Complimentary Story
Sometimes, in our arrogance, we question God’s plans for our lives. We ask, “Why did You do that” or “What were You thinking by allowing this or that to happen?” We seem to forget Isaiah 46:9,10. “Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things which are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’”We’re going to look at a story today that if read at face value, raises questions about God’s fairness, or why He lets certain things happen. But remember, His plan is worldwide, and His plan is far-reaching; with the final outcome not even discerned at the beginning.
The story is of David. Many things happened to David during his life, including many bad things that we might ask of God,” Why did You let that happen?” But as we go through some of these events, hopefully we’ll be able to see God’s plan and why certain events happened and for what purpose they happened.
Event 1: Being called to Saul’s palace to play for a crazy man.
David had already been anointed by Samuel, so God knew he was going to be the king someday. But David was a shepherd boy and knew nothing about palaces or kings or kingly etiquette. How was he going to learn? So even though God knew that Saul was going to hurl javelins at David and try to kill him when he heard that David had been anointed by Samuel, what better way to teach David how to be king but have him live in the palace and see how the king ruled!
Also, by putting David in touch with Jonathon, God provided David with a friend, a big brother, and a role model to learn from. God wasted no experience; by everything that happened, He taught a lesson of some kind to David. During the time at the palace, David went with the armies and learned how to fight, learned strategy, and learned the lay of the land of Israel, which would come in handy later on in his life. He also made a name for himself, which in turn became useful for people to rally around.
Event 2: David driven from the palace by Saul’s death decree.
I’m sure David did not look at his banishment from the palace with favor. He probably asked God “Why,” just as we do when we face bad circumstances. But in God’s plan, he wasn’t yet ready to be king. His education was not finished. He needed to learn to depend on God as he was being chased all over the land by Saul. God also used this time to send men of all kinds to join David to provide him with an army that he would need someday. (1 Samuel 22:1-2). In leading his own private army, God taught him how to lead, how to judge fairly among the men, and how to lead them into battle. What David had thought was a bad circumstance, God used it to teach him many things he needed to learn.
Event 3: Nabal denies David and his men food they badly needed.
David and his men had protected Nabal’s shepherd’s and their sheep from animal attacks and from robbers who would steal the sheep or kill them for food. As his retainer army became bigger, David had a harder time feeding them, so as a matter of last resort, he asked from Nabal food as payment for his band’s protection. Also, it was the etiquette of the day at sheep shearing time, to provide food and drink for all those involved with the sheep raising experience. But Nabal’s answer was; “Who is this David guy, and why should I feed him? He is just a runaway slave, like many others who want food because they can’t get it for themselves.” Not a good answer! Read 1 Samuel 25:12-13.
God used this circumstance to introduce David to Abigail, Nabal’s wife. Nabal was of the clan of Caleb and was a “great man,” as 1 Samuel 25:2 says. He was probably the clan leader, which made his wife very important also. As David was coming up to teach Nabal a lesson, Abigail heard what was happening and intervened with food and a meek spirit, thus keeping David from doing something rash. The story ends in Nabal’s death (either from a stroke upon hearing what David was going to do to him, or from a heart attack coming from his gluttony.) When David finally marries Abigail, he, in essence, becomes the clan leader to the Calebites, which years later, makes it easier to consolidate the southern tribes into one kingdom. God turned a bad beginning into an important asset for David. It didn’t hurt that she was also very beautiful.
Event 4: David again driven to Philistia by Saul.
Imagine how David felt; again being forced to leave his homeland because of persecution. I would have said “enough already!” But God was still working out what David needed to be king. He still had lessons to learn and time was needed to grow stronger in numbers before God could let him go back to Israel. 1 Samuel 27 is a very interesting chapter. Akish, the king of Gath, gave David the town of Ziklag; to live in and to protect from the Amelekite raiders from the south. David told the king that he was raiding Judah, but in reality he was raiding southern Philistia and the Amalekites. Spoils from these raids caused David to greatly increase in goods and wealth, which was needed to support his whole band, which by now included women and children. David’s skills as a commander grew as a result of these engagements, so much so that Akish wanted him to come and join the Philistine army in their soon to come attack on Israel at Mt Gilboa.
Event 5: The Amalekite attack on Ziklag.
While David was ordered by Akish to join him at Aphek for the coming battle, the other Philistines didn’t trust David and didn’t want him behind them in their battle lines, lest he attack them instead of Israel. They send him back to Ziklag, but when he arrived, he found that Ziklag had been sacked and all the wives and children were gone. What a catastrophy! Life couldn’t get much worse! But God had a plan. He caused that none of the women and children were killed, but only taken captive. When David asked the Lord what he should do, the Lord told him to pursue the Amalekites, which he did. These Amalekites were used to raiding cities in southern Philistia and in southern Judah. See 1 Samuel 30:14-20.
So not only did David gain immense booty from this battle, but he greatly weakened the Amalekites for many years, thereby helping his future borders. God used this battle that wouldn’t have happened if the town had not been raided, to weaken the Amalekites and strengthen David’s position 5-10 years in the future.
Event 6: The defeat of the Israelites on Mt. Gilboa.
What could be worse than the defeat of God’s people by the Philistines? But even in this, God used it to His plan. Firstly, the battle was just as hard on the Philistines as it was on Israel. Not for another seven years did they bother Israel very much, not until David became king of both Judah and Israel. (2 Samuel 2:11 and 5:17). Secondly, David would not take away the crown of Saul himself, so God removed Saul from the picture so that David’s reign could begin. His reign was the high point of Israel as a nation.
God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.
