Place: Lurgan Baptist 29:12:2002

Reading: 1 Samuel 23:1-18 Psalm 31:14-15

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVID

7. A LAND OF HILLS AND VALLEYS

In 1939, William Sangster assumed leadership of Westminster Central Hall, a Methodist church near London's Westminster Abbey. During his first service he announced to a stunned congregation that Britain and Germany were officially at war. He quickly converted the basement into an air raid shelter, and for 1,688 nights Sangster ministered to the various needs of all kinds of people. At the same time, he somehow managed to write, to preach gripping sermons, to earn a Ph.D., and above all to lead hundreds to Christ. He became known as Wesley's successor in London, and was esteemed as one of the most beloved British preachers of his era. Sometime after the war, William Sangster was diagnosed with progressive muscular atrophy. For three years, he slowly died, becoming progressively more paralysed, finally able to move only two fingers.

But his attitude didn't falter for when first learning of his illness, Sangster made four rules for himself. Many people have rules for living, Sangster made four rules for dying. " I will never complain, I will keep the home bright, I will count my blessings, I will try to turn it to gain." He did all those things. Thus the work of God was not only displayed in his life, but in his death. You see, many people have the idea that the Christian life is an easy life .... that once you are saved, your troubles are over. Well, once you are saved, many problems are solved, but many new problems appear. The Lord Jesus never promised that it would be easy, indeed He said, " In the world ye shall have tribulation," and " if they have hated me they will hate you." ( Jn 15:20 16:33 ) You see, the Christian life is a land of hills and valleys. Do you recall that's how God described the land He was giving to His people Israel ? God said " the land whether ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys." ( Deut 11:11 )

Now, noone knew this better than David. Here he was anointed and appointed by God to be King over Israel, now being hounded and haunted over the hills and valleys of Judaea like a fox. You see, David's fortunes have just about reached their lowest ebb, but thank God though the outlook was dark, the uplook was bright. Listen to his testimony in ( Ps 31 ) a psalm he wrote at this time, " But I trusted in thee O Lord, I said Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand." Now as we try to survey the circumstances in David's life at this time, circumstances which are brought before us in

( Chs 23/24 ) we want to hang our thoughts on this phrase, " My times are in Thy Hand." Notice for e.g.;

(1) THE TROUBLE THROUGH WHICH DAVID WAS LEARNING

He says, " My times .... "

John Calvin writes, " he does not use the plural number in my opinion without reason but rather to mark the variety of causalities by which the life of man is usually harassed." In other words, David had not only trouble from without, Saul was out to get him and anyone who got in his way ( 22:19 ) but David had trouble from within. He had to cope with serious problems within his own ranks. Now wonder he says, " My times," ( plural )

What then was the (1) ? Well, if you look at ( Ch 23 ) there was:

(a) THE PROBLEM OF FEARFULNESS:

Look at ( 23:3 ) " David, we are frightened enough where we are without marching into unknown enemy territory." Now there was a lot to make these men afraid. They were living in an unsettled country with a maniac on the throne. Abiathar had told them of the massacre of the priests at Nob ( 22:19 ) Their wives and children were also in danger if they stayed with David, and now he was suggesting that they take on the Philistines. My .... they were terrified. (a) My .... as a believer, what is your fear ? Maybe its the fear of financial failure ? Of poor health ? Like David's men are you fearful of the adversary around you ? Maybe its the sense of inadequacy within you ? Perhaps its the unknown future before you ? It was said of Bishop William Quayle that he sat for hours one night fruitlessly worrying over certain perplexing problems

to which there seemed no solution. In the early hours of the morning he heard a voice saying, " Quayle, you go to bed I will sit up for the rest of the night." Tell me, is God not sufficient for your fears ? (a)

(b) THE PROBLEM OF FORGETFULNESS:

You see, David did save Keilah from the Philistines, but they did not save David from Saul. But for the goodness of David and his men, the people of Keilah would have lost their goods and their lives, yet despite all that David had done for them they were ready to hand him over to Saul. ( 23:12 ) Forgetfulness ! Come to think of it thats what Joseph had to contend with for after interpreting the butlers dream he said, " But think on me when it shall be well with thee .... yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him." ( Gen 40:23 ) There was the forgetfulness of friends ! Is that your trouble this .... ? Has some Christian forgotten the kindness that you showed ? The sacrifices that you made ? The encouragement that you brought ? Are they taking some lovely thing that you done for them for granted ? (a) (b)

(c) THE PROBLEM OF FAITHLESSNESS:

For the Ziphites were ready to betray David and deliver him into the hand of Saul. ( 23:19 ) You see, trouble now seemed to be coming from every quarter, no wonder he wrote, " My times .... " Has someone betrayed you ? Are you feeling the hurt that comes from someone who has been pleasant to your face, but behind your back .... is treacherous ! How many a faithful servant of Christ has been betrayed by the very man that he led to the Saviour ! (a) (b) (c) and to crown it all:

(d) THE PROBLEM OF FLESHLINESS:

The desire to get even ! Was Saul in the wrong ? Absolutely ! Was it David's job to make it right ? No !

That was God's job. Oh, David had the opportunity as one day Saul entered the very cave where David and his men were. " David, this is the providence of God, go for it man, go get him." ( 24:6 ) But David would not stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed. Are you struggling with this problem of fleshliness ? Are you harbouring down deep the attitude, " my day will come, some day I'll get even." Are you thirsting for revenge ? Do you need to learn the lesson that David learned ? Do you need to see afresh the example of Christ, " who when he was reviled, reviled not again."

( 1 Pet 2:23 ) Now when he said, " My times .... " He was thinking about all these things. Fearfulness, Forgetfulness, Faithlessness, Fleshliness. (1)

(2) THE TRUTH ON WHICH DAVID WAS LEANING

" My times are in thy hand .... " ( Ps 31:15 ) David is saying, " All of my life with its joys and sorrows, its triumphs and defeats, its ups and downs, its hills and valleys is not left to chance or blind fate, my times are in Thy hand." You see, there are no accidents with God only appointments. What then was the truth on which David was leaning ? The truth that:

(a) GOD WAS CONTROLLING:

" My times .... Thy hand." ( 31:15 ) Dan Crawford that great pioneer African missionary once said that if he wanted to quote these words to a native he would be forced to translate it, " All my lifes ways and whens and wheres and wherefores are in God's hand." My .... what more could we want than that ? God is in control even though we may not recognise the fact at times.

" My times .... but Thy hand." Whose hand ? God's hand and here in ( Ps 31 ) David uses two names for God. He says, " But I trusted in Thee, O Lord, I said Thou art my God." ( 31:14 ) Jehovah, the God of Covenant and Elohim, the God of Creation. My .... David's circumstances were black but still he had God, who would strengthen him through His promise, who would sustain Him by His power. Wouldn't it be wonderful if life were just a series of mountaintop experiences ?

Wouldn't we be happier if there were no valleys in our lives ?

But the Christian life is " a land of hills and valleys," and we must never forget that you cannot have hills without valleys. You see, God knows how to balance our lives. If we had only blessings we may become proud so He permits us to have burdens as well. There's an old proverb that says, " all sunshine makes a desert," and all hills without without valleys will make an immature and shallow life. Its comforting to know that the at the end of every valley there's a hill, and on the top of that hill there's a new experience of blessing from God. Did you ever notice that the lives of God's people in the Bible were made up of hills and valleys ? Abraham received a great promise from God one day, but the next day the land was plunged into drought and famine. ( Gen 12:1-9 ) Isaac was born and Abraham's joy was complete. But a few years later, God told him to offer his beloved son on the altar.

( Gen 22:1 ) Moses experienced his hills and valleys. He met God on the mountaintop and saw His glory, then he came down and discovered Israel dancing before a golden idol. ( Exod 32:1 ) My .... David was anointed to be King over Israel, now he's living like a wild goat in the rocks at Engedi. " A land of hills and valleys," but God is controlling ! Is this the truth that you are leaning on as you end an old year and begin a new ? " My times are in Thy hand." (a)

(b) GOD WAS CONFORMING:

You see, many gales battered David's life before he came to the throne, but all these adverse circumstances made David stronger. For we grow in character in a way that we could never grow apart from the valley. My .... have you discovered that there is a conformity that is gained through suffering ? God's purpose for all His redeemed people is made clear in ( Rom 8:29 ) " To be conformed to the image of His Son." How does the Lord go about making us like His Son ? By placing us in the crucible of affliction ! ( Zech 13:9 1 Pet 1:6 ) The dross needs to be removed, character needs to be refined, Christlikeness needs to be reproduced. Someone has said, " God is more concerned with our character than with our comfort." Was this not the truth that David was leaning on ? (a) (b)

(c) GOD WAS CONSTITUTING:

David, to be a means of blessing to others ! Why did David go through all that he went through ? Why did he attract so many to his side ? Because he was able to succour them for he knew what they had gone through.

You see, there is a sympathy that can be born through suffering. For as we go through the valley we learn to help others. ( Ps 84:6 ) puts it this way, " Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well." Or, " Who passing through the valley of weeping makes it a place of springs." Here is a pilgrim, going through a difficult valley, so difficult he is even weeping, but he leaves behind him a well to refresh the pilgrims that will follow him. My .... perhaps the reason you are in the valley today is that God may comfort you so you in turn may comfort someone else. God wants you to leave a well behind. Thats why Paul says, " God .... comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." ( 2 Cor 1:4 ) " My times are in Thy hand." My .... are you leaning on this truth ? The truth that God is Controlling, Conforming, Constituting, you to be a means of blessing to others.

(3) THE TRUST BY WHICH DAVID WAS LIVING

The Bible says, " the just shall live by faith." ( Hab 2:4 ) and in ( Ps 31 ) that David wrote at this time he said,

" But I trusted in Thee, O Lord." ( 31:14 )

" I'll trust when I cannot see Lord

I'll trust when I cannot see

No matter how dark the day may be

I'll trust when I cannot see."

Did you notice that David trusted God to:

(a) GUIDE HIM:

" David enquired of the Lord," ( 23:2 ) " Then David enquired of the Lord yet again." ( 23:4 ) Its instructive to notice that the successive steps of David's chequered career were taken after very definite waiting on God.

( Ps 27:14 ) Here was a man who formed a life long habit of waiting on God for guidance and direction.

Did you notice the Means of this guidance ? ( 23:9 )

Now what was the ephod ? Well, this was the sacred garment worn by the high priest and attached to the ephod was the breastplate on which were twelve precious stones corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. ( Exod 29:5 ) But in the breastplate was the

" Urim and Thummim," Hebrews words denoting light and perfection, or illumination and truth. It appears that these were two stones possibly black and white which were carried in the pouch of the breastplate.

What they were and how they worked we are not told. It would seem they were used for discerning the will of God. Some scholars have suggested that they either brightened or grew dim according to God's yes or no.

( Exod 28:30 Num 27:21 ) Of course today we don't have a Urim and Thummim. Thats not how we determine the will of God. Someone has said instead of a Urim and Thummim we need to be a using and thumbing the Word of God. My .... is this not our means of guidance ? Get into the book ! For God guides us in this age by His Word, thats our chart and compass. By His Spirit, ( Rom 8:14 ) and by His works of Providence. ( Rev 3:7 ) Like David, are you trusting God to guide you ? Are you looking to Him for

direction ?

(b) TO GIVE HIM:

Strength, help, encouragement, and did you notice that all came in the form of a person, Jonathan. " And Jonathan .... went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God." ( 23:16 ) Just at the time when David needed him most, the Lord sent Jonathan to David's side and he had just the right word to say. ( Prov 25:11 ) Do you know something ? " The best form of service we sometimes can render to God is to inspire with courage the hearts of those who do work to which we are not called." Jonathan was not called to be King but he served God by encouraging the heart of one who was. Now let me ask you, do you ever encourage the hearts of the servants of God ?

( Heb 13:16 ) You're not called to be in the front line of the battle, but do you encourage those who are ? Do you know what it is to " strengthen their hand in God," ?

( Acts 28:15 ) (a) (b)

(c) TO GUARD HIM:

" And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand." ( 23:14 ) God even used the Philistines to protect his servant David. ( 23:27-29 )

My .... what a God we have. A Sovereign God, an Omnipotent God, a God who will never forget us, fail us, or forsake us !

Oh, sometimes are tempted to think that our problems are insurmountable, but God is able to meet us in our extremity and give us all the help we need. My .... in all your troubles, trials, and temptations God is there to provide " a way of escape." ( 1 Cor 10:13 ) All we have to do is trust Him. Are you doing that ? Are you marked by fear or faith ? " A Land of Hills and Valleys." David's life was just like that ! So is yours ! There's

The Trouble through which we should be Learning:

The Truth on which we should be Leaning:

The Trust by which we should be Living:

Oh say it, sing it, shout it, this .... " My times are in Thy hand."

" My times are in Thy Hand whatever they may be

Pleasing or painful dark or bright

As best may seem to be.

My times are in Thy hand why should I doubt or fear

My Father's hand will never cause

His child a needless tear

My times are in Thy hand I'll always trust in Thee

And after death at Thy right hand

I shall for ever be."