Sermon Tone Analysis

Lesson 8: David’s Time on the Run Part 2

1 Samuel 23-24

Last week we didn’t get as far as we wanted, but we got about a third of the way through David’s time on the run from Saul after he departed his house.

I think it is important to recognize that at this time David did not know what God was going to do.

We might do some arm-chair quarterbacking and say – well David should have trusted in God more.

He should have known that God was still working and that God was still going to make him king.

But David did not know that yet for certain.

He knew he had been anointed to be king, but could God have had a different plan that wasn’t spelled out at this point.

I think so.

There was no Davidic covenant yet.

There was not promise of a lineage made to David yet.

We are looking at it from hindsight.

So far, David has not gotten very far.

o He first went to Nob where the Tabernacle was at the time.

He got bread and Goliath’s sword from the priest Ahimelech, who he deceived.

o He then went the king of Gath, Achish where act a crazy man

o He went to the Cave of Adullam, it was here he gathered his vagabond crew of almost “Outlaws”

o We saw Saul’s poor leadership.

Remember the 3 things we mentioned that he used to lead people which were very poor techniques.

• He used bribes

• He used guilt

• He used threats

o Then we saw Saul and Doeg slay all the priests, save one in Nob.

o Then David admitting he was wrong in what he did in deceiving Ahimelech.

IV.

Trusting, Trials, Tenderness, Triumphs

1 Samuel 23

We see in this passage that David’s life was full just like ours.

He had his ups and downs, he had some trials to face, but he was learning how to face them again.

No longer was he struggling his way in life by his own power, but now we see a real turn in his life to trust in God again.

A. Communicating with God

It starts out chapter 23 with David seeing the Philistines attacking Keilah, a city in Judah

Do you want to start restoring your life to God again?

Do you want to get right with the Lord, open up the lines of communication.

Get on your knee, humble yourself, repent, and seek God’s will.

Realize that your life is not your own

1.

David talks to God before making a major decision vv.1-2

You don’t have to pray about big decisions the Bible has spelled out for you, but it is a necessity to pray about the decisions that the Bible doesn’t spell out.

David had an opportunity to help the people of Keilah or to stay in hiding, so he prayed about it and the Lord answered his prayer.

2. David looks for confirmation vv.3-4

Something interesting happens here, David asked God, God answered him and then moving assuredly forward to follow God, David has opposition.

The men were afraid.

So David, willing to follow God’s will, but not sure if God is providentially directing, he gets confirmation from God once again.

There are many ways you and I can get confirmation:

Continuing in prayer

The Word of God

Godly Counsel

3. David seeks further direction from God vv.11-12

After their victory, David seeks the will of God again.

He was not distrusting God will, but his prayers were common so that he could see if there are any updates due to new circumstances.

In this case; Saul’s impending attack.

B. Service for God vv.5-6

Prayer should always lead to service.

So many say they pray, but how can you pray and not see the need for service.

Remember, the one prayer request we should always pray for is the Lord’s prayer request:

Look at what all the service of God brought to David:

A victory over the enemy

A victory for his people

1 Samuel 22:2 compared to 1 Samuel 23:13

An alienation from the world

David and his men were now forced out of a city by the people that he showed love and care for.

Don’t let that stop you from serving God, there will be many times that this world and the people you are trying to minister to and even reach will reject you.

C. Fleeing persecution vv.7-10, 13-15

Avoiding from Saul

He has been doing that for months already, possibly even a year.

Departure from an unthankful people

We looked at that in the last point, how they were alienated and forced out of Keilah.

D. Betrayed by his neighbors v.19-21

THE WORLD’S RELIGION: takes pride in persecuting those who believe in the Word of God.

If you are going to church, reading your Bible, giving your tithe and witnessing for Jesus Christ and doing all of these things faithfully – you will be labeled as a fanatic to this world

It is amazing the Candidate Rick Santorum is abused, alienated, and mocked in the press for his views on morality – and he has just a strong Catholic view on life – it is not necessarily what a Baptist believes, but look how he is belittled in the media.

THE WORLD’S RELIGION loves to praise its own wicked deeds as service to God.

E. Jonathon the encourager vv.16-18

While David was in the wilderness of Ziph, Jonathon did what he could to support David.

His words are so humble and positive in the midst of his father’s kingdom looking less and less stable.

F. God working and David’s behalf vv.19-29

As David hid in the woods in the hill of Hachilah, Saul got word of it.

V. David at Engedi

1 Samuel 24

By the way, if David is anointed king, why didn’t God let him be king.

One reason is because God is still preparing David to be the king He wants him to be.

He is learning what is like to be chased, to have life sought after, to go through times of no one caring for you and having no friend, but the Lord.

God is preparing David at Engedi as well.

We realize that the Saul had victory over the Philistine invasion.

This is evident in the fact that he was pursuing after David again.

He had success.

Let this be a reminder to us that even wicked and evil people will have successes in life.

It does not mean they are spiritual or blessed.

Just because he is profiting on the outside does not mean that they are pleasing the Lord.

Saul knows that David is in Engedi, so he takes 3,000 of his best soldiers to find him.

They came to a cave and decided that Saul would rest in the cave while his men stayed outside.

Little did Saul know that they all of David’s men were in there.

A. David’s superiority

What David does here is something showed his highly tuned character and his willingness to obey God and his conscience.

When he had the chance to destroy his nemesis, he showed him mercy.

When David could have killed him or had one of his men kill Saul, David abstains and does not allow anyone else to do it because this would have been self-serving.

B. David’s spite

C. David’s supposition vv.8-15

D. Saul’s sorrow vv.16-22

The end of verse 16 says “And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.”