1 Samuel 27 Bible Study - Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Powerful worship. Thank you for that.

Thank you for using your gifts. Praise team to bless us, and

thank you for participating with your voices tonight.

Now, we continue to worship, don't we?

We worship in the word, we worship over the word as the

word washes over us. And so meet me in the Old

Testament. in the book of 1st Samuel, Chapter 27.

First Samuel. Chapter 27.

1 Samuel 27 · chapter mention

And immediately you're going to recognize that this is a much

shorter chapter than what we are used to in this book.

And so we are going to by the grace of God cover every verse

though, we will not be able to expound as much as we would like

to on every verse We are going to buy the spirits, help, learn

what we need to learn, and you will probably hopefully pray for

Lee. Take what you here tonight and

be a Brian and experience the word for yourself.

As you get a taste of it tonight, let's ask God to help

us Loi, thank you for your word. Or we know that it is alive.

We know that it has been authored by you preserved by

you, provided by you for us tonight.

And so Lord just help us see the honor and the privilege that we

have to be able to open the scriptures together.

Thank you for this place for the people that filled this place.

Thank you for the shared, Love For Truth.

We ask Lord that it would not just be a love for knowledge but

that it would be a love for them.

Knowledge of you and so that we can love you and Obey you and

worship you. The way you've called us to

Lord, protect the service from distractions and protect our

minds and our hearts from unbelief.

We pray, Lord, that this word would not miss our hearts.

It would grip us. We pray that the Holy Spirit

would do what only he can do. Lord, help us.

See Christ. Help us Relish in your wisdom

tonight in Jesus name we pray. Amen. if you've ever taken the

time to study, The word of God, particularly the lives of

certain men that God has recorded for our edification.

Perhaps, you have made an interesting observation about

some of their God glorifying faith-filled accomplishments.

What I'm speaking about more specifically, what I'm referring

to is how there are great Temptations.

That often appear after some of the most renowned triumphs.

There are great temptations that seemed to immediately meet these

men almost right after their renowned victories for the glory

of God. And perhaps there are some names

running through your mind now and I'm curious to know if you

know what I'm speaking about or who I'm speaking about, it's

going to be David and this case but there are others who share

what David is about to experience.

Can you tell me some men in the scriptures who after great

Triumph have known great great turmoil.

Very good. Elijah Mount, Carmel.

Yes, anyone else? That's the most common one.

Job. We can say job.

Yes I think his life was just a long series of successes and all

for a sudden things change. Sure.

But I'm talking about like an hour of Victory.

I'm talking about like a testimony that changed the

course of someone's life. I just wanted them. no way, you

can argue Maybe Who remembers Hezekiah?

When Hezekiah was healed of his illness, what happened to him

afterwards? Is anybody remember?

There are visitors from where who came to to just check up on

him from where very good Babylon and what did he do?

Oh, he showed him all that. He owned.

All that God had given all the ins and outs of the temple and

his Palace, and all these things.

It was an act of Pride. So after his great healing, he

was rebuked for his pride. And as we come to this place, as

we come to this chapter, and there are other instances, you

not just on a individual level, you can think on a macro level

when you think about Joshua. And the conquest think about how

after certain defeats over the enemy, they fell because of

their arrogance. But when we come to this

chapter, in our study of David, we realized that this pattern of

potential failure, being presented after great success is

becoming very Obvious, it's becoming very obvious and

David's life because David after his first victory over the

temptation of assassinating Saul.

In the next chapter, in chapter 25 was met with the temptation

to do. What?

Kill nabal. The same David, the same David

who resisted the urge to to hurt the one who's been hurting him

after a man hurled a few insults to him and his men was ready to

destroy him and his family and all that he owned proving to us.

That it's it's quite difficult to be consistent with our

convictions. And then we come to this point

we're in chapter 26, there was a second occasion where David had

the opportunity to rid of Saul once and for all, and there is

great, great mounting pressure to do so.

But we learned that he overcame that because he learned from how

God intervened with Mabel and he's not going to make that

mistake. If God intervened for him, then

surely he will intervene for him once more But sure enough.

Just like the first time he overcame.

And the second time we're going to see that David is going to

reach. He's going to plummet actually

to one of the lowest lows that he will experience in his whole

life. It's in this chapter, it's in

this very chapter, we will see that after a great successful

encounter with the King He's going to find himself making

some serious mistakes this pattern that I bring before us

tonight is important for us as Christians.

And the reason why it's so crucial for us to understand how

this is very common among those who are faithful to God's work

and God's will is because when we talk about overcoming

Temptation, you know what we usually do, we focus on how to

be prepared with the lies and the fears that once.

Try to hinder us from moving forward in obedience.

But what's rarely talked about are The Temptations that await

us on the other side of obedience.

What we don't really prepare for is what is ready to ensnare.

Us once we actually do what God's called us to do. and

that's why we have this chapter because you and I are going to

see, just how, how easy it is for those who do great things

for God, who are consistent with God to fall off or a sudden, And

there are unique set of temptations that the obedient

experience like David that we have to be aware of less.

We are imbalanced in our preparation to overcome the

things that want to take us out. I remember hearing an interview

with a German pastor Europe is not looking too good in many

ways and one of the ways it's not looking good.

As in their spiritual climate that's been for years and years

decades. Actually, I don't remember how

old this interview was but I remember that this pastor was

known for his bold stance for the truth while his neighboring,

ministers and friends and Associates were crushed by the

culture and we're caving in to the pressures of the narratives

of their day. So this pastor was praised by

his congregation, Praise by people, who love the truth.

I were not in his immediate context But he was open in that

interview to say, though, I overcame the fears and the

persecutions. There are still challenges that

I faced in my obedience and in his broken English, he shared

that almost every week. When he preaches Faithfully from

the word of God without apology, the moment he says, amen.

The moment, he closes his message as he steps off the

pulpit to go sit where he usually sits.

He hears in his heart. What a wonderful creature you

are. There's no one like you.

Look at the courage that you have while everybody else is

crumbling. Oh, you're the man of the hour.

You're what people need. And he admitted that he has to

reject those thoughts on a continual basis.

So you see in that situation, you have on one side of

Disobedience, people who crumbled because of fear and

threats. And then on the other side, you

have a man, though he overcame such things, he experienced

things that the former did not and that is arrogance and self

worth and self, praise springing up in his heart. and so you and

I are going to see that it's not just Pride that dangles over

those who walk on the path of faithfulness.

There are other things that those who live for God will

experience as they move forward in obedience.

And this is a chapter in David's life where we will learn such

things. So let's read in verse one, mind

you that before we read David just finished, overcoming a

great series of Temptations to kill Saul.

Remember that look Happens. Immediately after the fact, in

27 verse 1, we read then, David said in his heart.

Now I Shall Perish One Day by the hand of Saul.

There is nothing better for me than that.

I should escape to the land of the Philistines.

Then saw Will despair of seeking me any longer with the Border

within the borders of Israel and I shall Escape out of his hand.

So, David arose and went over, he and the 600 men who were with

him to a, he's the son of Mayock, king of gath and David

live with a, he's agathe he and his men.

Every man with his household and David with his two wives.

I know him of Jezreel, on Abigail of caramel enables wind

Widow, and when it was told Saul that David had fled to gath, he

no longer sought him. We could stay in verse 14, the

rest of this Bible study, but we're not going to do that.

There is so much in verse 1 alone.

And what we can take out of this is what this man experienced,

the difficulty that he had to deal with.

After overcoming such great Temptations.

And the previous chapter was a massive flood of discouragement.

We're going to hear a lot tonight about discouragement.

Perhaps, we are not. Convinced of just how powerful

discouragement can be in a Believers life.

Would it shock you for me to tell you that discouragement is

one of Satan's favorite weapons to attack God's most Faithful

Servants. If the enemy cannot disqualify a

Christian and his ministry through Scandal or character

flaws or immorality, then he will ensure to.

So debilitate him Too. So suck the life and hope out of

his heart that he himself will not want to move forward in

God's will. And that's exactly what's

happening to this, man. He overcame his great

temptations. That would have ruined his

reputation he had at the same time, he is going to go in the

wrong direction still, and in the same way that you and I, as

Christians should be reminded of how we should be guarded against

sexual Temptation, for example, or how we should be aware of the

foot hole that we can give to Satan through our anger or

jealousy. You and I must also know what to

do when discouragement visits our hearts because if not, it

will lead you in a direction that you never thought

discouragement can lead you to it's quite fascinating to read a

case study of what power discouragement has over.

Someone who doesn't know how to discern.

There's not a discern what discouragement can do and this

is how we're going to learn it by looking at this man's life by

looking at what fueled his discouragement.

And though David situation is very uncommon unless you are

being chased by somebody in your living in the streets and it's

been a few months now. Though his situation is not very

relatable, his lack of rationale, his inability to

think straight is very very, very common.

Why do you think he was discouraged, any ideas?

Why do you think he's discouraged?

Very good. The situation, never seems to

change any disagreement with that.

Would everybody agree with that? I would say.

That's probably the main reason why that David is discouraged,

because this man is just weathering a persistent assault

of a crazy person. And there seems to be no final

intervention from God. The man who is attacking him

does not have any weight to his words.

He has a very impressive intelligence agency that finds

his every step. And so this, this David is worn

out. Now put yourself in his shoes

before we pick up our stones and ready to throw it at him.

Imagine living in caves for weeks and months.

Imagine having to always look over your shoulder.

Not knowing if at any moment 3000 of Saul's men can come and

Surround you around a mountain. Imagine having to take care of

600 men and their families, you have your own family You are

held responsible for their lives.

You don't know how you're going to make ends meet.

You don't know how you're going to provide for these people in

the most practical ways. All of this is crushing, it's

overwhelming and David here is ready to give up, he's ready to

just give in because trusting, God is not easy, it's not It can

if you don't know how God's work manifests and how his ways are

more complex than how we would like, then you are, you are not

going to no great strides and great longevity and this is

proven here. And we can relate to it in many

ways because I'm sure you have experienced disappointment while

serving God. I'm sure you have experienced

discouragement while trusting God.

In fact, the more we wait on something, the more you pray for

something with no result, the more open and susceptible you

are to not just being discouraged but Imagining the

worst possible outcome for your life.

It's incredible. What discouragement does it not

just makes you feel a certain way.

It actually deceives you It begins to magnify the - and blur

any positive. And what happens is like David,

you take all of that and then it reinterprets your future.

You just take. What is ugly and you take what

is not happening? You bundle it all together and

what you have is a complete different understanding of

what's happening in the now and what will happen tomorrow and we

panic and we get frustrated and we make strange Visions and look

what he says here. He says now I Shall Perish One

Day by the hand of Saul. Well, what about what Samuel

told you about being King? What about your friend?

Jonathan what about your wife Abigail?

What about, what even Saul said Saul even told you that you were

going to become king? What about all the times that

God has providentially and supernaturally rescued you from

Saul? What about even the fact that?

All the ways that God has provided you and your time

during the Wilderness, all of that was disregarded.

All that was forgotten. Why?

Because that's how persuasive discouragement is.

It's very convincing. It's extremely powerful. and

there are some people who are serving God even now maybe it's

you maybe it's not Who have come to a place where they just say

to themselves. This is getting too hard.

The frequency of the challenges waiting on God, the difficulty

of circumstances. And the people that I have to, I

don't know if I can live like this, I don't know if this is

really worth that. I don't know if I, if I want to

move forward. and if we're not constantly for not constantly

aware of the faithfulness of God, and if we're not

constantly, listen to this surrounded, by God's people, If

we don't have those two things, then there's no knowing how

discouragement. Can direct you.

To spiritual death. And it can happen very quickly.

Look at verse 1, again, what stands out from verse 1.

Not just now, I Shall Perish One Day by the hand of Saul.

Very good. We're going to come to that in a

moment. There is nothing better for me.

That's quite fascinating. Look at something before that

though. Very good.

Then David said, where It's there.

Wondering what people are looking at David said in his

heart. Now this is telling us more than

just Holy Spirit. Showing us what David is

thinking. No, no, there's an application

here. David is meditating, David is

internalizing. David is reflecting confining

within himself, and he is not communicating, what is

concerning him? There's a lot of wisdom and not

sharing certain things about your life or about what you feel

or about what you think. There's a lot of wisdom in that

but there is also wisdom in making sure that you share

certain things and not keeping it to yourself.

Because there are some things that come through sharing with

God and with others, that can rescue you.

That can deliver you that can save you David's.

First problem here, is that he said it in his heart, but

there's no indication that he was pouring out his heart before

God. There's no prayer here.

There's no song written, there's nothing.

He's keeping it within himself. And my question is, where's the

psalmist? My question is.

Where's the man who in difficult situations cried out to God and

God was able to give him almost immediate immediate answers.

Where's that David? For whatever reason, this man is

so dejected that he doesn't even feel the need to come before God

and just to share what's going on within him.

And here's the point, I want to make, if you are serving God,

let me give you a heads up. It's not a prophetic word, it's

very very obvious. You will know discouragement at

one point or another you will And when you feel that when you

feel that loss of enthusiasm, when you feel that loss of hope,

when you begin to question, whether you are supposed to be

serving God in this way, or if you are effective for God,

whatever the case may be, never let your discouragement bar you

from coming to God, let it be the reason to come to God.

Come before him, honestly come before him and be broken in his

presence because I want to tell you something very fascinating

that happens. As you express those emotions as

you express those thoughts before him.

Often times what will happen is in the process, there will be a

change. I can testify that many times

when I brought my worries before God, it's turned into worship.

Because something happens, as you are in faith, communicating

to the Lord, the the air clears, a little bit.

You realize I'm talking to God Almighty and then in that moment

you were reminded and though may not be immediate as you persist.

God begins to open your eyes and show you who he is.

And then you realize, I'm talking to the one who is in

control of everything. I'm the I'm talking to the one

who can make things happen like that.

I'm talking to the one who will be faithful to me, who has been

faithful to me. Something happens in the pursuit

of God. And sometimes God is encouraged

and supernaturally. Sometimes in practical ways, but

he will not leave you in that place.

If you in faith, come to him in your Brokenness, David doesn't

do that here. And that's a problem.

But what else did you not do? He doesn't share what he's

feeling with with others. He doesn't, he doesn't open his

heart. Do you remember what Jonathan

was able to offer David and one of the most depressing times of

his life. It says that he strengthen his

hand in the Lord. Jonathan did that.

Does anybody remember what Jonathan's name means?

That might be on a quiz one day. Because it's so precious God has

given Jonathan means, God has given and Jonathan lived out

that name because he offered so much.

He offered so much to David, his presence.

His words built David up. And though you may not have a

friend whose name is Jonathan. God has given people in your

life. Yes.

God has placed certain individuals in your life that

have the ability to not judge you in that state of confusion

or turmoil, but to help you realize who God is and who you

are in him. And I think David made the

mistake of not sharing his heart though.

Jonathan was unavailable. And though maybe he looked at

the 600 member, the sick, the 600 men didn't have the best of

Faith. They relied on David's Faith,

but there was somebody, I believe you could have gone to

do, you know, who I'm talking about?

Who do you think? Somebody said it Abigail his

wife, what a woman of discernment and discretion what

a profound woman she was she was she was able to speak it to his

life to persuade him not to make a mistake that he would regret

for the rest of his days. Oh David have you only just went

home to your wife and you just sat across the table though, you

didn't have one, you're in a cataract, whatever, you just

poured out your heart. And you said, this is what I'm

experiencing. I don't know why this dark cloud

is over my soul. Who knows.

Pause. What you could have been saved

from. Who knows?

How you could have avoided first Samuel.

1 Samuel 27 · chapter mention

Chapter 27. But he doesn't, he keeps it

within himself. Can I tell you something in

moments of discouragement? I don't care how crazy your

thoughts are. It doesn't matter how out of

touch with reality. Your imagination is about

something. Do not forget that, a simple

conversation with somebody who fears God and loves you can do

much, much help. Really.

Don't forget that one. Simple phone call saying

brother. I know that this sounds silly, I

know that this sounds, I know we've had this conversation a

hundred times, but I just feel and fill in the blank.

And as Believers, we should not be weary of hearing somebody,

even if it's repetitive, because we're call to lift each other's

burdens. So if somebody comes up to you,

as a brother or sister says, I just feel like I'm going to be

single forever. And you had that conversation.

50 times. Have it 51 times, have it 75

times. And provide faith and provide

encouragement from the scriptures.

If somebody feels like whatever the case, maybe you, and I can

potentially save someone from sinking into a place that can

destroy their testimony. As we're about to find out,

don't underestimate. Somebody who is broken in

Failure even I do understand don't underestimate the ministry

of answering that text message or going for a cup of coffee

with a fellow brother or sister and just speaking life to them.

Because this man as he swirling in, these thoughts is going to

make some serious mistakes. And it could have been solved.

I'm sure if he had just opened his heart primarily to the Lord,

and then to the Lord's people. Now, this is what happens if you

are not careful to deal with discouragement and wisdom with

what you just heard, then you can be misdirected and you can

be derailed in significant ways. And that's what we see here in

verse 2. He's about to make some serious

decisions but before we go there look at what he says in verse 1.

And we heard earlier from our dear sister, he says there is

nothing for me. There is nothing better for me

than I should escape to the land of the Philistines.

Are you serious? There is nothing better.

I can think of like, 50 things that are better than you going

to the land of the Philistines. In fact, what David thought

would be the best thing. Turn out to be the worst thing.

God had never given permission to his people to move out of the

promised land, read the book of Ruth and that is another

principle of such a truth. God had never instructed, unless

it was a clear. Clear, command to go to Egypt,

or there or whatever the case may be.

There is never a time where a person had the Liberty to go out

of bounds of God's promises and his will without there being a

price. And for him to come to this

conclusion, shows how deluded David has become.

He actually thought that the greatest remedy was to go to the

Philistines because then Saul would not be as bold to find him

in that place and to even do something about it.

And we're ready to go. David.

You lost it? We're ready to say David.

You're you are so out of touch with God.

And yet, I say how many people do this today even believers.

Even Christians that end their moments where they are low and

their moments where they are out of gas in the moments where they

feel like this isn't worth that anymore.

They go to the wrong remedies, they turn to the wrong

Solutions, sometimes it's substance and sometimes it's a

behavior, sometimes it's a way of life.

Sometimes there's a door that you open that you think you can

vent your frustration for a little bit when it's clearly

sin. And you have some people that

you know, they give themselves to Extended mindless

distractions. So they don't have to deal with

what's disturbing them and then you have people like David who

just flirt and even entertained. About disobedience.

I'm just going to do this because it's going to bring me

some kind of relief, some kind of satisfaction, some kind of

distraction from the pain and the difficulty.

And the Darkness that I'm in Could you actually believe with

me today, that discouragement can lead people to disobedience?

It can we are seeing it right here and consider how these

verses tell us. That David went somewhere.

Where did he go? Exactly.

He went to a specific person. Who is that person?

I wish. Does he sound familiar or no?

Who thinks we've seen him before?

and if we have, where we've seen him before, Oh very good.

A few chapters ago. That is one of the first places

that he went when he was running from Saul initially.

And so go back a few chapters look.

I want to make a point from this connection and 21:10 First

1 Samuel 21:10

Samuel, 21 verse 10, we read and David Rosen fled that day from

Saul and went to a quiche the king of gas.

The same King, the same leader, the same ruler, the same

environment the same atmosphere. He goes back to the place where

he did what we read in verse 13 of 1st.

Samuel 21, what do you do in verse 13?

So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be

insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate.

And let's spittle run down his beard.

Why would you go back to the place that encouraged you to be

a crazy man? Why would you go back to such a

vulnerable? Position where you actually

behave in such an ungodly, inhumane way.

And the point is so obvious. It's so clear.

It's an illustration of how we are willing to go back to sin

and not just sin sin that has at one point, brought us through

much, shame, and dishonor. All you remember.

I'm sure if you If you have a testimony where you went into

the world for a bit or you grow up in a Christian household and

you were never really born again till later.

I'm sure you remember of doing certain things saying certain

things participating in certain things where you told yourself I

will never do that again. Only to find yourself doing what

that very same thing. Again once the memories of

disgrace disappear. But I'm not just talking about

Sinners. I'm talking about how even the

most righteous can revisit the unthinkable.

They can, this is David were speaking about here and he's

willing to go back to the same place where he rolled around as

though, he had lost his mind. Why would you do this?

And the point is very obvious, discouragement encourages us to

do things like that and that funny Discouragement encourages.

It encourages you to even do things that you never thought

you would do. I know this sounds kind of

exaggerated, but it's true. Because what is his reason of

discouragement he is discouraged in the will of God.

He is discouraged while obeying. God, he is discouraged.

While trusting God. And so, what is the flesh trying

to convince him of? Well, surely there's some kind

of relief outside of the will of God.

If this is what it is, serving God, the maybe you have to step

outside of this Lane just for a little break, get a breather and

it come back in. Do you know?

There are some people who are in Ministry who after they've been

caught and certain sin confess that what they told himself

before sinning and usually in the case of sexual immorality

was well I've been serving God so much I thought I deserved the

break. And so it before we think that

this is out there before we think this is fairy tale, you

have some people who are convinced in discouragement in

the and the weariness of ministry and serving people who

have bought into the lie. That maybe I just need some kind

of relief in the flesh. David's doing that.

He just wants to step out into the territory, the Philistines

for a little while, not for a long, while until salt gives up

until saw just lays off. What is that going to lead him

to? That's gonna lead him to messed

up things. But here's the point, I want to

make and this this topic of discouragement Davis decision to

do this. It's not just going to affect

David. Who else is it going to affect

everybody with him? Look at verse 3 quickly and

David lived with Alicia. Gareth, he and his men, every

man with his household. So remember the 600 came to

follow David and whether it was at that time or later on these

men with their wives and their children.

Now are with him and David is leading all of them into the

land of the Philistines, not just him.

And I read that today, and I thought to myself,

discouragement is so powerful, but it is especially dangerous

for those who are in leadership positions.

I'm not saying this because of the position that I might be

serving in. I'm saying this for all people

in any position of authority, in any position of influence and

anybody who has great responsibility.

Can I, can I tell you something? Please don't, don't be a reason

to discourage them. They already have enough

discouragement to deal. They already have the lies of

the devil to deal with. They already have the world to

deal. With the already, have crazy

people to deal with crazy emails.

Crazy things that they have to answer and they have to try to

all these assaults and attacks. Here's here's what Satan would

love to do. Is to so overwhelm someone who

is in a position with there are others under his influence

because like David if they become so burdened by that

discouragement they can make decisions that will influence

others in the end and that can look like somebody quitting when

they're not supposed to be quitting.

And I can look like somebody who is so charged emotionally that

they do things in the flesh out of exhaustion or whatever the

case may be. That affects and has

ramifications beyond their own lives, pray for your leaders.

Be an encouragement to those. Now I'm not just talking about

church leaders fathers who work hours upon hours in a week to

feed their families. Those that, you know, that a

servant a particular Ministry in and they're taking extra time

out of what they would usually have what we call a break from

their regular Works. Encourage them because

discouragement can cause them to not just misdirect their own

lives but even others. and so for the rest of this chapter,

That clock is telling me something.

We're going to keep going for the rest of this chapter.

I want us to see quickly just quickly consider the insights

that we find in the place of a righteous man who willfully

choose. It's a step out of bounds in the

will of God for the rest of this chapter.

You and I are going to just we're going to take a flat

Little Rock and skip it over a bed of this passage of scripture

and just lightly tap and see. What becomes Of a man.

What can happen to a woman? Who willfully like David

willfully. David is making a choice here.

He's not slipping, he's not caught off guard, he has

calculated and been convinced to do this when a righteous man or

woman chooses to go out of bounds.

What can they expect? And I hope that this will

protect you and I hope that this will be a source of wisdom.

If, you know somebody that you love that is entertaining such

thoughts. Let's look at verse 4. and when

I was told Saul that David had fled to gath, he no longer saw

to him The first thing that happens to David, when he moves

out of God's promise, the promised land is that apparently

he experienced some relief. There is, there is immediate

success. And so we see here that he

seemed to get what he wanted. The desire was fulfilled, what

he had hoped for came to pass and David just wanted to avoid

the surveillance of saw. He could not live knowing that

there are spies in those Hills or there were those among his

brethren in the land of Judah that were betraying.

And he couldn't live like that any longer.

So he goes to a place where no Israelite would willfully, go.

And for a moment, he is enjoying the reward of his apparent

wisdom. And I want to tell you this,

that there is an element to sin. That is somewhat pleasurable and

even to our understanding to the Natural mind profitable.

Or else you wouldn't be tempted to sin.

Hebrews 11 tells us that sin is pleasurable but it's fleeting

pleasure. Psalms tells us that in his

presence, is the fullness of joy.

Sin offer something but it evaporates very quickly.

And what we see here is that no matter what kind of reward you

might experience in the place of Disobedience.

It's temporary it's always temporary.

Yeah, so you fulfill the Fantasy by living in an adulterous

relationship but that's temporary exhibit.

Turn into a nightmare real real soon.

Okay, so you made extra money by lying and cheating with the

numbers and so you can afford. I may be a little bit better

vacation than you did before that.

It's going to come to haunt you. It will that's just the rule.

That's just a law that God has established in his universe.

And so what we see here first is that there is a sense in which

David experienced What are you desired?

And this is a nearsightedness when it comes to sin we are able

to see things very clearly up from but we can't see beyond.

We can't see where this can take us and that's why God in his

perfect love. Gives us a chapter like this so

that we can examine and have a helicopter view of What Becomes

of a man. When they willfully choose to go

out outside of God's will, This is what he's experiencing. and

if we fail to see it, or we are so confused, and Give into

something without realizing where I'll take us.

It doesn't matter. It will take us where we don't

want to go. And so remember that whatever

reward is in Rebellion, it will always always be temporary

always no matter what it is. Now, we come to verse five and

six. Then David said to a quiche, 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 The

second thing that can happen to a person who willfully chooses

to disobey God, and it's really just in one area.

Let me remind you something. David is not becoming an

apostate. He's not saying I'm not going to

serve the god of Israel anymore. I'm going to serve the god of

the Philistines. All he wants to do is just

change his address changing your address isn't wrong but in this

context it was it was sin. You couldn't leave the

boundaries of the promised land so is just an area of his life.

It was just a little Do in the house.

It wasn't the whole thing. Wasn't burning the place down.

Meaning The heart and his Devotion to God, just a sliver

of it, but what begins to happen is first.

You do it and you don't see any consequence to it.

But s things begin to transpire. And here's what's happening with

David. Now he is willing to associate

with the unrighteous. He is willing to tolerate

relationships that he should not be tolerating.

Do you see how he's speaking to a quiche?

Look how he's talking about if I found favor in your eyes?

What are you saying? If I have found favor in your

eyes, And some would say well this is David being strategic

because he has a he has a he has an end in mind and it's for the

good and for the glory of God so he's kind of tricking out, he's

okay fine. If you believe that or not

there's a matter. Why is he communicating with

somebody that he's supposed to be at war?

With? That's the point.

You're dealing with a people that have defied, the god of

Israel that you have went to war with since you're young adult

years and now offer sudden you're willing to have these

casual conversations and make With.

And consider this consider perhaps why they would even

justify this. Consider how he's treating

David, because he does give it to him verse 6.

So that day at he's gave him ziklag.

Therefore, ziklag had belong has belonged to the kings of Judah

to this day. It's no wonder that a person who

is, especially been discouraged by how they've been treated by

supposed Christians. Veer off and embrace those who

are not Christians because who wants to really live with a

hypocrite anyway, right? It's like this is how people

think if I'm going to, I'm going to deal with those who claim to

serve God, but live, like live, like heathens.

I rather deal with those who live like heathens and admit.

They're heathens. And I, I can't help but be

embarrassed seeing how he's a Philistine is willing to embrace

David and provide for David upon request. when you compare the

treatment of his own brethren in the land of Judah, Who betrayed

him and told on him over and over again and saw who was

supposed to be not just his King but his father-in-law.

This is how my father-in-law is going to treat, this is how my

brethren from my own land, from the closest try possible are

going to are going to relate to me.

And then you come here and this is how this is, how the

unbelieving are embracing me. I'm gonna stay here.

I'm going to be, I'm going to be comfortable here.

I've been lacking this kind of love and support for so long.

And so, here's what we have to understand. as a community of

Believers, the warmth and the welcome that we share with one,

another should outshine should radiate without comparison to

those who are outside the family of God.

I mean there should be such an affection in this place.

There should be such a service, such a kindness, such a

willingness to support. And to sacrifice that it would

never be a Temptation in anyone to Crave the companionship of

those who are outside of Covenant with God.

That makes sense. I mean, we should be able to to

show walk in unity and so walk in love that when we look out

there, we would see a cruel world.

Nothing breaks my heart more and I've heard this more than once

throughout my Christian experience, nothing breaks my

heart more. When I here Christian a genuine

Christian and a Christian that finds a negative and a demon

under every Rock. But genuine Christians who say,

you know, it's so sad that non-christians in this area,

have been more of a blessing to me than Christians like it

shatters me, it shatters me and it's not an unrealistic

expectation. That should not be the case.

Now, I know there are some who will make an excuse of

everything and will magnify everything because they think

Christians should be should just be perfect.

I'm not saying that either, but I'm saying here is that the

treatment that David has endured could possibly have been the

reason one of the reasons why he was willing to just not visit

the area the Philistines but now live there I can I can ride this

out. But even though it may be true,

that there are some Believers in our lives, that contradict their

testimony and treat you and treat you like like dirt.

It never gives you a neither right to yoke with those who are

not yoke to Christ. Never When unfortunate, this is

what he does. He begins to not entertain and

associate with those that he's not supposed to and we read on

and see something in verse 7. Here's a third point and the

number of the days that David lived in the country of the

Philistines was a year and four months.

Wow, a year and four months. Why do you think the Holy Spirit

told us how long he was there for?

Maybe they tell us that he was there for a very long time and

he shouldn't have been And the patience of God, we're going to

see that next week. But not just that which is a

great point. We're seeing here a very

important point when it comes to entertaining, any disobedience

in our lives. That when we think that we will

just take a tour in the land of the Philistines, often you will

stay longer than you have anticipated.

You will end up finding a place that looks nice and you will end

up buying that place and staying there.

And I think the reason why David stayed so long is because he did

not see any consequences to his compromise.

He didn't if anything you're going to be here he's going to

see prosperity and success. So he's like this is wonderful.

I want to stay here. This is, this is better than I

thought. And that's unfortunately, what

many people do today? When Divine discipline is

delayed. And when there seems to be no

dangerous to your decisions, there is a deception in that

that causes you to stay in Disobedience longer.

Okay, so when David was with a quiche, the first time in first

name of 21, he felt he felt the danger, he felt the threats.

So what does he do? He falls over and he starts

acting drooling and scratching. He wants to get out of there.

This time when he comes, he's welcomed, he's given a town, not

a car, here's a town. He's like, whoa, okay.

And so, what's happening at? God is not saying I'm doing

something wrong. And these people were supposed

to hurt me. They're not hurting me.

The stuff that I'm doing the stuff that I'm watching the

stuff that I'm entertained, the stuff that I'm injecting.

The stuff that I am. This isn't hurting me.

It's actually helping me. And then what happens is you

begin to begin to dig your heels in and you become more Concrete

in your compromise. You don't have to turn there,

but I want to read a verse to prove my point.

It's in Ecclesiastes 8:11, just listen to this. it says, because

Ecclesiastes 8:11

the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily

The heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed

speedily. The heart of the children of man

is fully set on doing evil. So what happens is you press the

button that you're not supposed to press and nothing happens?

No doors open, no nothing underneath.

You opens up, you like? Wow.

And then you keep pressing and you keep burning says, do not

press. And that's the point.

The point is, this that men are set in their Disobedience

because there seems to be a delay in Divine discipline.

And it's a sad thing that the greatest encouragement that

people have. To not sin is that they don't

want to be punished for it. If that's your only motivation

to not sin. Then you're not going to know a

joy in the Lord and you're going to be deceived when there is.

As we heard an extended period of God's mercy over your life

and you thinking that you're going to get away with it.

David was there for a year and four months, that's a long time

and that's the point. I've seen it happen.

I've seen it happen in your house.

Can I tell you what? I've seen?

I've seen what a person has been truly saved and then they

backslide. Their backslidden state is worse

than when they were before they were saved.

Like you were messing with Satan's territory. and sometimes

like David, it was a year and four months Sometimes people

stay in that kind of condition for years before they wake up

again. and I can tell you they were just looking for some kind

of some kind of relief just for a moment and up becoming a

long-term commitment to compromise.

So, be careful. The scripture show is here that

we are able we are capable of remaining somewhere that we

never intended to remain in. Because that is how powerful the

pull of sin is the clutch of this obedience is so strong.

Verse 8, we see another point. Now, David and his men went up

and made raised against the guest rights.

The girls attackers sites and the amalekites for these were

the inhabitants of the land from old, as far as sure to the land

of Egypt and David would strike the land.

And we'll leave neither, man, nor woman alive and would take

away the Sheep, the ox, and the donkeys, camels, and the

garments, and come back to a quiche.

So now what's happening, is he has this place and I mean you

can imagine how excited David and his men were.

They've been living in caves for.

Who knows how long now they actually have a house houses

living rooms bedrooms. They can put their kids in a

comfy. Warm place that can actually

cook with instruments and tools that I have to wait for some

raid before they get more. And so now they're set in once

they're set, they feel boldness and a confidence to go out and

perform more raids and we have to be careful here.

David is not Killing Philistines.

And David is not killing Israelites.

These tribes are those who remain due to the failure of

Joshua and that generation would initially came into the Promised

Land. Remember, they were supposed to

eradicate all of these men, and they failed to do so.

So you know what David is doing? He's actually doing a good

thing, David is finishing, what? The previous generations, could

not complete. He is trying to actually obey

God in this, he is zealously obeying God.

How do you make sense of this? I think one way you can make

sense of it, is this. That's sometimes when somebody

is in this would be nice and they know the Lord, they know

God's word and they have a they have an area of compromising

their lives. One way.

They think that they can quiet. Their conscience is busying

themselves with righteous activity.

And so to silence that nagging voice.

That's saying that is wrong, that is wrong.

They want to justify that by telling themselves and maybe

even telling God. But look what else I'm doing?

Look what else I'm doing? Look at all these other things

that I am accomplishing for your will.

If it's not for me, this would have been done in my church.

Look at the role that I play. And so they begin to try to

balance, Consecration and compromise and they begin to try

to outweigh the good or the bad with the good.

And and this is this is really the pattern of many people's

lives. Unfortunately.

But here's the thing, God is not looking for you to give him more

good than your bad. He's looking for you and I to

repent. He wants you to just get rid of

the thing altogether. He wants obedience not

sacrifice. And listen if you're trying to

deal with your conscience it's not going to happen by getting

busier with religious activity. It's going to happen.

When you say I'm getting rid of this, I'm nailing it to the

Cross once and for all when you just put it aside and died to

that thing then you will know true Liberty then you know, a

true rest then you will be whole again.

But here's David think about it. He's in the land of the

Philistines and he is trying to obey God in another area and it

looks silly. It just it's actually sad.

It really is in David's mind. He's probably thinking that he's

right here. and often times, you see people He tried to do the

same who try to do the same. Remember nothing will be able to

truly. Give you that sense of healing

and restoration and completion until you confess, and you turn

away from it to try to spray it with righteous perfume isn't

going to work. the death of the thing is going to overwhelm

anything that you try to sprinkle it with, and I've seen

many people like that. We come to verse 10 and we see

another thing that happens when somebody willfully chooses to

step outside of God's will. When I, he's a square, have you

made a rated? A David would say against the -

Judah or against an egg above German Lima lights or against

the negative of the kenites. And David would leave neither

man nor woman alive to bring news to God thinking less.

They should tell about us and say.

So David has done such was his custom all the while he lived in

the country of the Philistines. So, what's happening here?

David is making these raids and he's actually, he's actually

chipping away at these amalekites and these different

people groups. But then he's coming home with

possessions and with animals and with clothing, and he's even

giving a portion of that to the king for his kind treatment of

him and his willingness to give him a town and all these

wonderful things. So the man asks, he's like,

where did you go to get this? Or probably with with Glee's.

I who did you take over this time now?

David told the truth. He's going to be in trouble with

that he's schtupping because what David is actually doing is

killing this man's allies. He and his people are enemies to

Israel. These tribes that we read in

verse 8, our enemies to Israel So what is David left to do?

What he did earlier when he also was disconnected to the Lord?

What was that he lies? He lies.

David has a lying problem and the more he's out of tune with

God, the more he gives into lying and he does it with ease

and he's like a professional at it.

And so he begins to tell him all, we went here, he's being

very general and he's telling he's not telling the truth.

Here's the point that I want to make that when a person who

knows God knows God's word, chooses, to come to a place,

where they compromised, in one area, it is inevitable where

they will compromise in another area.

Because when you think we'll look I've done this and nothing

has happened. The flesh.

Now, begins to tell you, well, if nothing happened here, that

what makes me think that, if I do this, that nothing will

happen. Nothing will happen.

If it didn't happen here. Surely won't happen here.

And what started as a little visitation to the land of the

Philistines. Look what it says here such was

his custom all the while he lived.

So now he develops a custom. Now he develops a habit and his

habit was to lie. His habit was to not tell the

truth. I'm sure David did not plan on

doing that. Back in verse 1.

He just wanted to be in a different location so that he

can be protected from Saul spies.

You say oh he's there we don't want to deal with it.

And now it went from that, give it a little bit of months and

now he is now lying, his custom house to be a Deceiver.

And so, it is with those who choose to who choose to go

outside of God's will, it begins with one thing, and then you

adopt another thing, and then another thing, and then now you

develop new habits. Now you're talking differently.

Now, you're regularly with those people regularly doing such

things. David's relocation led him to a

new habit. And he had no issue, adopting

this habit because he didn't see any consequence to his first

decision. But here's what we're about to

find out. David's relocation and his lying

is going to catch up to him very soon.

And the coming chapters he's going to see how every move that

he made, though. It did not show itself at first

ends up saying, here's the bill. Happens to all of us.

Look at verse 12, Here's the final thing and I he's trusted

David thinking, he has made himself an utter stench To His

People. Israel.

Therefore, he shall always be my servant.

Wow. So this is what happens David

over, the months, lies Tahitian and he believes him.

And because he believes him, his testimony is ruined.

He sees him as a traitor to his own people and not only does it

see him as a traitor. He actually sees him now as an

asset and he realizes that there's something I can do with

this David. And this man who came to a point

where he was exhausted and trusting God.

Has now reached the point where he's also going to be used by

the world. It went from finding relief.

To adopting a custom and now potentially being a vessel that

would do damage to the side that you once stood for and that was

God's side. Here's the point that I want to

make. David at this point.

Though he chose to be deceiving and maybe he thought that he it

was working like this is it like it can't go any more than this.

He's believing what I'm saying. What he didn't realize was that

because of his sin because of his persistence, a quiche is

going to make demands on David. And those demands will be near

impossible to refuse without without a price.

Meaning David could choose not to do what he's about to ask him

to do but if he did, he would expose himself and he might find

himself in a war himself. What am I trying to say?

Just quickly. Look at verse 1 of chapter 28,

in those days, the Philistines gathered their forces for war to

fight against Israel. And he said to David, understand

that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.

You see what is he saying here? That's not an invitation that's

a command and what is he saying? David, you're going to war with

us against the Israelites. now compare verse 1 here and verse 1

and verse 27 and think of how far those two things are from

from discouragement all the way down to potential apostasy This

is fascinating. And that's the point I want to

make in conclusion. That what began as a little trip

would end up becoming potentially.

Total allegiance to the wrong side.

And now David could potentially find himself going to war with

somebody that he vowed that he would never touch and that's all

himself. Be careful with discouragement.

I'm going to end up this way. If you know somebody who is

discouraged, don't underestimate where that can direct that

person and be what Jonathan was like and be what Abigail was

like a source of Hope. And if you are that person who

struggles with discouragement in your will, in your ambition, in

your, even your thoughts about God, your conclusions about how

things turned out in life. Do not fail to First spill that

before God's presence and do not in your pride Reserve, what you

feel from those who care about you and are able to grab you by

the hand and pull you out of that sinking sensation.

Discouragement is powerful, but more powerful is godly

encouragement so it can strengthen our hands.

So it can provide fresh gray. So it can provide great, great,

great and wonderful abilities to move forward and something that

we thought we could never endure again.

Let's ask God to help us showing its prey.

Lord in this moment tonight. We are so thankful for providing

us such Rich insight into something that we all have

experienced before and perhaps some are experiencing even

tonight. A sense of discouragement a loss

of Hope. Feelings.

Emotions conclusions. That might even lead us to make

decisions that would harm us and harm our testimony.

Laurie. Pray for those who are serving

either trying to serve you. Oh God.

But they are regularly choked by lies.

They are bent on looking at what is wrong instead of what is

right. We pray Lord that we would not

fail to take heed to the warnings found in this chapter,

we would long to pour our hearts before you and we would we would

be humble enough to speak to a brother or to his sister.

What make us sensitive enough to those around us, who might not

be quick to share what they feel and to be sensitive enough to to

show them that we love them so they can trust us.

And we just ask that you would help us.

Help us believe you in times where we don't see what we

believe. We need to see.

We feel like you're not giving us what we think we need and

what we've been praying for for so long.

Lord by your spirit. Would you just resurrect us?

Build this up again for your glory.

We don't want to fall into the Trap that David did.

We don't want to dishonor you oh God we don't want to be let into

disgrace because of discouragement.

Keep a strong, keep a strong. Keep this church strong.

May this church provide such a love.

That would make it very difficult for anybody.

To doubt. Your work in our hearts.

We want to give you all glory and praise for this Bible study.

In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

And amen. Let's stand and worship, Lord,

and closing, shall we?