Series: David - A Man After God’s Own Heart (An Intro: Give Us A King – The People’s Choice V/S God’s Choice)
1. 1 Samuel 16:1-14 16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” 2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?” 5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah. 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
2. Psalm 78:70 He (God) also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
3. Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
INTRO 1: GIVE US A KING (THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE V/S GOD’S CHOICE) “Talk Slow”
Possible Topics: Give Us A King, The People’s Choice V/S The Almighty’s Choice, God Does Not See As Men See, A Nobody Nobody Noticed, Welcome To The Palace, Spiritual Music For Demonic Hearts, The Dangers Of Envy, Dancing Before The Lord, David And His Mighty Men, David And The Curses, A Wise Woman And A Foolish Man, David And Ziglag, Consequences Of A One Night Stand, Cloudy Days And Dark Nights, David And The Ark, My Son My Son, David’s Final Days, David And The Threshing Floor, Knowing Your Friends, Trouble In The Kingdom, The Heart To Build A House For God, The Value Of Friendship, Etc.
INTRODUCTION 2: ILLUSTRATION ON OUTWARD LOOKS – LOT OF BIBLE READING
ILLUSTRATION: A young man and a woman fell deeply in love and we so enamored that they set a date for marriage immediately. Just before the wedding, the man who was in the reserved in the armed forces was quickly called to military service overseas. Every week they wrote each other for the next four years and planned to marry immediately whenever they met. He had managed to get the rings where he was stationed and would present it to her the first day they met. One day the war was over and the young man was scheduled to arrive on a train with all the other GI’s back home. His love, with much enthusiasm, was at the train station to meet him. After everyone had embarked from the train, a crippled, scarred and disfigured man walked out. The woman could hardly recognize the person. Where was her love? To her horror and amazement, the disfigured man introduced himself as her love. A grenade in the war had disfigured him. He was the same person within, but outwardly had changed. He stretched out to give the ring he had brought. She could not stand the sight and walked away from that young man never to return again.
HUMANS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE.
We Human Beings Are Impressed By What We See. When Samuel Doe came to power in Liberia in 1980, he was popularly known as the people’s choice. Not that educated, but he was the kind of person that people had waited for so long - a true son of the soil. He started off well, but pretty soon the people’s choice changed. He became stubborn, thick skin and murderous. Then we produced Charles Taylor & Ellen Johnson. When will we learn? We make the same mistakes over and over. No country in the world has been free of this mistake – choosing on the basis of the externals and not the heart. Look in the news - we look for actors who are good looking and politicians who can tell us what we want to hear. They appeal to our faculties. I Have Always Prayed To God For Eyes To See People For What They Really Are. If I could spot a liar, pretender, people with evil intentions or false pretense and put them in their place. But only God knows the heart (Jer. 17:9).
The Same Situation Is Evident In The Beginning Of Our Series On The Life Of David. We need some history lesson in this Introduction. In Saul we see a man chosen by men to lead on the basis of his external appearance. In David is a man chosen by God to lead on the basis of his internal qualities. Let us begin in the New Testament with Paul. His audience was mainly Greeks and Jews - both were interested in the outward appearance - Greeks looked for smartness & athletic ability. The Jews sought signs to believe. 1 Corinthians 1:22-31: 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
David Was Just An Ordinary Boy No Different From Us. If you had gone to the house of Jesse, he might not have noticed him. But God saw what no man saw - Character. God is not interested in image or prestige. He says: “Give me a person with character and I will give him all the image he needs.” Psalm 78:72 So David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. David was chosen to lead when the people’s choice failed. Different manner of choice: The people chose Saul based on looks; God chose David based on character. What Does This Say About God? Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
TODAY, WE WILL DO A BIT OF JEWISH HISTORY - HOW DAVID CAME ON THE SCENE.
The Children Of Israel Were Now Tired With Judges whose children were unruly and worse than the ungodly. The sons of Eli and then Samuel were thieves and fornicators. They stole and cheated in the House of God.
THIS IS WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT ELI’S CHILDREN.
1 Samuel 2:22-35 22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death. 27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says… 29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ 30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, 32 and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. 34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you - they will both die on the same day. 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always.’” God’s Punishment Came In 1 Samuel 4. The Philistines fought the children of God and the ark was taken. Eli’s two sons were killed in battle and Eli himself, upon hearing the news, fell, broke his neck & died. His son Phinehas’ wife went into forced labor and gave birth to Ichabod: “the glory is departed from Israel.”
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT SAMUEL’S CHILDREN.
Samuel Took Over As Prophet. He was a good prophet but his children who had also been appointed priests rebelled against the Lord also. 1 Samuel 8:1-3 8 1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. (Legacies Of Parents & Children).
THE PEOPLE GOT ANGRY WITH GOD AND SAMUEL.
They Put Together A Delegation And Went To Samuel. 3 Reasons for wanting to meet with him: 1 Samuel 8:4-22 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
WHAT WAS THE INNERMOST REASON FOR A KING?
They Wanted A Leader They Could See And Touch. One that will go with them in battle and his presence will inspire them to fight. The Canaanites and Philistines had their gods. But when the Israelites were asked, they said their God was in the heavens. No. We want to see our God. They were willing to despise all the warning of God just to have a king and be like other nations. After much pressure and because God knew what they wanted, he selected a king according to their blueprint and authorized Samuel to anoint him. When Saul appeared, they accepted him right away.
SEE SAUL’S PERSONAL APPEARANCE:
1 Samuel 9:1-2 There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel… of Benjamin. 2 Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else. 1 Samuel 10:23-24 23 They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!” Later, God filled him with the Holy Spirit and he begins to prophesy. 1 Samuel 11:14-15 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
HOW DO WE SELECT LEADERS, PARTNERS, BUSINESS MATES, FRIENDS?
We Have Taken Worldly Standards To Select Leaders In The Church Of God. Sometimes we select because the person is old, educated, family member, etc. Those are not bad qualifications but if those are the reasons for the choice, we have failed God. Some people give people positions to keep them in their churches. I have heard some people say I can only sit under the leadership of a certain kind of pastor – old, white, black, etc. Illustration: Some People said they could not sit under me as pastor because I was too young. No. First, I was not that young but again depending on whom you were comparing me to. Second, pastoring has nothing to do with age. We are too bent on the externals. That is why we get pastors who misuse and abuse us. Choose based on the person’s sensitivity to God and integrity.
LET US LOOK AT SAUL’S MERITS FIRST.
So God Chose Him As 1st King Of Israel Based On The People’s Request. Became king when 30 years old and reigned for 42 years.
1. Saul Was Extremely Tall And Handsome (I Samuel 9:2).
2. Saul Was Charismatic, Admired & Respected By The People.
3. Saul Was Courageous in Battle (great warrior), Dutiful, Humble & Respectful (1 Samuel 9-10). He defeated many of the enemies of Israel, including the Ammonites, Philistines, Moabites, Amalekites. Only the Philistines remained a threat. In 2½ years, he united the tribes
4. He Was Charitable & Selfless. Per the Talmud, he gave his fortune to the poor; helped pay for the needs of poor brides-to-be; paid soldiers out of personal treasury, not public funds.
5. Saul Epitomizes Self-Sacrifice. He went to war with the Philistines after hearing the prophecy that he and his sons would be killed (I Samuel 28:19). Others would have run away.
NOW LET US LOOK AT HIS WEAKNESSES OR FAILURES.
1. Saul’s Presumptuous Sacrifice At Gilgal (1 Samuel 13:11-12). Samuel told him to wait for him after a battle so he could sacrifice burnt offerings. Saul waited 7 days but Samuel had not come. The fighters began to scatter and the Philistines were gearing up for another battle. His eyes were on the people as his source - not God. He took matters into his own hands and offered the sacrifice. Pride and presumption fueled by lack of trust in God! He blamed Samuel.
2. Saul Took Credit For Jonathan Victory Against Philistines at Gibeon (1 Sam 13:3-4).
3. Saul Makes Rash Vow Not To Eat During Battle. Jonathan Unknowingly Eats (1 Sam. 14).
4. Saul Exhibited Spiritual & Emotional Decline: The Spirit of the Lord departed From Saul and an evil spirit troubled him (1 Samuel 16:14-23).
5. Saul Began To Resent, Envy & Fear David (1 Samuel 18:1-16).
6. He Has A Wounded Pride, Violent Temper & Spirit Of Murder (1 Sam. 9-11, 13, 16-20).
7. Saul’s Life Was Spared Twice By David, He Became More Ungrateful (1 Sam 24-26).
8. He Was Influenced Too Much By Public Opinion. In 1 Samuel 15:9, when Samuel told him to destroy the Amalekites with all their cattle & sheep, he left the choice flock alive. He then told Samuel he did not fulfill God’s command because he was afraid of the people.
9. Full Of Insecurity & Jealousy – Even To The Point Of Paranoia. He saw traitors everywhere. David was his trusted aid, loyal son-in-law, yet he listened to slander about him, and made him his blood-enemy. He becomes envious of David’s successes in battle (1 Sam. 18).
10. Saul Requires David To Kill 100 Philistines In Order To Marry Michal (1 Sam 18).
11. Saul Paranoid Destroyed Himself As Well As His Daughter, Michal, David’s Wife.
12. Even Saul’s Mentor, Samuel, Feared Him Would Kill Him when God told him to anoint David king (I Samuel 16:2). Samuel concocted a story to hide the event from Saul.
13. Saul Was A Person Of Emotional Extremes. One day good & kind, next day bad & cruel.
14. Erecting Monuments For Himself: 1 Samuel 15:12 The originally humble Saul was now proudly erecting monuments to himself!
15. Saul Asks His Servants To Kill David (1 Samuel 19:1)
16. Saul Attacks David Again With A Javelin (1 Samuel 19:9-10).
17. Saul Tries To Kill Jonathan With A Javelin Also (1 Samuel 20:32-33).
18. Saul Commands His Men To Commit Murder – Kills 85 Priests & Kills People Of Nob And Their Cattle, Etc. (1 Samuel 22:17-19).
19. Saul Consulted A Witch At Endor (1 Samuel 28:3-25).
20. Saul & 3 Sons Died In Battle With The Philistines Because Of Stubbornness (1 Sam 31).
21. After Being Shot In Battle, Saul Kills Himself (1 Samuel 31:4-6).
22. No Skeletons in the Closet: The Talmud offers one insight into Saul’s character flaw – why unfit to be king? The answer is surprising: Never appoint a leader who does not have a skeleton or flaw in his closet. A leader with some flaw / public failure will tend to be humble. If not, someone will surely remind him of it. Saul’s flaw was he had no flaw - too perfect. A perfect leader’s ego soon leads to disaster. David was not perfect: Great-grandmother was Ruth (Moabite), married to Boaz, Obed, Jesse. His Jewish lineage was still in question that time.
WHEN IS SAUL REJECTED & WHEN IS DAVID FIRST MENTIONED?
1 Samuel 13:11-14 11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” 13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out A MAN after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
David Is First Mentioned Here When God Talks To Samuel About Looking And Finding A Man Who Will Do His Will. He will reveal it again in 1 Samuel 16. Here Samuel mentions it but the name is not given. Note the word Man. Not an angel, not a superman, but a man. A person of flesh and blood. A mortal. A person who can make mistakes and get up and keep going again. Because Saul, The People’s Choice Is Rejected, God Must Now Choose For Himself A King. God goes searching in the home of Jesse. An evil spirit will enter Saul. The people knew something was wrong with their king. He would spend the days and nights in his tent alone possessed with evil spirits. He needed music to soother his troubled spirit. He has been chosen to rule and is no longer qualified. What do you do when your leader or the person you selected is no longer capable? For God, this is when He brings David in. Who promotes? Psalm 75:5-7 5 Do not lift up your horn on high, Do not speak with insolent pride.'" 6 For not from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the desert comes exaltation; 7 But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.… It is God who lifts. Anyone who tries to lift himself will be abased. This is a principle in life one should never forget. Humble yourself in the sight of God and he will lift you up.
AMERICA TODAY LOOKS LIKE THE DAYS BEFORE DAVID.
You Have To Choose Saul Or David. This year’s election is very important. The year Obama was elected was great but it was also very important to me. Read section from book about that concern I wrote. Obama’s election would reveal things about America. First, Obama’s election would reveal a deep racial hatred. Second, Obama introduced a liberal agenda that has created a quagmire. Tell me the difference between conservatives and Christians. Are we all the same? No. Also, When You Are Elected, You Must Please Those Who Elected You. I am worried about the future of the US more than under Obama’s term. As a student of literature, I have history at my advantage. I encountered some in my home country. Something is brewing that every well-meaning people need to stop and think. Additionally, I have gotten more engrossed in the history of the Jewish people. And I see some resemblance to things happening now that creates concern. Proverb: If you want to send your child to live with a family, look at the butt of the dog that lives in that yard.
CONCLUSION: LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF SAUL
1. We Displease God When We Are Dissatisfied With His Ways.
2. First Impressions And Outward Appearances Can Be Deceiving.
3. Situation Ethics Will Elevate Man's Will Above Divine Instruction.
4. God Wants Obedience From The Heart, Not Mere Outward Ritual.
5. Obedience Always Involves Sacrifice; But Sacrifice Is Not Always Obedience.
6. Good Motives Do Not Take The Place Of Humble, Full Obedience.
7. Weaknesses Should Help Us Remember Our Need For God's Guidance And Help.
8. Jealousy, Envy & Hatred Destroy One's Life And Soul.
9. Faithful Continuance & Endurance Are Essential To Please God (Ezekiel 18:24).
10. God Wants Us To Depend On Him; when We Don’t, We Open Ourselves To Disaster.
11. God Also Wants Us To Go To Him For Our Sense Of Worth, not people.
12. Jealousy & Envy Can Blind People To What God Had Already Given Him.
FINAL CHALLENGE: KNOWING HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE?
