Trusting in God

Introduction

Welcome: For those who don’t know me, my name is Kent Hinrichsen and I’m the student pastor at Crosspoint Community Church. If anyone desires to be part of a student ministry that is serious about growing in knowledge and relationship with Jesus then feel free to visit our student ministry, what we call Hype on Sunday nights at Crosspoint; doors are open from 6-8:30pm.

Sometime at Hype we do what we call a group study, this is when we examine a portion of scripture together and discuss observations, questions, and applications from what we read. This morning, I’d would like to do a short group study which means that I need you to help me and be willing to discuss what we read. Sound good?

Open your bibles or your bible app on your phone to 1 Samuel 27. If you don’t have either, I suggest having access somehow to a bible to have on the go. I’ll have the words on the screen in case you need them. To put our story in context really quick, we are toward the end of the conflict between King Saul and David. For those who may not be familiar with this story. King Saul has been king over Israel for some time when he sinned against God and didn’t really have a repentant heart about it. Therefore God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel after Saul dies. After this happens, Saul and David have a conflict filled relationship to say the least and one that would surpass any family reality show in today’s culture. With that context let’s read our passage.

Read 1 Samuel 27:1-12.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 27

27 David said to himself, “One of these days I’ll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him.” 2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went over to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath. 3 David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. 4 When it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

5 Now David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” 6 That day Achish gave Ziklag to him, and it still belongs to the kings of Judah today. 7 The length of time that David stayed in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.

8 David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. From ancient times they had been the inhabitants of the region through Shur as far as the land of Egypt. 9 Whenever David attacked the land, he did not leave a single person alive, either man or woman, but he took flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he came back to Achish, 10 who inquired, “Where did you raid today?”,

David replied, “The south country of Judah,” “The south country of the Jerahmeelites,” or “The south country of the Kenites.”

11 David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Or they will inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’ ” This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory. 12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself repulsive to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”

Observation/Question

1. Observations

What is happening? - David sins. David, without consulting God, out of fear made a decision to move to Ziklag away from Israel, the promised land, to join Israel’s enemy, the Philistines.

Who’s involved? - David, David’s men (600), Saul, Achish

2. Questions

What is confusing?

What would you like to know more about?-

- Who are the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites?

non-Israelite groups under God’s sentence of judgement, who had land that crossed over into the promise land.

Summary of the next two Chapters

1 Samuel 28

King Saul and Israel are ready to fight against the Philistines

Saul consults the dead for guidance- which is a sin. (Deut. 18:10)

1 Samuel 29

David lines up to fight with the Philistines against the Israelites

David is rejected by Philistine leaders to fight with them in fear of David combining forces with Saul

David leaves the Philistine military camp to go back home to Ziklag.

Read 1 Samuel 30:1-8

Do you notice something different from David 1 Samuel 27 and 1 Samuel 30?

- Even though David is in another difficult situation, he consults God on what to do this time contrary to what he did in 1 Samuel 27.

Biblical Truth

God’s sovereignty and human responsibility

God allows David to make his own plans and to carry them out. In doing so David actually destroys some of the people that God originally had commanded the Israelites to destroy in the book of Judges. At the same time, we see David having to face the consequences of making his own plans instead of asking what is God’s plan is for him. We see this in that his town was burned and wives and children of him and his men were kidnapped and taken away from them. Upon recognizing where he sinned. He finds his strength in the LORD and submits himself to God’s will instead of his own.

Application

In any situation, good or difficult, we need to trust God, rely on His wisdom and not our own, and submit ourselves to His plans.