1 Samuel 22 (Part 1) Bible Study (David at the Cave of Adullam) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Thank you for the worship tonight. Thank you for your voices tonight. Sometimes when we have music, and it's powerful, and we have gifted people, it can almost it can almost distract us from participating. And so every time I'm up here and I hear the voices behind me, it's always an encouragement, it's always a balm to my soul. So thank you for singing tonight.

And now we're going to continue to worship in the hearing of God's word. And so if you have your Bibles, meet me in first Samuel chapter 22 as we continue in our Bible study in this wonderful, exciting, riveting portion of scripture in the library of God's word. We're gonna pray again, and we're gonna read the first five verses because that's all we're gonna discuss tonight. And it'll be enough, I hope. I'm sure that it'll be enough, especially if we participate and engage with the text.

So let's just pray one more time as we as we come before God in his word. Lord, we are humbled. We are so hungry for your word. We thank you that we can sit in a place like this and look to our left and to our right and see people with bibles in their hands and with eagerness in their hearts to receive your word. And we pray that we would sense your voice that this Bible study would not be muddied by opinion.

It would not be muddied by, the the the weaknesses of a vessel that is not depending on you. But lord, we depend on you. I depend on you. And we ask, lord, for the sake of your name, navigate and lead us through this portion of scripture, the way you intended it to be delivered to the saints. We give you all glory and thanks that we have your word at our disposal.

We do not take it for granted. But more importantly, Lord, we ask that you would help us obey it, to really obey it. We trust in you tonight in Jesus name. Amen. First one, David departed from there and escaped to the Cave Of Adullam.

And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about 400 men. And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab.

And he said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and my mother stay with you till I know what God will do for me. And he left them with the king of Moab, and stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Then the prophet Gad said to David, do not remain in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah. So David departed and went into the Forest Of Hereth.

Now last week, we touched on First Samuel 21. And one Samuel 21 was the introduction to a new season in David's life. Up to that point, we heard of David, the humble shepherd of Israel. Then we discovered David, the unexpected hero of Israel. And now we see David as the fugitive of Israel.

And in chapter 21, we are introduced to the first steps of David as an exile, as an outlaw. And as we examine those verses, we came to the humble conclusion that David did not prove himself as praiseworthy. He was driven by much fear. He was driven by much anxiety and it showed itself because he just lied and lied and lied. And we look at that and we think, this does not seem like the same man that we witnessed a few chapters earlier who stood before a towering Philistine and with a slingshot and simple faith overcame.

And now we see David fearful of King Saul. And I believe that that speaks of the complexities of our weaknesses as individuals. I just find it amazing. You could stand before a giant and not hesitate to move forward and to fight him. But when it came to king Saul, you're running away, and you're lying, and you're sinning, and you're pretending, and you're using fleshly ideas to try to accomplish things.

And we think this is inconsistent, but we should not be quick to condemn the man because it describes, again, many of us. There are some perhaps in this room that are, that are more inclined to be fearful about anything that poses a threat. Even your own shadow scares you sometimes. Whereas there are others who, who are generally courageous but when it comes to certain circumstances, they, they fall. They're crushed.

They're confused. They're thrown into bewilderment. But no matter what our disposition is, no matter what the meter of fear is in your life, it is God's will for all of us that whatever fear visits us, it would bow to the faith that you have in the one who's in control of all things. That's God's will. Fear should be a foreign feeling to us.

But God is gracious, as we see with David, that even though it might be a familiar thing, he takes his time to work on us until it becomes conquered. And he submits to the truth that we are convinced of. And David's gonna learn that. He's learning that quickly. He actually learns it by the end of chapter 21.

Do you remember that he wrote two psalms in light of his escape of those men at Gath? He wrote two psalms, and those psalms proved that he had repented. That after letting saliva slide down his beard and after trying to act like a crazy person so that they can just let him go, he realizes the foolishness of such a thing. And he confesses to God, my lies have only brought me to this point. He doesn't say as directly as that, but you know that he has turned from his ways.

And he chooses to trust in God from that moment on. And though we see it in those songs, we're gonna actually see it in action as we come to chapter 22. So what do we read? Well, we read it in verse one. He escapes Gath, he escapes the Philistines, and he finds refuge in a cave in an area called Adullam.

And this alone shows us just how desperate things got for David. Because there was no other place that promised him security. There was no other refuge that he could calculate in his mind that would be, that would be enough for him. That would be safe for him. That would be a stronghold for him.

So you know where he goes? He goes into a naturally crazed hole in some area, in some wilderness, and he tucks himself in there in the dark, cold dampiness of that thing. And it's a sad sight to us, isn't it? I mean where's your family? You can't go to your wife.

You can't go to your parents. You probably questioned the soldiers that you once worked with because they're under Saul's rule. Where do you go? And this man has settled it in his heart. I have to weather this all by myself.

And I'm not guessing. I'm not I'm not trying to speculate here. Because we are told that. We know that David believed at this point, I'm, I have to do this all alone, and he expresses that utter loneliness, would you know it, in a psalm that he wrote while in this cave. How many Psalms did David write in light of this chapter?

Does anybody know? Two. Psalm 57. Psalm 142. You have your Bibles, right?

Let's go to Psalm 142 and let's see what he says. In that psalm, in light of this. This is why, again, we read the entirety of scripture because we see the glorious harmony of the word of God. Psalm 142, look at the title of the psalm. In verse one, it says, a maskle of David when he was in the cave.

A prayer. So just imagine David writing this out, crying out to God as he is hiding in a cave. And look what he says here in verse four. He's praying to God. He's crying out to the Lord.

Look to the right and see. There is none who takes notice of me. No refuge remains to me. No one cares for my soul. He's convinced of that.

And his circumstances seem to prove that. I I I can't go anywhere. As he's traveling from Gath, he's thinking where can I go? And because of such a destitute state, he's convinced nobody nobody cares for me. And I believe that although many people have experienced different levels of trauma, one of the greatest pains you can know in this life is when you have convinced yourself that you are not loved.

We are relational creatures. God made us in His image. He is relational within Himself. And so you and I need contact with other humans, but not just contact, though that may help. We need to know that we are, we are cared for and we are cherished.

There's healing in that. There there is there's some sort of anchor in that. And David here, he he believes that that is not the case. His circumstances have have told him and convinced him otherwise. And so he's in this place where he's expressing himself to God.

No one cares for my soul. And I find that quite fascinating. Because as he's expressing the lack of compassion of those around him, he's speaking to the one who cares about him the most. He's communicating his ache, but he's also coming to the one who will love him more than if all of Israel had come to his help. And that is one of the treasures that you and I have in Jesus Christ.

That is one of the great jewels of the gospel. Yes, saved from the wrath of God. Yes, saved from heaven. Yes, saved from hell. But also saved to be brought to God.

And every single one of you in this place tonight, if you have put your faith in Jesus genuinely, if you have repented and believed on God, you can claim a personal, intimate relationship with the risen Lord. And because of your faith, he so honors your faith that he has committed himself to you as he did to David. He has committed himself. He has bound himself to you, not just to secure your salvation, but to govern your life and to lead you, and to shape you, and to allow everything that comes against you to be filtered through His sovereign purpose, so that it can only do good to you. So here's David though, sharing his pain.

He's actually sharing it with the friend of friends. The one that will care for him the most. And that's your inheritance and mine. In fact, we see that although he believes us at first, his beliefs are gonna change by the end of the Psalm. Look at the last verse.

And what does he say here? As he pours out his heart to God, he says in verse seven, bring me out of prison that I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me for you will deal bountifully with me. That's the beauty of these Psalms. Because, yes, they're honest, and yes, we we see the transparency of a man, although he's a man of God, of the brokenness that he knows, but oftentimes in those Psalms of lament, they end with faith.

They end with a trust a declaration of confidence in the Lord. And although you and I listen. You can discover a knowledge of Christ, not just theologically, though that's important, and not just theoretically, and not just through cramming certain verses together, but you can know, you can discover something about Jesus where you tangibly know his faithfulness to you, and it actually heals you and comforts you. And Paul himself, that's not a foreign idea. Paul himself says in second Timothy, everyone has deserted me, but the Lord stood by me.

He wasn't just speaking into the air there. He wasn't being poetic. He was like I really sense God's nearness to me, even though my fellow missionaries have abandoned me. Those who have served have left me. The Lord stood by me.

You can you can know Jesus that way. That's true in the old, that's true in the new, that's true today. But we cannot limit how God dispenses his comfort. We cannot be narrow in our understanding of how God manifests his goodness in your life and mine. Because God could have sent a torrent of peace to flood the soul of David, but we realize that David here recognizes how God is going to embrace him.

And make his comfort known to him. Did you see it? The righteous will surround me for you will deal bountifully with me. See what David realized? David made the connection that the actual physical, emotional support that he would know from actual people was a direct expression of God's goodness in his life.

In other words, the fact that David is going to, as we read, have his parents come to him and his brothers come to him, he he sees that as God's direct means of comforting him. In other words, the righteous in David's life are God's provision for the relief in this pressing season. And you and I have to see it that way. We have to understand that this is how God's work. That when you and I are surrounded by Christ honoring, God fearing people who live to reflect his character, that is not disconnected from God loving you.

That is not disconnected from God showing mercy to you, actually caring for you. So don't limit it to some mystical supernatural experience where you're showered with almost this coating that you're almost untouchable. God can do that, but look what David says. You're going to deal bountifully to me. I'm going to know your overwhelming favor because I'm going to be able to pick up my phone and call somebody, and they're going to be able to give me some wisdom.

Or I'm going to be visited by some people from church, and they're going to, they're going to bring me food and they're going to sit beside me. And I see that as you dealing so bountifully with me. And this is not just an idea. This is theological. This is true throughout scripture.

You You don't have to turn there, but listen to what Paul says about his friend Titus. He says in two Corinthians seven:six, But God, who comforts the downcast. Now, how would you finish that sentence? But God, who comforts the downcast, provides a peace that surpasses all understanding, and he does. Opens your mind to understand the height, the depth, the breadth of the love of Christ, and he does.

But that's not what Paul says. But God who comforts the downcast comforted us by the coming of Titus. Titus showed up. Titus knocked on the door. Titus arrived.

And as Titus came, his presence was a manifestation of God's comfort to a downcast people. What I'm trying to communicate to you tonight is that you would see God behind those acts of love from familiar people. That you would be able to identify God's personal care for you through things that move your heart from those that you do life with. That you would not just thank that person, you would not just have a a stir of affection for that individual, but you would be able to worship God even more as you are able to receive the encouragement and the life giving gifts of other people in your life. I hope you see that.

Some of you have gone through difficult seasons in life. And so what you did was you either reached out or someone reached out to you as a minister or a counselor, and they sat with you and they listened to you and they prayed with you. Can I ask you something tonight? Did you consider that that was God introducing that vessel into your life because God loved you in that season? Some of you have known the warmth and the healing of the simplicity of the believer's presence in your living room when you had a difficult week.

And them just sitting there and making you laugh brought relief to your heart. But can I ask you, did you recognize that that was God dealing bountifully with you? Because my Bible says it is. It is God's doing. It's not separated from his doing.

See God through that, and you will know worship with a greater intensity that you didn't know before. But this brings up another point, that although God is responsible for the righteous who stand with us when we can barely stand our own, there is a responsibility that you and I carry. So let's go back to first Samuel. We're still in verse one. And look at verse one of chapter 22.

David departed from there and escaped to the Cave Of Adullam. We must read our Bible slowly. And when his brothers and all his father's house did what? What did they do? They heard it.

They heard about it. And when this news came to them, they went down there to him. This is for our instruction. Yes. God is responsible for those people in our lives, but there's a responsibility that you and I carry, and that is to be so aware of the situations and the circumstances and the things that our brothers and sisters are enduring that when this news becomes known to us, it moves us to action.

That should be our reflex as the body of Christ. That should be our response. We should be so intricately woven together in spirit that there is an immediate support, there's an immediate reaction of needing to know what to do to help. That's the beauty of the body of Christ. And you know, there's a there's a portion in the old testament in the book of Exodus.

It's it's after chapter given, after chapter after chapter, 15 chapters about the tabernacle being built. And there's a little verse in there that never ceases to bless my heart and make me pray a certain prayer when I come to it. Because Moses receives the instructions for the tabernacle, and he even receives the list of the materials and their costly materials. He makes it known to the nation of Israel, and so every single morning, the people of Israel line up to give to the craftsmen the material needed to make this structure possible. And something happens.

At one point, the support, the contribution was so great that the servants come to Moses. And I want you to hear what they say. You don't have to turn there, but just listen to these words in Exodus 30 six:five. They said to Moses, the people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do. So here's pastor Moses standing there, receiving instruction from heaven about how to build this dwelling place for God.

And the people are so excited, they're so in tune, they're so willing that it came to the point where the the servants approached Moses and said, hey, Moses, you've got to tell them to stop giving because we have more than enough. And then we read later on that he restrains the people from bringing. And every time I read that, I say, Lord, may this church, may our church have the same attitude when it comes to building your house in the new covenant. That as we are the temple of God, and as God is building us and and furnishing us and fashioning us to be the bride that Jesus purchased, that every time there is someone who is sick, weak, broken, missing, in need of assistance, the support would be overwhelming. I'm not talking about financial giving here.

I'm talking about the the the the stones that make up the house of God, not the physical structure. There's a time and place for that. But I'm talking about as God is building this house, that whenever we see a piece missing, broken, that the support, the participation would be so overwhelming that we would say, brothers and sisters, so and so asked, stop blowing up their phone. They're doing great. They're doing wonderful.

Thank you. May that be the culture of MBC. God is able to do it. And that's what we see with them. They they heard that their brother was in some obscure place all by himself, and it moved them to action.

And this brings up the second point of this verse. Yes. We see we see that David realized that in his suffering, God expresses his means of comfort in different ways, but we also see the wisdom of God in suffering. Can anybody here, help us understand the family dynamics of David and his household? What do we know about David and his household?

His father, did not include him in the initial sense it's in the initial gathering meant for How would you how would you feel if the prophet of God comes and he says, God has told me one of your sons has an important duty to fulfill, and your father doesn't consider you out of all the sons. Everybody else comes to the party, but you're left into the field. Would that make you feel good? No. I'm sure somebody like that would have to go through many counseling sessions, actually.

I'm serious. What else? Tell me, family dynamics. What else have we learned up to this point with David and his family that gives us an idea of what it's like in his household? Yeah.

So David comes to the battlefield and he provides goods for his brothers, and Eliab criticizes him and even falsely accuses him of pride and arrogance. So, those are the two snapshots, the main snapshots that you and I get of David's family. And it makes us realize and gives us an impression that it's not the most healthy household. But what happens here? David is in a a low place, and his family comes together.

His brothers come together. What does that say about what they did with Saul? Does anybody know? Who are the three older ones and and what were they doing? Were they serving in Saul's army?

Yes. They were. So what do they do? They cut ties with him. Because to now come and support David at this point is to make a declaration.

We side with David, and we stand against Saul. And so the three eldest, along with the others, and the parents now come to support David. And here's the beauty of this, because I I read that and I thought, here's Saul creating havoc in Israel, breaking up homes, causing confusion and chaos, And in the midst of all of that, David's family's coming closer together. I don't know if they've ever been this supportive of each other. I don't know if David has ever seen and observed such love and care and sacrifice from his loved ones, but it's happening in the midst of all of this.

And here's the thing, if you and I really believe that all things work together for the good of those who love and who are called according to his purpose, then you and I, by the Spirit's help, must be able to recognize the good even in the midst of suffering. Because while David is enduring a personal trial, God is healing his family. And so why why resist a semester of suffering in the school of God when you know that this illustration among so many proves to us that God is doing a deeper and greater work than we can perceive? And so the brothers come. And the parents come.

And yet, it's a mystery of God, why God allows the righteous to suffer. But here's something that's never a mystery. There's always sanctifying purpose in it. Always. And sometimes in ways that we don't realize immediately.

That's what's happening here. But these are not the only ones that have come to him. Look at verse two now. And everyone who is in distress, and everyone who is in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him, and he became commander over them. And there were with him about 400 men.

So now we we read this interesting description of this band of men that joined David in the cave. One thing we hear is that there's 400 of them. That seems encouraging in itself, but it's not much when you compare it to Saul's army. But what's worthy of our discussion tonight is, is what kind of men they are. Look at this.

Distressed? In debt? Bitter in soul? When you read that, you have to be careful not to think that this is just a raggedy bunch of rebels that see an opportunity to come against Saul, and David's the way to make it possible. So let's start a coup here and let's just gather around them and and maybe we can overtake this kingdom.

That's not the description of these men at all. Who thinks here that these men have come to encourage David? Because we might read it that way. Right? Like, God God sent the brothers and God sent the parents.

And look at this. Now here's another way. 400 men. That makes an exile journey a lot more comfortable. That makes you feel a lot more safe.

But I don't think the primary purpose of this being given to us is to show that David is receiving more encouragement. I believe it's to show that these men have come to receive comfort from David. Could it be possible that this description, they were in distress, they were in debt, they were bitter in soul, was because they've lived under the rule and reign of Saul? And this was the consequence of it? And so when they, when they saw David and they could see this tension and David fleeing, they recognized in their hearts that's, that's the true king.

That's the one that God's really chosen. That's the one who's really able to bring Israel to God's intent for us as a people, and so we're going to follow David. We're going to choose to stay with him even though it will cost us very much. And that is the case. That is exactly what's happening.

So let's let's look at another important element of personal suffering here. That even though he's enduring a certain trial, God is allowing this season of suffering to actually minister to other people. So while David is being comforted, it doesn't take very long until God uses David to be comfort to others. Because if there's anybody who can help a group of men who are bitter, distressed, and in debt because of a king, it's this man. It's this man.

So here's the thing. Suffering of any kind listen very carefully tonight for the sake of your encouragement. Suffering of any kind, if it's physical, emotional, mental, there's nothing that you've endured that will be wasted. There's nothing that you've endured that has sabotaged your usefulness to God. God will use all of that suffering, all of that pain, all of those tears with circumstances that were beyond your control to immediately recycle it, if not then, then soon enough to actually bless and uplift and build others.

Because that's what the Bible says. The same Paul who said, God who comforts the downcast has comforted us by the coming of Titus. You know what he said? He said in that same book early on, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Two Corinthians one:four.

We were comforted by God, not just for our sake, but for the sake of others so that we can share that same comfort with those who are in any affliction. So here's the beauty. When you suffer, God intends to recycle that suffering in order for it to be a weapon to aid and to assist others who are suffering. And this is what I often tell people who I sit with on a personal level that needs some counsel or anything. I tend to say, especially when they're responding with a desire to obey and trust in God's wisdom, one day, though you may not be a pastor, one day you will sit on this side of the room and you will look into the eyes of another desperate soul, and you can tell him God brought me through the same thing.

He'll be able to bring you through it as well. So these 400 men come. David early on said the righteous will surround me, not just for the sake of being built up himself, but now he's about to, he's about to build up 400 guys that are just tired. They're tired of living under the reign of Saul. Do you see the prophetic imagery here?

Do you see Jesus in this verse? Do you see the description of such men paralleling the description of the soul that comes to Christ? Do you not see it? How often it is for people to come to this point in life distressed, aware of their bankruptcy in the soul, bitter in spirit, bitter with life, bitter because they realize that they are a terrible master of their own existence. They then begin to explore the possibility of Jesus actually being the true king of kings and the lord of lords.

You see, these men come to David to find relief. And the same description of men today come to the son of David to find that same relief. I can't tell you the amount of people that I have even had conversations with, and some of them have converted to the faith, and some of them have come very close, but we're not convinced enough. When they only have realized the lack of satisfaction that comes from living for themselves, do they then entertain Jesus Christ as Lord? And that's, that's I believe one of the main ways in which a person truly surrenders to Jesus Christ.

When you have learned, I can't do this, this world has nothing to offer me, I can't find pleasure, I can't find joy, I can't find peace, I can't find a security in my eternal destination, I can't arrive there. I am exhausted. I am distressed. I find myself, no matter how much I give, no matter what kind of projects I I create, no matter how much I I change my look, no matter how much I change my house, no matter how I change my car, my friends, my destination, my place of address, no matter how much I change, why am I still empty? It's been years.

It's only then where the gospel begins to sound very attractive. Not for all, but for many. And let me tell you tonight why many people do not forsake the reign of Satan and of the flesh and of the world, because they still believe Saul has something to offer them. They still believe that living as the Lord of their own lives will promise something greater than bowing your knee at the foot of the cross. Can I prove that to you in this text?

Scroll down to verse seven. We're not gonna be there tonight, but look how Saul speaks to some of his other men when he realizes that people are leaving his ranks. And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, hear now, people of Benjamin, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? What a liar.

What a manipulator. What a deceiver. And Saul here is a picture of Satan who whispers false promises in the ears of men, including those who have grown up in the church, so that they would not come to the conclusion that Jesus Christ is worthy. He is worthy to be crowned as the Lord of my life. That's what it really is, down deep inside.

There's something still out there. There's something I still have to explore. There's something I still want to endeavor to to accomplish. And I just believe that Jesus will ruin my plans. How honest they are.

And I can't tell you the times that I've talked to you, and how they've told me, I'm just scared that Jesus is going to ruin my plans. He's gonna give me a wife that I don't want, as though God works that way. He's gonna give me a job that I don't want. He's gonna call me to a place that's too cold. I've had these conversations.

I'm looking, I'm like, you're gonna destroy your life. Not only are you gonna destroy your life now, you're gonna destroy your soul for all eternity. I've even had a conversation with one person who said, let me just try it out. I said, that's not how it works. That's not how it works.

You hope that it works that way. You think that you are so sovereign that you can determine the consequence of your sin. I said, you will come out with scars for sure, but you might never come out at all and be totally destroyed. And we as people should love people enough to tell them that. Because this is what Satan is telling other people, look, look at what you're gonna miss out on, look at where you're gonna forsake, look at what I'm able to give you.

And sometimes it's not Satan directly. Obviously, he masquerades as an angel of light. He uses people. He uses false teachers. And these men, though, have come to the conclusion that Saul is a liar.

That Saul is a liar. And so look at this other point here. They choose to pledge their allegiance to David when it was the least convenient. David wasn't on a throne. David didn't have this impressive army.

No. He was he was at zero, you can say. He was all by himself and yet they they so believed the destiny of God for David. They so believed the hand of God, the anointing on him, that they came to him when there was nothing profitable for them in choosing to do so at least initially. In fact, this put him in greater risk.

You have a demented man who's ready to kill his son-in-law. Surely he's willing to kill all of us. And yet still, they truly believe in the heart of hearts that he is worthy. God is worthy. This plan that God has for David and for all of us is more precious than our own lives.

So we will surrender to the purposes of God in David, and we will come to him. If this is the attitude towards a man for a temporary kingdom, how much more the Christ, and how much more his eternal kingdom, and how much more the willingness to follow him even if it doesn't benefit you one bit in the physical. Even if it doesn't promise you one thing in this world, he is still worthy to be followed in a cave, as these men illustrate. So they do. And then we read in verse three.

And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, please let my father and my mother stay with you till I know what God will do for me. What do you see there? What do you see here? I see another element of suffering. I see another ingredient of how to suffer well.

I see a man who is pressed by great anxieties, who is constantly looking over his soul because at any time, Saul can can appear with a band of men with arrows and spears, and yet, in the midst of all of that, he has a concern. And what's his concern? The well-being of my parents. They're elderly. They can't travel with this robust, youthful band of men.

And so even before David moves on in his exile, he sets it as a priority to take care of his parents. He's suffering. He is suffering. But here's the thing about suffering. Suffering should never make us selfish.

That even though you and I might be enduring certain things, that you might be fighting a private war that others do not know about in your mind, in your heart, as you lay in bed all by yourself, even though such things may be real and sometimes overwhelming, they never should encourage us to neglect our duties. Never. There are some unique moments and urgent circumstances that would cause you to receive help and not give it out as much, but I'm not speaking about those circumstances. I'm speaking about how you and I will, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God. And through those tribulations, we must still be aware that we can still be of help to others.

And there are still responsibilities that God has called me to. And David realized that there was a law written in the book of Exodus that you shall honor your father and mother. So I'm gonna take care of them. And he does. And that's the essence of obedience.

It doesn't feel good all the time. It's not convenient, but there's a duty to fulfill. And even though we are enduring something, God supplies the grace and the strength to still be faithful to his commands. And that's what this man does. And you know what's amazing here is that his character is shining because it reflects the character of God.

He's honoring his parents, and we just heard that his father didn't give him the best treatment as a young man. Because the essence of honoring your parents is not is not eye for eye and tooth for tooth. The the faith element of honoring your parents is that even though they might have not honored me, even though I can find many faults, even though I can point back to moments where they've really hurt me, God commanded me to honor them and so I will honor them. And what does honor look like? It doesn't look like you just overlooking their sins.

It looks like you, despite what they've done to you, to still love them and love is to care for them in their need. To provide the basic necessities for them as they come to a place in life where they can't take care of themselves. And so David says, before we even move on, guys, I know we have a plan, I know we're trying to figure this out. My mom and dad need to be in a different place because it's gonna hurt them more if they come. And so what does he do?

He goes to Moab. But look at this. Look at the quality of his care. He doesn't just go to Moab and drop him off at a hotel. He goes to the king of Moab.

Royal treatment, no pun intended. I'm going to take you to the king of Moab, the most secure place, the most profitable, the most safe place for my parents. And he goes and he offers an invitation for this king to take care of his parents, and it worked. See, when you and I obey God's commands, we don't try to do the bare minimum. We don't just try to quiet our conscience and do something poorly.

We try to do it with the greatest effort and the greatest strength, and the greatest option. And that's what he's doing with his parents. Why did he go to Moab? Ah. So if you remember in Ruth, we read a mini genealogy.

And David is related to a Moabitess named Ruth. And so he's hoping that as he goes to this people group, though they are not the people of God, that because of his mixed race, they would be able to relate and provide some assistance, and it worked. So he goes to the Moabites. And he asked for help with his parents. And God honored that.

But look at his faith. Where's the faith of David? The faith that we did not see in chapter 21 and verse three. Look what he says to the man. What does he say?

It's right there. Till I know what God will do for me. Unashamedly telling this pagan king, would you take care of my parents until the true God reveals to me the next step? This is a this is a different David than the one who came before the king of Gath and and shook like a crazy man and let saliva out of his mouth. He learned.

He truly repented. He knew personal revival and faith in God. He comes to this king. He says, would you take care of my parents until God shows me the next step? And I'll tell you why that is so encouraging and exemplary for us.

He's not just speaking in generalities here until God shows me there's a man about to find you. There's a king chasing you. And you're willing, you're willing to stop in your place and wait on God to give you the next step. That's trust. That's trust.

And so already, we are convinced that from chapter 21 to this chapter, he he has made a a great development in his trust in God. I'm not going to move until God shows me what to do next. And you're gonna see that faith strengthened. There'll be a couple of episodes where he falls back again, but you're gonna see him strengthened and strengthened in his trust in God. And he does.

He does here, and God honors that faith. Because God is so pleased with faith that his heart is moved by that. It's moved into action. Look at verse four. He left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with them all the time that David was in the stronghold.

Then the prophet Gad said to David, do not remain in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.' This is, this is a blessing, and I'll tell you why. Because David here, although as we read in the Psalms, he he was living in the unknown, it was a very dark place, he could not even believe that people loved him. God was watching him the whole time. God was observing him.

God was providing means of comfort to him. And finally, at the right time, when the faith was there, when that trust remained, God showed them where to go next. That is a promise for you and I. That you and I can trust that his leadership is perfect. It may not be convenient.

It may not be free from challenges, but it is perfect. It is absolutely perfect. And in this case with David, it was supernatural. A true prophet comes and tells him what to do. In your case in mind, can God do it supernaturally?

Absolutely. But oftentimes, God does it providentially. And it's just as impressive. He allows circumstances to come, doors to shut, doors to open, and we say, ah, but one thing that he will guarantee you and me is that he will never leave us, he will never abandon us. He will always move us forward as we continue to trust in him.

And here's where the faith is shown even more. God says what? Do not remain in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah. Why is that a troubling command?

Why is that a troubling command? It was safe there. Are you sure you heard from God, Gad? This is a really good place. I got 400 men, and not only is it safe here, he's telling him to go back to the land where Saul is ruling and reigning.

Go back to Judah. Wouldn't you tell me to go a different direction, maybe further this way? No. Go back to the area that would make you more vulnerable and observable. And and David doesn't hesitate.

He goes. He departs into that area. And here is here's a a lesson about obedience as you heard it before. It doesn't always appease our senses. It doesn't always satisfy reason.

It doesn't contradict reason, but it doesn't always satisfy what we think is best. Our own calculations and our own ideas of how to bring about the best result of something. God will put us in circumstances and situations and dilemmas where there's a clear word of how to deal with it, but there will be a pressure within and outside to do it differently, sometimes even sinfully. And the faith is, will you trust me in this? Will you trust me?

And David has learned from chapter 21, when I try to do it my way, I lied. I pretended to be insane, and it brought me nowhere. I'm gonna trust God, even though to the watching eye it may look insane. It may look simplistic. It may look silly.

I'm gonna trust the word of God. And that's what he does. He goes into that place. And it's in that place, whereas next week we come, we're going to see we're going to see how his faith is going to be tested even more. His leadership is perfect, brothers and sisters.

It's absolutely perfect, but it's not free from challenges. It's not free from emotional and even physical pain, but it is free from unnecessary grief. It is free from unnecessary shame and regret. But challenging chapters, you signed up to follow Christ. It's inevitable.

It's promised. And David understood that at this point of his exile, I've learned that it's not gonna be easy, but if I'm holding onto his hand, I will be safe. And he does. He goes. Let me end with this thought.

David had how how many men? What else did David have? I'll tell you what he had. He had God's spirit on his life. Saul, we're gonna find out, had thousands of men.

Thousands. He had a palace. He had chariots. He had authority, but he didn't have the spirit of God. Numbers and resources are not the criterion of God's blessing on a ministry or on a minister.

If we looked at this in the flesh, we would see David with 400 raggedy guys depressed, face fallen, in a cave wandering. And then we would look at Saul and his palace, and all the weaponry. And you know how many people would estimate that? Here's a man who is successful for God, and here's a man who is questionable. Yet all the while, God was with this group and not with this group.

How do you measure success? Do not be fooled by packed stadiums. Do not be fooled by YouTube views. Do not be fooled by even the money coming into a certain ministry. Represent that church, that movement, and the character that they hold, and the obedience of the word of God that determines if they are truly successful and truly have favor in the eyes of God.

Don't forget that. With all that being said, oh, we can go on, but we'll hold off until next week. So let's pray. Lord, it might be very well true that there are some in here who are enduring a trial, a dark night of the soul. Lord, there may be even some in here who feel the absence of the love and the care of people in their lives.

But Lord, you are able to stand by us in a way that it is recognizable, as Paul as Paul wrote about. But you're also able to surround us with the righteous that is nothing less but the same love that you would show if you had manifested your goodness in our hearts. Help us see even the people in our own lives, those who are truly righteous and love you, that are in our lives. Help us see that this is an expression of your care for us. Lord, help us at the same time, if we are suffering, to not think that our lives are being wasted, even though our bodies might be decaying, even though our resources might be drained, even though there must there there might be much pain, oh God.

It's never to sabotage our ministry, but only to make it more effective, and to enhance the mercy and the the love in our own hearts for other people. And Lord, we think about how suffering or great trials in life carries its own temptation, and that's the temptation of being so focused on ourselves, that we fail to honor our own duties, and to fail to tap into strength that you can give us. As Paul experienced, that he preached in the midst of much conflict. He still preached. He still served the church.

Help us to know that strength, to still be in attendance, to still be prayerful, to still be faithful to our ministries, even though we are enduring great trouble. And Lord, we ask, as all of us can relate to, for reminder that you are faithful in your leadership. That at the right time, you will make the next step perfectly known in your perfect way. And all you ask us to do is remain faithful where we're at until that comes. Lord, we are blessed by the word of the Lord.

We are blessed by David's life up to this point. We thank you for the provision of this story and the immediate application it carries for our lives. We give you glory tonight. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.