Scripture: 1 Samuel 27:1—28:2
Sermon Series: 1 Samuel: God of Reversals – Sermon 28
For 20 years I’ve been a police chaplain. I love serving there. But they don’t call me when it’s good news. Early one Saturday I was called in to minister to a family. A young man in his late twenties committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train. What do you say in situations like that? I’ll never forget his mother’s face. It was heartbreaking. She was in total despair.
This morning we’re continuing our series in 1 Samuel. Despair can be a reality for a Mom. It’s why at Grace we work to be sensitive on Mother’s Day. While we’re glad to celebrate it, for many it can be difficult. As a church, we minister to those from all walks of life. We have mothers who’ve lost a child. Other women have never married. Some have faced the harsh reality of infertility. Some have a wayward child or a relationship with an adult child brimming with regret. The struggle with despair is real.
In 1 Samuel 27 David bottoms out in despair. Despair is the opposite of hope. It’s the sense things won’t ever change for the better. Nothing will make a difference. Despair goes deeper than depression. It’s the feeling of utter hopelessness. It feels like there’s no way out.
Despair is common in our world. A lost world has become what Francis Schaeffer (picture) dubbed “the culture of despair.” It’s a constant theme in art, music and movies. Our media thrives on a message of despair.
Our God is the God of hope. Biblical hope goes far beyond positive thinking. Biblical hope accepts the reality of God’s providence and goodness even in the face of human suffering. As Jeremy Taylor (picture) wrote, “It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.” Please turn to 1 Samuel 27:1-28:2 (p. 249).
David is convinced Saul will never abandon his quest to execute him. For the second time in the narrative David seeks asylum in the land of the enemy with Achish, the Philistine king of Gath. On the first occasion David was alone, feigned insanity, but got cold feet and left in fear. This time David brings his army with him. He offers his services to Achish as a mercenary. Achish assigns him to Ziklag, located 25 miles southwest of Gath (map).
David is one of the real people whose story the Bible tells. Like us, the people found in God’s Word experienced life’s highs and lows. Chapter 27 records one of the lowest points of David’s life, much like the disciples when they abandoned Jesus in the Garden.
In Despair Davidabandons the people of God and the promises of God. But he doesn’t stop there, he goes over to the Dark Side. He’s lost all hope.
Maybe today you feel that God has forgotten you. Perhaps you’re at a point of despair. If you’re wondering how you can make it through one more day, you have a friend in David. If you’re taking notes…
1.Despair is often birthed by endless trials. “Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul” (vs. 1). David succumbs to what Zig Ziglar (picture) called “Stinkin’ Thinkin’.” It wasn’t that he was lacking the power of positive thinking. He greatly needed the power of biblical thinking. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Most of us struggle with Stinkin’ Thinkin’. We must sweat holy sweat. We have to work and depend on the power of the Spirit to think biblically.
How’s your thought life? How you think comes out in your attitude, words and decisions. It did with David. He’s bottomed out.
David’s thinking was contrary to the Word and promises of God! God had anointed him to succeed Saul. He promised David that one day he’d occupy the throne of Israel. Just previously, in chapter 26, David affirmed to Abishai that God would someday act on his behalf and remove Saul.
Saul had been hunting David for eight years! David had just spared Saul’s life again. David began to think, “What’s the use? I spared his life before and he still sought to kill me. It’s a matter of time until he finally gets me.”
As Satan uses a barrage of temptations to wear us down, he uses trials to make us vulnerable when we’re weary! To have victory over sinful thinking, we must saturate our minds with God’s promises and get adequate rest.
David began to feel sorry for himself. Notice how many times he uses “I” or “me” in 27:1. He’s self-focused rather than God-focused. In a time of trial, you must guard against self-pity and thoughts contrary to the Word of God. Satan always hits us first in our thinking.
It’s vital that if we talk to ourselves, we tell ourselves the right things. David didn’t. He dropped into humanistic reasoning. He looked at his circumstances and sized them up strictly from the horizontal. You won’t find David praying once in this chapter. He never asks for help. He simply pushed the panic button. He wrote no psalms while in Gath.
He has pessimistic reasoning. He should have known better. Notice he says, “I will perish.” He’s talking about the future. But he doesn’t have a crystal ball. He doesn’t know what will happen tomorrow. God has promised the opposite. For a pessimist the future is bleak and black.
Too many American Christians are guilty of pessimistic reasoning. They wring their hands about the future of the USA. Did you know that Ukraine is experiencing revival? Even Christians who were under church discipline are returning to their churches. Let’s stop fretting about tomorrow and get busy reaching our world with the gospel today. We will always be pessimistic when we look around or look within. We must look up! We need a good dose of that Greek word, Maranatha – O, Lord come!
David is guilty of rationalistic reasoning. He decides his best option is to go to over to the enemies of God. It’s a picture of the Christian who opts for sin and carnality. It’s the believer who chooses to disobey God and live in their sinful flesh. Many Christians lack God’s blessing and peace because they’re living in disobedience to God’s Word. David, at this juncture of his life is an illustration of someone who is a believer on the inside but looks like a pagan on the outside because of the way he/she is living.
If you have to tell people at work or in your neighborhood or anyone who spends much time with you that you’re a Christian, there’s something wrong. Christianity is not just something we believe. It’s something that we live.
2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Before David moved in with the Philistines, he began thinking like one. He’s listening to his heart when he should’ve been listening to God and His Word.
2. Despair will squeeze God out of your life. A key to understanding what happens is to know that this is one of the few chapters in 1 Samuel that doesn’t mention God. In David’s discouragement he chose to stop trusting God. Instead, he’d solve the problems in his life on his own.
At first, it seemed like it worked. But walking away from God and relying on human wisdom instead of obedience to God’s Word changes David’s character. It took him to places he never wanted to go. He found himself doing things he never planned to do. Walking away from God put him in a jam from which only God could save him.
Show us Jesus! That’s our prayer whenever we open our Bibles, isn’t it? That should be our prayer whenever we gather to worship. Yet, as we read our text this morning it doesn’t look promising. Not only do we fail to see a connection with Christ – even the name of God is absent.
When you’re discouraged like David, usually you first stop reading your Bible. Then, you stop praying. Your church attendance becomes more sporadic. You often even move to the back rows of the church. You stop giving and stop serving. The people you hang out with will change.
When we neglect the means of grace – God’s Word, prayer and gathered worship, our faith wanes and our tendency to sin grows. William Plumer (picture) said, “Despair is the perfection of unbelief.” David lets despair make him God-less. The man after God’s own heart walks away from God.
Isaiah 40:31, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” David stopped waiting on God’s timing for deliverance. He stumbled down a trail of unbelief that was a downward path to disaster. My friend, never doubt in the dark what you believed in the light.
3. Surrendering to despair has serious consequences. David deliberately disobeys God’s Word, “I should escape to the land of the Philistines” (v. 1).
Leaving Israel’s borders and living in Philistia is a direct violation of Old Testament Law. The Philistines are the sworn enemies of Israel. They’re haters of God and polytheistic. James 4:4 warns, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
When we believe that God’s enemy is our best hope, we’re in terrible danger. Yet, this isn’t new. He’d done this before. He’d sought asylum in Gath when he first ran from Saul (chapter 21). It didn’t end well. “If you’re going to make mistakes, make new ones.”
He should have learned his lesson, but he’s convinced his security is found outside of God’s margins. He reasons that it’s better to be in Gath than in the grave. For nine chapters he’s been under unbelievable pressure. While it’s a tension that makes for great movies, it takes a heavy toll on real people.
Have you ever been on the edge of feeling overwhelmed by a relentless trial? David wants relief. While we don’t blame him, we can’t excuse him.
What’s interesting is that his plan actually works. Saul no longer is hunting him. For the first time in years he’s free from having to watch his back and able to get a good night’s sleep. With the Philistines David finds acceptance and peace. But in escaping the heat, David jumps from the frying pan into the fire of sin. He walks out of God’s will.
Have you had a Christian friend tell you that a certain plan was God’s will because it was successful though it violated Scripture? It’s how you feel when you decide to solve your problems apart from the Lord. There’s immediate relief but it’s wrong. We rationalize but God’s Word is clear. The most dangerous aspect of being out of God’s will are the apparent blessings it brings. But God’s Word is our standard. It must be obeyed, no matter what.
This time David marches into Gath as a famous outlaw. Saul’s persecution of him is well known. He rides into Gath as a mercenary. He acts in accordance with the timeless dictum, “My enemy’s enemy is my friend.” If David is Saul’s enemy, then Achish welcomes David with open arms.
David asks for permission to put his headquarters elsewhere. He has a large crew. It could have been as many as two or three thousand with his guerillas and their families. It’s a lot of mouths to feed. But David subjects his own family and these families he’s responsible for to a pagan and degenerate environment under Achish. “Went over” sounds sinister and it was.
His arrival disrupts Gath so Achish offers him Ziklag. Originally Ziklag was given to the tribe of Simeon, 400 years earlier under Joshua. The Philistines captured it, probably leaving it vacant, making it suitable for David’s forces to occupy. It certainly beat damp, dark caves! But David’s motive is to avoid Achish and Philistine surveillance.
Just a word of caution. It’s easy to be piously critical of others without considering their very real difficulties. When considering biblical figures, we can easily offer simplistic answers to their problems. For example, if David really trusted God, he’d simply ignore Saul’s threats in light of God’s promised care. And we do the same with situations today.
For example, consider a Christian spouse who faces chronic emotional harassment, biting criticism and harsh treatment from their mate on a daily basis. We rightly say that they need to trust God and honor their marital vows, yet we must also consider what wounds this emotional environment is inflicting on their heart. Things look very different from the inside. We need to be as charitable with the painful situations of others as we want them to be with ours. What are some consequences of surrendering to despair?
Pragmatism. It works. Saul stops hunting him. Pragmatism is one of the most deceptive choices lurking in the shadows waiting to entice us and offers success and happiness to whoever will accept it. The question isn’t whether something works, the question is: Is it right?
What’s this monster hiding in the shadows? It’s the belief that we should make decisions based on what gives positive results. If the results are negative, avoid it. If they’re positive, it’s right so do it. It wrongly theorizes that the way to determine the best decision is to examine practical results.
Let me illustrate. When we’re under pressure, we sometimes turn to ungodly places and people for relief. Say for example that you had a stressful week, so you post on social media that it’s been a bad week and now “It’s Margarita time.” Will margaritas lower your feelings of stress? Sure. But is it a message a believer wants to give that we need alcohol to lower our stress and give us peace? While it may work, is it right? That’s pragmatism.
Manipulation. Achish had no way of knowing that David had remained loyal to Saul throughout David’s flight from Saul. He believed David was a disillusioned Israelite warlord and David manipulated him into believing that was the case. David then manipulates Achish into letting him live in Ziklag so Achish can’t keep tabs on him.
David even puts on a fake guise of humility. Verse 5, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
He infers he doesn’t want to be a strain on Achish and his city. He calls himself Achish’s servant but David is his own servant with his own agendas.
Scripture warns against manipulation. At its core, manipulation is a type of lying. When someone speaks falsely for the purpose of deception, he or she is being manipulative because to deceive is to manipulate someone into thinking or behaving in a certain way. All of the Bible’s prohibitions against lying can be applied to manipulation. It’s a sin to manipulate others and try to get people to act the way you want them to act.
We’ve all known manipulators. They know how to push our buttons. They play with our emotions to get what they want.
Compromise. David wanted relief. I don’t believe he ever planned to stay in Philistia for sixteen months…but he did.
Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and ended up living in Sodom. Spiritual erosion set in. Lot became a leader in Sodom. Ultimately, Lot became identified with Sodom, intoxicated by its shameless lifestyle.
David doesn’t write one psalm when he’s with Achish. He couldn’t sing praises to the Lord in an idolatrous land. Even Achish saw David’s decision for what it was. The one who walked with God, now walks away from Him.
In spite of the kind things David had done for Saul, he’d been rejected by Saul for years. But here was a leader who accepted David and sympathized with his problems. The minute you turn from the Lord to a pagan world, they’ll welcome you with open arms.
On the morning of Pearl Harbor (picture), 50 minutes before the attack, at 7 a.m., while the Japanese warplanes were 137 miles (50 minutes) away, two US soldiers on a small radar station in the Pacific scanned the screen and saw dots appearing until the whole screen was filled. They notified their youthful supervisor, a lieutenant. The lieutenant thought they must be planes from California and without another thought, said these crucial words: “Don’t worry about it.” There would have been time to scramble planes at Pearl Harbor, prepare the battleships and assume battle stations, but this lieutenant, at the most important moment of his career said, “Don’t worry about it.”
Spiritual compromise wreaks havoc and spiritual destruction in your life. Yet you dismiss it, thinking, “It’s just a little sin. Don’t worry about it.”
Tony Evans (picture) warns, “Compromise is the cancer of the church, and we must rid Christ’s body of it. While Christians can compromise on preferences, they cannot compromise on principles. We can’t be one way on Sunday and another on Monday. This is a major problem among Christians in America today. We don’t take a stand. We don’t keep our standards. We merely shift to satisfy society.”
Opportunism. David raids villages of the Geshurites, Girzites and Amalekites. David is an Israelite. He will always be an Israelite but he’s trying to make the Philistines think he’s on their side. The Geshurites, Girzites and Amalekites were enemies of Israel. Because of their evil, child sacrifice and temple prostitution, God commanded Joshua to wipe them out.
But they weren’t the enemies of the Philistines though they weren’t their allies either. They were like the Russian-American dilemma during World War II. While we were both enemies of the Nazis, we weren’t really allies.
Taking out these people would win David accolades from fellow Israelites, but he annihilates them out of fear Achish will find out how he was supplying his army, not necessarily to obey God. “Dead men tell no tales.”
The writer, by repeating David’s annihilation, indicates it was unnecessary brutality. David the raider is one thing, David the butcher is another.
The Hebrew word raid comes from the verb, to strip, with the idea of stripping the dead for loot. Though he attacked enemies of Israel, David was little more than a thug. He wiped out all the people of these encampments, took the spoil, and did it without the guidance of God. He’s fighting wars for profit instead of for God’s honor.
He lies to Achish that he’s attacking Israelites. He’s covering his tracks. You can’t be dishonest without it finally catching up with you. He devolves into deceit and ruthlessness to survive. The end doesn’t justify the means.
While God allowed it, He didn’t sanction it. There’s a lesson here: When you fall into a pit don’t keep digging. Unfortunately, David kept digging.
Desertion. “In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life” (1 Samuel 28:1-2).
David is a man without a country. He’s made a fool of Achish but Achish is about to make a traitor out of David. The writer inserts some Hebrew irony not seen in English translations. The term bodyguard literally means keeper of my head. Achish forgot that David took off Goliath’s head! As someone said, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go; keep you longer than you want to stay; and cost you more than you want to pay.”
Will David go to war with his own people? At this point he’s neither a Philistine nor an Israelite. Despair has bottomed out to potential desertion from God’s covenant people. Sir Walter Scott (picture) insightfully wrote, “O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!”
But it’s a cliffhanger moment. Stay tuned. Before we get any resolution, the story switches back to Saul.
Conclusion: David succumbed to despair but his greater Son, Jesus, did not. Our Lord also faced overwhelming circumstances, but He refused to give in to a horizontal look. Instead Jesus focused on God’s glory. “And what shall I say? “Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your name” (John 12:27-28).
When we face a crisis, do we do a David? Do we give in to despair? David said get me out of this, no matter what! He wanted relief. He wanted peace. His concern was for his safety.
But Jesus’ passion was that He obey and His Father be magnified. Jesus is our role model. Like Him, we must say when in hard times, “Father, glorify your name!” There is no greater prayer. Instead of talking to ourselves, listening to the lies we tell ourselves, we need to focus on God’s glory.
Let me end with another Saturday. It was the afternoon of November 11, 1995. God had brought Howard and Gail Leafblad to our church. Howard came as the superintendent and principal of Washington-Caldwell in Waterford. They were with us for a few years and then Howard had an opportunity to take a position closer to where he grew up in Ashland.
Howard had had a history of heart issues. They were moving. He and Gail were driving up to Ashland going through downtown Milwaukee. Howard was at the wheel and God called Howard home. Somehow Gail was able to get their van to the side of the road and EMTs were called.
As Jane and I rushed to the hospital, Gail knew that Howard was gone. But what peace and serenity she had. We all knew where Howard was. Many years before Howard had committed his life to Christ as His Savior.
Howard was Swedish. I’ll never forget his Memorial Service. His family from throughout the Midwest gathered. And Howard’s cousins, about 20 of them, sang an old Swedish hymn I’d never heard before, Children of the Heavenly Father. They say for churches of Scandinavian descent, a funeral is incomplete without singing that beloved hymn by Lina Sandell (picture).
Let me share some history of that hymn. Lina Sandell’s father was a pastor and raised her in a faith that emphasized God’s grace. She wrote over 2000 hymns, earning her the title, “the Fanny Crosby of Sweden.” But Lina suffered with severe illnesses throughout her life. By the age of 28 she’d lost her sister to tuberculosis, her father to drowning (which she helplessly witnessed), and her mother to a prolonged illness. Even her marriage to businessman, Carl Berg, was marred by grief, as she endured the collapse of his business and the birth of a stillborn baby girl, their only child. Instead of giving in to despair, Lina Sandell wrote:
Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.
Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
2,000 years ago a community formed around an itinerant Jewish teacher who promised His followers great joy and a coming Kingdom. But then this teacher was executed by His enemies on a cross. His life ended with His seeming like a failure. On that cross He chose to share in the experiences that isolate us from God and each other and bring despair – guilt, pain, hopelessness and death. His body was taken down from that cross and laid in a borrowed tomb. But three days later came the first resurrection day, and another one is coming. That’s our hope! That’s what keeps us from despair.
Jesus, who died for our sins and was raised from the dead, is coming back and will return to gather His own. Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins, was raised from the dead, and one day, if you know Him, you will be too.
“Neither life nor death shall ever, From the Lord His children sever. That’s the cure for despair. Even when it seems darkest, even if seems like a Saul will never stop hunting us down, our Father is in control. This world for God’s children is not the end. We’re all going to get Home before Dark!