SERMON NOTES
Psalms 56-57; I Samuel 24, 26
“When I Am Afraid”
Intro:
• The Most Dangerous Game: Sanger Rainsford and his companion
Whitney are traveling speedily to Rio de Janeiro to hunt the big cat
of that region, the jaguar. After a discussion about how they are
the hunters instead of the hunted, Rainsford hears gun shots in the
night, drops his pipe, and falls off their boat and into the
Caribbean Sea while trying to retrieve it. After he realizes he cannot
swim back to the boat, he swims to the nearby Ship-Trap Island,
which was notorious for shipwrecks. He finds a palatial chateau
inhabited by two Cossacks: the owner, General Zaroff, and his
gigantic deaf-mute servant Ivan. The General, another big-game
hunter, has heard of Rainsford from the book Rainsford wrote
about hunting snow leopards in Tibet. After inviting him to dinner,
General Zaroff tells Rainsford of how he became bored with
hunting because it no longer challenged him. Thus, Zaroff says, he
decided to live on an island where he could capture shipwrecked
sailors to send them into the jungle supplied with food, a knife,
and hunting clothes to be his quarry. After a three-hour head start,
he would follow them to hunt and kill them. If the captives eluded
him, Ivan, and a pack of hunting dogs for three days, General
Zaroff would let the man go, but no one had eluded him that long
thus far. Zaroff invites Rainsford to join him in his hunt but
Rainsford refuses upon being appalled by Zaroff's motives. Zaroff
then tells Rainsford that he can choose whether he will be the next
person to be hunted or be whipped to death by Ivan. Rainsford
chooses the former.
• Rainsford lays an intricate trail in the forest and climbs a tree.
Zaroff finds him easily, but decides to play with him like a cat
would a mouse. Rainsford builds a "Malay man catcher", a
weighted log attached to a trip wire, which injures Zaroff's shoulder
causing him to return home for the night. Next, he sets a Burmese
tiger pit which kills one of Zaroff's hounds. Finally, he sets a native
Ugandan knife trap, which impales and kills Ivan. To escape the
General and his hounds, Rainsford dives off a cliff. Zaroff returns
home.
• Zaroff locks himself in his bedroom and turns on the lights
revealing Rainsford who had hidden by the bed curtains after
having swum around the island. Zaroff congratulates him on
winning the "game" but Rainsford decides to fight him calling
himself "a beast at bay." The General accepts the challenge saying
that the loser will be fed to the dogs and the winner will sleep in
his bed. Though the ensuing fight is not described, the story ends
with Rainsford observing that "he had never slept in a better bed,"
implying that he defeated and killed Zaroff.
• Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted
SHOW PICTURE OF DEER HUNTER WITH BIG CAT BEHIND HIM
SHOW PICTURE OF MOOSE IN CAR WITH HUNTER ON TOP
• David spent the better part of about 10 years of his life being
hunted by King Saul
• But on a couple of occasions – the hunter became the hunted – but
his life was spared
I. DAVID SPARES SAUL’S LIFE
• Shortly after David’s amazing victory over Goliath, Saul became
jealous of David – especially when he heard the women of Israel
celebrating David’s victories with the refrain: “Saul has slain his
thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
• You recall that Saul had invited David into his royal court both as a
musician and as a bodyguard
• When Saul was being tormented by an evil spirit sent by God to
chastise Saul for his disobedience and rebellion against God’s
commands – David would play his harp and Saul would receive
relief from the spiritual harassment
• But one day while David was playing his harp to soothe Saul’s spirit
– Saul twice hurled his spear at David – but David eluded him
• Saul was afraid of David because he realized that the LORD was
with David but had left Saul due to his disobedience
• Consumed with jealousy and fear, Saul sought to kill David – first
indirectly and then more aggressively
• One of Saul’s first schemes was to promise David his daughter
Michal’s hand in marriage on the condition that David bring him
100 Philistine foreskins – assuming that David would be killed in
the attempt
• But David returned victorious with 200 foreskins and married
Michal
• Saul became even more enraged and tried to elicit the support of
his son Jonathan in killing David
• But during the time David spent in the royal court – David and
Jonathan had already become best friends – and Jonathan warned
and protected David from his father Saul more than once
• Once again David was playing the harp for Saul – and Saul tried to
spear him but David escaped and ran to his house
• Saul sent men to his house to kill him but Michal – Saul’s daughter
and David’s wife – warned David and helped him to escape
• David fled to the prophet Samuel at Ramah – and Saul’s henchmen
pursued him there
• But as they approached Samuel’s home – they fell into a prophetic
frenzy and were unable to harm David
• After this happened 3 times – Saul himself went to Ramah and he
came under the power of the Spirit of God and began prophesying
– or what we might call today – he was slain in the Spirit and lay on
the ground all day and night – stripped of his robes and his dignity
– unable to do David any harm
• Saul tried to entice David back to the royal court for a special
occasion dinner – but Jonathan warned David of impending danger
– and David fled for safety
• David would spend the next several years of his life fleeing from
Saul’s murderous pursuits
SHOW BIBLICA MAP: DAVID ELUDES SAUL
• Saul literally chased David all over Israel and Judah in an attempt to
hunt him down and kill him
• As an example of Saul’s ruthlessness – on one occasion he had 85
priests slaughtered along with an entire town because one of the
priests helped David and his men
• David spent much of his time hiding in caves and desert wilderness
and mountain strongholds – where many of the Psalms were
written
STOP SHOWING MAP
• The background for Psalm 57 is most likely this story in I Samuel
24
1 Samuel 24:1-7 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he
was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” So Saul took three
thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David
and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul
went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, “This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, ‘I
will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ ”
Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of
his robe. He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a
thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he
is the anointed of the LORD.” With these words David sharply rebuked
his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave
and went his way.
• Saul had no shame when having the priests of Nob slaughtered – or
when throwing a spear at David while playing the harp – or when
throwing a spear at his own son Jonathan for siding with David – or
when using Israel’s army to hunt down David to kill him
• Yet David – refusing to kill Saul when he could – felt remorse
simply for cutting off a corner of his robe
• After exiting the cave, David attempted to plead for peace with Saul
while asserting his innocence and integrity
1 Samuel 24:9-13 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say,
‘David is bent on harming you’? This day you have seen with your own
eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged
me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my
lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’ See, my father, look at this
piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did
not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am
guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are
hunting me down to take my life. May the LORD judge between you and
me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my
hand will not touch you. • Saul wept at David’s words and even seemed remorseful
1 Samuel 24:17-20 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have
treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told
me about the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your
hands, but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let
him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you
treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the
kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
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When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed?
Yet that’s exactly what David did
David then went up to his stronghold
And the next time we see Saul – he is once again pursuing David
• Saul was encamped with his army of 3000 men in pursuit of David,
when God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Saul and his
commander, Abner, so that David and his captain, Abishai, could
approach Saul undetected
1 Samuel 26:8-11 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered
your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one
thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”
But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the
LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the LORD lives,” he said,
“the LORD himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die,
or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should
lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that
are near his head, and let’s go.”
• When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed?
• Saul had repeatedly tried to kill David – David had spent years
fleeing and hiding in caves and strongholds in the desert and
mountains
• David had already been anointed by Samuel as God’s choice to be
Israel’s next king
• Twice circumstances would seem to indicate that God had
delivered Saul into David’s hands to kill him and begin his reign as
king
• Yet twice David spared Saul’s life – why?
II. THE LORD’S ANOINTED IS THE LORD’S RESPONSIBILITY
David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the
LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the LORD lives,” he said,
“the LORD himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die,
or he will go into battle and perish. • The Lord’s Anointed is the Lord’s responsibility
• Attitude toward authority was a major contrast between Saul and
David
• At a fundamental level – Saul rejected the Lord’s authority
• Saul accepted authority only when he agreed with it or when it
made sense to him or when it seemed practical in the particular
circumstances – but he felt free to do whatever seemed right in his
own eyes in any given situation even if it meant not following the
Lord’s instructions through his prophet
• But David accepted the Lord’s authority and submitted himself
to whatever authority God placed over him – including
prophets and even Saul himself as the Lord’s anointed as long
as Saul remained king
• David illustrates the spiritual principle that God entrusts significant
authority to those who have a high regard for God’s authority
structures at all levels
• It is the over-under principle of the Kingdom:
• Adrian Rogers (Kingdom Authority): When it comes to authority,
you cannot be over those things that God wants you to be over
until you learn to be under those things that God has set over you.
• What is the biblical word most commonly used concerning our
attitude and behavior toward those in authority over us?
• Hint: it is a very unpopular word – especially among Americans
• Submit
• What does the Word of God teach?
1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human
authority:
• Fear God, honor the emperor.
• Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,
not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those
who are harsh.
• Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
• Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
• Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch
over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let
them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of
no advantage to you.
• Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority is
the consistent biblical teaching
• Because those in authority are always godly? No
• Because those in authority are always right? No
• Because those in authority are always aligned with God’s will? No
• Because those in authority are always good and considerate? No
• Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake // in reverent fear of
God // as is fitting in the Lord // for this pleases the Lord //
out of reverence for the Lord
• From a biblical perspective, submission to human authority has
less to do with the merits of the one in authority and more to
do with your attitude toward God and His authority
• David had a submissive heart attitude toward God’s authority –
toward the Word of God – toward his father – even toward king
Saul – even after David was anointed the next king – even when
Saul was obsessed with killing David – even when David had
opportunity to protect himself by killing Saul – David would not
lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed – so great was his respect for
God’s authority structures and God’s sovereignty
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Was Saul a godly leader? Absolutely not!
Who would hold Saul accountable for his actions?
To whom is a king accountable? To his subjects? Absolutely not!
To whom then?
To God and God alone
• But what if God doesn’t do His job and hold leaders accountable
the way I think He should?
• Ah…. There’s the heart of the issue, isn’t it?
• The real question is: Can God be trusted to hold leaders
accountable – or does He need my help to do His job?
• David understood: The Lord’s Anointed is the Lord’s
responsibility
• “the LORD himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will
die, or he will go into battle and perish. • After years of living as a refugee, who could blame David if he got
a little impatient with God and decided to help God out by striking
down Saul when the opportunity presented itself?
• But David didn’t merely give lip service to his belief that God
was the Sovereign King of the universe – he lived his life
according to that truth
• The Lord’s Anointed is the Lord’s responsibility -- I will not lay
my hand on the Lord’s anointed
• David was given more authority from God than any other man who
ever lived except the Messiah himself – the only king ever to be
given a universal and everlasting dominion
• One reason: David’s respect for and submissive heart attitude
toward God’s authority – and his confidence that God would
ultimately exercise His authority justly and righteously
• One of the most important qualities in a godly spiritual leader is a
fundamental respect for authority and a submissive heart attitude
toward God’s authority – toward the Word of God – and toward
every other authority God places over you
• And there was another reason why David did not kill the man who
was hunting him down – namely, the way David handled his fears
III.WHEN I AM AFRAID...
Max Lucado: In his book Fearless, Max Lucado writes about the power
fear possesses to turn us into beastly people:
“ [Fear] turns us into control freaks … [for] … fear, at its center, is a
perceived loss of control. When life spins wildly, we grab for a
component of life we can manage: our diet, the tidiness of our home,
the armrest of a plane, or, in many cases, people. The more insecure we
feel, the meaner we become. We growl and bare our fangs. Why?
Because we are bad? In part. But also because we feel cornered.”
• If any man had a right to feel cornered, it was David as he was
being hunted down by King Saul and an army of 3000 men
• David easily could have felt that his life was spinning out of control
as he moved from stronghold to stronghold and cave to cave
• David had the opportunity to seize control of his destiny by killing
Saul when he had the chance
• Instead – he turned control of the situation over to God – and let
his enemy go unharmed – free to continue pursuing David with
intent to kill
• David could do so because of the way he handled his fears.
1) I will trust in God
Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
• What do you do when you are afraid?
• You’re facing major surgery or a health crisis for yourself or a
loved one
• You are out of work or you are facing bills you cannot pay or don’t
know how you will make your next rent or mortgage payment
• Your marriage is in trouble – or one of your kids is in trouble
• You are facing a challenge that seems like an immovable mountain
• You have an addiction that is spiraling out of control – or your
spouse does
• You need to come clean about a sin in your life – and you are afraid
of what the response will be when you confess it
• You need to confront a friend or family member or church member
about a relationship problem – and you are afraid of their anger
• You have a job that sometimes puts you in harm’s way
• What do you do when you are afraid?
• Ann Beck: When my husband and I taught 2- and 3-year-olds in
Sunday school, a Bible verse we helped them memorize was
(Psalms 56:3), "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."
• Our preschool son, Mark, was one of our pupils. One stormy night,
as lightning flashed and thunder boomed, the electricity suddenly
went off. "I'm not afraid," Mark assured us as we groped in the dark
for candles and matches. Expecting him to quote the Bible verse he
recently learned, I proudly prompted him, "And tell us why you
aren't afraid."
• "'Cause I've got my flashlight."
• Some turn to alcohol – some turn to a sexual encounter – some
bury themselves in work – some turn to food
• More and more Americans are turning to Xanax and other pills to
cope with chronic low-grade anxiety as well as significant fears
• David had ruthless enemies who wanted to kill him: King Saul, the
Philistines, and others
• He was a brave warrior – but he also knew fear
• When I am afraid I will put my trust in God
• How?
• What did that look like for David practically speaking?
2) I will trust and extol God’s Word
• In verses 4 & 10 of Psalm 56:3, when David speaks of putting his
trust in God – he adds: “whose word I praise” – 3 different times
– “whose word I praise”
• The word for praise is the same Hebrew word from which we get
“Hallelujah” = Praise Yahweh
• What do you do when you turn toward God for comfort or
assurance or courage or guidance – but you do not sense His
presence or hear His voice?
• Turn to God’s Word – and especially lay hold of the promises of
God’s Word
• For example, these promises in Romans 8:
Romans 8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for
us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave
him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all
things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or
sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3) I will take refuge in God
Psalm 57:1
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
• “In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge”
• This may be a word picture drawing on the image of a protective
hen gathering her brood under her wings
• Or it may be a reference to the wings of the cherubim above the
ark of the covenant
• In either case David is expressing dependence upon God for refuge
and safety and protection
• What kind of storm are you facing?
• Where do you turn for refuge?
• In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge – in the shadow
of your wings I will find comfort and safety in the midst of the
storms of life
4) I will cry out to the Most High God
• David is in trouble here and he is not casually and dispassionately
whispering or mumbling a prayer to God
• He is crying out – summoning – even shouting at God
• Entreating God Most High
• King Saul was the highest authority in the land – accountable to no
other human authority
• He did not need Congressional or Supreme Court approval to
muster an army to hunt down David
• He could not be impeached // he could not be voted out of office –
Saul was an absolute monarch vested with more authority than
anyone in America
• But David put his trust in – and took refuge in – and cried out
to the One who is higher in authority and power than earth’s
most powerful rulers – God Most High
• To God – Who fulfills His purpose for me
• God had already anointed David to be the next king of Israel
• But David was being hotly pursued by a mentally ill, demonized
tyrant
• David was spending years of his life hiding in caves rather than
sitting on a throne
• Were God’s purposes for David being thwarted by Saul’s madness?
• Not in the least
• Did God need David’s help to put an end to Saul’s reign? Did David
need to take matters into his own hands to kill Saul when he had
the chance?
• NO – The Lord’s Anointed is the Lord’s responsibility
• I will put my trust in God Most High who will fulfill His purpose for
me – in His way and in His timing
Psalm 57:3
He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me— God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
• Why should David fear the attacks of an earthly king when he had
taken refuge under the wings of God Most High – the Sovereign
Lord of heaven and earth and all that He had made?
5) I will trust His steadfast love and faithfulness
• David would trust in God’s hesed and emeth – His steadfast love
and truth and faithfulness
• Hesed is God’s steadfast love and goodness and favor in
accordance with His covenant promises
• Emeth is His faithfulness and trustworthiness and constancy to
keep His Word
• David was surrounded by men who were like roaring lions and
ravenous beasts – armed with spears and arrows and swords
• But more importantly, David was surrounded by God’s
steadfast love and faithfulness
• And God Himself would rebuke those hotly pursuing David – and
God Himself would fulfill all His purposes and promises to David
6) I will seek God’s glory
Psalm 57:5
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
• David is in a cave surrounded by his enemies
• Instead of fretting himself because of evildoers – his mind is
fixed on glorifying God – on longing for God to be exalted and
for His glory to be spread over all the earth
• The opportunity presents itself for David and his men to kill Saul
• Instead of scheming for ways to put an end to Saul’s persecution
and attacks then and there in order to protect his own life and
begin his promised reign – David’s primary concern is with the
glory of God
• David wanted his reign to glorify God – and so He would let God
work out His purposes in His way for His glory
• David would trust God to deliver him from his enemies in such a
way that God would be exalted and glorified
7) I will keep my heart steadfast and fixed on God’s character
Psalm 57:7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
• When we are afraid – our hearts are prone to wander – to wander
toward worst case scenarios – to wander toward false comfort and
unhealthy ways of coping – to wander toward insecurity and
anxiety and negativity – to wander toward being fixated on the
source of our fear
• David: When I am afraid, I will trust in God
• But how to keep doing that when the danger persists?
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My heart, O God, is steadfast
Steadfast = to be firmly established // fixed // prepared // ready
Ready for what? Ready to praise God
His heart was steadfast – fixed on God’s character – focused on
God’s glory – so that even in a cave surrounded by fierce and
wicked enemies – he would be heart-ready to praise God for His
character and His Word and His promises and His steadfast love
and faithfulness and His protection and deliverance
8) I will extol God with song
Psalm 57:9-10
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the
peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
• When I am afraid – I will give thanks to the Lord – I will sing praises
to the Lord – I will declare the excellencies of His steadfast love and
faithfulness
• When we are afraid – we are tempted to focus on our fears and the
source of our fears – we are tempted to doubt God’s love – we are
tempted to doubt the truth of His Word – we are tempted to doubt
His faithfulness to His promises
• One of the most powerful antidotes to fear is worship –
specifically – singing songs of praise to God – songs that focus
on His character // His love // His faithfulness – songs that
extol His character
• Evil spirits feed on fear – but they hate praise – and they especially
hate songs of praise that glorify God
• If David’s harp playing often relieved Saul of his torment by evil
spirits – imagine how powerful a whole congregation singing
praises to God from the heart can be in driving away spirits of fear
and anxiety and insecurity and discouragement and depression and
despair
• Listening to talk radio is not necessarily going to drive away fear –
it may cause your fears to worsen
• But listening to worship and praise music is good for the soul
9) I will desire for God to be exalted among the nations
Psalm 57:11
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
• When we are afraid, our tendency is to become self-absorbed //
self-centered // preoccupied with our problems and our troubles
and our feelings // fixating on worst case scenarios and negative
thoughts
• How effective is that in diminishing our fears?
• When I am afraid – I will put my trust in God – I will fix my mind
on God’s glory and God’s Kingdom and God’s purposes
• David is in a cave surrounded by fierce enemies – and his heart is
steadfastly fixed on the earth being filled with the knowledge of
the glory of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea – his mindset is
the same as though he were in a Perspectives class
• Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
•
Let your glory be over all the earth!
• Is there any wonder why David was called a man after God’s own
heart?
(Conclusion)
How about you? What are you doing with your fears?
When I am afraid – I will put my trust in God
I will stand on the promises of God’s Word
I will take refuge under God’s wings
I will cry out to the Most High God and trust Him to fulfill His
purpose for me
• I will trust His steadfast love and faithfulness
• I will keep my heart steadfast and fixed on God’s character
• I will extol God with songs of praise
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• I will change my focus from Self to God and His glory and His
Kingdom
Prayer
“I Exalt Thee”