Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko:
Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “ Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.” 2 Samuel 3:14
Here is the back story… When David fought Goliath, Saul had attached the price of his firstborn daughter, Merab to the man who kills Goliath. So when David killed Goliath, Merab was automatically his bride. But Saul shortchanged him and gave her to another man. 1 Samuel 18:19
Then later Saul was told that his youngest daughter Michal was in love with David. We are told it pleases him because he said she will be a snare to him and I can get him killed by the Philistines. He uses his servants to convince David to become his son-in-law by marrying Michal. To marry her, Saul demanded the foreskins of 100 philistines with the guise of avenging his enemies. He was setting David up to be killed by the Philistines. David didn’t just get him a 100, he got 200. Saul had no choice but to give him Michal. His plan had failed horribly. 1 Samuel 18:20-30
Shortly after they wed, he tries to come after David but Michal helps him escape. And while David was in hiding, Saul takes Michal and gives her to another man. 1 Samuel 25:44
Twice, Saul had shortchanged David. Sometimes people can be the avenue the enemy uses to steal and plunder us. Later, when David had become established in authority and was about to get the kingdom from Saul’s household. He tells them don’t come to me without Michal. And we are told that Michal’s brother sent men to get her from the man she had been married off to by her father, Saul.
David recovers what had been rightfully his from the enemy’s hands.
Take away:
God re-establishes His authority through restoration
Sometimes, we can be so ransacked by the enemy that we begin to think he is more powerful than God. There are things that the enemy has stolen from my life that made me question God’s sovereignty. But in restoration, God is re-establishing His authority and reminding us that He has won it all for us.
David had lost so much in the time he was running from Saul in the wilderness. The enemy had the upper hand because David was vulnerable and powerless. Sometimes, circumstances give the enemy an upper hand. Sometimes, the battles we are facing open a door for the enemy to steal and plunder us.
But we serve a God of restoration. He has given us a promise in His word,
“I will make it up to you for the years” …Joel 2:25
God is repaying and restoring to you for the years the enemy stole while you were praying. For the years the enemy plundered you in your powerlessness. For the years the enemy came after you because you were vulnerable.
God re-establishes our authority in recovering
David puts a stake on the ground and tells the enemy, “You’ve had my stuff for too long, It’s time to give it back. I have paid a price for it so you can’t keep it!” What have you paid the price for but the enemy has stolen?
David demanded… He didn’t ask politely; he wasn’t asking them whether they want to give her back or not. He commanded them to return her. Authority enables us to command the enemy to return what belongs to us.
We need to get righteous anger over what the enemy has stolen from our lives. We need to get angry over time lost; over our marriages; over our children; over our careers and jobs; over our finances. And we don’t just get angry we get serious about recovering. We get in our prayer closets and ask back what has been taken. What do you need to ask back with authority? A relationship? A broken marriage? Prodigal children? A job that was taken? A dream? Getting back our stuff establishes us in authority and reminds the enemy who has given us authority and dominion.
It takes time
Recovering what the enemy has stolen isn’t an overnight success. It will take time because we aren’t established in authority enough to be able to go after the enemy. Sometimes, there are some things that God has to get out of the way to enable us to recover. We need time to learn how to fight an experienced enemy so we don’t become bigger casualties. Sometimes, we need to know how to go against fierce enemies and not die in battle.
David had won so many battles before he went after what had been stolen. First, he had to win the battle over his life and not die in the hands of Saul. He had to become an established warrior and build himself an army. He had to fight for the kingdom from Saul and his family. It took him a while, but he got to the place of recovering.
We don’t have to worry about how long the enemy has had our stuff. A day will come when he has to give it all back. We only need to prepare and get ready to get everything he has taken and then some. Don’t get weary and quit.
The enemy is a thief and we have to deal with him as a thief.
Our response when the enemy takes from us is to run back to God and ask Him to give us something else. It’s tempting to want to let him steal away our lives. We can opt to cry through life because the enemy is plundering us right, left, and center or we can get up and fight for our inheritance. Sometimes, God will restore to us new things in place of what the enemy has taken. Sometimes He gives us new relationships; new jobs; He restores us by giving us new things. However, there are things we can only have restoration for if we go after the thief and get back what he has stolen from us.
Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole. Proverbs 6:30-31 NLT
ESV says … he will pay sevenfold… Seven is the number of completion and perfection.
God is not saying the thief will pay seven times, He is saying He will restore completely and perfectly…as if it was never stolen…as if it was never lost…
God will restore to you all the things that have been stolen and do it so well that it will seem as if they were never stolen in the first place.
You can get another marriage or you can recover completely the one God gave to you. You can start another ministry or you can fight for the one you have. You can’t get new kids; you are going to have to fight for the ones God gave to you. You can have new avenues for money or you can get up and fight for the one you received through prayer and hard work.
David didn’t let the enemy keep what was rightfully his. We will not let him keep one more thing that God has given to us as an inheritance. We are recovering our plunder, and are not leaving him with one thing that has our names on it! Sis, get up and go recover all your plunder in Jesus’ name!
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