"...but David encouraged himself in
the LORD his God" —1 Sam 30:6 b.

HE needed to for no-one else did or would. Look at the context.
Read the previous two chapters and the one in which our text is found.
Humanly speaking the situation was hopeless.

Saul had led Israel into such a backslidden state that the truly anointed of the Lord — David — was actually joined against the people of God, if not in battle at least in heart. He had joined forces with the Philistines. May be there's a parallel today! Some of us have frequently been accused of being opposed to the church, but I'm not. Please read on and let the Holy Spirit illumine to your mind other present day applications to the Church.

Just prior to the incident, which gives rise to our text, were it not for the fact that a Sovereign God was ordering things, David would have found himself in an untenable position, which would have threatened his true loyalty or his very life; and it wasn't really of his making. It was because he was harassed and pursued by Saul whom God continued to allow to rule over Israel. I wonder why? Well, God permits strange things at times to reveal His glory and show that it's neither Saul nor David but God Almighty who truly rules over the affairs of His people.

Have you noticed the irony of God's ways? Chased from his land by Saul, David sought refuge among the people of the giant that he slew when he became champion of Israel and not only that but in the very city from which Goliath hailed. It was Achish, king of Gath who gave David refugee status — 1 Samuel 27:1-4 — having previously been deceived by David playing the "mad-man", when it first became known that he was the slayer of Goliath of Gath — c/f 1 Sam 21:10-15.

But in the providence of God the tables will turn and first it will get worse before it gets better as it so often does with the ways of God. The Philistines who hosted him as a refugee will eventually turn against him and drive David away. God couldn't allow King David to fight for the Philistines against Israel. That would be irony gone mad. Of course it might give David another chance to kill Saul or, as the Philistines feared, an opportunity to ingratiate himself with his king and former master — c/f 1 Sam 29:4. God has other plans — His own plan.

Saul's time is running out! Like his much later successor King Ahab of whom we wrote in the last CETF, (Vol 5.1 — March/April '99) Saul too has an appointment on the mountains of Israel and it's going to be a witch, the Witch of Endor who will prophesy it via an ectoplasmic or demonic impersonation of the great prophet and intercessor, Samuel — 1 Sam 28:15-20. Strange indeed are the ways that God allows, but thank God He is always right, and His timing is always precise.

As Philistia is fighting Israel and while David and his men are absent from the city that King Achish gave to them —
c/f 1 Sam 27:6 — the raiding Amalekites, another enemy of God's true people, make their attack. Setting fire to Ziklag they carry off all the defenceless women and children. David and his men return to such utter devastation that they weep unashamedly until they can weep no more.

After the tears things are about to turn really nasty for the man who is destined to be Israel's greatest King. All the people began to turn on him. Then David shows his true greatness:

" ..but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God" —1 Sam 30:6 b

Now let me draw some specific parallels between that day and our time as we apply the truth of our text. I'm sure you've seen others as the Holy Spirit has opened His truth to your heart and mind.

CHRISTIAN LEADERS

A backslidden leadership has broken through the hedge and the Bible says:

"He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks a hedge, a snake shall bite him" —Ecclesiastes 10:8.

It would be hard to find a better description of what occurred between David and Saul than the first clause, nor what ultimately happened to Saul than the second.

Of them it is recorded:

"Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker" —2 Samuel 3:1

It is God Himself who ultimately calls the shots and He is ALMIGHTY.

PHILISTINES & AMALEKITES

The word rendered "Philistines" derives from a root signifying "sojourner". They have a similar influence upon God's people as "the mixed multitude" that joined Israel as they left Egypt — c/f Ex 12:38 with Nehemiah 13:3 — but worse. Philistines not only cause compromise but ultimately they attack the true people of God.

The Amalekites were valley dwellers. (Amelek = "dweller in a valley"). They live in the low places of life and influence others with their life style. They too end up attacking and sometimes defeating God's people. The pilgrimage of the compromiser is fraught with danger. Beware the "Philistine" and the "Amalekite".

ENCOURAGED IN THE LORD

The Hebrew "chazaq" signifies "to strengthen; prevail; become strong; be courageous; firm; resolute". It's something we have to do ourselves. No-one else can do it for us and it's only in the Lord not in each other and certainly not in ourselves that we "encourage ourselves". The backslidden leadership has failed to do this. They encourage themselves in all sorts of things e.g. self esteem, religious politics, popularity seeking, mammon worship and so on — but not IN THE LORD.

David recognised his need for he had observed Saul's lack in this area. But there were other reasons:

All reliance on the flesh had failed. Being a refugee in Gath was alright for a time, but the Philistines ultimately turned on him. His own kith and kin were now gone, captured by the Amalekites; and then his own men turned on him too. They had family who had been captured. It was a hopeless situation. Everything was against King David. There was ONE who wasn't — "David encouraged himself in the LORD his God".

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

Ah — that's the key. Not fatalism but sovereignty. Not "Whatever will be, will be ...", the Doris Day doctrine as Rodney Howard-Browne has mistaken it for the glorious truth of God's Sovereignty — what a mistake! *1

BUT a God who is over all and who makes "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28. That includes our mistakes and failures as well as our right choices and achievements. To encourage ourselves — strengthen ourselves — in the Lord is the most marvellous of pursuits.

When we do that it will be said of us as it is recorded of David:

"And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and ... there was nothing missing, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor any thing that they had taken: David recovered all" 1 Samuel 30:18-19.

I cannot give the "faithful remnant" a cast-iron guarantee that the recovery of things that we have lost will happen before Christ returns, for the "apostasy" is and will run its course. I can assure you that King David's greater Son will requite and recover ALL. That is my confidence and that is my trust.

For myself I wish, desire, even long for, the re-establishment of true fellowship with my friends and colleagues who have ignorantly or wilfully embraced (God alone knows which) the Apostasy before Christ Returns. But I have no guarantee and I will not recant. There is no real fellowship in the Gospel apart from the TRUTH.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12: "And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

So where to from here?

*1 Quoted in the video SIGNS & WONDERS EXPOSED: Part3 - CWM Resource

Appeared in Volume 5.2 September 1999