David "Hood"

Today on Renewing Your Mind.

So David now becomes a general but general of a group of ragtag mercenaries all there for their own agenda.

People who were themselves are fugitives and they come and this is David's kingdom. This is David's army like the legendary Robin Hood.

David found himself on the one chased by an evil king Saul heated the evidence sought to kill. Day after day week after week, month after month. David hid in Fort and strategize as will see today while David was a hero. He was also a center his life as a fugitive led to compromise and he began to break under the pressure Dr. RC school.

We continue now with our study of the life of David. We seen the tender and beautiful love and loyalty that was established between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul and we see that Jonathan discovered that Saul really was planning to kill David and so he warned David so that David might flee for his safety. That brings us now to chapter 21 of the book of first annual were we read at the beginning of the tax that David came to know to Ahimelech the priest and Ahimelech was afraid when he met David and said to him that remember that David has now become famous and famous as a mighty soldier and that he's working in the guard of Saul and now David suddenly shows up without his troops all by himself and appears to the head priest at Nob Ahimelech and Ahimelech is wary he's frightened.

He smells a rat with what's David doing here why is he here wired to soldiers with him.

Why isn't Saul with him what's going on, and so he says to David why are you alone and no one is with you and David said to Ahimelech the priest. The king has ordered me on some business and he said to me, do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you what I have commanded you. And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. Now, therefore, what you have on hand. Give me five loaves of bread in my hand. Whatever can be found to see what's happening here. David is lying. He's trying to disguise his intentions are flame because now David has become a fugitive and fugitives have to protect themselves when they're on the run, so he makes up the story and he says to Ahimelech, I'm here on the king's business and I have some of his men back there someplace and we're on our way on a mission, but it's a secret mission.

I'm not allowed to tell you why I'm here.

But let me just say we need some food when it some bread. We need provisions and so I have come for you at the king's behest to ask for the provision of Brett so here's the priest who sees the servant of the king comes to him and said I need food.

The priest has been consecrated and ordained to be a minister of God, and among the responsibilities of the priest is to be a minister of mercy and David is talking about a need here of hunger. Priest answered David and said there is no common Brett here, but there is holy Brett if the young men have at least kept themselves from women and then David answered the priest and said to him, truly woman have been kept from us about three days since I came out in the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect, and even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day and so what David does is lies some more about this because the priest assigned him. David the only bread we have here is the bread that is on the altar on the table of showbread, and you know the laws about that that God gave to our fathers that that is only to be consumed by the priests as part of the ceremony and the ritual that attends the worship of the tabernacle. However, there is always this provision that in times of real and dire circumstances of need.

It is permissible to use this consecrated bread that is not become uncommon for a common purpose if the need is present. That's why even the laws in the church today. For example, in the celebration of the sacrament, most churches prohibit wildcat celebrations of the Lord's supper that the clergy have to administrated in most churches and there are certain rules and regulations that must be followed. But even then there are provisions in most churches, canon law for rare and extenuating circumstances.

For example, if a group of men are in a prison camp during war and there's no ordained clergyman among them there allowed to appoint one in their midst to celebrate the sacrament and so once we have those kinds of special provisions in the case of an emergency and this very incident becomes a bone of contention in the New Testament when Jesus and his disciples were hungry on the Sabbath day and they go up into a grain field and they harvest the grain, which involve labor on the Sabbath day and when the Pharisees rebuked Jesus and told him to command his disciples to cease-and-desist from eating that on the Sabbath day basis that had did not David the the bread from the table of showbread when it was necessary so it is lawful to meet the basic needs of people, even if it means using the consecrated material only problem with the story is that David lies is a David rests out of the priest, the provisions from the holy table by virtue of deceit. But in any case we read in verse six of chapter 21 so the priest gave him holy Brett for there was no bread there, but the showbread, which had been taken from before the Lord in order to put hot bread in this place on the day when it was taken away. So while this is all going on. There's another visitor in Nob and he's mentioned in verse seven, but keep in mind know certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day detained before the Lord and his name was Doig and Edomite. The chief of the herdsmen who belong to Saul of this Doig is hearing the conversation that is going on between David and the priest he sees dropping he's observing he's trying to pick up snatches of the conversation trying to figure out he recognizes Dave and wonders what the world. David is doing here and so while he's listening. David says to Ahimelech, is there not on hand here a spear or sword. For I have brought neither are not brought my sword nor my weapons, because the king's business required at least here I am without a sword without a weapon, and the only reason I didn't bring mind Ahimelech in another life is because I had to rush on this urgent mission for the king, so the priest said will the sword of Goliath of listing whom you killed in the Valley of Vila there it is wrapped in a cloth behind the four if you want to take that take it.

There is no other except that one. David said there is none like give it to me and so David arose and fled that day from Saul and went to a case, the king of Gath. This is the first time he does that. He'll return there later as we will see. But now he comes to the king of Gath, and remember where Gath is. Gath is one of the five kingdoms or major city states of the Philistine nation.

Gath was the hometown of Goliath. So here comes David now as he flees from Nob and he goes to the Philistines, the arch enemy's of the Israelites and he comes walking into the town and to the king of Gath.

Now he doesn't come without a sword, he's carrying a sword, and who sword as it skills a lot to sort everybody.

And God knows who sword that is here comes David and the king is terrified and the servants of a king said to him, is this not David, the king of the land did they not sing of him in dances saying Saul has slain his thousands, David is 10,000s that David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of a case, the king of Gath say he thought of these people were all rising up. They recognize me they're afraid of me. The king's afraid of me.

He hates me. He wants revenge what's going to happen now the whole army of the Philistines are going to come down on my head. I can get out of here alive. I've gone from the frying pan into the fire. I got rid of salt. Now I have to deal with another king. The king of the Philistines, so what's David Booth. Very enterprising plumber so he changed his behavior before them and pretended madness in their hands. He scratched on the door of the gate and let his saliva fall down on his beard rather than appearing as a noble knight prepared for battle. He makes himself like the disguised Ulysses on his return to Ithaca becomes looking like a beggar. He comes scratching at the door. He allows saliva to flow out of the side of his mouth and sort down and stick in his beard, making himself look like a helpless, impotent madman. And that's the effect he desired.

And that's the effect he communicated because a case, then said to his servants looking to see the man's insane. Why the bonhomie do I have need of madman that you brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence, so this fella coming to my house so David escaped from Gath and goes now to a cave of a dual limb and when his brothers and all his father's house heard about it.

They went down there to him that we see what's going on. This is rapid movement.

This is the life of a fugitive. Remember, how can never forget that television series with David Janssen, the fugitive, and every week was a new episode every week a new situation every week a new city he have to leave as soon as they'd be anywhere for any length of time and somebody would have a clue to his identity.

He'd have to keep moving. That's the life of the fugitive, and that's what were sitting here with David. There's nowhere that he has yet been able to be safe and so he goes to the cave of a dual limb and the word gets back to his father's house and they'll come down to him. No verse two of chapter 22 I find interesting and everyone who was in distress. Everyone who is in debt and everyone who is discontented gathered to him and he became captain over them and there were about 400 men with Shirley.

There's a story in our own history that comes to mind immediately. Robin hood and his merry men who were exiles.

The dregs of society. They were indeed a motley crew who were seeking refuge from the fury of wicked Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham, and so they took to the woods and their they sought sanctuary. So David now becomes a general general of a group of ragtag mercenaries all there for their own agenda. People who are themselves are fugitives. They are all wanted to go to debtor's prison. They all money so they flee.

Perhaps, wanted by the law for other reasons broken corrupt men and they come and this is David's kingdom. This is David's army, so continuing in chapter 22 we hear of David's fleeing from Mundelein to Moab and all these different places and he is warned wherever he goes that he is in danger and so he continues to flee, but in the middle of the chapter and verse eight Saul says to his servants, will the son of Jesse.

Give everyone of you fields and vineyards make you all captains of thousands and captains and hunters, all of you have conspired against me, and there's no one who reveals to me that my son is made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is not one of you is sorry familiar reveals to me that my son is start up my servant against me to lie in wait as it is this day finds out of David's escape. He finds out of the collaboration of Jonathan and now he brings in all his guards, all his servants all his staff and he said you're all in this together. Not one of you has had the guts to come to me and tell me about this betrayal of my son, and of David's whereabouts. I want David where Izzy will guessers their friend do the Edomite. He said to the king, I saw the son of Jesse going to move up to him like the son of a height, and he inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath, the fullest and so the king sent to call him elect the priest, the son of the heat and all his father's house.

The priests were in Nob and they all came to the king and Saul said here now and answered here.

My my Lord and Saul said to him, why have you conspired against me. You and the son of Jesse, and that you have given him bread and the sword and have inquired of God for him that he should rise against me to lie in wait as it is this day. Why did you do it Ahimelech you have aided and abetted a criminal. There's a price on. David said the king is the creed that he is to be sought out and destroyed. And what happens he comes to you. You feed them you pray for him and you give him the sword of Goliath know what's Ahimelech's reaction. The wall of this hula dance of the king. Verse 14 said, who among all your services is faithless. David, who is the king's own son-in-law goes in your bidding and is honorable in your house that I then begin to inquire of God from far be it for me. Love not the king imputed anything to his servant or to any in the house of my father for your sermon. Nothing of this. I didn't know little.

I didn't know much. I do know anything. Why would I assume that David was in trouble with you. Nobody told me that I thought I was ordering you by helping one of your servants and so the king says, all I see.

Well that's all right. Notice that you shall surely die.

You and all your father's house and then the king said to the guards used in the bottom.

This shows that of the depravity to which Saul has sunk.

He gives the royal command to his soldiers turn and kill the priests of the Lord because their hand also is with David and because they knew when he fled and did not talk to me, but the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord and the king said to doing you turn and kill the priests so during the Edomite turned and struck the priest and killed on that day. 85 men who wore a linen.

He fought the slaughter of the clergy by the command of Saul Ahimelech and his priests were cut down that day. To whom do we attribute the guilt of this treachery. Certainly the immediate guilt belongs to Saul and to doing did this diabolical act, but who is it that put them in this position, it was David who, trusting, not in the providence of God and in the promise of God to be his refuge and his strength a very present help in times of trouble. David drained up his own scenario his own machinations. He lied through Ahimelech and through the treachery of David's life. Ahimelech is now exposed to this kind of slaughter and death comes to his house at the end of the chapter verse 20 we read this not one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of a heat named Abby aether escaped and fled after David and Abby aether told David that Saul had killed the Lord's priests and David said that Abby aether. I know what I knew that day when doing the Edomite was there that he would surely tell Saul I have caused the death of all of the persons of your father's house. Stay with me and don't be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life with me you will be safe.

David swears an oath that Abby aether who is from the family of Ahimelech because he is stricken with remorse that his relationship to his father had caused his father's death, and now David plunges to protect the surviving son but we see in this brief capitulation of rapid turn of events of David fleeing from one place to the next, how David is loosing his confidence. He's loosing control he's become undone.

He's resorting to lies he's resorting to deceit these resorting to violence and treachery in order to save himself from the wrath of Saul, where is the shepherd boy that had been anointed by Samuel where is this boy who was so innocent, who was a man after God's own who trusted in the living God.

Now like a vagabond like a fugitive, like a criminal on the loose. David's character is falling. It's tragic to see David begin to stagger under the weight of the circumstances is in it, but at the same time we can be encouraged.

God works with faulty people just like you and me.

Thanks for listening to Renewing Your Mind on the Saturday timely web RC will return in just a moment with a final thought for us and about you but I'm thankful that the faults and brokenness of our heroes in the Bible are not hidden.

It reminds us of what Luther said that that we are at the same time St. and sinner studying God's word. As we have today in this message by Dr. Spruill provides us with perspective for how we are to live life coral Dale before the face of God. With that in mind I like to recommend our resource offer. It's the special edition of Dr. Spruill series dust, the glory it's a 57 part study tour that explores the themes and events of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and the special edition set provides an extra disc containing the study guide for the series. So, with your financial gift of any amount to look at her ministry's request dust to glory. You can do that online@renewingyourmy.org or you can call us at 800-435-4343. Another great place to find biblical teaching is on ref that are 24 hour Internet radio station tuning for free at any time and you'll be encouraged by the teaching ministries of Alastair bag John MacArthur and of course Dr. RC Sproul bushel your audiobooks Bible reading and music.

You can listen right now it ref that.FM or you can download the free ref net app for your Apple or android device now appears RC again in our corm day a thought for today and let me remind you what we mean by core and Dale is the Latin expression that means before the face of God, or in the presence of God in the point is for us to remember that all of our lives are lived every day before his eyes before his face that was true of David as he fled to these various points in the wilderness, but David while he was being pursued by Saul at the same time was assuming that he was outside the scope of the face of God that God was no longer looking at him. If you go and read the Psalms that David writes at various points in his life. You will see that there are those periods of depression that he goes through where he senses the horrible absence of God. And when that happens, his behavior begins to this this last week I said to my wife. I was under enormous pressure had all kinds of deadlines and I was behind you know how sometimes you get a frenetic pace when you get behind and your patience wears thin and I said to my wife I said honey, let me apologize in advance if I get short with you in the next couple of days.

Don't take it personally if I do, what was I doing I was asking for a plenary indulgence for my sin before I committed it. Sure enough, I did the very things I predicted I would and that I had to go to war and apologized for it, but that's what happens to us when were uptight when were under pressure. When the stress comes in major doses we begin to forget everything that we believe in everything that we know is true and so I will remind you and remind myself that we live all of our lives even in times of stress, corm day before the face of God and we will see a wonderful example of that in David's life next week as Dr. Spruill continues this series would David has an opportunity to exact revenge on Saul to moment that will prove David's character to join us next Saturday or Renewing Your Mind