Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Exegetical Idea: God deliver the City of Keilah and David from the hands of Saul and the Philistines.

Objective Statement: Every Christian can survive while in great difficulty by following 3 lessons from David’s life concerning, God’s answer, God’s counsel, and God’s refuge.

Reveal the need: By a show of hands how many of you tonight have been in very difficult situation. Have you ever been in a survival zone? Have your back ever been against the wall. Maybe it’s only me but I’ve personally been through some difficulty situation. The truth of the matter is all of us probably at some point have failed at trusting God in every situation of our lives. If were not careful we can loss our faith and trust in God and live a defeated life.

Goal Statement: I want to share with you how to survive great difficulty by following three lesson from David’s life concerning; God’s answer, God’s counsel, and God’s refuge, and if we apply these lesson to our lives we can live a victorious life..

So turn with me now to 1 Sam Chapter 23, we would like to us as a subject how to survive when your “In-between a Rock and a Hard-Place”

Now as we turn to this passage let me remind you that David is running for his life. Saul is intoxicated and obsessed with killing David. He’s protecting the Israelites from the Philistine in chapter 22; Saul win a massive victor he just killed 85 priests in Nob.David however was able to deliver Abiathar from the bloody sword of Saul’s army. So the table is set for God to do something spectacular so as we look at this passage we can discover some incredible survival lesson we can learn for David’s experience.

I. Seek God’s Answer (23:1-5)

A. Concerning the threshing floors (v.1) Keilah was a city in the lowlands of Judah small community of Israelites. The Philistine was threating the very vulnerable city to raids the threshing floor. So this term looting the threshing floors term threshing floor describes as a gangsta term. During the harvest season the Philistine’s would loot the threshing floor. Virtually taking what doesn’t belong to you. That what the enemy does to us now. He tries loot our threshing floor by taking our joy, our peace, our relationships, our marriages. So David get word that the Philistine was attacking the threshing floor. V 2 “David inquires of the Lord”, Even though David was running for his life, back against the wall. Even though he was at a red sea experience. He was “between a rock and a hard -place” yet He put others over himself even at the expense of his life. This is why God loved David so much, “A man after God on heart” But the bigger question for us tonight is are you willing to be faithful to God even at the expense of your life. Would you put others first and yourselves last? 2c. “Saying shall I go and attack the Philistines. The Lord answered him, Go, attack the Philistines and save “Keilah” God gives David permission to Go’ When God gives us the thumps- up we can have confidence and rest that Our God is with us. And then when we are being tested it is important to know that God has the right answer to every situation we faces. When we talk to God we can expect an answer through his word.

B. Concerning fear ( vv. 2-3)

In v. 3 But David men said to him, here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to” Keilah” against the Philistine forces! David men became fear full for their lives. Look at somebody and say don’t be scared. He is the same God that delivered you out the last time he will be that same God this time. If God says go he will give us the power to overcome the enemy any concerning deliverance (vv. 4-5

In v 4, David overcome fear with faith “he inquired of the Lord again” God said Go I will give the Philistines into your hand, v. 5 So David and his men went and fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock, and inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of “Keilah” not only did David and his men defeat the Philistine but they reaped the manifestation from the enemies camp. There are some things in the enemy’s camp that belongs to me. They carried off the Philistine livestock, When God gives the endorse the plan we can expect getting more than excepted positive and prosperous results. Why because there is treasures stored when we have faith in God.

II. Seek God’s Counsel (23:6-14)

A. Concerning Saul’s plot (vv. 6)