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HIGH RISKS AND HIGH STAKE (23 OF 27)

by Keith Krell

Scripture: 1 Samuel 27:1-28
This content is part of a series.


High Risks and High Stake (23 of 27)
Series: Calling All Leader
Keith Krell
1 Samuel 27:1-28:2


Have you served in the military and been deployed? If not, you undoubtedly know someone who has. What is the most difficult thing about being deployed? There are many possible responses: being away from family, being away from church, lack of good food, lack of consistent sleep, the threat of death, just to name a few. Deployment can be grueling and excruciating! The men and women serving in the Armed Forces understand extreme loneliness, discouragement, and hardship.

David also understood a form of deployment. However, his deployment lasted for ten consecutive years! During this time, David experienced many of the same deprivations of men and women in the military. He also had his fair share of successes and failures. In 1 Samuel 27 David had just emerged from a string of three remarkable spiritual victories. He had spared Saul's life once in the cave at En Gedi (24). Then he had spared Nabal's life when Abigail interceded (25). Finally, he had very recently spared Saul's life again when he crept into the camp and found Saul sleeping (26). Now in 1 Sam 27, David transitions from the mountaintop to the valley-he moves from being at his best to being at his worst.

1. David flees to the Philistines (27:1-7). Our story begins on an ominous note: ''Then David said to himself, 'Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand''' (27:1). There are three observations worth making in this opening verse: First, David is preoccupied with himself. He uses the terms ''himself,'' ''I'' (twice), and ''me'' (twice). Furthermore, there is no mention of David seeking God.

Second, the phrase ''David said to himself'' is literally, ''David said to his heart.'' David is talking to ...

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