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January 5, 2022 12:00 am
Thrown to the mat kick to the ground or squeezed by the pressures of we do not lose hope. How does he answers in the next phrase for this. Why momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. All of this is real. It's difficult to compare this to the coming glory. And this becomes why that becomes God's. Are there lessons for you to learn well king David faced difficulty and there were certainly some lessons for him to learn.
Since his example from the Old Testament can help us today will look at his life together here on wisdom for the heart. Stephen Davey takes us back to first Samuel 19 and 20.
Where will see two positive results that can come from facing desperate times. This lesson is called storm clouds if you're keeping a list.
There are at least four treasures that David will lose throughout these next verses effect if you noticed, first of all, David just lost his position with that is standing before the people. His leadership over the Army is his life in the king's palace is financial future and assist beginning. Secondly, let me point out that he's going to effectively lose his wife. David Rice's home.
He eludes Saul's spear might call the king's daughter. Now his wife had been that long warns in verse 11.
The latter part.
If you do not escape with your life tonight.
Tomorrow you will be killed. She knows her father well.
She she's she's heard the promises she's watching them broken. Time after time again. She knows now that her father isn't going to stop until David is is dead now. What she does is devise a scheme where verse 13 tells us she places an idle there in the house in in bed puts go tear around like a wagon clothing wanted to make it look like a man and then says David is effectively sick and can't get out of bed now.
Frankly, I read out of the first question I have in my mind is what's Michael good with that. I in the house and image statue. The Hebrew word is Terra theme.
It's a it's a household idle believed to bring good luck. I just kinda maybe go off on a little tangent of study. But think about the fact that David is only recently married Michael. It may have come up as a surprise to find out that she isn't like him entirely wholeheartedly given over to the worship of the one true and living God. When I told more than likely this is a greediest surprise for David to learn.
When Michael moved in.
She moved her idols and with so she puts one of them out of the bed covers it up so orders in verse 13 or verse 15 his messengers to go to David and if he can't get out of bed because he said just bring the bed with you and him and so I could kill is only then that they discover Michael's deception.
What happens next will be more devastating to David than Michael's good luck idle is how she responds were father for 17 Saul said to Michael why have you deceived me doesn't let Miami go so that he escape number Jonathan Szilagyi is not your enemy did sin against you while you get a sin against him.
Michael says what he said to me let me go. Why should I kill you with choice and I have daddy said he was going to kill me if I didn't go as planned and give him a head start. She effectively agrees that David is the enemy, and now adds public slander to the reputation and integrity of her husband. She says he was going to kill me. He is up to be a murderer. I'm glad you rescued me a few tracks the relationship through the Scripture.
You'll learn the things never are the same between them again. David has effectively lost his role his position as job things now lost his wife. Maybe for you it's a different version different names, different characters, but those same storm clouds maybe recently sky was clear and the sun was out and suddenly storm clouds rolled in.
Nowhere blotted out the sun you walked in here today. The dark, you can understand perhaps for you. It's been a while, but your still haunted by the unfairness the injustice the dishonesty the betrayal the lies sinned against your reputation maybe you live in this town because you have effectively fled in your starting over slip into the scene long enough to recognize it for David hear his heart would've been broken and I would see frustration and anger.
But I would also see tears splashing down on his duffel bag as he packs and stuff. Hurry with no time to really give anybody a decent goodbye crawls out a window and he runs he's gonna run for a dozen years for doing the right thing. In verses 18 through chapter 20 in verse one. David first runs to the only person who understands run home hidden under his father.
His mother, he doesn't run to his brothers. He can just imagine all I am saying yeah what I figured back can't run there.
He runs to sin. And when he meets him. Can you just hear the pathos and agony of these words verse 18 that David fled and escaped and he came to Samuel at room I told him all that Saul had done and he and Samuel went live. Nine. I will profitable understand and the great and the true have you perhaps with storm clouds overhead found somebody you could tell the blessing of another believer, a friend, suite of spiritual mentor is some older battles savvy life experience individual ever talking to an old St. on one occasion and asking him about the firefight that he been in how he felt and he said well these are old actually a dangerous thing to open up. Paul opened up to the Corinthians, with transparency and some are going to turn around and use it against them later, but Samuel was safe. What a blessing I can imagine when they connected got back together.
David is the text indicates poured out his hardened old. Samuel listened and I'm sure they talk well into the night that they decided to share an apartment. These admissibility verse 18 it tells us they Winton lived 901 archaeological dig has given us a little insight in the Nyack they found ancient remnants there, we would call condominium houses built back to back sharing the wall side side, top to bottom. Many believe that these condominiums housed a number of the prophets of God in the context here seems indicate all under the leadership of Samuel so what you have is is David reuniting with the spiritual mentor moving in together and their living now in an area where other men who love God live you can just feel David begin to catch his breath stand back if I can summarize again the next few verses, Saul finds out where Samuel and David are living and he said any senses his palace police guard to arrest David and bring him back when they arrive God's spirit puts his word into their malls and they begin the prophesy was comical to give these palace guards going down there to arrest David and they cannot help the spirit of God overwhelms them and they become prophets Saul since three groups out like that say they happens. He said that the palace guard to come back ordained in the ministry.
Saul effectively says you know if you want to get something done.
You gotta go do it yourself right. Saul heads down there. Verse 23 says he shows up in the spirit of God overwhelms him, and he preaches a sermon that will last for 24 hours. Great oh nevermind okay 24 hours.
By the way the text tells us he takes off his royal clothing.
Old Testament scholars believe that that is the spirit of God telling him to do what is effectively a symbol that he has indeed lost his kingly role, Saul was preaching away gives David time to run verse one of chapter 20, there you have it again. David fled from Nile to remodel. Don't miss this here David finally found a place to rest, he found a kindred spirit filled people to love God like he did his got back upon his feet and then wham kicked to the ground again. In fact, in this instance, David loses another treasure is lost his job, his wife and home and now he loses his spiritual mentor and leader listen if there was ever a time when David was perplexed at his wits end. It would be now because he told how, but he finds Jonathan and as soon as he sees Jonathan he just gushes out with his confusion and his frustration and his pain. He says in verse one. What have I done why is my guilt. What is my sin before your father that he seeks my life verse two. Jonathan basically says David you miss reading and I don't think my dad would want to kill you without telling me that told to Eunice for the blind optimism here doesn't help that the last line of verse three David if he says, Jonathan truly wake up as the Lord lives and as your soul lives.
There is but a step between me and dad like a hunted animal and one wrong step dad and not just staying one step ahead with takes place throughout the remainder of chapter 20, all dependent summarize. Through this chapter. But what takes place is really this elaborate plan to convince Jonathan Saul really wants to kill David. Jonathan is been able to change his father's mind.
Once he's letting it a try.
This time is that is openly now defiantly attempting to kill David with zoning. What is going to try to do is just make sure of his father's lasting intentions and it's not take long.
She Saul evidently assumes that David is left Samuel to return to the palace. Maybe you know Saul was impressed with his 24-hour servant in the things that David was to peaceful him and everybody else in God is really on his side so verse 26 the time David misses his second meal at the table there with the king's audience ask questions. Jonathan delays he denies attempts to deceive his father by the way the Bible does not condone Jonathan's plan or response as you study the Bible you want to keep in mind that just because the Bible records something doesn't mean the Bible recommend something just reporting what happened. Saul had knows better. Anyway, verse 30. Here rocks look. He says the Jonathan use of a perverse rebellious woman do I not know that you were chosen son of Jesse to your own shame and the shame of your mother's nakedness. In other words all the trouble your mother went through to bring you into this world.
That was why waste management you've experienced something like those words ring in your soul is basically telling Jonathan his life is more than that: in verse 33 what their Saul hurled his spirit Jonathan to strike him.
Now Jonathan knows without any doubt that his father is determined to put David Jonathan is been willing to give his father the benefit of the doubt to believe the best he's courageously stood up for his friend challenged his father's behavior. He's actually called it sin.
He's done everything he could do to bring about resolution is if we stop for just a moment again is encouraging to know that in a home where the father hates what is right and hates God that there can be a son who loves what is right and loves God.
Like father like son is not written in stone. And maybe your proof of the power of God's grace in your life is amazing. Perhaps you have fled your past, so to speak, and you are determined by the grace of God and for the glory of God.
You will not imitate your path product. Jonathan can become for your courageous example, I remember number of years ago my wife and I traveling listening to a cassette tape that dates me VH and attract whatever things were. We were listening to the testimony of Charles Stanley still pastoring. He was raised in an abusive home. His father died when he was young little boy's only memories of the father came from his stepfather, a brutal man, given the violent fits of anger as we listen, we were surprised to learn of this effect. Stanley recalled being chased around the dining table by stepfather is holding a knife in his hand as he grew older he began to return his father stepfather's anger threats in their arguments returning the fistfight until Charles finally left home talks about half that took him through to help him deal with father Jonathan is really gonna lose long enough to do his is a tragic tale stay faithful and loyal to his father. They will eventually die together battle this last paragraph of chapter 20 finds Jonathan and David the weeping together over there heartbreaking misfortune apart from one brief meeting that will take place the year so to later though never see each other again. David has lost his job.
He's lost his home, his wife he's lost his spiritual mentor and now he loses his closest friend.
The intensity of the pressure on David over the course of these two chapters is incredible. And now he's on the run again as a fugitive and an outlaw and you'd think it's about now that got on a reach in there and say enough is enough. You can kick down enough time on know it will be another 12 or 13 years he'll eventually be hiding out in the cave letting me make a couple of observations from these two chapters that are that are true to this day. This is what God was doing in his life. This is what God is doing in your life.
Even though the names in the circumstances be different. First, desperate times have a way of redefining our sources of strength.
They have a way of redefining our sources of strength. The truth is we think horizontally. We hope horizontally.
We tend to lean on temporary thing we tend to find our support and in the wrong thing.
A shallow thing a temporary thing person the direction of what author wrote. There's nothing wrong with leaning if you lean ultimately on the Lord.
Nothing wrong with the spiritual mentor or a friend or spouse but lean ultimately on your refuge. Lord Hudson Taylor great missionary to China more than 100 years ago would write the issue at hand is never the pressure but that the pressure presses me closer to Christ.
When the pressures on our we driven to the telephone. Are we driven to our friends. Are we driven ultimately to the Scriptures and to our Lord's. He's really defining where we find strength I David would write in Psalm 59.
The song forged out of the fire of these events.
We just looked at. He says you owe God have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress, Samuel would be wonderful. Jonathan was why was it was great gracious. I home my position but ultimately you owe God are my refuge and my fortress. Secondly, desperate times have a way of rewriting our list of priorities. Desperate times have a way of rewriting our list of priorities would all all the things are stripped away all things good or bad, we discover what really matters when life doesn't play fair, we discover what matters in life that Paul finishes his rather transparent personal testimony to the Corinthians, by saying something surprising.
He said he comes to the end of that listening since so we do not lose hope. Think what I was expecting that you're hunted like an animal you're thrown to the mat. Your kick to the ground are squeezed by the pressures of we do not lose hope.
How because he answers in the next phrase for this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
All this is real stuff. It's difficult to compare this to the coming glory. And this becomes the light that becomes. He says look around at the things that are seen but the things that are on the scene for the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Look around. Yes, let's be realistic people for spears. You got scars to prove it. Wife doesn't deal fairly. You seem to lose more than you keep. This is all there is.
This is the end all of this is temporary. Just wait God will one day make everything right, God will one day show is how it fits together.
God will one day make everything bran new. In fact, David writes in Psalm 59. With this perspective of prophetic vision is really the only thing at times when the storm clouds are so thick you can see your way through any rights by the way, without his circumstances change and you still wanted. He still hounded me still accuse he still threatened, but is looking ahead because he writes Psalm 59 but you oh Lord will affect them. My enemies you hold all the nations in derision. All my strength. I will watch for you to watch for you, for you God are my fortress, I get this, my God, in his steadfast love will meet begins to sing to himself, my God, in his steadfast love will eventually show me he will do what's right. I will eventually experience the scales of justice being brought about his purposes will finally ultimately be carried out. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow as we can see it maybe not next but one that one pastor who pastors out west by the name of $10 each wrote of something that happened it may sound trivial at first but the punchline is profound man in his church had promised his eight-year-old boy they go fishing and Frankie the little boy been looking forward to it for days and there had been any rain for days, but a Saturday dawn when you know what it was raining heavily and it looked like it was going to continue raining all day long. So Frankie wandered around the house and he peered out the window, the sky wrote grumbles parents heard him complain. Seems like the Lord would know that it would be better that rain yesterday and today just as right.
He muttered that over and over again.
It just isn't right. You didn't write about 3 o'clock in the afternoon rain stopped in the sun came out and there were still a few hours for fishing. They loaded the gear up quickly and were off to the lake whether it was the rain or something else. The fish were biting when Frankie and his dad returned home beautiful string to prepare for supper supper. They asked Frankie to pray, say-year-old agreed. He prayed and concluded his prayer by making this profound admission and Lord, I know I was upset earlier today is because I couldn't see far enough ahead matter how old you are in life or in the face that just about sums up our trouble. I couldn't see far enough ahead. The truth is, for some of you. It's easier for than for others.
Some of you are going to need to look all the way to that coming.
There things that will never be resolved. Is this is the statement.
Here's how here's how to sing it. By the way, for all of us. The only way to be able sing some is totally surrender.
Whether you're hiding out fleeing catching your breath only hiding the fortress.
God entirely allows you to be able sing of his lung detection at this coming day to arrive where the apostle Paul did.
Who said we were we. We are subjected to severe pressure but were not broken apart were at our wits and at times but not entirely responsible. We feel like were being hunted down like wild animals but we know is the right thing were not abandoned by God. We been thrown down to the mat. But we have not been in the so we do not lose and we don't lose hope if you joined us late. You've tuned into wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey visit our website which you'll find@wisdomonline.org while you're there, be sure and access.
This month's Free resource. Stephen has written a booklet called do babies really go to heaven when they die.
That e-book is free this month and is available for you to download wisdom online.org. Thanks for tuning in today will be back tomorrow. At this same time, be sure and tune in for more wisdom