ADVERSARY (SAM 29-30)
So (while Saul was consulting with the witch of Endor) the Philistines continued gathering for battle at Aphek, while the armies of Yisharal camped near the spring of Jezreel (where Gideon had selected his 300 best warriors to attack the Midianites). The armies of the Philistines were marching forward by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were marching behind with King Achish.
And when the rest of the Philistine Generals (princes) arrived they were very unimpressed, “WHAT ARE THESE BLASTED HEBREWS DOING HERE?" they complained,
“That’s Dave”, King Achish said, “He was a servant of King Saul in Yisharal, but he’s been with me for days and years and ever since he defected to our nation and into my service, I’ve never had a problem with him or seen any evil in him”.
But the Philistine Princes were angry, “Get rid of him! Find a place, somewhere, anywhere but here and send him there. He can’t go into battle with us, for he may turn and we’ll end up with an ADVERSARY instead of an ally. He mighty `kiss and make up’ with his former master by handing him our heads! I mean this is the same David who the Yisharalites sang war songs about while they danced and celebrated isn’t it? They sang, “Saul has slain a thousand men but and David’s killed ten thousand??”
The Hebrew word that's being translated as ENEMY or ADVERSARY is a familiar one: SATAN! That’s right, the accusation by the Philistine Princes is that David would become a `satan' of Philistia. Despite the common habit (of using `satan' as a formal name for the devil), it's actually just a common Hebrew term that means ADVERSARY. And here we see a good example of what an adversary (a satan) does in the eyes of the ancients. First and foremost A SATAN IS A TRAITOR. Second is that A SATAN WILL FIGHT AGAINST HIS FORMER ALLY AND KING. Third is that even though he might fake loyalty, the words are hollow because A SATAN IS A LIAR BY NATURE. These are good things to remember about the attributes AND BEHAVIOUR of the Evil One whom we actually call Satan. No matter what a person declares with their mouth (or keyboard) WE MUST DISCERN THE BEHAVIOUR !
So King Achish called for David, “As Yahuah lives, you have been honest with me, and I wish you could march into battle and back at my side. I’ve found no fault in you before, but the other Kings, the leaders of my troops won't allow you go with us. So go home now, go in peace and don’t do anything to upset them any further".
This decision is certainly in David’s favor. Could he have really gone to battle against Yisharal? But he acts as though he's offended.
"That’s not fair, what’ve I done to deserve this? Haven’t I done everything you’ve asked, So why shouldn’t we go and fight against your enemies my King”?
“Yes Dave, you’re a breath of fresh air and just as good as a messenger of Alahim in my eyes, but the generals of my troops have said they won’t allow you to go into battle with us. So get up early tomorrow morning with my servants, and return to the home I have given you in Ziklag - go as soon as it’s light".
So the next morning, David and his men got up early and traveled south to the land of the Philistines, but the Philistine army went north to Jezreel.
When David and his men reached Ziklag three days later, they discovered that the Amalekites had raided the desert hill country, attacked Ziklag (in David’s absence), burning it and capturing alive all the women and other inhabitants that David had left behind, carrying them back toward Amalek.
HOW MANY TIMES SINCE THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT HAVE WE READ THAT YAHUAH WANTED HIS ENEMY, THE AMALEKITES COMPLETELY WIPED OUT? YET YISHARAL NEVER COMPLETED THE TASK, NOT THROUGH MOSES, JOSHUA, THE JUDGES, OR SAUL - SO THEY REMAIN A HUGE THORN IN THEIR SIDE. AND THAT SAME ADVERSARY, UNREPENTANT, UNTEACHABLE, SAVAGE SPIRIT STILL LIVES ON TODAY RAISING IT'S UGLY HEAD IN THE BEHAVIOURS AROUND US (EVEN HIS IMMERSED).
And David was `off his face' upset because (aside from his loss) some of his men talked about stoning him because they were so bitter about their families being taken. But David took comfort in Yahuah, his Alahim.
DID DAVID DESERVE SOME BLAME FOR THIS? ABSOLUTELY HE DID! IT WAS HIS LYING, DECEPTION AND TRYING TO PLAY BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE AT THE SAME TIME THAT PUT THEM ALL IN THIS SITUATION. WHILE DAVID WAS ALLYING HIMSELF WITH THE ENEMY AND LEADING HIS MEN OFF ON A JUNKET TO FIGHT AGAINST YAHUAH’S SET-APART PEOPLE, THE ENEMY STEALTHILY CAME IN AND STOLE AWAY THEIR FAMILIES. LET THOSE WHO HAVE EARS TO HEAR, LISTEN.
Then David called for the priest, Abiathar (son of Ahimelech) and instructed him to bring the Priestly Shoulder Garment (the ephod holding the Urim and Thummim stones), which he did. And David spoke to Yahuah, “Should we pursue these raiders? Can we catch them?"
“Go and gett’em! You can catch them, no problemo. Go and rescue your families", Yahuah answered. OBVIOUSLY PARAPHRASED FOR THE URIM & THUMMIN STONES REALLY ONLY GAVE A YES OR NO ANSWER.
So David set out with his 600 men and they came to the Wadi Besor, a dry creek bed where he left behind 200 men who were too exhausted to continue the pursuit. Then in the open country beyond, some of his soldiers found an Egyptian, so they took him to David, fed him, and gave him water, also some fig cake and two clusters of raisins. And after the man had eaten, he regained his strength. He had not had food or water for three days and nights. “Who are your people mate? Where you from?”
“From Egypt! I used to serve an Amalekite, but my master ditched me three days ago because I was sick. We’d gone raiding in the desert country, against the Cherethites and the territories of Judah and of Caleb, and we burned down the town of Ziklag".
“Can you lead me to this raiding party?”
“Sure, I’ll take you to them, if you’ll swear to me by Alahim that you won’t kill me or give me back to my master”.
And he led David to where the Amalekites were spread out all over the place eating and drinking and dancing, because they'd taken such great spoils in their raids against Philistia and Judah. So David fought against them from one twilight to the next, and he killed all of them (except for 400 young men who escaped on camels).
So David recovered everything that had been taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing from the smallest thing to the greatest treasure, none of the sons or daughters, no property of any kind. David brought everything home and also captured the Amalekite's flocks and herds, which they were driving ahead of other livestock, and the people agreed this would be David’s share of the Amalekites’ property.
David and his people returned to the Wadi Besor (where the 200 had remained behind exausted) and those men came out to meet David and all those with him. And David greeted them all, but some of the worthless and greedy ones who had fought alongside David spoke out, “These men can get stuffed! They didn’t come and fight with us, so why should we give them back the things we recovered for them? Sure, they can have their wives and children. But that’s it. We’ll keep the rest thanks, and they can sod off!”
“My brothers, this is not how we’re going to treat what Yahuah has given us back. He’s protected us and given us success over the raiding party that attacked our city. Who the hell would agree with you about this?
The share of the one who fights is the same as the share of the one who looks after the supplies. We all share equally". THE SCRIPTURE DESCRIBES THE MEN WHO HAD THIS DISGUSTING UNGENEROUS ATTITUDE AS RAH AND BELIAL: EVIL AND WORTHLESS.
In fact, David made this a law and an Instruction, and it still remains in Yisharal today. And after David returned to Ziklag, he gave part of the spoil he had taken to his friends who ruled over Judah, with the message, “This is a present for you, taken from the enemies of Yahuah.”
These gifts were sent to Bethel, to Ramoth in the desert south, to Jattir, to Aroer, to Siphmoth, to Eshtemoa, to Racal, to the towns of the Jerahmeelites, to the towns of the Kenites, to Hormah, to Borashan, to Athach, and to Hebron - all places where David and his men had lived and traveled.
IT'S AN INTERESTING FACT OF HISTORY THAT AMALEK, IN THEIR FIRST DEALING WITH YISHARAL, ATTACKED THE REAR OF THE EXODUS COLUMN (THAT WAS MARCHING OUT OF EGYPT) WHERE THE ELDERLY, THE SICK, THE LAME, THE PREGNANT WOMEN AND THE YOUNG CHILDREN WERE TRAVELLING. AND HERE WITH DAVID, WE FIND THAT AMALEK WAITED UNTIL THE MEN OF THE VILLAGE WERE GONE AND THEN CAME AND ATTACKED THE WOMEN, THE CHILDREN, THE SICK AND THE LAME, AND THE ELDERLY.
SO IT IS A GUTLESS, COWARDICE, SLIMEY CHARACTERISTIC OF AMALEK (AND BY EXTENSION THE SPIRIT OF AMALEK), TO GO AFTER THE MOST VULNERABLE OF YAHUAH'S PEOPLE WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECT IT.
TODAY THE SAME ADVERSARY SPIRIT OF AMALEK IS ALIVE AND KICKING, PROWLING THE EARTH LIKE A SAVAGE WOLF, AND ITS VERY NATURE IS TO ATTACK YAHUSHA’S BRIDE, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG, EASILY STIRRED, IMMATURE AND NEWBIES IN THE BELIEF.
IN THE LAST DAYS YAHUSHA WILL USE THIS WICKED CHARACTERISTIC TO LURE THE NATIONS/RELIGIONS WHO ALL HARBOUR THE ADVERSARY SPIRIT OF AMALEK IN THEIR BEHAVIOUR, AND BRING THEM TO DESTRUCTION. BUT UNTIL HE SEPARATES THE WHEAT FROM THE POISONOUS DARNEL (PLANTED IN AMONGST US BY THE ENEMY) WE MUST ALWAYS BE DISCERNING AND VERY CAREFUL IN OUR DEALINGS AND COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN THE BRIDE.
YAHUSHA TOLD US TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES, AND (LOOKING AT THE PATTERNS) THE ENEMY WAS OUTSIDE YISHARAL, IN THE PAGAN NATIONS, NOT FELLOW YISHARALITES. AND GET THIS - HE NEVER TOLD YISHARAL TO LOVE HIS ENEMIES DID HE (AMALEK) - NO HE INSISTED THEY BE ANNIHILATED.
SO (WHILE WE AREN'T FIGHTING FLESH AND BLOOD) WE MUST SPEAK OUT AND REBUKE THE EVIL ENEMY BEHAVIOUR IF IT IS AFFECTING THOSE AMONG US. YAHUSHA'S STYLE OF LOVING IS NOT MERELY CONFINED TO A 2-DIMENSIONAL LIGHT AND FLUFFY, MARSHMELLOW-CENTRED GUSHINESS FOR HIM AND OTHERS IN THE BRIDE - NO THIS IS WARFARE, AND OFTEN, AS ONE MATURES THEY ARE CALLED TO DO SOME HARD-LOVING, WHICH MEANS TO CONFRONT, ADDRESS AND ANNIHILATE A CONFLICT. OF COURSE (AS WITH JOSHUA AND DAVID) THERE'S ONLY EVER SUCCESS IN A SET-APART BATTLE IF YAHUSHA IS THE ONE WHO INITIATES IT AND FIGHTS IT AHEAD OF US.
THE BODY IS SO IMMATURE (BECAUSE SHE REFUSES TO GROW A BACKBONE THROUGH THE 3 RULES) THAT SHE ACTUALLY TAKES INSTRUCTION AND REBUKE PERSONALLY, CRIES `PERSECUTION' AND `HATRED' AND CALLS A BRO OR SIS AN ENEMY, INSTEAD OF SEEING THAT SOMEONE IS WILLING TO GO THE DISTANCE AND SUFFER SO THAT THEY MIGHT SEE WHAT YAHUSHA IS DOING.
COMMENT BY THE RELIGIOUS TEACHER LEW WHITE (UPON BEING REBUKED) :
"By our words we will be declared upright; and by our words we will be forgiven (IT'S ACTUALLY BY OUR GENUINE BEHAVIOUR! WORDS CAN BE FAKED). Yahusha warned us we would face ENEMIES within our own household, but we are not to condemn, only forgive. I will pray Yahusha's will be done and His body will stop tearing itself apart”.
WHAT WICKEDNESS IS THIS !!
