Overcoming a Setback
1 Samuel 30
8-30-09
Intro
Today I want to talk about overcoming a setback. Has anybody here experienced a setback or two in life? Has anybody recently experienced a setback? It’s a part of living on planet earth. Chuck Swindoll described the Christian journey as “Three steps forward, two steps back.” How do we deal with those unforeseen events that seem to set us back in life?
In 1 Samuel 30 David and his men experienced a major setback.. They had already endured a lot of frustration. The man who was anointed as a youth to be king of Israel was actually living like a fugitive. It was not David’s fault; but King Saul was determined to kill David. Saul had been rejected by God because of his rebellion. The Bible tells us the Spirit of the Lord left Saul and an evil spirit filled the vacuum that was left. Tormented by an evil spirit, Saul had become a jealous, paranoid maniac. He was convinced that David was going to take his throne away from him. To stop that from happening he decided to kill David. So first we have to understand that life had not been easy for David and his men.
In order to survive, David had joined forces with the Philistines—the enemies of the people of God. Remember Goliath was a Philistine. This was a mistake; but what do you do when you’ve got a crazy king trying to kill you? David had spent most of his time protecting Israeli towns in the general area. In the previous chapter Achish, the king of the Philistines, had sent David away. The Philistines were about to fight King Saul and some of the Philistine officers were afraid David might turn on them during the battle. So here was an immediate stress they had just experienced. They are tired and weary from all this and looking forward to getting back home for some rest. They don’t have a clue as to what is waiting for them there.
Follow with me as we read 1 Samuel 30:1-3 (read). I thought it was interesting the way that chapter began, “Now it happened....” Sometimes things happen. There are David and his men looking forward to some time with their families. They’re probably expecting to see their kids running out of the tents to meet them. They can see themselves jumping off their horses and hugging their wives, enjoying a nice meal that evening. But something had happened—something very unexpected. Ziklag is smoldering in rubble. The Amalekites, their enemy, has carried away their wives and kids. In all likelihood they will never see them again. How would you and I feel? They haven’t read the rest of this chapter. They have just lost everything!
We have in this chapter an example of how to deal with a setback like this. We are about to find out that David is indeed a man after God’s own heart. Here we see the kind of leader he is. Leadership is not manifested during the victorious, easy times. Those conditions don’t demand much leadership. It’s when the going really gets rough, it’s when everybody is discouraged and wants to give up, that’s when you find out who is really a leader. Leaders lead when nobody wants to lead. Leadership is not a position; it’s a response to a challenge.
But this morning, our focus is not so much on leadership as it is very simply this. What do you do when you hit an unexpected reversal like David and his men encountered in this passage? What do you do when you get a call in the middle of the night that a family member has been in a car wreck? What do you do when you had thought you might get a promotion; but instead you get laid off? What do you do when you thought you were cancer-free; but it reappears? Do things like that happen? Do any of those things happen to good people? If we had time today, we could talk about some of the unexpected challenges many of us have faced in life. But those challenges do not have to destroy us. There is a way to respond that empowers us to deal with them in a godly way. David exemplifies that in 1 Samuel 30.
Look with me at nine actions David takes in this chapter that led to victory in this situation. I’m not giving these to you as a formula. I simply want us to see some of the principles David operated in. I want you to see a godly person responding well to a crisis.
I. (vs 4 read) David WEPT!
He expressed his grief along with all the others. He was not ashamed to express the emotion he felt at the time. That is a healthy thing to do! David did not consider himself so spiritual that he was above that. He was willing to be vulnerable; people loved him for that. Sometimes leaders think they have to be strong and restrain all their emotion. We will see that David is strong—but he is strong in the Lord—not in a carnal, prideful way.
David wept; so did all his men. These were seasoned soldiers. These were men of war. But they were men, not robots.
I think church should be a place where we can rejoice together. But I also think church should be a place where we can cry together. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; and weep with those who weep.” In other words, live out the ups and downs of life together as a community of believers. This is not a house of performance; it’s a house of relationship. It’s a place to be real. Our worship and interaction ought to reflect what’s really happening in our lives. It’s good and proper to sing of the goodness of the Lord and even dance for joy. But it’s also alright to sing songs like “It is Well with My Soul.”
David wept and it didn’t make him any less of a man. It didn’t make him any less of a leader. He allowed himself to be human and express his grief.
II. (vs 5-6 read) David STRENGTHENED himself in the Lord.
Eph 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God....” There is a big difference between drawing strength from the Lord verses trying to simply trying to be strong in yourself. There is a difference between the confidence that comes out of time spent with the Lord verses self-confidence that relies on our own resources. One happens in our spirit; the other is a soulish thing. In Eph. 3:16 Paul prayed for believers that God would strengthen them “with might through His Spirit in the inner man.”
The KJV says, “...David encouraged himself in the LORD....” Have you learned how to do that? Many times we can encourage one another. In fact, the Bible tells us to do that. David was encouraged by Jonathan a few chapters earlier. How did Jonathan encourage David? He reminded him of God’s promises to him. “And he said to him, ‘Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that’’” (1 Sam 23:17). We should encourage each other by reminding one another of God’s promises and God’s faithfulness.
But how did David encourage himself in the Lord? Could I suggest that he prayed and he talked to himself while he prayed? Listen to him in Ps 42:5 “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God” (NIV).
David had to talk to himself that way. He didn’t have anybody there to do it for him. His men were talking about stoning him. It’s nice to have a Jonathan around to encourage you. It’s nice to be surrounded by people who will stand with you when the going gets rough. But what if all that is not there? What will you do?
Paul had a similar experience that he described in 2 Timothy 4. He was trying to do the work of the Lord; but there were some serious setbacks. Alexander, the coppersmith was giving him a very hard time. Demas forsook him. In fact, Paul said in verse16, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me.” Then he adds in verse 17, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me....” People will not always come through for you; but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Jesus has said to you and me, “I will never, never forsake you.” You can always go to Him in prayer.
Look at the contrast in this passage of David’s response to the crisis verses the response of his men. Instead of drawing strength from the Lord, what did they do? They blamed somebody for their troubles. They blamed David. I don’t need to say, “That’s the wrong response.” When we take on a victim mentality and start blaming all our troubles on somebody else, we’re on the wrong track. What did Israel do when they were out of water in the wilderness? They blamed Moses; they even blamed God. “God has brought us all out here to die in the wilderness.”
What message are you sending yourself when you experience a setback? Is it, “We’re all going to die out here in the wilderness and Moses, it’s all your fault”? Is it, “David, look what kind of mess you’ve gotten us into; I knew I should have never hooked up with you”? Or are you saying things to your own soul like, “Soul, why are you cast down? Put your hope in God!”? “...David encouraged himself in the LORD....” He found strength in the Lord.
III. (vs 7-8 read) David INQUIRED of the Lord.
David did not go off half-cocked to recover his family. I don’t know if I would have that kind of discipline in his situation. But it was the right thing to do. When a crisis happens in your life, take a little time and collect your thoughts. Remind yourself of the Lord’s faithfulness. Encourage yourself in the Lord. And then ASK God what to do next! Ask for His wisdom. Don’t assume you know what needs to happen next.
I recently received a decision from an organization that was very upsetting. Everything in me wanted to call them up and give them a piece of my mind. Anybody ever felt that way? By God’s grace I called an accountability partner and ask him to pray with me. It was a safe place to express my emotion. We prayed about what I should do and got some direction from the Lord. After I had done that, I was ready to call the committee members and talk with them in a gentle way. If I had just followed my impulse, I would have probably made matters worse.
OK, David and his men return and their families have been kidnapped. It would have been real easy to just jump back on their horses and ride off in a cloud of dust. Do you see the discipline exercised? If David had to ask God about whether he rode off to recover his family, I would suppose we should inquire of the Lord about any and everything. Amen?
IV. (vs 9 read) David WENT in obedience to what the Lord told him to do.
I’m convinced that if the Lord had told David not to go; then he wouldn’t have gone. Remember the children of Israel when they first arrived at the Promise Land. The ten spies came back with their report. “It’s a good land; but they’re some mighty big giants there. I don’t think we can do this.” Joshua and Caleb’s encouraged them to obey the Lord and go in and possess the land. Instead, they decided to do the opposite of what the Lord told them to do. Then later, when the Lord told them not to go in, they decided to go in. They understood nothing about obedience. They understood nothing about having the Lord’s presence and approval upon what they were doing. David could have done like the children of Israel. Once he got the leading of the Lord, he could have begun to lean upon his own understanding and say, “You know what, maybe we shouldn’t try that. We’re all really tired and they probably outnumber us at least two to one. Maybe we should wait awhile and see if we can negotiate a trade or something.” God said “go” and David went on the strength of that word.
V. (vs 10 read) David PURSUED the enemy in spite of another setback.
Here they are on their way with only 600 men. They’re probably going to face a much larger force when they get there. They’ll need all the help they can get. But what happens? Two-hundred (1/3) of his men decide they can’t go on. Have you ever been in a church situation like that? I have. God has given you an assignment and you’re trying to get it done; but it’s anything but easy. So one third of the people decide it’s too hard and sit down on you. It was going to be hard enough to do it with 600; but now you only have 400. What do you do? Do the rest of you sit down and give up? No, the Lord said He would give victory, so you continue on with the 400.
Have you noticed that sometimes one setback is followed by another setback? What I like about David is that he did not get angry at the 200 that sat down. He just kept trying to do what God had told him to do.
VI. (11-16 read) David FOUND God’s provision for victory.
I’m sure the Amalekites had covered their tracks well. They surely knew of the possibility that someone might follow them. But they miscalculated on one small point. They thought this Egyptian was as good as dead. If the disease didn’t kill him out right, he would die of thirst in the dessert. How many know that God is able to outwit the enemy; and he often turns the whole thing on one small point. If the weather had been different on D-Day, Hitler might have won WWII. But God directed General Eisenhower to invade at just the right time.
Now here is the key to victory, lying right there in their path. This Egyptian just happened to get sick. His master just happened to forsake him. He just happened to live long enough for David to rescue him. David is kind to the man. He feeds him and nourishes him. And the kindness pays off. For this man’s information enabled David to surprise the Amalekites.
What has God put right under your nose that is the key to solving your problem? Are you walking right past it? Are you alert to what God IS providing instead of complaining about what is not there? “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor 10:13). Shortly after his conversion, Paul was in Damascus convincing Jews in the Synagogue of the gospel. The Jewish leaders decided to kill him. Do you remember how Paul escaped? During the night, some Christians let him down outside the city wall in a basket. It’s not the most glorious way to leave a city; but it worked. Will you accept God’s answer even if it’s a bit humbling? God always has an answer.
VII. (vs 17 read) David ATTACKED the enemy.
Now notice something. This was not an easy battle. They fought all night and all the next day until that evening. Sometimes we think if God is with us the battles will all be easy. Of course, God could have struck the enemy down and killed them all before David ever got there. But David and his men had to fight. They were doing exactly what God told them to do; but they had to fight. Eph 6:11-12 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
I find two extremes in the Body of Christ. Some churches and groups don’t want to even think about spiritual warfare. They don’t want to deal with demons. They want life soft and easy and don’t want to put out much effort. They put their heads in the sand like an ostrich and play like the devil is not at work. To that group I would say, “The devil doesn’t go away just because you play like he’s not there.” Then there are other groups that see everything as spiritual warfare. There’s a demon under every bush; and every negative is resolved by rebuking the devil. Their theology is a kind of dualism in which sometimes God has the upper hand and sometimes the Devil has the upper hand. To that group I would say, “Guess who your worst enemy is? It’s you; it’s your flesh; it’s the selfish desires that rise up in your flesh. Rebuking the devil won’t defeat that enemy. It has to be crucified. Yes, there is spiritual warfare; but most of the battle has to do denying our own flesh.” James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” The most challenging part of that verse is the first part. In fact, you get fully submitted to God and resisting the devil is relatively easy.
But we have to understand, there is a battle to be fought. Too many people lie defeated in their own passivity and apathy. David attacked the enemy and he kept fighting until that enemy was defeated.
VIII. (vs 18-19 read) David RECOVERED what the enemy had stolen.
What has the devil stolen from you that needs to be recovered? Are there family members in bondage that need to be set free? Are there financial breakthroughs that need to happen? Is the devil trying to rob you of your health or of relationships? Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
David’s warfare didn’t just benefit him. It freed his family and it inspired others to fight the battle as well. I want to encourage you to contend for victory for all your family members, especially those in your immediate family. God knows how to get prodigal sons back into His house. He knows how to deliver people from drugs and other addiction.
The first church we planted was on the strip in Amarillo where the drugs and prostitution was prominent. At one time there had been strong churches in that area; but they had moved out to the suburb. When they left, a lot of evil moved in. God told us to start a church there. There was a palm reader one block from our church. There were liquor stores and bars. Street walkers and drug dealers were actively selling on that part of the boulevard. Six years later, most of that was gone from that area. The Church of Jesus Christ is authorized and empowered to take back what the enemy has stolen.
IX. (vs 20-26 read) David SHARED the spoils of his victory.
David recognized where his blessing came from. Notice his words in verse 23, "My brethren, (we’re in community) you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us....” He did not think it was his ability that brought victory. He saw the spoil as a gift from God. That made it easy for him to share with others.
I suspect there was some resentment among the 400 (who had to fight the battle) against the 200 who stayed behind. But there was no resentment in David’s heart. His heart was too full of gratitude toward God. He cared about the weaker ones just like he cared about the stronger ones. They were all part of the community of God’s people.
We also see David’s generosity in his attitude toward elders of Judah and the nearby Israeli towns. He gave them part of the spoil as well. His heart was big enough to take them all in. That’s why God could trust him with leading all of Israel.
Conclusion
Watch this closely, the spoils that God gave to the elders of Judah and to the Israeli cities prepared them to receive David as their new king. After 1 Sam. 30 events began to unfold rapidly for David. The Philistines attacked King Saul and killed him. 2 Sam 1:1 opens with these words, “Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, 2 on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head....” That man told David about Saul’s death.
2 Sam 2:1 “It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, ‘Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?’ And the LORD said to him, ‘Go up.’ David said, ‘Where shall I go up?’ And He said, ‘To Hebron.’” Here is an interesting parallel to our text in 1 Sam. 30. Both begin with “It happened....” Look at the amazing contrast to what happened. 1 Sam. 30 begins with one of the worst days in David’s life. 2 Sam. 2:1 opens the door for one of the best days in David’s life. In both cases David is careful to inquire of the Lord. In both cases David does exactly what God tells him to do.
2 Sam 2:4 “Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah....”
David’s SETBACK has been transformed into an awesome COMEBACK!
For FOOTNOTES/SOURCES go to www.GatewayNixa.org
Richard Tow
Gateway Foursquare Church
Nixa, Missouri
TEXT: 1 Sam 30
Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?"
And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.
11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 Then David said to him, "To whom do you belong, and where are you from?"
And he said, "I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. 14 We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire."
15 And David said to him, "Can you take me down to this troop?"
So he said, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop."
16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. 18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 19 And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. 20 Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, "This is David’s spoil."
21 Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart."
23 But David said, "My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. 24 For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike." 25 So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, "Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD" -- 27 to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir, 28 those who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 those who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach, 31 those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove. NKJV
