8th December 2023

8th December 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - 1 Samuel 22:1-23


Message Alan Burke 


David was on the run, he escaped Saul by heading to the enemy of his people and had to pretend he had gone insane with the drool running down his face to get himself out of it. When he escapes he heads to the cave of Adullam and gathered to himself a bunch of desperate men. David was the precursor of Robin Hood, with his not so merry men. We know that David goes on to be king, to be one of the greatest kings in the history of the nation but at this point it almost seems like a tragic repeat of Saul, David is on a trajectory to crash and burn, he’s not acting as a man who has a heart for God, he’s not living by faith, he has taken his eyes off God, this is a shadow of the man that we had seen, he is failing to trust in God, he’s on the run, he deceiving everyone, he’s got a band of not so merry men. 


Saul meanwhile was enjoying life other this his paranoia as ruler. We don’t know how much time has past since David and Jonathan parted because of Saul and we are introduced to Saul here seated on a hill in the royal city, surrounded by his officials. Things though in the intermediate time had not got any better, Saul’s anger continues, his hatred of David and his paranoia is getting the better of him. Turning against those closest to him, accusing his servants of conspiring against him. He’s now aware of the covenant that Jonathan had made with David, he can’t even mention their names. 


Saul’s servants are silent in response to the accusations except one, Doeg the Edomite, who was Saul’s head shepherd, remember him, who was there when David was in Nob. While Saul’s servants it seems had some loyalty to David and Jonathan Doeg couldn’t care less, he was an Edomite, an enemy of God’s people, he is willing to use it all for his own advantage telling Saul what he had seen. While the officials of Saul are unwilling to do anything Doeg he is willing and kills them all, the inhabitants of Nob, the priests, the men, women, children and infants, the cattle, donkeys and sheep, he didn’t need to be told twice, Saul is a tragic paranoid, revengeful figure, increasingly isolated even from those who are supposed to be closest to him, his family, advisers, servants, officials, only the enemy of God’s people Doeg is on his side who slaughters the people of Nob. 


The close of the chapter twenty two David learns of the tragedy that has befallen upon the priests of the Lord. Abiathar son of Ahimelech comes to David and tells him what happened and David admits that he knew Saul would be told, he knew he was responsible for the death of Abiathar’s family and invites him to stay. I mentioned earlier that there were no moral judgement made by the text about David’s actions, his deception, his desperation, nothing is said and in a sense there is nothing that needs to be said for David knew fine well that while he did not bear the sword he was the one responsible for the deaths of many. Rarely are the decisions that we make in desperation by ourselves the wise ones, David had sought the Lord while in Nob, Doeg had seen him but I suspect his own desperation had blinded himself to the guidance he had been given.


There are often two different types of enquiry when people come to me when they want to know what the scriptures say. There are those who come and have already decide the course of action ahead of them, where there next step will be and their coming for advice is only to placate others or their own conscience and there others who come and who are actually seeking the Lord and his will in the midst of what they face. Sadly I think when David went to Know it was the first type of enquiry, he had already decided the course of action ahead of him and was only coming to placate his own conscience. He faced the unintended consequences of his moral failure, the text doesn’t need to comment because we see the consequences of David’s sins and it impacts others more than himself. Our sin has consequences it’s stating the obvious I know but it is true. They have consequences in our own lives and often in the lives of those around us but today we have taken Self-actualization to the extreme and are more concerned about what makes us happy and fulfilled even if it destroys the lives of those around us. Part of the Christian walk is to die to ourselves, our sinful desires and to seek to be holy. This is known as sanctification. Why we do this is because of just how much Christ Jesus has done for us and for anyone who calls themselves a believer then they should be seeking to die to self and live for Christ 




Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q10 How did God create man?
God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. (Gen. 1:26–28, Col. 3:10, Eph. 4:24)
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