Duty and Privilege of the Christian to Himself

The Purpose of History and Biography in the Bible

0:04 Now, have you ever wondered why the Bible, the only written revelation of the mind of God given to men, and why so much of the Bible contains straightforward history and factual biography? Have you ever wondered why so much of this written revelation gives us the facts of the emergence of tribes and of nations, their rise and their fall? So much of the history of individuals who are born, who live, who love, who marry, who fight, who war, who serve, who die, and who are buried. Have you wondered why so much of the Bible follows the track of men and women such as Noah and Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, Mary, Elizabeth, Ruth, Esther? Have you ever asked yourself why? Of all the things we wish we could know, and which God could have told us, had he given us a book that had far more of what we might call the didactic,

1:19 that God has given us so much history and so much biography. Have you ever asked the question? You say, well, frankly, I haven't. Well, I think you ought to, because so much of the Bible is indeed history.

1:33 And so much of the Bible is biography. Now, the answer to that question has many facets. But suffice it to say that among the many strands of an adequate biblical answer to the question, why does the Bible contain so much history and biography, two stand out among those many facets of the answer to that question. And the first is this.

1:59 The Bible is full of historical narrative and biographies, biographical sketches, because the God of the Bible, who is the God of creation and redemption, works out his purposes of redemption and judgment in real space-time history.

2:22 The Bible records a real creation by the word and power of God in Genesis 1 and 2. The Bible records a real fall when a real man named Adam and a real woman named Mary, and a real woman named Eve, in disobedience to God, ate of a real piece of fruit. It doesn't say it was an apple, but a real piece of fruit. If it were an apple and had a tight skin, when Eve put her teeth into it, you could have heard the snap that you hear when you bite a nice, firm, Macintosh apple.

2:51 And the juice would have spilled down the sides of her lips. It was a real apple. And when it says she turned and gave it to Adam, it was a real apple that had specific weight as he held it in his hand. It was a real apple.

3:03 If you put it on a scale, you would have seen how many ounces it was. And in that setting, when God comes and says, I'm going to enter this situation where man has defected from his allegiance to me, aligned himself with the serpent of devil, and I'm going to inject enmity between the woman and the serpent, between her seed and his seed, there God announces that he is the God of redemption, and of judgment. And in fulfillment of that seminal promise, in Genesis 3.15, all the way through to Revelation 22, God works out his redemption and his judgment in real space, time, history. So that we would expect that this God, who is working out redemption, can use such terms as these that we find in Galatians, chapter 4, in the fullness of the times, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. These are events in space, time, history. And there is a second reason why we have so much history and biography, and it is this.

4:24 As God is working out his purposes of redemption and judgment, in human history, he's constantly illustrating the principles of his own kingdom. As that history unfolds, and we read of the events of nations, and of tribes, and of individuals, God is illustrating again and again the principles that inhere in his gracious work, and also in his work of judgment. So when we come to the New Testament, it should not surprise us to find the Lord Jesus in Matthew 28, 24, 37 and following saying this, speaking of those events surrounding his second coming in glory and in power, that's the focus in that particular part of Matthew 24, other things are in focus in other parts, as in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the day of the Son of Man. As in the days of Noah, they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage and knew not until the, the flood came and took them all away, so shall it also be in the day of the coming of the Son of Man. What is Jesus doing? He's saying when you read the history of the people before the flood, and of the flood coming suddenly in mercy to take Noah and his family

5:52 on the swelling waves of the ark into safety, while judging others, that illustrates a principle of God's activity in redemption, and in judgment. Likewise in 1 Corinthians 10-11, after speaking of events of the children of Israel wandering through the wilderness, Paul says, these things were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come. In other words, that history has relevance for the people of God in the New Covenant. It contains principles of the things that God is displeasing, pleased with, and the things that God will judge, even among His people. And in that setting, fornication, idolatry, and murmuring are specifically highlighted. Or take James chapter 5 and verse 10. James says, take the prophets for an example of suffering.

6:54 You mean when I read the history of Jeremiah and his being thrown down in a slime pit, that's not just a history of Jeremiah. It is the history of God. It is setting forth an example to all of the people of God of the principles that will be operative when they seek to be faithful to God in a hostile and in an unbelieving world. And we could multiply passages.

7:20 Why does God give us so much history and biography? Because redemption and judgment are worked out in real history. You see, Bible stories are not religious myths in which we have marvelous, wonderful spiritual meanings. Bible history is real history made of the stuff of real flesh and blood people and real trees of life and real gardens of Eden and real battles with real clashing steel and real blood.

7:54 And so we should not be surprised that much of the Bible is given over to history and to biography but also God wants His people enriched by that history and biography. We are not New Testament Christians. We are whole Bible Christians. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.

8:26 Don't ever say you're a New Testament Christian. You're a whole Bible Christian. If you are indeed a Christian living up to the standard of what God requires of you. Now why did I take ten minutes for that rather lengthy introduction?

David's Strategic Place in Redemptive History and Christian Living

8:42 Well, we're going to plunge into a bit of Old Testament history. And if I were preaching a series on the life of David, the first thing I would do is show you David's place in the storyline of redemption. It would be irresponsible to preach on the life of David without showing you how does David fit in the large storyline of redemption. How does David fit into Genesis 3.15?

9:10 And we would see the unusually strategic place that David has as God is working in history both in redemption and in judgment. But that's not my purpose this morning. But we're going to look at David under that second category of my answer to the question why so much history and biography? For in the extensive account of the life of David, there are tremendous principles of the Christian life beautifully illustrated.

9:40 Remember to David was given the largest bulk of the inner life of the believer as he is the sweet Psalmist of Israel. There is a richer doctrine of the Christian life found in the Psalms of David than is found anywhere else in the Word of God. And so it should not surprise you that when we read the history of David's life God is illustrating tremendously vital principles of the Christian life through David who is our Lord's son but of whom the Lord Jesus himself was found in the line of David. And this morning we're going to look particularly at verse 6 of chapter 30 in 1 Samuel. That will be the focus of our exposition where we read at the end of the verse but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. And we're going to examine this text under the title the duty and privilege of the child of God in seasons of great distress. The duty and the privilege of the child of God in seasons of great distress.

The Historical Setting of David's Distress at Ziklag

10:59 And what I want you to note with me first of all is the historical setting of this incident in the life of David. What is the historical setting of this incident in which David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God? Well this portion that I read in your hearing describes the most distressful period in David's life prior to his ascension to the throne in Judah. David had many distressful periods but if you read through the book of 1 Samuel and up into 2 Samuel chapter 2 when he becomes king in Hebron over Judah you will come to the conviction that there was no point that was lower, more intense in cumulative trials and troubles than the passage read in your hearing. He had been anointed king years before by Samuel the prophet and for a while he was Saul's pet in Saul's court. And David alternated between the use of his harp and his sword. And he'd go out with his sword and slay his tens of thousands and then he'd pick up his harp and calm the evil spirit that was troubling Saul.

12:22 And for a while he was Saul's pet. By use of his sword and his harp he endeared himself to King Saul. But after a while the scripture says from that day forward Saul eyed him. His eye became jaundiced.

12:39 He looked upon David no longer as pet but threat. And in his insane jealousy he looked upon David as his greatest enemy. And then for chapter after chapter in 1 Samuel and many Psalms were composed in this period David is chased around Judea like a cur dog. Like a fugitive from the law.

13:04 He's found in caves and out in the open air. Driven away from all of the society to which his soul was so sensitive and accustomed. Until we find here in this section in chapter 27 David reaches a low point where in his despair he forgets the promise of God. He falls into a period of unbelief and says in 27 1 David said in his heart I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.

13:37 Saul is going to get me. He forgot the anointing by Samuel. He forgot the promise of God's ultimate purpose which had bolstered his soul through many a dark night and many a weary day. He says I've had it.

13:53 Saul's going to get me. And notice what he does. There's nothing better for me than I should escape to the land of the Philistines. And Saul will despair of me and seek me anymore in all the borders of Israel.

14:06 I shall escape out of his hand. And David arose and passed over in the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish the son of Maach king of Gath. And David dwelt in Achish in Gath. He and his men every man with his household.

14:21 David with his two wives. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath and he sought no more again for him. Think of it. David goes into the very association of the great enemies of God.

14:33 Remember the giant kids? He was Goliath the what? The Philistine. The uncircumcised Philistine.

14:40 David says the only safe place now is to make camp among the enemies of God. And he does. And if you read the subsequent history you find that God gave him favor with Achish. Achish gives him a town of his own.

14:55 A town of his own in which to dwell with his six hundred men. A town in which his wives and the children of his fellow warriors will be safe. And in that town David does some very questionable things. You remember that he engaged in commando raids to the south and was wiping out Philistines and the enemies of God to the south of him.

15:20 And Achish didn't know it. And then the time came when this one of the five great kings of the Philistines gets together with his buddies and they're going to have a massive military endeavor that involves all of the Philistines. This is recorded in chapter 29. And when they get together David who had become sort of the personal bodyguard of Achish these other characters see David and they say no way Jose.

15:46 This guy's a Hebrew. And if we get into a battle with the Hebrews he's going to turn coat and he's going to turn on us. We don't want him. And so much to his own in a spirit of reluctance Achish says David I'm sorry.

15:58 I still love you and I still respect you but you've got to go home. So there's a three day journey between the mustering of all the armies and the town of Ziklag where David had left his wives the other warriors had left wives and children and now that's the background to our passage. Alright? That's a broad overview.

The Immediate Situation and Combined Reaction to Ziklag's Destruction

16:21 Now having looked at the historical setting of this incident in the life of David notice with me now the immediate situation described in verses 1 to 3 of chapter 30. And it came to pass when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day the Amalekites had made a raid had burned it with fire taken captive the women and all that were therein carried them off went their way David and his men came to the city and behold it was burned with fire and their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captive. This was like Atlanta after Sherman and his troops went through in the Civil War. It was a scorch and level operation. Now put yourself in the mindset of David and his men. You thought you were going off to war you'd hugged your wives and your children and you go off at the rear guard of Achish and his army and you are told you're not wanted. You've got to go home to wife and children and thinking what it's like when you're on the way on a business trip and some of you that have been away on military expeditions the moment you know home is in your cross hairs all of the excitement you live in your own mind's eye as I have done dozens of times over the years

17:48 what will my wife's face look like when I see her after a time away how will the children greet me as they jump up into my arms these were real men dear people don't read this stuff as though they were wooden soldiers and drug store Indians they had real feelings real emotions real passions men envisioning themselves embracing their wives and hugging their children and as they begin to draw near to the city they begin to see the curl of smoke and their noses pick up an acrid pungent smell and then they move from a brisk walk to a breakneck run and they come to the gate and they look and they see their city is nothing but a pile of charred rubble where are my kids where is my wife can you feel something in it folks can you feel something the Holy Ghost has described this for us behold behold it was burned with fire and their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captive what happens when women and children are taken captive in war rape brutality slavery can you be one of these warriors envision your wife being molested gang raped by soldiers

19:16 your children being put in shackles that's the situation there's the picture the immediate situation described smoldering embers and the desolation and the mocking silence of a burnt and an empty town now what was the combined reaction we've looked at the immediate situation described what was the combined reaction as it is depicted verses 4 through 6a then in response to this set of circumstances David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep now here are 600 soldiers who can in the thick of battle hour after hour exert the power of arm and shoulder and strength as they clash against the enemies think of these Hebrews with their unfettered emotional expression weeping so hard until they're utterly exhausted and the fountain of tears has dried up that's what the text says it wasn't internal silent grief the text said David and the people that were with him

20:43 lifted up their voice and wept they sobbed and wailed this was the wailing wall created long before it was raised up there in modern Palestine they wept they wailed until the fountain of their tears were dried and they had no more strength even to convulse with sobbing and with the brokenness of their heart and David's two wives were taken captive Ahinoam the dead Jezreelite and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite and David was greatly distressed sometimes you've got to use a couple of English words to translate one Hebrew or Greek word but here you have two words in the Hebrew the one the intensive David was greatly distressed and this word distress has the idea of pressure much like the Greek word phlipsis or phlebo to pressure to compress David was greatly pressured pressed in by the reality of these circumstances he looks about him and sees the charred city he knows that his wives have been taken captive and then added to that pressure is what we read in the middle part of the verse for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of the people was grieved every man for his sons

22:11 and for his daughters here's David he sobbed his eyes out and with his fellow soldiers he can sob no more the Holy Spirit underscores that apparently at this time the recognition the realization my two wives have been taken captive and as he looks around at his men he notices that some of them their eyes are darting around and they seem to land on any stone that is big enough to be picked up and kill a man and then he sees their eyes go from the stones to him and David realizes that these people now when they whisper they're not whispering hey guys what can we do to go get our wives and our kids they're whispering let's get him that's what the text says they spoke of stoning him think of it these men who owed their lives to David's leadership they're now so vexed and frustrated by this set of circumstances they don't turn on God and curse God they turn on their appointed leader and say let's get rid of him let's kill him let's kill him now if ever there was a time when depression and despair were legitimate

23:39 you got it right here right if ever there was a time for dejection depression despair it was here David's wives are gone the people have turned against him and some of them were scoundrels you read on in this chapter verse 22 in another incident with this same group of men then answered all the wicked men and base fellows of those that went with David he didn't have a cracked troop of honorable men some of them were a bunch of scoundrels that's what the text tells us and in another situation they showed their scoundrelness they showed their scoundrel like heart maybe they were the ones that turned on David we don't know but this much we know that in this situation of great distress look at what our text says David did but contrary to all natural expectation contrary to everything that we would excuse in a good man in these circumstances but David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God that's why I've given as a title to our sermon this morning the duty and the privilege of every child of God in a period of great distress what is it to do precisely what David did to strengthen yourself

Strengthening Oneself in Jehovah: A Conscious, God-Focused Activity

25:07 in Jehovah your God now I want to unpack the text under four heads first of all it was a conscious deliberate activity of the man David look what the text says but David strengthened himself now some of you kids were learning how to break down a sentence the subject of the sentence is you can say it you can embarrass your teachers the subject of the sentence is say it David right the verb is strengthened the object is himself it is not a passive construction David was strengthened and we have to supply the agent God or his men or the beautiful scenery or the birds chirping in the sky it doesn't say David was strengthened in the Lord or that someone strengthened David in the Lord this was a conscious deliberate activity of the man David David did something in the midst of this grief in the midst of this crushing pressure great distress David did something

26:31 he wasn't paralyzed by his circumstances he did something David did it consciously deliberately engaged in an activity he didn't let his circumstances dictate to him he dictated to his circumstances he determined that looking straight in the eyeball of every real circumstance that said David you've had it you ought to curse God and die he looked straight through the circumstances to the realities of the unseen world and he strengthened himself in God now why do I press the fact that it was a conscious deliberate activity of the man David because David said to himself I will act and not be acted upon and if you and I don't learn that lesson we'll be bullied by our circumstances till we go to our grave and never come to any spiritual stability we as a church have come into our greatest period of corporate distress in our 31 years of history that's a fact but it is not a fact that the circumstances dictate to us what we shall be or do there are bigger realities than those circumstances I'm not angry because my eyes pop out

27:59 I'm just excited you'll have to forgive me when I get excited my eyes pop out the truth of this dear people you don't lie down and let your circumstances bury you in despair despondency dejection and unbelief to realities that will result as it did with David to you strengthening yourself in the Lord it was a conscious deliberate activity of the man David secondly it was an activity that was focused upon Jehovah look at the text but David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God it doesn't say he strengthened himself in himself don't you get nauseous with all of this chuck yourself under the chin you can do all you want to do and you can be all you want to be what a bunch of nonsense when I hear this you can be anything you want to be well you know there are many times when I look out my picture window in my study and I see those carefree birds and we got about 10 different kinds of birds see man it must be nice to jump off a limb flap your wings catch an updraft I'd like to be a bird but today I think

29:27 I can be anything I want to be and jump out my study window maybe visiting me in a hospital or in the morgue I can't be anything I want to be that's nonsense and yet that's been pummeled into this generation of self-actualization and self-realization and self-expression thankfully David knew nothing of that heresy it doesn't say he strengthened himself in himself nor does it say he strengthened himself in his 600 warriors at this point wasn't much comfort they were looking at stones I'm not going to look for help for people to pick enough stones to kill me it doesn't say that he looked forward in the hope of better days no he looked not to himself to others to circumstances it says he strengthened himself in the things pertaining to Jehovah now what did that mean well if you want a lifetime commentary on it just live in the Psalms because in the Psalms we have David's own inspired commentary on what this means to strengthen oneself in Jehovah and time after time in the various Psalms written in this very period of David's life what does he do that constitutes strengthening himself in Jehovah well let me just throw out several heads and a couple of illustrations as seminal thoughts he first of all reminds himself of the changeless being of Jehovah

30:56 he strengthened himself not in Elohim he strengthened himself in Jehovah his Elohim his God it was God as the eternal I am the God of the burning bush who when Moses says when I go on your behalf God whom shall I say has sent me and God says you tell them I am has sent you I am that I am I will be that I will be I am the Lord I change not Malachi 3.6 and again and again in the Psalms David reminds himself of the changeless being of Jehovah what of God changed when the town of Ziglag burned nada zilch nothing when the town stood shining and bright and welcoming it didn't affect God and when it was burned to the ground nothing of God twitched what was changed what changed when David's wives were taken captive and the wives and children of all the worries not a thing God is the changeless eternal I am though involved in even the falling of a sparrow and the hairs you left on your pillow last night he has not changed in his being by anything that happens in his world you want to be strengthened in the Lord your God stand in the midst of the acrid smell of the smoke

32:25 of dashed hopes and of burnt relationships and feel the pang of the severance of deep time and say what has changed? say what has changed in God? and the answer is nothing nothing he reminds himself of the immediate presence of God think of Psalm 23 Jehovah is my shepherd I shall not lack anything and in all the imagery what's the baseline? for you are with me Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength the Lord of hosts is with us what more do we need to say?

33:05 he is with us he is with us you want to be strengthened in God? you remind yourself of the changeless being of Jehovah he is the eternal changeless I am remind yourself of the presence of Jehovah he is with us reminds himself of the past dealings of Jehovah you see David doing this when he goes out to meet the Philistine when they wonder how in the world David are you going to be a match for him you remember what he does? he says look I remember when I was a shepherd when the lion came and the bear came they were no match for me I took them on with my bare hands who is this uncircumcised Philistine? one can only wonder how much of David's history was rehearsed in his mind as his eyes smarted with the smoke of the ruins of the city as he went back and remembered all of the ways in which he had seen the mighty works of God dear people this present crisis does not negate 31 years of the footprints of almighty God in the life of Trinity Church it doesn't obliterate a one of them and those footprints become the footprints pointing to the fact that this God is our God forever and ever and he will be our guide even unto death

34:30 when you've been in the way 46 years you meet a crisis like this it doesn't budge you look back to the time when God put his hand upon you as a pimple faced insecure teenager and changed your life and set your face to heaven and set it against anything that would stand in your way and you say God this is what you did and this is what you did this is what you did this is what you did you're no fickle God to leave me now some of you have been surprised you think I'm a good bluffer or maybe God is real to me in these days I ain't bluffing folks and no little part of strengthening myself in the Lord my God is just to look back and look at his face his footprints in my life and know that he's no fair weather God he strengthened himself in the Lord his God no doubt reminded himself of the promises of the Lord I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul down to the Philistines he goes this is the end result of that period of what appears to be backsliding and unbelief and could it be that in the charred ruins of this city that had become his illicit refuge David experiences a personal revival and said what a perish by the hand of Saul

35:55 evil said I shall be king I felt the drops of oil on my head that God cannot lie and amidst the charred ruins he feeds upon the promises of God and he strengthens himself in the Lord his God dear people this is what we desperately need not only to engage in an activity as did David but in that activity focused upon Jehovah Father, Son and Holy Spirit Jehovah God the Father Jehovah Jesus Jehovah the Spirit the things that really matter have no relationship to how many people are in these pews do you believe that I hope you do I hope you do you know not to be in trouble the things that matter are not related to any human relationship they are related to realities that neither life nor death nor judgement can alter and if you were to be strengthened in the Lord your God you need to engage in that activity that focuses upon him thirdly it was an activity with respect to Jehovah as his own personal God

Strengthening Oneself in Jehovah: As One's Personal Covenant God

37:22 look at the text but David strengthened himself in Jehovah in Jehovah he is God and that brings us right to the heart of God's covenant engagements in grace what's the crowning blessing of God's gracious covenantal commitments to his people is it not that found in the language of Jeremiah 31 Ezekiel 36 quoted in Hebrews 10 quoted again in Revelation 21 I will be their God and they shall be my people and when you come to the book of the Revelation and there you see the consummation of redemption in the new heavens and the new earth that's stuck right in the middle of it God himself shall be with them and be their God and they shall be his people you see David was sucking sweetness from the whole biblical doctrine of God's gracious saving covenant he strengthened himself in Jehovah not the God or a God but his God his in the possession of faith his in the framework of God's gracious free sovereign covenantal commitments to be the God of his people and you see anyone who's in that framework knows that in himself he's offended God

38:51 God ought to cast him off as a sinner but the God of the covenant reveals the framework of his covenantal commitments and that's always in terms of the mediator you can't trace that through the Old Testament when God commits himself to Abraham he gives him these directions about strange sacrifices what's he doing that for? God's saying when I covenant with sinners it'll be in the context of blood because I'm covenanting with sinners and my wrath must be turned away by a propitiatory sacrifice and that's why in Psalm 51 David confessing his sins says purge me with hyssop that book or that bit of what material we ought to call it that they'd sprinkle the blood with he says purge me with hyssop that I should be clean he knows that he needs the blood of expiation he needs the blood of atonement so this is the David who's strengthening himself in the Lord his God is not doing that as a perfect man there is every indication that this period found David in at least a somewhat backspace and yet he doesn't grovel in his sin he lays hold of covenant promises if you Lord should mark iniquities oh Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared

40:17 and in the midst of our present distress many of us have discovered new depths of our own sin we are not a sinless people this is not a sinless preacher but we can say we have walked in integrity before God seeking God seeking to follow the word of God and God says I shall be their God and they will be my people you see you can't strengthen yourself in Jehovah unless he's your God and he's not your God in any other framework but his gracious covenant that involves the work of a mediator and when you come in the nakedness of your need and lay hold of a savior Jesus Christ God commits himself to be your God and he calls you his people and even says you are his inheritance think of it what's your inheritance God brags and says my people purchased with the blood of my own dear son everything else is slated for the junk heap that's what hell is his possession is his people and David had that joy but then fourthly and finally we see it was not only a conscious deliberate activity by the man David an activity focused upon Jehovah an activity with respect to Jehovah as his own God but now note in the fourth place it was an activity that produced

The Undeniable Results of Strengthening Oneself in Jehovah

41:45 undeniable results in David and all around him how do we know this just wasn't some kind of a mystic experience David said whoop I feel great I've strengthened in the Lord my God now I'm going to write a book about it no look at the passage verse 7 begins with a conjunction and David said now watch all the verbs of action David said to the priest verse 8 and David inquired of Jehovah verse 9 so David went verse 10 but David pursued following this strengthening of himself in Jehovah activity is described as an undeniable demonstrable fruit of being strengthened in the Lord he said he inquired he went he pursued and when you boil it down the two major things that stand out in this passage are these here were the two activities that were the fruition of David's strengthening himself in Jehovah number one his renewed strength in Jehovah resulted in a renewed commitment to seek Jehovah in prayer notice the first thing he does and there's no record he did this from chapter 23 9 and 10 is the last time David called for an ephod that was the priestly garment and David would put it on when he would say he would perform priestly function not sacrifice here

43:12 but seeking the face of God for guidance and David in chapter 23 it's the last time we read that he inquired of the Lord that's why many commentators believe this period David was in a period of a backslidden state he did some very questionable things but be that as it may what we know is marked out by the Holy Spirit as the first fruit of his being strengthened in Jehovah his God is that he gives himself anew to prayer and I found a wonderful statement in John Flavel with respect to what God does in the midst of trial in order to renew our prayers listen to Flavel by these troubles and distresses David was in great distress by these troubles and distresses the people of God are awakened to their duties and taught to pray more frequently spiritually and fervently ah what drowsiness and formality is apt to creep in upon the best of hearts in the time of prosperity but when the storm rises and the sea grows turbulent and raging now they cry as the disciples to Christ Lord save us or we perish they say music is sweetest upon the waters I'm sure the sweetest melody of prayer is upon the deep waters of affliction for these are the waters of prayer these among many other righteous wise and holy ends

44:41 the Lord permits and orders the trials and distresses of his people thunder and lightning is very terrible weather but exceedingly useful to purify and cleanse the air you see the point all of this great distress comes upon David he strengthens himself and the Lord is God and David said bring the ephod I'm going to inquire of Jehovah for David the accumulation of distress became the catalyst for the renewal of the spirit of prayer but then secondly his renewed strength in Jehovah resulted in present zeal to do the revealed will of Jehovah verse 8 David inquired of Jehovah saying if I pursue this troop shall I overtake them and he answered him pursue for you shall surely overtake them and you shall not overtake them shall without fail recover all so David went he had a word from God by direct revelation we neither ask such nor expect such and we're suspicious of all who claim such but the will of God in this book is never done with alacrity while all you do is stand and weep by the ash pile you know what I mean you don't do the will of God when you stand and weep by the ash pile

46:10 and oh my town is burnt my town is burnt my possessions are burnt my loved ones are taken from me woe is me no he strengthens himself in Jehovah he goes to the throne of grace and he comes away a man invigorated to do the will of God and even some of his younger fellow soldiers are so weary from that three day trek and you come to a town that's burned they have no food they haven't eaten for a while David outstrips them in strength and leads his troop to recapture his wives and the children read the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would say now you know the rest of the story where did that figure come from in a man who was so weary with weeping he couldn't weep anymore they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint dear people it's true I love you I told a preacher who called me this morning that if God continues to give me the strength he's given in this day these days I'll accomplish more in the next ten years than I did in the previous thirty I'm not doing speed and I'm not drinking extra coffee but as you people pray and as I have sought God and the Psalms have come alive

47:37 it is true they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength and when we strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God this is the time this is the fruit of it we are driven anew to the throne of grace and we come from the throne of grace with our Bibles open and we say what is my duty with the smoke of the burning city still making our eyes clear and we go forth to do the will of God what God requires of this church has not changed one bit because of the defection of some from our midst God has not said beg me leave to rewrite this my word and wait and mourn and be filled with self-pity while I give you new marching orders all that God requires of us is in this book and he's calling us to strengthen ourselves in him and commit ourselves to do the will of God as clearly revealed in his written word well we come around full circle you see why so much of our Bible is history and biography I could have stood up with a New Testament text such as Philippians 4.13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthened me and say yeah that's Paul but you see David possibly in a backslidden state

Pastoral Application and Encouragement in Suffering

49:04 standing amidst the smoke and the rubble and the heartbreak of his wives and the children of his warriors taken captive and he strengthens himself in the Lord his God he inquires of the Lord he goes forth with the directions of the Lord in the strength and in the power of the Lord and he soon will be brought to the place which the Lord himself had said would be his place of service and responsibility I want to close by telling you how Spurgeon affirmed this truth in his own life he has a sermon on this passage that I read after I prepared my own sermon and I said well got to stick this in there somewhere well I this is Spurgeon speaking the preacher of this hour begged to bear my little witness that the worst days I have ever had turned out to be my best days and when God seemed most cruel to me he was then most kind if there's anything in this world for which I would bless him more than for anything else is for pain and affliction I'm sure that in these days in these things the richest tenderest love has been manifested toward me I pray you dear friends if you are at this time very low and greatly distressed encourage yourself in the abundant faithfulness

50:34 of the God who hides himself our father's wagons rumble most heavily when they are bringing us the richest freight of the gold of his grace love letters from heaven are often sent in black black tinged envelopes the cloud that is black with horror is big with mercy we may not ask for trouble but if we were wise we should look upon it as the shadow of an unusually great blessing thou didst cause men to ride over our heads but you brought us out into a wealthy place Psalm 66 dread the calm it's often treacherous and beneath its wing the pestilence is lurking fear not the storm it brings healing in its wings and when Jesus is with you in the vessel the tempest only hastens the ship to its desired haven blessed be the Lord whose way is in the whirlwind and who makes the clouds to be the dust of his feet may some such thoughts as these help you to encourage yourself in Jehovah as David did dear people it's an ancient story but it's a real story that has to be told that had real grief and real pain and real distress but it marks out the real path that you're to walk in the fellowship of David's greater son even the Lord

52:04 Jesus he went through the path of suffering to glory but he brought you in his train and he brought me God's purpose for all of his own is marked out by the pattern of his son suffering and glory to follow and frankly I've been a bit disappointed with some who thought they even had to think is it worth the fracturing of a few friendships to remain loyal to Christ what in the world would you do if you were thrown in a hot box and beat and starved for days the history of my life has been the fracturing and the betrayal of friends I hadn't been converted three months when the father who prayed me into the kingdom turned against me and at age seventeen kneeling by my bed saying oh God can I bear to have my own father against me and my dear mother came in and knelt to me and said son don't turn back thankfully it wasn't long before my father's heart was turned to me again but it was no choice Christ died for me not my father Christ rose for me not my father Christ will judge me not my father and all the buddies

53:30 I played football they've turned against me and mocked me and broke their friendship with me except one because I wouldn't listen to their dirty jokes and I witnessed to them do you think I twice thought is it worth it when I could go for the first time in my life and open my bible and hold communion with the son of God what's Mike Potenza and who's Rinaldi and who's Donny Goings when the Lord of the universe holds communion with me a sinner saved by grace I won't give you the rest of the litany but it's not preacher's rhetoric dear folk the history of my life has been the history of broken friendships and betrayal in the path of obedience to Christ but none of them died for me and none of them will answer for me in the last day may I use the current term get real fellow brother or sister get real you claim to be saved by the blood of incarnate deity are you even tempted to weigh a few human relationships God have mercy on us God have mercy on us if we do not strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God is the pain real yes David's pain

54:59 was real he with his men wept real tears is my pain real with the allegations that float around about my character and that of my wife it is real David's pain was real deeper than I've ever known in my 64 years but not real enough to turn away from my God or turn away from my post of duty or turn away from the confidence all now mysterious shall be bright at last it shall be it shall be strengthen yourself in Jehovah your God if you have time this afternoon study 1 Samuel 23 we're going to be talking about we're going to look at what Jonathan did to David he strengthened David's hand in the Lord we're going to look at the horizontal expression of this spiritual discipline tonight God willing may the Lord help us to do what David did no one can do it for you you can't say Lord do it no David did it David strengthened himself you've got to do over and over that you got to do well and then David didn't bring

56:27 the Holy eliminating river if he didn't water he didn't use the water for the Zuschauer Gee Who's died? Haven't you heard the tragic news? No, no. Who's died?

56:52 Haven't you heard? And Martin Luther said, no, dear. Who is it? She said, God.

56:58 Luther reared back and Luther liked, said, God die never! He's the living God. And she said, yes, Martin. He is the living God.

57:07 And if he is, you ought to stop acting the way you are.

57:13 If the preacher shows up at your home in his black suit today,

57:19 you'll understand the parable. God lives, dear people. Strengthen yourself in the Lord, your God. Let's pray.

57:29 Our Father, we thank you that you are the living God. You are not the great I was and the great I shall be, but the great I am. We thank you that all that you've ever been in your livingness, you are in this hour. And all that you are is ours in Christ.

57:54 That you have come to us in the way of covenant mercy and covenant pardon, covenant engagements to be our God. You have sealed those engagements in the blood of your Son. Oh, forgive us for our groveling unbelief. Forgive us for our unbelieving dejection.

58:15 Oh, Father, amidst the pain and the grief of these days, may we be a company of Davids, who by your grace strengthen ourselves in you, our God. And then go forth to seek you as we've never sought you before. And from seeking you, go forth to do your revealed will in the power of the Spirit and in the expectation of faith. Seal your word to our hearts.

58:43 Oh, God, make those who know you not jealous to have such a God as their God. And draw them to yourself, we pray.