Learning to Rest in God

13 Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them. 14 And David called to the army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?” 15 And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. 16 This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.”

17 Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” 18 And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? 19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.” 22 And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. 23 The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 24 Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.” 25 Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. – 1 Samuel 26:13-25  ESV

Once again, David found himself with a prime opportunity to take the life of Saul and end his nightmarish existence as a fugitive. He and Abishai had made their way into the Israelite camp as Saul and his troops slept. The two men stood over Saul’s sleeping form and Abishai begged David for permission to take his life. But as before, David refused to take the life of the Lord’s anointed. Yet he did take Saul’s spear and water jug.

Now, standing a safe distance away, David gave Abner, Saul’s commander, an unexpected wake-up call. David yelled across the valley, accusing Abner and his troops of dereliction of duty. He informed them that while they slept, someone had snuck into their camp and could have killed their king because they had failed to do their jobs. As proof, David held up Saul’s pilfered spear and water jug. This was not only an assault on Abner, but a clear statement to Saul that David had more respect for the Lord’s anointed than Saul’s own men did. When Saul’s men failed to provide the king with protection, David was the one to prevent Abishai from taking his life, proving that he was still a faithful servant of the king.

Not only that, there was no evidence that he had done anything to deserve Saul’s ongoing mistreatment of him.

“Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime?” – 1 Samuel 26:18 NLT

“Why has the king of Israel come out to search for a single flea? Why does he hunt me down like a partridge on the mountains?” – 1 Samuel 26:20 NLT

He even asked Saul to provide evidence. If Saul could provide David with a specific crime he had committed that was in violation of the law of Moses, David was willing to do the appropriate thing and offer a sacrifice as atonement. But if, as David seems to suspect, Saul’s actions against him are based on nothing more than the bad advice of wicked men, then David calls down a curse from God on them. Why? Because David had not only become persona non grata in the kingdom of Israel, he had no access to the Tabernacle. That meant he was unable to offer sacrifice for his sins and receive forgiveness. David’s despair over this matter was clearly evident in his words to Saul.

“For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the Lord’s people, and they have said, ‘Go, worship pagan gods.’ Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of the Lord?” – 1 Samuel 26:19-20 NLT

The Tabernacle was the house of God where His Shekinah glory dwelt above the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant. By having to live as a fugitive from his own people and being denied access to the Tabernacle, David was being treated as a foreigner or an alien. It was as if he had lost his citizenship as an Israelite and his status as one of God’s chosen people. Effectively, he was being forced to seek another god to worship, and that thought was too much for him to bear. David craved restoration with the people of God and restored access to the Tabernacle of God. This is reflected in one of the psalms he wrote during his days in the wilderness.

O God, you are my God;
    I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
    where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary
    and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
    how I praise you! – Psalm 63:1-3 NLT

I lie awake thinking of you,
    meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper,
    I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. – Psalm 63:6-7 NLT

David’s passion-filled words seem to Saul seem to elicit a compassionate reaction. Just as before, Saul appears to see the error of his way and confesses, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong” (1 Samuel 26:21 NLT).

But David was no fool; he knew better than to trust the words of Saul. He had heard this speech before and had learned that “The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips” (Proverbs 18:7 NLT). Saul had no intention of calling off his manhunt, and David knew it. This is why, after their conversation ended, “David went his way, and Saul returned to his place” (1 Samuel 26:25 ESV).

David’s exile would continue. His longing for the presence of God would only intensify. His desire to be with the people of God would grow with each passing day. But during those dark days of the soul, David would enjoy the presence of the Lord. God would faithfully guide, protect, teach, and mold David into the kind of king he needed to be. Had David allowed Abishai to take Saul’s life, it would not have resolved his problems. To do so would have simply created bigger issues because he would have been in violation of God’s law. Like his nemesis, David would have been guilty of taking matters into his own hands and trying to accomplish God’s will in his own way. So, David returned to the wilderness and continued his training in God’s academy of leadership development.

In time, David would learn that he was not alone. Contrary to what he and the people of Israel believed, God was not restricted to the Tabernacle; His presence was not bound to a building. With every step David took in the wilderness, God was right there beside Him. He was with David as he sought sanctuary in the caves. He was watching over David as he slept under the stars. He was David’s constant companion, ever-watchful protector, wise counselor, and faithful guide. It was David’s experiences in the wilderness that would lead him to pen the words of his most famous psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever. – Psalm 23 NLT

Through the darkest valleys and the peaceful pastures, David discovered the comforting truth that his God never abandoned him. No matter the circumstances he faced, David’s faithful God was his constant companion and comforter.

With each passing day and every confrontation with Saul, David was learning another new truth about his God. Even on this occasion, David expressed his confident assurance that Jehovah was guiding and protecting him.

“The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the Lord placed you in my power, for you are the Lord’s anointed one.” – 1 Samuel 26:23 NLT

David knew that God had been behind his successful infiltration of Saul’s camp, and he recognized that it had been a test of his own integrity and loyalty. Rather than murder Saul in his sleep, David remained faithful to God and refused to violate God’s commands. He venerated God by valuing the life of the Lord’s anointed and expressed his confidence that would reward him for his actions.

“Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles.” – 1 Samuel 26:24 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Divine Preservative.

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. – John 17:11-12 ESV John 17:1-26

Jesus knew what was about to happen to Him. He also believed and trusted that God was going to glorify Him after His coming death by raising Him back to life and restoring Him to His rightful position as the Son of God. Jesus was so confident that He spoke as if it was a done deal: “I am no longer in the world.” He was confident in His belief that He would soon be back at the side of His Father. With that in mind, Jesus prayed for those He would be leaving behind. He asked His Father to keep them in His name. This could mean to keep them loyal by the power of His name or it could mean to keep them loyal to all that Jesus revealed concerning the character and nature of God. Jesus' request probably contains both meanings. After His departure, the disciples would be shepherdless and alone. They would be susceptible to attack and prone to wander, so Jesus asks the Father to keep them. The Greek word, tēreō means “to take care of or guard.” Jesus was asking the Father to preserve those whom He had given to His Son as His followers. With His coming departure from this world, Jesus was handing over the safe keeping of His disciples to His “Holy Father.” This is the only time in the New Testament that this particular form of address of God is used. “Holy” refers to God's purity and righteousness. “Father” portrays the intimate personal relationship that a holy God has chosen to have with sinful men. The title “Holy Father” reveals the incredible nature of the status we enjoy as believers. Jesus has made it possible for us to have an intimate, child-and-father relationship with the sinless, holy God of the universe.

And for Jesus, the byproduct of this relationship with God should be unity among those who find themselves members of the family of God. Jesus knew that disunity and dissension would be real temptations for the disciples once He was gone. Their own sin natures and the attacks of Satan himself would be constant threats to their unity. He knew that God would have to keep them, care for and protect them, if they were going to remain faithful to the cause of Christ and unified in their love for one another. Jesus had already warned His disciples, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:16-18 ESV). Jesus knew that things were not going to be easy for His followers after His ascension. Yes, they would have the Holy Spirit to assist and empower them, but the threats would be real. The persecution would be intense. Jesus had told them, “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22 ESV). But Jesus was completely confident that His Holy Father would keep them and give them a supernatural measure of unity. During His earthly ministry, He had watched as His rag-tag band of disciples had remained with Him. He had not lost a single one of the men God had given to Him, except Judas, “the son of destruction.” But Jesus had not really “lost” Judas. His role had been predicted from long ago. The Old Testament had prophesied the betrayal of the Messiah by Judas hundreds of years before. “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9 ESV). “Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! May his days be few; may another take his office!” (Psalm 109:6-8 ESV). The betrayal of Jesus by Judas had been a part of God's divine plan from the very beginning. Jesus did not “lose” him. It was Judas who left Jesus, turning Him over to the authorities in order to make a profit off his former teacher and friend.

But for the rest, Jesus prayed for God's divine protection, asking His Father to preserve them, keep them, empower them and unify them. He would soon be leaving, but He was not going to leave them alone or defenseless. He would provide them with the Holy Spirit. He would leave them in the highly capable and powerful hands of God, their Holy Father. They would have divine power and protection. The eleven followers God had given Jesus would go on to radically change the world. They would be transformed from cowering, fearful and defeated men into powerful spokesmen for the cause of Christ, spreading the good news of salvation in Him alone all around the world. We too, as Christ's followers, enjoy this same divine protection and are constantly being preserved by our loving Holy Father. We have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide, empower and comfort us. We have God Himself to go before us, fighting our battles and defending us against our own sin natures and the attacks of the enemy. And we can rest easy knowing the Jesus Himself sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding daily on our behalf.

Divine Protection.

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. – 1 John 5:18 ESV

1 John 5:13-21

The possibility of committing sin is an ever-present reality for believers, as much as it is for the lost. John made it clear earlier in his letter, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 ESV). It is essential to remember that John was writing to believers in Jesus Christ, those who had placed their faith in Him as their Savior and sin-substitute. Jesus had died as the propitiation for their sins, completely satisfying a just and holy God by paying in full the penalty due to God for the sins of all the world – for all time. But while our sins are paid for and there is no longer any condemnation or death sentence hanging over our heads, we still have the capability to commit sin. Which is why John went on to say, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV). In John's understanding of the doctrine of salvation, there is no doubt that he believed in the complete effectiveness of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. He knew and believed that Jesus “appeared to take away sins” (1 John 3:5 ESV). In fact, “the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 ESV). With His death, Jesus made it possible for those who believed in Him to live their lives free from the control of sin. He set them free from slavery to sin. Jesus made a life of righteousness not only possible, but the expected norm for His followers.

John gives us the encouraging and comforting news that “everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning” (1 John 5:18 ESV). Sinfulness is no longer the normal behavior for believers. Before Christ, our entire lives were marked by sin. It was our only nature. All that we did was done in rebellion to and in defiance of God – even our best efforts and most righteous behavior. Prior to placing our faith in Christ, we followed “the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else” (Ephesians 2:3 NLT). We were driven by the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). We couldn't stop sinning. But all that has changed. We have received new natures. We have been given the Spirit of God to indwell and empower us. God has provided us with a new capacity to live in keeping with our new identity and standing. We are righteous, because of the righteousness which was imputed to us by Christ. On the cross, He exchanged our sin for His righteousness. Jesus, the one “who was born of God protects him” – the one who has faith is Jesus (1 John 5:18). Not only does Jesus save us, He protects us – preventing the evil one from touching us. On the night on which He was betrayed, Jesus spent time in the garden praying to His Father. One of the things He prayed was, “I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one” (John 17:14-15 ESV). It was His desire then that we be protected from Satan, and it is still His desire today. While “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 ESV), we are protected by God as we continue to live in the midst of it. Praying on our behalf, Jesus asked the Father, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth” (John 171:17 ESV). Why, because we are not of this world any more than He was. We don't belong here. We are in enemy territory. We are surrounded. But we have divine protection. From sin and Satan. We know that, because we are born of God, we are no longer children of this world. We are no longer slaves to sin. “We know that we are from God” (1 John 5:19 ESV) and “no one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he was been born of God” (1 John 3:9 ESV). God's DNA has been implanted within us. We have been rewired from the inside out. As God's children, we are loved by Him, and because He loves us, He protects us. He watches over us. He will not leave us or forsake us. And He has His best in store for us.