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Safety And Security Are In The Lord - Part 1 of 2

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• Well, let's open our Bibles today to 1 Samuel chapter 23. 1 Samuel chapter 23. And we'll begin reading with verse 1. I will tell you very quickly that the message that I begin today will end next Sunday. I could not bring it all in one day, so this message will be in two parts. So, today we're going to have part 1 of the message entitled, "Safety and Security Are in the Lord." So look in 1 Samuel chapter 23 verse 1, "Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing floors. Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah, how much more then if we come to Keilah, against the armies of the Philistines. Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand."

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• So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their cattle, and so smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. And it came to pass when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. And Saul called all the people together to war to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. And David knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him and said to Abiathar the priest, bring hither the ephod. Then said David, O Lord God of Israel, Thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy servant hath heard?

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• O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up. Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he forbear to go forth. And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and remained in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. And Jonathan Saul's son arose and went to David into the wood and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee. And thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee.

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• And that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord, and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

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• Now I will be dealing with the rest of the chapter next week, but today I'm just simply reading verses 1 through 18. Remember I told you the title of this message is "Safety and Security are in the Lord." Most people believe that they are in serious trouble when the government is after them. Whether the government is seeking them lawfully or unlawfully is beside the point. Many just simply believe that all hope is gone when an all-powerful government is after them. Of course, in reality, there is no such thing as an all-powerful government except for God's government. Man's government is always limited. It does not matter how rich or how powerful. It is always limited. Man is not God. Government is not God.

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• However, when one understands the resources, the money, the technology, and the multiplicity of agencies that are available to governments, it tends to cause concern, especially when such a government is a rogue government or a tyrannical government. In our text, such a government existed under King Saul. He had money, he had men, he had a war machine, and he had a multitude of people that would aid and abet him in his search and destroy mission against David. Saul did not want David for a trial. Saul did not want David for an apology. Saul did not want David to make amends or to rectify the situation between himself and David in any way whatsoever. Saul just simply wanted David dead and he was doing everything that he could to make it happen. So Saul planned and schemed and sought to kill David. Yet God providentially preserved David and protected him. Saul could not accomplish his mission. I'm going to point this out in just a minute, but the scripture says that Saul sought David every day. Well, why could not Saul kill David?

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• And the answer is, God is greater than all of the governments of men. God rules over all. God is sovereign. And God is quite capable of restraining or overturning the desires, the wills, and the edicts of the governments of men. God frustrates and infuriates the wicked. The wicked and the evil design evil against God's people, and when they do so, God uses it as an opportunity to manifest and demonstrate His judgment and His justice and at the same time as He issues forth His justice and His judgment against the wicked, He protects and preserves His people as well.

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• Now let me make a point and I'll show you the scripture. We do not have to read this text in the Bible to know that wickedness abounds. We do not have to read history to know that wickedness abounds; all we have to do is look around and we can see wickedness on every hand from the powers that be. May I point something out from scripture? Listen to this: the only wickedness and the only evil that is going to transpire or come to pass is only that which God allows, which will ultimately redound to His honor and His glory. And what will not redound to His honor and His glory, He restrains.

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• I want you to turn. Hold 1 Samuel. We're coming right back there. But turn to Psalm 76 and look at verse 10. Psalm 76 and verse 10. And stay there because then we're going to go back to Psalm 7 just momentarily. But I want you to look in Psalm 76 and verse 10, and look what the Bible says very clearly, very plainly. Psalm 76 and verse 10, the Bible says this, "Surely, surely, that is most certainly, surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." Literally, it's "surely the wrath of man shall keep a Sabbath unto thee." The wrath of man, ultimately, is going to redound to God's honor and God's glory. What will not redound to God's honor and God's glory, God will sovereignly and powerfully restrain.

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• Now this principle and this truth is enunciated over and over, not only in the life of David, but also throughout scripture. God, in His all wise providence, uses the wrath of man to accomplish His will while at the same time preserving and protecting His people. You have to remember that wicked Haman was hanged on the same gallows that he prepared for Mordecai while Mordecai escaped. You have to remember that Daniel was delivered from the lion's den while his enemies who conspired to have him thrown into the lion's den were left to the mercies of the lions themselves and the lions devoured them.

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• Now I want you to look back at Psalm 7. I want you to see what God says concerning the wicked. Look in Psalm 7 and let's begin reading there with verse 15. This is a wonderful passage. Psalm 7 verse 15, God says this through David. Talking about the wicked. In fact, you could go back to verse 14 just to show we're talking about the wicked. "Behold, he travaileth with iniquity," that is the wicked man, "hath conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood." So what has the wicked man done in verse 15? "He made a pit and digged it," look what God says, "and has fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate." And the pate, of course, is the crown or the top of the head. So God says in His justice, He brings the wickedness of the wicked back down upon the top of their head.

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• I'm excited and I'm encouraged. I'm just waiting to see what God's going to do with a number of folks in this country. Because they will fall in the pit which they have dug. And God is going to bring their wickedness down upon their own head.

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• Now, often times, we think that everything is going wrong. Especially when we are suffering for doing that which is right. We have to remember that the safest and the most secure place in the entire planet is right smack dab in the middle of the will of God. He is our refuge. The Bible says in Proverbs 18 in verse 10, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower.

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• The righteous runneth into it and are safe." So our Lord protects us, and as He does, we're safe and secure. No one, no government, no combinations of governments can harm us when the sovereign God of heaven and earth is protecting us.

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• Now if you'll go back to 1 Samuel chapter 23, and I want you to just look at verse 14. This is basically the theme of this chapter and the theme of today's message and next Sunday's message as well. But look in 1 Samuel 23 and verse 14. "And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day," watch, "but God delivered him not into his hand." Can you imagine that? Saul, the king, with all of the soldiers, with all of his men, with everything at his disposal, sought for David every day. And yet God sovereignly protected him and delivered not David into his hand. So I want you to see in this message and the message next Sunday, that divine safety and security that we find not only in the life of David, but that which God also prepares and preserves for His people.

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• So, in the first 13 verses, here we go, providential endeavors, providential endeavors. In the first 13 verses, we read about Keilah, how the Philistines are attacking Keilah, robbing the threshing floors, and David hears about it. By the way, I must point out that this passage also shows us the heart of David. David has been wronged by King Saul. He has been wronged by the powers that be and the government of the land. And although David was absolutely totally and completely innocent, Saul was seeking to kill him every day. Moreover, as you read this passage, there were citizens who were seeking to help King Saul with David's capture. Now Saul was a Benjamite while David was a Judahite.

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• But you have to remember that in the region of Judea, where the tribe of Judah lived, also the tribe of Benjamin and the tribe of Simeon lived there as well. So Simeon, Benjamin, and Judah were all in the region of Judah, the tribe and the land there of Judea.

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• Now, although Saul has been seeking David's life, and although David has been wronged, and David is innocent, the interesting thing is, in this passage, David is not interested in revenge. If David had been like the average individual, his attitude when he heard that Keilah was being invaded and robbed, and by the way, Keilah was in Judah, he would have probably said, if he had been like the average man, "Good, they're getting what they deserve." But David was not the average man. He was not vengeful and he was not interested in revenge. Probably some men, when they had heard that the Philistines were invading Keilah and robbing the threshing floors, if they had been wronged the way David had been wronged, they would have joined with the Philistines and exerted their revenge. But David was not like that. The only thing that entered into David's mind was saving his people. Delivering his people from the hand of the Philistines.

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• He thinks of nothing but being a help to his brethren. He was willing to risk his life and the lives of his men, he was willing to risk everything to save the inhabitants of Keilah. Now I've already pointed out that Keilah was in the land of Judah. David has not only heard about the invasion, but also the theft and the wickedness that is taking place there. And I want you to note something else. David does not automatically assume that he's to be the deliverer.

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• Let me put this another way. David does not jump the gun and run off to war. No. What David does is he asks God for permission and direction. Look in verse 2. 1 Samuel 23 verse 2. "Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go and smite the Philistines and save Keilah." Now the interesting thing is the only reason there was any hesitation was because of the fear that was in the hearts of David's men. Look in verse 3. "And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?" Now, I want you to note in 1 Samuel 22 at verse 5, the prophet Gad had told David to get out of the hole, that is his hiding place, and to get into the land of Judah. Notice 1 Samuel 22 and verse 5. "And the prophet Gad said unto David, abide not in the hole, depart and get thee into the land of Judah.

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• Then David departed and came to the forest of Hareth." Now, so David was in a hole, he was in a hiding place, and the prophet of God said, you go to Judah. So David goes to Judah and he's hiding in the forest.

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• Now, here's what his men say. "We're afraid here in Judah. We're this much closer to Saul. Much more easier to reach and to get to. How much more if we go to Keilah?" Now, Keilah was not all that far from Jerusalem. It was farther south. It was between Hebron and Jerusalem. But the problem with Keilah was, it was a city that had gates and bars. So David wishes to allay the fears of his men, and he decides he's going to check again. Look in verse 4. "Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hands." So God now has given absolute assurance that David would conquer the Philistines. And so David now obeys the Lord. And he goes down to Keilah. And look in verse 5. Here it is. "So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their cattle.

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• And so smote them with a great slaughter." Now I want you to watch this statement. "So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah." So David then obeyed the Lord. He not only saved the inhabitants of Keilah, he saved their properties as well.

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• Now if we read no further than verse 5, we would tend to think that this would be the end of the story. And we could say, "And David saved the inhabitants of Keilah, and everyone lived happily ever after." But it didn't work like that. And that was not the end of the story. Have you ever wondered how it is possible to get into trouble just by obeying God? Just stop and think about that. How is it possible to get into trouble just by obeying God and doing His will? You know what we tend to think? We tend to think that if we obey God that we will never have any problems, we'll never face any difficulties, and we will never have any adversaries.

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• This passage teaches us differently. I want you to note when David went and saved the people of Keilah, when he entered into that city with gates and bars, Saul rejoiced. He was not rejoicing that David had saved the inhabitants of Keilah. He was not rejoicing that he'd saved their property. Look at it in verses 7 and 8. 1 Samuel 23 verse 7, "And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men." Wow! I want to point out a number of truths.

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• First, it is impossible to move without producing friction. What do I mean by that? Every time you move, I don't care if you walk, I don't care if you lift your hand, I don't care if you reach for a coffee cup, you cannot move without producing friction. Let me say this another way. The doors of opportunity always swing on the hinges of opposition. What am I trying to tell you? No matter what you do, no matter how right it is, no matter how holy and godly it is, you're going to always have problems.

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• Do you know the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 9, "For a great door and effectual is open unto me and there are many adversaries." What? A great door and effectual is open unto me and there are many adversaries. Let me just spell it out, folks. When you and I seek to obey God, and when we do obey God, there will be problems. We will have adversaries.

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• Our Lord has never promised us a bed of roses. And if He had, you'd have to remember that roses have thorns. But our Lord said this in John 16 in verse 33, "In the world you shall have tribulation." So what is He telling us? We must expect trouble. We must expect problems. We must expect adversaries in anything and everything that we do. We can't live without trouble and problems and adversaries.

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• So here, David has done that which was right and holy. He was fulfilling the will of God. And Saul is using it as an opportunity to kill him. That brings me to the second truth in this passage. Not everyone will appreciate or like our efforts in obedience. The mere fact that we're Christians, and the mere fact that we want to obey our Lord and please Him, and do that which is right and holy, will not please everyone, and especially it will not please those in positions of authority and power. See, it did not matter to King Saul that David had obeyed God. It did not matter to King Saul that he had saved the inhabitants of Keilah. It did not matter to King Saul that David had preserved the wealth of these people. It did not matter to King Saul that David had personally inquired of God and this was God's will for him. The only thing that Saul was excited about: "I've got him where I want him, now I can kill him." Isn't that amazing?

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• David's act of obedience only gave hope to King Saul that God had delivered him into his hand. Look in verse 7, look at it. "Then it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah, and Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that hath gates and bars." Here's what Saul knew. Saul knew that if David stayed in one place, sooner or later he's going to be captured. Wherever he's staying, sooner or later he's going to be overrun with the enemy.

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• A little break right here in my message. I do not normally watch movies. And I do not normally recommend movies. But I want to tell you about two movies that are very old that I saw years and years ago. And the only reason I'm telling you about these movies is because they exemplify this one biblical truth. Some of you will remember the movie "Red Dawn." You remember it was when the Russians were paratrooping in on the school grounds and all of this and they were conquering everything. The only thing that's really unbelievable about that movie is it was a bunch of teenagers. Young Patrick Swayze was the star in that movie. There was a group of teenagers that were waging guerrilla warfare and finally overthrew the Russians and I think there were some Cubans in it as well.

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• But it was a movie that demonstrated the fact that here is an organized army, an organized invasion, and they had worked it out to the extent that everyone was basically captured except these few teenagers who got away. And so these few teenagers would hit and run. They would follow guerrilla tactics. They got a lot of their equipment from the enemy. You know, it just shows you the advantage of a small group over an organized army. The other old movie was called "Taps." George C. Scott played in it, Timothy Hutton, and I forget who else, but George C. Scott was the commandant of a boys military school and the powers that be wanted to turn it into a shopping center. George Scott was doing everything he could to fight and wanted to keep the school. And finally he got in the hospital and he had a heart attack and died. Well the young boys, some of them 9, 10, some teenagers, they did not want their military school to close. So after their commander died, they went into the armory, got out the 50 cal machine guns and all the other guns.

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• They dug them foxholes and they sandbagged around and they set up their machine guns and they said, "You're not going to take our school. That's all there is to it." Well, the next scene shows tanks going around the perimeter of the school, helicopters flying over the school. Soldiers had them totally, absolutely, completely surrounded. And the only thing that kept the soldiers out and from conquering that military school was the fact there was a bunch of kids in there. And they just simply did not want to kill the kids.

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• Now, these two movies illustrate a biblical truth. Listen carefully. You cannot successfully defend a building or a city on a permanent basis. The only way to fight an organized army is in an unorganized manner. Look at how the Indians fought. Look at how the Viet Cong fought. Look at Che Guevara. Look at all the other hit-and-run guerrillas. And you'll see how these smaller armies finally wore down and or defeated much larger armies because they were using guerrilla tactics. And so when Saul said, "God had delivered him into my hands, because he's gotten into a city with bars and gates." Saul said, "I know, sooner or later, the supplies will run out. Sooner or later, the men will be killed. Sooner or later, I will have him, as long as he stays right there."

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• Fourth, I want you to understand, the Lord came to David's aid. Please listen to this. If we're obeying God, and if we're in the center of God's will, it does not matter the problems that we face. It does not matter the trouble that we see, or the adversaries that rise against us. If we're in the middle of God's will, doing what God has ordained that we do, inevitably, invariably, He will always come to our aid.

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• So, look in 1 Samuel 23 beginning there at verse 9. The Bible says, "And David knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, bring hither the ephod. Then said David, O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake." Notice that. Saul was not only interested in killing David, he's going to kill anybody who harbored David. Now watch. "Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. And David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up. Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he forbear to go."

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• Now, the interesting thing is this. God sovereignly helped David. He told David what would come to pass. He said, "Yes, Saul will come down." And he said, "Yes, the men of Keilah will deliver you up if you stay there." It's just that simple. Fifthly, I want you to see and I want you to understand the fickleness, the ungratefulness, and the baseness of human nature. David had just saved the inhabitants of Keilah. He not only just saved them, he had saved their wealth. I can assure you that these people were temporarily thankful and grateful to David and his men.

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• However, temporary thankfulness and gratefulness do not change individuals into courageous, selfless beings. Had it not been for David and his men, the inhabitants of Keilah would have either been slaves, dead, or poverty stricken. Yet in order to save their lives, they would readily and quickly deliver David and his men to King Saul. In other words, they would sacrifice their Savior to save their lives. What are we to learn? Listen carefully.

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• If you don't get anything else, get this. We must not expect most people to help us or to fight for us.

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• We must not expect most people to help us or to fight for us. Most people would sell their own mothers down the river to save their lives or to gain a few extra shekels. And if they would do that to their own mother, do you think they're going to help you? Do you think they're going to fight for you? If you don't understand this point, I want you to consider most families.

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• How many children readily and truly appreciate the devotion, the sacrifice, and the love given to them by their parents? How many teenagers gleefully and eagerly go against everything they've been taught and have no consideration for the property and possessions that their parents have labored for and have sweat, blood, and tears to acquire? I dare say, and I would probably guess that each of us have been stabbed in the back by those that we have helped, worked with, and for whom we've prayed. Wow.

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• I want you to turn, hold 1 Samuel 23, but I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10, and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Matthew chapter 10 and verse 16. You need to see this passage. You need to understand what I am telling you. Matthew 10 verse 16. Look what our Lord said. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.

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• Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men. Yep, you better watch out for them. For they will deliver you up to the councils, they will scourge you in their synagogues, and you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak. For it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. Are you looking? And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child, and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."

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• Notice if you would verse 22. "And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." But notice he said brother shall deliver up. Brother? Father against the child, the children shall rise up against the parents. Wow! You know what God is telling us? And we'll see this more next Sunday. You cannot trust most people. Even those that you've helped. And I shall point out even those that profess to be your friends.

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• I want to show you one of the most harmful and most hurtful things about betrayal. It is certainly hurtful when your family betrays you. But I want you to turn in your Bible to Psalm 55. Psalm 55. And I want you to see what David said about his betrayal. And I want you to look and understand the heartache that David is expressing in this passage. Psalm 55, notice there with verse 12. Look what he said.

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• "For it was not an enemy that reproached me, that I could have borne it." You expect this from an enemy. "Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me, that I would have hid myself from him. But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide and mine acquaintance, we took sweet counsel together and walked in the house of God in company." Did you hear what David said? David said, "It wasn't an enemy that gave me the problem, I expect that from my enemies." He said, "Neither was it he that hated me that magnified himself from me, left him, I could have gotten out of his presence." But he said, "It was thou, a man, my equal, my guide and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together in the house of God and walked in company. You were my friend.

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• And here you are, you have betrayed me." It hurts when your family and your friend turn on you.

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• Now let me tell you something, folks. We must determine in our hearts that as Christians, we will never act in such a wicked and ungodly manner. We have to learn to be true and faithful even unto death. We cannot, we cannot betray our brethren. We cannot betray an innocent individual to save our lives. We cannot betray someone who is innocent in order to save our property or our goods.

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• Our Lord said in Revelation 2 and verse 10, just listen, "Fear none of those things which you shall suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." David endeavored to be true and faithful, even in light of the baseness, ingratitude, and unthankfulness of the people of Keilah.

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• We must do the same. Our obedience cannot be diminished or curtailed simply because of the wickedness of others. We cannot cease doing that which is right just because others are ungrateful or unthankful. We must obey and we must do right if no one else in the entire world obeys and does right. God sent David to Keilah. David endeavored to obey God and he did. And in that endeavor, there were problems, trials, troubles, adversaries.

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• You don't necessarily look for an easy way. You look for the right way. The biblical way. I want you to very quickly look secondly with me today. In verses 15 through 18, I'll just read them, there's only three verses there. This is providential encouragement. Look in verse 15 of 1 Samuel chapter 23, beginning there with verse 15, look what he says. "And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. And Jonathan Saul's son arose and went to David into the wood and strengthened his hand in God. Wow. And he said unto him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee, and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord, and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house." You talk about providential encouragement. You remember that Saul was seeking consistently to kill David.

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• In fact, the scripture says Saul sought him every day. So Saul was relentless. He never gave in. He never gave up. He wanted David dead.

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• Now, I want to show you. If you will turn right back to 1 Samuel chapter 19. Look at verse 1. 1 Samuel 19 verse 1. Look at what the scripture says. "And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all of his servants, that they should kill David." So Saul wanted anybody and everybody to kill David if they could. Now skip down to verse 10. 1 Samuel 19 verse 10, "And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin. But he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall, and David fled and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to watch him, and to slay him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window, and he went and fled and escaped. And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goat's hair there for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.

  #53 | 41:17 to 42:23 | cleaned

• And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him." He was intent on killing David. Now, interestingly, in 1 Samuel 23, verses 15 through 18, Saul has been seeking David every day to kill him and he can't find him. I want you to note something. God in His sovereignty, shields us and hides us from our enemies, but He allows our friends to know where we are and to find us.

  #54 | 42:24 to 43:14 | cleaned

• I could not help but smile when I read this. Just stop and think, Saul, with all of his soldiers, with all of his servants, with all of his intelligence, could not find David, and yet Jonathan, Saul's own son, knew exactly where David was and went to him. Isn't that amazing? So Jonathan and David either kept in communications, or Jonathan just knew. Jonathan knew very well that God had appointed David to be the next king. And so Jonathan, who was supposed to inherit the kingdom from his father Saul, now seeks David out, and he encourages him, and he lets him know that Saul's hand will not prevail against him. And he tells David, he said, "Look, even my father knows that the kingdom is going to be yours." Everything that Jonathan was doing was consistent not only with his friendship with David, but also consistent with his duty to his father and to the king. He knew that God had delivered the kingdom into David's hand. He also knew that his father was acting unconstitutionally. He was acting wickedly, unbiblically, and ungodly.

  #55 | 43:16 to 44:38 | cleaned

• And he knew that he was not obligated to help his father commit murder. In fact, if you read the Bible, Jonathan, by his own interference at times, kept his father from killing David. So Jonathan was as loyal as he could be to his father, but at the same time he was also loyal to his friend. I want to read to you just a couple paragraphs that were written by Matthew Henry. I want you to listen to what he says about friends. Listen carefully. He says, "True friends will find out means to get together. David, it is likely, appointed a time and place for this interview.

  #56 | 44:40 to 45:26 | cleaned

• And Jonathan observed the appointment, though he exposed himself thereby to his father's displeasure, and had it been discovered, it might have cost him his life. True friendship will not shrink from danger, but can easily venture and will not shrink from condescension, but can easily stoop and exchange a palace for a wood to serve a friend. The very sight of Jonathan was reviving to David. But besides this, he said that to him, which was very encouraging.

  #57 | 45:27 to 45:58 | cleaned

• Now I want you to listen. The next three paragraphs, Matthew Henry is describing Jonathan's friendship. Here's what he said. "As a pious friend, he directed him to God." That is, Jonathan directed David to God. "The foundation of his confidence and the fountain of his comfort. He strengthened his hand in God. David, though a strong believer, needed help of his friends for the perfecting of that which was lacking in his faith. And herein Jonathan was helpful to him by rendering him of the promise of God, or by reminding him of the promise of God, the holy oil wherewith he was anointed, the presence of God with him hitherto, and the many experiences he had of God's goodness to him. Thus he strengthened his hands for action by encouraging his heart, not in the creature, but in God. Jonathan was not in a capacity of doing anything to strengthen David, but he assured him that God would." So here's Jonathan as a pious friend. Secondly, as a self-denying friend. He took pleasure in the prospect of David's advancement to that honor, which was his own birthright.

  #58 | 45:58 to 47:11 | cleaned

• Look in verse 17 for a reading further. Look what Jonathan said to David, "And he said unto him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee, and that also my father knoweth." Did you hear what Jonathan just said? "I'm willing for you to be king, and I'm willing to take the second place. I'm willing for you to be exalted, and I'm willing for myself to be debased." Now, I'm still reading.

  #59 | 47:12 to 47:50 | cleaned

• Matthew Henry is talking about a self-denying friend. He says, "This resignation which Jonathan made to David of his title would be a great satisfaction to him and make his way much more clear. This he tells him, Saul knew very well. Jonathan having sometimes heard him say as much, whence it appears that a wicked man as Saul was, to persecute one whom God favored, and what a foolish man he was in thinking he would prevent that which God had determined and which would certainly come to pass. How could he disannul that which God had purposed?" So far he's pointed out Jonathan as a pious friend, as a self-denying friend, and here's the third and last paragraph, as a constant friend. Listen carefully.

  #60 | 47:50 to 48:32 | cleaned

• He renewed his legal friendship with him. They made a covenant now this third time before the Lord, calling the Lord to witness to it. True love takes delight in repeating its engagements, giving and receiving fresh assurances of the firmness of the friendship. Our covenant with God should be often renewed, and therein our communion with Him kept up. David and Jonathan now parted, and never came together again that we find in this world. For Jonathan said what he wished not what he had ground to expect when he promised himself that he would be next to David in the kingdom. So Matthew Henry points out that Jonathan was a pious friend, a self-denying friend, and a constant friend.

  #61 | 48:34 to 49:21 | cleaned

• Our Father is so gracious to us to allow us to have friends like that in life. We may not have a multitude of friends like that, but we have a few friends like that, that are kind, loving, true, and faithful. We need to learn to be that kind of friend to others. The Bible says in Proverbs 20 and verse 6, "Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness, but a faithful man, who can find? But a faithful man, who can find." So the question is this, will you be found a faithful friend? Are you a friend like Jonathan?

  #62 | 49:22 to 50:19 | cleaned

• We've seen providential endeavors, providential encouragements today. I want to make some applications. I want you to listen carefully. Here's my first question. Have you undertaken an endeavor for the Lord lately? What are you doing for the Lord? What is your mission? What is your goal? What is your purpose? Do you have a plan of action? You do not have to undertake a dangerous mission as David did. You just have to undertake something that's biblical, just and right. Do you realize that some people have a mission just to tarry by the stuff?

  #63 | 50:23 to 51:05 | cleaned

• What do I mean by that? Well, when David went after Nabal, the Bible says in 1 Samuel 25 and verse 13, "And David said to his men, gird you every man on his sword. And they girded every man on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And there went up with David about four hundred men and two hundred men abode by the stuff." In other words, two hundred had to stay and watch and protect the stuff.

  #64 | 51:10 to 51:39 | cleaned

• They were not able to go to battle. When Ziklag was burned with fire, David had 600 men. Ziklag was David's own city before he was made king. And all of his 600 men had their families there. And Ziklag was attacked and burned with fire. And so David goes after the men that attacked Ziklag and taken his wives, his family, as well as those of his men. And the Bible says that 200 out of the 600 men were so weak and weary with weeping that they could not cross over the brook Besor. And so David left them there to tarry by the stuff in 1 Samuel chapter 30 and verse 10. When David and his men, the 400, rescued all of their families, and got back all of their belongings, the wicked men with David said, "Well, we'll give every man his wife and every man his child, but we're not going to give them all the goods that we... we'll keep those for ourselves." David said in verse 24, "Who will hearken you in this matter?

  #65 | 51:39 to 53:01 | cleaned

• But as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarryeth by the stuff, they shall part in part alike." Do you realize some people have a mission, some people have a purpose, some people have a ministry just of tarrying by the stuff. Someone has to keep others going. All I'm trying to ask you is this, what have you done for the Lord lately? What is your mission? What is your purpose? What is your endeavor? Is God enabling you to do something, if nothing else, other than tarry by the stuff and enable others to do the fighting?

  #66 | 53:01 to 53:39 | cleaned

• The second application is this. Have you encouraged anyone lately? You know everyone needs encouragement. Some need it more than others. I usually tell people you should not need encouragement to do that which you know is right anyhow. You want to just do it. But I will confess and I will admit that occasionally it is encouraging and uplifting to have someone come along and pat you on the shoulder and say, "That was great.

  #67 | 53:41 to 54:13 | cleaned

• That was a good job. Thank you for helping me or thank you for doing that." Everybody needs encouragement. There's no problem there. But here's the thing. Are you not only willing to encourage others, but are you also willing to take second place? Like Jonathan was. I want to read you just two passages. In 2 Chronicles 31 verse 4, 2 Chronicles 31 verse 4, the Bible says, "Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord." In other words, God says keep them going so they can do what they want to do and what they need to do. In 2 Chronicles 35 verse 2, "And he set the priests in their charges and encouraged them to the service in the house of the Lord." So, it is obvious that encouragement is biblical and right. So, I want to challenge you before this day is over to encourage someone. Encourage them biblically, scripturally. Encourage them to holiness, righteousness, godliness, obedience, integrity.

  #68 | 54:13 to 55:32 | cleaned

• Encourage them. There are so many trials, so many tests, so many temptations, so many allurements and seductions. Encourage someone to do that which is right, holy and godly. And to stand, as the Apostle Paul said, "and having done all to stand." Yeah, everybody needs encouragement. And I think there is a third application that we need to seriously consider, and that is this. We need to choose our friends carefully.

  #69 | 55:33 to 56:06 | cleaned

• Not everyone who shows himself friendly is a true friend. And there's a vast difference between an acquaintance and a friend. "A friend loveth at all times," the Bible says. And the Bible says "faithful are the wounds of a friend." A real true friend will hurt you if it will help you. He will hurt your feelings if it will help you do what is right. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." But God says "the kisses of an enemy" or the flattery of an enemy "is deceit."

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• So we need to learn to choose our friends. We need to make sure that not only they are true friends, but we need to learn to be true friends ourselves. And we must learn that true safety and true protection and true security are in the Lord. Saul sought for David every day, but the Lord delivered him not into his hands. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We're thankful for the lives of David and Jonathan. We're thankful for the applications that we can receive from this truth and their lives. And I pray, Father, that You would enable us to encourage each other to be true friends, to be godly, to trust only in Thee, and to seek Thee for true security and true safety.

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• For Lord, Thou art the one that does indeed preserve us, from those who hate us and from all of our enemies and adversaries. Give us grace, Lord, to trust Thee, to bow to Thee, to love Thee and live for Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:07:10Z