Providence Versus Permission

Amen. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. I am excited about the future of Matthew's ministry, especially as he becomes a father because when you are a parent, you learn grace in a way deeper than you can never experience anywhere else. Um, your love is unbounded, your willingness to sacrifice is increased, and there comes a day when the mess is not limited to the diaper. It happens in real life. and uh and you just learned grace. And I'm excited for Matthew. I appreciate that introduction. It touched my heart. And that vision of the unseen hand is something that we've seen in the life of David. And we're going to go back to the life of David. So, if you got your Bibles with you, let's turn to 1st Samuel chapter 26, 1st Samuel chapter 26, because if you follow the story of David carefully in the book of 1st Samuel, there's something that you're going to start to notice. The wilderness, this desert land is doing something for David and in David. David was anointed king 10 chapters ago. In chapter 16, he was anointed king. So, the oil has already been poured. The prophet Samuel has already declared David as God's anointed. The future king of Israel has already been identified. And yet, the crown does not immediately come. Instead of moving towards the throne, David is moving in caves. And instead of royal robes, he's wearing the dust of the desert. And instead of a palace, he's making his bed among rocks and and ravines. So this long stretch that we've been in from 1st Samuel chapter 16 all the way up to this point right here is God's way of ensuring that David is Israel's next king is going to be shaped more by dependency on him than by pride. So so in this wilderness in this desert God is building something and I take great joy in that because many of you are in a wilderness now in a desert now. And I want to let you know that God is at work and God is building something in your life, something good. So when we arrive here at chapter 26, what's going to happen is is we're going to look we're going to see an encounter that is strangely familiar. And for us, it's it's going to be almost like deja vu because just two chapters ago, David had spared Saul's life in Engeti. And here we are two chapters later. He's going to have to spare Saul's life again. And back there two chapters ago, Solid repented. Solid cried. Solid said, "David, you're surely going to be king." And then we come to chapter 26. Let's start with the first verse. Chapter 26. And the Zephanites came unto Saul to Gib saying, "Do not David hide himself in the hill of Hackalah, which is before." Okay, so let me let me dig this here. Saul is chasing David again. The wilderness of Ze appears again. Saul has 3,000 soldiers to accompany him again. David's life is placed in jeopardy again. Now, it sounds like repetition, but let me tell you something. The Holy Spirit doesn't waste ink. When scripture reveals and revisits moments like this, it's because something deeper is going on. And God's not testing David, he's shaping David's heart. Now, let's dig it. And the Zephanites. Well, that might sound familiar to you because back in 23, chapter 23, they were the same people that betrayed David. So, let's dig it. The Zephanites betrayed David again. And and and same betrayal, same enemies, same danger. Sometimes life feels like that. You think you've moved past something. You think you're over your ex who you thought was the love of your life. And you think the conflict is over. You think the wound is healed. And then suddenly the same trial returns, the same criticism, the same adversary, the the same spiritual battle. And there's so there's something so painfully realistic about this moment because we live life in a fallen world. And and in that world that life often cycles through these tests that seem so familiar and and many of the challenges we face in life, we face again and again and again just in in slightly different forms. Old wounds are reopened. Old adversaries reappear, old temptations reassurface. Let me tell you something. God's not interested in what you once did to handle something because he's actually more interested in shaping who you're becoming. And so the Zephanites, so I can tell you, they they run to Saul again and they say, "David is hiding right over there again." And and Saul doesn't hesitate. Verse two. And then Saul arose parenthetical again and went down into the wilderness of Ze again having 3,000 chosen men of Israel with him again to seek David in the wilderness of Ze again. And Saul pitched in the hill of Heca at which and by the way David abodeed in the wilderness and he saw Saul come after him into the wilderness. Verse four, David therefore sent out spies and understood that co Saul was come in very deed. So I want you to notice that number 3,000 again. He's always bringing 3,000 to hunt down David. Which tells you something about Saul, right? He's afraid. He's insecure.

Insecure power always needs a crowd. They always need a posi. They always hide in a group. And here's Saul. He's got an entire army. He's got a throne. He's got a crown. But he's terrified of a man living in the wilderness. Because a lot of times, let me tell you something. Guilt is always scared of righteousness. But I want you to notice something else. He's bringing that same force as before. 3,000 soldiers against David's 800 600 men. And some people might read this and think David's outnumbered. And mathematically that might be true. But what we know as Christians and what any discerning Bible student knows is that 3,000 people don't stand a chance against God. David's not alone. David has God. And if scriptures taught us anything, 3,000 men mean nothing when God has decided who will sit on the throne. As a matter of fact, later in the book Bible, we see 180,000 people pitched up against one blind prophet and a servant. God wiped them out. So 3,000 mean nothing. 180,000 mean nothing. Feeding 7,000 and 5,000 people with two fish mean nothing. A giant means nothing. A red sea with the enemy bearing down on you mean nothing when you have a holy God. And David arose. It says verse five. And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched. And David beheld the place where Saul lay. So Saul's sleeping. And Abner, the son of Near, the captain of the host, and Saul lay in the branch, I'm sorry, and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. then answered David and said unto him the Hitittite and Abashi, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" And Abashi said, "I will go down with thee." So here's what David does. He goes to scout Saul's camp. And what he sees surprises him. Saul and his army, if you, if you missed it, the King James, Saul and his army are asleep. All of them right in the middle of camp. So here's David Nabashi. It says verse 7. So David Nabashi come to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench and his spear stuck in the ground at the bolster. Y'all, King James bolster means it's his pillow. It's place where he laid his head. They always kept their weapons by their head, by the way. And and so Saul was asleep in the trench with his spear stuck in the ground at the bolster. And Abner and the people lay round about him. So, the king is sleeping. The spirit is stuck in the ground beside his head. Now, let me tell you something. If you've been halfway paying attention during this sermon series, you know that Saul's spear has a history. That spear has been thrown at David twice. That spear has been thrown at Jonathan's own son because he was a friend of David. Saul has used the spear to try and pin David to a wall. It's become a symbol of Saul's violence. And now here it is right beside Saul's head stuck in the dirt.

Almost as if God is saying, "David, here's the weapon that has tried to kill you." Almost as if God's saying, "David, here the here here's the man who threw it." Almost as if God is asking, "What are you going to do now?" This opportunity is unbelievable. And we got a a lot of Christians out here who live by circumstance. They interpret like they have a spirit of deonation, the tea leaves, and they would look at the circumstance and they would think, "Ah, you know, the doors open." And right on Q, right on Q, David's companion, Abashai, says this, verse eight, then Abashai said to David, "God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day." Now, I want y'all to listen carefully because what Abashai is saying sounds so spiritual. He says, "Hey, look at the circumstance. This must be God's will." He even says, "Dig this now. Therefore, let me smite him. I I pray thee with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not spite him smite him a second time." Here's what he's saying. Hey Dave, easy peasy. Just one thrush. Just one. I I'm not even gonna have to do it. I just let me stick him to the ground. That's all I got to do. And I say that because I mean he said, "David, I can solve this problem real quick. Just leave it up to me." But that's how often temptation works, doesn't it? It doesn't sound evil. It sounds practical. It sounds reasonable. It sounds justified. Right here, David is saying, "David, I mean, I'm sorry, right here, Abashai is saying, David, God has clearly arranged this. The enemy is asleep. The weapon is right there. This is your moment." Just a couple of things wrong with that. Saul's not the enemy. He's trying to kill David, but he's not the enemy. He's an Israelite. As a matter of fact, David's king. He's a bad king, but he's a king. And sometimes the greatest temptation we face is not the temptation to do something that's obviously wicked. Sometimes the greatest temptation we face is the temptation to do something that appears justified. Saul has been chasing David for years. Saul has been throwing spears. Saul has murdered the priest. Saul has lied. Saul has betrayed. And now it appears that God has placed Saul completely defenseless. If there's ever a moment for revenge, this would be it. And Abashai interprets these circumstances as permission. But circumstances, hear me loudly. Circumstances are not reliable indicators of God's will. God's word is. And David understands something that Abashai has yet to learn. Just because an opportunity exists does not mean it should be taken. Just because an opportunity exists doesn't necessarily mean it should be taken. And David answers with one sentence that reveals the heart that is God is forming in him. It says in verse 9, "And David said to Abashai, destroy him not, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless." So David says, "No, no, Abashai." Not because Saul deserves mercy. He absolutely does not deserve mercy. But David refuses because, you know, God is still sovereign on his throne. Let's keep on reading. And David said furthermore, as the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him. As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed. But I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruise of water, and let's go. So David understands something that many people struggle to understand. If God has promised the throne, David doesn't need to steal it. Because here's a life lesson. How you obtain authority shapes how you're going to exercise it. And if David attained it through assassination, then assassination is going to become part of the kingdom. So David has learned something deeper. God's promises do not need our violence to help it come true. And sometimes the voice urging us towards revenge does not come from an enemy. Sometimes it comes from somebody who cares deeply about you. Because Abashai, he loved David. But just because somebody loves you doesn't mean they're going to give you the best advice. Abashai loves David. He was loyal and protective. And from his perspective, he was trying to solve David's problem. But not every well-intentioned voice is leading us towards wisdom. And sometimes God will allow moments like this to reveal whether our decisions are going to be guided by human advice or or divine conviction. Let's pick back up with verse 11. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed, but I pray thee, take now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruise of water, and let us go." So David took the spear and the cruise of water from Saul's bolster. And they got them away. And no man saw it nor knew it, neither awakened. Here we go. for they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them. So you dig what just happened? David refuses to to harm Saul, but he takes two items. He takes Saul's spear and he takes the water jug. And there's a little bit of symbolism going on here because the spear represented Saul's authority in his violence. and the water jug in the desert represents it. I mean life, sustenance. So David leaves camp holding on to both of them. And I just want to pause here and appreciate how remarkable this scene is because here's David and Abashai. They've just walked into the center of the military camp with 3,000 soldiers. 3,000 soldiers. Now the soldiers are asleep, but it's 3,000 soldiers. That tells me that David is getting into a point where he's operating out of his identity. You remember how Abraham took up Isaac and they're like, "Where's your sacrifice? Is the Lord's himself's going to provide a sacrifice having and here's we're told in Hebrews, he worked out in his head that God had resurrection authority. So even if he does sacrifice Isaac, Isaac is going to raise again because God promised him he's going to bring this vast multitude out of his son Isaac." Abraham had worked that out. I think David had worked this out. Hey, God told me I was going to be king. That means I'm not going to die. That means I can go right up to this dude and I can talk to him. Oh, he's asleep. Well, let's not wake him. Let's take a spear in his jug. But man, how would you like to be the guys that were charged with protecting the king that night? Dude, you had one job and David got within this of earning your employment, you know, waking up. Hey, where's the king's spear? Hey, where's the king's water? And then David's standing off in the distance holding on to both. And you know, I had one job, protect the king, but then then they slept through the whole thing. And I think what I think about this because sometimes God reminds us that armies are not nearly as impressive as we think they are. Let's pick back up with verse 13. And then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill a far off. Great space between them. David cried to the people and to Abnner, saying, "Answerest thou not Abnner?" And Abnner answered and said, "Who art thou that cries to the king?" So Abnner is like the chief of staff. He's calling him out. David said to Abnner, "Art thou not a valiant man? Who is like thee in Israel, O MMA fighter? And wherefore uh then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For they came one of the people in to destroy the king, thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruise of water that is at his bolster. David climbs the hill far away. He's calling out Abnner. He begins to shout, "Hey, great protector of the king. You had one job. I came to the camp. You didn't even know." And then he holds up the spear in the water jug. Says, "Whose spear is this?" Now, imagine sitting there realizing David had been standing over him while he he slept. David could have ended his life, but but instead, he just took a spear. And then we pick up with Saul's second confession. Verse 17. And Saul knew David's voice and said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" David said, "It is my voice, my lord the king." And he said, "Wherefore, my lord, do thou pursue after a servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand?" And now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord, the king, let my king, my lord the king, hear the words of his servant. If the Lord hath stirred them against me, let him accept an offering. But if they be the children of men, curse be they before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, "Go serve other gods." Now therefore, let not my blood fall the earth before the face of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea. Is when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. Then said Saul. So David's sitting there saying, "I'm a flea. I'm just a little bird and you're hunting me down. What's going on with that?" And David said, and Saul said, "I have sinned. Return my son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool, and I have aired exceedingly." So here we go. Saul hear David's voice once again. Saul says, "I have sinned and I'm not going to harm thee once again." But now we know something. See, Saul's repentance is is kind of shallow. You know, not every apology indicates transformation. Some people are sorry just for a moment, but they haven't changed in their heart. And David now understands this, which is why he kept his distance. He returns the spirit, but he does not return to Saul's court because s grace grace does not require naive. Doesn't require us to be naive. And wisdom knows the difference between forgiveness and trust. But let's talk about David's theology of trust because David says something extraordinary in verse 22. And David answered and said, you know, Saul's like, "I'm so sorry. Come on. I'm so sorry." David answered and said, "Behold the king's spear. Let one of the young men come over and fetch it." Here it goes. The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness. See, David refuses to take vengeance because he trusts in something greater. a God who sees, a God who judges, a God who rewards righteousness. And and David doesn't need revenge because he trusts in the justice of that God. And this is one of the hardest lessons I think in spiritual life.

God deals with wrongs better than we do. And David continues. He said, "For the Lord delivered thee into my hand this day, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed. And behold, as thy life was much sat by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord. And and let him deliver me out of all tribulation." And then Saul said to David, "Blessed be thou, my son of David. Thou shalt both do great things and shalt still prevail. So David went his way and Saul returned to his palace. There is a If you've ever let read the life of the story of Corey Tinbone, the children might not know it, but the older adults do. She actually was a young Jewish lady that lived in the concentration camp. Watched her family get exterminated, watched multiple, multiple others be gassed by the Nazis. And after the war, Corey took that horrible thing. She wrote a book called The Hiding Place and talks about it. But she was on a lecture tour one time when a German came up to her and said, "It is good to know that God forgives." and he reached out to shake her hand and she recognized him because he was one of the guards at the concentration camp. One of the ones that humiliated him, one of the ones that drug children and adults to the gas station. And she realized in that moment what she says is realized that he was seeking forgiveness and asking. And she said, "My hand was paralyzed by my side and I said a simple prayer. Help me Jesus. and she said, "I extended my hand

and as our hands touched, a love and a joy flooded over my soul that I cannot explain. It was the love of God." And um she said, "The love of Christ flooded her heart like a current." Y'all, that's what a moment looks like when you lay down a spear in your hand. Because sooner or later, every one of us is going to stand where David stood. There's going to come a moment when we all have a spear. A moment where someone has wounded us. A moment where we could retaliate. A moment when revenge would feel justified. And what the voice of the L world will tell us and and exactly what Abashai whispered. Hey, now's your chance. Take the spear. gut him ended. But David looked at the spear and he saw something bigger. Kingdom that was not yet his to rule. He understood that the kind of king that he would become depended on the kind of decisions that he would make every single day. And so what David did right here is he stepped back and he let Saul lived and he walked away holding the spear, refusing to use it. And I say that because centuries later, the son of David would stand before his enemies. And by this time, the spear would not be taken away from him. But John 19:34 says that the Roman soldiers pierced his side with it. That of course person was Jesus. And then those same soldiers would would take the Lord and put nails into his hands and to his feet, driving hands into his hands. And Jesus prayed for these people, saying, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." So David spared Saul, but Jesus saved us sinners. David withheld the spear, but Jesus actually received it in a side because the kingdom of God is not built on revenge, built on grace. And the people who follow Jesus learned something extraordinary. We learn that the greatest act of ge uh the greatest act of strength is actually laying down the spirit. So if you'd like to follow Jesus, this past not easy, but it's always best. And we'll give you that chance as we sing stand sing him number one. We'll sing the first and last stand of him number one. Open

up.

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