Simply Said: August 1st, 2018

   So often we have expectations that seem right in our own eyes, but God has other plans for us. David had detected that Saul had come to the wilderness of Ziph, with Abner and three thousand men. David sent out spies in 1st Samuel 26:4 and with Abner discovered the place where Saul lay. In verse 6 David said the Ahimelech, and Abishai, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp? Abishai said, I will go down with thee.” In our life at times our enemy must be met head on. Saul was sleeping in a trench, with his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster, but Abner and the people lay round about him. Opportunity was before David, and Abishai said, . “God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him a second time.” David replied, “Destroy him not, for who can stretch his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless.” When we have an adversary in the wilderness of this life, for at times we are there and our adversary can be very hostile. And in the process David prophesied: “The Lord shall smite him: or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle, and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed:” Integrity like that is not frequently found these days. How many were like David? Abishai, stood with David, but would have him do evil in the sight of the Lord.

              I remember a day early on in my ministry, where a pastor was speaking evil of me. I had never met him, let alone had I never spoke to him, so I took one man with me, and went to his office. I confronted him about the accusations, and left with sense of dignity and integrity, knowing I had done what the Lord asked me to do. I heard nothing more, but the man was proud and arrogant, but God was present with me. Humility of spirit always wins any battles no matter what actually occurs. They crucified the Lord, but He rose from the dead.

 

       David took Saul’s spear and curse of water, and got away and then David stood on the top of a hill and David cried to the people, to Abner the son of Ner, saying. Answer thou not, Abner? Abner was Saul’s mighty man. Then Abner answered and said, “Who art thou that cries to the King.” I’ll make this short, David said that Abner was worthy to die, in verse 26, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.” And Saul knew David’s voice. Then Saul said, in verse 21, “I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will do thee no harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.” The integrity of David far exceeded the integrity of Saul. Saul I am sure without knowing it, even prophesied, saying, “Blessed be thou, my son David, thou shalt do great things, and also shalt still prevail.”

       The Philistines are about to go up against Saul, and Saul prays and God answered him nothing. So he goes to a median, because Saul saw the host of the Philistines; he was afraid and his heart trembled. He seeks the Lord, no answer, neither by dreams, nor by Urin, no by prophets. So he seeks a woman who had a familiar spirit, and Saul disguised, went up and he said in 1st Samuel 28:8 “I pray thee, divine unto me by a familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.” After promising the woman that no harm would come, the woman asks whom he wanted called up. “Bring me up Samuel.” Samuel comes up and says, “Wherefore does thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thy enemy:” Samuel also told him that Israel would be delivered into the hands of the Philistines, and that his sons would be with Samuel tomorrow.” Sin leads unto sin is the story we are reading here. Saul will certainly die, and David will reign in his place by the will of God. In Chapter 30, David had been sent away by the Philistines because they feared him, So he goes to Ziklag and found it burned and the Amalekites had taken the women captive, which included 2 of his wives. The Jews with him were ready to stone him because they grieved, But David in verse 6 encouraged himself in the Lord his God. What do we do in those times of trouble? Do we encourage ourselves in the Lord? Do we rehearse the promises of God in our mind and heart and hold fast to truth? He finds an Egyptian and finds out about who burned Ziklag, and pursues and destroys the Amalekites. And they recovered all. All the historical aspects of the lives of the Israel people recorded in the Old Testament is for our benefit. Learn of God, and humble yourself before Him and He will lead you in the right way. God’s way! There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 16:25


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