Saul asked counsel of God: Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day. No, because they walked away, disrespected God. Imagine going up to somebody and saying hello and walking away before they can even respond.
It's some manners. And the great difference between the two men. And as we look at this, we say, well, who am I in this picture? Am I more drawn to Saul? Or am I more drawn to David?
There are a lot of people drawn to Saul. Who needs to pray? Who needs to wait for God? We know what we want to do. Hmm.
You're listening to Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
Now let's join Pastor Rick in 1 Samuel chapter 30 with today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Verse 7, and David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiatha brought the ephod to David.
Now the ephod is that pouch that the priest wore, and in within it were the urim and the thunim that they discerned the will of God was a yes or a no. They're you know, they figured if, you know, We don't know exactly what it looked like. We can just theorize that You know, two sides up of the same color meant yes. Like lots. But anyway, it worked.
It was very effective for David. And so he turns to Yahweh, through Yahweh's appointed man, he's within the system of faith, he's not outside of it, as Saul would have done. Verse 8.
So David inquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. It's quite profound. I don't know how he got all of that out of the ephod, but he got it.
And I guess God says, you know, if I had let you know how they did this, you wouldn't be praying to me in the spirit. You'd be out trying to. pulls things out of a pouch. To find direction, and I don't want you to do that. I want a personal relationship with you now.
Because there's enough of the record in Scripture. For you to have faith. And so through the priest, Otherwise, so David asks for the ephard. David's not doing this. The priest is doing this.
Otherwise, who needs the priest? God, you know, later we're going to read of King Uzziah, a good king. who got too big for his britches. And decided that he was going to be a priest too and offer incense on the altar. And God struck him with leprosy on the spot.
The priests were ready to die. Repelling him from the temple.
So that was a showdown that the Lord interfered with. Anyway, To withdraw and to withhold God when you're under in distress. or depressed discouraged or defeated? It's to exclude God. To give up on praying, you can't.
Now there's a believer, you gotta push forward. I know you can get really close to this. You can get to the place where I'm just prayed out. I've just prayed out. I still believe in the Lord, I still love God, but I just.
You can't ask for anymore. That's okay. God understands that. That's not excluding God. and replacing him with self-sufficiency and a self-will.
That's what Saul did. We read about it in 1 Samuel 14.
Now, it happened while Saul talked to the priest that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase.
So Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand. I don't want the word of God. I don't need the ephod answer. I can go without God. I got this.
That's what Saul did. Then in the same chapter, in verse 37, 1 Samuel 14, we then read: So Saul asked counsel of God: Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day. Yeah, because they walked away, disrespected God.
Imagine going up to somebody and saying hello and walking away before they can even respond. It's some manners. and the great difference between the two men. And as we look at this, we say, well, who am I in this picture? Am I more drawn to Saul?
Or am I more drawn to David? There are a lot of people drawn to Saul. Who needs to pray? Who needs to wait for God? We know what we want to do.
It says here in verse 8, without fail recover all. That's what God says to David. The Bible we love so dearly. is largely built on the lives of those who failed. It's just another one right here.
David failed, but God says without fail. And so, those who have blundered and failed. and feel unjustly unjustly treated by people. God has not given up on you. You can lose your standing in life.
such as Joseph and Job and David, Paul. And still You are remembered by God, your faith remains, you remain faithful and trust God. And Scripture blows the trumpet for you. The scripture says you are right. This is where you well done.
You can, you know, there are some well-dones now. You can get a well-done, good, and faithful servant in this life. You get a bunch of them. We get the grand one, that's what we're after. the grand prize, but there are others in the meantime.
God adds to this. David didn't ask this question, but God says, Without fail. All of it. You didn't get it all back. Boy, I gotta love that.
And God is saying. I'm not exhausted. I can give it all back. Verse 9.
So David went. He and six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Bezor, Where those stayed who were left behind. Not all the 600 could make it. They got tired. Fainting happens in God's army.
You get believers who just Get worn out. Can't go anymore until they've rested. And they had been traveling continuously for three days. And then there's that whole episode of bawling. crying and weeping before the Lord.
Again, many of them are likely traveling on foot and carrying equipment and supplies. Because later we're going to read about them giving food to somebody they catch wandering out in the wilderness. And well, who's carrying that food? They have their gear with them.
So this is going to be very painful to them because they're going to be left there, and that is going to be a great trial because these kind of men want to fight with their comrades and not be left behind too weak to carry on.
So these brave men had to deal with that kind of guilt. Must have been revolting to them. Verse 10, but David pursued.
So read verse 9 again.
So David went, he and 600 men who were with him. It came to the brook Besor, who's uh where those stayed Who were left behind, but David pursued, he and four hundred men, verse ten. For two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary they could not cross the brook Bezor. David loses two, he loses a third of his fighting force. The Amalekite forces are significantly larger.
400 get away. David has 400 men. And he said a long day of slaughtering takes a good part of the day.
So here he loses a significant part of his force, again, from bad to worse. This is a major setback. But he's in the path of obedience, is he not? God told him, pursue them. You're going to take them.
He's in the path of obedience. He gets this setback. And instead of saying, oh, I'm doomed as doom can be. My goose is cooked. That's the best way to eat it.
Gideon knew some of this. He knew about losing Substantial part of this force. Fact of life. We cannot all keep the same pace. in pursuit of God's will.
Some Christians are just not as strong as other Christians. It's okay. He's still loved. And we need to be gentle with each other. And not expect others.
Look at it, and because there have been people, you know, I do it, you need to do it. That works in some places in life. But not in the church and not in Christianity. Not like that. Verse 11.
Then they found an Egyptian in the field.
Now, how often does that happen? Hey, mom, look what I found. An Egyptian in the field.
Okay. zip it because it could get out of hand. For me. Anyway, they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate.
And they let him drink water. Verse twelve. See? You get these pictures in your head? 'Cause you just see him in the field with a hat, just the whole thing.
Thank you. fanning himself Verse twelve. There's gotta be an antidote for this.
Somebody should do so. My daughter should get up and I can yell at her: hey, you sit down, you know better than that, and I'll snap out of it.
Okay, verse 12. And they gave him a piece of cake of figs and two clusters of raisins.
So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him, for he had eaten no bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.
So before they interrogate him, they restore his health. He's with nicer people now. It's been three days since they raided the camp. Verse thirteen. Then David said to him, To whom do you belong, and where are you from?
And he said, I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite, And my master left me behind because three days ago I fell sick. Verse 14. We made an invasion of the southern area of the Kirathites. in the territory which belongs to Judah. and on the southern area of And we burned Ziklag with fire.
Well, that's what David wanted to know. Incidentally, when David becomes king, these Keratites, they're going to make a part of his personal bodyguard, and get that in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings. Uh verse fifteen. And David said to him, Can you take me down to this troop?
So he said, Swear to me by God, it's really in the Hebrew by God's plural, Elohim. That you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this true.
So David is in the will of God. He has lost a third of his force. And he's come to a place where he doesn't know where to go now. He's just stuck. In which direction?
And here, this he comes across this Egyptian.
So God is providing guidance. in the form of this abandoned Egyptian.
Now, between verses 11 and 15, we have three types that are, I think, they're just right up there on the surface. We have David, a type of the Savior. coming to the aid of the sick cast away. In pursuit of Of captives, you know, Jesus set the captives free. We have the Egyptian.
And a type of God finding the Gentiles. who are unwilling to return to their evil master. It's the picture of salvation. And then you have the Amalekites. a type of careless sinners When we find them, they're going to be dancing and having just a good old time oblivious.
to the dangers around them. And so the Amalekites are a type of the careless sinners. Yet to be destroyed in their wicked ways. Those types are just right there in verses 11 through 15. Again, the Hebrew word for God is Elohim.
And the Egyptian is not a follower of Yahweh. He's just showing deference to the gods and David's god. People were very religious. In those days, And he wants David to make an oath. which people did by their gods.
uh and before he gives up any information. David is not trying to convert him at this point. Maybe later. Verse 16. And when he had brought him down, there they were.
Spread out. over all the land. eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
So, this is a large force. They're all spread out. It makes it clear, it's not, you know, it's a little outfit. And again, here we can see. The carelessness of sinners in the world who suppose they're fine without Jesus.
They're safe. Frolicking through life. And all life has to offer, but they're not safe. None of the Amalekites. How to Single thought.
For Yahweh But truth. They accepted their gods, just passed down to them from generation to generation, no questions asked. Nothing like Well, how do we, why do we believe that? Was there any proof of that? Carelessly, Carefree.
Together. 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, verse 3: For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them. As labor pains upon a pregnant woman, And they shall not escape. And that's what we're going to see happen here, verse 17. Then David attacked them from twilight until evening of the next day.
Man, this is brutal. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. Yeah. abandoned their bodies. says something about them.
As a fighting force. Not caring for each other. This was also vengeance in David's attack. He is sending a message out. Not only does he want his people back, but don't attack me again.
Here's First Thessalonians' response to those who are carelessly carefree of Jesus Christ. The dangers that go with this serious judgment Speaking of Christ returning to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven. With his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction. From the presence of the Lord, From the glory of his power.
See, New Testament theology is God is the wrath of God is serious business. And if you say, oh, I can't believe God, well, then now you're just making a God in your own image. You've decided the revelation is not good enough, speculation is better.
So I'm going to make up something about God. Problem is, it doesn't serve anybody. It hurts to everybody. You're like Saul, who should have dealt with the Amalekites and did not, and the problem got even worse. The young Egyptian With David.
When he came upon these, that Egyptian that was in the field, when he came upon these Amalekites, that Egyptian, he is with David. Once he belonged with the Malekites.
Now he's with David. Had he not been separated from them. He would share their fate. He would die alongside of them. But he got separated.
It's a picture of salvation. The unconverted. They're in the sites of judgment, and that's why we try to tell the truth. And be firm about it. He says not at the bottom of verse 17, not a man of them escaped except 400 young men who rode on camels.
Verse 18: So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.
So the types. announcing Christ Just all over this passage. Verse 19: And nothing of theirs was lacking. either small or great, Sons or daughters? Spoil or anything.
which they had taken from David David recovered all.
Alright, well verse 19 now. and nothing of theirs was lacking. Either small or great, sons or daughters, spoiled anything that they had taken from them. David recovered all, as God said. God allows us to suffer loss from time to time.
He can afterwards restore it to us again. Not always, but he certainly can. John's Gospel, chapter 18, verse 9. Of those whom you gave me, I have lost none. Of course, except the Son of Perdition, that was on him, not on God.
Verse 20. Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock and said, This is David's spoil.
So he makes this recovery, and it is David. He's going to share. Not only is he getting what they lost at Ziklag, he's picking up what the Amalekites took from other places too.
So this is uh A bonus, verse 21. And David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besore.
So They went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. and when David came near the people he greeted them. This is great because we're going to find this there's a group in an element here that's going to cause trouble. But David understands that not all saints are alike. Not all are as spiritually robust.
We are all equally dear to Christ, but we're not all equally as strong in every single area as one another. Verse 22. Then all the wicked And worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil. That we have recovered, except for every man's wife and children. that they may lead them away and depart.
Now, the historian purposely calls these men sons of Belial. Worthless men. It's a derogatory title. He's exposing this kind of behavior.
So we go back to: man should not live by bread alone, but by every word of the proceeds from the mouth of God.
Well, how do I behave when I'm in a situation where I think someone doesn't deserve, but they're good people. But it was a weakness. It wasn't that they were, you know, David, we're not going with you, we're just not into this. They wanted to go. And the Bible teaches us.
About this grace. You who are spiritual, restore such a one. Galatians 6, chapter 1. This is true to life: that there are lower-class people amongst David's warriors, and there are lower-class Christians amongst us, or at least professed Christians. By the time Paul writes his letter, Belial became another name for Satan.
And so Paul in 2 Corinthians writes to him: he says, What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? He's talking about not being unequally yoked. But there are those self-righteous souls. Who find their way into a solid environment and they nest there and they cause problems.
And this is what we're seeing. And when they're eaten, they're not even that special. Likely, the ones that are saying this are the ones that suggested stoning David, too. The Spurgeon, on a sermon on this chapter, says they were. They were, some of them, The best of men, some of them were the worst in this, resembling our congregations.
Some of them were choice spirits whom David would have sought, but others were undesirable persons from whom he might gladly have been free.
Well, that's a reality. You have to face it and accept it and function within it. Verse 23: But David said, My brethren, you shall not do so with What Yahweh has given us, who preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop. that came against us. And we don't hear these guys Back talk David.
They just submit, and that's a good thing. But what draws me to this is David is gentle with these guys. The historian's not so gentle with them. They're sons of these worthless men. But David's reply to this type of people, he calls them my brethren.
This is again the lessons of Scripture for us. To walk away, I'm going to behave this way. When I'm in a situation like this, I'm going to try to remember how David or one other character of Scripture handled it. Later, Sometime after Saul's death, David looking at his life in Psalm 18, verse 35, he says this about God, Yahweh: Your gentleness has made me great. I mean, it is something that um I'm working on.
being more gentle. I kind of like the Marine Corps way. I kind of like shouting at stupid people. But it's not God's way. And it should be.
So I struggle with that just by nature. But I like it when folks are gentle with me. I've noticed that. Hi, Rick, great hair do. No, no, no, no, no.
No one has said that to me in decades. Anyway. Verse 24, for who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is, who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies, they shall share alike. And so it was from that day forward.
He made it a statute. And an ordinance for Israel to this day.
So that's the rule. I mean, those who watch the supplies they share in as everybody else. Milton writes this: you know, the great. Poet. and writer They also serve who only stand and wait.
That had become quite popular. England and during the Second World War. Verse 26.
Now when David came to Ziklag, He sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Here is a present. for you from the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh.
So David and his generosity, Mark's Gospel 12, verse 35, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. And there we see it, verse 27, to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth. Of the south, and those who are in Jatur. And then you can read verses 28 to 30, all you want later. Verse 31, those who were in Hebron Because he's in all the places.
And all the places where David and His men were accustomed to rove. I like that. The old King James, I think it's his haunt. Uh Just he's a leader and a patriot. He cares for the people.
These people helped him. They had given resources to David, even if David just took it from the land. Became a competitor for resources wherever David was. And so he pays back the landowners for their support. And of course, it's just a remarkable time in David's life.
Under all that pressure, he shines so brightly. Um Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Rick is in the book of 1 Samuel. If you'd like to listen again to this or other messages or share it with someone you know, please visit crossreferenceradio.com.
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