The Missing Person
1 Sam. 27:-28:2
A woman went to the police station with her next-door neighbor to report that her husband was missing. The policeman asked for a description. She said, "He’s forty-five years old, six foot three, has blue eyes, blonde hair, an athletic build, is soft spoken, and good to the children." The neighbor protested. "Your husband is five foot three, chubby, bald, has a big mouth, and is mean to your children." The wife replied, "Who wants him back?"
I’d like to report a missing Person this morning in this chapter of the Bible. Since it’s only 14 verses, let me read it to you and you tell me who’s missing. (read 1 Sam. 27:1-28:2). Who can tell me who is missing in these verses? That’s right- God is missing.
That’s a little odd, don’t you think? God missing from an entire episode in the life of David- supposedly a “man after God’s own heart?” But when you think about it, it’s not so odd, because God seems to a Missing Person in a lot of folks’ lives. For some God seems to be missing because we have forgotten Him; for others it seems He has forgotten us. At times you might not mind His absence much; at others His absence is a lonely aching emptiness filling your mind and heart. But chances are, you’ve shared the experience of David during this chapter of His life: God seems to be a Missing Person.
When God seems to be missing there are some important truths you need to keep in mind- some truths that can help you make it through those dry spells and dark nights when you wonder where God is. Let’s talk about some of them this morning: when God seems absent
I. IF YOU DON’T HOLD ON TO FAITH, YOU WILL FALL INTO FEAR. (28:1)
Mark learned a verse in VBS: Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. One stormy night the electricity suddenly went off. "I’m not afraid," Mark assured his mother as she groped in the dark for candles. Expecting him to quote the verse she asked, "And tell me why you aren’t afraid." A small beam of light suddenly lit up her son’s face, as Mark said proudly "’Cause I’ve got my flashlight."
When God seems missing, it’s like walking in the dark with no light; it can be scary. At least, that’s how David felt. During his last encounter with Saul, David rattled off a brave speech about trusting the Lord to be his protection (cf. 1 Sam. 26:24.) But after awhile, his faith begins to falter, and he stumbles into fear. You can almost hear the anxiety in his words in v. 1: I’ve got to get out of here, or Saul’s going to get me! That doesn’t sound like a man who is trusting God to take care of him, does it?
God promises David he will be king, and that He will protect him. Why does David’s faith falter? Why doesn’t he hold on to God’s promise and forget about Saul? I might ask you and I the same question. Why do we forsake our faith and fall into fear?
One reason is we let our situation become bigger than our Savior.
You focus so much on what is happening to you that you forget Who has promised to be for you. When you are battling a problem for as long and hard as David has been running from Saul, you begin to wonder where is God? Why hasn’t He done something about this? It is so easy to get so discouraged that you loosen your hold on your faith, and fall into fear.
This is when you have to hold on to your faith that God. He always keeps His promise to be with us and to be for us- even when He seems to be absent. One person who really knew what it was like to face those kinds of situations is the apostle Paul, who once wrote these faith- strengthening, fear-dispelling words:
Romans 8:31-32, 38-39 31 … If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?...38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When God seems absent you either hold on to your faith, or you fall into fear.
You will hold on to your faith, that no matter what your situation, God is with you, and God will help you. When life gets stressed, and the pain piles on, God is with you. When enemies threaten, and your strength feels small, God is with you. When you’re sick and tired, and wonder why you even try, God is with you. He will keep His promise to you.
Or you fall into fear. You worry about everything bad that can possibly happen. You will focus on how much worse things will get. You will fear what other people say, what other people do, what they don’t say or what they don’t do. The devil will keep you scared to death of all kinds of things that will probably never even happen.
When God seems absent, it’s not time to fall into fear; it’s time to hold on to your faith in God. It’s time to walk in the darkness without fear, because God’s promises are your flashlight.
When the US entered World War II in 1941, movie legend Jimmy Stewart enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Stewart’s father, Alex wrote a note his son read after being shipped out: My dear Jim boy. Soon after you read this letter, you will be on your way to the worst sort of danger. Jim, I’m banking on the enclosed copy of the 91st Psalm. The thing that takes the place of fear and worry is the promise of these words. I am staking my faith in these words. I feel sure that God will lead you through this mad experience. I can say no more. I only continue to pray. Goodbye, my dear. God bless you and keep you. I love you more than I can tell you. Dad. Jimmy Stewart returned home a decorated war hero, flying over 20 combat missions. He later told his dad "What a promise... I placed in his hands the squadron I would be leading. And, as the psalmist promised, I felt myself borne up."
When God seems absent, hold on to your faith, and you will not fall into fear. Also when God seems absent
II. IF YOU DON’T WALK IN WISDOM, YOU WILL STUMBLE INTO FOLLY. (27:2-28:2)
It was the young man’s first day on the job in the produce department of the grocery store. A lady came up to him and said she wanted to buy half of a head of lettuce. He tried to explain he couldn’t do that, but she persisted. Finally he said, "I’ll have to go back and talk to the manager." He walks to the rear of the store where the manager stands, not noticing this woman is walking right behind him. With her standing right there he says to the manager, "There’s some stupid old bag out there who wants to buy half a head of lettuce. What should I tell her?" Seeing the horrified look on the face of the manager, he turns around, sees the woman, and adds, "And this nice lady wants to buy the other half of the head of lettuce. Will it be all right?" Relieved, the manager said, "That will be fine." Later that day, the manager congratulates the boy on his quick thinking, and then asks, "Where are you from, son?" The boy said, "I’m from Toronto, Canada, the home of beautiful hockey players and ugly women." The manager glares at him and says, "My wife is from Toronto." Without missing a beat, the boy replies, "And how long has she been playing hockey, sir?"
It is easy to say and do some stupid things when you’re not careful. It’s especially easy to stumble into folly, instead of walking into wisdom, when God seems to be a missing Person.
David’s fear causes him to make some very foolish choices. He decides the only way to get away from Saul is to go to the land of the Philistines, Israel’s enemies.
At first, this may not seem too bad. After all, v. 4 tells us that David’s choice gets Saul off his back. David proves to be shrewd here, doesn’t he? He pretends to befriend Achish, the Philistine king. These two leaders make a political agreement: David serves as a general in Achish’s army in exchange for a position of authority over the city Ziklag. For almost a year and a half, David and his men go on raids winning plunder for themselves and King Achish.
But David walks a thin line of deceit. When he brings back the king’s portion of the loot, Achish asks him where he plundered all of this good stuff. David lies to his commander-in-chief, pretending to raid Israel, while in reality completely destroying cities which house the enemies of Israel. His move fools the King, who thinks David is burning his bridges behind him, while all the time he is working to help Israel.
Later generations of Israelites would admire David’s shrewdness in tricking this pagan king, but there’s no way you can get around it: David is sinning. The end never justifies the means. Eventually, David’s lying catches up with him in 1 Sam. 28:1-2, when Achish decides to go to war again with Israel. He calls for David to ride at his side as he goes to war with God’s people, elevating David to be his own personal bodyguard. David’s response is probably intentionally vague: “You will see what your servant will do.”
Make no mistake here: David is in a jam. He cannot continue his deception now: he will either fight as a Philistine warrior, or betray Achish and fight for Israel. Which will it be?
You have to wait until 1 Sam. 29 to find out what happens, but let’s just say this: God has to get David out of this foolish position he has put himself in.
Israelites might see David as a cunning hero here, but let’s just be clear that David is guilty of lying and treachery. He may have had good motives for what he did, but what he does is both foolish and wrong. David lets God’s apparent absence lead him to fall into fear, and to stumble into folly. The same thing can happen to you and I. When God seems absent, if you don’t walk in wisdom, you will stumble into folly.
God promised Abraham a son by his wife Sara. Year after year after year, Abe kept checking with God, wondering why there was still no baby boy. Finally Abraham did something foolish, and Ishmael was born, along with thousands of years of war and bloodshed.
Moses knew God called him to lead Israel out of slavery. But then he did something foolish- he murdered a man. For forty years, Moses wandered the backside of a desert, until God taught him not to jump the gun.
If you are not careful, you will find yourself doing something stupid when it seems God is missing. You might try to figure out some way to help God out- as if the Almighty needed your help to do anything. You may begin to believe the only way to do what is right is by doing something wrong. That is foolishness, folly, stupidity.
A much better was is to keep walking wisely. Don’t be led by your own thoughts and feelings keep obeying God, keep following the Lord, and keep doing what is right. If you don’t, you will live to regret falling into folly instead of walking in wisdom.
University president Warren Bennis spent several years researching a book on leadership. He traveled around the country spending time with ninety of the most effective and successful leaders in the nation. He later wrote: “I was finally able to come to some conclusions, of which perhaps the most important is the distinction between leaders and managers: Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right. Both roles are crucial, but they differ profoundly. I often observe people in top positions doing the wrong thing well.”*
That is what David did: he did the wrong thing well. If you are not careful, that is what you will do when God seems absent: you will do a lot of wrong things well. The Bible says this is the road that leads to ruin:
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
When God seems absent, hold on to faith and you won’t fall into fear; walk in wisdom, and you won’t stumble into folly, and finally:
III. IF YOU DON’T SENSE GOD’S PRESENCE, HE IS STILL WORKING.
God can give a straight blow with a crooked stick. He blesses us in spite of our blunders.—Corrie ten Boom
That is certainly true of David. He is a great man, a godly man, but he makes his share of mistakes, especially here where God seems to be missing. The amazing part of this story is that even though God doesn’t make an appearance, He still works out His will in this story.
First of all, God promised David he would be safe from Saul, and he is. Was this how God wanted it done? Probably not, but still, even when David gave into fear instead of faith, God saves him from being caught by this murderous king.
Second, David fulfills many of God’s plans, in spite of his foolish mistakes. Ziklag was originally a city God gave to the tribe of Judah (cf. Josh. 15:31.) Through David’s actions, the city was restored to them. The cities David completely destroys were cities God already commanded Israel to demolish but they had failed to do it. Through David’s deceptive strategy these people were finally dealt with. God’s will was done in spite of David’s folly.
Thirdly, God does not abandon David, even when he falls into fear and stumbles into folly. God still rescues his man from the corner he paints himself into by his treachery. God is still gracious to David, even when he makes mistakes. He blesses us in spite of our blunders.
Now is a good time to make sure we don’t let our deceptive hearts lead us astray. You may hear a voice in your heart that says something like this: “Well, if God still worked through David even when he did wrong, then it really doesn’t matter what we do. Even if we do wrong, God will straighten everything out in the end.” Paul quotes this kind of thinking when he wrote:
Romans 3:8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
Paul says, “That’s crazy thinking.” This episode in David’s life is not meant to teach that no matter what we do, it will all turn out OK in the end. God blesses us in spite of our blunders, not because of our blunders. No, the lesson here is no matter how your faith may falter, or how foolishly you may stumble, God’s grace can accomplish His plan.
One of the most amazing attributes of God is His sovereign ability to accomplish His will in spite of what else happens. Somehow, in His infinite wisdom, God can weave all of the choices of His creatures (including you and me), all of the events that happen in the universe (both good and bad) and so make them work together for His glory and our good. I cannot explain how He does it, but I know that He does it.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
God still punishes the disobedient, still condemns lost sinners to hell. But He works through everything and everyone to accomplish His will.
That is meant to give you and I comfort and confidence: comfort that our failures are not final, confidence that if we truly make God’s will our aim, He will accomplish it through us. Even when God seems missing, He is still working out His plan in us, and through us.
A shipwrecked man managed to reach an uninhabited island. To protect himself against the elements and to safeguard the few possessions he had salvaged, he painstakingly built a little hut. Returning one evening after a search for food, he was terrified to find the hut completely covered in flames. He finally fell asleep under a tree. Early the following morning he awoke to find a ship anchored off the island. When the captain stepped ashore, he explained, “We saw your smoke signal and came.”
Even when God seems absent, He is still at work, taking even our mistakes and weaving them into the tapestry of His perfect will. He blesses you in spite of your blunders.
Do you ever feel as if God is a Missing Person? Does it ever seem that everybody but you feels Him walking close to them? Do you ever wonder what to do when God seems far away? Learn from David today. Don’t fall into fear; hold on to your faith. Don’t stumble into folly, walk in wisdom. And whatever you do, don’t forget that even when you cannot sense Him, God is working.
He’s at work this morning, calling on you to respond to His Word. Perhaps He’s calling to exercise your faith, and come to Christ and be saved. Or maybe He’s calling on you to come to your senses, and come back to Him. He’s working here today, right now, and He will do wonderful things if you will believe that, and listen to Him speak to you right now.
