SERIES: DAVID - A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART: Part 7: God Will Break Us Before He Can Use Us
1. 1 Samuel 21:1-3: 1 David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” 2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”
2. 1 Samuel 22:1-5 1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him. 3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” 4 So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold. 5 But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
Intro 1: David: A Man After God’s Own Heart. God Bends Us Before He Uses Us. Teach.
Summary Of Where We Are: Saul chosen. He fails. David chosen. God graces him to take down Goliath. He becomes a warrior and personal musician to King Saul. Let’s stop here.
INTRO 2: SUMMARY: GOD WILL BREAK US BEFORE HE CAN USE US.
Just Because You Are God’s Own Or Anointed Does Not Mean You Will Not Go Through Suffering & Pains. There are multiple passages in which the Bible tells us that before God can use us, He must break us. He will at times take us from nothing to plenty, then from plenty to nothing, and then from nothing to plenty again. Poem:
“When God Wants A Man” (Anonymous)
When God wants to drill a man and thrill a man and skill a man.
When God wants to mold a man to play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart to create so great and bold a man that all the world shall praise.
Watch His methods; Watch His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects whom He royally elects.
How He hammers him and hurts him, And with mighty blows converts him
Into frail shapes of clay that only God understands.
How his tortured heart is crying and he lifts beseeching hands.
How he bends but never breaks when His good he undertakes.
How He uses whom He chooses...with every purpose fuses him;
By every art induces him to try His splendor out.
God knows what He's about!
When God wants to take a man and shake a man and wake a man.
When God wants to make a man to do the future's will; He tries with all His skill.
When He yearns with all His soul to create him large and whole.
With what cunning He prepares him. How He goads and never spares him!
How He whets him and He frets him and in poverty begets him...
How often He disappoints whom He sacredly anoints!
With what wisdom He will hide him; Never minding what betide him.
Though his genius sob with slighting and his pride may not forget;
Bids him struggle harder yet!
Makes him lonely so that only God's high messages shall reach him.
So that He may surely teach him what the hierarchy planned;
And though he may not understand, Gives him passions to command.
How remorselessly He spurs him.
With terrific ardor stirs him When He poignantly prefers him.
When God wants to name a man and fame a man and tame a man.
When God wants to shame a man to do His Heavenly best;
When He tries the highest test that His reckoning may bring.
When He wants a [god] or king;
How He reins him and restrains him so his body scarce contains him.
While He fires him and inspires him
Keeps him yearning, ever burning for that tantalizing goal.
Lures and lacerates his soul. Sets a challenge for his spirit;
Draws it highest then he's near it! Makes a jungle that he clear it;
Makes a desert that he fear it...and subdue it, if he can – So doth God make a man!
Then To test his spirit's wrath, Throw a mountain in his path;
Puts a bitter choice before him and relentlessly stands o'er him.
Climb or perish, so He says.
But, watch His purpose, watch His ways.
God's plan is wondrous kind - could we understand His mind?
Fools are they who call His blind!
When his feet are torn and bleeding; Yet his spirit mounts unheeding.
Blazing newer paths and finds;
When the Force that is Divine leaps to challenge every failure,
And His ardor still is sweet –
And love and hope are burning in the presence of defeat!
Lo the crisis, Lo the shouts that would call the leader out.
When the people need salvation doth he rise to lead the nation;
Then doth God show His plan. And the world has found a man!
GOD WOUNDS AND HEALS. BIBLE VERSES TO PROVE THAT:
1. Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.
2. Job 5:18 For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.
BIBLE VERSES: About The Potter & The Clay / The Iron, Furnace & Refiner
Illustration: Potter & Clay. Bread To Be Broken. Grape To Squeeze.
1. Jeremiah 18:3-4 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
2. Isaiah 29:16 You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?
3. Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.
Illustration: Hammer & Iron. Oyster & Pearl.
1. 1 Peter 1:6b Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
2. Psalm 66:10-12 For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.
3. Isaiah 48:11 I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
PERSONALITIES TO PROVE THAT:
Tested With Affliction: Joseph (37,39,40,41). Daniel (6 Darius). Moses (Exodus 2). Jacob left alone Genesis 32:24). Naomi (Ruth). Job (Job 1-2,42). God will withdraw you from everyone. He will test you to limits. All of these achieved to a measure of success, but God took away from them in order to give something bigger to them. At such time, they did not know that God was doing it for their good. Same with David. An overnight success; now a fugitive.
DAVID’S MULTIPLE BENEFITS HE GOT OVERNIGHT
Favor And Love Of King Saul. Change Of Venue – From Shepherd To Palace. Change Of Status – Favorite Of The King. Love And Admiration Of Military. He Won The Friendship Of The King’s Son. Love And Admiration Of The People. Love And Admiration Of The Women. The Theme Of The Women’s Songs. He Became The King’s Son-In-Law. He Was Given Command Of The Army Of War. His Family Would Not Pay Taxes In Israel. He Became A Household Name. He Excelled In Everything He Did.
HOW WAS DAVID TESTED BY SUCCESS? 3 Major Temptations Like Joseph
1. Women: David Was Tested By Female Attention. Most men who make it to the top do not survive this test. They fall for the attention of women. David will later.
2. Power: David Was Tested By Demotion. Men do not dream of dropping down the ladder of success - but going up. In 1 Samuel 18:5, David gets a big promotion. But 1 Samuel 18:13-15, he is demoted from taking charge of the army to 1000 men. Yet he was faithful in every assignment and God made him successful in everything. E.g. John 3:26-30: John the Baptist.
3. Wealth: David will begin to live like a beggar. Everything he has is gone.
DAVID’S BLESSINGS LED TO THE FOLLOWING FROM OTHERS.
1. Jealousy (1 Samuel 18:8-9). Saul now saw the people looking favorably at David and singing his praises above himself. Fearing he might lose his kingdom Saul kept a wary eye on David.
2. Lies About David: That he is seeking to take the throne from him. David is doing all he can to please King Saul, but fear, prejudice and generalizations are detrimental to relationships. When you see someone as a threat, you will minimize and demonize anything that person does.
3. Violence (1 Samuel 18:10-11). How swiftly trouble follows on the heels of triumph. Praises and love for David everywhere. The reward for killing Goliath was to marry Saul’s daughter and be tax free for lifetime. But instead of a wedding, Saul sends him into more battles, and when it was time to marry Merab, Saul gave her to another man. He gives Michal as a trap to kill David.
4. Fear (1 Samuel 18:12). The jealousy, violence & lies didn’t work, so now Saul becomes afraid of David. The word for fear in verse 12 is different (apprehensive) than the one we see in verse 15 (very afraid). At first Saul was apprehensive about David, but after Saul sent him away to command 1,000 men and David was successful even in this, then Saul became very afraid.
5. Evil Schemes (Entrapment): Saul tried to trap David into warfare with the Philistines so he could be killed in battle. Saul then get hitmen to get rid of David since he himself and the Philistines had failed to do so.
6. Isolation & Rejection: David now faces rejection from those who once admired him.
WHAT DID DAVID LOSE AS A RESULT OF HIS SUCCESS?
1. His Prestigious Position: David, at the height of his popularity, as he was climbing the corporate latter, lost his position due to the jealousy and unwarranted fears of the king.
2. His Close Relationships: David was married to Saul’s daughter, Michal. Best friend was Saul’s son Jonathan. Michal had assisted David in his escape, and Jonathon hides David for a while. On the run, David visits Samuel who had anointed him the next king of Israel. David even deserts his family. He had to give up relationships because Saul would have killed each. Saul killed 85 priests in priestly garments, killed their families – men, women, children, babies, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats (1 Sam. 22:16-20). Only Abiathar one of the sons of Ahimelech escaped.
3. His Personal Dignity: As we will see, hiding places began to run out for David as Saul is starting to close in on his whereabouts. Wherever David went, Saul had his spies on the lookout. David eventually ends up in the city of Gath where Goliath was from. As soon as he enters the city, people recognized him (1 Sam. 21:12-13). So he pretended to be insane - making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. This is humiliation. David, the best warrior and household word set his personal dignity aside and acts like a crazy man.
WHAT IS A CAVE EXPERIENCE?
David Slides Downhill Gradually But Fast. When he Arrives At The Cave Of Abdullam, He Has lost his wife, friends, especially Jonathan, spiritual advisor Samuel, job, prestige & self-worth that went with that job, his income, his dreams, confidence (playing a lunatic). He was at an all-time low. He would be king - yeah, right. He is homeless and living in a cave, with the army of Israel tracking him. He is struggling because others have had to bear the consequences of his disfavor.
Caves Are Where People Find Themselves When All Of Their Life Supports, all of the things they relied on, all of their dreams, are stripped away! Caves are where people find themselves when they had thought to do great things, to have a wonderful family, to go "boldly where no man or, woman has gone before," only to realize or discover that things simply were not going to work out as planned! Caves appear to be the place of choice for those of us who would engage in having major "pity parties"! Perhaps, you are finding yourself in a cave - right now!
HOW DID DAVID FEEL IN THAT CAVE?
Psalm 142 “I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’ Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; Rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.” This is David As A Cave Dweller. Can you feel the loneliness, darkness, dampness, despair?
KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO GATHERED AROUND DAVID AND WHY.
1. His Family Came Around Him. How did they know he was there? Did David send word? No. We don’t know how they knew, but they did. You see, even when you think you are all alone and nobody cares, God has people ready to rally around you. And they may even be people in your own family that, not too long ago, didn’t pay much attention to you. David’s family was at risk. Since Saul had murderous intents towards David, the rest of the family may not have felt safe. In verse 3, David took his parents to the king of Moab and left them there until it was safe.
2. The Distressed Came To Him. The Hebrew word for distress also means “under pressure, under stress, in anguish.” Here are a bunch of stressed out people seeking David who has nothing in his life but an anointing from God. These men may not have been men that he would have chosen if he had set out to start an army of his own. David clearly was trying not only to escape Saul’s anger, but to escape the public’s eye and prevent a revolt. These men, for one motive or another found their way to David. Here came distressed men who had been impoverished with little money or wealth of their own, but willing to offer what they had to fight and defend what little they had left. Are you distressed and harassed by the Devil and his lies? You can bring your needs knowing that Jesus is available, has felt your needs, and is able to respond and help you!
3. The Debtors Came To Him. The Hebrew word for means “to lend on interest, to have a number of creditors.” These were people who couldn’t pay their bills, and may be in this position due to the king’s taxes. Debt was one of the worst evils of ancient times, and the rate of interest was so high that a loan was sure to be utter ruin, not only to the debtor, but also his children might have to be slaves to repay the debt owed. It is said here that David became their Captain! Hebrews 2:10 says Jesus Christ became our Captain of our Salvation! You could never give enough money to the work of God to pay your sin’s debt. Your debt is paid only as you receive a free Gift through the shed blood and grace of Jesus Christ!
4. The Discontented Came To Him. This Hebrew word means “to be in bitterness of soul, to have been wronged and mistreated.” Here they were serving a king that was becoming more oppressive everyday. King Saul was no longer there to serve, but to be served. No longer the welfare of the people, but his comfort was of utmost importance. There is one thing we need to know about the enemy of our souls - Satan is not in it for your well-being. He will take all there is to take from you, and will want more and more even after you have given all.
5. The Well Connected Helped Him: The King of Moab provided refuge for his family until the storm could pass.
6. The Godly Counseled Him: The Prophet Gad, not Samuel, for he is out of reach and there are no cell phones, provided him wise counsel – “Get out of this cave, David. Go to a place of praise – Judah.” Sometimes all we need is a testimony of what God has done and will do.
SUMMARY OF HOW THESE MEN ENDED UP?
God Wants To Turn The “Are Nots” Into An Army. Stories of David’s 400 mighty men are legendary. These great men started out as misfits and outcasts. But David welded them into a fiercesome fighting force. This is Ezekiel’s vision - an army comes to life. God taught David the leadership he would need to lead the nation while he was here in this cave leading 400 men. Each man had a choice to lay down the past. The Distressed had to move on to freedom. The Indebted had to trust the God of the cave. The Discontented had to find rest. They came to David to find a future and a hope. That cause was worth fighting for. And God mightily gave them that. But, you know, life with David wasn’t all fun and games. It was difficult. Apart from the threat of Saul, just living day to day and surrounded by 400 distressed, indebted, and discontented men was not easy. It took time for them to become an army.
What Does David Make Of Those Who Drew Near To Him? 1 Chronicles 12:8 “...Mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains” and “...he who was least was equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand. 2 Samuel 23: Men like Eleazar who stood alone and struck down Philistines until his hand clung to the sword. Shammah who took his stand in a plot of lentils field and defended it against a troop for the people. Benaiah who slid down into a snow-lined pit and killed a lion. Even these did not attain to the honor of the three unnamed mighty men, who, having overheard David mumbling that he longed for a drink from the well of Bethlehem which was near the gate to a heavily fortified town, fought their way through the Philistines, drew water from that well, and brought it back to David; just to be a service to their King!
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW VALLEY OR CAVE EXPERIENCE?
1. God Uses Problems To DIRECT. There are times we are out of focus.
2. God Uses Problems To INSPECT. People are like tea bags. If you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot water! James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
3. God Uses Problems To CORRECT. Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
4. God Uses Problems To PROTECT. Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
5. God Uses Problems To PERFECT. God is far more interested in our character than our comfort. Romans 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
CONCLUSION: HOW TO GET OUT OF THE CAVE
1. David Learned To Prayed Fervently. You can cry to the Lord & lay complaints before him.
2. God Made Him To See What He Had, And To Stop Focusing On What He Didn’t Have. David couldn’t work for the king but he could compose psalms of praise. Psalm 34:1 A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise [shall] continually [be] in my mouth. Psalm 57:1 To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until [these] calamities be overpast.
3. He Listened to the Prophet’s Advice and David Left The Cave Of Grumbling. 1 Samuel 22:5 And the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. He didn’t leave his problems, he left the cave - the cave of grumbling. Some people are still in the cave of grumbling. He went back to Judah – the land of praise. What defines you and your destiny is God’s promises.
4. David Humbled Himself. Frustration is designed to get you in the mood to explore options you never would have considered otherwise. David was forced to take his parents to a heathen nation for protection. Pride sometimes prevents us from doing certain things, such as asking for help.
INTERCESSORY VERSES
1. 1 Peter 5: 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
2. Job 23: 2 Even today is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. 3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! 4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me. 6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me. 7 There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered forever from my judge. 8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: 10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
No Matter What You Are Going Through – Losses, Failures, Disappointments, From Grace To Grass, Etc. Learn To Lean On God.
