THE ROCK OF PARTING
1 Samuel 23:25-28
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: TEXAS REPEAT
1. In the wild west of the 1800’s, a cowboy stopped in at a saloon for a drink. Going out, he found his horse stolen. He went back in the saloon and yelled, "Which one of you rascals stole my horse?!" No one answered. He spun his pistol in the air and said...
2. "Alright, I'm gonna drink one more Dr. Pepper, and if my horse ain't back outside, I'm gonna do what I had to do in Texas! And I don't like to do what I dun in Texas!" Fear crossed the local’s faces.
3. After his Dr. Pepper, he walked outside, and his horse had been returned. He saddled up and was riding away when the bartender shouted, "Mister, before you go...what happened in Texas?" The cowboy looked back and said, "I had to walk home."
B. SAUL’S ATTEMPTS TO KILL DAVID
1. 3 Times with a spear (1 Sam 18:11; 19:10);
2. Sent David into harm’s way (1 Sam. 18:13, 25);
3. Told Jonathan to kill him (1 Sam. 19:1);
4. Sent men to David’s house (1 Sam. 19:11);
5. Sent 3 companies of soldiers to kill David when he was with Samuel (1 Sam. 19:18);
6. Saul took army to Keilah to kill him (1 Sam. 23:7-8);
7. “Day after day Saul searched for him” (23:14);
8. Saul to the Desert of Maon to kill (1 Sam 23:25-28);
9. When David at En Gedi – Saul with 3,000 troops – (1 Sam. 24:1-22);
10. David at hill of Hakilah (1 Sam. 26:1-25). This was Saul’s final attempt to kill David. We’re going to read about a pivotal moment in the persecution of David when God intervened to shift the momentum. David memorialized this event by giving that place a special name!
C. TEXT
“25 Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David. 26 Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” 28 Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.” 1 Sam. 23:25-28
D. MAIN IDEA – ASPECTS OF THE ROCK
1. Saul was chasing David and was hot on his trail. Saul enlisted more and more soldiers to kill David. During today’s incident, there was a rock that kept David and King Saul apart. Saul was on one side of the mountain and David on the other – both circling it – and David was trying to keep ahead of Saul’s army.
2. Just then a messenger came to tell the King that the Philistines had invaded the land. So Saul broke off the pursuit of David, just in the nick of time! David named that rock Sela Hammahlekoth, the “Rock of Parting.”
3. I want us to look at three aspects of David’s relationship with this rock and see why David gave the rock this name. First...
I. THIS ROCK WAS DAVID’S STRONGHOLD
A. DAVID NEEDED A REFUGE
1. When David heard/ perceived that Saul was coming after him, he “went down to the rock” (1 Sam. 23:25). This was the place David fled to when he was in danger and was seeking safety.
2. This Rock was David’s refuge, a place of shelter or protection, as from danger or hardship. It’s the kind of place where you find help, relief, and comfort in times of trouble. This place brought comfort, reassured him, and was like a harbor from a storm. David went to the “Rock that is higher than I.”
3. That’s what we need to do -- go to “the Rock of our salvation.” Go to God our stronghold, who’s our refuge from trouble.
B. DESCRIPTION OF THIS ROCK
1. The Hebrew word Tsur means more than a piece of rock. It was rather a great mountain of rock or a mighty rock cliff. It probably had caves where David & his men could take refuge, as he did when he fled from King Saul.
2. Under this great rock David could find shade from the heat of the day. It was also a landmark to help a him find his way in that vast wilderness.
C. DAVID CALLED GOD JEHOVAH-TSURI
1. David referred to God as a Rock. “The Lord is my Rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior! 2 Sam. 22:2-3,32,47. Also Ps. 19:14; 28:1; 31:2-3; 42:9; 62:2,7; 71:3; 89:26; 92:15; 94:22; 95:1; 144:1.
2. We need to know God as OUR Rock and learn He’s our strength, refuge, and our shade from trouble. People often flee for relief in times of stress to psychiatrists, or medications, or go on a vacation or to the gym and try to work it off. None of those will give lasting inner peace.
3. But David knew the best place to go – “In THE LORD I take refuge.” God offers the best plan – and it’s all free! God is wherever you are! He’s as close as the mention of His name! He’s a present help in every time of difficulty.
II. THIS ROCK STOOD BETWEEN DAVID & TROUBLE
A. HE KEEPS US APART
1. When the enemy arrived, that Rock kept David and his foe apart. I’m glad our God stands between us and our enemies: He keeps us apart.
2. It reminds me of the pillar of fire/cloud by the Red Sea that kept the Egyptians away from the Israelites all night long. The most powerful army can be right beside you but can’t touch you; “It shall not come nigh thee” Ps. 91:7.
3. If you’ve lived for God very long, there have been many times God has kept your enemies away from you! It might have been a mean person, from losing your job, from ruining your reputation, from financial ruin, or a misunderstanding with someone. The devil knows how to CREATE trouble, but God knows how to END trouble!
B. GOD WILL DO IT FOR YOU
1. When I was pastoring in Hereford, there was a man who determined to destroy me. He threatened me, wrote letters to the church board and the district, and hired a local person to assist him. But one year later, I got a phone call from a lady who said, “I want to ask if you will forgive me.” “What for?” “I’ve been assisting that man to destroy you.” “Yes, I forgive you. But why are you calling me now?” “Because that man got a brain tumor and finally died today!”
2. Let me tell you, there’s a God in Heaven who’s watching over His saints! He sees when you’re mistreated, how people have wronged you. It may go on for a while, but God will bring it to an end in His own time. Trust Him!
III. THIS ROCK CHANGED THE COURSE OF DAVID’S PURSUIT
A. GOD INTERVENED
1. When Saul was just about to get David, God sent a distraction (messenger). God raised up a problem for David’s enemy in another quarter which forced Saul to abandon his persecution of David and go to solve his own problems elsewhere.
2. How many times has God done this for us! Just when it looked like we were overwhelmed, when our time was up, when our resources were gone -- that’s when God showed-up and showed-off! We seemed to escape by the skin of our teeth! God delivered us at the last minute! Praise the Lord!
B. A DEFINITE CHANGE OF MOMENTUM
1. On that day David noticed a change. Up to that time Saul had been getting stronger; his pursuit had been getting closer. But now something changed – God stepped in to stop the king.
2. David saw this as the TURNING POINT of his trial, where a DEPARTURE BEGAN! THIS WAS THE CLOSEST SAUL EVER GOT TO CAPTURING DAVID. BUT AFTER THIS, IT WAS ALWAYS DAVID NEARLY CAPTURING SAUL! The next 2 pursuits David was given opportunities to kill Saul but didn’t – and Saul began to admit being wrong to pursue David. Saul finally promised not to pursue him any more – and he didn’t.
3. So David named that spot – where his trial ended – “Rock of Parting.” It’s interesting that David didn’t call it “the rock of protection” or “the rock of safety” or of “distraction.” Instead, he called it the “Rock of Parting” because God began separating his enemy from him.
C. YOUR EXPERIENCE OF SELA HAMMAHLEKOTH
1. Do you remember the wonderful moment (or the place) when your terrible trial ended? Every VALLEY has an end; when you reach it you experience a new beginning. That’s how David remembered the moment of God’s intervention at Sela Hammahlekoth.
2. Just like God stepped in to help David, we’re going to pray tonight that God will step in to help you.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: PERSECUTION BEARS FRUIT
1. Growing up in Central Asia, Baheer & Medet were best friends – until Baheer became a believer in Jesus. Then everything changed. Medet reported him to the government.
2. As a result, Baheer was arrested and tortured. The guard growled, “This mouth will never speak the name of Jesus again.” Though badly bloodied, Baheer managed to say, “You may keep me from speaking about Christ but you never change what He has done in my heart.”
3. His ex-friend, Medet, over-heard those words and could not get them out of his mind. Some months later, having suffered illness and loss, Medet traveled to find Baheer, who had been released from prison.
4. Turning from his pride, Medet asked his friend to introduce him to Jesus. The Holy Spirit had convicted him and he repented and became a follower of Jesus. God used mistreatment of a Christ to open a lost man to Christ. God often has bigger purposes than our comfort. [Daily Bread, 12-8-24]
B. THE CALL
1. A pastor asked his congregation to share what their favorite scripture was. One old lady said her favorite verse was, “And it came to pass.” The pastor said, “That’s an unusual verse; can you tell us what that means to you?” She said, “It means that my trial didn’t come to stay – it came to pass!”
2. What trial’s going on in your life that you’re ready to be over with? Are you ready to turn it over to God?
3. Will you make God your refuge? Can you see Him as having the answers to all your problems? Let’s go to God in prayer.
