David killed Goliath which is going to set off a series of events that are going to define David’s character.
We are going to look at one of those events this morning as it relates to stewardship.
- Ziklag the city of David.
David is living among the Philistines with an army of 600 men.
He goes before the king of the Philistines (Named Achish) and asks for a city to live in with his men.
The king gives him a country city named Ziklag
The king commends David saying he wants to make him his personal bodyguard for life and that David is as perfect as an Angel of God.
Not bad after running for his life for 9 years.
2. Ziklag destroyed
1 Samuel 30: 1 – 6
- Last week we talked about how satan sets himself up in the middle of your promise.
- Now there is nothing left. wife, children, possession, time of great danger as people are talking about killing him.
What thoughts would be going through David’s mind?
- Promise that he would be king…9 years ago.
- Ran from Saul all that time.
- Twice he had a chance to kill Saul and he had a biblical reason to do it.
- No longer the giant killer, he is the rebel and enemy of Israel.
- On the outside God has forsaken him, but something powerful is happening when we run into these times of great danger.
3. That which doesn’t kill you…
How many have heard the statement, “That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”?
This is really not biblical, “That which doesn’t kill you makes you weaker, so you can rely on Him who is stronger”
Talked on this lie before,” God will never give you more than you can handle”
1 Samuel 30: 6b BUT David found strength in The Lord his God”
God is about to take David to a new level of trust and faith in him. To do this, he has to take away everything else he can turn to for comfort and direction.
R.W. Sproul “Those who do not die, will have no great revelation of Jesus”
1 Corinthians 4: 9 “I Think that God has put us apostles last, as it were handed over to death for we are a spectacle to the world, angels, and men.”
We could substitute a word here and say, “I go through a Ziklag and am made a spectacle for the world.”
4. You are being peeled
God will allow us to have everything else taken so there is nothing left but him.
EXAMPLE: horrible person in your life so I learn to walk in grace and forgiveness
intimidated so I would no longer fear man and what they may think of me.
Live in a place of great danger so my comforter will come. Holy Spirit is our comforter, but we don’t need a comforter when we are comfortable.
EXAMPLE: Acts tells of Stephen who was being stoned, saw Jesus standing for him.
If we are willing to die, (have everything peeled away,) we will have a great revelation of who Jesus is.
5. You are being watched.
Paul said that this was happening in the sight of the world, demons, angels, and others.
What is going to be your reaction to the problem you are going through?
David cried until he could cry no more, but he did not stay there.
Sproul went on to say “Many are living defeated lives, not because of satan, but because of ignorance concerning the supremacy of Christ.
Hebrews 2: 9 – 17 Christ defeated satan by dying on the cross.
Defeated means “Make the power of the devil of no effect.”
David called for the Ephod and asked God what am I to do. This has no effect, I am going after the enemy. THERE IS GOING TO BE A TOLL FOR YOU THE ENEMY TO PAY.
Psalm 138: 3 I cried out to you and you answered me, you encouraged me by giving me strength. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I WAS IN GREAT DANGER AND YOU ANSWERED ME.
Ephesians 2: 6 He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
He pulled me out of Ziklag and seated me with him. Ziklag is not your home, The city of David is not to be Ziklag, it is Jerusalem.
6. The plunder
Took everything that satan took from him and more, giving gifts to all of the towns of Judah.
What about men that were with David and wanted to kill him? They were watching and look what happened to them. 2 Samuel 21: 15 – 22 These four Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.
Raised up a new generation of Giant killers.
LIFE GROUP QUESTIONS.
1. History behind the story. David has been running from Saul for 9 years. The promise that Samuel gave him when he anointed him king has not happened. David is now living in the land of the Philistines in a city called Ziklag. David is liked by the Philistine King, he has a city to call home, he has a following of 600 men, and he is beyond the reach of Saul. This is the best that David has had it int he past 9 years.
2. Read 1 Samuel 30: 1 – 6 David lost everything. What thoughts would be going through David’s mind? (Even though it looks like a disaster not he outside, God is about to do something inside David)
3. Have you ever heard the statement, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”? Why doesn’t this line up with what the Bible teaches? (We are called to learn to lean upon Jesus for all of our needs and not trust ourselves)
4. Read Verse 6 again. What was David’s response after crying until he could not cry anymore? (God was about to take David to a new level of trust in him so he had to remove everything else that he was trusting in)
5. Read 1 Corinthians 4: 9 When we are handed over to death, we are being watched. How can this change our focus when we are going through a trial? (We have to know we are teaching others around us how to trust in God. Children are watching us, Even angels are watching for our reaction)
6. When we die, we have a greater revelation of who Jesus is in our lives. Many are living defeated lives, not because of satan, but because of ignorance concerning the supremacy of Christ.”
7. Read Hebrews 2: 9 – 17. What did Jesus life on earth do for us in the area of dealing with satan? (He made him of no effect) This is not saying satan is still not powerful, but according to eternity, he cannot do anything to us.
8. Read Psalm 138: 3 How did David know this was true? (He lived it) We have to ask God to bring us past words that we say and bring us to a place where God’s kingdom is a matter of power and not words.
9. God will pull you out of your Ziklag and bring you to a place of knowing him.
10. Look at 2 Samuel 21: 15 – 22 David was known as a giant killer. Those around him were changed into giant killers because they lived with David. Let’s live lives that make a difference to those around us.