Marching with the Enemy

I have your Bibles with you today. Turn with me if you would to 1 Samuel chapter 29, and I'm going to be looking at verses 1 through 6 to begin with. Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek, and the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. As the Lord of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, the commanders of Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me, I have found no fault in him to this day? But the commanders of Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of Philistines said to him, Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his Lord?

Would it not be with the heads of the men here? Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances? Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And 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 end with me in this 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. Bow with me as we go to our Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we are looking at a David today who is learning the cost of being lukewarm and double-minded. This is not the joyful, victorious David who fought Goliath and trusted God for the victory.

This is a depressed, defeated David who is trusted in his own human ingenuity. He is destroying his testimony. He's dishonoring God.

And he is confusing people who know him as a man after God's own heart. Father, we hate to admit it, but we can all relate well to this. Our sinful natures lead us astray and often bring great hurt to our testimonies. Help us to see it.

Help us to despise lukewarmness. Put a fire in our heart for Christ. Put a love in our heart for the Church. Put a burden on our heart for the lost.

And through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, make us like Jesus. Father, we pray for our divided nation. We know that you and you alone can fix it. We feel like Jehoshaphat who saw little hope that Judah could be saved, but he prayed this prayer. Lord, help us. We don't have any power.

We don't have any might. We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you. Father, you answered Jehoshaphat's prayer with a miracle. Please answer our prayers in the same way. Save our nation for Christ's sake. For it is in the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.

You may be seated. Romans chapter 15 verse 4 says this, For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope. Paul was wisely telling us not to neglect the Old Testament.

Now, why shouldn't we neglect it? We're under the new covenant now. Jesus Christ has died on the cross to become our substitutionary atonement. Jesus has shed his precious blood in order that he might wipe away all of the sins of all of his people for all time.

Folks, this is important. He has taken our sin and given us his righteousness. He has taken our misery and given us his joy. He has taken our hell and given us his heaven.

And every true born-again believer has not only life, but has eternal life. And not only that, but God has given us his Holy Spirit to indwell us in order that we might have power to live out the Christian life. Now, if all that's true, then why didn't Paul just tell us you got all you need in the book of Romans? Great doctrinal book. All you need, if you just read it and study it, is the book of Romans. Paul never said that, did he? Paul said this in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, instruction, and righteousness, that the man of God might be competent, thoroughly furnished into all good works. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 15, Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

And 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 11 through 13, Paul is giving instruction to New Testament believers on how to utilize the Old Testament. And he says this, Now all these things happened unto them for examples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of this world are come. Wherefore, let him that standeth take heed, lest he falls. There is no temptation taken you, but such is his common demand.

But God is faithful, and he will not permit you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will with the temptation provide the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. And then in John chapter 5 verse 39, Jesus said, Search the scriptures, for they testify of me. In other words, the study of the life of David is not written down in Holy Scripture that we might have a better history of Israel. And it's not written down in Scripture that we might have a better profile of who David is. It is written down in Scripture that we might know Jesus better, that we might know him better, and that he will help us in our walk with him to glorify him in this life. In this story, David has messed up royally. So how can this benefit us?

We can take the principles and we can take the fleshed out examples and use them to teach us how to live and how not to live. I think what the Lord is doing in these last chapters of 1 Samuel is to get us to make a comparison between Saul and David. You see, Saul is an apostate. Saul has been hard-headed, hard-hearted, and radically calloused. And he's just become an enemy of God. He has blasphemed the Holy Spirit. He has committed the unforgivable sin. He has stepped over God's line and given himself over to the spirit of darkness. David, on the other hand, has waffled in his faith. He is now filled with doubt and he is filled with lukewarmness and double-mindedness. We read this and it's hard for us to believe that this is the same David who, when he was 17 years old, went out to fight a giant named Goliath and defeated him.

The greatest warrior that the Philistines had defeated him with nothing but a slingshot and five stones. But now, where is David? He's got the Lord in one hand. He's got the world in the other.

And things are not looking good. And what happens? God intervenes. God intervenes in David's life and he does an amazing, unbelievable work.

What is that call, folks? That's grace. Grace, grace, grace. So what's the message for us?

It is this. Don't be a haughty, proud Christian. We don't have anything to brag about but Jesus. Folks, we aren't victorious because we're good. We're victorious because we're His. And the only difference between David and Saul was the grace of God. And the only difference between us and unbelievers is the grace of God.

That ought to knock all the pride out of our hearts. So I want us to look at the text and there are four points I want to share with you. Number one, David's dilemma.

Let's look at verses one and two. Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. The Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. As the Lord of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish. Taking matters into his own hands and not waiting on the Lord had not worked out very well for David. David was really tired of running from King Saul.

Saul had been chasing him everywhere trying to take his life, trying to put his life to an end, trying to do him in. Finally David can't take it anymore and he goes to Achish who is the king of Gath. He's a Philistine king and he says to him, Sir, would you allow me and my family and my men and their families to come onto your property and to live in your land and that way we'll be protected. And if you'll allow us to do that, we're warriors. And we will fight for you. We will fight against the enemies of the Philistines.

We will fight for you. And King Achish is just bewildered by what David is saying. He's excited about that and he trusts David and says, Yes David, you can come onto my land and I will give you ziklag where you and your families and your men can go and that's where you can live. Folks, David thought he had a problem with Saul. But David's greatest problem was running from God.

He was running from God. And that looked like some bad things were going to happen. It looks in this passage that David is going to have to fight against the Israelites and do harm to God's people.

I want you to listen to what Richard Phillips said here. For sixteen months David had cunningly navigated his precarious situation making the Philistines think that he was helping them against Israel while making sure that he did no actual harm to God's people. As generally happens, David's cunning was unable to control the variables and his intrigue was revealed as a falling house of cards.

The worst of all scenarios had occurred. His new Philistine lord had gone to war against Israel. With the Philistine army, including David, mobilizing against God's covenant people David was hemmed in to a decisive choice that would determine his fate. If David showed loyalty to Akish, his new lord, he must now be wholly opposed to his own people, Israel. David would be an apostate in the lamentable condition later described by the apostle Paul separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in this world. Ephesians 2, 12. But how could David extricate himself from his obligations to the Philistines as so often happens when God's people dabble in sin and worldliness?

David was now further in than he imagined possible perhaps so far in that he would never get out. Point two is David's battered testimony. Look with me at verse three. The commanders of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing here? And Akish said to the commanders of the Philistines, Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years?

And since he deserted to me, I have found no fault in him to this day. David has gained the trust of King Saul. How did he gain that trust?

He gained that trust by lying, by lying to him. David would take his men, he would go out to fight against a Philistine enemy and then he would destroy everybody that lived in that particular village. And wipe everybody out so there would be no witnesses. Then he would come back and he would bring back the spoils of victory. Give them to Akish and then he would say to Akish, We've been fighting the Israelites and we got this from the Israelites. And Akish would say, Wow, David's loyal to me.

He is so loyal to me. He's willing to fight against his own people. Then Akish got ready to go into real battle with Israel.

And he says to David, David, I want you with me. I want you to go, you to be a general. I want you to fight against Israel. I want you to valiantly take on the wicked Saul.

Wow. David and his men are put into a tremendously precarious position. I think David is saying to himself at this point, Uh oh, uh oh, I wasn't expecting this.

I didn't see this coming. He doesn't want to fight his own people. He doesn't want to fight against Saul. He doesn't want to lift his hand against God's anointed.

But David's lies have led him into this dilemma. Brothers and sisters, God has a calling on us as his children. And that calling is that we are to have a clear conscience.

Now there's going to come times when we sin and God told us what to do when we sin. That we are to confess it and then we are to repent of it. But we are not to hide it. And we are not to hide it and cover it up with lies. We're not going to be perfect, but we can be honest. And we can be transparent before people and before God.

How important that is. Proverbs chapter 28 verse 13 says this, He who covers his sin will not prosper. But he who confesses and forsakes his sin shall have mercy. David is not prospering because he's covering his sin.

He is lying. And his lies to Achish have led him into a horrible situation. He will have to go to battle with the Philistines against the people who he dearly loves. His lies, his double-mindedness, his cover-ups are destroying his testimony.

Now people listen carefully. Sin will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay.

And it will cost you more than you want to pay. Second Corinthians chapter 6 verse 4 through 5 says this, Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial?

Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? David thought that living with pagans would be no big deal. He thought that he could fellowship with God haters. And he could get away with it. David was dead wrong. David is acting like Saul. He is being pragmatic. He is saying the ends justify the means. Listen folks, in God's economy the ends do not justify the means.

The means are important. How you get to where you are is very, very important to God. Saul's unbelieving pragmatism led him to an early death. David's unbelieving pragmatism put him between a rock and a hard place. In Revelation chapter 3 verses 15 through 16, Jesus rebuked the church at Laodicea. And it was one of the most powerful, just stinging rebukes that Jesus gave to any of the seven churches there in Asia Minor. Listen to what Jesus said to the church at Laodicea.

He said, I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot.

So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth. Jesus tells the church at Laodicea that he would rather them be hot or cold than lukewarm. Now what does hot mean? Hot means on fire for the Lord. It means to be zealous for God. It means you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. It means you're seeking holiness. It means you're standing in truth. It means you're saved, gloriously saved. I can understand why Jesus would rather us be hot than to be lukewarm.

But Jesus also said, I'd rather you be cold than lukewarm. What does it mean to be cold? It means to be unsaved. It means to be lost. It means to be spiritually dead. Why would Jesus say he'd rather us be that way than to be lukewarm?

I want you to think for a minute about the testimony of the unbelievers. I want you to picture a drunk lying on the side of the road passed out and people walk by him and they look at him lying there in the gutter and they say, I don't want that for my life. Look at a man that's been an adulterer and he's broken his family's heart and he's torn up people's lives and he's just torn up marriages and people look at him and say, I don't want that for my life.

Look at the robber who goes into a house and murders people to take their stuff and take their money. People look at that. What do they say? They say, I don't want that.

That's not what I want for me. Folks, that testimony doesn't hurt the cause of Christ. It does not hurt the cause of Christ. In fact, it helps it because it says, this is what happens to people who are Christ rejecters. They don't hurt the cause of Christ.

They make people say, man, maybe I need Christ. But lukewarmness is different. Lukewarmness is a yawn in the face of God. It is a person who says, yeah, I know Christ, but so what?

He doesn't excite me. I don't want to obey Him because it's more fun just following the world. That's a horrible testimony. That's why Jesus said, I will spew the lukewarm professing believer out of my mouth. And that's what's going on with David here.

He is lukewarm. Well, the other Philistine soldiers arrive and they get there, they start looking around, they see David and his men there and they are pitching a fit. And they say, what in the world is going on here? Who are these Philistines? These Hebrews, what are they doing here? They're our enemies.

They shouldn't be here. And King Achish speaks up. He says, wait a minute, wait a minute, I trust this man. This is David.

David has been with me for years in the past now and he's been nothing but loyal to me. In fact, he's turned against the Israelites. He's fighting against the Israelites.

And he's done that. He's with us now. He hates the people of God. Maybe he even hates God.

And we can trust him because he's with us now. Can you imagine how David must have felt as he heard that? How ashamed he must have been.

His lack of faith has driven him to such double-mindedness that even his enemies don't know where he stands. There's a man that's a Christian man that took a job as a salesman. He's working for a company and his boss called him in one day and said, I want you to take out one of our clients and you just take him out to entertain him and whatever he wants to do, you take him. And we'll pay for it. Don't worry about that. Just take him wherever he wants. Don't make him mad.

Just y'all have a good time. So he calls the client up and asks the client where he'd like to go. The client says, I'd like to go to a topless nightclub. And he says, oh my goodness. He's thinking to himself, this is not good. What am I going to do here?

How am I going to handle this? I'm a Christian. I have no business being in a place like that. He said, this is my job.

And I've got to do this to keep my job. And so he took him. They're sitting at a table together and this client is just enjoying the entertainment and all of a sudden he feels a hand on his shoulder. And he turns around and he looks up. It's his next door neighbor. It's a next door neighbor that he's been trying to witness to for the last couple of years.

It's his next door neighbor who he's been inviting to church. And the next door neighbor starts laughing. He says, I didn't expect to see you here.

Now tell me about this Jesus again. And all of a sudden his heart just falls to his feet. And he gets up and he pulls his wallet out and he gives the client some money. He says, you'll have to take this for a cab home. I've got to leave. And he walks over to his neighbor and he puts his hand on his shoulder and says, I'm sorry. He said, the only reason I'm here is because it's part of my job. And he said, I have no right to be here.

Tomorrow I'm quitting my job. I'm sorry. I want to share with you an illustration that's the exact opposite of that one. I've shared this with you before. If you remember it, just stick with me for just a minute.

But I love this illustration. It's by Grant Castleberry. And Grant Castleberry is talking about his daddy. He said, my dad Charles Kelly Castleberry Jr. was a Marine Corps fighter pilot and a Christian. One night my dad's squadron took a mandatory trip to a beach house somewhere along the Atlantic coast.

No wives or children were allowed to come. This was a special night in which many of the young pilots would receive their call signs. Shortly after my father arrived at the beach house, he realized why family members were not invited.

Someone had invited strippers as entertainment for the evening. Later that night when he confided this event to my mom, she asked him how he responded. He said that he had stayed in the corner of the beach house with his hand over his eyes. A few months later, my father was killed in a mid-air collision over the Atlantic Ocean. After my father's crash, a pilot in the squadron gave my mom a picture that someone had taken inside the beach house that night.

He told my mom that deep down everyone respected Kelly for it, but no one had the guts to follow him. Sure enough, in the photo was my father in the corner, hand covering his eyes. When I was a young boy, my mom showed me that picture and explained the integrity and courage my dad had displayed in that moment, integrity and courage that had characterized his life in Christ. Mom framed the picture, put it in my room, as a constant reminder of his legacy. When the squadron cleaned out my dad's locker after the accident, they found taped up inside his locker Paul's last will and testament to a young pastor-in-training.

For I am now ready to be offered the time of my departures at hand. For I've fought a good fight, I've finished my course, I've kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me in that day, and not to me only, but to all them also who love his appearing. My dad covered his eyes at the beach house because they were fixed on his Savior.

This focus isn't easy. As Paul said, it's a fight of faith. It's a fight for purity, but it's worth it. Christ is the purity we can count on. Keeping our eyes on him is worth it because he is the only one who can truly satisfy our souls.

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Grant Castleberry's dad had a single eye, a single mind, and a focused heart. And he won a victory that day that God has mightily used, not only in the past, but is continuing to use decades and decades later. The other man, who was filled with double-mindedness and filled with lukewarmness, destroyed his testimony. That's how David is feeling, caught between a rock and a hard place.

His lukewarmness has stolen his joy. Point three is the stench of double-mindedness, verses four through five. But the commanders of Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of Philistines said to him, Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to the Lord?

Would it not be with the heads of the men here? Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances? Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands. David had wavered horribly, but yet David had not apostatized. He still refused to fight the Israelites.

He was still refusing to lift up his hand to get Saul, the Lord's anointed. And David still loved God. Folks, God doesn't let his true children get away with lukewarmness and double-mindedness. In Hebrews chapter 12, verse 6, the scripture says, For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. God loves us too much to let us get away with sin. The chastening of God is one of the greatest proofs of our salvation. And you know, when I have sinned and God chastens me, it hurts, and I don't like it, but then it heals. It heals, and it motivates me to repent, and it forces me with a desire in my heart to run to the loving arms of God. Folks, God's chastisement is proof of God's love for you.

So picture this. David and his men are headed for war against Israel. They are marching with the enemy, and David doesn't know what to do about it.

But God, but God. All of a sudden, some Philistine generals see David and his men over there, and they say, What in the world is going on here? What are these Hebrews doing here? This is David. He's the one who killed Goliath, the greatest warrior that the Philistines ever had. And he killed Goliath with a slingshot. He's the one who the women of Israel sing about. Saul has killed his thousands, but David has slain his ten thousands.

What are you doing here? We can't trust him. This might be a trick. He would turn against us in the middle of the battle, and he would do us in. And King Achish says, Oh no, David has changed. David wouldn't do this to us. He's loyal to me.

We can trust him. King Achish got outvoted, and David got sent back home. That, my friends, was an act of God's amazing grace. David saw no hope, but God made a way. I can imagine David closing his eyes in prayer and just whispering to the Lord, Thank you, Lord. I wasn't expecting this.

I didn't know how you would do this. Thank you, Lord. David is experiencing what Jesus explained in John chapter 15, verse 19, when Jesus said this, If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Here's another proof of salvation. Does the world hate you?

If it doesn't, then you might need to be concerned about that. If the world does hate you, then rejoice! That means that God's hand is on you. The governor of California, I just wondered if we were to ask him, Who's your greatest enemy now? I wonder what he'd say. I think he might say, John MacArthur. He's my greatest enemy. He's my greatest enemy because John MacArthur is keeping his church open when I told him to shut it down. Why is John MacArthur doing that? John MacArthur is doing that because he has a command from God that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, not to forsake the assembling of the brethren together. That's a command from God.

He believes that's more important than a command from his governor. And you know what? John may get put in jail for that. He may get put in jail because the world hates him.

But if he gets put in jail, you know what? There are a whole lot of people like Peter, John the Baptist, and Paul, and James and John, Thomas, tens of thousands of others who have gone to jail also for Christ's sake. Did it bother them?

No. They sang and they rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake. Point four, the praise of the ungodly. Look at verse six through eleven. I'm going to read verses six through seven first. 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 end 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 Lord does not approve of you, so go back now and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines. The Lord had intervened.

David was sent back home. He would not have to fight against God's people. God had just blessed him immensely. God had answered this prayer and done something on his behalf that he never could have worked up for himself in a million years. So you'd think David would be so grateful to God that he would just either be praising God or just keeping his mouth shut. But he doesn't do that.

He's still lying and he's still double talking. Look what he says in verses eight through eleven. 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 out and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

And Achish answered David and said, I know that you're 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. Now then, rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning.

Depart as soon as you have light. So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went to Jezreel. What's David doing? David is doing double talk. Achish tells David that his hands are tied, that he got outvoted, there's nothing he can do about it. And he's got to send David home.

And this is what the other generals have commanded, so it's out of his hands. What does David do? David double talks. Look at verse 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 out and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? David is begging Achish to let him go and fight against who? The enemies of my lord the king. Now, who does Achish think the lord my king is? Achish thinks the lord my king is Achish.

It's not. That's the very same words or title that is given to Saul by David all the way through 1 Samuel. What he's saying is, I'll fight against the enemies of Saul.

I'll fight against the enemies of Israel. But he says it in such a way that Achish totally misunderstands it. If he got out in the middle of that battle, he would turn against the Philistines and kill them. But Achish didn't see it that way. Achish doesn't understand because David is doing double talk. Folks, David's actions smell like the world here. And that's not good.

They don't smell like God. Listen, if you're in right fellowship with God, don't double talk. James 5 verse 12 says, Let your yes be yes and your no be no. As one of God's children, you have a responsibility to speak with clarity.

So that when people hear you, they'll know that you're being honest. They'll know this is where you stand. They'll know this is not some compromise. And they'll know this is for real and you are for real that you belong to the Lord. I see this happening in churches way too much now. Way too many preachers are doing what David did here. They are skirting around the truth with double talk.

They learn the politically correct language. They avoid subjects that are going to be culturally sensitive. When Jesus and God shout the truth in the scripture, then they whisper it or they avoid it altogether. They are more concerned about offending the culture than they are in offending God. Folks, God calls His people to be honest.

He calls us to be upfront. He calls us to be a people who will stand for truth. The world respects an out-and-out Christian, but neither God nor the world respects an inconsistent, double-minded Christian. Now, we're never, if a true Christian is never going to get the love of the world, we shouldn't even want the love of the world, but we ought to want the respect of the world. And the world can look at you and hate you because you won't compromise. But if they look at you and know that you won't compromise, they will respect you. And that, my brothers and sisters, is a godly testimony.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, this passage teaches us powerfully about the danger of leaning to our own understanding. You said in Isaiah 55, my ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

We need your wisdom. That's why you commanded us to die to self and live to Christ. Father, help us to see that we are saved by grace and we are made holy by grace. Help us to not trust our human wisdom. Help us to trust your Word even when we don't understand it. Father, the nation needs to see Christ's Church broken before God. Our nation needs to see us uncompromising and loving before the world. Help Grace Church that we might have that testimony. Even if we're hated by a Christ-rejecting world, may we be known as genuine and faithful to Christ. For it's in the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.