Peace That Passes Understanding
Scripture Reading: I Samuel 30:1-19
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, 2 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. 3 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. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices
and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 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.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to
me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 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.”
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook
Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred
men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the
Brook Besor.
11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him
bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of
figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for
he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 Then David said
to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?”
And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me
behind, because three days ago I fell sick. 14 We made an invasion of the southern area of
the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb;
and we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15 And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?”
So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of
my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”
16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating
and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land
of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 Then David attacked them from twilight until
the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men
who rode on camels and fled. 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.
David was having what we call a really bad day. He and his men have come home
and found everything wrong. Their city has been burned and worse still; their
wives and children have been stolen away. Needless to say, the men are
devastated. It says that they weep until they had no more power to weep. They
were so upset they were actually talking about stoning David, blaming him as if he
did it. But that’s how negative emotions will do. They make you irrational. Which
is why it’s so important that you not let yourself be led by your emotions. Emotions
can easily lead you in the wrong direction. How many people are sitting on death
row right now because they let themselves get angry and killed someone? I
remember when some guy got cut off down in Miami on the Palmetto and got so
angry that he used his car to crash the guy into the divider wall, then got into a
fight with the guy and ended up getting shot and killed. So, now two families have
been devastated because someone let their anger get the best of them. The one
guy is dead and the other guy is in jail, all because they were led by their emotions.
So, David is distressed. His wives and children are gone; his men are turning on
him. But David did something we as believers need to do more often. He
strengthens Himself in the LORD Yahweh. He is in a situation that is about as
devoid of peace as possible, and he finds his peace in the LORD. People think
that your level of peace depends on how things in your life are going and that is
true for most people, but it shouldn’t be so for those who trust in the LORD
Yahweh. The fact is that our peace should come from Him and should have
nothing to do with our circumstances. Remember, we’re not supposed to walk by
sight so the things we see around us should not motivate us. Psalm 29:11 tells us,
The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with
peace.
After David encourages himself, finding peace in God, he does something else that
many people neglect to do when they are in a difficult situation. He goes to the
LORD Yahweh to inquire about what he should do now. How many of us do
everything in our power first and then go to the LORD, rather than going to the
LORD first? People say all the time things like, I’ve tried everything so there’s
nothing left to do but pray. The fact is that should be the very first thing we do like
David does here. He first gets his peace from the LORD so he can be rational.
Then instead of running off after them like most people would’ve done once they
composed themselves, he called for the ephod and took his problem to the LORD.
Should we go after them, he asked. And God tells him to go.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
You see, David makes his request known to God immediately. And from that point
forward in this account, everything goes perfect for them. They stumble upon
someone who just happens to have everything they need to get the upper hand.
Ironically, this guy is a servant of one of the Amalekites who had raided David’s
city. He had gotten sick three days earlier and instead of them taking care of him;
they had left him in the field to die. He hadn’t eaten or had any water for three
days. David’s men found him; they fed him and gave him water so he could build
up his strength before they asked him any questions. Then he told them exactly
what happened and exactly who had done it. Now, here’s the really interesting
part. This guy has no more loyalty for these raiders. If he’d had any at all, it ha
faded away as he lay in that field sick for three days; left behind to die. You see,
three days before David even knew about this, God was already orchestrating his
victory. What would have happened if David had not gone to God first and had
just run off in the other direction? How many times do we miss the setup God has
prepared for us because we never bother asking Him for direction?
This Egyptian slave ends up taking them right to the troop and not only do they win
the battle, but they get all their wives and children back unharmed. They get all of
their stuff back, plus they end up taking everything the Amalekites had taken in
plunder from others. A devastating defeat had quickly turned into a rousing victory
because David and his mean had chosen to petition God first. We sit here now,
and hear about how Yahweh gave David peace in the midst of his sorrow and how
He had gone before them to make provision for their victory well in advance of it.
We listen and think of how awesome God was for David through these horrible
circumstances that are so much worse than anything we have ever had to deal
with. But what will happen next week when someone cuts you off in traffic? Or
when someone says or does something hurtful to you? Will you remember that the
LORD gives strength to His people through His peace? Or will you react with your
emotions like you’re used to doing? How about when you are put into difficult
circumstances? Will you go to the LORD first or will you do everything you can do
until you have nothing left to do but pray? Don’t get me wrong but if you’re not
going to have ears to hear the word of God, and then go out and apply it to your
lives, you might as well sleep in when we have worship service. This is not just
about motivating stories that give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The word of God should be profitable for us; it should correct us when we’re going
astray. It should instruct us as to the right way to do things; it should complete us,
preparing us to do the things God has purposed for our lives. We should be able
to see God’s word at work in our lives. We should be able to recognize a change
in how we deal with the things that come against us. If you don’t see a change; if
you react to things just like everyone else then you need analyze whether you
have really put Yeshua in your heart to be Lord over it. Or have you just put Him
your pocket like an insurance card for when you die.
Exodus 17:8-15
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua,
“Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the
hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with
Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when
Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek
prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him,
and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on
the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua
defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the
hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner.
Here we see God’s people struggling with Amalek again and God promising them
victory over him. Moses calls Him the LORD is my Banner; Yahweh Nissi or
Jehovah Nissi. A banner goes before you. People can see it from afar off and
know what you stand for. People put banners on their car to show what football or
basketball team they support. They’ll have a banner on a flagpole to show what
nation they support. Even believers in Messiah will wear a cross around their neck
or put bumper stickers on their car. But God needs to be much more than
something you show to the world physically. He needs to be the banner you
display spiritually; through you actions. Amalek seems to be a symbol of the flesh
that we as believers struggle with constantly. And just as Joshua had surrounded
himself with Godly men who would help support him when the battle became to
difficult and he began to fall, so we must surround ourselves with Godly men and
women who will encourage us as well as hold us accountable. Look at the
symbolism we see here with Moses, Aaron, and Hur on the mountain. First of all,
see that Moses sits on the rock, which is Yeshua who must be our firm foundation if
we are going to win the battle. Then Moses represents the Law of God, often
called the Law of Moses. Aaron represents the priesthood and our right to go
before the LORD Yahweh. And the name Hur means freedom, liberty, or
salvation. In our salvation, our relationship with God should uphold the Law of God
as we place ourselves firmly on the Rock that is Messiah. Then we can win the
victory over the flesh.
Galatians 5:16-24
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh
lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one
another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you
are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish
ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of
which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such
things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are
Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Let us put off the old man and put on the new man. We know that the flesh is at
war with the Spirit and that they are contrary to each other, we must strive to be led
by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Listen to the works of the flesh and be wary;
adultery, fornication, hatred, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfishness, envy,
drunkenness, and more. When we see we are being led by such things it’s
important that we recognize it so we can turn around. The works of the Spirit are
the things we should strive to display; love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience),
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the
things we need to be showing to the world. Yahweh Shalom, God our peace and
Yahweh Nissi, God our banner.
Sermon by: Denise Baxley
Date: June 17, 2007
Scripture Reading: I Samuel 30:1-19
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, 2 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. 3 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. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices
and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 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.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to
me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 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.”
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook
Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred
men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the
Brook Besor.
11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him
bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of
figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for
he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 Then David said
to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?”
And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me
behind, because three days ago I fell sick. 14 We made an invasion of the southern area of
the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb;
and we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15 And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?”
So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of
my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”
16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating
and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land
of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 Then David attacked them from twilight until
the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men
who rode on camels and fled. 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.
David was having what we call a really bad day. He and his men have come home
and found everything wrong. Their city has been burned and worse still; their
wives and children have been stolen away. Needless to say, the men are
devastated. It says that they weep until they had no more power to weep. They
were so upset they were actually talking about stoning David, blaming him as if he
did it. But that’s how negative emotions will do. They make you irrational. Which
is why it’s so important that you not let yourself be led by your emotions. Emotions
can easily lead you in the wrong direction. How many people are sitting on death
row right now because they let themselves get angry and killed someone? I
remember when some guy got cut off down in Miami on the Palmetto and got so
angry that he used his car to crash the guy into the divider wall, then got into a
fight with the guy and ended up getting shot and killed. So, now two families have
been devastated because someone let their anger get the best of them. The one
guy is dead and the other guy is in jail, all because they were led by their emotions.
So, David is distressed. His wives and children are gone; his men are turning on
him. But David did something we as believers need to do more often. He
strengthens Himself in the LORD Yahweh. He is in a situation that is about as
devoid of peace as possible, and he finds his peace in the LORD. People think
that your level of peace depends on how things in your life are going and that is
true for most people, but it shouldn’t be so for those who trust in the LORD
Yahweh. The fact is that our peace should come from Him and should have
nothing to do with our circumstances. Remember, we’re not supposed to walk by
sight so the things we see around us should not motivate us. Psalm 29:11 tells us,
The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with
peace.
After David encourages himself, finding peace in God, he does something else that
many people neglect to do when they are in a difficult situation. He goes to the
LORD Yahweh to inquire about what he should do now. How many of us do
everything in our power first and then go to the LORD, rather than going to the
LORD first? People say all the time things like, I’ve tried everything so there’s
nothing left to do but pray. The fact is that should be the very first thing we do like
David does here. He first gets his peace from the LORD so he can be rational.
Then instead of running off after them like most people would’ve done once they
composed themselves, he called for the ephod and took his problem to the LORD.
Should we go after them, he asked. And God tells him to go.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
You see, David makes his request known to God immediately. And from that point
forward in this account, everything goes perfect for them. They stumble upon
someone who just happens to have everything they need to get the upper hand.
Ironically, this guy is a servant of one of the Amalekites who had raided David’s
city. He had gotten sick three days earlier and instead of them taking care of him;
they had left him in the field to die. He hadn’t eaten or had any water for three
days. David’s men found him; they fed him and gave him water so he could build
up his strength before they asked him any questions. Then he told them exactly
what happened and exactly who had done it. Now, here’s the really interesting
part. This guy has no more loyalty for these raiders. If he’d had any at all, it ha
faded away as he lay in that field sick for three days; left behind to die. You see,
three days before David even knew about this, God was already orchestrating his
victory. What would have happened if David had not gone to God first and had
just run off in the other direction? How many times do we miss the setup God has
prepared for us because we never bother asking Him for direction?
This Egyptian slave ends up taking them right to the troop and not only do they win
the battle, but they get all their wives and children back unharmed. They get all of
their stuff back, plus they end up taking everything the Amalekites had taken in
plunder from others. A devastating defeat had quickly turned into a rousing victory
because David and his mean had chosen to petition God first. We sit here now,
and hear about how Yahweh gave David peace in the midst of his sorrow and how
He had gone before them to make provision for their victory well in advance of it.
We listen and think of how awesome God was for David through these horrible
circumstances that are so much worse than anything we have ever had to deal
with. But what will happen next week when someone cuts you off in traffic? Or
when someone says or does something hurtful to you? Will you remember that the
LORD gives strength to His people through His peace? Or will you react with your
emotions like you’re used to doing? How about when you are put into difficult
circumstances? Will you go to the LORD first or will you do everything you can do
until you have nothing left to do but pray? Don’t get me wrong but if you’re not
going to have ears to hear the word of God, and then go out and apply it to your
lives, you might as well sleep in when we have worship service. This is not just
about motivating stories that give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The word of God should be profitable for us; it should correct us when we’re going
astray. It should instruct us as to the right way to do things; it should complete us,
preparing us to do the things God has purposed for our lives. We should be able
to see God’s word at work in our lives. We should be able to recognize a change
in how we deal with the things that come against us. If you don’t see a change; if
you react to things just like everyone else then you need analyze whether you
have really put Yeshua in your heart to be Lord over it. Or have you just put Him
your pocket like an insurance card for when you die.
Exodus 17:8-15
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua,
“Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the
hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with
Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when
Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek
prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him,
and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on
the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua
defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the
hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner.
Here we see God’s people struggling with Amalek again and God promising them
victory over him. Moses calls Him the LORD is my Banner; Yahweh Nissi or
Jehovah Nissi. A banner goes before you. People can see it from afar off and
know what you stand for. People put banners on their car to show what football or
basketball team they support. They’ll have a banner on a flagpole to show what
nation they support. Even believers in Messiah will wear a cross around their neck
or put bumper stickers on their car. But God needs to be much more than
something you show to the world physically. He needs to be the banner you
display spiritually; through you actions. Amalek seems to be a symbol of the flesh
that we as believers struggle with constantly. And just as Joshua had surrounded
himself with Godly men who would help support him when the battle became to
difficult and he began to fall, so we must surround ourselves with Godly men and
women who will encourage us as well as hold us accountable. Look at the
symbolism we see here with Moses, Aaron, and Hur on the mountain. First of all,
see that Moses sits on the rock, which is Yeshua who must be our firm foundation if
we are going to win the battle. Then Moses represents the Law of God, often
called the Law of Moses. Aaron represents the priesthood and our right to go
before the LORD Yahweh. And the name Hur means freedom, liberty, or
salvation. In our salvation, our relationship with God should uphold the Law of God
as we place ourselves firmly on the Rock that is Messiah. Then we can win the
victory over the flesh.
Galatians 5:16-24
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh
lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one
another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you
are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish
ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of
which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such
things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are
Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Let us put off the old man and put on the new man. We know that the flesh is at
war with the Spirit and that they are contrary to each other, we must strive to be led
by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Listen to the works of the flesh and be wary;
adultery, fornication, hatred, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfishness, envy,
drunkenness, and more. When we see we are being led by such things it’s
important that we recognize it so we can turn around. The works of the Spirit are
the things we should strive to display; love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience),
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the
things we need to be showing to the world. Yahweh Shalom, God our peace and
Yahweh Nissi, God our banner.
Sermon by: Denise Baxley
Date: June 17, 2007
