MONDAY July 29, 2019
A Brand New Work
David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.
1 Samuel 22:1-2
Saul had become a real thorn in David’s flesh. Saul knew the truth about God’s will. David was to be the next King of Israel. Saul chose to fight against God’s plan. When David felt his life was threatened by Saul––he fled. This was not a coincidence. I believe God used this situation to stir David’s heart, and cause him to run. David needed to move away from the kingdom so he could be rescued from his persecutor.
David had grown comfortable around the kingdom. God wanted to start a new work so He needed to move David forward. Saul was so unaware of how God was using these circumstances in David’s life. He just continued to pursue him. As David left the kingdom running, God would use this situation to eventually bring David to the throne.
David went towards the south and decided to find refuge in the Cave of Adullum. Notice the kind of men who gathered in the cave to be with him. These 400 men were in debt and distress. In society they would never have amounted to anything. Although not valued in the world, they would be David’s mighty men of war!
Interestingly, there were 400 men who came to David in this new work God was doing in the kingdom of Israel. The number 400 is the number of silence. It is the number of years between the Old Testament and the New Testament. God did not speak through the prophets for 400 years. Then He began a whole new work.
God desires to do a brand new work in your life. At times, He uses people who are in opposition to stir your heart and move you forward.
Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?
~Isaiah 43:19~
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