Preparing for Sunday, April 14 2013 at Grace Fellowship Church

I am going to attempt to cover lots of glorious Gospel ground on Sunday morning and that makes reading ahead a smart move.

First off, you should read carefully the three major events covered in 1 Samuel 22:6-23:29. They are all marked by some form of betrayal.

If you can find the time, you should also read the three Psalms that correspond to these three events. Psalms 52, 63 and 54 in that order.

There are a thousand things one might learn from this passage, but I hope to focus on what David modeled to us under these headings:

1.         When your enemy betrays you… (22:6-23)

A.        God always tells you what to do

B.        God always brings about justice

C.        God always rescues His people

Psalm 52

2.         When your friends betray you… (23:1-14)

A.        God always tells you what to do

B.        God always brings about justice

C.        God always rescues His people

Psalm 63

3.         When your family betrays you… (23:19-29)

A.        God always tells you what to do

B.        God always brings about justice

C.        God always rescues His people

Psalm 54

You hopefully noticed that the same three points are made under each major point. Almost like the Lord was trying to teach us something.

The one episode I am skipping over in chapter 23 is Jonathan’s visit to David. We have already covered this.

You may also want to ponder in advance these TAG questions.

1. Are you a whiner (1 Sam 22:8)? What does that say about your trust in God’s providence? Is whining a sin or just annoying?
2. God uses evil Doeg to accomplish His holy justice. That means that as Doeg opposed God, he actually accomplished God’s ultimate purposes. (Evil Doeg fulfilled God’s prophecy of 1 Samuel 2:31f.) How does understanding this help you trust God in the middle of witnessing betrayal and mistreatment?
3. Are you a grumbler or a grappler? Do you tend to complain to others or run to God in prayer? What are some things you are more prone to whine about rather than pray about?
4. What is wrong with starting a sentence with, “God told me…” and finishing that sentence with anything other than a Bible verse?
5. Does “thirsting after God” sound foreign to your experience (Psalm 63)? If you have never longed for God like this, what might that be telling you about your walk with Him?
6. God used a sinless carpenter and cross to free us from our sins. What surprising means has God used to deliver you out of other troubles?

And by all means, pray the Lord visits us on Sunday!