Sermon # 4 - God's Special Protection Series

Let us read 2 Corinthians 9:8, “Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.” (ISV)

God is able to make every blessing overflow on us, and this is applicable to every area of our lives. This also means that we will experience of God’s bountiful blessings that will overwhelm us even beyond our understanding.

God honored David in the midst of his enemies

The Psalmist David says it this way in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (ESV)

Notice how the table that God prepared for David was not before those who were favorable to him, but in the sight of all his enemies who were against him. These were those who were desiring David’s downfall. It was in their midst that God had prepared a banquet for David. God also had anointed David’s head with oil. This anointing has significance in a couple of ways, in that it symbolizes affluence, and also signifies the anointing of the Holy Spirit on David’s life. The anointing made David special both without and within. David also testified that his cup overflowed with God’s abundant blessings, and that God’s favor rested on him.

When speaking about the bountiful blessings of God, we will understand that the Lord also gives us His abounding protection to those of us who are His children.

In David’s life he faced attacks from both the Amalekites and Philistines, and this was not something to be perturbed about. However, David also faced opposition from his own family members. Also King Saul who was supposed to protect David, the one who had benefitted much from David, hunted him with the vengeance to have him killed. David’s own son Absalom also turned against his father, and pursued him in order to confiscate his father’s throne. We see that David enemies were both from within his family, and from outside as well.

David sought God to defend him

It was in such a situation that David sings in Psalm 54:1, “O God, save me by your name, and defend me with your might.” (GW)

David called on the Lord to save him from his enemies. The reason David was blessed by God was that he had learnt to call on the Lord in all circumstances. God’s name is above all names, and is to be revered above all, and David knew that he could call on the name of the Lord to save him. In the second part of the verse David calls on the Lord to defend him with His might. Remember that only a person who is upright can call on the Lord to be his defender, and David had walked in uprightness before the Lord. Though David had been wronged and treated unfairly, he knew that He could call on the powerful name of the Lord.

In times of danger we too must learn to call only on the Lord. If we too want to experience the divine protection of God over our lives, it is necessary that we be just and live uprightly. We live in a world filled with injustice, and no one can even question others about the same.

David is betrayed

The situation that prompted David to write this Psalm is found in 1 Samuel 23:19, Then the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah. They said, "David is hiding with us in fortified camps at Horesh on the hills of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon. (GW)

David did no harm to King Saul, but Saul was so filled with envy against David that he was looking for an opportunity to have him killed. Just to protect himself from Saul, David hid with the people of Ziph. However, these men of Ziph went to meet Saul to inform him that David was hiding in their camp.

These men of Ziph sure knew who David was. They knew that David had defeated Goliath and won the victory against the Philistines. Also, David had waged many battles against the Philistines and won the wars for the Israelites. Saul had no reason to harm David who had done him so much good. Bible scholars estimate that the distance between Ziph and Gibeah where Saul stayed would have been approximately 30 kilometers. Can’t imagine that the men of Ziph travelled so far just to disclose to Saul that David took refuge amongst them. Most probably these men did this to win some favors from King Saul for their land of Ziph.

Beware of opportunists

We can call these men opportunists who wait for favorable circumstances to get their own work done. Judas Iscariot was one of them who when he took the thirty pieces of silver from the chief priest and began to look for an opportune time to betray Jesus. These are those who when there is trouble between two people, will subtly step in to see how they can use the situation for their own benefit.