Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20020616.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part XXXII: Learning To CONTINUE With God's LAST Directives
(1 Samuel 27:1-28:2 with 21:10-22:5)
  1. Introduction
    1. There are times when, after a season overflowing with God's directives in our lives, we may go for a spell where we are given NO appreciable divine directive.
    2. In such a "dry spell" there may arise circumstances or challenges that may cause us to wonder if we should CHANGE our path away from the latest directive from the Lord.
    3. From David's history, we can learn always to stay with God's LAST directives even if it has been a while since we obtained that directive (as follows):
  2. Learning To CONTINUE With God's LAST Directives, 1 Samuel 27:1-28:2 with 21:10-22:5.
    1. After Saul's second attempt to capture him in southern Judah, David concluded Saul would eventually kill him if he stayed in that area, 1 Sam. 27:1 with chapters 24, 26. So, David moved to Philistia, 27:2-3.
    2. Sure enough, this move dissuaded Saul from trying to pursue David again, 1 Samuel 27:4.
    3. However, David's living in Philistia placed him in a compromising position with God, 27:5-28:2:
      1. David offered to make a treaty with Achish where he pledged loyalty to Achish in return for control over an estate, the estate of the country town of Ziklag, 1 Samuel 27:5; Bib. Know. Com., O.T., p. 453.
      2. Achish agreed to the treaty, and so assigned David Ziklag in Philistine territory, 1 Samuel 27:6-7.
      3. David used Ziklag as a base from which to attack outlying peoples and plunder them for payment to Achish for his treaty obligations, 1 Samuel 27:8-9.
      4. In the process, David sought to gain favor with the Philistines by misleading them as to his actions:
        1. In fighting, David would kill all the people to control reports on the source of his booty, 27:9, 11.
        2. Then, he would lie to Achish, reporting he had plundered people of Judah and other groups, endearing himself to Achish in appearing to turn to their side against his own people, 27:10.
        3. The ruse worked, for Achish concluded since David was apparently turning against his own people, he was burning bridges of old relationships to be a loyal helper to the Philistines, 1 Samuel 27:12!
      5. However, David's PLOY came to land him in a very difficult position with GOD, 1 Sam. 28:1-2:
        1. When the Philistines decided to fight Israel, Achish ordered David to join the Philistines, 28:1.
        2. This put David in a difficult position with God: (a) if he declined to fight with Achish against Israel, David's true loyalty to Israel would be exposed, and he would have to flee back to Judah or face the suicidal choice of fighting the Philistines on their own turf. (b) However, if he joined Achish's forces, David would be forced to fight against the people of God, incurring God's wrath!
        3. David thus answered Achish vaguely to buy time toward finding a solution: he said, "Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do," (1 Samuel 28:2 NIV) (Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to 28:2)
    4. David's difficult position would have been avoided were he to have stayed with God's LAST directive:
      1. When he had previously fled from Saul to Achish, David had pretended to be insane to save his life from the Philistines who questioned David's loyalty due to his defeat of Goliath, 1 Samuel 21:10-15.
      2. After that, David had moved to the border between the Philistines and Israel to avoid trouble, 22:1.
      3. However, God's prophet, Gad, had there told David to go into JUDAH and face Saul's pursuits, 22:5.
      4. Now, though Saul repeatedly pursued David there, God had always protected him from Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 23:26-27; 24:1-4 and 26:7-8, 12), meaning there was no need for David to leave Judah opposite God's last expressed will to him through God's prophet, Gad!
      5. Besides, recalling his distress in his previous outing to Philistine territory followed by Gad's directives to dwell in Judah should have caused David to stay put in Judah regardless of Saul's repeated threats!
Lesson: (1) Moving to Philistia to AVOID TENSIONS with SAUL (2) above (a) HEEDING God's LAST directives to STAY PUT, (b) let alone RECALLING God's HELP in the face of Saul's threats (c) and David's LAST unsuccessful venture in Philistia (3) would have caused David to AVOID a compromising position in his SECOND venture into Philistine territory!

Application: God desires we KEEP HEEDING His LAST clear directive to us no matter what we face!