Happiest dude on the planet.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Stay Sharp Resources
I love being part of an association of churches that values biblical doctrine.
Last week was our Allegheny District Stay Sharp Conference at Waterdam Church in the Pittsburgh area.
Our speaker was Greg Strand of the EFCA who spoke on the return of Christ.
The recordings from our event are now online at the Waterdam Church website.
Greg's recommended reading list is also posted there.
We've also posted a few other resources related to the subject of eschatology and will probably post more soon.
Sunday, February 09, 2014
[Matt's Messages] "Turning Away"
A Heart for the Heart of God: The Message of 1 Samuel
February 9, 2014 :: 1 Samuel 28:3-25
If you remember, last week was a cliffhanger.
David, the anointed but not yet king, is on the run from Saul, the one-time anointed but now failed king of Israel.
And David has run all the way into the arms of his enemy, the Philistines.
David has become a double agent, living in Philistine territory, pretending to be a mercenary for the Philistines. Every day he goes out on a raid and kills some other Canaanites but comes back and reports in to the evil boss that he was out killing Israelites.
And up till now, this dangerous strategy has worked. Achish, the Philistine king is convinced.
But it’s worked too well. Achish has told David that he and his men will fight right alongside him in the upcoming war against Saul and Israel.
Uh oh. Quick thinking David says, “You will see for yourself what your servant can do.” And now, we’re all wondering if and how David can get out of this one.
But then the writer of our book leaves us hanging on the cliff.
And he moves the camera into the camp of Saul. And shows us just how far Saul has fallen.
The title I’ve given this message is “Turning Away.”
This story is the beginning of the end for King Saul.
And it shows how far Saul has turned away from the LORD.
And, scarily, how far the LORD has turned away from Saul.
“Turning Away”
Before we read verse 3, I have a trivia question for you.
Does anybody know what is the first sentence of Charles Dickens famous novel, “A Christmas Carol?”
The answer is, “Marley was dead, to begin with...”
And that opening sentences alerts the reader that something strange was going to happened about this Marley was certainly dead to begin with.
Well, let’s read verse 3 of 1 Samuel 28.
“Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.”
Hmmm. That’s an interesting way to start a story.
We were told back in chapter 25, verse 1 that Samuel had died and that he had been buried in Ramah. This is not new information.
The second sentence is new. “Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.”
King James, “Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.”
New Living Translation, “And Saul had banned all mediums and psychics from the land of Israel.”
This is in accord with what the Law of Moses said. Check out Deuteronomy 18 some time. Magic and spiritism and mediums and all of that kind of thing was to be banned from Israel, and Saul (in his good moments) had been faithful to do so during his reign.
Why are we told that?
We shall see. Samuel was dead, to begin with.... v.4
“The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa.”
And the big question for David has been whether or not he will join the Philistines at this assembly.
But the big question for Saul is whether or not Israel has a chance in the fight. V.5
“When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.”
Why not?
It seems like a good thing that Saul would inquire of the LORD, right?
Why wouldn’t God answer with a personal dream or the Urim (the official way of getting an answer through the priest) or through a prophet?
The answer is:
#1. SAUL HAD TURNED AWAY FROM THE LORD.
So many times God had spoken to Saul, and Saul had not listened.
Saul was obedient to what he did know.
God wasn’t about to tell him more.
The Urim was connected with the priests.
How many priests are left in Israel?
We don’t know exactly, but after the massacre at Nob, there aren’t many left.
And the one who was most qualified to use the Urim, Abiathar, has defected and joined David.
No wonder Saul doesn’t get an answer.
And how about the prophets? What did Saul do when the prophet Samuel had given him instructions? He disobeyed them.
That’s why the kingdom was being torn from his hand.
And here, Saul isn’t looking to repent. He’s looking for some way out of his predicament.
Where do you turn when you’re in a crisis?
Saul had turned away from the LORD. Even in inquiring of Him, he’s turning to the LORD, he’s just hoping to get some battle plan out of Him. He’s not repentant, he’s just desperate.
Where do you turn when you’re desperate?
Saul turned to magic. V.7
“Saul then said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.’ ‘There is one in Endor,’ they said.”
Interesting that they know, isn't it? This is supposed to be illegal.
The word translated “medium” stands for a person who “claimed the ability to contact the dead, either serving as intermediaries through whom the dead would speak or rousing the dead to speak for themselves” (Bergen, pg. 265).
This goes by other names like “necromancer” or “spiritist.”
And it’s very, very dangerous.
And it’s very, very wrong.
Saul knew better.
This is how low Saul has sunk.
Where do you turn when you are desperate?
So many people today in the world turn to things like spiritism. Channeling, crystals, horoscopes, psychics, Wicca, ghosts, astrology, seances, mediums.
You name it. It’s incredibly popular.
Saul had turned away from the Lord and had turned to what has traditionally been called “The Witch of Endor.”
I almost titled this message “The Wicked Witch of Endor.”
But we aren’t to think of a black tipped hat and a green face and a broomstick.
This is not something funny. This is dealing with the dead.
It’s thinking that someone might have the power to contact those who have died and, assuming that they know things we don’t, getting information from them.
It’s dangerous and it’s wrong. It is forbidden. But Saul again turns away from the LORD and slinks away to meet this woman at night. V.8
“So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. ‘Consult a spirit for me,’ he said, ‘and bring up for me the one I name.’ But the woman said to him, ‘Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?’”
She thinks it’s a sting operation. The Israelite Vice Squad is working on busting mediums. It’s a set-up. Saul has outlawed this! V.10
“Saul swore to her by the LORD, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this.’”
That is one sad sentence. The anointed king promises in the name of the LORD that this woman will not receive the punishment that the LORD requires for this sin.
That’s blasphemy. But she believes him. V.11
“Then the woman asked, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’ ‘Bring up Samuel,’ he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!’”
What just happened?
Samuel actually appeared!
The way it reads to me, she didn’t expect it to work! At least not that good.
She might have been a fake, and all of her spiritism is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
Or she might have some demonically-fueled power, but she’s never seen anything like this.
All of a sudden, as Samuel appears (comes up, whatever that means), she realizes that she’s dealing here with King Saul, the very one has outlawed spiritism.
“Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
Now, notice. The Bible is very careful not to explain how she did what she did, because it does not want us to try it at home.
The Bible does not forbid magic because it doesn’t work. It forbids magic because it is evil and wicked. It is turning away from the Lord.
There are dark forces at loose in the world and some of them are powerful. They are dangerous for our souls. We are not to turn to them.
Of course, God can do whatever He wants to do.
And it seems to me that God uses this moment as an exception to His general rule of breaking communication through from the dead to the living.
He loves to tell a rip-roaring story. Who would have ever guessed that old Samuel would make another appearance in this book? V.13
“The king said to her, ‘Don't be afraid. What do you see?’ The woman said, ‘I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.’
‘What does he look like?’ he asked. ‘An old man wearing a robe is coming up,’ she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.”
What does old Samuel have to say?
Samuel who heard the voice of the LORD as a young child and said, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
What does Samuel have to say to Saul who never listened? V.15
“Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’ ‘I am in great distress,’ Saul said. ‘The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.’”
Please tell me what to do.
I don’t know what to do.
The Philistines are so many and so powerful. I need a plan.
And God won’t talk to me any more.
God has turned away.
Saul had turned away from the Lord so,
#2. THE LORD TURNED AWAY FROM SAUL.
Again, Saul wasn’t looking to repent. Saul was looking for a get-out-of-jail-free-card.
He’s desperate and looking for any kind of help that he can get.
Even from a dead guy.
But this dead guy has no plan for him, only bad news. V.16
“Samuel said, ‘Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors–to David.
Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today.
The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.’”
There’s that phrase again (v.16), “The LORD has turned away from you” and even worse, “become your enemy.”
There is nothing more scary than that.
To have God as your enemy is unthinkably terrible.
Nothing scarier, nothing worse.
God had stopped speaking to Saul and was saying in essence, “I have nothing to say to you.”
And now He’s sent one more message, “I have turned away from you. You are my enemy. Tomorrow you die, and your kingdom will lose to the Philistines.”
That’s chilling.
It’s dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31)
That sure puts David’s plight into perspective, doesn’t it?
He’s been chased but not caught. But the LORD has promised good to him. His word, David’s hope secures. He will his shield and portion be as long as life endures.
But not Saul. Saul has no shield. No portion. No word. No hope secured.
God will keep his promises–his threats–to Saul.
Why? V.18
“Because you did not obey the LORD ... the LORD has done this to you today.”
1 Chronicles 10:13 says it this way:
“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance...”
That puts David’s troubles in perspective.
Does it put your troubles into perspective, too?
If you are a follower of Christ, you’re a David, not a Saul.
So, however bad you have it, however painful life is right now, you’re not where Saul was–and that’s worth rejoicing!
Because there’s nothing worse than having God as your enemy.
The LORD turned away from Saul. V.20
“Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel's words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night.
When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, ‘Look, your maidservant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.’
He refused and said, ‘I will not eat.’ But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.
The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.”
Saul had one more feast fit for a king and then headed out into the night and to his fate.
And it’s another cliffhanger.
We still don’t know if David will be in the army facing Saul or killed by Achish for disobeying.
And we don’t know exactly what will happen in tomorrow’s battle.
But we do know that Saul has turned away from the LORD and the LORD has turned away from him.
And it’s the scariest thing in the world.
What should be our response to this?
What is the application?
Three quick thoughts:
- TURN TO THE LORD WHILE YOU STILL CAN.
There may come a time when you can’t repent.
Esau was like that. He got to the point where there was no turning back.
But don’t let yourself get there.
Turn while you still can.
If you are running away from the LORD. I know you’re at church today, but in your heart, you may be running the opposite direction...if you’re running away from the LORD, stop and re-pent. Turn to the LORD while you still can.
He is calling you to come home.
You don’t want God as your enemy.
And He doesn’t have to be. Jesus died so that you don’t have to have God against you any more.
- TRUST IN THE ONE WHO WAS ABANDONED FOR YOU.
What did Jesus say when He was hanging on the cross?
“‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’– which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46).
God, in essence, turned away, not just from Saul, but from Jesus. And for that time when He was on the Cross, He was experiencing the wrath of God as if God the Father was His enemy.
Because He went through that you and I don’t have to.
Trust in the One who was abandoned for you.
GLORY IN THE FACT THAT IN CHRIST GOD IS NOT YOUR ENEMY.
Verse 16 is so scary, “Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?”
If that doesn’t scare someone, then nothing will.
But the opposite is true for all believers in Christ.
Listen to Colossians 1:21-23.
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation–if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.”
The gospel changes our status from enemy to beloved.
And we should glory in it.
And it’s the gospel is powerful enough to do it for any who will repent.
When Heather and I were in college, we were friends with a former witch.
Her name was Rosa.
When Rosa was a teenager, she was wrapped up in black magic. In fact, she was a witch. She loved the power that she felt she had because she knew “spells” which would curse those who had hurt her.
But one Summer she ended up at a Christian camp working in housecleaning. And the director of the camp noticed that she dressed all in black and had hate written all over her face. And the director showed her love and led her to Jesus.
And Jesus changed her life. Rosa went home and cleaned out her room. Everything in the room had to go. Posters, music, books of spells, horror movies on video, nearly everything in her room except her bed. And she carted it out behind her house and burned it all.
And when we knew her, she was the sweetest young lady we ever knew.
She had left all that behind and was no longer at enmity with God.
She gloried in the fact that God was not her enemy.
That she had experienced amazing grace and that it changed everything.
If you belong to Jesus, it’s true for you, too.
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation...”
Glory in it!
A Heart for the Heart of God
01. Hannah's Prayers
02. Those Who Honor Me I Will Honor
03. Speak, LORD, for Your Servant Is Listening
04. God In A Box
05. Who Can Stand in the Presence of the LORD, This Holy God?
06. Be Careful What You Ask For
07. "Go and Look for the Donkeys."
08. From Here On
09. Who Knows?
10. How to Grieve the Lord
11. The Lord Looks at the Heart
12. The Battle Is the Lord's
13. May the LORD Be With You
14. The Fugitive
15. Cutting Corners
16. A Tale of Two Fools
17. Do the Right Thing
19. Turning Away
Saturday, February 08, 2014
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Allison Bies on "Resisting Gossip"
This week, Allison posted an encouraging review of Resisting Gossip:
I started reading with the mindset of, “I don’t really struggle too much with gossip. I guess I gossip from time to time but not enough to do deep damage. Perhaps I will pick up a few tips on how to be less critical with my words.” Within a few pages, my attitude changed to understand how prevalent gossip actually is in my life. ... My thinking transformed to, “Maybe I should wear duct tape over my mouth 24/7.” Thankfully, believers should seek a balance between silence and excessively careless words. Always focused on the gospel, Mitchell discusses why Christians should seek to eliminate gossip and use words in a positive and God-honoring way.She lists a number of takeaways from reading it and concludes with this heartening paragraph:
I feel encouraged that Christians can make a difference in the world by resisting gossip. Our words are powerful, and God wants to use us in the lives of people with whom we interact. Since reading this book, I have been more aware of what I say, and I pray that by God’s enabling, I would be wise, selective, and affirming with my words in 2014.Amen. Thanks, Allison, for your review!
Read the whole thing.
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Win a Copy of "Resisting Gossip" by Subscribing at LifeNotes Cafe
The first 10 people to subscribe to any of the LifeNotes broadcast emails will win a free copy of Resisting Gossip!
Click here for all of the details.
Thanks to CLC Publications and LifeNotes for providing this giveaway!
Nick Roen on Homosexuality
I think that the articles he is writing about homosexuality are some of the finest resources on the internet. Roen writes out of his own experience of same-sex attraction and his understanding of gospel-centered sanctification and change. I highly recommend these articles for clear thinking, theological precision, and wise love:
An Alternative Script for Same-Sex Attraction
Is It Sin to Experience Same-Sex Attraction?
Same-Sex Attraction and the Wait for Change
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
New Feature: Recommended Resources
I'm starting a new "tag" for this blog: "Recommended Resources."
This tag will be for both books that I highly recommend as well as papers, documents, and websites that I think are truly helpful.
I'm always trying to point people to the best stuff out there, and I hope that adding this tag will give readers a one-click solution to finding them quickly here at Hot Orthodoxy.
Let me know if it helps you.
Sunday, February 02, 2014
[Matt's Messages] "He's Still There"
A Heart for the Heart of God: The Message of 1 Samuel
February 2, 2014 :: 1 Samuel 27:1-28:2
In our current sermon series, entitled, “A Heart for the Heart of God,” we’ve been following the anointed but not yet king David as he’s been chased around Israel by King Saul.
David has been chased but not caught now for 8 long chapters.
And he’s had a few very close calls.
One commentator I read this week said, “It’s the stuff that makes great movies but takes its toll on real people.”
And David was a real person.
This kind of living must have been exhausting.
Especially now that his family has grown. David’s got two wives and probably some kids and 600 fighting men[!], many of whom also have families with them. I’m sure that David was feeling the heavy burden of this responsibility.
And he was still on the run.
Even though Saul has said that he would stop chasing David, David didn’t believe it for a minute.
So in this chapter, David decides to go live with ... catch this... with the Philistines.
I know. It’s crazy!
The Philistines are his enemies. He killed the biggest Philistine there ever was. And at least hundreds more!
And if you remember, he already tried this strategy before, back in chapter 21. And he got out of that by pretending that he was bonkers.
But here he goes again.
And this time, it’s a little different.
This time, he’s not pretending to be crazy. He’s pretending to be rebellious and mercenary.
David brings a 600 man mercenary army to King Achish, and this time, Acish salivates at the idea.
In chapter 27, David becomes kind of a like a double agent.
If the last few weeks have been like an action movie, this chapter is a bit more like a spy thriller.
David convinces his enemy that he’s a turncoat who can now be trusted to fight for his old enemies.
But we know that he’s not.
So, it’s like he’s a secret agent, a double agent for the Israel.
Now, I don’t know what you think about that concept. I’m not sure what I think about that concept.
I read and re-read this chapter so many times this week.
And I read and re-read all of my commentaries on it, too.
And they don’t agree on whether or not David’s actions here are right or wrong.
The narrator doesn’t give us much to go on. The narrator reports what David does but not whether or not it was a good thing.
I’ll tell you right now that it seems to be successful, at least in the short-run.
But we’ve learned that success is not the best indicator of righteousness.
Some things work (at least in the short-run) but are not good.
So, what do you do with that?
I think it’s interesting that God is not mentioned in this chapter.
God is not named. He’s not talked to or about.
But...and here’s the title for today’s message.
“He’s Still There”
Even when God is not mentioned, not named, and seemingly not involved in the story, He’s still there.
I realized this week that I might not be able to say with full certainty whether or not David’s actions were good or bad, but I can say that God’s are fully good, and that His fingerprints were all over David’s story.
The chapter begins with David talking to himself. V.1
“But David thought to himself, ‘One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.’”
Now, I know one thing that David got wrong in this chapter.
He tells himself in verse 1 that “one of these days” Saul was going to destroy him.
Is that true?
Would that be consistent with what David has been told by God?
I don’t think so.
I think that when Samuel anointed David that God was promising that one day he would be king.
I think that Samuel has reminded him of that.
That Jonathan has said the same thing.
That Abigail has said the exact same thing.
That Saul himself has said the exact same thing.
But David, at this point in his difficult life, isn’t thinking about that.
He’s thinking about how hard it is to live on the run.
He’s thinking about how difficult it is to be chased and one day, he’s sure, caught.
So, he comes up with an alternative plan.
Now, I’m not sure if the plan is good or not, but David’s thinking here was faulty. His motivation is faulty.
Of course, it’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback!
Tomorrow, we’ll know everything that the coaches and the players did wrong in tonight’s Superbowl. We’ll have perfect perspectives in hindsight.
And it’s much easier for us to judge David than it was to be David in that situation.
You and I wouldn’t have done any better, but I do think that we can learn from this that we need to return again and again to the promises of God.
We have to remind ourselves and preach to ourselves the truth of what God has said that He will do.
David “thought to himself.” And we’re thinking to ourselves all the time.
The question is whether or not we’re thinking the truth to ourselves or believing lies.
David thinks that the territories controlled by Saul have gotten too hot for him, and he’s better off to escape to the land of Philistines. If he does, then Saul will call off the dogs. V.2
“So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maoch king of Gath. David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.”
So, it worked!
David and his men are settled. That hasn’t happened in a very long time.
I’ll bet David even took a nap.
Saul stopped chasing him.
Of course, now he has to live with Achish. V.5
“Then David said to Achish, ‘If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?’ So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.”
David thinks that Achish would probably not like to have him and his men so close by all of the time. And David certainly doesn’t want to live so close to the uncircumcised pagans himself. It wouldn’t fit with his plans.
So he suggests that David’s army be settled in a border community named Ziklag. Close enough to be called upon when needed, but far enough away so as to not get on each other’s nerves.
Now, what I want to point out is God’s fingerprint on this.
He’s Still There.
He may not be mentioned by name, but He’s still there in the story. Look at verse 6 again.
“So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.”
Ever since. This story is going to change, eventually the Philistines will be defeated once and for all.
But the land of Ziklag will continue to belong to the kings of Judah.
Who was supposed to own the town of Ziklag?
Anybody know?
If you have an iPad or Smartphone with you and call up Ziklag on the Bible App search bar, it will come up in Joshua 15 and Joshua 19 before it comes up in 1 Samuel 27.
And in both of those chapters, the town of Ziklag is listed as being given to the tribe of Judah and more accurately Simeon whose land was located within the land allocated to Judah.
This was originally Israelite territory, but it had fallen into Philistine hands.
Guess whose hands it’s back in now?
The young lion of the tribe of Judah, named David.
Now, was that because David was so shrewd?
God used David’s shrewdness, sure.
But we know that God was up to something here.
Even if He’s not mentioned by name, He’s still there.
#1. BUILDING HIS KINGDOM.
Keeping His promises and building His kingdom.
I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded of that over and over again.
God is at work building His kingdom, even when He isn’t mentioned and doesn’t get the credit.
Even when it doesn’t seem like God is around.
This afternoon at Windy Hill Nursing Home, I’m planning to preach to the residents on God’s presence even when it doesn’t feel like it.
God is here.
And He’s not just present, He’s active. He’s building His kingdom.
Nowadays, His kingdom isn’t so much about land as it was in the Old Testament, but about people. God is building His kingdom in the lives of people.
One person at a time.
I need to be reminded of that when I see people walk away from the Lord.
One of the hardest parts of being a pastor is loving and continuing to pray for and care about and even try to shepherd folks who are seemingly not interested in following the Lord in faith and obedience.
I need to be reminded that God is still there, and He’s still at work building His kingdom.
And I’ve decided today to call that the “Ziklag principle.” Pretty catchy, huh?
If I’m ever moping around and acting like God has vacated His throne, you have permission to say to me, “Don’t forget Ziklag.”
V.6 “So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.”
He’s still there. V.7
“David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months. Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)
Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.
When Achish asked, ‘Where did you go raiding today?’ David would say, ‘Against the Negev of Judah’ or ‘Against the Negev of Jerahmeel’ or ‘Against the Negev of the Kenites.’
He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, ‘They might inform on us and say, 'This is what David did.'’ And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.”
Do you see what I mean about being a double agent?
David goes on a mission, he attacks and kills everybody in a town. The town is full of Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites.
When he gets home, he has bring some plunder and report in to the evil boss, and David would say that he was in regions populated by Israelites.
This is a dangerous game that he’s playing.
That’s what the movie trailer would say, “He’s playing a dangerous game.”
Now, I’m not sure what you think about his actions here.
This commentator, whom I resonate with, says that David is in the wrong here because he’s lying and he’s killing more people than necessary.
He says, “I have argued earlier that the text seems to reflect a certain sympathy and understanding for David. Yet the writer does not hide how calculating and ruthless David was while a ‘Philistine.’ David the raider is one thing, David the butcher is another. In 27:9, 11, David seems to be practicing overkill even bin the customs of his time.” (Dale Ralph Davis, pg. 286).
This commentator on the other hand, whom I also respect, disagrees and argues that deception is biblically justifiable in warfare. He writes, “We may be tempted to label the events of this paragraph as ‘disreputable’ and to deplore David’s use of deception in his dealings with Achish. But the text is not included as a means of critiquing David’s actions, no matter how questionable those actions seem to us today. Rather, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, the text celebrates the shrewdness of our protagonist and his ability to ingratiate himself to both his own people and to the Philistine overlord....the text reports David’s actions, and by implication, approves of his methods” (Bill Arnold, pg. 363-364).
Now, I lean towards this one (Davis), but I quote both to show you that when God’s perspective is not clearly and obviously stated, it’s sometimes hard to read history.
Both commentators have a point.
I’m not 100% sure if David was shrewdly wise or shrewdly unwise here.
But I am pretty sure that I see God’s fingerprints.
Even though He’s not directly mentioned, He’s Still There:
#2. FINISHING HIS BUSINESS.
Who were these Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites?
They were some of the Canaanites whom God had told Israel to drive completely out of the Promised Land.
Do you remember last year when we studied the book of Judges? The first message was called “Unfinished Business.”
Israel’s downward spiral began because they did not finish what the Lord had told them to do with people like the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites.
These people had gone too far too long and were to experience the righteous judgment of God.
But Israel had not completed their mission and it had dogged them to this day.
In chapter 15 of this book, King Saul had a chance to make things right by destroying the Amalekites, but he, too, failed to obey.
One thing that God is doing here in verse 8 is finishing His unfinished business.
Just because they had escaped for a time doesn’t mean that they were off the hook.
God’s justice is perfect. He does not forget. And He does not fail.
Last week, we were reminded to do the right thing because we can trust God’s justice.
Well, here, I think, is an example of that justice at work.
I can think of two reasons why you and I might need that reminder this morning.
One is that we might be tempted to think that we can get away with something.
But the Bible says, “Be sure your sins will find you out.” Nothing is hidden from God.
And if it isn’t forgiven, then it’s unforgiven and judgment awaits.
So, turn from your sin and trust in the Savior. Don’t think you can harbor hidden sin and go unpunished forever.
Jesus died for your sins, trust in His provision for you.
The second reason why we might need to be reminded that God is always there finishing His business is that it might feel like God’s justice has miscarried.
It seems like somebody is getting away with murder!
...But they’re not.
God is working all things to His glory including the judgment of the wicked.
It may come slower than we would like, but His justice is perfect and couldn’t be improved upon in the slightest.
Don’t worry. God always gets His man (or His woman).
He’s Still There finishing His business.
And number three. He’s Still There:
#3. WRITING STRAIGHT WITH CROOKED LINES.
That’s an old phrase that means that God uses even the bad things that imperfect people do to achieve His good purposes.
Even if David is making mistakes here, God is going to use it all to achieve His good and perfect plan.
David’s plan has completely fooled Achish, but it’s about to backfire. V.12
“Achish trusted David and said to himself, ‘He has become so odious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant forever.’ [Chapter 28] In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, ‘You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.’
David said, ‘Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.’ Achish replied, ‘Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.’”
As Scooby Doo would say, “Ruh roh!”
Achish is so taken in by David’s deception, that he plans for David to fight right alongside him against Saul and his army.
And we know that David won’t raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed.
But he can’t say that to Achish, not at Gath!
So he cleverly says, “You’ll see for yourself what your servant can do.”
And Achish thinks that means, “I’m in.” So he says, literally, “I will make you the keeper of my head.”
What’s going to happen?
Tune in next time!
The author of 1 Samuel pulls a cliffhanger on us.
He doesn’t tell us!
But even if you don’t know the particulars, you know that God has good plans for David. He’s said so.
And even if God is not mentioned here in chapter 27 by name, you know that He’s still there.
And He’s up to something good.
Even with something bad.
God can write straight with a crooked pencil.
God will use crooked Achish. And God will use even crooked David to accomplish His good plan.
Remember when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery?
Was that straight or crooked?
It was crooked.
But what did Joseph say many years later when his brothers were afraid that he would retaliate?
He said, “What you intended for evil, God intended for good.”
God used even your evil to accomplish His good plan. It’s no excuse for being evil or doing evil, but it’s a great reason to praise God!
Dale Ralph Davis says this about our story for today, “The Bible does not claim that God’s servants are dipped in Clorox so they will be infallibly sin-free and attractive to you. The living God does not have clean material to work with...remeber it’s only sinful (i.e. sin-full) clay the Potter works with. We should not criticize the Potter because of the clay but rather marvel that he stoops to work with such stuff” (Dale Ralph Davis, pg. 287).
Our hope is not in a sinless David, but in a God Who writes straight with crooked lines.
A God Who finishes what He starts.
A God Who keeps on building His kingdom, no matter what.
A God Who even when He is not mentioned or named is still there.
***
A Heart for the Heart of God
01. Hannah's Prayers
02. Those Who Honor Me I Will Honor
03. Speak, LORD, for Your Servant Is Listening
04. God In A Box
05. Who Can Stand in the Presence of the LORD, This Holy God?
06. Be Careful What You Ask For
07. "Go and Look for the Donkeys."
08. From Here On
09. Who Knows?
10. How to Grieve the Lord
11. The Lord Looks at the Heart
12. The Battle Is the Lord's
13. May the LORD Be With You
14. The Fugitive
15. Cutting Corners
16. A Tale of Two Fools
