1 Samuel 22:1-5

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are going to be at 1 Samuel, whoa, almost dropped my Bible, 1 Samuel chapter 22 verses 1 through 5, just five verses this morning. Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll find out about David's ragtag group that kind of surrounds him. Let's have some coffee and we'll pray.
Father, we thank you so much for the blessing it is that this morning we get to read your word. It is a gift. It is a joy. Sometimes it feels like a chore because you know our hearts. So we don't have to hide it from you, Lord, but it has been fun to work through 1 Samuel and we just thank you that you have preserved for us the history of your people. We pray that you would please help us to understand it and how it even applies to our lives. We pray this in Jesus's name. Amen. Here we go. 1 Samuel chapter 22, just the first five verses.
David therefore departed from there, a gath of the Philistines, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard of it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them, and there were about four hundred men with him.
Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, please let my father and my mother come here with you till I know what God will do for me. So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Now the prophet Gad said to David, do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go out or go to the land of Judah. So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.
Well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what is this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this in? C, What are we called to do? So, hey, what is this about? David has, you know, he went to the tabernacle, he got some showbread, he ate it, he got the Goliath sword, he goes to Gath of all places, acts like a madman, doesn't have anywhere to go, he's a hunted man, so he goes to the cave of Adullam.
It's kind of like a fortress, they're calling it, right? But the point is it's defensible, he's able to stay safe, and As he's traveling around, some people hear of things, some people know, and word gets back to his family that David is there, and so his brothers... not always his biggest fans, right? Those are the guys who thought he was just coming to war against the, going to see the battle against the Philistines when he was just a lad and not too long ago. And now they're coming to his side. But it's kind of like the, got the island of misfit toys, right?
If you've ever seen those claymation movies, the point is he, people who are discontented, people who are in debt, right? But with 400 guys who surround him and he becomes their captain, he becomes their prince and he's gonna lead them. But see, in a world and a kingdom where the king is paranoid and obsessed with his own power, your family isn't safe. We saw that in the book of Judges when somebody would rise up and just kill everybody's family. And so David does, again, this interesting thing, right? Where does he go? He goes to Mizpah of Moab and he goes to the king of Moab and he asks for his parents to have safety there.
Now, I'm just going to hunker. I ever wager a bet here or something, right? So it's all speculation here. But I'm guessing that the King of Moab has probably heard about David. Has a little bit of a reputation. And when he comes there, he's willing to take a bet on him. Yeah, sure. Yeah, my rivals rival. parents wants to stay with me. Sounds like a good deal. And if David ever overthrows Saul, if David ever becomes the next king, probably remember the king of Moab in favor.
So, oh pardon me. There come those yawns again. I'm sorry. And so that's what this is about. God is protecting David again. He's gathering troops around him. He's protecting his family. And he even sends the prophet Gad to David. God himself tells him, don't stay here. Go. Leave to Judah. It's not safe. This cave of Adullam isn't the fortress you think it is. You need to get some space between you and Saul. So he does. He goes to the forests of Hereth. So this is about David. and God's care for him as he's moving along and is gathering together of his 400 men and the safety of his parents.
What's the best verse to summarize this? Well, I have in my Bible verse 2 underlined, but maybe you like the idea of God uh sending gad the prophet and so maybe it's verse five maybe maybe like I said he takes care of his parents so maybe it's for you it's it's uh verse four or verse three I don't know for me it's verse two he gathers the 400 men all these discontents last sea calling what are we called to do I don't think you should go find the bluff near the river and go find a cave and go live in it.
I don't think that you should take your parents down to Mexico and find the cartel lord and give them to safety down there. I don't think that we could just suck this up and put it in our lives because that's not how the Bible works. We talked about that yesterday. That's just not what we're called to do. So what are we called to do?
Well, it's similar to yesterday. God was preserving David's life. God had anointed him under Samuel and he was protecting him. He brought Jonathan and the showbread and he's kept safe from Gath and now he's able to take his parents to Moab and he's able to have the prophet God come and warn him. Something's going on here in the background. This is very similar to the book of Esther or the book of Ruth, where somebody's got a plan and somebody's doing something here and, spoiler alert, news flashes to the Lord. God knows what he's doing and he is using David as a type, preserving his life and then will preserve his line to eventually bring us Jesus. God is good. and he has a covenant plan and he's ordaining and doing all these things in history, working in miraculous and wonderful and sometimes scratch your head weird ways through flawed and sinful people to bring about the salvation of the world.
It's pretty incredible. It's pretty great when we think about we serve a God like that. Let's pray. Lord, we take comfort not because we have all the answers, nor because we think somehow we're perfect. You know those are just not the case. Father, we look at the tapestry of history that you weave together in stories like this and we can't help but say you are marvelous. And we thank you that you preserved David's life, your Messiah, your anointed King who would someday have an offspring, a root, a branch of the shoot of Jesse who would be Jesus Christ our Savior, our Lord, our King. And Lord, we might as well just call ourselves that ragtag rebel group of discontents. We come to you as debtors. We come to you as people who are broken.
And with you we find a King. With you, we find godly leadership. With you, we find joy and safety. And so, Father, we thank you. Please, Lord, help us to follow you all of our lives. In Jesus' name, amen. May God bless you. May you know that if you are in Christ, all things are working out together for your good and His glory. And may you have peace. I'll see you next time. Bye.