The Best Decision
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
1 Samuel 27:1-6
1 Samuel 27:1-6
1 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
2 So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4 When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”
6 So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.
Pray
David has been living in caves. He is Hungry. Worried about dying. Though God has provided Saul into his hands twice he refuses to kill Saul. And rightfully so. Saul is still the King God’s anointed.
So David is left with a decision to make. Do I continue to hide in caves? Do I continue to fear for my life?
Or do I run? Get out of this land and seek refuge in the land of Saul’s enemy.
Is this a question of Good vs evil? To sin or not to sin?
No in fact neither choice is a sin. Despite what some commentators may say. This is a choice like so many of us face. It’s easy for us to know what choice to make if it was sin or don’t sin.
We know it’s wrong to Gossip
We know it’s wrong to kill
We know it’s wrong to Covet
We know it’s wrong to look at porn
We may not always make the right choice and choose to sin, But the choice is easy just not following through with the choice.
Neither choice is a sin
David chooses to go to the land of the Philistines and is granted Ziklag. A city where he lives for 16 Months, And it wasn’t a sin for him to leave.
But this choice does remind me of Lot and Abraham.
Lot and Abraham getting to numerous to hang out together anymore. So Abraham says to him, You go left Ill go right, Or you go right Ill go left.
Lot looks sees the good land that Abraham had never wanted And did not sin When he choose to go to the Jordan valley, but then the next time we see lot he is in the city of Sodom and is trapped up with sin.
David didn’t sin when he choose to Go to philistine for his life, But it wasn’t the best choice he could make. This decision does lead to sin because it wasn’t the best decision.
7 David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.
8 Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) 9 Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.
10 When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” 11 He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’ ” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. 12 Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.”
Killing everything probably a Hyperbole because they are left to inform on us. Nothing new to him.
Lying
He made himself an utter stench to his people.
This is the soon to be king. The anointed one. Who killed the philistine Giant. Who had people singing his praise. Who was the voice of the religious persecuted. Who was the glory of things to come, And now A king to a fool.
So as where the choice was not a sin. It didn’t put him in the best place to make the wisest choices down the line.
We face these kind of questions all the time
Not good vs evil
But how do we make the best decision?
I Wish I could give you an abc 123 solution to this answer. To often we treat life like there is one choice that God wants us to make and everything else is a sin. But that is just not how life is.
We are walking day by day in the life of Christ. Which means we have to live according to the wisdom of Christ which isn’t always easy to come by.
What’s the bible say
Surrender to God
Most important decision. Decision to follow God ABC
All other decisions in life should come from this decision. Putting God first and his righteousness in our life.
2. Wisdom
Fear of the lord
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Fear holy respect. Fear in this sense is put God in His proper place
2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— 3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Surrender is to say what you say I will do. This leads us to ask for His guidance and to study his Bible to grow and to live out that. Even if it seems difficult to us. That’s surrender.
I surrender all song we sing, But is it part of your life.
Examine the choice closely
Way the options
How will this effect others
In ways it’s like chess. How does this affect me down the line.
3 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
13 To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.
Get the big picture
Go to God and Remember he is in control.
Seek out his council.
Get in community
14 For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.
We are not alone in our battles
Get trusted Help
Next Steps
Next Steps