August/07/ 2022
David
Part 4
Caves and Crowns
Psalm 142:4 NLT “I look for someone to come and help me,
but no one gives me a passing thought!
No one will help me;
no one cares a bit what happens to me.”
GOD HIDES US IN CAVES TO PREPARE US FOR CROWNS.
3 things about caves…
1. God uses caves to PROTECT us.
If you are in the cave moment…
a. Maybe the TIMING is not yet right
I Samuel 22:1 “So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 “For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.2
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.3
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.4
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.5
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.6
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.7
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.8
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
b. Maybe YOU are not yet right
2. God uses caves to CONNECT us
1 Samuel:22 1-2 “So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. 2 Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men.”
Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
3. God uses caves to INSPECT us
I Samuel 24:1-7 “After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.”
July/31/ 2022
DAVID
Part 3
Harps and Spears
1 Samuel 18: 6-7“When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.[a] 7 This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
1 Samuel 18:8-9 “This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
1 Samuel 18:10 “The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.”
Psalm 55:12-14 “If an enemy were insulting me I could endure it. If a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is YOU, a man like myself, my COMPANION, my CLOSE FRIEND with whom I once enjoyed SWEET FELLOWSHIP as we walked with the throng in GOD’S HOUSE.”
3 reasons people throw spears…
1. FEAR
1 Samuel 18:10-12 “The next day an evil[a] spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul.”
2. ANGER
1 Samuel 18:8 “This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!”
3. JEALOUSY
1 Samuel 18:6-8 “When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.[a] 7 This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
James 3:15-16 “For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.”
What do you do when others throw their spears at you?
1. TAKE A BREAK
I Samuel 19:9-10 “But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit[a] from the Lord suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp, 10 Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.”
2. TALK TO A FRIEND
I Samuel 20:1 “He went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How did I sin against your father? Why is he trying to kill me?”
3. TIME WITH GOD
1 Samuel 21:1 “David went to Nob to see Ahimelech the priest.”
4. GET BACK TO WORK
I Samuel 18:13 “ David faithfully led his troops into battle. 14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.”
July/24/ 2022
DAVID
Part 2
Valleys and Victories
1 Samuel 17: 3 “The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with THE VALLEY between them.”
1. In the valley we feel UNDERUTILIZED
1 Samuel 17:17 “Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
2. In the valley we feel UNDER-APPRECIATED
1 Samuel 17:26 “David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
3. In the valley we feel UNDER-RATED
1 Samuel 17:31 “ What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
Just because God has SAID it about you doesn’t mean everyone will SEE IT in you.
3 things to remember in the valley…
1. The valley will REVEAL your true IDENTITY.
1 Samuel 17:39 “I cannot go in these,” … “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
2. The valley will RELEASE your greatest VICTORY.
Your valley time might be God’s opportunity time.
3. The valley will REQUIRE your full DEPENDENCY
1 Samuel 17:45-46 “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.”
