Under Pressure (1 Samuel 28-30)

One of the things I dislike the most about KL/Malaysia – Roaches. Size – small cats. Dilemma – How do you get rid of it? Spray? Sometimes not accessible. – Stomp. And when you finally gather up enough courage – Stomp – Do you feel better? NO. Cause the inside guts that are now everywhere are even worse. – You don’t just squash a roach and sprinkles and rainbows pop out. – Shoe? Move? The insides are core to the nastiness and the pressure gave opportunity for the insides to be revealed.

US – (X Roach) Regardless of our outsides – Pressure reveals what’s on the inside – reveals your true character. Maybe not be your everyday self – People can act differently under stress – But what comes out was under there. Pressure doesn’t create what’s on the inside as much as it reveals what’s already in the heart.

Context: David has been anointed king but even after many years of waiting, he’s not on the throne yet. He’s been in the pasture serving as a shepherd and now he’s on the run for his life because the current king, Saul, wants him dead. So David has sought safety amongst the Philistines, an enemy nation of Israel.

Text: 1 Sam. 28 In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” ² David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.” (David’s in a situation – He’s living with the enemy for safety but now his enemy is going to fight Israel. Question – Will the future king of Israel fight against his own nation and people?)

³ Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. (Again – Spiritual leader of Israel was gone. – What will God’s people do now? How will they respond?) And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. (Mediums and Necromancers – Spiritual. Dead. Saul – Hogwarts with Harry Potter.) ⁴ The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. Saul is under pressure. Somewhat understandable that he’s scared. But Saul’s eyes and focus are in the wrong place. – They’ve been in all the wrong places for a long time. – On himself. On his enemies. On his circumstances. Not on God. – The real reason behind Saul’s fear is not just the battle before him – it’s that he knows that God’s not with him because Saul has rebelled/rejected God as his king. And because God’s not with him – he knows he’s in real trouble. He’s facing hardship and death without God. – Terrifying reality.

1. Pressures like fears reveal what you trust.

See, if you are ruled by fear – Fear of – future – money, good life, children, health – If you had these things – Would all your fears disappear? If so, it means that those are the things your trust is in. Those fears/pressures reveal what you trust. = You are living with your eyes/trust not on God. OR like Saul – You don’t have God at all in your life. NOT – No concerns – Dominated by, controlled by, crippled by fear. – And not turning to God and trusting him in the face of hardship and regardless of the outcome.

So now that Saul’s in trouble – it looks like he wants to seek God… ⁶ And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Ok. Saul does the right thing in seeking God – Praying. Asking for a dream. Seeking the counsel of prophets. Urim and Thummim – Stones – Lights and Perfection. – God ordained to discern his will. Not a magic 8 ball. No modern NT equivalent. Wish I had that – Would make things/life a lot easier – Better – WORD/HS. – But God doesn’t answer. Why doesn’t God respond to Saul? Isn’t that unfair? – Saul’s not really seeking him – but what God can give him…

2. God is found by those who seek him for God himself and not just his benefits.

Saul here is more interested in getting out of his hard situation and deliverance than he is God. In other words, he just wants God so that God can do what he wants. He wants to use God. He wants God in his life only when he wants/needs to serve his purposes. 

Why/When do you seek God?  Is crisis the only time you seek God? If it’s only when the pressure is on. Are you really seeking him? Or something from him? If it’s only for relief – and you’ve not sought a relationship with God when things are good and if you were to get relief you’d go about living your life apart from God again – You want a personal servant, not a God to worship.

How do I know this about Saul? Look at what he does next. – The pressure Saul is feeling is going to reveal his true heart.) ⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.” Saul is compromising again. – Against God’s laws – Deut. 18:11, Isa. 8:19. AND How do Saul’s men know there is still a medium when he put them all out of the land? Cause Saul must’ve not been that serious about it. But let’s assume the best – Maybe this medium hid well. Saul continues to rebel against God – He’s willing to do anything for his rescue/relief – even break the commands of God. 

God’s way isn’t working – So I gotta just do what I gotta do. Never works out. You can’t sin your way out of a bad situation or into holiness. There is no scenario when it’s better to disobey God to get yourself into a better situation no matter the circumstances. 

Irony – Saul tried to drive out evil from the land but not from his heart. – You can outwardly in your words and actions preach against sin in others and in the world – BUT you have to be committed to doing that in your own heart even more diligently.

⁸ So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” ⁹ The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” ¹⁰ But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” (You see what Saul just did? He swears that she would avoid any and all punishment as if he’s God. BIG Problem.) ¹¹ Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” ¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” ¹³ (This is just awesome. She’s scared out of her mind – either because she’s surprised that it worked. OR because it’s actually Samuel – the prophet, judge – Remember – he chopped up the enemy king.) The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” ¹⁴ He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

¹⁵ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” ¹⁶ And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? ¹⁷ The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. ¹⁸ Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. ¹⁹ Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.” (Refund. Saul’s problem was not that God wasn’t answering him. Saul’s problem is the reason why God wasn’t answering him. Saul wasn’t repentant for his disobedience/sin. Saul never repented for doing things his own way and not God’s. And Saul was not praying and seeking God to get God. He was only doing it to benefit himself – so he could get out of trouble. 

²⁰ Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. Saul’s not dead yet. (Come back next week for chp. 31) But what a terrible ending to his life. – Doesn’t seem to be any repentance, godly sorrow for his sin, for the way he’s lived his life. There’s no turning back to God. GTB – A lifetime of dishonoring God can lead only to ruin.

Now let me address what many of you may be thinking – Tell me more about the reality/legitimacy of mediums/necromancy…

Sometimes it’s fake. – Cheap magic tricks. Kids. – Look, Daddy is driving with no hands! Fortune Telling – Generic and broad. Could be true for anyone. – Do you have a mom or dad? – Yeah. Something hard has happened in one of their lives? – Well, yeah… – Anyone can do that. You’re just being played.

But sometimes it’s real. Real – Eph. 6 – Demonic. Satanic. Powers. Spirits. Principalities. Just because it “works” doesn’t mean it’s right or good. Just because God allows it to happen – choice – doesn’t mean it’s right or good. – Doesn’t mean that everything is spiritual. – I stubbed my toe – an evil spirit was trying to take me out vs clumsy. But there definitely are things that are spiritual. – Sickness. Opposition. Physical. Mental. Emotional. Psychological. 

The enemy – Deceiver. Liar. Always whispering into our ears and tempting us to believe a lie about God – That God isn’t good, loving, present. – “Did God really say? No. It’ll be alright. Just do it.”

Ge. 3 – God – Who told you = Who have you been listening to? God alone gets to determine what is good and not good. Because God is the true king. So we should constantly be going back to – What does God say? Vs. I know better. I want to do me. My friends all do it. I read/saw on the internet. 1Sam. 15:23 – Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft. – You may not seek out witchcraft like Saul – But if you have your own ways you seek wisdom – and it’s not from God – it’s the same.

Other Religions – Some are just fake. Made up by crazy people. Others are “real” from “angels” and evil demonic spiritual forces. – Gal.1/2Cor.10 – If anyone, even an angelic like being in a vision, preaches another gospel contrary to the gospel of Jesus – Those that deny the Trinity. Those that deny the full deity and humanity of Jesus. – False. “Real” – Some people really have received “a vision” or “a message”. – Cults and false religions.

Back to 1Sam. Meanwhile, remember where David is? With the Philistines who are about to battle it out with Saul and Israel… But some of the leaders of the Philistines don’t trust David and don’t want him in battle with them because he’s an Israelite and David himself has a reputation for being a fierce warrior who has slain ten thousands. They don’t want David to change his mind and turn against them…

⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. ⁷ So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” ⁸ And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” ⁹ And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’

So God makes a way out for David so he doesn’t have to fight against his own people.

Notice – Enemy nations and people are speaking well about the character of David… 3. How we treat our enemies and how they view us says a lot about our faith. Not friends. Not people who are easy to love. Not people who are like us. But our enemies – Those who have wronged us. Those who are against us. Those who put our faith in a pressure cooker. – What do they think about us Christians?

Do they speak well of us? Are we above reproach? Are we known for our hatred and condemnation and judgment or by our love? NOT – We approve/affirm of evil or sin. Not at all. BUT People – We completely disagree with everything they believe. But we cannot say one bad thing about how they love and serve and it is a joy to have them in our city. – Our city/people would be in trouble without them.

Christians aren’t supposed to sit around in the church and isolate themselves from the world. We are to live sent on mission in the city. To seek the welfare of the city. To bless it and be engaged in its needs and reach people with the gospel.

So David is sent away and when he returns to his camp – It’s not good…

30 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire ² and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. ³ And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

Similar to Saul – David is under pressure. – But in an even worse situation. What’s he going to do? – He doesn’t turn inwards to himself or even towards others. He finds strength in God. He trusts God…

4. Pressure situations are opportunities for God to work.

People usually respond in one of two ways to pressure. 1) I got this. Let me figure it out. – Mess. 2) I don’t exactly know what to do but I trust God and I’m going to follow him. I don’t see a way forward. But I know God can. I’m not able. But God is. I’m not in control. But God is.

We don’t like pressure situations. They’re uncomfortable. – But that is where God does some of his best work – especially in us. He builds faith and trust in us.

⁷ And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ⁸ And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” ⁹ So David set out… (Under pressure – David seeks God and God answers and David listens. Great pattern)

As David is in pursuit, leaves some men behind because they’re tired and then he comes upon a servant who was left behind and he leads them to the enemy camp…

¹⁸ David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. ²⁰ David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

Faithfulness of God. Ps. 1:3 – David’s life is rooted in God and so God is prospering him. – Doesn’t mean if we follow God our lives will lead to material prosperity – though there are times it will – but it does mean there will always be fruit.

So David and his men return back to the camp with all the stuff they’ve recovered but some “wicked and worthless fellows” don’t want to share with the guys who were too tired to go with them.

²³ But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. ²⁴ Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” ²⁵ And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

²⁶ When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.” ²⁷ It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, ²⁸ in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, ²⁹ in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, ³⁰ in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, ³¹ in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

5. Generosity is a key indicator of your heart and trust.

Money/Financial Resources will put the pressure on people like very few things can. And your generosity or lack of it shows a lot about your heart. 

It would have been easy to appease and just go along with the trouble makers. I could’ve made things easier for him. Better for him financially. But his trust in God led him in the way of righteousness. So he even goes back to the people who helped him while he’s been on the run and gives them presents.

David understood – Nothing was his. Everything is from God. It’s all his. Not about deserving. It’s about what’s already been done for you. And your response to the generosity of God towards you.

But this story is not – Look how awesome David is…Cause David has already messed up a lot and there’s a lot more he’s going to mess up. Points to our need for a better/great king…

Jesus was tested and put under pressure like no one else. Tempted by Satan three times to take a shortcut and to disobey God. Innocent but was treated as guilty. Endured the cross for sinners, for us. Under the greatest pressure, facing even death, he trusted the Father’s plans.

We deserved to die like Saul – For our rebellion against God. To face death both physically and spiritually without God is terrifying. But if Jesus has died that terrible death for you, you have nothing to fear. Jesus took our place and was forsaken by the Father on the cross. Jesus heard silence so we never have to. And so all that was lost in our disobedience to God – Jesus restored to us. 

God does not and is in no way obligated to answer or save those who don’t truly believe and trust him as God and king. Like Saul – Unrepentant sinners will die a terrible death – not the way you die – apart from the God of life for all eternity.