Your Bible now, if you will, and turn with me to the book of 1st Samuel. 1st Samuel, chapter 29. 1st Samuel, chapter 29. The entirety of this chapter will be the subject of our exposition tonight. 1st Samuel, chapter 29. Friends, I've titled this evening's sermon Providentially Hindered. Providentially Hindered. First Samuel chapter 29. Friends, let's read God's word together, starting at verse one. And dear ones, the word of God says, now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek, and the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, the commanders of the Philistines said, what are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me, I have found no fault in him to this day. But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his Lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances? Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands. Then Achish called David and said to him, As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. for I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you, so go back now and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.' And David said to Achash, but what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? And Achash answered David and said, I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said he shall not go up with us to the battle. Now then rise early in the morning with servants of your Lord who came with you and start early in the morning and depart as soon as you have light. So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel. Dear ones, this is the Word of God. Thanks be to God. Let's pray together. Father, we come to you now and ask your blessing as we study your Word. Oh Lord, we pray that you'd help us to see your glory, to see your sovereign hand, to see your wisdom and goodness. And Father, we pray that in light of these truths, you would help us to trust in Christ and as we follow after him, to know that you providentially govern, guide and Lead our footsteps, O Spirit, we pray. Help us to trust and obey, to love and honor you. And Father, we pray, be with us now as we study, for we ask it for Christ's sake, amen. Amen, okay, well, friends, we are continuing our study of the life of David, and you recall in chapter 28, Saul fell even deeper into sin. He, in horror, had seen this massive army of the Philistines coming up out of Philistia, coming up to Jezreel where the army was camped, and as he saw this massive Philistine force arrayed in the valley, he, feared greatly, and he tried to seek the Lord's counsel, but the Lord would not answer him. He would not answer him by the Urim or the Thummim, wouldn't answer him by prophets or seers or by prayers, and so in his desperation, he sought out a medium, and he went to the Witch of Endor, and remember that Witch of Endor, By her seance, there was an encounter with Samuel. We saw that God gave to Samuel a manifestation. He appeared to Saul, he appeared to the witch of Endor, and he spoke. And Samuel gave one last oracle, an oracle of judgment, that Saul was going to die in battle the next day. And not just Saul, but also Saul's sons, Jonathan included, who were up there on Mount Gilboa. They would die. and Israel would suffer a great defeat. And remember, Samuel said, tomorrow, Saul, you will be with me. And we talked about that question. Does Samuel mean that Saul's gonna be in the grave? Or does he perhaps mean that Saul will be where he is, which is in the presence of the Lord, enjoying him in the glory of his holiness? Well, Saul was completely distraught. He just felt he had no strength at all And then that witch of Endor made him a last meal, a fattened calf, a little bit of veal and bread before he went back to the camp. Well, now the narrator in chapter 29 turns the focus back to David. You recall that in the past chapter, David had been mobilized by Achish, the king of the Philistines. And now they are marching together. They are mobilizing as one giant force in Aphex. So we see in verse one that all of the Philistines have gathered at Aphex. So the Philistines, up to this point, they've been fighting a piecemeal war. Remember that Philistia is a group of kings. So there's five key Philistine cities, five royal or capital cities of the Philistines. There's Ekron and Gath. Gazlah, among others. And so these lords of the Philistines, they've been kind of going at this against Israel sort of piecemeal. But they decide, okay, we've suffered enough defeats from Saul and even David, and we need to group up. So they've marshaled their entire military strength. So this is a grand coalition. All of the Philistine armies are gathering as one. and Aphek is at the north end of the territory. So they've been going from the south, collecting troops as they've gone, and now they come to Aphek, and they're just about to cross out of Philistine territory to go into the Valley of Jezreel, and they will encounter the army of Israel there on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. Well, as they're going through, we notice that in verse two, the lords are suspicious of David. Now, friends, in this chapter, we're going to see the providential hand of God, how God in his sovereign wisdom and mercy restrains David from partaking in this battle, this bloody battle that's going to come on Mount Geboa. God is restraining David and he is hindering him from going to this battle. And so one means that God uses is the suspicion in the hearts of the Philistine Lord. So the Philistine Lord see, as all the hundreds and thousands of Philistia are passing by, they notice David and his band of mighty men. Remember, David has come to Philistia, not on his own, but he's come as a captain, a captain of hundreds of mighty men, and they've been with him. And remember, that was part of the reason that David fled to Philistia. Remember, David, trying to work out his own salvation, trying to work out his own redemption, fearing for his life, fearing that Saul would eventually catch him. David would not trust the Lord, and instead he put his trust in his own cunning, in his own wisdom. in his own machinations. And so he hired himself as a mercenary to Aphek. So these men have come with him to Philistia. This is the mercenary army that David is conducting and leading. And David has secured a little bit of security. You know, Akesh has given him Ziklag, so he has a place for all of the women and children to stay. There's a little bit of stability, a little bit of security. But friends, what's come with it is David is now a vassal of Akesh. He's in a really bad position. He's got to go to war. Akesh has called him up. David has said, I'm in it. You're going to see what I can do. But lo and behold, by the providence of God, as David is marching, the Philistine commanders go up to Achash and they say, what are these Hebrews doing here? We're about to go fight Israel, and here there are, there's an Israelite army in the midst of our army. This is not a good idea, and Achish rises to the defense of his vassal. Notice what Achish says in verse three there. Achish said, this is David. You know David. David is the most famous man in Israel. He was the servant of Saul, and he's deserted to me, and since he's deserted to me all of these days and years, I have found no fault in him to this day." So, friends, Achish trusts David completely. Now, not only is there the suspicion of the Philistine lords, but notice here the gullibility of Achish. Achish is quite gullible because, again, David has been quite cunning even in his relationship with Achish. Remember, part of the arrangement is that David serves as a servant of Achish, and part of that is not only providing military men, you know, a levy when there is a war to be fought, but he's got to bring regular tribute, plunder, to Achish. That's part of how he stays in the service of the king. He's got to be providing for the coffers of So what's David been doing? Well, David is saying, I can't just go and slaughter Israelites and take their stuff, but I can't let the king of the Philistines know that I'm unwilling to fight the Israelites. So what has he been doing? He's been going around the desert and he's been killing off all of these desert tribes and he's been taking all their plunder and killing everybody in these little encampments. And he would take that plunder back and give it to Aakash. So Aakash is seeing David come week after week with tons of gold and clothing and precious items, and he's giving it to Aakash as tribute, and Aakash says, ha, David has made himself an utter stench to his people. He will be my servant forever. Aakash thinks he's got David. David's going to be his servant forever. David has burned all his bridges, and so Aakash does not catch on to the deceit and the cunning of David, and he trusts David completely, friends. And so even in the midst of all of these commanders of the Philistines, Achish rises to his defense. So friends, what do we know here? Well, we know, friends, for example, that this is part of living in a fallen world, that men deceive and are deceived, that deceit, cunning, conniving, This is the reality of sinners together in a broken and fallen world. And friends, remember that as Christians, we are no longer children of the darkness, but we are children of the light, that we have been redeemed in the Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ now calls us to put off that old way of deceit, to put off those old practices of cunning, and to put on a new, attitude of sincerity and faithfulness and truthfulness, and we need the Holy Spirit to come and train us to put these particular patterns of deceit to death and to live as upright and honest people in the world. So friends, again, deceit is part of a broken, fallen world. The Christian is called to turn from it, but we see that God is sovereign even over this deceit. God is sovereign even over this affair. So Achish says, you can trust David, but verse four, the commanders are angry. They say, no way. We know David. David, even if he's having, you need to send him back. Achish, the Philistine commander says, he will not go with us to the battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. And they raise a good point. How could this fellow reconcile himself to the Lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? They say, Akesh, you understand that if David is estranged from Saul, turning on us in the middle of the battle, this is a great way that he could reconcile himself to the King of Israel. And they quote, they say, isn't this not the same David that they sing to one another about in their dances? And again, we are reminded of this a little song, this ditty, this, you know, this song that was everywhere in the mouths of the people of Israel. You know, the ladies were singing and dancing, playing their tambourines and their hearts and lyres to this tune. This was, you know, this was at the top of the charts in Israel. Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousands. I remember this song was part of the, the occasion for the rift between Saul and David, right? Saul got envious and jealous of David because they said, Saul said, man, the people are ascribing Tens of thousands to David, but only thousands to me, and what more could he have but the kingdom? But even the Philistines know that this David is a champion, a mighty man of Israel. And so this, again, speaks of the calling that God has put on David's life. David is the anointed of the Lord. David is the rightful king of Israel. And though he is in exile, and even though right now he is a plum fool, and he has put himself in a compromising position. He has put himself in a very terrible position because of his own deceit and his own cunning and his own hard-heartedness. Nevertheless, the Lord is still faithful to keep his promises. Friends, how often is God like that with us? In spite of our folly, he remains faithful. even when we put ourselves sometimes in very difficult circumstances, when we have put ourself in a position where we may necessarily, we may find ourself doing something we never intended to do. We see that sometimes God in his great mercy is able to deliver, and he chooses to deliver. And so that's what he does here. He does deliver David from his folly, from making himself a vassal of the king of King Achish. Well, in verse six, we see that Achish acquiesces to the demands of the Philistine lords and he summons David. So David comes over and notice in verse six that Achish swears an oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, the God whom David worships, the God whom David serves. As the Lord lives, you have been honest. And to me, it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. So you might look at this and go, why is Achish, this pagan Philistine king whose god should be Dagon or some other pagan god, why is he swearing by the name of the Lord? Is this evidence that Achish has become a believer? No, probably not. You've got to recognize that to the polytheists of this world and even today, the gods of the nations are sort of, you know, they're just interchangeable. Think of it kind of like Hinduism. Hinduism is so broad, you can just take God's in. It's like, oh, here's, you know, that's one problem missionaries often have when they evangelize certain people groups. Because, you know, for example, a Hindu may say, oh, well, we'll take your Jesus, you talk about this Jesus born of the Virgin Mary, okay, crucified, dead, buried, risen again, wonderful. We'll just put him up with all our other gods, with all our other deities. And so, you know, they just incorporate that. And that's something very common in a polytheistic, inclusive worldview. And so that's all Akash is probably doing. He's saying, David, I know that you believe in the Lord, the God of Israel, and I'm willing to affirm that he exists. You know, Achish probably believes he's just probably the territorial God of the nation of Israel. So he's not ascribing to him, to the Lord, you know, universal sovereign reign, but Achish is willing to say, David, the God you worship, as he lives, you have been honest. You've been faithful to me, and I think you should go to the campaign. And he says, your record has been spotless. I found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the Lords do not approve of you. Achish says, look, David, if it were up to me, you'd be coming to the campaign with me. I wanted you to be my bodyguard. I wanted you to be right next to me in the middle of the fight against Saul and against the army of Israel. I trust you completely. Again, Achish is gullible. Akish, you know, his vision is not clear. He's not perceiving everything that David's doing. But again, friends, we notice that God is with David and God is protecting David, even in his folly. Nevertheless, verse seven, we see that Akish orders him to go home. So go back now and go peaceably. Essentially, he's saying, David, I don't want you to make a big fuss about this. I don't want you to stage a protest outside the camp. Just go home quietly and let's not displease the Lords of the Philistines. Well, in verse eight, friends, we notice David's own cunning, David's own guile comes out. And David said to Achish, but what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my Lord, the King? Well, David seems to be pleading his own case. He says, Achish, there's gotta be more to this. Look, you yourself said that my service to you has been spotless, that I have done everything that you've asked of me to do. Why is it? What's the real reason that I can't go and fight against the enemies of my Lord, the King? Can you see the position David's put himself in? Imagine friends, if David had gone to Mount Gilboa, If David had joined this Philistine army and he had marched up to Jezreel, guys, this is going to be a bloodbath. Thousands and thousands of Israelites are going to die. Saul the king is going to be killed and brutally beheaded and his sons are going to die too, and they're gonna take the bones of Saul, the corpse of Saul and his sons, and they're gonna parade it around the Philistine streets. This is going to be a great defeat. This is gonna be like a Pearl Harbor day for the nations. It's gonna be a horrible time. And imagine if David was in the middle of that. How could he ever escape that onus that he had given him? spilt the blood of God's own people as a mercenary in a pagan army. Guys, again, David thought in his own cunning and wisdom, I can work my own salvation this way. This is a way that I can protect myself, I can provide for my family, and I can provide for the families of the men who are with me. This is David thinking as, The world thinks this is not David trusting the Lord. And it reminds us, friends, that we as Christians can so often slip into that mindset where we're no longer thinking with the mind of Christ, not trusting the Lord with our circumstance and with the future. We fail to see that our God is always faithful to his promises, and when we doubt, When the fear of man creeps in, friends, we know that great sin is in its wake. So be careful, especially as we're looking to the future, right? We're praying and planning and working for next year. What we want to do as a church, things that we have in mind, goals that we'd like to meet, we'd love to work, friends, we need to always be taking those to the Lord and saying, Lord, Please give us wisdom. Please guide us in these things. Please direct our steps, because we know in our own knowledge and wisdom, we will be led astray. And there's some thought there, maybe in verse eight, that maybe David's, about what David's true loyalties are. You know, who is David's ultimate king? Well, he's still loyal to the Lord God of Israel. He's still hoping in him, even though he's a fool and he's off the track. He still even recognizes Saul as having rightful authority over him. But again, he has employed himself in the Philistine army. His loyalties are divided. This is just a bad circumstance. And he doesn't realize it. Guys, he doesn't realize how bad it is. He doesn't realize how close to disaster he is. But God is merciful. In verse nine, and Achish answered David and said, I know that you are blameless in my sight as an angel from God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, he shall not go with us to the battle. That's it. David, there's no more discussion. The Philistines, the Lord said, no, and this is a coalition. This isn't about me taking my men and my army. Achish says, if it was just me and my army, you'd go with me. We'd be there in the thick of it. But this is a coalition of kings and we need to respect their wishes. The council has spoken. David, you can't go to battle. Instead, verse 10, rise early in the morning with the servants of your Lord who came with you, and start early in the morning and depart as soon as you have lined." David, when you wake up, as soon as daybreak comes, you and your men go home, go back to Ziklag. We'll see you after the battle is over. Well, David's not probably very pleased with this, but verse 11, he obeys. So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel. Do you see the providence of God? Do you see the sovereignty of God? God used all of these various means to hinder David from going to battle at Mount Philboa. Friends, the God of the Bible is not a God who, you know, kind of is uncertain about what the future may hold. And he's not a God who, you know, is unable to do things. Friends, God is able to do all that he wills, and he is able to work in the hearts of men, in the minds of men. He is able to take that heart of men, like a stream of water, turn it wherever he wills. Friends, there is no aspect of creation that is outside the sovereign control of the Lord our God. And he ordered all of these events, orchestrated all of these things, so that the end result would be he would keep his promise to David, he would spare him the onus of being a partaker of this great battle, and he would indeed send David home. So friends, I pray that that's a great comfort to you. The sovereignty of God means that, friends, you can trust God. If God is sovereign, And that means that we can depend on every word that he's given to us. I've told you this many times, but friends, the God of the Bible, he not only intends good for his people, that is, he not only has an honest character, and when he makes a promise, he intends to keep it. God is that, God is good. There is no shadow returning with God. God doesn't deceive, God doesn't lie. But more than that, friends, not only does God intend good for us, but He is able to bring it about because He works in, upon, through, and whom, whoever He wills. Friends, men are putty in the hands of God. Man, God uses and works in and through us as He sees fit. Now, you might be asking questions at this moment. You might say, well, what about What about free will? What about all of this stuff? Friends, we've got a little bit of time. Most of the time, friends, the ideas of free will that we have as Christians, they're not biblical. In fact, the prevailing idea of free will in the church today is really a pagan notion. It's really pagan philosophy that introduces that. That idea of free will is that man is, you know, completely able to choose the good or the bad, that man is not inclined really one way or the other, but that he has the moral ability to choose the good or the evil. But friends, the scriptures tell us that man's will is in bondage to sin, that man is by nature a child of wrath, man is by nature a sinner. And so that will, is enslaved, that that will has an inclination. That will of ours is free insofar as we always are free to choose what we want. But friends, the scriptures tell us that what the heart wants, what the will inclines to, is sin, and only sin. There is no delight in virtue in the heart of fallen man. You might say, well, what about, you know, civic good? Don't we see even unbelievers doing things that are, you know, outwardly good? You know, they have charity balls and they, you know, work in disaster relief, they give money to charity, they do all kinds of seemingly noble things. Well, friends, yes, but the Bible tells us that when God looks at these deeds, he not only looks at the outward appearance, but he looks at the heart. And friends, even when people are outwardly doing good deeds as unbelievers, They're really bad good works because they don't come from a heart that loves God and trusts in Christ, and therefore it is not worship that is holy and acceptable to God. It might be outwardly something that God commends, but unless or until one is born again and that will is liberated, unto love and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, all of those deeds are ultimately bad good works. So friends, our will is not outside the providence of God. And thanks be to God that when we were born again, He, set us free in Christ Jesus so that we could love the good and delight in Christ and see Him as the beautiful Savior we want and the King to which we submit. Friends, that's the God of the Bible, the God of the Bible who says all of creation is under His sovereign, gracious rule. So I pray that that encourages you this week. I pray that, you know, that will embolden you to live for Christ's glory. Again, friends, this isn't reducing man to a stalk and a block. You always choose what you want. But if you're in Christ, now you actually do desire the good. You actually do want to love and honor Christ, and that's because God has set you free. So let's pray. Father, we thank you that in Christ there is true liberty. We pray, Father, forgive us of our sins, Lord. Pray that you would pardon our iniquities, that Lord, you would put away our guilt. Father, we do confess that oftentimes we are fools. Lord, we put ourselves in compromising situations, and Father, yet you've been so gracious and merciful to us. Lord Jesus, you taught your church to pray, deliver us, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lord, we do pray, Father, that you would lead us not into temptation. Lord, we pray that you would guard our steps that you would protect us from the world without, the flesh within, and the devil himself. Father, we know that in your sovereign grace, you are able to keep us until you bring us safely and savingly home. Father, we look up to you. We ask your mercy now in Christ's name.