David’s Crutches Removed!(Deut. 33:27; Isaiah 41:10)

 

David’s Crutches Removed!

 

 

Text:  Deut. 33:27; Isaiah 41:10

Reading:  1Sam. 18:, 19:, 20:, 21:

 

Deut. 33:27 " The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them."

 

Isaiah 41:10 " Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

 

Introduction

 

      Chapter 18:  David found favor of people / Saul’s anger builds up

ð  David and Jonathan become friends.  (vs. 1)

ð  David is praised by people.  (vs. 7)

ð  Saul’s anger builds against David.  (vs. 8)

ð  Saul tries to kill David 2 times with his spear.  (vs. 10-ff.)

ð  Saul tries to give his 1^st daughter to David (so he may be hated).  (vs. 17)

ð  Saul tries to 2^nd time with Michal (so he may be hated by enemy).  (vs. 20)

ð  David answers with humility re: becoming a son-in-law.  (vs. 23)

ð  Saul gives challenge to earn this status (kill 100 Philistines).  (vs. 24)

ð  David kills 200 Philistines and returns with their foreskin.  (vs. 27)

 

      Chapter 19:  Saul continues his efforts to kill David

ð  Saul tries to kill David in the battle-field.  (vs. 1)

ð  Saul listens to Jonathan and vows never to kill David.  (vs. 6)

 

 

Removal of David’s Five Significant Crutches

 

But an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp, Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.  (1 Sam 19:9-10)              [“good” does not = MATRIX; “good” = permanent!]

 

      David Lost His Good Position!

ð  He had been brought into the army

ð  He had proven himself to be faithful – even heroic soldier

ð  He was an officer in Saul’s Army

ð  But David lost it all in a flash!

ð  Many men & women identify themselves by their career / job!

ð  To lose your “position” (job / career), is to lose your self-identify!

 

Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed."  So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.  Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head . . . But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair.  Saul said to Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?" Michal told him, "He said to me, “Let me get away. Why should I kill you?"  (1 Sam 19:11-17)

 

      David Lost His Wife!

ð  When pursued by Saul, David ran home to his wife!

ð  I don’t know how she knew (w/o a cell phone), but she warns David of her father’s intentions to kill him!

ð  Then out of love and concern, she sends him away (by letting David down through a window).

ð  Then she makes up a story that David threatened to kill her, which caused Saul to be even more angry with him!

ð  Through her lie, she deliberately created a permanent division between her father and her husband.

 

When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.  Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied (1).  Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too (2). Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied (3).  Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said.  So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth (4).  He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"  (1 Sam 19:18-24)

 

      David Lost His Mentor – Samuel!

ð  From home, David flees to Samuel at Ramah!

ð  Saul’s men find out where he is and sends 3 Special Force Teams (Army Rangers / Navy Seals) to kill David.

ð  When they fail (Spirit of God came over them), Saul leads the group himself and is also filled with God’s Spirit!

ð  After this experience, David runs from Naioth at Ramah

ð  Away from Saul . . . Away from Samuel!

ð  Imagine losing your mentor / your teacher!

 

Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?"  "Never!" Jonathan replied. "You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It's not so!"  (1 Sam 20:1-2)

So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival (대보름), and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.  If your father misses me at all, tell him, 'David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.'  If he says, 'Very well,' then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me.  (1 Sam 20: 5-7)

Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?  As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!"  (1 Sam 20:30-31)

After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together-- but David wept the most.  (1 Sam 20:41)

 

      David Lost His Closest Friend -- Jonathan!

ð  That’s the last crutch.

ð  David just lost his “best friend!”

ð  The closest person whom he can confide in … trust … & love!

ð  That is the lowest tide of David’s life!

 

That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.  But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?"  David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.  So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.  Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?  Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?  Must this man come into my house?"  (1 Sam 21:10-15)

 

      David Lost His Self Respect!

ð  He went to the (basically went to the) “Washington D.C. – the Oval Office” of his enemy!

ð  Perhaps seeking his very own enemy’s help (for protection? / for weapons?).

ð  After hearing what the enemies were saying about him; out of fear, he pretended to be insane …

ð  Just imagine, the Champion of Israel . . . marking up (scratching) doors and foaming at the mouth …

ð  How low do you have to be … to come to this point?

ð  Yet, he was even rejected by his enemy!

 

 

Parallel To Our Lives

 

      What are our crutches?

ð  School?  Education?  Parents?  Teacher?

ð  Idea?  Goal?  Future?  Job?

ð  Mate?  Financial Security?  Perhaps an Old Friend?

 

      Sometimes, God removes these crutches in our lives!

 

 

Why Did God Remove David’s Crutches?

 

      Crutches Become Substitute for God!

ð  Only God is to out strength

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.  He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, “Destroy him!”  (Deut. 33:27)

ð  We are to only lean of God

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  (Isaiah 41:10)

ð  God is saying, “I am your strength and lean only on Me!” … and we are leaning on our crutches instead of God!

ð  So God simply removes them!

 

      Crutches Keep Our Focus Horizontal!

ð  When we lean of others and on things, our focus becomes horizontal!

ð  Human crutches paralyze the Walk of Faith!

 

      Crutches Offer only Temporary Relief!

ð  When we turn to someone / something for relief, it’s like taking pain-killer pills which only cover up the pain and disguise it!

ð  God doesn’t want to give temporary relief!

ð  Instead, He offers us permanent solution!  (If we will lean on Him!)

 

 

Conclusion

 

      There is nothing wrong with leaning, …

ð  If we lean ultimately and completely on the Lord.

ð  In fact, being human we have to lean!

ð  We can’t walk the life of faith alone.

ð  That’s why we have Jesus Christ!

ð  We’re built to be leaners.

ð  There is nothing wrong with leaning, if we’re leaning on the Lord!

 

      Being stripped of all substitutes is the most painful experience on earth.

ð  There is nothing more painful!

ð  David made idols of his crutches!

ð  Therefore, God had to strip them away so that David can become even greater -- the greatest king!

 

      Maybe we need to learn this lesson also …

ð  It’s extremely difficult …

ð  But we can also expect the same result (to become greater) if we are faithful!

 

2012.6.10. By Pastor : Oh, Yoon -suk