Lessons from David pt 2
"A somebody becomes a fugitive"
Thesis: When David does the right thing for God and becomes a somebody Saul gets jealous and forces David to become a fugitive.
Introduction:
David has the Spirit of the Lord on Him. He defeats the giant Goliath – He brings a great victory to Israel. Saul hears the praise for David Saul has killed his 1,000 and David has killed his 10,000. Saul hears this praise and the evil spirit stirs him up. He becomes jealous and his heart is prompted to strike out at the hero.
Saul see’s David as a threat not a blessings – Is it not obvious why? When an evil spirit is leading our lives and influencing our interpretation of life we will always be in opposition to the people led by the Spirit and living for the Spirit of God. They will always be seen as a threat not an ally!
1 SAMUEL 16:14-23
David’s Introduction to the Court of Saul.—V. 14. With the rejection of Saul on the part of God, the Spirit of Jehovah had departed from him, and an evil spirit from Jehovah had come upon him, who filled him with fear and anguish. The “evil spirit from Jehovah” which came into Saul in the place of the Spirit of Jehovah, was not merely an inward feeling of depression at the rejection announced to him, which grew into melancholy, and occasionally broke out in passing fits of insanity, but a higher evil power, which took possession of him, and not only deprived him of his peace of mind, but stirred up the feelings, ideas, imagination, and thoughts of his soul to such an extent that at times it drove him even into madness. This demon is called “an evil spirit (coming) from Jehovah,” because Jehovah had sent it as a punishment, or “an evil spirit of God” (Elohim: v. 15), or briefly “a spirit of God” (Elohim), or “the evil spirit” (v. 23, compare 1 Samuel 18:10), as being a supernatural, spiritual, evil power; but never “the Spirit of Jehovah,” because this is the Spirit proceeding from the holy God, which works upon men as the spirit of strength, wisdom, and knowledge, and generates and fosters the spiritual or divine life. The expression øÈòÈä éÀäÉåÈä øåÌçÇ (1 Samuel 19:9) is an abbreviated form for éÀäÉåÈä îÅàÅú øÈòÈä øåÌçÇ, and is to be interpreted according.
1 Samuel 16:15-16
Adams Clark Commentary
14 the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him—It is not that God’s Spirit departed at the moment of David’s anointing, for this could be rendered “had departed” (NIV) or “had forsaken” (NEB) or “had left” (JB, TLB). The “evil spirit from the Lord” is troubling to Christian readers. It is not that God is the source of the evil spirit, but that from an OT perspective God is in ultimate control of everything, even evil spirits. Saul, as modern psychiatrists have suggested, shows the symptoms of manic-depression. In any case, his character and personality, from this point on, clearly deteriorate. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul—He was thrown into such a state of mind by the judgments of God, as to be deprived of any regal qualities which he before possessed. God seems to have taken what gifts he had, and given them to David; and then the evil spirit came upon Saul; for what God fills not, the devil will.
An evil spirit from the Lord—The evil spirit was either immediately sent from the Lord, or permitted to come. Whether this was a diabolic possession, or a mere mental malady, the learned are not agreed; it seems to have partaken of both. That Saul had fallen into a deep melancholy, there is little doubt; that the devil might work more effectually on such a state of mind, there can be but little question. There is an old proverb, Satan delights to fish in troubled waters; and Saul’s situation of mind gave him many advantages.
The theory of Dr. Scheuchzer, in his Physica Sacra, on the malady of Saul, is allowed to be very ingenious. It is in substance as follows: Health consists in a moderate tension of the fibres, which permits all the fluids to have an entire freedom of circulation, and to the spirits, that of diffusing themselves through all the limbs; on the contrary, disease consists in tensions of the fibres morbidly weak or morbidly strong. This latter seems to have been the case of Saul; and as the undulations of the air which convey sound communicate themselves to and through the most solid bodies, it is easy to suppose that by the modulations of music all the fibres of his body, which were under the influence of the morbidly increased tension, might be so relaxed as to be brought back into their natural state, and thus permit the re-establishment of a free and gentle circulation of the fluids, and consequently of the animal spirits, and thus induce calmness and tranquillity of mind. I believe this theory to be correct, and I should find no difficulty to amplify and to illustrate the subject. Even a skillful playing upon the harp was one means to bring a disordered state of the nervous and fibrous system into a capacity of affording such uninterrupted tranquillity to the mind as to render it capable of receiving the prophetic influence; see the case of Elisha, 2 Kings 3:14, 15. It has been said:—
“Music hath charms to sooth the savage breast.”
This has been literally proved: a musician was brought to play on his instrument while they were feeding a savage lion in the tower of London; the beast immediately left his food, came towards the grating of his den, and began to move in such a way as to show himself affected by the music. The musician ceased, and the lion returned to his food; he recommenced, and the lion left off his prey, and was so affected as to seem by his motions to dance with delight. This was repeatedly tried, and the effects were still the same.
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 18
1After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
5Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul’s officers as well.
6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. 7As they danced, they sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.”
8Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul. 13So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. 15When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.
17Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”
18But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
20Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21“I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”
22Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.’”
23They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”
24When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.
26When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
28When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.
30The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
1 Samuel 19:
1Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David 2and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”
4Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”
6Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
7So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
8Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.
9But an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp, 10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
11Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.
14When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
15Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.
17Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”
Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”
18When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men and they also prophesied. 21Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”
“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.
23So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Address: Question Does God send Evil spirits on others?
I. When you become a somebody for God you become a target.
a. Saul become jealous of David’s success
i. Earthly Wisdom-Those who study bees tell us when a honeybee drives its barbed stinger into flesh, it becomes so firmly imbedded that the only way the bee can escape is to leave the stinger behind. This, however, is sure to cause the death of the bee. It receives such a wound that it cannot possibly recover. So it is with us. Sometimes we sting others because they are a little better than we are. Being jealous of them, we not only leave the sting in those who happen to disagree with us, but the act brings about spiritual harm to ourselves. If our zeal embitters others, it will multiply bitterness within our own hearts. Thus, when others feel the bitterness of our zeal, they will surely come to the conclusion that we do not possess Jesus Christ who descended from heaven to give us new life. (Illustrations of Bible Truths).
ii. Beware of Jealousy - Mrs. Wesley was extremely jealous of her husband. His work set him in the position of friend and counselor to many women. Among his helpers and in the institutions that were springing up under his care, women were employed, and each one was for his insanely jealous wife an object of deadly suspicion. Wesley on his part was apt to be tolerant, in a masculine and broad-minded way, of the facts and relationships of some women, which other women, even the best, would hardly forgive. Sally Ryan, for example, the housekeeper at one of his orphanages, was a woman with a past. She was at this time only thirty-three, but she had three husbands living and was separated from them all. Wesley was in constant correspondence with her, a fact which kindled his wife to fury. She stole Wesley’s correspondence to satisfy her doubts. She would travel one hundred miles to see who his companions were at a particular stage of his preaching tour. Her fury threw her sometimes into paroxysms of mad violence and sometimes into acts of almost incredible treachery. She not only stole her husband’s letters to satisfy her doubts, but she tampered with them so as to give them an evil sense and put them into the hands of his enemies to be published. Beware of jealousy. It can make the light of God in your heart so dark you see only evil, never good, in everyone.
b. Saul feared how successful David was
c. Saul knew he could lose the Kingdom because of the anointing of the Lord on David.
d. The people liked David and Saul did not like that!
e. Saul was gripped by an evil spirit:
i. Evil spirits cause the following:
1. Jealousy
2. Hatred
3. Anger
4. Fear
5. Torment
6. Will cause you to commit murder
7. Will cause you to persecute and slay the innocent
f. How does a somebody deal with somebody like Saul?
i. David – fled
ii. David – loved
iii. David would not touch God’s anointed
iv. David – sought counsel
v. David sought God
vi. David cried out to God
vii. David did not allow the Bait of Satan to take root!
viii. David served on
T.S. - Somebodies need to know that times can become tough and they need to know who they can lean on for help.
II. What should a fugitive do and not do when he is under pressure?
a. Do you run to the Prophet of God (I Samuel 19:18-24)?
i. Yes, The Lord did a miracle to deliver David but for some reason David left and went to Jonathan.
b. Do you run to your friends ( I Samuel 20)?
i. Do you seek advice and help from them?
ii. David sought the help of Jonathan – who at first did not believe what David was saying. He checked it out only to discover that His father threw a spear at him. His eyes where open and he helped his friend escape.
1. This is true friendship!
2. How do you know when you have an intimate friend?
a. Swindoll gives us four character traits of true intimate friends his book “DAVID” (53,54):
i. An Intimate true friend is willing to sacrifice (I Samuel 18:4)
ii. An intimate true friend is a loyal defense against others (I Samuel 19:4,5).
iii. An intimate true friend will give you freedom to be yourself (I Samuel 20:41).
iv. An intimate true friend is one who is always encouraging (I Samuel 23:15,16).
c. Do you run to your spouse (I Samuel 19:9-18)?
i. You should but don’t be surprised if a non-loyal spouse lies about you and does not go with you when your on the run.
ii. A loyal spouse would have went with David.
iii. A true loyal lover is one that stays with you through the good and the bad.
iv. A true a loyal spouse is one who will not lie about you.
d. Do you run to the priests God’s representatives (I Samuel 21:1-9)?
i. Yes you should but do not lie. David lied to Ahimlelech?
1. David here collapses from the pressure of being a fugitive.
2. He deceives the priest and gets Goliath’s sword and some food.
3. The result of this encounter and lies cost the priests at Nob their lives in (I Samuel 22:6-23)
a. You cannot blame David for this Saul takes the responsibility.
b. Pastor Roe shares some insight about this horrible act of Saul:
i. Why does Saul leap on this thing so desperately? Who is Saul really angry at? God. Who rejected Saul? God. Who chose David? God. Who sent a spirit of evil to harass Saul? God. Who won’t answer Saul when he inquires of Him? God. Saul is really angry at God. But, how can you strike against someone who is invisible? You can’t! So, how do you get even with God? By picking on someone who is the visibility of God, the priests of God, and one other person. What is David? God’s anointed. What does the word anointed mean in Hebrew? Messiah! Saul is after the Messiah and Saul is after God’s believing priests. He is going to wipe out both, if he can. Who is Satan after? Who are his primary targets? 2,000 years ago he tried to get one of them, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, God’s anointed. And who has he been trying to destroy for the last 2,000 years? God’s priests, you and I, the believers. See who has taken possession of Saul’s thinking process now. This is not a physical battle. This is only the playing out of the action that has been going on in the spiritual realm. Saul is playing the role of Satan’s tool down here, and he does not even know it. Saul has become spiritually blind (I add and it will kill him!) (7).
e. Do you run to the your enemies?
i. And play insane ( I Samuel 21:10-15)?
ii. David discovered that this was not a good move – he became fearful for his life so he acted insane – I love the king’s response, “This guy’s insane get rid of him we have enough insane people around here!”
iii. Yes, the pressure is getting to David-He is in over his head!
iv. Swindoll states, “Oh, man! That’s David! Our champion! Foaming at the mouth, scratching on the gate, looking like a madman as the foam dribbles into his beard, David hit rock bottom “(66).
f. Do you run to God and wait for direction ( I Samuel 22:1-5)?
i. Yes, you run to his refuge and wait on God!
ii. This is the first thing David should continue to do.
iii. When David arrived at the cave we are told in Psalms that he penned Psalm 142 as he cried out to God. Lets look at Psalm 142.
1. David comes to his senses and cries out to God for help!
2. Can you feel his pain-his hopelessness-his despair.
3. But our hero still has his most important quality – A man after God’s own heart!
a. He tried the other people but ran back to God
4. So he now runs to God for help- He cries Lord deliver me!
5. In this Psalm he remembers that God is his refuge “I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge my portion in the land of the living..”(5).
a. Why does David become king? Because he knows who the king maker is.
iv. He also wrote Psalm 57- falling prostrate before the Lord in the dark cave. Swindoll states, “He is still down, but at least he’s looking up. He’s no longer just looking within” (76).
1. He looks to God for peace and contentment.
2. He finds it in praising and worshipping God
3. This is how you get calm in the midst of the storms of life.
v. He also wrote Psalm 31 Which helps us to understand why we all need a refuge. Swindoll gives us insight:
1. We need a refuge because we are in distress and sorrow accompanies.
2. We need a refuge because we are sinful and guilt accuses us.
3. We need a refuge because we are surrounded by adversaries and misunderstanding assaults us.
(page 81)
T.S. - We learn that a fugitive needs to run to God because he is their refuge, even if the rest the human race abandons you go, to the refuge. Then wait on God.
III. When you are under pressure- pray- but don’t be surprised by how God answers your prayers and who he sends to your aid ( I Samuel 22:1-5, Psalm 34).
a. How would you like to lead what God sent David?
Illustration of youth acting like these 400 individuals.
i. His family- You know the family where Dad forgot he had another son. You know the one where the older brother accuses David of having a conceited and wicked heart.
1. I am sure they came with positive words for David.
ii. The distressed –and in trouble
1. The Hebrew word -matsowq- means everyone who was in distress- ones disabled by their anguished hearts and emotions.
2. It means as Swindoll states, “What a group! ‘Everyone who was in distress’ came. The Hebrew word here, zuk, means not only ‘in distress’, but ‘under pressure, under stress.’”(74)
3. So here came hundreds of stressed out people
iii. The ones in debt-nasha- those taxed heavily and under huge credit card debts.
1. These where the ones who Swindoll states, “Could not pay their bills.”
2. So we have all the ones who cannot manage money and are under extreme agony because of their financial state
iv. Then the discontented ones, and angry ones
1. The word here is -mar nephesh -meaning they where the bitter ones-the angry ones.
2. Swindoll notes,” …means to be in bitterness of soul, to have been wronged and mistreated.”
b. Can you imagine this scenario- they start showing up in groups- David starts to notice that his cave is filling up with the malcontents of Israel.
i. The rejects, the complainers – I’m sure he started jumping for joy!
ii. Believe it or not these where the future leaders of the nation of Israel – the one’s who would later on be called “David’s mighty men of valor.”
iii. David was not alone God sent him men who needed to be trained and raised up for the Lord!
iv. How in the world do you lead a bunch like this?
1. Ritter gives us some insight from Psalm 34 how David did this (3,4):
a. Many believe that this Psalm was penned in the cave after the 400 malcontents showed up.
b. He led them in praise- Psalm 34:1
c. He assured them of God’s protection- Psalm 34:7
d. He drew their attention to the Lord so they would trust him.
i. To the distressed – Psalm 34:8
ii. To those in debt – Psalm 34:9
iii. To the discontent – Psalm 34:18
2. Ritter also gives us helpful advice on how to help people like this, “ When presented the opportunity in the refuge of preparation, seize the opportunity to pour your life into people. God brings them into our lives for the purpose of being influenced for His glory and purpose. Discouraged people don’t need critics. They hurt enough already. They need encouragement. They need a word. They need a place to heal and a confidant; a comrade in arms, a caring, willing, and available someone (4).
a. Amazing how God heals us as we help others!
3. Ritter also reminds us of Psalms 78:72 “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”
Conclusion:
Summary:
a). Don’t be deceived into thinking that when you become somebody in God that everyone will like you and you won’t have to duck.
b). When you become a fugitive on the run always run to God your refuge and wait for his direction.
c). When he answers your prayers don’t be surprised by who he sends. He knows what’s best for you and who can help you. He also knows that you can help them.
David went from a somebody to a fugitive and he was in good company because there was another King who did the same – This video will reveal to you who that was:
Altar call- This fugitive is the King of Kings and he is here today to be your mighty refuge in life- you only have to let him do so!
