Monday's Bible Teaching at AblazeUK

The first main meeting of the day on Monday was the fantastic Bible Teaching with Pastor David Dando. David preached from 1 Samuel 30:1-11, 16-24 on “Recovering What the Enemy has Stolen”. 


In 1 Sam. 30, David was living among the people of Goliath. Yet he didn't spiritually prosper at that time. As far as we can tell, there are no Psalms written during that period. How had he ended up in such a state? We see that in 1 Sam. 27:1. David had gone from asking God to thinking to himself and making his own plans. But unbelief and mistrust always bring their consequences. David was looking at God through the mists of his circumstances, rather than looking at his circumstances throughout the radiance of God. The spear in the hand of Saul was clearer to him than the oil in the hand of Samuel. 


But the turning point comes in 1 Sam. 30:6 -”David strengthened himself in the Lord”. We don't know the reality of God's strength until we come to the end of ours.


How did David strengthen himself in the Lord?


1.) He encouraged himself in the Lord. 

He remembered what God had done before - His past deliverances.


2.) He recognised the man of God with him. 

So many people wanted to stone him, and yet there was one who stood with him - Abiathar the priest, the man of God. So David called for the Ephod. We should not cut ourselves off from the people of God, but recognise that they stand with us.


3.) He prayed.

In 1 Sam. 27 he thought to himself, but now he calls upon the Lord.


4.) He listened to the voice of God.

God's plan was completely different on the advice of the men around him (they wanted to stone him!).


What about the men left behind at the Besor Ravine? They weren't half hearted men. Remember, they had lost their wives and families and were desperate to get them back. They were broken men. They had to trust David to take back for them what the enemy had stolen. 


David had lost 1/3 of his force, but He had the Word of the Lord! And he recovers everything and more. He goes home with more than he started with. God's promo was fulfilled, not as David sat back passively, but God used David to fulfil His Word.


Just imagine the rejoicing of the 200 men left behind when they see that David has recovered their families for them. They've got their wives and children back! They'd be reaching too much to be thinking about the plunder, yet that's all some of the others can think about. In comparison to their families, that's such a trivial thing! Yet that's what so many of the people focus on: the trivial things. 


But David essentially says, “it's not mine, it's God's, so all will share alike.” And we will all share alike in Christ and what He has won for us. Be faithful in your place, in your calling, and know that all will share alike in our inheritance in Christ.


King David's Greater Son has won the greatest victory and set the captives free. Our David has recovered it all!


For David, total recovery didn't really come until a bit later in 2 Sam. 2:1-4. David doesn't just run back when he hears of Saul's death. he enquires of the Lord. He listens to God. And the. He goes back taking all his men with him, even those who were left behind at the Besor Ravine, and each man with his family. And then he's anointed king.


David's Greater Son will bring us up through the power of His Cross and Resurrection and won't leave any of us behind. There is no Kingdom without His people - He has prepared a place for us. Our David has won! Our David has recovered it all!


This summary doesn't do David Dando's sermon any justice at all. Of you can, get a copy of the CD, for it's fantastic preaching. (So much so that I pity the poor chap who has to follow in his wake and do the Bible Teaching this morning - which would be me!)