the truth.

What is the truth here?

The truth here is that God had chosen David as the next king of Israel and God’s prophet Samuel had anointed David for that purpose.

God had seen David through all the difficulties up to this point.

And God would see him through whatever was to come.

But David is listening to his feelings and he feels that taking matters into his own hands would be better than waiting on the Lord.

The hide-and-seek existence in the Judean wilderness was getting to him.

I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul expressed the human fear David had, living like a hunted animal.

I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul expressed the human fear David had, living like a hunted animal.

Though he knew that he had been anointed to be king, and had seen the Lord’s providential ordering of his life, he could not bear indefinitely the hide-and-seek existence in Judah’s barren wilderness, especially now that he had his wives to provide for.

The hospitality of Achish at Gath, in welcoming not only an army of six hundred but also wives and children, was remarkable, and demonstrates David’s power to charm even an enemy king.

David’s ruse succeeded and Saul sought for him no more.

Saul’s predictable false repentance followed by his renewed hunting of David was taking a severe toll.

What we have recorded for us are the important events … what we don’t have recorded is the day to day struggle for survival.

It was all getting to him.

How much worse could living with the Philistines be?

David couldn’t live in his families land.

He had to stay in hiding in Israel … his own people were revealing his position to Saul.

He couldn’t worship the LORD at the Tabernacle.

He was an exile in the promised land … how much different could it be actually living with the Philistines?

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Gath was one of five major Philistine cities.

Ashdod and Ashkelon were both coastal cities and Gath was about 10 miles inland in a triangle from them.

Gath is one of the major five Philistine cities.

It lies about ten miles inland from Ashdod.

and Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ashkelon both being on the coast, and Gath made sort of a triangle about ten miles inland from these two Philistine cities, down in the southern part, fifty kilometers from Beersheba, this city of Gath.

It was about ten miles inland from Ashdod and Ashkelon.

Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ashkelon both being on the coast, and Gath made sort of a triangle about ten miles inland from these two Philistine cities, down in the southern part, fifty kilometers from Beersheba, this city of Gath.

The ruins of Gath are still there today and can be visited.

Around the entire site and still visible, are ancient siege fortifications built by king Hazael, who, according to 2 Kings 17, destroyed Gath.

Surprisingly, David would find a welcome from Achish, the king of Gath.

Though he knew that he had been anointed to be king, and had seen the Lord’s providential ordering of his life, he could not bear indefinitely the hide-and-seek existence in Judah’s barren wilderness, especially now that he had his wives to provide for.

The hospitality of Achish at Gath, in welcoming not only an army of six hundred but also wives and children, was remarkable, and demonstrates David’s power to charm even an enemy king.

David’s ruse succeeded and Saul sought for him no more.

He would provided refuge for David on two occasions and considered him an ally.

Achish first appears in , where David escapes from Saul and seeks refuge with King Achish of Gath, but deceives Achish by pretending to be insane.

The title of refers to this episode but uses the name Abimelech in place of Achish.