1 Samuel 27-31: David's First Failure

"But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." 1 Samuel 30:6b

Here at the end of 1 Samuel, we find David's first failure and the death of Saul. Many people think that David was completely blameless apart from his "little" incident with Bathsheba, but if we observe the scriptures carefully, we find that this wasn't exactly so. Furthermore, here in these chapters, we find the death of the wicked man named Saul. Although Saul had sinned greatly against the Lord in seeking to kill the Lord's anointed one (David), the Lord does not let him get away with it. He tears the kingdom from him and kills him, punishing him greatly for his actions. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

In 1 Samuel 27, we find David on the run once again. However, this flight follows a little different of path than his previous ones. First, we find David "saying in his heart" that he would perish at the hand of Saul (1 Sam. 27:1). Although David had previously relied on the Lord his God amidst his fears, we find him preaching false propaganda to his heart rather than the promises of God.* Because of his own deception, David is thus led into taking matters into his own hands. he flees to the land of Gath, which was in the heart of the land of the Philistines, the Israelite's greatest enemy. Amidst that city, he ends up friending the king of Gath, who gives him and his 600 mighty men a plot of land to live on. The picture is not so bright here--David has friended with the enemy.

However, even amidst his fear-filled running, David is still loyal to his people. Although he is asked to go out and fight with the Philistines against Israel (see ch. 29), God sovereignly appoints his rejection so that he doesn't have to go out against his own people. However, when David returns to the land of Ziklag (the portion of Gath that the king had given him), he finds it plundered, with all of his people's wives and children taken. David is distraught, and the people attempt to stone him, but here we get a wonderful phrase, "But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."

This phrase gives us great hope, does it not? David here is in the midst of his own sin. Rather than relying on God, he has taken matters into his own hands and sided with the enemy. And amidst all of that, his temporary settlement amidst the enemy's land has been plundered. He is threatened with death by his own people. Yet amidst his weakness, anxiety, and perhaps depression, David looks to the Lord for his strength. That's the thing about David: he messes up, but after he messes up, he repents of his sin and turns to the Lord. That's what sets David apart from Saul. Both of them were sinners, but in the end, one of them sought the Lord amidst his sin, and one of them did not. One of them always returned to the Lord, and one of then always returned to his own sin. Which one are you?

So, this morning we learn a great lesson, that even amidst our greatest sins, the Lord's mercy is more. The Lord does not desire us to mope around in our sins as if we can atone for ourselves by our groaning. The Lord desires us to do what Samuel commanded of the people back in chapter 12, remember? "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart." Amidst your sins, amidst your brokenness, and amidst your hurting this morning, let me encourage you to follow the pattern of David and strengthen yourself in the LORD. Turn to the promises of God, take hold of them, and never let them go, and spiritual victory will be the only thing on your horizon.

*Credit where credit is due, my prof Dr. Brian Paine said this in one of his sermons last semester.