Opening illustration: It was 1818 in France, and Louis, a boy of 9, was sitting in his father's workshop. The father was a harness-maker and the boy loved to watch his father work the leather. "Someday Father," said Louis, "I want to be a harness-maker, just like you." "Why not start now?" said the father. He took a piece of leather and drew a design on it. "Now, my son," he said, "take the hole-puncher and a hammer and follow this design, but be careful that you don't hit your hand."
Excited, the boy began to work, but when he hit the hole-puncher, it flew out of his hand and pierced his eye! He lost the sight of that eye immediately. Later, sight in the other eye failed. Louis was now totally blind. A few years later, Louis was sitting in the family garden when a friend handed him a pine cone. As he ran his sensitive fingers over the cone, an idea came to him. He became enthusiastic and began to create an alphabet of raised dots on paper so that the blind could feel and interpret what was written. Thus, Louis Braille opened up a whole new world for the blind--all because of an accident!
This morning we are going to look further into tragedy, and see what God does to turn our tragedy into a triumph. Have you suffered a great loss? Are you going through a tragic situation? If not now, you will likely face one. So, I want you to learn some truths from God’s Word that will help you. Let us turn to …
Introduction: At times, we can face tragic situations namely –
? We Could Lose Our Homes and Property (v. 1)
? We Could Lose Our Family (v. 2)
? We Lose Our Sense of Well-being – Notice some of the common reactions that people experience when they face tragic situations:
a) We Weep (v. 4)
b) We Become Greatly Distressed (v. 6)
c) We Look for Someone to Blame (v. 6)
d) We May Become Bitter (v. 6)
Have you ever experienced a tragic situation in life? Have you experienced a similar reaction? If you live along enough you most likely will face a tragic situation; one that causes you to cry profusely; one that could result in anger and bitterness. And when that happens, are you going to be defeated, or are you going to be victorious? Different people react in different ways to the same circumstances. David’s men were about to be defeated by their circumstances. Their emotions were clouding their judgment. If they had killed David, they would have shed innocent blood, and I believe they would have lost their leader and their families for good. I don’t want you to be defeated by the tragedies of life.
Instead, look to David as an example of how to be victorious over such tragedies. You see, David was a godly man. He gives a great example of what you should do when tragedy strikes.
What is the strategy to move from TRAGEDY to TRIUMPH?
1. Strengthen yourself in the Lord (vs. 3-6)
The Hebrew verb translated “strengthened himself” is reflexive (Hithpael). It is not passive. It does not say that God strengthen him. It says he “strengthened himself,” meaning, he was actively involved in doing what was necessary to find strength as he faced this tragic situation. The Hebrew conveys the notion of effort and personal responsibility in this situation. I believe that without God we can do nothing. I believe that salvation is of the Lord. Even our faith is a gift from God. Yet I also believe that faith requires a human response even though it is enabled by God (cf. Ephesians 2:8). The apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." So, we are personally responsible to do certain things in order to receive what God wants to do in and through us.
For example, from David’s example we see that:
(i) David could remember God’s love.
(ii) David could remember God’s promise and calling.
(iii) David could remember God’s past deliverances.
(iv) David took his only encouragement from the Lord.
(v) We Must Choose Not to Dwell on Our Problems - Make the effort not to let the sorrowful things, or the difficult things, or the fearful things in your life, absorb you. Instead:
(vi) We Should Turn to the Lord – We should do what Hebrews says, “look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith.”
(vii) Put Your Faith in Him – Psalm 37:7-9 says, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret — it only causes harm. For evil doers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.”
2. Inquire God's will (vs. 7-8)
David was probably at a loss as to what to do. He could have feared the worse, but because of his trust in God, he had hope that he could get his family back. Yet he did not know if a mission to pursue the invaders would be successful with just 600 men. He did not know where they went, or if they would find them. So, we read in vs.7-8, “Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, ‘Please bring the ephod here to me.’ And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
So, David inquired of the LORD, saying, ‘Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?’…" The ephod of the priest went over the priest’s garment. It would have contained two stones, the Urim and the Thummim (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8). As the priest inquired of the Lord, pulling out one stone would mean “Yes,” while pulling on the other stone would mean, “No.” (See 23:9-12). It was a form of casting lots to determine God’s will. When David inquired of the Lord through the priest whether he should pursue them, the priest pulled out the stone that indicated a “Yes” answer, and the priest added these words in the last of v.8, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."
David's rise to kingship is characterized by the importance he attached to seeking guidance from God (see 23:2, 4). In a time of great crisis, David seeks God's word, and having found it he never looks back. What a contrast between Saul and David. Saul was self-willed, and was not inclined to seek guidance from the Lord. Yet David did so frequently. He knew that God’s will is best.
Even so, when tragedy strikes and your emotions are strongly felt, you especially need direction from the Lord. You need to know what to do in such a dark hour. You need direction. I cannot recommend casting lots. There is limited New Testament support for that (cf. Acts 1:26). Instead, you should pray just as David and the priest did. Seek direction from the Word of God. Find a spiritual leader to guide you regarding the right responses you should make regarding the tragic situations you face. Then, when we are convinced by the truth in His Word, we must seek to act boldly on it like David did, with confidence and hope.
3. Pursue (vs. 9-10)
(i) So David went: God told David to go and pursue them, and David did exactly that. Obedience to the Lord is often that simple. We complicate it when we disobey God’s instructions.
(ii) He and the six hundred men who were with him: David’s men were almost at a place of mutiny against him (the people spoke of stoning him, 1 Samuel 30:6). But now since he strengthened himself in the Lord his God (1 Samuel 30:6) and since he inquired of the Lord (1 Samuel 30:8) and since he did what God told him to do, his men are totally back on his side.
• David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him implies that David said, “Men, I’m going. I have a promise from God for victory, and I’m going to believe it. It doesn’t matter if you come with me or not, because God is on my side, and if I should beat all the Amalekites all by myself, God’s promise will not fail.” Such faith stirred the hearts of the six hundred men, and they went with David.
• It was a magnificent sight – David and the six hundred men on the march again, this time not hoping to fight for the Philistines or for themselves, but off again on a mission from God. There wasn’t an army on earth that could beat David and his six hundred men when they walked in God’s will.
(iii) For two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor: This might have discouraged David. As he pursued a significantly larger Amalekite army, he found that one-third of his men couldn’t continue. But David didn’t let this trial stop him. He set the one-third to work guarding the supplies, lightening the load of the 400 who continued and he set out again, full of faith.
4. Locate the stronghold (vs. 11-13)
David didn’t know how to find the Amalekites. The Lord hadn't told them where the Amalekites were camped. Where should they go? David trusted the Lord to guide him, and He did. It so happened that according to vs.11-12, “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. 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.” The man could have perished in the wilderness, but the Lord had kept him alive for the sake of His servant David. Next we read in vs.13-14, “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. 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.’" Can you imagine David’s reaction when he heard those words? He must have said, “Praise the Lord,” for God led them to someone who could help them.
This was no coincidence. After all, the priest had assured him of success. So, notice what it says in v.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.’" Sure, enough, the Egyptian led David and his men to the place where the Amalekites had camped. Evidently, while he was still with them, he overheard where they planned to camp next. So, God worked through His providence to lead David and His men to the very place where they could find their wives, children and possessions.
Then in v.16 we read of another circumstance that worked in their favor. The enemy was “eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken …” They were celebrating by feasting, getting drunk, and dancing. In such a state, they became easy prey for David and his men even though they were greatly outnumbered. Just as the light of morning was beginning to break (v.17), while the enemy was still asleep from a late night of partying, David and his men made a surprise attack upon them. They continued the attack until evening.
With only 400 men David won a great victory. They were obviously outnumbered because the historian noted that the same number could escape (v.17b).
5. Restore by warfare (vs. 18-19)
We read in vs.18-19, “So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 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.” Isn’t that something? Isn’t God great? Isn’t God good? The reversal of David's losses at the hands of the Amalekites is a stunning victory. Nothing was lost that mattered. They could rebuild their homes. What was most important was the recovery of their dear wives and children. So, the Word of God that was given in the last of v.8 was fulfilled. Through his faith in the Lord he turns an impossible and hopeless situation into a great victory.
Illustration: A classic illustration of this truth in the story of Job. He lost his children, many of his possessions, and his health. Yet Job never stopped trusting in God. In the end, God restored twofold what he had lost (Job 42:10). Jesus taught this same truth. He said in Luke 18:29-30, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."
Application: As you review what the Lord did for David in that dark hour in his life, you can better understand how He helps His people when problems and crises come into their lives. Whenever a crisis comes, we need the strength and courage to face it. When we step out by faith and trust the Lord, He will guide us when we need it. While Saul is preparing for his final battle, which is doomed to failure, David is leading his meager forces in victory against one of Israel's greatest enemies.
While Saul has proven himself ill-equipped and inadequate for leading God's people, David seems perfectly suited for the task. Thus, three days after this tragic event, there came a fugitive into the camp with news that Saul was dead and David was king. So, it was not in vain that he had strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
God can turn any tragic situation into a place of triumph. If we understand God’s heart and are able to …
