If you would, turn with me again to 1 Samuel chapter 23. We'll begin in verse 19. I titled this message, Christ, the Rock of Division and the Way of Escape. You know, there's an old saying, it's kind of blunt, but it serves the purpose of what I'm trying to convey. This world will tell you that life begins with a slap on the backside and ends with a shovel of dirt in the face. And everything in between is just details of how we get from one to the other. And there are many in this world that would agree with that. David certainly could have. as we've looked at the last few studies of how Saul was in pursuit of him to take his life, to kill him.

But I have reason to doubt that he did. For the same reason, we as true believers don't feel that way either because we know, we've been taught, it's been revealed to us by God that he's behind every slap and every shovel. and that He is out to do us good in the process of our trials and our troubles and our tribulations. He sends them. And He sends them for our good. I hope we never just make that a cliche saying. I hope that Romans 8, 28 never becomes just a saying, a slogan to us. We know that all things work together for good. Because they do. God is the one that sends the trouble, and God is the one that causes them to work together for our good. It's to teach us and to continue to make us dependent upon Him. And it's for our good and for His glory.

As soon as David has his hand strengthened by Jonathan, as we saw at the end of the last study, we read here in verse 19, then came up the Zephites to Saul in Gibeah, saying, doth not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Haqqalah, which is on the south of Jeshimon, And in the margin, if you have a marginal Bible, it may say wilderness there. Now, an interesting thing here, reading that verse, betrayal often comes from the most unexpected places. The Zephites here who go to Saul and betray David are those of his own tribe of Judah. but instead of protecting him, they betray him. And there's another old saying that goes with enemies like that, who needs, you know, with friends like that, who needs enemies. And there's another saying that goes, the danger that cuts the dagger, excuse me, that cuts deepest is the one from a friend's hand. And then one more, an open enemy is better than a false friend. And that's what these guys were. They were fair weather friends. They were out to betray David for some gain of their own.

May we always remember that Judas was one of the Lord's closest friends. And in the verses before us, instead of standing with their brother and future king, the Zephyrites betrayed David to Saul. And again, we see how, in so many ways, David pictures the Lord and Jesus and the fact that God's chosen and anointed one, which David was, will face betrayal just as Christ did. Our Lord Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and his own people received him not. They were out to kill him at every turn. Our Lord was betrayed by his own. He came into the world and his own received him not, John 1 11.

But as we'll see in our study tonight, God did not abandon David. And we can draw encouragement from this because God will not abandon his people. He is able to deliver us. He is the rock that is higher than I. Man's plotting cannot overturn God's purpose. Now look at verse 20. Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down, and our part, this is the Zephites talking, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand. So here the Zephyrites show their willingness to betray David. They offered to deliver him into Saul's hand. And they not only display a willingness here to do so, they display a readiness to do so. They weren't asked by Saul to rat David out. They took it upon their own to do so.

Verse 21, and Saul said, blessed be ye of the Lord, for you have compassion on me. And again here, we see that Saul is oblivious to the Lord's will. You know, he again implicates the Lord in his deception. And it's in situations like this that we see that God is working all things together. for our good, for the good of those who love God, who are be called according to his purpose. But we also see just the opposite. How so? You might ask. Well, all things work together for evil to them. who have no love for God, who are not the called. Those who are not the called according to God's purpose, God uses them according to his purpose, but it's not to nor for their good.

Saul here is still attributing his evil intentions toward David, God's beloved, as the purpose of God in David's demise when in reality, His persistence in destroying David is gonna be to his own demise. And he speaks a blessing on these traitors. Remember how he said under the tree there with his men, nobody loves me, everybody hates me, you remember that? And he's still, here he says, blessed ye be of the Lord, for you had compassion on me. He speaks a blessing on them.

And here we see what false gratitude and self-deception does. This is clearly seen in false religion today. People easily distort the truth to justify their own actions and motives. It's nothing but just short-sighted thinking, but it's much more than that. It's deadly deception. This news brings Saul false security. It only prolongs his pursuit of David. It only delays God's judgment on him. And self-interest always, always leads to moral blindness.

Here Saul praises human scheming. But God's will is never served that way. Believers trust in God, not in plots or flattery. And look at verse 22. Saul says, go, I pray you, prepare yet and know and see his place where his haunt, now that word means foot, see his place where his foot is and who hath seen him there for he's told me that he dealeth very subtly. And that's speaking of David's constant movement. He escapes Saul at every turn, but it's not because of his subtlety. is because of the Lord's protection. And again, we see Saul's diligence in his pursuit. He'll go to any length, any extreme to kill God's anointing. And that's what Sina do. That's what sin will do. Men and women will go to any length to believe and convince themselves that they're right, regardless of what comes by divine providence and revelation.

Men and women seem bent on perishing in hell instead of admitting that the scripture is right and that they are wrong. I mean, I've heard some of the craziest excuses. I started to write them down, but you've heard them too. Well, my Bible didn't read like that. Well, what version of the Bible do you have? That's not what my mother believed. Well, your mother was wrong. You know, we'll go to great lengths to believe a lie instead of believing the truth. I believe Brother Mahan said one time, people leave their brains at home when it comes to Believe in the silly things. It's much easier to believe the truth than it is some of these far-fetched lies that men and women come up with.

But a sinner that God has crossed their path will relinquish their pride, admit their error, and throw themselves upon the mercy and the grace of God. That's what you did. Those of you that believe, that's what I did. I admitted, I've been wrong. I've been wrong all this time. I remember telling Teresa when we first heard the gospel, somebody finally told us the truth. And we throw away that pride. We admit our error and we throw ourself upon God's mercy and go, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Don't let me be wrong anymore.

And despite Saul's meticulous planning, David is safely and ultimately secured by God's will, not Saul's unrelenting efforts. And that should bring us some comfort. No matter what trial or trouble we're going through, what tribulation we may be experiencing, God's got it. He's got it. Human efforts are always subject to divine sovereignty. The world claims you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Have you heard anybody say that before? Well, you can do anything if you put your mind to it. No, sir, you cannot. You cannot. A man can do or receive nothing except it be given him from above. Isn't that what the Lord said? That's what the Lord told Pilate. Pilate said, don't you know I've got the power? He said, no, you don't have any power at all but that which God has given you.

Now Saul continues in verse 23 and he says, see therefore and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself and come ye again to me with the certainty and I'll go with you and it shall come to pass If He be in the land, then I'll search Him out throughout all the thousands of Judah." This is a man on a mission. And you know, I think back in the previous study, what has David done to Saul? Nothing. Nothing but serve him faithfully. Nothing but serve the kingdom. Nothing but console Saul in his Torment of the evil spirit by playing on the heart. He hadn't done anything.

And immediately you think of the Lord Jesus, who knew no sin, who lived this life perfectly. Never thought an evil thought, never said an evil word, and yet they hated him, and it truly was without a cause, wasn't it? They freely hated the Lord Jesus. Saul here speaking to the Zephites, give them orders to carefully spy out David's movements and hiding places and report back to him. And again, his determination is constant and continuous. And his obsession is just bent on hunting him down and killing him. And this spiritually highlights how persistent that evil can be when it opposes God's chosen people.

Our Lord spoke of the day when people, when he said, when people would kill God's servants and believe and claim that they've done service to God. And that's happened in history. And it could happen again. It sure could. Saul, no doubt, was such a one, but I can't stress this enough, friends, no matter how detailed or relentless man's strategies may be, they can never, ever overthrow God's protection and purpose for his people. Saul commanded them to take notice and knowledge where David hid himself. And though at the time David, I'm sure, had no understanding of this, he was hidden in Christ, while Christ hadn't yet come. He had been foreshadowed in pictures and types, but the point I'm making is that Jesus Christ is our hiding place. And Christ was safe from all enemies. That's why Saul could not catch David or do him harm.

Now look at verse 24. This is amazing. And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Mahon in the plain of the south of Jezumun. And Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David wherefore he came down into a rock and abode in the wilderness of Mahon."

And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Mahon. Now it's not, you know, I was thinking today, it's not until we truly see what's in ourselves, what we ourselves are capable of, that we can clearly see what's in others. And only then, Will we be more patient and understanding and forgiving towards others?

Human betrayal and loyalty are constant realities. This happens all the time. I'm sure there's not a person here tonight that at one time or another hasn't been betrayed by a friend. So we see that even when you do right, like David did, and like our Lord Jesus did, some is gonna choose to sell you out for their own advantage. The Lord warned us of that. He said, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. And if they've persecuted me, they'll also persecute you. So we should expect it, really.

David, God's anointed, was hunted without a cause, and the Lord Jesus Christ was hated without a cause. And do any of us, the sinners that we are, expect to be treated by the world any better than our Lord was? The world hates the righteous because righteousness exposes sin.

Let's just expose the world for a moment. This is why works religion hates the teaching of grace alone in Christ alone. I know people that hate this message that we preach. I mean, literally hate it. It makes them mad, angry. The teaching of grace alone in Christ alone, how could that make someone angry? Men have, will, and will always desire to have a hand in their redemption. And this is why they hate it. It's nothing but pride in the desire of self-sufficiency. Ever since the fall, man's bent has been, I can do it myself.

You know what it is? It's fig leaf righteousness. Same thing Adam and Eve did. What did they do when they sinned? Well, first of all, they saw they were naked. And they endeavored to cover themselves by what? The work of their own hands. Still going on today. That's why there's a church on every corner. And that's why the majority of folks believe that they themselves have to participate and cooperate with God in order for God to save them. It's idolatry of self. Idolatry is rampant today.

Now I know most folks aren't worshiping idols of gold and calves like they did then, and statutes and all that. They've made self their idol. To receive grace alone means acknowledging God's sovereignty and God's salvation and our inability and insufficiency to do anything of our own to be saved. So men endeavor to mix God's grace with their own efforts so that man still gets a share of the glory.

We talked about that in detail Sunday about God not sharing his glory with another. God gets all the glory. That's the whole theme of this book. God getting the glory and creation and providence and especially in salvation. Men and women don't want to admit their helplessness. A child of God, it's been revealed to a child of God that they can do nothing, and they're glad to admit their helplessness.

Grace requires humility. Pride hates that man is totally dependent upon God. And again, and this is so important to understand as to why this religious world hates the gospel. If salvation depends partly on me, partly on my works, my decision, my morality, then I retain some sense of control and some sense of importance. And that's the offense of the cross. Paul talked about the offense of the cross.

The cross declares that all my works and all my rituals and all my efforts are worthless. Not worth speaking of. Pure grace makes man nothing and makes God everything. What did Christ do for sinners? Everything. Everything that God required of them. God requires perfection from us. We can't provide it. Christ provided it. Everything that God required. Everything that we couldn't do, Christ did for us.

And surrendering everything to God offends this flesh because it strips man of his boasting. Isn't that what Paul said in Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9? You're saved by grace through faith. That's not of yourselves. It's almost like he just gets down on a first grade level. You're saved by grace through faith. Now, that's not of yourselves. like we talk to a young child. It's not by works that you could boast in. It's by grace. And that's the lesson found here in 1 Samuel 23. God's people may be hated, but they're never forsaken. David was never forsaken of God. He was forsaken of his friends. He was forsaken of his king. And you know, I was thinking today, as beautiful a relationship as him and Jonathan had. And we saw in the last study that Jonathan came to him and said, strengthened his hand in the Lord. But you know what? Jonathan went back home. Jonathan didn't join himself to David. So, but God never left him. And the Lord Jesus Christ said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. The whole world may, but I won't. I won't.

David shows us that in betrayal and hostility and opposition, God continues to be faithful to his own. Deliverance often comes in unexpected places, but it always comes, always comes. Verse 26, and Saul went on this side of the mountain and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. They're surrounded. That's what the word compassed means. Now try to picture this in your mind, what's going on here. Saul and his men are on one side of this mountain, and David and his men on the other side. There's a mountain separating them. You could call it a mountain of division. That mountain's what's separating them.

And even though David had all the assurance that God had given him that he was gonna be the next king, He'd been anointed by the prophet. God had used him to deliver Israel from the Philistines and the killing of Goliath. It was just obvious that he was gonna be the next king, and that Saul was not gonna be able to defeat him or kill him, yet he was still petrified in fear. What a picture that is of us. We have all the promises that God gives us in this book, and yet we still worry, and we fret, and we go, woe is me, and we're scared to death about things that we have no reason to be scared of.

But again, we see the sovereign providence of God. We see the deliverance of God. God always makes a way of escape for His people. Why do we worry and fret knowing this? Sin. Sin. And that's what Paul assures the child of God of in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 13. He said, with the trial, with the temptation, with the trouble, whatever it is, God will make a way of escape. that you, His child, may be able to bear. That word bear there means endure. God's going to make a way for you to endure whatever you're going through. God's people are going to endure to the end. Why? Because Christ hath He loved His own, loved them unto the end. That's our promise. That's His promise to us. God's going to keep us to the end. God's sheep will never perish. Why? Because Christ, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for the sheep. No one or nothing shall pluck them from His hand. That's His promise to us. He's not a man that He should lie. Son of man that He should repent. If He said it...

Verse 27, look at this. But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying haste thee and come for the philistines have invaded the land saw had david and his men compassed surrounded and circled but there's that little precious three-letter word again but regardless of Nevertheless, even so, in spite of that, be that as it may, all the same, there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Saul, you need to stop what you're doing here, and you need to get back because the Philistines have invaded our land back home. Was that just a random circumstance? Did that just, no, God sent the Philistines there to draw Saul away from David. Isn't that amazing? That's what I'm talking about. God's in control of every minute detail that goes on in this world. We can't see it, but we know that that's the case. He's sovereign, he's working all things after the counsel of His own will. It's called divine intervention.

And notice here how God's timing is always perfect. Always perfect. Saul's on the verge of capturing David, but God again intervenes. And at the last moment, through unexpected means, a Philistine invasion. God can use enemies to protect His people. God sovereignly used the Philistines to attack in order to deliver his servant David.

God always provides salvation from outside of us. David couldn't rescue himself. Likewise, we don't save ourselves. God acts on our behalf. God's grace often comes suddenly and unexpectedly. And the gospel of God is stepping in at just the right time. Just the right time.

When we say salvation is of the Lord, that means He saves how He pleases. It means He saves when He pleases. It means He saves as He pleases. When sin and death and judgment close in on us, just like Saul did on David, we find No escape within ourselves. Where does our salvation and deliverance come from? From the One that loved us and gave Himself for us.

And just as this messenger interrupts Saul's grasp on David, God sent a messenger to us. Some is the same messenger. But God sent a messenger of the Lord to us with the message that rescued us from sin, judgment, and the grasp of eternal judgment.

And I love those words by Paul in Galatians 4.4, it says, when the fullness of time was come. in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son. That's our only hope. I just love the word. God sent forth His Son. Why? To save this wretch from his sin. Sin had me defeated. I was dead in trespasses and sin. God's judgment was upon me, rightfully so. God's condemnation is what I deserve. But God, but God, who is rich in mercy, wherewith He loved us and gave Himself for us.

Now, look at verse 28, and here again we see the outcome and results of God's divine intervention. Verse 28, Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines, And they called that place, now bear with me on this, Sillahama Leckoff. I was thinking today, aren't you glad you don't have that as your address? Sillahama Leckoff, Kentucky, that's where I'm from. Oh my. But if you belong to Christ, that is your address. That is your address. In my marginal Bible, that word means the rock of division. It means the rock of escape. Jesus Christ is where we live. That's my address. So instead of saying that big, long word, selah, hema, lechah, I'll just say, I live in Jesus Christ. He's my rock of division. He's my rock of escape. He's where I live.

In the gospel, Jesus himself is our rock of division and escape. And David's place of safety was in that rock. There's a great deal of typical significance here. Time and time again in the Psalms, they mention the rock being the Lord. Jesus Christ is the true rock. He's the rock that's higher now. He's the solid rock. He's the firm foundation. Just as David found refuge in a rock, we find our eternal refuge in Christ Jesus, our rock. Psalm 1831, for who is God? Save the Lord. Or who is a rock? Save our God. Unto thee will I cry, O Lord, my rock. Be not silent to me. Psalm 281. For thou art my rock and my fortress. Therefore, for thy name's sake, lead me and guide me. Psalm 31 three. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be greatly moved. Psalm 62 two. Time and time again, it says he's the rock of our salvation. He is our rock and there is no unrighteousness in him. Psalm 92, 15, 24 times. In the Psalms alone, Christ is referred to the rock. No doubt in my mind, that's who this rock, this place typifies. Christ is the only place of safety we've got. No other place.

The Lord Jesus said, Peter, who do men say that I am? He said, some say that you're this, some say that. He said, who do you say that I am? Thou art Jesus Christ, you're the rock. There is no other. He said, I'm gonna build my church upon that rock. He wasn't talking about Peter. He's talking about himself. Another time, many of the disciples left him. Matter of fact, it's when he preached, he said, no man can come to me. And people got offended and they left. People still get offended over that message. You tell them they can't do something, it'll offend them. It'll make them mad. But they begin to leave him. And the Lord Jesus said, Peter, you gonna leave me also? What did Peter say? Where else we gonna go? You're the rock. Salvation to no other. You've got the words of eternal life. That's our only safety.

Thanks be to God, by His grace, that that becomes more and more apparent to us each and every day. Doesn't it? Where else am I gonna go? What else am I gonna do? Who else am I gonna put my trust in? Christ is the rock of division. He's the one that makes one to differ from another. And all of us have friends and all of us have family. And we get, I don't know, frustrated is the word, but you just, you want to shake them and say, why can't you say this? Because God had made it apparent to them. There was a time when you and I didn't believe it. You and I didn't bow to it until God divinely intervened and gave us the revelation.

But always remember that narrow is the way which leads to life. And few there be that find it. That's what the Lord said. He said, for many are called, but few are chosen. Few are chosen. Many hear the gospel, many are called to the wedding feast. But only a few called the chosen are enabled to respond in faith and obedience to that call because God gives them life. And this is the fruit of truly belonging to God in Christ. Not everyone who hears the gospel is going to be saved. Someone asked the Lord Jesus once, are there a few that be saved? And the Lord said, strive. Strive to enter in at the straight gate. That narrow gate. For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able. Not be able. My. Gate's narrow. It's the only way into God's kingdom. It's not wide. It's not easy. Or is it popular? It requires humility. It requires repentance. It requires faith. It's putting all our eggs in one basket. that being the basket of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that word strive means to agonize. It means to struggle, to contend, to earnestly fight, to enter in. And when you do, you'll forever be safe in the shepherd's fold. That's what the Lord Jesus said. He said, I'm the door for the sheep. They enter in, go out and come in. I'm that door.

David rested again from Saul's pursuit at the rock. Is that where you and I are resting? It's the only place to rest. The only place we can truly rest.

And look at verse 29, and David went up from thence and dwelt in strongholds at En-gedi. So again, we have confidence that God will preserve His anointed and chosen as He did David. You know that God, if you're in Christ, God loves you same as He did David. David was the apple of God's eye. David was a man after God's own heart. So are you, believer.

The sovereign God of the universe is my Father. Christ is our stronghold. A stronghold is a fortified place, a place that provides safety. It symbolizes security, protection, and refuge.

I read Psalm 27, one to you, in closing. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I fear? If the Lord's my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. I don't have any strength. We're without strength. Christ is our strength. He's the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?