Retake

July 12, 2020 Speaker: Ted Detiveaux Series: Reset

Topic: Restitution

Retake

I must give creditto my youngest daughter Maylen, who came up with the title of today’s message “Retake.”  This came about as my wife and I were openly discussingthis reset series in front of our kids. But when she said it, the Holy Spirit confirmedit in my spirit and so here it is.

Our text today comes from the book of 1 Samuel 30.  But first I would like to give you a briefback story on the events that led up to our text today.

Godhad rejected Saulas king of Israel because of his disobedience and in his place He had chosen Davidthe son of Jesse, #shepherdboy, #giantkiller, #talentedmusician waiting to be king.  Well of course Saul became jealousof David and even tried to killhim with several attempts. 

David, without consulting Godlycounsel, fled and took shelter amongst the philistinesthe sworn enemies of the Israelites.  Even though David actedaccording to his own heartby joining the Philistines, he prosperedin every way.  He and his men were even given the land known as Ziklagto live in.  Which clearly shows that God gives us that which we do not deserve.

But there came a day which David and his men were requiredby order of King Achish(king of Gath) to go to battleagainst the Israelites.  David and his men were more than eagerto prove themselves on the battlefield, however the princesof the Philistines were not about it.  They thought that David would switch sidesin the middle of the battle and fight against the Philistines instead of with them.  So, David and his men were sent back home to Ziklag. 

It was Godwho removedDavid from that battlefield.  God did not allow David to defilehimself and his men by going to war against “the armies of the living God.”

However, there would be consequencesfor not seeking God’s advice.  That is where we pick it up today.

1 Samuel 30:1-8,

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

The city was left unguardedand the Amalekites took advantageof the situation and burned the entire city taking the women and children captive. 

Know Your Enemy

Who were these Amalekites?

They were descendantsof Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. As a reminder through deceit Jacobhad gained both the birth rightand blessingwhich belonged to the first-bornson Esau.  Consequently, Esau hatedJacob for it.  They eventually made up, yet we find the family feudcontinuing in our passage today.

God had later renamed Jacobto Israel thus the beginning of the Israelitepeople.  Though Davidwas living amongstthe philistines at that time, He was an Israelite.  The city in which David, his men, and their families dwelt was attacked bythe Amalekites.

This would have never happenedto begin with if Saul had obeyedthe Lord fully when he was instructed by God through the prophet Samuel to completely destroythe Amalekites. 

                  1 Samuel 15:2-3

2‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

By not killingall the Amalekites, God removes Saulfrom being king of Israel.  Now by the handof the AmalekitesDavid seems to be further preventedfrom attaining the throne.

For a moment David lets his guard down.  He preparesto go to battleagainst the Israelites.  Which he would notbe in this predicamentif he had not acted on his own accordby fleeing to the Philistines. But apparently, he had forgotten about the raidswhich he had previously made on the Amalekites.  Surely, he must have known that they would strike back. 

Nonetheless he leaves the cityin which he dwelt unguardedand wide opento his enemies.  

When we leanon our own understanding, we will make decisionsthat have dire consequences.  When we rely on our own strengthour losseswill be greaterthan our victories.

As we see in this story, his enemy wasted no time.  The Amalekites had seen their opportunityand so they struck.

Which is just like our adversarythe devil.

1 Peter 5:8

8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The enemy prowlsaround like a roaring lion, looking for an opportunityto stealkillor destroy. We must stay on guardof the gates of heartsand mindsand not allowhim to penetrate either.  

                  James 4:7

Therefore, submitto God. Resistthe devil and he will flee from you.

We submit to God, because it is through His powerin which we can overcomethe enemy.  We submitto Godand His infinite wisdomand we won’t find ourselvesin a place where David foundhimself.

Mourn Your Losses

When you realizethat you have been robbedfrom, you must identifywhat it is that has been takenfrom you. 

(Example of Hope Extreme)

When David returnsfrom his three-day journeyfrom the Philistine camp, the first thing that he notices is thesmokecoming from the city in which he lived.  He was hopingto come back to his homeand be with his familybut instead he comes back to an entire citythat was burning to the ground.  All their houses, which were places of securityand comfort, were set ablaze. 

Then to make things matters worseDavid and his men soon realizethat their wivesand childrenhave also been taken.   So much was takenfrom David in that moment because he had leftthe city unguarded. 

Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 

It was appropriatefor Davidand his men to Mourn their Losses.  It isok to feelor express sadnessfor the lossof someoneor something.  Grievingis a processthat teaches ushow to fully surrenderour painto Godso that He can heal our hearts.

Things only get worsefor David beforethey get better.  We cannotsimply take inventoryof what has been taken, that does not bring wholenessto our lives. In fact, if we simply dwellon that which has been takenfrom us, we will be overcomeby our emotions.

There are twodifferent responsesthat we see in the following text.

And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

  • David’s men were grievedbut they allowed their emotionsto take over and they blamed David.
  • David was distressedbut He strengthenedhimself in the Lord

Recover All

To putyourself in a positionin which you gain everythingback that the enemyhas stolenfrom you, is to not allow your emotionsto ruleover you but rather you must strengthenyourself in the one who rules allthings including your emotions.

Davidwas seeing somethinghis men were not seeing.  His men were looking at their present situationand concludedit was over all was lost.  The ideaof getting everything backperhaps had not even crossed the minds of David’s men. 

Meanwhile Davidlooked toward His Godand realized it is never overuntil God saysthat it is over. God had anointed Davidto become kingof Israel and if He made that promiseto David.  He would be faithfulto complete that promise in his life.

If God was fightingfor him how could he not win.  How could he not recover allthat was taken?

Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.”

Ephod- part of the official outfitof the high priest, It served as a reminderof past victories that God had performed for the Israelites.

And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.

David had learnedhis lesson.  He got himself in a bindby not inquiringof the Lord before joining the Philistines, and he suffered the consequences.  Now He is inquiringof the Lordto determinewhether he should proceed.

Ultimately the Lord is all knowing, and if He tells you to goand recoverall, you can rest assuredthat He will ensure that you recover all.

Look at some examples from the New testament

The man who was possessed by demons, he cut himselfand hung out among the tombs, the enemysure did take a lotaway from him as he was isolatedfrom the rest of society.  But Jesusdrives outthose demons and the man is set freeand everything that he had lostwas restored.

What about the lepersand the blindand the paralyticsall who experienced their healthbeing takenaway from them, Yet Jesus restores all!

What about the disciplesin the midst of the storm, lost their hopeand their minds, Jesus brings peace

In our story today, David recovers all

1 Samuel 30:18-19

18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 19 And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. 

  • What was taken from you?           

 

Was it your purity, innocence, self-esteem, trust, love, peace of mind, joy, health, strength, dignity, courage, sanity, kindness, soberness, career, opportunity, finances, relationship, marriage, kids

 

  • What will you do about it?

 

  • Will you be like David and encourage yourself in the Lord, inquire His divine favor, and act against your spiritual enemy?

 

 

  • Or will you be like David’s men and accept defeat and allow your emotions to rule over you?

 

It is timeto retakeeverything the devil has stolenfrom you! Riseup o man and o woman of God.

Matthew 18:18

18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

 

Know Your Enemy

Mourn Your Losses

Recover All

 

 

 

More in Reset

July 5, 2020

Redemption

June 28, 2020

Reproduce

June 21, 2020

Reconcile