The Life of David (Lesson 1)
Date: 9 November, 2021
Text: 1 Samuel 16:
Introduction:
As with all studies....
- I'm excited about what we are going to find in our study.
- I look forward to seeing some things that may have gone unnoticed in Bible reading.
- I have no idea how long this will take or at what pace we will proceed.
With regard to David.
- He is arguable one of the top 3 Bible characters in the Word of God.
- Paul would be the greatest with Peter in the NT.
- But, more generations of God's people would know - Moses, Abraham and David.
His importance like Abraham is greater because of God's covenants with His people.
Davidic Covenant (The Messiah is going to reign on the throne of David.)
David also is a type of Christ - shepherd, giant slayer, warrior, King.
David wrote much prophecy about Christ - Messianic Psalms
I remind us as we do a character study that there is much to learn from Bible stories.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
ill. On Sunday - I shared some from the ministry of Duncan Campbell. As much as I appreciate what I read there.
- It isn't an inspired account of the life of Duncan Campbell.
- I can not take doctrines out of his life and experiences.
- I should not try to be like Duncan Campbell in ways outside of Scripture.
(visions, dreams, trances, etc.)
exp. But, when it comes to the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD.
Revealing the man who became - King David - it shows his life - good and bad as only God's Spirit can revealing not just what happened but WHY it happened.
ill. Arthur Pink - The Life of David - I've enjoyed reading that - the overall theme of what I saw through that study was the principle of SOWING AND REAPING. Should that surprise us?
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
app. David's life will teach us again and again to sow righteousness and reap mercy.
And so - we begin - a study of the life of the Shepherd King.
text: 1 Samuel 16
Prayer:
Historical context:
Israel had been a theocracy. (God was sovereign over Israel - ruling through His servants.)
He had ruled them with Moses and the Priests (Aaron's family)
He had ruled them through delegated authorities.
Samuel was both a Judge and a Prophet.
ill. Towards the end of his ministry - Israel became jealous of other nations who had kings.
1 Samuel 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
exp. Samuel's sons had perverted their judgments and Israel used that as an excuse to cast off God's authority over them.
note: Samuel warned them of what a king would do if he reigned over them.
- tax their increase - vineyards, fields, flocks etc.
- take their children into his military and household
exp. They didn't care - they wanted a king and demanded to have one.
1 Samuel 8:22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.
The king they get is a big tall man who is shy and humble.
1 Samuel 9:1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
ill. His humility is seen in the story of his life.
- Saul's father lost his donkeys...
- Saul humbly went to seek them.
1 Samuel 9:19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.
20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?
- Saul humbly questioned such a great declaration.
21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
- Saul humbly shunned the position of King of Israel.
1 Samuel 10:19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.
20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.
22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.
23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.
note: What a great start - IF HE HAD ONLY OBEYED GOD - HIS FAMILY WAS CHOSEN.
app. One of the greatest things you could cultivate in your life is humility.
1) God you are right and I am wrong.
2) God whatever you want me to do, I will do.
3) Remember your unworthiness to serve God and His goodness in using you.
exp. King Saul started out well but quickly disobeyed God.
1) He disobeyed God in offering a sacrifice.
1 Samuel 13:8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
exp. Pragmatic thinking IS NOT Biblical thinking.
note: We will always justify what we do.
Pro 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Pro 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
app. If why we do what we do - is logical - and not Biblical - we are on dangerous ground.
2.) He disobeyed God in not destroying what God said to destroy.
1 Samuel 15:1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
exp. All Saul had to do was get rid of what God said to get rid of.
He made a "spiritual" excuse and it was not accepted by God.
1) He had turned from humility to pride.
1Sa 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
2.) He had stopped obeying God.
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
exp. I think witchcraft and idolatry are very OFFENSIVE crimes against God. Only a very wicked person would be a witch or worship idols.
(God equates rebellion and stubborness to be AS WICKED.)
Pro 29:1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
note: Rebelion is whenever we refuse to do what God has clearly commanded us to do.
hymn writer - lamented the rebellious nature of the human heart....
"Prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love...."
app. Humility is the key to keeping us in a place of obedience towards God.
3.) Saul would no longer be king.
a. God had rejected Saul.
1 Samuel 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the
Bethlehemite:
b. God had provided himself with a new king.
for I have provided me a king among his sons.
exp. I like that statement - I HAVE PROVIDED ME A KING.
C. Saul was so wicked that Samuel feared for his life.
2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.
exp. The threat was real - God will make provision to protect Samuel.
note: It's interesting in the Scriptures how often the wicked - REFUSE REPENTANCE.
- Cain - Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
note: I remind us as we conclude....
1) God would have blessed and used Saul IF Saul had obeyed.
2) God would have restored Saul IF Saul would have repented.
app. Where do you find yourself this morning?
- Are you in humble obedience?
- Are you quick to humbly repent?
- IS THERE REBELLION IN YOUR LIFE?
God wants to use you - ARE YOU HUMBLE ENOUGH TO BE USED BY HIM?
And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him.
7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.
19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.
23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
