Our merciful Heavenly Father,
we come into your presence in Christ's name. And Lord, we ask
in his name that you would be pleased in your mercy to meet
with us, to speak in power to our hearts. We pray that your
gospel would be preached in the power of your spirit, that we'd
be given hearing ears. Lord, speak to us. Don't leave
us to ourself, for Christ's sake. Lord, we confess our sins. We
pray for forgiveness and cleansing. And Lord, how we thank you for
the free forgiveness of sins that we have in our blessed son.
Lord, be with all your people wherever they meet together.
In Christ's blessed name we pray. Amen. This verse introduces a real decline in
David's life for 14 months. He goes into the land of the
Philistines and serves the Philistine king. And it's just amazing how
low David goes at this time. But I shouldn't say it's amazing
because if I know myself I should never say that. Somebody says
I'm amazed. Well you ought not be. You ought
not be. Now David at this time is overcome
with unbelief." Look what he said. And David said in his heart,
and this is where problems generally begin when we start speaking
in our heart, the thoughts, the things that come through our
mind. David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by
the hand of Saul. Now, God had promised he wouldn't,
hadn't he? God had said, you're going to
be king. But yet, he says this in his heart, he comes up with
this, I shall now one day perish by the hand of Saul. There's
nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into
the land of the Philistines. He starts scheming about how
he can protect himself. And this made sense to him, if
I go into the land of the Philistines, Saul won't chase me anymore.
I'll be safe, I'll be secure. So shall I escape out of his
hand. God had promised he would be
king and Saul knew this. Look in the last verse of chapter
26. Then said Saul to David, blessed
be thou my son David. Thou shalt both do great things
and also shalt still prevail. You're going to get through this.
So David went on his way and Saul returned to his place. David
said that as soon as Saul made that statement. He was overcome with unbelief.
Now, the first thing that I ask myself when I think of this is,
what is unbelief? That's a good question, isn't
it? What is unbelief? Unbelief is a failure to believe
what God has said in His Word. It really is that simple. It's
a failure to believe what God has said in His Word. Now, he had been given every
assurance from God himself that he was going to be the king of
Israel. Yet, he says in his heart, you
don't think of all the stuff that goes through your heart.
Think of all the unbelieving, sinful, weird, strange things
that go through your heart. Well, David had the same problem
you do, same problem I do. And he had all these things going
through his heart. Unbelief is born of leaving.
Hebrews 12, 1 and 2, looking unto Jesus, the author and the
finisher of our faith. Unbelief fails to do that. So David says in his heart, this
is what I need to do. And this is where he got in trouble.
And this is where he started this fleshly scheme. And that's
all you can call it, a fleshly scheme and how he could protect
himself. Now, what David thought in his
heart quite simply was not true, was it? God had already anointed
him king. His kingship was sure. There
is no way Saul was going to be able to get him. So what David
thought in his heart, quite simply, was not true. And it makes me
ask myself the question regarding the things that go through my
heart. What all goes through your heart?
You know, most of the stuff that goes through our hearts just
is not true, is it? It certainly wasn't in this case.
And not only was this not true, this thing that David thought,
he had no evidence to back it up. On the contrary, he had nothing
evidence, but it wouldn't happen. Look how many times God delivered
him. He was always being delivered out of the hand of Saul. I mean,
how many times have we read about this in the last several months? Going through the history of
David, the evidence says, no, that's not taking place. God
is continually delivering you. And yet, David still said this
in his heart. And this is also contrary to
God's promise concerning the sure mercies of David. This was
blatant unbelief. And it was contrary to what he
had said before. Think of David saying, the Lord
is my light. Of whom shall I be afraid? Oh,
you think of the courage that sometimes he would show in trusting
the Lord, but now he says something totally different. And what he said was contrary
to the facts. Do you know God had already ordained
that Saul was going to be killed? And we read about it in the next
chapter. He was contrary to the facts. God had already taken
care of Saul, but yet here David is saying this in his heart,
I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul. Now, I think it's
glorious to think, as we go on reading, The Lord brings David
into Ziklag, and Ziklag at one time was a part of Judah, and
the Philistines had taken it over, and now he's in Ziklag,
which is where God is going to anoint him king of Judah once
again. God's gonna bring good out of all this, but David doesn't
see it. He sees nothing but despair. It's nothing but trouble, and
I'm gonna get killed. Now, how could David Be so overcome
with unbelief. My next question is, do I really
need to ask that question? I don't think so. Every one of us has experienced
the same unbelief in light of the great truth of the gospel. Every one of us has experienced
the same unbelief that David did. You see, David was a man. He was a man after God's own
heart. He was a special man, but he was a man, and a saved
man, a man with a new nature, but a man who still had what
is called the old nature. He had two natures, and understand
this. When we talk about the two natures,
do you know the new nature always believes, and the old nature
never believes? Remember when that man cried,
Lord, I believe? He meant it, he did believe.
Help thou mine unbelief. So you have these two things
working together all the time, as long as you have two natures.
And David was overcome by unbelief. Now, Galatians chapter 5 verse
17 says the flesh lusts against the spirit. The flesh, that's
my old nature. It wars against the spiritual
nature going on within me. And the spirit, the spiritual
nature, lusts against the flesh. It wars against the flesh. And
the scripture says these two are contrary one to another.
They are at odds. They fight. They hit so that
you cannot do the things that you would. And you find that
in your own experience. Aren't you thankful for Romans
chapter 7? I love that passage of Scripture every time I read
it. Well, let's go read it. Romans chapter 7. Now David, the man after God's
own heart, at this time was overcome with this thing of unbelief.
Now look what Paul says beginning in verse 14 of Romans chapter
7. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold
under sin. Do you know that about yourself?
The law is spiritual. I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow
not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that
do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the
law that is good. Now then it's no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me,
that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For to will is
present with me. But how to perform that which
is good? What are those next three words? I find not. Now that was his experience.
For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would
not, that I do. Now what we're dealing with right
now is an honest man. That's the best way to describe
him, an honest man. He says in verse 20, Now if I
do that which I would not, it's no more I that do it, but the
sin that dwelleth in me. For I find in a law that when I would
do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law
of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in my members." That's his experience. O wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with my mind I myself serve the
law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Now here we have
two separate natures working within one person, and that's
what was happening with David. Now turn with me for a moment
to Exodus chapter 17. Now this is the story of the
first battle that took place once Israel left Egypt. This is when the battle began.
The Amalekites attacked Israel at this time. And the Amalekites
represent the flesh, and there's something very interesting about
this. Look in verse 8. Then came Amalek
and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose
us out men, and go out and fight with Amalek tomorrow. And I'll
stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
So Joshua did as Moses had said to him and fought with Amalek.
And Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill and it came
to pass when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand,
Amalek prevailed. Now do you see the typology? Sometimes Israel prevailed. Sometimes
it looked like the new man was winning. Sometimes it looked
like the old man was winning. Amalek was winning. Whenever
Moses lifted up his hands, looking to Christ, Israel prevailed. When his hands went down, he
quit looking to Christ. Amalek prevailed. And in the
experience of a believer, as far as the way we feel, sometimes
we see Christ prevailing in us. Sometimes it seems like Amalek
is winning. And that is our experience. I'm glad the Bible points this
out. Verse 12, But Moses' hands were
heavy, and they took a stone and put it under him. And he
sat thereon, and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one
on the one side and the other on the other side. And his hands
were steady until the going down of the sun, as he was unable
to keep them up. And Joshua disconfitted Amalek
and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said
unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in
the ears of Joshua. For I will utterly put out the remembrance
of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and
called the name of it Jehovanise, for he said, Because the Lord
has sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation
to generation." This is a battle that will never be over, this
war with Amalek. And I think this is real interesting.
Turn to 1 Samuel chapter 30. I was wanting to save this before
we get there, but I still think it's very interesting. 400 men, The Amalekites had smitten Ziklag,
had robbed David and all the men of their wives and property
and everything. And 400 men went after the Ziklags,
the people who had raided Ziklag, the Amalekites, to defeat him.
And we read in verse 17 of 1 Samuel chapter 30, and David smoked
them from twilight even into the evening of the next day,
and there escaped not a man of them except 400 young men. 400 Amalekites escaped. 400 Israelites
came in to raid and 400 Amalekites escaped, which lets you know
that the old man is going to be there until we die. That's
just the way it is. The old man is going to be there
until we die. And doesn't that make you look forward to dying
in that sense? When I die, I won't deal with sin anymore. I won't
deal with unbelief anymore. Oh, Lord, Even so, come Lord
Jesus. That's what every believer looks
forward to. But now somebody says, well, how did David get
this way? Same way you and I can. David had an old nature that
was nothing but sin. And this actually leads, this
fit of unbelief that he had, turn back to our text in 1 Samuel
27, it leads to one of the darkest periods of
his life. And he had several dark periods
in his life, but at this time he actually goes into the land
of the Philistines and becomes a servant to the king of Gath,
the enemies of Israel, the enemy of God. He actually became the
keeper of his head. Now let's read in this chapter
and see what all happened to David as a result of this unbelief. Verse 2. And David arose, and
he passed over with the 600 men that were with him unto Achish
the son of Maok, king of Gath." Now, he got his information from
his heart, and so he passed over to the king of Gath. I think
that language is interesting. He passed over to the king of
Gath. Now, what is Equally interesting
about this chapter, in 1 Samuel chapter 26, David acted as nobly
as he's ever acted. I mean, you see the graciousness
of his actions. And now, all of a sudden, he
goes from up here to way down here. And I got to thinking about
this in my own life. Anytime, here's the facts, failure
usually follows success. Any time, with that exception,
that the Lord has enabled me by His grace to do the right
thing in a situation, you know what I do? I become proud. Every
time. Never has happened. Never have
been delivered from that. Look what I did. Look what I
did. Scripture says pride goes before destruction. and a haughty
spirit before the fall." Well, I imagine when David acted the
way he did in 1 Samuel 26, he started feeling pretty good about
himself. Look what I've done. I know anytime, anytime without
exception, that the Lord gives me the grace to do the right
thing in any situation, I always become proud of it, every time.
And I know that happened with David, and that's part of his
spiraling downfall. The Lord will say, okay, well,
here's what you are. So he did this and he passed
over with the 600 men that were with him into Achish, the son
of Maok, king of Gath. Now this is his second encounter
with Achish. You can read about the first one in 1 Samuel chapter
21. Remember when David started acting
like he was crazy and let spit go down his beard and scrabbing
at the door and Achish sent him out and said, I don't want a
madman here. And he sent him out and he went and hid in the
cave Adalim. Now, Achish means just a man,
and Maok means oppression. He was looking to just a man
for safety, and all it brought on was oppression. He was doing
a very foolish thing in looking to this man for protection. Verse
3, And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every
man with his household. even David with his two wives,
Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, the Carmelitess, Nabal's
wife. And it was told Saul that David
was fled to Gath, and he sought no more again for him. I guess
David thought, well, I must have done the right thing because
it's taking care of my problems. He was looking at the circumstances,
and all of a sudden, they did seem better. And he thought,
well, I must have done the right thing because I don't have this problem
anymore. Now, you know what that reminds
me of? I'm never to look to circumstances
as an answer to whether something's right or not. I never am. I don't have any problems right
now. I got big problems right now. Circumstances don't count. The only thing that counts is
the Word of God, what God says in His Word. That's it. Now,
he could have looked at the circumstances and said, well, the end justifies
the means. I'm doing the right thing. Look, it's helped me.
No, David, you're wrong as you can be. You're identifying yourself
with the enemies of God. Verse 5, And David said unto
Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them Let them
give me a place in some town in the country that I may dwell
there, for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with
thee?" Now look at the way he's sucking up to him. I mean, that's
all you can call it. All of a sudden he's acting this
way around the Philistine king. It's disgusting the way he is,
and it's going to get worse. Let's go on reading. And the
time that David dwelt in the country, of the Philistines was
a full year and four months, 16 months. That's how long he
was in this state with the king of the Philistines. And this
is the man after God's own heart. Now he's in Philistia. Now let's
read. And David And his men went up
and invaded the Gesherites, and the Gezerites, and the Malachites.
For those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land,
as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. And David
smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took
away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels,
and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish." Now, here
he smites all these lands and peoples that God had commanded
to be smitten. And I don't think he did it in
obedience to God's command. I think the reason he did it
is because he wanted to spoil. And he killed men, women, he killed
everybody. He didn't leave anybody alive
and brought all these spoils back to King Achish. Now look
in verse 10. And Achish said, whether have
you made a road today And David said against the... Now look,
he lies. He says against the south of Judah, and against the
south of the Jeremelites, and against the south of the Kenites.
These are all cities of Israel. He said, I went into Israel and
I attacked the Israelites. Now he didn't do it. He went
into these other places and killed everybody so there wouldn't be
any evidence to the contrary. And he said, I got all this stuff
by attacking the Israelites and I'm bringing this spoil back
to you. Now look at the deceit David is using at this time.
Verse 11, And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring
tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying,
So did David. And so will he be his manner
all the while he dwells in the country of the Philistines. He
used deceit. And Achish believed David, saying,
He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him, and therefore
he'll be my servant forever. Now that was his conclusion from
all this. He thought, you know, of course the people of Israel
are going to hate his guts now after he went in and killed a
bunch of them and brought this foil to me. That's what they
thought took place. Verse 1 of chapter 28, It came to pass in
those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together
for warfare to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know
thou assuredly that thou shalt go with me to battle. Thou and
thy men, you're going to go and fight against Israel. And David
said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do.
You know, there's kind of a scary ring to that. You know, David
was willing to do it, evidently. I don't know whether he was going
to. I know as we go on reading in
this chapter, and this is what we're going to be considering
sometime in the next couple of weeks, God, through his restraining
grace, didn't allow this to happen. The Philistines wouldn't let
David go to battle. They said, he'll turn on us.
Remember, they said he killed 10,000 and Saul killed thousands.
We're not going to let him go. And Achish said, I can't let
you go with me. But David was willing to. And David said to Achish, surely
thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And that just kind of
rings scary. What can you do? What can I do? And he was willing to go fight
against the Israelites at this time. Then Achish said to David,
Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head forever. You're now
part of the royal guard. You are the one who protects
me. He felt sure that he had David's
loyalty. Now David is an example to me
and you of what unbelief can lead to. It begins with this thought in
his heart. And oh, the thoughts that go
through these hearts. It begins with a thought in his
heart that was contrary to everything God says in his word. And look
where it led to. Now, all of a sudden, he's the
keeper of the head of the enemy of God. And he's in this state
for 16 months. Indeed, this is a dark, dark,
dark period in David's life. Now, what's my response to this? Lord, keep this from happening
to me. Preserve me. Give me the grace to continue
looking to thy son only, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith, because this is where it leads if I don't. Lord,
give me faith. Keep me looking to thy son and
deliver me from looking anywhere else because I know that if I've
left to myself, I'll be with your enemies. And
I don't want to do that. Give me grace. So David serves
as a beacon of warning to us. And if this can happen to David,
Don't dare even entertain for a second that it can't happen
to me and you, apart from the grace of God. You know, I made
that statement about a month ago, where people say, well,
there go I by the grace of God. And I understand what people
mean when they say that, to there go I by the grace of God. I'd
be just as bad as he is or she is apart from grace. But the
fact of the matter is, it's not there go I but for the grace
of God, there I am. There I am. May grace prevent
anything from taking place like this. Okay.