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You arewelcome

StoneCreek

www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

January 20, 2013

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The Philistine warlords believing that David would turn on them, forced King Achish to

send David and his men away from the battle.

They returned to Ziklag.

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8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Do you have trouble or grief in your life?

Ask God in Jesus’ Name what to do.

Do what the Lord says to do in His Word and by His Holy Spirit.

The Spirit will agree with the Word.

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God said “Go.” David went.

Brook Besor

200 men, too tired to go on, stayed behind with their stuff, and 400

men went on to the battle.

That’s the way the devil treats his slaves:

Use them up and throw them away.

Deserted by his Amalekite master

because he was sick

Young Egyptian slave

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They fed him first and then questioned him later.

If we don’t take care of the body, then the mind and spirit cannot function as we need.

Psalm 127 (NIV) 1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat -- for He grants sleep to those He loves. Trust God for all.

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He led David and his 400 men to where the Amalekites were

celebrating -- drinking and dancing.

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17 And David smote them from the twilight (dusk) even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

There’s always some devils left to cause trouble another day.

The final victory will be in death.

The battles are often long and hard.

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The Israelites recovered their wives, children, livestock, and possessions,

plus all the wealth the Amalekites had amassed.

That’s what God told David when David prayed about pursuing the Amalekites.

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20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they (his men) drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

What did David need?

Food for his men.At this point he wasn’t interested in personal

wealth such as gold and silver.

He had six hundred men to care for.

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Where the 200 men who were too weak to go on had stayed to guard the

stuff.

Brook Besor

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Some of the 400 who had gone on to fight said,

“Give them their wives and children and run them off.”

The Bible calls them wicked men of Belial.

They were filled with pride and greed.

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“We didn’t wimp out; we fought the battle.”

“They were too weak to go with us.”

These prideful and greedy men didn’t want to share the wealth.

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23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, Who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. 24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. 25

And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

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David knew from whence their help had come:

From the Lord!The Lord had preserved them in battle.

The Lord had given them victory.

The Lord had provided all that they had.

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He would not listen to the pride and greed of the complainers.

Those who fought and those who stayed behind to guard the stuff would share alike.

Both jobs were equally needful, as are all jobs in the church.

And we find in the last verses that David shared with neighboring villages who had

suffered loss at the hands of the Amalekites.

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1 Timothy 6 17-19 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded (arrogant), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

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Many of David’s men were arrogant, thinking themselves better than the others.

That’s often true today among those who have plenty of this world’s goods.

“I worked hard and saved my money.”

“Why should I share with others.”

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But God says that He provided all that we have.

Someone once said, “I understand that we are here to share with others,

But what are the others here for?”

18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate (share); 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

The answer is given us in 1 Tim 6:

That we may lay up for our own future: