We're continuing now
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with a series that we started
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we're committed to go through it
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dealing with the subject
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of one of the great
heroes in the Bible, David.
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Today's subject is
going to be dealing
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more specifically with lessons
for about vengeance and mercy.
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A lot of the
successful Hollywood films
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are guilty of plagiarism.
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Some of the best stories
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that have been taken
and put into movie form
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and even throughout history
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have plagiarized from the Bible.
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And one example
of an ancient story
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that really draws itself
from a story in the Bible,
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how many of you have heard about
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Robin Hood and His Merry Men?
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I heard one pastor say,
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this section of the Bible
ought to be called David Hood,
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because it describes
a time in David's life
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where like the
fabled English character.
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And by the way,
I've been to Nottingham
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and they've got this
statue there of Robin Hood
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and it goes back
in English literature
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to about 1100-1200 AD.
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And most have thought
that whoever the authors were
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sort of were drawing from a
very real hero in the Bible.
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You get this fellow who is sort
of on the outs with the king.
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And he and his merry
men, they live in the woods,
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and he's got an
associate that is a priest
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as if sometimes go
Friar Tuck or Father John.
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And there's a
beautiful maiden involved
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and someone is
wrongfully on the throne
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and just I wonder the
stories that you get there
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all really happened
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during the time
we're gonna look at today
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in the life of David.
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And so you see if
you don't recognize
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and kind of smile
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at some of the
similarities as we go on.
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Where we left our
story of David before,
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we were in 1 Samuel 22.
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Now our mission
today by God's grace,
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we're going to be
covering the experience of David
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from 1 Samuel 22 through 26,
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we'll probably skip over 25,
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chapter 25 talking
about Nabal and Abigail,
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and we'll come back to
that another time separately.
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But David was in
the cave of Adullam
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and he has reached the bottom,
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he's, you know, by himself
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and he's run,
he's lost his friend,
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he's had to run from the church,
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he's run from his job,
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it seems like
he's lost everything,
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he's lost his family,
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and he's in this
hole in the ground.
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And, you know,
here he's thinking,
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"Lord, you said I
was gonna be king.
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What's with this?
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I mean, what's
taking you so long?"
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Have you ever wondered,
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Joseph probably went
through similar experiences,
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had these visions of grandeur,
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quite literally Joseph
had dreams of greatness
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and he ends up in a dungeon.
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And he ends up in
a hole in the ground,
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he's thinking,
"What's going on?"
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Well, you know, Lord
has big plans for you
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because He plans
for you to be in heaven,
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that's a big plan.
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But you might be wondering
what's happening along the way,
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but God is working out
His will along the way.
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So while David is there,
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actually read in
verse 1, it says,
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"David departed, he
escaped to the cave of Adullam."
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David was an escape artist,
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you see over
and over he escapes.
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So when his brothers
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and all his
father's house heard it,
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they went down to him there.
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Now one reason that his
family probably joined him
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is because Saul
has now stopped hiding
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that he wants to
get rid of David,
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and he may try
to get rid of David
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by getting his family
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and holding them
hostage or doing them some harm.
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And they realize they
need to flee Bethlehem
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and so his family comes to him.
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And they're
actually in this cave
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that is kind of
southwest of Bethlehem.
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And then you read in verse 2.
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"And everybody
who is in distress,
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and everyone who is in debt,
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and everyone who is
discontented gathered to him.
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So he became captain over them.
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And there were about 400 men,"
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now, that number grows overtime
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but it starts up and
ends up being about 400.
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I don't know about you,
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but I don't know if
I would run for office
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to be the captain
of people in debt,
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and distress, and discontent,
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sort of like being a pastor.
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You know, you
read in Hebrews 11:38
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speaking of the faithful.
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"And so the world
was not worthy of them.
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They wandered in
deserts, and mountains,
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and dens, and
caves of the earth."
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And you can't help but wonder
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when Paul wrote
those words in Hebrews,
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he was thinking very
much about this experience
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of David and his men
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who were wandering
from place to place
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in the remote mountains,
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in dens and caves of the earth.
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Now the Cave of Adullam,
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I showed you a
picture of it a minute ago
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was a much bigger
at one time they know
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or they suspect
strongly they know where it is,
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but it's in that territory,
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that's in the land of Judah
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or what would be
the place of Judah.
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And it was a...
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At once a big
more cavernous place
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that's caved in over the
millennia 3000 years ago,
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keep in mind.
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But he had his mighty men,
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this was the beginning of them
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but they were a
pretty rough bunch.
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Now it's interesting
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that this group
begins to be attracted
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and you might wonder how
did they know where he was?
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How come Saul who
is trying to kill him,
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he can't find him
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but everybody else can find him.
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The internet?
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No, we don't know.
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They weren't tweeting,
you know, where I'm at.
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So there was
this underground way
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they had to
communicate with each other
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and so I know where David is.
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And gradually these
people, word got out,
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and they found out where he was,
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his family manages to find him
but he's supposed to be hiding,
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everyone seems to know
where his hiding place is
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down in this cave except Saul.
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Probably, it wouldn't
hurt to mention at this point.
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A lot of those who
gather to David, not all,
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were from the tribe of Judah.
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And David is actually
going further from Benjamin
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more towards the
territory of Judah.
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You saw some of
this happening in Iraq
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during the first Gulf War
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where those who were part
of the tribe of Saddam Hussein
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were very loyal to
him and they hid him
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and they didn't, never
did tell where he was hidden
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because they
were part of his tribe
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and there was a
real loyalty there.
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But there between
the Sunni and the Shias,
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there is a lot of animosity
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and the
different tribes and clans
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and the people of Judah
were very loyal to David,
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whereas the other 11 tribes
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they did not care quite as much.
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But God just
absolutely reaches down
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to the dregs of society
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and he gets what you would call
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the, just the off
scouring of society.
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And he brings them together
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and David tries to
settle their disputes
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and get all these guys
to work together and to...
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Now, some of them were in debt
because back in Bible times,
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you could
actually indenture yourself
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to borrow money.
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The economy was so bad
during the reign of Saul,
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he wasn't doing what
he was supposed to do,
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and interest rates were up,
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people would borrow money
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and if you couldn't pay it back,
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they would
enslave you or sell you.
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So it wasn't just that
they were filing bankruptcy
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and running to David.
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These are
people who were at risk
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or they were runaway slaves.
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And because of the oppression
during the times of Saul,
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Saul, you notice,
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you read in these passages
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where he was just
seizing people's land
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and giving it to others.
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And he said to those, if
you tell me where David is,
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I'll give you houses
and lands and vineyards.
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And what do you
think, he got them?
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He would just annex them.
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And Samuel foretold, he said,
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you're gonna pick a king
and you're gonna be sorry
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'cause he's going to take
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the best of
everything you've got,
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so he's gonna take it.
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And so these were people
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who were also
an oppressed people
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and they came to David.
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But, you know, he
managed to weld them together
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and this group,
this ragtag group,
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this motley crew,
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they end up becoming the leaders
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in the greatest
kingdom in the world.
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And it makes me think of
Jesus who gathered around Him,
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publicans, and prostitutes,
and cursing fishermen,
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and smelling shepherds,
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but he brings them together
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and he forges
them into the apostles
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and the world is
transformed by this group.
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The apostles were
Jesus' mighty men.
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And if you will,
David gathers this group
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and does the
same thing for them.
00:09:04.64\00:09:06.78
So while they're
there in the cave,
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you know, David
writes in Psalm 94:22,
00:09:09.34\00:09:13.11
"But the Lord
has been my defense,
00:09:13.15\00:09:15.85
and my God the
rock of my refuge."
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You'll be surprised how
many times in the Psalms
00:09:17.95\00:09:20.06
during these
times when he's fleeing,
00:09:20.09\00:09:21.96
he writes about
God being his refuge
00:09:21.99\00:09:24.23
in the rocks and the mountains
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and God as his fortress.
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Where eventually,
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you know, you can't
hide 400 people for long.
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Word reaches
King Saul where he is
00:09:31.67\00:09:34.14
and the Prophet Gad,
you read in 1 Samuel 22:5,
00:09:34.17\00:09:37.91
"Now the prophet
Gad says to David..."
00:09:37.94\00:09:39.77
This is the first time
Gad appears in the Bible.
00:09:39.81\00:09:42.38
"Do not stay in
the stronghold..."
00:09:42.41\00:09:44.28
These are rugged mountains
where the Cave of Adullam was.
00:09:44.31\00:09:47.12
"Depart, and go
to the land of Judah.
00:09:47.15\00:09:50.39
So David departed and
he went into the forest
00:09:50.42\00:09:52.89
there at Hereth."
00:09:52.92\00:09:55.02
Now this is the
first mention of Gad,
00:09:55.06\00:09:57.03
Gad ends up being
00:09:57.06\00:09:58.23
so, you know, as
David's got a prophet with him.
00:09:58.26\00:10:01.76
He's got some mighty men,
00:10:01.80\00:10:03.30
he's got some of his family
00:10:03.33\00:10:04.80
and they end up
becoming officers for him.
00:10:04.83\00:10:08.00
Gad was probably one of
the sons of the prophets.
00:10:08.04\00:10:11.77
Samuel is now very old.
00:10:11.81\00:10:14.78
Samuel sends him with a
word from the Lord and he says,
00:10:14.81\00:10:18.15
"Do not stay here
00:10:18.18\00:10:19.21
because you're
going to be found here,
00:10:19.25\00:10:20.32
I'm gonna tell you
where you need to go."
00:10:20.35\00:10:22.12
And he says,
"You're supposed to flee
00:10:22.15\00:10:23.42
into the land of Judah
00:10:23.45\00:10:25.19
to the forests, get
out of the mountains,"
00:10:25.22\00:10:27.22
and so he does that.
00:10:27.26\00:10:28.72
Well, in the meantime
00:10:28.76\00:10:29.79
if you read later
on in this chapter,
00:10:29.82\00:10:31.73
you go to
chapter, 1 Samuel 22:17,
00:10:31.76\00:10:37.10
Saul has an assembly,
00:10:37.13\00:10:39.93
a courtiers, has a court,
00:10:39.97\00:10:42.00
and he's sitting there
with a spear in his hand.
00:10:42.04\00:10:44.27
He says, how is it that
there's a traitor among you?
00:10:44.31\00:10:48.28
Don't you know that David
is lying in wait to kill me?
00:10:48.31\00:10:51.31
Now was that true?
00:10:51.35\00:10:52.91
No.
00:10:52.95\00:10:53.95
And he says, my son is in league
00:10:53.98\00:10:55.45
with the son of Jesse.
00:10:55.48\00:10:56.89
I can't trust my own son,
00:10:56.92\00:10:58.12
doesn't any of
you feel sorry for me
00:10:58.15\00:11:00.62
that you don't
tell me where he is
00:11:00.66\00:11:02.92
because he's out there
and people are running to him,
00:11:02.96\00:11:05.66
and none of the Saul's
cabin would say anything,
00:11:05.69\00:11:08.33
but finally someone by
the name of Doeg the Edomite.
00:11:08.36\00:11:13.10
I don't know if you
remember in our last session,
00:11:13.13\00:11:15.54
when we talked about
David had to go to the priest,
00:11:15.57\00:11:18.07
and there in the
house of the Lord
00:11:18.11\00:11:19.64
they gave him a sword and bread,
00:11:19.67\00:11:22.78
and Ahimelech the priest
didn't know what's going on.
00:11:22.81\00:11:25.15
David said, I'm on
the king's business
00:11:25.18\00:11:26.61
but someone there was detained
00:11:26.65\00:11:29.02
for being
suspected of being unclean.
00:11:29.05\00:11:31.69
It's very
interesting, Doeg the Edomite.
00:11:31.72\00:11:34.06
And according to
the Levitical law,
00:11:34.09\00:11:35.42
if you touch the
dead body or something,
00:11:35.46\00:11:36.89
you were unclean
for a period of time
00:11:36.93\00:11:38.59
until you wash.
00:11:38.63\00:11:39.89
So he was going through a time
of separation of uncleanness
00:11:39.93\00:11:44.03
which is an interesting point.
00:11:44.07\00:11:46.74
And he saw David
talking with a priest,
00:11:46.77\00:11:49.50
maybe he didn't
understand the context of it,
00:11:49.54\00:11:52.07
but finally Doeg who is in
charge of King Saul's herds,
00:11:52.11\00:11:56.71
he said, I'll tell
you, I know about David.
00:11:56.75\00:11:59.58
I don't know where he is
00:11:59.61\00:12:00.68
but I know that he
stopped and he saw a Ahimelech
00:12:00.72\00:12:02.78
and he gave him
food and a sword.
00:12:02.82\00:12:05.92
Oh, Saul now was
so outraged by that
00:12:05.95\00:12:09.09
that he does the unthinkable.
00:12:09.12\00:12:11.56
You can read in 1 Samuel 22:17,
00:12:11.59\00:12:15.86
"Then the king
said to the guards
00:12:15.90\00:12:17.37
who stood about him,
00:12:17.40\00:12:18.80
'Turn and killed
the priest of the Lord,
00:12:18.83\00:12:21.47
because their hand
is also with David,'"
00:12:21.50\00:12:23.17
There's a conspiracy
between David and the church.
00:12:23.20\00:12:26.44
"And because
they knew when he fled
00:12:26.47\00:12:27.84
and they didn't tell me.
00:12:27.88\00:12:29.81
But the servants of the
king would not lift their hand
00:12:29.84\00:12:33.31
to strike the
priests of the Lord."
00:12:33.35\00:12:35.42
Very rarely in the Bible,
00:12:35.45\00:12:37.19
you hear of soldiers
disobeying a direct order.
00:12:37.22\00:12:41.82
But when it came
to my king and my God,
00:12:41.86\00:12:46.63
they said, God comes first.
00:12:46.66\00:12:48.50
We are not going to
just slaughter the priests,
00:12:48.53\00:12:51.17
they were
already very suspicious
00:12:51.20\00:12:53.30
because Saul was having
these fits of possession
00:12:53.34\00:12:56.91
with evil spirits
00:12:56.94\00:12:57.94
and now he says
kill all the priests,
00:12:57.97\00:12:59.87
and they wouldn't do it.
00:12:59.91\00:13:01.28
Now, none of them
was tried for treason
00:13:01.31\00:13:03.38
and said the king, said,
00:13:03.41\00:13:04.35
I'm going to look
around if I'll find somebody
00:13:04.38\00:13:07.08
and because the king had
earlier promised rewards,
00:13:07.12\00:13:10.05
then the king turns to Doeg,
00:13:10.09\00:13:12.22
he says, you turn
and you kill the priest.
00:13:12.25\00:13:14.72
And Doeg had some
servants that worked with him
00:13:14.76\00:13:16.79
that took care of
the king's flocks.
00:13:16.83\00:13:18.73
So Doeg the
Edomite, he didn't mind.
00:13:18.76\00:13:21.20
"He turned and he
struck the priest,
00:13:21.23\00:13:23.37
and he killed that day 85
men who wore a linen ephod.
00:13:23.40\00:13:28.84
Also in Nob, the
city of the priests,"
00:13:28.87\00:13:30.77
he struck there,
00:13:30.81\00:13:31.81
not only killed the
priests all but one,
00:13:31.84\00:13:35.94
"they struck with
the edge of the sword,
00:13:35.98\00:13:37.31
both men and women,
children and nursing infants,
00:13:37.35\00:13:40.12
oxen and donkey and sheep."
00:13:40.15\00:13:42.62
If Saul had only been so
faithful with the Amalekites
00:13:42.65\00:13:45.85
as Doeg was with the
priests and their family
00:13:45.89\00:13:49.06
but basically he
sends his soldiers
00:13:49.09\00:13:51.09
through their town,
00:13:51.13\00:13:52.13
not only does
he kill the priest,
00:13:52.16\00:13:53.33
he goes through the town
00:13:53.36\00:13:54.93
and he exterminates
all of the priest's family
00:13:54.93\00:13:59.80
except one who manages to escape
00:13:59.83\00:14:02.60
by the name of Abiathar.
00:14:02.64\00:14:05.04
Now, his name is gonna come
up again in the next section.
00:14:05.07\00:14:07.88
But now you can see
the depths of what happens
00:14:07.91\00:14:11.61
when Saul begins to
grieve away the Holy Spirit,
00:14:11.65\00:14:15.28
he actually
turns against the Lord,
00:14:15.32\00:14:17.55
he turns against
those who are loyal to God,
00:14:17.59\00:14:19.62
he hates
everybody that loves David
00:14:19.65\00:14:22.66
to the point of being murderous.
00:14:22.69\00:14:24.73
Priest hadn't
done anything wrong,
00:14:24.76\00:14:26.19
doesn't even try them
00:14:26.23\00:14:27.86
without any trial,
without any investigation,
00:14:27.93\00:14:30.43
he has them exterminated.
00:14:30.47\00:14:31.80
It's pretty brutal.
00:14:31.83\00:14:33.47
So now David, and
now Abiathar flees.
00:14:33.50\00:14:37.31
And you can read
in 1 Samuel 23:6,
00:14:37.34\00:14:40.88
that "When Abiathar,
00:14:40.91\00:14:42.21
the one son who ended up fleeing
00:14:42.24\00:14:44.95
one of the priests.
00:14:44.98\00:14:47.52
He fled from the
house of Ahimelech,
00:14:47.55\00:14:49.35
he came to David
who is at Keilah,
00:14:49.38\00:14:51.85
and he went down with
an ephod in his hand."
00:14:51.89\00:14:54.16
And make a note of that.
00:14:54.19\00:14:56.09
When the priests are
being slaughtered, he escapes,
00:14:56.12\00:14:58.39
he goes into the temple
of the house of the Lord,
00:14:58.43\00:15:01.26
he doesn't know what's
going to happen to the ark,
00:15:01.30\00:15:02.80
he can't take the ark, he
can't take the candlestick,
00:15:02.83\00:15:04.93
he can't take the
shewbread, but he thought,
00:15:04.97\00:15:06.77
I'm gonna take the
priest's vestments.
00:15:06.80\00:15:09.10
Now, you remember
the high priest wore
00:15:09.14\00:15:11.37
a very special garment,
00:15:11.41\00:15:13.58
and on that garment was an ephod
00:15:13.61\00:15:16.21
but it wasn't like
the regular linen ephod
00:15:16.24\00:15:18.31
worn by the priests,
00:15:18.35\00:15:19.65
later David
dances before the Lord
00:15:19.68\00:15:21.42
and then ephod
just means a linen,
00:15:21.45\00:15:23.05
a simple linen garment.
00:15:23.08\00:15:24.62
The priest wore
this elaborate dress
00:15:24.65\00:15:26.82
and why don't we put
that up on the screen here.
00:15:26.86\00:15:29.59
So that's the ephod.
00:15:29.62\00:15:31.26
Abiathar grabs
the golden breastplate
00:15:31.29\00:15:33.56
with the 12 stones.
00:15:33.60\00:15:35.40
On the shoulder, it
had a stone on each side
00:15:35.43\00:15:37.90
and there is
some, it was an opal
00:15:37.93\00:15:39.77
but they had two
different color opals
00:15:39.80\00:15:41.74
and some say,
they're green and red,
00:15:41.77\00:15:44.21
like stop lights
00:15:44.24\00:15:45.74
because this is
gonna come up in the story.
00:15:45.77\00:15:47.61
So you need to know
this is what he took,
00:15:47.64\00:15:49.08
he took the
priest's vestments with him.
00:15:49.11\00:15:50.98
Abiathar as the only survivor
00:15:51.01\00:15:53.48
ends up
becoming the high priest.
00:15:53.52\00:15:56.28
So now David's got a prophet,
00:15:56.32\00:15:58.45
David's got a
priest and he got an army.
00:15:58.49\00:16:02.02
It's starting to look
like a kingdom is developing.
00:16:02.06\00:16:05.23
He's got the only
surviving relative
00:16:05.26\00:16:07.83
there of the
priesthood that comes.
00:16:07.86\00:16:09.60
So while David is
hiding out in the forest
00:16:09.63\00:16:13.90
they get word that
the people of Keilah,
00:16:13.94\00:16:18.64
that's a village
that's right on the borders
00:16:18.67\00:16:20.11
with the Philistines,
00:16:20.14\00:16:21.14
you know, someone,
00:16:21.18\00:16:22.21
if you were gonna
live back in those days,
00:16:22.24\00:16:23.95
don't live right on
the border of Israel.
00:16:23.98\00:16:26.41
If you live
close to the Moabites,
00:16:26.45\00:16:27.55
you're the first they attack,
00:16:27.58\00:16:28.95
you live close to
the Assyrians up north,
00:16:28.98\00:16:31.22
first they attack,
00:16:31.25\00:16:32.25
you don't want to be
deep into the land of Israel
00:16:32.29\00:16:34.79
where the people of Keilah
00:16:34.82\00:16:35.99
were in the very
southern territory of Judah
00:16:36.02\00:16:38.16
right on the
borders of Philistine.
00:16:38.19\00:16:39.96
And when it
came time to harvest,
00:16:40.00\00:16:41.70
they were the first
ones that were attacked,
00:16:41.73\00:16:43.50
and then the Philistines
00:16:43.53\00:16:44.57
were robbing
their threshing floors,
00:16:44.60\00:16:46.40
and the people of Keilah
heard that David had a guard
00:16:46.43\00:16:49.34
and he used to be a captain.
00:16:49.37\00:16:50.74
Remember, he used to go
out and lead the people.
00:16:50.77\00:16:52.47
They said, come save
us from the Philistines.
00:16:52.51\00:16:55.38
So David says,
Lord, what shall I do,
00:16:55.41\00:16:57.05
shall I go, fight
against the Philistines?
00:16:57.08\00:17:00.18
And the Lord says, go
00:17:00.22\00:17:01.78
and his soldiers
say, what are you kidding,
00:17:01.82\00:17:04.65
we're running for our lives
from Saul and his soldiers,
00:17:04.69\00:17:07.12
now we're gonna go fight
the whole Philistine army?
00:17:07.16\00:17:09.92
So David says,
I need to be sure.
00:17:09.96\00:17:11.39
So David says to Abiathar,
look, you've got the ephod,
00:17:11.43\00:17:15.73
you've got the
Urim and the Thummim.
00:17:15.76\00:17:17.57
Inquire you're a priest,
even though he was young,
00:17:17.60\00:17:20.60
says, you're the
only priest left.
00:17:20.64\00:17:21.90
He says, you
inquire of the Lord,
00:17:21.94\00:17:23.27
ask, shall we go fight
the Philistines in Keilah?
00:17:23.30\00:17:27.18
And he prays and
they've got the ephod there,
00:17:27.21\00:17:29.24
I don't know if he put it on
00:17:29.28\00:17:30.28
or if they had
it in front of them
00:17:30.31\00:17:31.31
but now this is
not in the Bible.
00:17:31.35\00:17:32.88
But the understanding
from Jewish tradition
00:17:32.91\00:17:34.88
is that one of the
stones on one shoulder,
00:17:34.92\00:17:38.05
the Urim and the Thummim,
00:17:38.09\00:17:39.12
one meant yes or it was correct,
00:17:39.15\00:17:42.79
and the other one
meant no or incorrect.
00:17:42.82\00:17:45.33
And it would glow somehow
00:17:45.36\00:17:47.20
or there would be some
sound emanating from it,
00:17:47.23\00:17:49.20
some signal came from it,
00:17:49.23\00:17:51.20
and it was some
oracle they would consult
00:17:51.23\00:17:53.67
and not to be confused
with the Oracle of Delphi,
00:17:53.70\00:17:56.30
but in the classical sense,
it would give them guidance
00:17:56.34\00:17:59.54
and we don't
know how it happened
00:17:59.57\00:18:00.74
but he consoled that they prayed
00:18:00.78\00:18:02.34
and the right shoulder glowed
00:18:02.38\00:18:05.35
and that meant I
will be with you, go.
00:18:05.38\00:18:08.05
And so he went down
00:18:08.08\00:18:10.72
and they fought
against the Philistines.
00:18:10.75\00:18:12.95
And it says, David
struck them with a mighty blow,
00:18:12.99\00:18:15.42
not only did they
defeat the Philistines
00:18:15.46\00:18:17.26
who were robbing the
threshing floors of Keilah,
00:18:17.29\00:18:20.33
but then they robbed the
coasts of the Philistines.
00:18:20.36\00:18:22.90
And David and his men,
00:18:22.93\00:18:24.07
you know, it's
hard to feed an army.
00:18:24.10\00:18:25.87
See, he had 400
people, that's a lot of food.
00:18:25.90\00:18:28.50
Ever have someone
come over for dinner
00:18:28.54\00:18:30.04
and bring 400 people?
00:18:30.07\00:18:31.91
They all show up to David,
00:18:31.94\00:18:33.04
said, we're with you
David, got anything to eat?
00:18:33.07\00:18:35.34
And he's got no food
00:18:35.38\00:18:36.51
and so they rob the threshing
floors of the Philistines,
00:18:36.54\00:18:41.05
they recover everything
00:18:41.08\00:18:42.38
and so now they got
a little bit of food
00:18:42.42\00:18:43.85
and they also
got some livestock.
00:18:43.89\00:18:46.02
But eventually
word reaches King Saul
00:18:46.05\00:18:48.32
that David is now in a city
00:18:48.36\00:18:50.99
with gates and bars
00:18:51.03\00:18:52.49
and Saul said,
Keilah is up on a hill,
00:18:52.53\00:18:55.50
it's in a city
with gates and bars
00:18:55.53\00:18:56.83
we will surround them,
we will the besiege them,
00:18:56.87\00:18:58.60
we will starve them out,
00:18:58.63\00:18:59.70
I've got them now,
00:18:59.73\00:19:01.67
he will not survive.
00:19:01.70\00:19:03.87
And so David
begins to worry, he hears
00:19:03.91\00:19:06.21
and probably Jonathan is
sending messages to David
00:19:06.24\00:19:10.25
because Jonathan
knows what's going on.
00:19:10.28\00:19:12.31
It's hard for King Saul
00:19:12.35\00:19:13.65
to get an army
together to attack David,
00:19:13.68\00:19:15.35
he can't assemble an
army secretly very well.
00:19:15.38\00:19:19.12
And so he gets word
that Saul is gonna come down,
00:19:19.15\00:19:21.92
so David's got to decide,
00:19:21.96\00:19:22.99
do I go from here or
do I stay in the city?
00:19:23.02\00:19:25.99
And that goes to 1 Samuel 23:11.
00:19:26.03\00:19:30.37
David prays and he says to Lord,
00:19:30.40\00:19:31.87
"Will the men of Keilah
00:19:31.90\00:19:33.40
deliver me into
the hand of Saul?
00:19:33.44\00:19:36.04
Will Saul come down,
as Your servant is heard?
00:19:36.07\00:19:38.67
O Lord God of Israel, I
pray, tell Your servant..."
00:19:38.71\00:19:41.54
And the Lord said,
and He's telling him this
00:19:41.58\00:19:43.98
through the ephod,
"He will come down."
00:19:44.01\00:19:47.18
Saul is coming.
00:19:47.22\00:19:48.42
"And David said,
'Will the men of Keilah
00:19:48.45\00:19:50.32
deliver me and my men
into the hand of Saul?'
00:19:50.35\00:19:53.86
And the Lord said, 'They will,
00:19:53.89\00:19:55.39
they'll turn you over.'"
00:19:55.42\00:19:57.13
So here is the
city that just said
00:19:57.16\00:19:58.69
please come save us.
00:19:58.73\00:20:00.36
David comes and he saves us.
00:20:00.40\00:20:02.80
And then God says, yeah,
they're gonna turn on you
00:20:02.83\00:20:05.20
in a heartbeat
00:20:05.23\00:20:06.67
when Saul comes down.
00:20:06.70\00:20:08.70
Kind of makes you think
about when the people said
00:20:08.74\00:20:13.71
Hosanna to the son of David
00:20:13.74\00:20:15.28
as Jesus comes in
00:20:15.31\00:20:17.05
and Jesus feeds them with bread,
00:20:17.08\00:20:19.71
and then they turn
on a dime and they say,
00:20:19.75\00:20:23.25
"Crucify Him, crucify Him."
00:20:23.28\00:20:25.69
Now, people can be very fickle.
00:20:25.72\00:20:27.46
So the people of Keilah
were ready just to turn,
00:20:27.49\00:20:29.99
God said to him, you
better get out of here.
00:20:30.03\00:20:32.46
And so, you know, David has
really nowhere to lay his head.
00:20:32.49\00:20:36.00
And there's a psalm
that is written about
00:20:36.03\00:20:38.60
what happens when David fled
00:20:38.63\00:20:40.94
from the people of Keilah also.
00:20:40.97\00:20:44.14
Finally, he goes
back to the woods
00:20:44.17\00:20:46.88
and now we're in 1 Samuel 23.
00:20:46.91\00:20:50.48
"And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose
00:20:50.51\00:20:53.21
and went to David in the woods
00:20:53.25\00:20:55.22
and strengthened
his hand in God."
00:20:55.25\00:20:58.19
Now, if you've got
a friend like that,
00:20:58.22\00:20:59.55
you're in good shape.
00:20:59.59\00:21:01.12
If you got a friend
00:21:01.16\00:21:02.42
that when you're
going through trial
00:21:02.46\00:21:03.89
will come and strengthen you,
00:21:03.93\00:21:05.06
not just encourage you
00:21:05.09\00:21:06.23
but to
strengthen your hand in God.
00:21:06.26\00:21:09.03
Now think about what kind
of man it took to do that.
00:21:09.06\00:21:13.10
Jonathan knows that
David has been anointed
00:21:13.13\00:21:16.54
at this point to
be the next king.
00:21:16.57\00:21:20.01
Jonathon's a crown prince
00:21:20.04\00:21:22.61
but he said, you know,
I want whatever God wants,
00:21:22.64\00:21:25.68
even if it means that
I do not get the throne
00:21:25.71\00:21:28.88
and you get the throne,
00:21:28.92\00:21:30.05
that's a remarkable friend.
00:21:30.09\00:21:32.45
And he said not only that,
00:21:32.49\00:21:33.82
I'm gonna not only
endure that you get promoted
00:21:33.86\00:21:37.26
and I don't.
00:21:37.29\00:21:38.73
I'm gonna encourage you
00:21:38.76\00:21:40.46
in what God has
called you to do,
00:21:40.50\00:21:42.50
'cause I know you're
going through a hard time.
00:21:42.53\00:21:44.10
That's a pretty selfless person.
00:21:44.13\00:21:46.33
Well, I can't wait to
meet Jonathan in heaven.
00:21:46.37\00:21:48.64
He was really something.
00:21:48.67\00:21:50.27
Now that man
who went into battle
00:21:50.31\00:21:51.64
with his armor bearer and said,
00:21:51.67\00:21:53.01
there is no
restraint with the Lord
00:21:53.04\00:21:54.88
to deliver by few or many,
00:21:54.91\00:21:56.48
and he goes and he
takes on the Philistine army.
00:21:56.51\00:21:58.65
Jonathan inspired David
00:21:58.68\00:22:00.82
and then Jonathan,
he's so generous with David.
00:22:00.85\00:22:03.95
And anyway...
00:22:03.99\00:22:06.96
Oh, by the way, you know,
Robin Hood was a good archer.
00:22:06.99\00:22:12.26
You know, David
was an archer too,
00:22:12.29\00:22:13.66
David was not
just good with a sling
00:22:13.70\00:22:17.33
and good with a sword,
00:22:17.37\00:22:18.40
we know he had
the sword of Goliath
00:22:18.43\00:22:20.17
but you remember when
Jonathan gave him his bow
00:22:20.20\00:22:24.34
so David knew
how to use a bow...
00:22:24.37\00:22:26.71
I'm not trying to make too much
out of the Robin Hood things,
00:22:26.74\00:22:28.64
I just remember
Jonathan gave him his bow too,
00:22:28.68\00:22:30.61
people often, you
never see David with a bow,
00:22:30.65\00:22:33.25
but you do see
him with the sword
00:22:33.28\00:22:34.62
and with the sling.
00:22:34.65\00:22:37.32
Anyway, so he has to flea,
00:22:37.35\00:22:39.85
Jonathan comes to encourage him.
00:22:39.89\00:22:42.36
And he goes on,
listen to what he says,
00:22:42.39\00:22:43.73
I'm again in verse 16
of chapter 23, 1 Samuel 23,
00:22:43.76\00:22:47.96
"He said to him, 'Don't fear,
00:22:48.00\00:22:50.07
the hand of Saul, my
father, will not find you.
00:22:50.10\00:22:53.03
You will be king over Israel,
and I will be next to you."'
00:22:53.07\00:22:56.40
He said, I have no
problem being second.
00:22:56.44\00:22:59.24
"Even my father
Saul knows that."
00:22:59.27\00:23:01.11
Saul knows now that
you've been anointed.
00:23:01.14\00:23:03.75
"So the two of them made
a covenant before the Lord."
00:23:03.78\00:23:05.91
This is the third time now
00:23:05.95\00:23:07.22
you'll find David and
Jonathan making a covenant,
00:23:07.25\00:23:10.59
and David did not
forget their covenant.
00:23:10.62\00:23:12.72
"And David stayed in the woods,
00:23:12.75\00:23:15.49
and Jonathan went back
to his house to the palace."
00:23:15.52\00:23:18.83
That our Jesus come and
make a covenant with us.
00:23:18.86\00:23:21.50
He left us in this world
and He went back to the palace,
00:23:21.53\00:23:24.43
heavenly kingdom.
00:23:24.47\00:23:25.90
Someone said, "A
friend is someone
00:23:25.93\00:23:27.50
with whom you
may think out loud."
00:23:27.54\00:23:30.44
And then someone else wrote,
00:23:30.47\00:23:31.47
"A friend is
someone who comes in
00:23:31.51\00:23:32.74
when the whole world goes out."
00:23:32.77\00:23:35.08
Jonathan came to
David to encourage him
00:23:35.11\00:23:37.65
and in the Lord
00:23:37.68\00:23:39.41
and Jesus is our
friend like that.
00:23:39.45\00:23:41.78
Now David has a narrow escape.
00:23:41.82\00:23:44.39
Saul hears where
he is in the woods.
00:23:44.42\00:23:47.72
And so he gets
his soldiers together
00:23:47.76\00:23:50.73
and he gets 3,000 men.
00:23:50.76\00:23:52.46
Matter of fact you'll
see three times in the Bible,
00:23:52.49\00:23:54.13
Saul gets 3,000 men together,
00:23:54.20\00:23:56.03
gets 3,000 men together,
00:23:56.06\00:23:57.27
that was, I guess the
perfect number for him.
00:23:57.30\00:23:59.87
And he hears David is
in this hill, in the woods
00:23:59.90\00:24:03.67
and Saul goes
down to encircle him.
00:24:03.71\00:24:05.64
I'm in 1 Samuel 23:26,
00:24:05.67\00:24:09.48
"And Saul went on
one side of the mountain,
00:24:09.51\00:24:11.68
and David and his men were on
the other side of the mountain.
00:24:11.71\00:24:14.18
So David made haste to get away
00:24:14.22\00:24:15.78
because Saul and his
men were encircling them."
00:24:15.82\00:24:18.39
They were closing them off
00:24:18.42\00:24:19.45
and there would
be no way of escape
00:24:19.49\00:24:20.66
and it looked like he was stuck,
00:24:20.69\00:24:22.26
he couldn't get
his men out in time.
00:24:22.29\00:24:24.46
But don't you like that
00:24:24.49\00:24:26.53
that when it looks
like there's no way out,
00:24:26.56\00:24:29.00
God had said, look,
David, I've chosen you,
00:24:29.03\00:24:31.17
I might save you by
the skin of the teeth,
00:24:31.20\00:24:33.20
but I'm gonna save you.
00:24:33.23\00:24:34.67
You don't have to worry,
00:24:34.70\00:24:35.80
I know it's gonna be
tough but I'll be with you.
00:24:35.84\00:24:38.71
It says, "But
right at that moment
00:24:38.74\00:24:40.24
when Saul finally
felt I've got him trapped,
00:24:40.28\00:24:42.28
I've got him closed in,
00:24:42.31\00:24:43.31
I got 3,000 men to his 400 men.
00:24:43.35\00:24:46.18
You still wonder who
would have won in that battle.
00:24:46.21\00:24:48.95
"A messenger came to
Saul, saying, 'Hurry and come,
00:24:48.98\00:24:52.82
for the Philistines
have invaded the land!'"
00:24:52.85\00:24:56.79
That must have been a
tough decision for Saul.
00:24:56.83\00:24:58.53
He was so bent on getting David
00:24:58.56\00:25:00.96
that even though here he is king
00:25:00.96\00:25:02.63
and his kingdom is
being invaded by the enemy,
00:25:02.66\00:25:04.50
because he's so
preoccupied with the battle
00:25:04.53\00:25:06.23
God never taught him to fight.
00:25:06.27\00:25:09.37
Now you wonder how many times
we get engaged fighting wars
00:25:09.40\00:25:14.24
God didn't tell us to fight,
00:25:14.28\00:25:17.25
and in the meantime
we're not doing the job
00:25:17.28\00:25:18.75
we're supposed to do.
00:25:18.78\00:25:21.05
That a messenger comes
right at that crucial moment
00:25:21.08\00:25:24.45
and says, "Come
quick, drop everything,
00:25:24.49\00:25:26.65
the Philistines
are invading the land."
00:25:26.69\00:25:29.39
And if the people
can't turn to the king,
00:25:29.42\00:25:30.76
who do they turn to.
00:25:30.79\00:25:31.96
So Saul is going,
"We got him closed off."
00:25:31.99\00:25:34.56
And his men are going,
00:25:34.60\00:25:35.63
"Your majesty, our
families, our possessions
00:25:35.66\00:25:37.83
that Philippi
enemies getting them.
00:25:37.87\00:25:39.60
But I want David,
you've got to leave,
00:25:39.63\00:25:42.77
and he had to go away.
00:25:42.80\00:25:44.21
And I probably think that
it was a struggle for Saul,
00:25:44.24\00:25:46.24
he thought I've
got him now finally.
00:25:46.27\00:25:48.91
He didn't want the
kingdom to go to David.
00:25:48.94\00:25:51.55
So, you know, the Bible says
00:25:51.58\00:25:54.32
therefore Saul
retuned from pursuing David
00:25:54.35\00:25:57.59
and he went
against the Philistines,
00:25:57.62\00:26:00.22
so they called that
place the rock of escape.
00:26:00.26\00:26:04.16
You know, when
you study history,
00:26:04.19\00:26:05.73
there are
several times in history
00:26:05.76\00:26:07.00
where God has delivered
00:26:07.03\00:26:08.03
God's people with
a similar scenario,
00:26:08.06\00:26:10.70
during the Great Reformation
00:26:10.73\00:26:13.50
at one point
00:26:13.54\00:26:15.54
when the
Reformation was spreading
00:26:15.57\00:26:19.31
and God's work was happening,
00:26:19.34\00:26:21.21
the pope wanted
to attack believers,
00:26:21.24\00:26:24.78
Hussites and Waldenses.
00:26:24.81\00:26:28.15
But two people were
claiming to be the pope,
00:26:28.18\00:26:29.78
and the popes became so involved
00:26:29.82\00:26:31.25
in fighting each other
00:26:31.29\00:26:33.49
that the church
was able to grow.
00:26:33.52\00:26:35.42
Another time when the
pope was getting ready
00:26:35.46\00:26:37.16
to send an army
00:26:37.19\00:26:38.66
to attack the
Protestant reformers,
00:26:38.69\00:26:43.06
the Muslims attacked,
00:26:43.10\00:26:44.73
Islam attacked from the east
00:26:44.77\00:26:46.57
and they had to send
all their soldiers back
00:26:46.60\00:26:48.50
to defend their eastern border.
00:26:48.54\00:26:51.37
And so the church several
times at the crucial moment
00:26:51.41\00:26:54.64
when it looked like
00:26:54.68\00:26:55.71
that the church was
gonna get stomped out,
00:26:55.74\00:26:57.45
God would
intervene with a third party
00:26:57.48\00:27:00.32
that would come in
00:27:00.35\00:27:01.62
and attack the
enemies of God's people
00:27:01.65\00:27:04.15
and they would
find relief that way,
00:27:04.19\00:27:06.76
and so this was
one of those cases
00:27:06.79\00:27:08.12
where that happened.
00:27:08.16\00:27:09.39
By the way, they call
it the rock of escape.
00:27:09.42\00:27:12.33
You and I have a
rock of escape, don't we?
00:27:12.36\00:27:14.56
Amen.
00:27:14.56\00:27:15.56
And David went up from there
00:27:15.60\00:27:17.47
and he dwelt in the
strongholds of En Gedi.
00:27:17.50\00:27:20.97
Now En Gedi is a
place that you've heard of
00:27:21.00\00:27:23.61
even if you don't
think you've heard of it.
00:27:23.64\00:27:25.97
It's out in one of the
lowest places in the world,
00:27:26.01\00:27:30.48
it's in the desert.
00:27:30.51\00:27:32.01
And it's where you
find the Dead Sea scrolls.
00:27:32.05\00:27:36.32
We've found
there's a lot of caves
00:27:36.35\00:27:37.92
and haunts and rugged
mountains and canyons,
00:27:37.95\00:27:40.99
but even though
it's a very hot dry place
00:27:41.02\00:27:44.26
there where the
cave of En Gedi is,
00:27:44.29\00:27:46.53
you've got the spring of En Gedi
00:27:46.56\00:27:48.30
and there's some
beautiful places.
00:27:48.33\00:27:50.40
So this is one of the few spots,
00:27:50.43\00:27:51.90
there's only two places
00:27:51.93\00:27:53.17
on the western
shore of the Dead Sea
00:27:53.20\00:27:55.07
where fresh water
runs into the sea.
00:27:55.10\00:27:58.57
And this is one of them
00:27:58.61\00:27:59.74
and when it says that David
was in the cave of En Gedi,
00:27:59.77\00:28:03.24
there's only one place
that he was drinking water
00:28:03.28\00:28:05.31
and it was probably,
when you have 400 men,
00:28:05.35\00:28:07.32
you need a lot of water.
00:28:07.35\00:28:08.55
Probably the spring,
00:28:08.58\00:28:10.35
a very rugged area
it wasn't far from,
00:28:10.39\00:28:12.19
they also call it
the mountains of goats.
00:28:12.22\00:28:15.82
You know, how they
found the Dead Sea scroll?
00:28:15.86\00:28:17.73
Some shepherd boy lost his goats
00:28:17.76\00:28:20.96
and he threw a rock
in one of these caves
00:28:20.96\00:28:22.80
that was up on a hillside
00:28:22.83\00:28:23.93
and he heard
the clattering sound
00:28:23.97\00:28:26.57
that was clearly a different
sound from rocketing rock,
00:28:26.60\00:28:29.80
it was a pot breaking.
00:28:29.84\00:28:31.94
And he scrambled up
00:28:31.97\00:28:32.97
and he started to
discover the scrolls
00:28:33.01\00:28:34.74
that he began to cut
up and sell as souvenirs
00:28:34.78\00:28:38.25
until they realized
what their true value was.
00:28:38.28\00:28:40.98
So I want you to turn
with me now to 1 Samuel 24,
00:28:41.02\00:28:44.45
and we're gonna take
a moment to read this
00:28:44.49\00:28:46.72
because it fits
in with our theme
00:28:46.76\00:28:49.46
about forgiveness and
vengeance in a special way.
00:28:49.49\00:28:54.40
"When Saul returned from
following the Philistines,
00:28:54.46\00:28:56.77
that had invaded the land,
00:28:56.80\00:28:59.73
it was told him,
and saying, 'Take note!
00:28:59.77\00:29:01.80
David is in the
wilderness of En Gedi.'
00:29:01.84\00:29:04.27
And Saul took 3,000
chosen men from all of Israel,
00:29:04.31\00:29:07.68
and he went to seek David
00:29:07.71\00:29:09.01
and his men on the
Rocks of the Wild Goats.
00:29:09.04\00:29:12.35
So he came to the
sheepfolds down by the road,
00:29:12.38\00:29:15.35
where there was a cave."
00:29:15.38\00:29:17.19
And so he goes in
but he doesn't realize
00:29:17.22\00:29:19.22
that he just goes in
the mouth of the cave
00:29:19.25\00:29:20.96
where there's, you know,
little light still coming in
00:29:20.99\00:29:24.29
but it's a deep cave.
00:29:24.33\00:29:26.63
And maybe the wind is howling
or the men can be heard outside
00:29:26.66\00:29:30.90
but for some
reason he doesn't hear
00:29:30.93\00:29:32.33
that David and his
men are in the cave
00:29:32.37\00:29:33.77
and they actually
whisper to each other,
00:29:33.80\00:29:35.50
so there is some noise.
00:29:35.54\00:29:37.84
"And the men of
David said to him,
00:29:37.87\00:29:39.67
'This is the day that
the Lord told you about,
00:29:39.71\00:29:42.51
He said, you'd be king...'"
00:29:42.54\00:29:43.75
Here is your moment,
reach out and take it,
00:29:43.78\00:29:45.35
just kill Saul,
you're king, voila!
00:29:45.38\00:29:47.38
Doesn't say that
but that's the idea.
00:29:47.42\00:29:50.82
"Behold, I will deliver
your enemy into your hand
00:29:50.85\00:29:53.52
that you may do to him
as it seems good to you."
00:29:53.56\00:29:56.22
They're quoting
another place in the Bible.
00:29:56.26\00:29:58.73
And David arose and he
went, he sneaks up to Saul
00:29:58.76\00:30:03.20
and he's got a very sharp knife
00:30:03.23\00:30:04.50
that had been
expecting the battle,
00:30:04.53\00:30:05.73
it's probably sharp as a razor.
00:30:05.77\00:30:07.30
He cuts off the corner of
Saul's robe and slips away,
00:30:07.34\00:30:10.94
with Saul's wearing a royal robe
00:30:10.97\00:30:12.31
it doesn't look
like everyone else's.
00:30:12.34\00:30:14.41
And it happened afterward
David's heart struck him.
00:30:14.44\00:30:16.81
It even bothered David's heart
00:30:16.85\00:30:20.35
that he had somehow
defaced the robe of the king
00:30:20.38\00:30:25.75
that I don't kill him.
00:30:25.79\00:30:27.26
He had so much respect.
00:30:27.29\00:30:28.46
He said, this is
the Lord's anointed
00:30:28.49\00:30:29.66
even though I don't...
00:30:29.69\00:30:30.66
He was chosen by God,
until God un-chooses him,
00:30:30.69\00:30:33.80
I'm not gonna hurt
him, that's God's business.
00:30:33.83\00:30:36.13
He felt bad about
it, his heart smote him
00:30:36.16\00:30:38.00
that he cut the king's robe.
00:30:38.03\00:30:39.83
"And he said to his
men, 'The Lord forbid
00:30:39.87\00:30:41.30
that I should do
this thing to my master,
00:30:41.34\00:30:42.97
the Lord's anointed,
00:30:43.00\00:30:44.11
to stretch out
my hand against him,
00:30:44.14\00:30:45.81
seeing he's the Lord's anointed
and he's my father in law.'"
00:30:45.84\00:30:49.84
He didn't say that but
that was one more thing.
00:30:49.88\00:30:52.98
"So David restrained his
servants with these words,
00:30:53.01\00:30:55.92
and he did not allow
them to rise up against Saul.
00:30:55.95\00:30:59.42
And Saul got up from the
cave and he went on his way."
00:30:59.45\00:31:03.46
And he was whistling
and walking down to his men.
00:31:03.49\00:31:07.40
And after Saul
got down in the valley
00:31:07.40\00:31:09.63
by the sheepfolds with his men,
00:31:09.66\00:31:11.17
David comes out of
the mouth of the cave
00:31:11.20\00:31:13.50
and he calls out with a cave
as an echo chamber behind him.
00:31:13.54\00:31:17.14
And he says, "My lord the King!"
00:31:17.17\00:31:19.67
Saul turns around.
00:31:19.71\00:31:21.18
"And David stooped down
with his face to the earth,
00:31:21.21\00:31:23.85
and bowed down."
00:31:23.88\00:31:25.31
So who's been anointed as king?
00:31:25.35\00:31:28.55
Both of them.
00:31:28.58\00:31:30.42
But David has been
anointed as his replacement.
00:31:30.45\00:31:33.66
David says, I'm
respecting you are the king,
00:31:33.69\00:31:35.79
I am recognizing you as a king.
00:31:35.82\00:31:38.66
"He says, 'My Lord, the king!'
00:31:38.69\00:31:40.60
Saul looked behind him.
00:31:40.63\00:31:42.06
David stooped with his face
to the earth, he bowed down.
00:31:42.10\00:31:44.17
And David said to Saul,
00:31:44.20\00:31:45.50
'Why do you listen
to the words of men...'"
00:31:45.53\00:31:47.94
It wasn't that he was
listening to anyone else.
00:31:47.97\00:31:51.44
He's just, but he's giving
him the benefit of the doubt.
00:31:51.47\00:31:53.71
Why do you believe
in these false reports?
00:31:53.74\00:31:55.34
Who say David seeks you harm.
00:31:55.38\00:31:58.38
It's not true.
00:31:58.41\00:31:59.65
"Look, this day
your eyes have seen
00:31:59.68\00:32:02.18
that the Lord delivered
you into my hand in the cave,
00:32:02.22\00:32:06.59
and someone
urged me to kill you."
00:32:06.62\00:32:08.52
He was nice enough
not to say who that was.
00:32:08.56\00:32:11.19
"But my eye
spared you, and I said,
00:32:11.23\00:32:13.70
'I will not stretch out
my hand against my Lord,
00:32:13.73\00:32:16.46
for He is the Lord's anointed.'
00:32:16.50\00:32:18.67
Moreover, my father..."'
00:32:18.70\00:32:20.14
So he was his father too.
00:32:20.17\00:32:21.97
"See! Yes, see the corner
of your robe in my hand..."
00:32:22.00\00:32:25.07
And right when he holds
up this little flap of cloth,
00:32:25.11\00:32:27.74
the king reaches
around, he pulls up his robe
00:32:27.78\00:32:30.15
and the corner is gone.
00:32:30.18\00:32:32.61
And the king's heart like a...
00:32:32.65\00:32:35.72
Wow, that was a close call.
00:32:35.75\00:32:38.95
There he was with
400 people around him
00:32:38.99\00:32:42.12
that could have taken his
life and they chose not to.
00:32:42.16\00:32:46.80
Now think of all the trouble
David could have saved him
00:32:46.83\00:32:48.63
if he said, would
David have felt justified,
00:32:48.66\00:32:51.03
this guy is here to kill me.
00:32:51.07\00:32:52.43
He has come to kill me.
00:32:52.47\00:32:53.87
I mean, don't
most of us believe that
00:32:53.90\00:32:55.70
if someone comes
into your cave to kill you
00:32:55.74\00:32:59.14
that in
self-defense you can kill them?
00:32:59.17\00:33:02.31
I mean, certainly ancient
law would have defended that,
00:33:02.34\00:33:05.91
even his men said,
God's put him in your hand.
00:33:05.95\00:33:08.12
This is providential.
00:33:08.15\00:33:11.35
It's interesting that it
looked like God had given
00:33:11.39\00:33:14.49
David this opportunity
for David to take it,
00:33:14.52\00:33:17.23
but God gave David
that opportunity for David
00:33:17.26\00:33:19.56
to refuse it.
00:33:19.59\00:33:21.46
Have you ever had an opportunity
00:33:21.50\00:33:22.96
to get even with
someone that hurt you,
00:33:23.00\00:33:24.90
and you think, "Oh, look,
I've got my chance to say,
00:33:24.93\00:33:28.10
now, what do you think?"
00:33:28.14\00:33:30.54
Or to say something
cutting, or to get even,
00:33:30.57\00:33:32.94
say, they're
getting what they deserve
00:33:32.97\00:33:34.18
or to gloat or to
hurt them in some way.
00:33:34.21\00:33:36.88
Maybe God's giving
you that opportunity
00:33:36.91\00:33:38.88
to get even with your enemies
00:33:38.91\00:33:39.98
so you don't
take that opportunity,
00:33:40.02\00:33:42.22
and you can demonstrate
what it means to be a Christian
00:33:42.25\00:33:45.75
and you overcome evil with good.
00:33:45.79\00:33:50.19
So He says, look,
I've forgiven you and Saul,
00:33:50.23\00:33:53.26
He can't deny it, He was,
00:33:53.29\00:33:55.63
David holding
the flap of his robe.
00:33:55.66\00:33:59.37
He said, "Why do
you listen to this?
00:33:59.40\00:34:01.00
Moreover, father, see!
00:34:01.04\00:34:02.00
The corner of
your robe in my hand,
00:34:02.04\00:34:03.57
in that I cut off
the corner of your robe
00:34:03.61\00:34:05.34
and did not kill you,
00:34:05.37\00:34:06.61
know and see that
there is neither evil
00:34:06.64\00:34:08.94
or rebellion in my hand..."
00:34:08.98\00:34:11.08
I can kill a giant, I
could have killed you.
00:34:11.11\00:34:14.68
You realize, I'm
paraphrasing sometimes.
00:34:14.72\00:34:17.49
"I have not sinned against you,
00:34:17.52\00:34:19.39
yet you hunt my life to take it.
00:34:19.42\00:34:21.62
Let the Lord judge
between you and me,
00:34:21.66\00:34:23.96
and let the Lord
avenge me on you."
00:34:23.99\00:34:26.13
Now why is David
doing it this way also?
00:34:26.16\00:34:28.50
Is it just the king listening
or is the whole army listening?
00:34:28.53\00:34:31.47
Whole army.
00:34:31.50\00:34:32.73
Saul's army is listening,
David's army is listening.
00:34:32.77\00:34:35.77
Is there gonna be another day
00:34:35.80\00:34:36.94
when the sheep and the
goats will be separated
00:34:36.97\00:34:39.44
and everybody is gonna
see what the real issue is.
00:34:39.47\00:34:42.78
And the devil who
said, O God was not fair,
00:34:42.81\00:34:47.45
this evidence is all
gonna be spread out there.
00:34:47.48\00:34:50.59
My hand shall not be
against you David said.
00:34:50.62\00:34:54.16
Now don't you feel like
00:34:54.19\00:34:56.22
you've got a right
to retaliate sometimes?
00:34:56.26\00:35:00.16
And David said,
I'm not going to...
00:35:00.20\00:35:01.43
He said, if there is
gonna be someone wrong
00:35:01.46\00:35:02.63
and this is going to be you.
00:35:02.66\00:35:04.23
And if I'm being
treated unfairly,
00:35:04.27\00:35:07.24
I'm not gonna vindicate myself,
God is gonna vindicate me.
00:35:07.27\00:35:10.41
David is putting
it all in God's hands.
00:35:10.44\00:35:12.64
My hand shall
not be against you.
00:35:12.67\00:35:14.58
And then he goes on
and he appeals to the king.
00:35:14.61\00:35:17.38
"After whom has the
king of Israel come out?"
00:35:17.41\00:35:19.51
You're the king.
00:35:19.55\00:35:20.58
"Who do you pursue?"
00:35:20.62\00:35:21.62
I'm a shepherd
boy, I'm a dead dog?
00:35:21.65\00:35:23.49
A flea?
00:35:23.52\00:35:24.99
Therefore..."
I'm not even a dog.
00:35:25.02\00:35:26.39
I'm a flea on a dog.
00:35:26.42\00:35:27.79
David is looking
for the smallest words
00:35:27.82\00:35:29.46
you can find, he say,
you're the king of Israel,
00:35:29.49\00:35:31.59
you got Philistines to fight,
why are you chasing after us.
00:35:31.63\00:35:35.90
"Therefore let the Lord judge,
and judge between you and me,
00:35:35.93\00:35:41.10
and see him plead my cause,
00:35:41.14\00:35:42.57
and deliver me out of your hand.
00:35:42.60\00:35:44.97
So it was when David had
finished speaking these words,"
00:35:45.01\00:35:48.51
suddenly Saul has a
flash of normality and he says,
00:35:48.54\00:35:52.11
"Is this your
voice, my son David?"
00:35:52.15\00:35:54.68
My son, I was trying to
kill a few minutes ago."
00:35:54.72\00:35:57.39
And Saul lifted up
his voice and he wept."
00:35:57.42\00:36:00.56
Now David's words
even touched his heart,
00:36:00.59\00:36:03.36
and he realized,
what's come over me,
00:36:03.39\00:36:05.03
what happened to the old
Saul that used to love the Lord
00:36:05.06\00:36:07.36
and lead the
people, what's coming,
00:36:07.40\00:36:09.06
I'm so obsessed
with this vengeance,
00:36:09.10\00:36:13.40
fighting against a
friend, a family member.
00:36:13.44\00:36:18.74
You know, Bible says,
00:36:18.77\00:36:19.81
"Man's foes will be
those of his own house."
00:36:19.84\00:36:23.58
David had a lot more problems
with people on the inside
00:36:23.61\00:36:25.95
than people on the outside.
00:36:25.98\00:36:28.15
He had problems with his son,
00:36:28.18\00:36:29.92
with his king, and his brethren.
00:36:29.95\00:36:33.72
And Saul weeps but
he ends up saying...
00:36:33.76\00:36:38.76
Listen to what Saul says.
00:36:38.79\00:36:41.06
"You've shown me this day..."
00:36:41.10\00:36:42.36
Verse 18, "You've
dealt well with me,
00:36:42.40\00:36:45.17
when the Lord
delivered me into your hand,
00:36:45.20\00:36:46.63
you did not kill me.
00:36:46.67\00:36:47.70
For if a man finds his enemy,
00:36:47.74\00:36:49.14
will he let him
get away safely?"
00:36:49.17\00:36:51.24
Doesn't the Bible
say love your enemy?
00:36:51.27\00:36:53.88
Do good to those
who persecute you.
00:36:53.91\00:36:55.81
Overcome evil with good.
00:36:55.84\00:36:58.35
"Therefore may the
Lord reward you with good
00:36:58.38\00:37:01.02
for what you have
done to me this day?"
00:37:01.05\00:37:03.18
Will the Lord reward,
00:37:03.22\00:37:04.39
did David get
rewarded with good?
00:37:04.42\00:37:07.06
Will the Lord
reward you with good
00:37:07.09\00:37:09.02
if you turn the other cheek?
00:37:09.06\00:37:11.19
That's hard to do that.
00:37:11.23\00:37:12.23
Have you ever tried it,
00:37:12.26\00:37:14.20
especially when it's
in the power of your hand
00:37:14.20\00:37:16.23
to get even to let it go.
00:37:16.26\00:37:19.33
And not only let it go
but to reward evil with good.
00:37:19.37\00:37:22.24
During the scripture
reading it said in doing this
00:37:25.57\00:37:28.84
you will heap coals of
fire on the head of your enemy.
00:37:28.88\00:37:31.95
What does that mean?
00:37:31.98\00:37:33.01
You do nice things to your enemy
00:37:33.05\00:37:34.15
so that they're gonna
get hot coals on their head?
00:37:34.18\00:37:36.85
Coals of fires there,
it's talking about conviction.
00:37:36.89\00:37:40.42
Saul, when David stood
there with his robe in his hand
00:37:40.46\00:37:43.49
and a knife in
the other hand, said,
00:37:43.53\00:37:44.76
I could have just
killed you and I let you go,
00:37:44.79\00:37:46.76
you are doing the wrong thing.
00:37:46.80\00:37:48.56
Coals of fire right
then were on Saul's head,
00:37:48.60\00:37:51.50
he was
overwhelmed with conviction
00:37:51.53\00:37:53.70
of what he had been doing.
00:37:53.74\00:37:54.80
And he's embarrassed
because it's laid out
00:37:54.84\00:37:56.57
in front of all of his men.
00:37:56.60\00:37:57.81
Here our king has been
obsessed with fighting an enemy
00:37:57.84\00:38:00.38
that is one of our own people
00:38:00.41\00:38:01.71
that isn't doing anything wrong.
00:38:01.74\00:38:04.38
And so if you want to
try and win back someone,
00:38:04.41\00:38:09.08
don't reward evil with
evil but reward evil with good.
00:38:09.12\00:38:12.99
So finally, King
Saul, his line now indeed,
00:38:13.02\00:38:16.36
listen to this,
"You will be king,
00:38:16.39\00:38:19.26
and the kingdom of Israel
00:38:19.29\00:38:20.43
will be
established in your hand,
00:38:20.46\00:38:21.83
I know that."
00:38:21.86\00:38:22.90
That's what
Jonathan said earlier.
00:38:22.93\00:38:24.60
"Therefore swear
to me now by the Lord
00:38:24.63\00:38:26.90
you will not cut off
my descendants after me."
00:38:26.94\00:38:29.90
Now you know what...
00:38:29.94\00:38:31.07
I don't know if you've
read through the kings of Israel
00:38:31.11\00:38:33.21
but especially
the kings of Israel
00:38:33.24\00:38:34.78
because they kept
changing families,
00:38:34.81\00:38:36.38
king of Judah was almost
always the House of David,
00:38:36.41\00:38:38.95
King of Israel went
from Omri, to Baasha,
00:38:38.98\00:38:42.22
to Zimri and it just
went to Jehu and different,
00:38:42.25\00:38:47.26
complete
different tribes ended up
00:38:47.29\00:38:48.72
being the kings of Israel.
00:38:48.76\00:38:49.79
And whenever
they came into power,
00:38:49.82\00:38:51.09
what was the
next thing they did?
00:38:51.13\00:38:53.29
Kill all their kids,
kill all their offspring,
00:38:53.33\00:38:56.50
no threats of
them coming back again,
00:38:56.53\00:38:58.87
it was just understood.
00:38:58.90\00:38:59.90
And so Saul knowing
what the ancient custom was,
00:38:59.93\00:39:03.97
when you become king,
00:39:04.01\00:39:05.41
are you going to
eradicate my house?
00:39:05.44\00:39:08.34
Are you gonna kill
off all of my offspring?
00:39:08.38\00:39:10.98
Are you gonna destroy my sheep?
00:39:11.01\00:39:12.45
David made a
promise he would not do it.
00:39:12.48\00:39:16.02
So David swore to
Saul, Saul went home
00:39:16.05\00:39:20.79
and he went back to his palace
00:39:20.82\00:39:22.22
and David went up
to the stronghold,
00:39:22.26\00:39:23.89
he's there to live in the woods.
00:39:23.93\00:39:26.33
Now I want to read the
first verse of chapter 25,
00:39:26.36\00:39:28.60
that's all I'm gonna
read, "Then Samuel died..."
00:39:28.63\00:39:32.97
That's quite a statement.
00:39:33.00\00:39:34.04
This is someone
who had delivered them
00:39:34.07\00:39:35.77
in many ways Samuel
from that little boy
00:39:35.80\00:39:38.34
back in the days of Hanna,
00:39:38.37\00:39:39.71
he may have been
90, 100 years of age,
00:39:39.74\00:39:41.61
he lived a long life.
00:39:41.64\00:39:42.88
He had been there judge
00:39:42.91\00:39:43.91
for many, many
years from a child,
00:39:43.95\00:39:45.65
he had been there judge,
he lived to be an old man.
00:39:45.68\00:39:47.65
Overlapped the time of Samson,
00:39:51.09\00:39:53.29
all the way
through the time of David,
00:39:53.32\00:39:55.39
so it was pretty epic
loss, when it says Samuel died.
00:39:55.42\00:39:59.96
And the
Israelites gathered together
00:40:00.00\00:40:01.60
and lamented for
him and they buried him
00:40:01.63\00:40:04.17
at his home in Rahma.
00:40:04.20\00:40:06.43
And David arose and went
to the wilderness apparent."
00:40:06.47\00:40:09.04
Now whether or not
00:40:09.07\00:40:10.11
David was able to
attend the funeral,
00:40:10.14\00:40:11.77
we don't know,
because I don't know
00:40:11.81\00:40:13.74
if he trusted Saul
may have still been,
00:40:13.78\00:40:15.88
Saul may have pulled
in his horns long enough
00:40:15.91\00:40:17.61
for David to go
to Samuel's funeral,
00:40:17.65\00:40:19.81
we don't know.
00:40:19.85\00:40:20.88
But we're not
done yet with David,
00:40:20.92\00:40:24.55
I want you to jump past 25,
00:40:24.59\00:40:26.29
we're gonna come
back to that another time.
00:40:26.32\00:40:27.89
Go to chapter 26.
00:40:27.92\00:40:31.49
Some time goes
by, Saul is still,
00:40:31.53\00:40:34.13
he has no good musician
to soothe his savage episodes
00:40:34.20\00:40:38.63
when he would
go into these rants
00:40:38.67\00:40:40.20
and he'd start
throwing his spear everywhere.
00:40:40.24\00:40:42.80
"And now the Ziphites
came to Saul at Gibeah."
00:40:42.84\00:40:47.08
David is now gone to
stay with the Ziphites
00:40:47.11\00:40:50.05
in their territory in the woods.
00:40:50.08\00:40:52.01
"They came to
Saul at Gibeah, saying,
00:40:52.05\00:40:54.02
'Is David not hiding
in the hill of a Hachilah,
00:40:54.05\00:40:56.42
opposite Jeshimon?'
00:40:56.45\00:40:58.42
And Saul arose and he went
down to the Wilderness of Ziph,
00:40:58.45\00:41:01.36
having three thousand
chosen men of Israel."
00:41:01.39\00:41:04.39
He got the 3,000
best men with him
00:41:04.43\00:41:07.03
to seek David in
the Wilderness of Ziph.
00:41:07.03\00:41:09.06
Now what in the
world has David done?
00:41:09.10\00:41:11.97
Hasn't done
anything, but Saul in his head,
00:41:12.00\00:41:15.17
he just can't let go, if
I could just be in charge.
00:41:15.20\00:41:18.54
Saul doesn't trust God's will.
00:41:18.57\00:41:20.44
That's part of the reason
00:41:20.48\00:41:21.48
he ends up grieving
away the Holy Spirit.
00:41:21.51\00:41:23.14
He thinks if I
could just kill David,
00:41:23.18\00:41:25.35
I can change it.
00:41:25.38\00:41:26.88
I can change the
anointing, change the prophecy
00:41:26.92\00:41:29.82
and he won't let it go.
00:41:29.85\00:41:31.02
And his poor men,
they've got to follow him,
00:41:31.05\00:41:32.55
they've lost
confidence in Saul now
00:41:32.59\00:41:34.36
because, I mean,
he's killed the priests
00:41:34.39\00:41:36.62
but he's the king.
00:41:36.66\00:41:38.66
"So he goes down to
the Wilderness of Ziph
00:41:38.69\00:41:40.86
having 3000 men.
00:41:40.90\00:41:42.40
And Saul encamps in
the hill of Hichilah,
00:41:42.43\00:41:44.93
which is opposite
Jeshimon, by the road.
00:41:44.97\00:41:47.70
But David stayed
in the wilderness,
00:41:47.74\00:41:49.14
and he saw that Saul came up
after him into the wilderness."
00:41:49.17\00:41:53.74
David saw him
before he saw David.
00:41:53.78\00:41:56.58
"David therefore sent out spies,
00:41:56.61\00:41:58.51
and understood that
Saul had indeed come.
00:41:58.55\00:42:01.18
And David arose
and he came to a place
00:42:01.22\00:42:03.62
where Saul had encamped.
00:42:03.65\00:42:05.49
And David saw the
place where Saul lay,
00:42:05.52\00:42:07.96
and Abner the son of Ner,
the commander of his army."
00:42:07.99\00:42:10.86
That may have
been a moonlit night.
00:42:10.89\00:42:13.56
The three thousand men of Saul,
they're sleeping peacefully,
00:42:13.60\00:42:16.33
they're not
worried about a big battle,
00:42:16.36\00:42:17.70
they've seen this
happen several times before
00:42:17.73\00:42:21.07
and they're not worried
about a lot of resistance.
00:42:21.10\00:42:23.71
And so they're sleeping.
00:42:23.74\00:42:24.74
But David used
to travel with Saul.
00:42:24.77\00:42:27.48
He used to be his armor bearer,
00:42:27.51\00:42:28.94
he knows what
the inside rules are.
00:42:28.98\00:42:31.48
The king does not camp
on the outside of the camp
00:42:31.51\00:42:33.95
where some invaders
could come and get to him.
00:42:33.98\00:42:36.45
The king is like a target,
00:42:36.48\00:42:37.95
he's in the
middle of the bull's eye,
00:42:37.99\00:42:39.62
he is surrounded
with his best troops
00:42:39.65\00:42:41.52
and he's right there
next to the general Abner
00:42:41.56\00:42:43.69
who by the way is the uncle,
the family member of Saul.
00:42:43.73\00:42:48.70
And so he sees where he is.
00:42:48.73\00:42:53.00
David has the boldness to say,
00:42:53.03\00:42:55.74
you know, he didn't get
the message the first time
00:42:55.77\00:42:57.64
that I'm not his enemy,
00:42:57.67\00:42:58.94
I'm gonna give him
the message one more time.
00:42:58.97\00:43:01.71
And so David answered,
00:43:01.74\00:43:04.78
and said to
Ahimelech the Hittite
00:43:04.81\00:43:08.25
and to Abishai
the son of Zeruiah,
00:43:08.28\00:43:09.85
his brother of Joab, saying,
00:43:09.88\00:43:12.05
"Who will go down with
me to Saul to the camp?"
00:43:12.09\00:43:15.99
Now, David is pretty brave.
00:43:16.02\00:43:18.69
This whole
contingent of soldiers
00:43:18.73\00:43:21.10
are on a mission
to find and kill him.
00:43:21.13\00:43:25.00
David, it's night.
00:43:25.03\00:43:27.20
David is thinking,
they're not gonna recognize me,
00:43:27.24\00:43:30.77
I look like one of them.
00:43:30.81\00:43:31.84
I know how they
dress, I know how they trails
00:43:31.87\00:43:33.91
through the camp, I
know how they operate.
00:43:33.94\00:43:35.64
I'll just, you
know, men in a big camp
00:43:35.68\00:43:37.95
when they bivouac at night,
00:43:37.98\00:43:39.18
they do
occasionally have to walk
00:43:39.21\00:43:40.62
to the outskirts of the camp
00:43:40.65\00:43:41.92
and walk back in at night.
00:43:41.95\00:43:43.99
So that's not that uncommon.
00:43:44.02\00:43:46.12
And David says,
I'm gonna go down
00:43:46.15\00:43:48.22
on a little suicide mission,
who wants to go with me?
00:43:48.26\00:43:51.69
I'm gonna go right
00:43:51.73\00:43:52.76
into the very
heart of the beast.
00:43:52.79\00:43:55.73
And, you know, I really,
00:43:55.76\00:43:56.77
if there's someone
else I want to meet
00:43:56.80\00:43:57.87
when I get to heaven is
the brother of Joab Abishai.
00:43:57.90\00:44:01.94
He was a very brave, you read,
he's one of his mighty men,
00:44:01.97\00:44:04.31
he killed out a zillion people.
00:44:04.34\00:44:05.77
He was very strong.
00:44:05.81\00:44:07.51
I forget the
number but you look it up.
00:44:07.54\00:44:09.81
He ended up being
one of the generals.
00:44:09.84\00:44:13.38
"Who will go with me?
00:44:13.42\00:44:15.08
And Abishai said, 'I
will go down with you.'"
00:44:15.12\00:44:18.39
I'd like to have the
courage whenever Jesus said,
00:44:18.42\00:44:19.92
who will go with me?
00:44:19.95\00:44:20.96
I'll say, I'll go.
00:44:20.99\00:44:22.12
If I'm with you, I'm not afraid.
00:44:22.16\00:44:24.59
"So David and Abishai
come to the people at night,
00:44:24.63\00:44:26.96
and there Saul lay
sleeping within the camp,
00:44:27.00\00:44:29.40
with the spear stuck to
the ground by his head."
00:44:29.43\00:44:32.00
Now before I read
what happens next,
00:44:32.03\00:44:35.04
you need to know Saul,
00:44:35.07\00:44:37.37
you know, have you ever
seen a baby with like a blanket
00:44:37.41\00:44:39.77
and they won't let
go of it or pacifier,
00:44:39.81\00:44:42.58
take away the
pacifier and they go to pieces,
00:44:42.61\00:44:44.31
take away their blanket.
00:44:44.35\00:44:45.55
Saul always has his spear,
and it's always mentioned.
00:44:45.58\00:44:51.12
So when David plays
music, Saul's got his spear,
00:44:51.15\00:44:53.59
two different occasions.
00:44:53.62\00:44:54.66
David is judging
before he kills a priest,
00:44:54.69\00:44:56.56
he's sitting there
under the tree with his spear.
00:44:56.59\00:44:59.63
And now Saul is
sleeping with his spear.
00:44:59.66\00:45:02.33
This is a very special spear.
00:45:02.36\00:45:04.43
I want you to know that.
00:45:04.47\00:45:08.40
And he comes
and Saul is sleeping
00:45:08.44\00:45:10.27
within the camp
00:45:10.31\00:45:11.31
with his spear
stuck in the ground
00:45:11.34\00:45:12.71
by his head
00:45:12.74\00:45:14.14
and Abner and the
people lay around him,
00:45:14.18\00:45:15.74
the general and
all of his crack troops
00:45:15.78\00:45:17.61
are all around him
00:45:17.65\00:45:19.15
and they're
tiptoeing through the camp
00:45:19.18\00:45:20.82
and all of these
soldiers are snoring,
00:45:20.85\00:45:22.32
so there's a
little background noise
00:45:22.35\00:45:23.59
because David's able
to whisper to Abishai.
00:45:23.62\00:45:27.02
He says God has
delivered your enemy
00:45:27.06\00:45:28.99
into your hand this day.
00:45:29.02\00:45:30.09
Now we know who
said it in the cave.
00:45:30.13\00:45:31.66
It's the exact same phrase.
00:45:31.69\00:45:34.13
Now therefore
please, if you don't want to
00:45:34.20\00:45:36.36
let me strike him at once
00:45:36.40\00:45:38.37
with the spear
right to the earth.
00:45:38.40\00:45:39.87
I won't do it twice,
I'll just strike him once.
00:45:39.90\00:45:43.74
I won't do it a second time.
00:45:43.77\00:45:45.91
And David says to
Abishai, do not destroy him
00:45:45.94\00:45:49.01
for who can stretch out his hand
00:45:49.04\00:45:51.08
against the Lord's
anointed and be guiltless.
00:45:51.11\00:45:56.25
You know, I hate
to miss an opportunity
00:45:56.28\00:45:57.92
to say that pastors
are called by the Lord.
00:45:57.95\00:46:01.39
And in a modern sense
00:46:01.42\00:46:04.19
they are praying for
the anointing of the Spirit
00:46:04.23\00:46:06.53
when they teach and they preach.
00:46:06.56\00:46:09.56
Now I'm speaking to
myself just like you.
00:46:09.60\00:46:11.77
Be careful about
talking negatively about those
00:46:11.80\00:46:17.34
who are called by
God to work for the Lord,
00:46:17.37\00:46:19.37
even though you may
have just caused to.
00:46:19.41\00:46:22.14
When Paul was being
tried by the high priest,
00:46:22.18\00:46:25.48
he rebuked the high priest
but Paul was near-sighted,
00:46:25.51\00:46:27.85
he didn't know it
was the high priest,
00:46:27.88\00:46:29.58
someone struck him
00:46:29.62\00:46:31.35
and said, "How dare you
revile the high priest."
00:46:31.39\00:46:33.32
And Paul said, "Oh, I'm sorry,
00:46:33.36\00:46:34.86
I didn't know it
was a high priest."
00:46:34.89\00:46:36.49
God says, you shall not
revile the ruler of your people.
00:46:36.52\00:46:41.13
Now I can launch right now
00:46:41.16\00:46:42.43
into a whole sermon on
authority and leadership
00:46:42.46\00:46:45.30
but something I have
done and many others have done
00:46:45.33\00:46:48.54
is when you start to
talk in a negative way
00:46:48.57\00:46:51.64
about people who have
been called into God's work,
00:46:51.67\00:46:54.48
I don't think the
Lord looks kindly on it.
00:46:54.51\00:46:57.41
By the way that's supported
by the Spirit of prophecy.
00:46:57.45\00:47:00.65
And so I know it sounds like
it's a self-serving statement
00:47:00.68\00:47:03.28
but this is where it would fit.
00:47:03.32\00:47:06.72
And so he said who can strike
00:47:06.76\00:47:09.79
the Lord's
anointed and be guiltless.
00:47:09.82\00:47:13.06
Sometimes we do
it with our tongues.
00:47:13.09\00:47:16.20
David said
furthermore as the Lord lives
00:47:16.23\00:47:19.43
if he belongs to God,
God will take care of him.
00:47:19.47\00:47:21.80
The Lord will strike him.
00:47:21.84\00:47:23.54
Or his day will come to
die. He'll get old and die.
00:47:23.57\00:47:26.17
Or he'll go out
to battle and perish.
00:47:26.21\00:47:29.41
Look at David's patience.
00:47:29.44\00:47:30.78
He says, "I know
you've anointed me to be king
00:47:30.81\00:47:32.98
and I'm looking
forward to that day
00:47:33.01\00:47:34.55
when I don't have
to run for my life
00:47:34.58\00:47:36.99
over here and
there and never knowing
00:47:37.02\00:47:38.39
where I'm going to be.
00:47:38.42\00:47:40.02
But I am waiting
on God's timing."
00:47:40.06\00:47:42.66
Look at the patience of David,
he said, "You know it'd be,
00:47:42.69\00:47:46.26
you know, better for me
if Saul would just like die.
00:47:46.29\00:47:49.03
But he may die of old age.
00:47:49.06\00:47:50.93
He may die in battle.
00:47:50.97\00:47:52.47
Who knows he might get sick,
00:47:52.50\00:47:54.37
said, but that's God's business.
00:47:54.40\00:47:56.00
But I'm not going to
be the reason he dies.
00:47:56.04\00:47:58.77
Let the Lord take care of it.
00:47:58.81\00:48:00.68
The Lord forbid that I
should stretch out my hand
00:48:00.71\00:48:03.38
against the Lord's anointed.
00:48:03.41\00:48:04.51
Now, Abishai and David
00:48:04.55\00:48:05.88
are having this
whispered discussion
00:48:05.91\00:48:07.82
with all the soldiers
I mean he's really brave.
00:48:07.85\00:48:10.29
They must've really
snored louder or something.
00:48:10.32\00:48:12.89
You read on, you'll
find out what happened.
00:48:12.92\00:48:15.12
But he says,
"Please take now his spear,
00:48:15.16\00:48:17.16
he says, right,
Abishai, you want to help me,
00:48:17.19\00:48:18.39
grab Saul's spear.
00:48:18.43\00:48:20.10
He's going to
miss that right away.
00:48:20.13\00:48:22.23
And a jug of water,
00:48:22.26\00:48:23.33
they're out in
the hottest desert
00:48:23.37\00:48:24.47
in the world.
00:48:24.50\00:48:25.57
Without water, the
king doesn't last long.
00:48:25.60\00:48:27.27
Take his jug of
water, take his spear.
00:48:27.30\00:48:29.10
Two things he's going
to depend on and let's go."
00:48:29.14\00:48:32.54
So David took the spear
he just took it from Abishai
00:48:32.57\00:48:35.81
and the jug of
water by Saul's head
00:48:35.84\00:48:37.81
and they got away,
they tiptoed out of the camp
00:48:37.85\00:48:40.08
and they're stepping over men
and through the little trails
00:48:40.12\00:48:42.32
and over their sleeping bags
00:48:42.35\00:48:43.49
and they get out to
the outside of the camp
00:48:43.52\00:48:45.79
and right about this time
00:48:45.82\00:48:46.99
when the sun is just starting
to light in the eastern sky,
00:48:47.02\00:48:49.06
David goes up on a hill
above where they are gathered
00:48:49.09\00:48:52.46
and says, "Now David
went over to the other side
00:48:52.49\00:48:55.30
and stood on the
top of a hill afar off
00:48:55.33\00:48:58.17
a great distance
being between them."
00:48:58.20\00:49:00.54
Because, you
know, when you thought
00:49:00.57\00:49:02.04
3, 000 soldiers
are coming for you.
00:49:02.07\00:49:04.67
You've got to make
sure you get a head start.
00:49:04.71\00:49:07.44
And so David is out there,
00:49:07.48\00:49:08.68
he's just snuck into their camp.
00:49:08.71\00:49:10.21
This is gonna be
really embarrassing,
00:49:10.25\00:49:11.38
they might be
mad no matter what.
00:49:11.41\00:49:13.85
And when it gets
light enough for everybody
00:49:13.88\00:49:16.05
to hear and
recognize what's going on.
00:49:16.08\00:49:18.02
David calls out to
the people and they,
00:49:18.05\00:49:21.22
you know, they're
soldiers on a mission,
00:49:21.26\00:49:22.62
they wake up think
it's a battle alarm.
00:49:22.66\00:49:25.13
And he calls to Abner
00:49:25.16\00:49:26.43
who's the general for Saul
00:49:26.46\00:49:28.06
said, "Do you not answer Abner."
00:49:28.10\00:49:31.03
And Abner answers and said,
00:49:31.07\00:49:32.33
"Who are you calling out
to the king, who is that?"
00:49:32.37\00:49:35.34
David said to the
Abner, by the way don't forget
00:49:35.37\00:49:37.21
David is called the
sweet singer of Israel,
00:49:37.24\00:49:39.24
he's got a set of
pipes, so he, you can hear him.
00:49:39.27\00:49:43.11
He probably first tenor
and bass, he could do it all.
00:49:43.14\00:49:47.55
And so he's calling
out with a loud voice.
00:49:47.58\00:49:50.12
And David said to Abner.
00:49:50.15\00:49:51.82
He doesn't say what his name is.
00:49:51.85\00:49:53.46
Said, are you not a man
and who is like you in Israel.
00:49:53.49\00:49:56.19
Why then have you not
guarded your Lord, the king,
00:49:56.22\00:49:58.59
for one of the people
came in to destroy the Lord,
00:49:58.63\00:50:00.96
the king tonight.
00:50:01.00\00:50:02.33
This thing that you've done
is not good as the lord lives,
00:50:02.36\00:50:04.80
you deserve to die.
00:50:04.83\00:50:06.13
Because you have
not guarded your master,
00:50:06.17\00:50:07.87
the Lord's anointed.
00:50:07.90\00:50:09.27
And now see
where's the king's spear?
00:50:09.30\00:50:11.44
And where's a jug
of water by his head.
00:50:11.47\00:50:13.24
At this point Saul has
got his scruples together
00:50:13.27\00:50:15.28
and he's looking around
00:50:15.31\00:50:16.31
and says, where's my water jug?
00:50:16.34\00:50:17.45
Where is my spear?
00:50:17.48\00:50:18.51
First thing he
would grab for is a spear.
00:50:18.55\00:50:21.18
Right away Saul thought,
00:50:21.22\00:50:22.58
"Oh, no this is
like the cave 2.0.
00:50:22.62\00:50:28.32
Here I am again
doing the foolish thing."
00:50:28.36\00:50:32.69
Saul knew David's voice.
00:50:32.73\00:50:35.43
That's so sad. He
knew the voice of David.
00:50:35.46\00:50:38.20
There are some people
who are running from God
00:50:38.23\00:50:39.93
and they knew God's
voice, they remember
00:50:39.97\00:50:42.70
when He used to speak to them.
00:50:42.74\00:50:44.81
He said, "Is that
your voice David, my son?"
00:50:44.84\00:50:49.24
He said, "It's my
voice my lord, O, king."
00:50:49.28\00:50:52.95
And he said, "Why does
my Lord pursue his servant
00:50:52.98\00:50:55.48
for what have I done or
what is the evil in my hand.
00:50:55.52\00:50:57.92
He said, tell me, testify.
00:50:57.95\00:50:59.55
Now therefore
please let my Lord the king
00:50:59.59\00:51:01.66
hear the words of His servant.
00:51:01.69\00:51:03.16
If the Lord has
stirred you up against me,
00:51:03.19\00:51:06.46
then let Him and
accept an offering.
00:51:06.49\00:51:08.50
But if it is the children of men
00:51:08.53\00:51:10.47
may they be
cursed before the Lord,
00:51:10.50\00:51:12.63
for they have
driven me out this day
00:51:12.67\00:51:14.44
from sharing the
inheritance of the Lord
00:51:14.47\00:51:16.24
saying, "Go serve other gods."
00:51:16.27\00:51:18.07
That's a very
important statement,
00:51:18.11\00:51:19.27
I don't want to rush past.
00:51:19.31\00:51:21.58
What was a dream for Israel?
00:51:21.61\00:51:22.91
They spent time as
they were wondering.
00:51:22.94\00:51:25.68
Their big dream was to
settle in the Promised Land,
00:51:25.71\00:51:28.35
to enjoy the
inheritance of the Lord.
00:51:28.38\00:51:30.32
And Joshua had
allocated everyone
00:51:30.35\00:51:32.65
their
inheritance in their field,
00:51:32.69\00:51:34.19
and they were to
be a free people.
00:51:34.22\00:51:35.99
But he said, look, I'm
living like a fugitive.
00:51:36.02\00:51:38.89
I'm a vagabond.
00:51:38.93\00:51:40.03
I'm a pilgrim,
you've driven me out
00:51:40.06\00:51:41.76
and all the other
nations serve pagan God's,
00:51:41.80\00:51:43.63
I'm having to live on the fringe
00:51:43.67\00:51:44.70
of these pagan gods.
00:51:44.73\00:51:46.10
And you've done this to me.
00:51:46.13\00:51:48.77
So he's bemoaning that.
00:51:48.80\00:51:53.64
And he said, verse 20.
00:51:53.68\00:51:56.31
"So now do not let my
blood fall to the earth
00:51:56.34\00:51:59.31
before the face of the
Lord, for the king of Israel
00:51:59.35\00:52:02.15
has come out to seek a flee
00:52:02.18\00:52:03.49
as one has a
partridge in the mountains.
00:52:03.52\00:52:06.22
Then Saul said, 'I have sinned.
00:52:06.25\00:52:09.86
Return my son David, for
I will harm you no more."'
00:52:09.89\00:52:13.76
Yeah right, "Because my
life was precious in your eyes
00:52:13.80\00:52:17.97
this day indeed..."
00:52:18.00\00:52:19.33
That's the first
time Saul says this,
00:52:19.37\00:52:21.17
"I have played the
fool and erred exceedingly."
00:52:21.20\00:52:26.84
Well, he does
repent and he does confess,
00:52:26.88\00:52:29.48
but it was a repentance
and a confession like pharaoh.
00:52:29.51\00:52:32.65
You know, even the
devil will someday admit
00:52:32.68\00:52:34.68
that he's been a
fool and he will bow down
00:52:34.72\00:52:37.15
to Jesus the Son of David,
but it wasn't from his heart.
00:52:37.19\00:52:40.72
He's got all his men watching
00:52:40.76\00:52:42.12
and he realized
this is twice now,
00:52:42.16\00:52:43.96
David could have
killed me and he didn't.
00:52:43.99\00:52:46.19
And yet I keep
trying to kill him
00:52:46.23\00:52:47.76
just because I am so
afraid for my throne.
00:52:47.76\00:52:52.00
And David answered and
said "Here's the king's spear,
00:52:52.03\00:52:54.10
let one of the young
men come over and get it."
00:52:54.14\00:52:55.67
He said, "Let one."
00:52:55.70\00:52:57.94
And don't move the army.
00:52:57.97\00:53:00.31
Now he tosses the
spear probably out to him.
00:53:00.34\00:53:03.08
"And may the
Lord repay every man
00:53:03.11\00:53:05.21
for his righteousness
and his faithfulness
00:53:05.25\00:53:07.28
for the Lord
delivered you into my hand today
00:53:07.32\00:53:11.19
but I would not
stretch out my hand
00:53:11.22\00:53:12.92
against the Lord's anointed.
00:53:12.95\00:53:14.42
And indeed as your life
was valued much this day
00:53:14.46\00:53:17.83
in my eyes
00:53:17.86\00:53:18.96
so let my life be valued
much in the eyes of the Lord."
00:53:18.99\00:53:22.86
He says, Saul, I'm not
worried about your eyes
00:53:22.90\00:53:24.63
because I have already
found I can't trust you,
00:53:24.67\00:53:26.40
but I just want
my life to be valued
00:53:26.43\00:53:28.20
in the eyes of the Lord
00:53:28.24\00:53:29.64
and let Him deliver me
out of all tribulation.
00:53:29.67\00:53:32.67
That is God say, He won't.
00:53:32.71\00:53:34.04
You're not going
through tribulation."
00:53:34.08\00:53:37.78
God saves us
through tribulation.
00:53:37.81\00:53:39.68
We just want Him to
deliver us out of it.
00:53:39.71\00:53:43.49
And Saul said to David,
00:53:43.52\00:53:45.09
"May you be
blessed my son David,
00:53:45.12\00:53:47.09
you will both do great
things and also prevail."
00:53:47.12\00:53:50.86
And David went on his way.
00:53:50.89\00:53:52.53
He wasn't going back and
Saul returned to his place.
00:53:52.56\00:53:55.56
This was the last time
00:53:55.60\00:53:56.63
they saw each
other or they spoke.
00:53:56.67\00:53:59.47
And again look at this.
00:53:59.50\00:54:02.10
Saul is bent on vengeance
and it's destroying him.
00:54:02.14\00:54:05.91
The Lord says,
"Vengeance is mine,
00:54:05.94\00:54:07.01
I'll take care of it."
00:54:07.04\00:54:08.04
Saul was so concerned.
00:54:08.08\00:54:09.21
I know people
that have been hurt
00:54:09.24\00:54:11.21
and they are mad, and
the people they are mad at
00:54:11.25\00:54:13.08
have been dead for years.
00:54:13.11\00:54:15.38
And they're still mad
and they can't let it go.
00:54:15.42\00:54:18.02
As though they're
being angry, they say,
00:54:18.05\00:54:19.65
and I remember talking to
somebody one time, I said,
00:54:19.69\00:54:21.79
why are you still
mad at your parents
00:54:21.82\00:54:24.09
they've been dead for years.
00:54:24.13\00:54:25.63
And he said, well, I
feel like if I stop being mad,
00:54:25.66\00:54:27.76
it will let them off the hook.
00:54:27.76\00:54:30.37
I said, you're not hurting them,
00:54:30.40\00:54:31.77
they're dead.
00:54:31.80\00:54:33.34
You're just hurting you.
00:54:33.37\00:54:35.67
And whenever we live life,
00:54:35.70\00:54:37.11
some people in their hearts
are just nursing these slights
00:54:37.14\00:54:41.48
and grievances and
problems and some things.
00:54:41.51\00:54:43.48
You know, I hear stories
and people say, Pastor Doug,
00:54:43.51\00:54:45.48
yeah, it's easy for you
to talk about forgiveness.
00:54:45.51\00:54:47.22
But let me tell you
what happened to me.
00:54:47.25\00:54:48.85
And I hear some terrible things,
00:54:48.88\00:54:50.49
I say, you
still need to forgive.
00:54:50.52\00:54:52.45
Okay.
00:54:52.49\00:54:53.52
Because if you don't,
you're just hurting yourself
00:54:53.56\00:54:56.62
and it doesn't mean,
00:54:56.66\00:54:57.63
you need to trust the
person again to abuse you
00:54:57.66\00:55:01.56
or to take advantage of you.
00:55:01.60\00:55:03.00
But you've got to let it go.
00:55:03.03\00:55:06.50
David understood Saul was sick.
00:55:06.53\00:55:09.30
Saul had an evil spirit.
00:55:09.34\00:55:11.87
And so David said,
"I'm not going to kill him.
00:55:11.91\00:55:13.64
He's not well, he's
doing these terrible things
00:55:13.68\00:55:15.84
because he's just not well."
00:55:15.88\00:55:17.95
And sometimes when
sinners do sinful things
00:55:17.98\00:55:20.55
because they are sinners.
00:55:20.58\00:55:22.35
And when people do
unkind things with you,
00:55:22.38\00:55:24.29
keep in mind they can't help it.
00:55:24.32\00:55:26.79
You either serve the
Lord or you serve the devil.
00:55:26.82\00:55:30.73
And if someone is
not surrendered to Jesus,
00:55:30.76\00:55:33.23
if they don't
have the Spirit of God,
00:55:33.26\00:55:34.56
they're going to
do diabolical things
00:55:34.56\00:55:36.00
and they're going to be mean.
00:55:36.03\00:55:38.30
Forgive them, they
can't help but they're sick.
00:55:38.33\00:55:41.07
It's a disease.
They're not responsible.
00:55:41.10\00:55:43.14
Right? And you know what?
00:55:43.17\00:55:45.64
The way you're
going to win people...
00:55:45.67\00:55:47.01
David won over
the army of Israel
00:55:47.04\00:55:50.01
those two times when
he could have got Saul,
00:55:50.05\00:55:51.71
they thought David
is a king of integrity.
00:55:51.75\00:55:53.98
Wish we could
follow a king like that.
00:55:54.02\00:55:55.88
When Saul finally does fall,
they're ready to follow David.
00:55:55.92\00:55:59.72
Because he's
proven that he is a person
00:55:59.75\00:56:01.59
who has the right kind of heart.
00:56:01.62\00:56:04.29
And I don't have
time to read it all
00:56:04.33\00:56:05.53
but I went through it.
00:56:05.56\00:56:06.90
And if you look at
the different Psalms,
00:56:06.93\00:56:09.96
you'll notice a lot of
the Psalms have headings.
00:56:10.00\00:56:12.63
You'll notice in
Psalm 54, he talks about
00:56:12.67\00:56:14.90
when David ran
from the Ziphites.
00:56:14.94\00:56:17.34
He's writing
songs all along the way.
00:56:17.37\00:56:19.64
And you can look in Psalm
25 and Psalm 31 and Psalm 35,
00:56:19.67\00:56:24.51
"Plead my cause, O Lord,
for those who strive with me,
00:56:24.55\00:56:27.48
fight against those
who fight against me.
00:56:27.52\00:56:29.48
Take hold of a
shield and a buckler
00:56:29.52\00:56:31.25
and stand up for my help."
00:56:31.29\00:56:33.02
David's always
asking God to fight for him.
00:56:33.05\00:56:35.82
Psalm 13:1, "How long, O Lord,
will you forget me forever?
00:56:35.86\00:56:39.56
How long will you
hide your face from me?
00:56:39.59\00:56:41.63
How long shall I
take counsel in my soul
00:56:41.66\00:56:44.03
having sorrow in my heart daily?
00:56:44.07\00:56:45.97
How long will my
enemy be exalted over me?"
00:56:46.00\00:56:48.94
You read through
some of the Psalms
00:56:48.97\00:56:50.47
and you can see
David is brokenhearted,
00:56:50.51\00:56:52.61
that he's got to
live like a fugitive.
00:56:52.64\00:56:54.68
He's got to run.
00:56:54.71\00:56:55.71
He ultimately sends
his father and mother
00:56:55.74\00:56:57.51
to live with the king of Moab.
00:56:57.55\00:56:59.55
Because you
remember Jesse's part Moabite
00:56:59.58\00:57:02.45
through Ruth,
00:57:02.48\00:57:04.19
and because they're too old
now to run like he's running
00:57:04.22\00:57:06.76
with his men,
00:57:06.79\00:57:08.09
and he's praying all the
time and he's waiting on God.
00:57:08.12\00:57:10.86
But he had some tough
days, but he kept saying,
00:57:10.89\00:57:14.30
I will trust in
the Lord, my rock.
00:57:14.30\00:57:16.73
My God is my fortress.
00:57:16.77\00:57:18.60
Wherever you lead me, I will go.
00:57:18.63\00:57:20.80
And that's kind of like
the Christian pilgrimage,
00:57:20.84\00:57:22.94
friends, wherever
God leads us we can go
00:57:22.97\00:57:25.51
as long as we know that
we've got David as our King.
00:57:25.54\00:57:28.18
Amen. Amen.
00:57:28.21\00:57:29.48
Talking about Jesus.
00:57:29.51\00:57:31.48
Let's face it, it's not always
easy to understand everything
00:57:31.51\00:57:34.95
you read in the Bible.
00:57:34.98\00:57:36.42
With over 700,000
words contained in 66 books,
00:57:36.45\00:57:40.16
the Bible can
generate a lot of questions
00:57:40.19\00:57:42.69
to get biblical
straightforward answers.
00:57:42.72\00:57:45.16
Call into Bible Answers Live,
00:57:45.19\00:57:46.90
a live nationwide
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00:57:46.93\00:57:49.56
where you can talk
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00:57:49.60\00:57:51.97
and ask him your most
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00:57:52.00\00:57:54.50
For times and
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00:57:54.54\00:57:56.77
or to listen to answers online,
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00:57:56.81\00:58:02.24
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00:58:08.02\00:58:10.32
visit AFbookstore.com,
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00:58:10.35\00:58:16.26