By Val Waldeck at St Georges Presbyterian Church. Bluff.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR BACK IS TO THE WALL

SEVEN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES WE LEARN ABOUT LIFE FROM DAVID’S ZIKLAG EXPERIENCE

1 Sam. 30:1-:31 (NLT)


Introduction
•        Quite a story .. about a man’s tough experience in life and his victory through faith.
•        Ziklag – a town given to David by the Philistines.
•        David – Future king of Israel, on run from the demented Saul.
•        Learn seven very important lessons from this story.


1. THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THAT TROUBLE COMES TO ALL OF US.

•        1 Cor. 10:13 “such as is common to man”
•        Rain falls on righteous and unrighteous.
•        Sun shines on both.
•        The good – and the not so good.
•        E.g. Job.
•        David’s troubles.

1Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites
had made a raid into the Negev and had burned Ziklag to the ground. 2They had carried off the women and
children and everyone else but without killing anyone.

2. THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT DEPENDING SOLELY ON OTHERS FOR SUPPORT.
•        Moses vs Aaron and Miriam – his greatest critics from his own family.
•        Paul and Demas – rebellion from a team member.
•        Job and friends.
•        David and his men.

3When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, 4they wept until they
could weep no more. 5David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel, were
among those captured. 6David was now in serious trouble because his men were very bitter about losing their
wives and children, and they began to talk of stoning him.

•        Friends, family, team members may let you down or fail to support you.
•        People are human and we have to love them.
•        But we must always look to the Lord for our strength.

3. THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING OUR STRENGTH IN THE LORD.
•        He knows how we are wired.
•        No time for negativity, frustration, anger, depression, blame, feeling sorry for yourself, negative self-talk,
giving up.

But David found strength in the LORD his God. – v.6
KJV “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God”
•        He had to do it himself.
•        How did he encourage himself in the Lord?
•        A man of the Word – always quoting scripture, standing on it and applying it to his life. “The Lord is my
Shepherd.”
•        A man of prayer.
•        A man who turned every circumstance into an opportunity to praise – positive exercise of his faith.

4. THE IMPORTANCE OF RECEIVING DIRECTION FROM THE LORD BEFORE MAKING DECISIONS.
•        Ps. 32:8.
•        Moses and Pharoah / Red Sea and staff – did not use “human wisdom”.
•        Joshua and Jericho – he conquered Jericho “God’s Way”.
•        David asked God first before he made any attempts to resolve the situation.
7Then he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring me the ephod!” So Abiathar brought it. 8Then David asked the
LORD, “Should I chase them? Will I catch them?”
And the LORD told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”

5. THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEDIENCE.
•        Mary and the wedding.
•        Abraham and Isaac.
•        Joshua and Jericho.
•        David.
•        Lack of support did not discourage him.
9So David and his six hundred men set out, and they soon came to Besor Brook.
10But two hundred of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with his
four hundred remaining troops.
•        God’s encouragement along the way – God put the “right” people in his path.
•        People’s help and encouragement – these people were willing and able to help him.
•        Circumstances – God turned circumstances around for his benefit.
11Some of David’s troops found an Egyptian man in a field and brought him to David. They gave him some
bread to eat and some water to drink. 12They also gave him part of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins
because he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for three days and nights. It wasn’t long before his strength
returned.
13“To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?” David asked him.
“I am an Egyptian—the slave of an Amalekite,” he replied. “My master left me behind three days ago because I
was sick. 14We were on our way back from raiding the Kerethites in the Negev, the territory of Judah, and the
land of Caleb, and we had just burned Ziklag.”
15“Will you lead me to them?” David asked.
The young man replied, “If you swear by God’s name that you will not kill me or give me back to my master, then I
will guide you to them.”
16So the Egyptian led them to the Amalekite encampment. When David and his men arrived, the Amalekites
were spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of
plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah. 17David and his men rushed in among them
and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites
escaped except four hundred young men who fled on camels. 18David got back everything the Amalekites had
taken, and he rescued his two wives. 19Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else
that had been taken. David brought everything back. 20His troops rounded up all the flocks and herds and drove
them on ahead. “These all belong to David as his reward!” they said.

6. THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING OUR VICTORIES.

•        Tendency to take the glory. “We did it.”
•        Some go – some give – some pray.
•        Some put out chairs .. make the tea .. print bulletins ….
•        God’s Kingdom works with best with the TEAMWORK principle.
•        And GOD gets the glory.
•        If any of us do not do our part, the whole body suffers.
•        e.g. the human body.
•        Important to acknowledge teamwork.
•        David had that kind of attitude.
21When they reached Besor Brook and met the two hundred men who had been too tired to go with them, David
greeted them joyfully. 22But some troublemakers among David’s men said, “They didn’t go with us, so they can’t
have any of the plunder. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone.”
23But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and
helped us defeat the enemy. 24Do you think anyone will listen to you when you talk like this? We share and
share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.” 25From then on David made this a law
for all of Israel, and it is still followed.

7. THE IMPORTANCE OF A GENEROUS SPIRIT (ATTITUDE).
•        Freely we have received, let us freely give.
•        Jesus left the glories of Heaven to share all He had with us.
•        David did not keep the spoils, but looked for ways to bless others.
•        Give .. and it shall be given to you.
•        Giving to the Lord is lending to the poor.
•        Tithes, offerings, alms – all part of our giving programme.
•        We have so much in comparison with the rest of the world.
26When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent part of the plunder to the leaders of Judah, who were his friends. “Here
is a present for you, taken from the LORD’S enemies,” he said. 27The gifts were sent to the leaders of the
following towns where David and his men had been: Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir, 28Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,
29Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites, 30Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, 31Hebron,
and all the other places they had visited.

CONCLUSION:
•        TRUST GOD at all times.
•        LOVE PEOPLE regardless.
•        USE THINGS to bless people.
Church on the Way.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR BACK IS TO THE WALL  Sermon - week 9 - 2008
St. Georges Presbyterian Church  Bluff, Durban, South Africa.
Val Waldeck
Author