(1 Samuel 16:1-7)

As an outline of 1 Samuel 15-31, we see David caught between chosen and being crowned king versus acknowledged.  It shows how he responds to hardship, on the run from Saul.  It shows the faithfulness of God. 

When we approach a passage, we look at context, Jesus? And then personal application.

Chapter 15 shows God as not a ‘fluffy’ God – He is awesome, patient (v2) – justice, a God who defends His people.

V9b – ‘unwilling’ to destroy everything

V11 – ‘turned away from me’, ß God looks at the heart

V15 – Saul blames others (cf Adam & Eve in Gen 3), and justifies his sin (they spared livestock in order to ‘sacrifice’.  He sinned secretly but tried to pay for it with his ministry. 

FEAR – because of us, our own private compromises, sin

GRATITUDE – because we are nowhere without Christ. 

This reminds us that Saul is an externals man – he is a FAKE

V17,20 – Saul repeats his case

Vv22-23 – external activities don’t compensate for inward rebellion 

Inside Saul fights for control.  You need devotion to the one who saves YOU! 

V23 - ‘for rebellion’ is like the sin of divination’. 

God commands obedience – obedience is better than sacrifice (v22).  It is faithfulness from the heart that truly matters. 

Chapter 15 is like a gospel outline .

Chapter 16 – God does his work, and David is appointed King.

V1 – Samuel was looking backwards in paralysis

13:14 – God was after a king with a willing heart

v2 – Samuel was afraid of travelling to Bethlehem

v6 – Samuel is superficial when he sees Eliab

 Chapter 17 – The Lord looks at the HEART

- outwards is secondary; inward is EVERYTHING, even in romance

v13 – the holy spirit rushed on David

v14 – Saul’s holy spirit is taken away, God ‘control’s evil into Saul 

God plans a kingdom and practices his plan.  Nothing will stop His plan! 

Therefore the lesson for us is to seek FIRST God’s kingdom.

Talk 2: Simon Manchester – The Glory of God and the resistance of man

(1 Samuel 18:5-9)

Chapter 17 – v1, ‘the reputation of God’

- transformation of David upon seeing Goliath’s mockery; and offence against the living God (v36, v46)

- v46: that the world will know there is a God

- when God asks us to glorify him, he is asking us to go with the truth

*1 Samuel 17 puts the fight into context – it is for the glory of God

- God made David a new man, with biblical eyes

- pray that God be glorified, and love God – to really HONOUR God

- what about correcting a blasphemer because he/she is dishonouring God?

- is it for the glory of God?  David asks now how can he do everything to honour God.  Ask ourselves that very question! 

‘The Saviour is God’

17:9 – Goliath

17:37 – the Lord who delivered will deliver me!

17:12, 55, 58 – ‘whose son are you?’ – David emphasises that he is nobody special 

Chapter 18 – Saul is presented as a type of anti-christ, Chapters 18-19 is about the opposition of David.  Jonathan treats David as his number 1 priority; a self-sacrificing love. 

V3 – a covenant between David and Jonathon

V16 – all Judah and Israel loved David

Saul is now without the spirit; he is still a powerful, but now USELESS opponent.  This is a preview of the great plan of God.  Cf Philippians, nothing will or can stop His plan! 

Chapter 19, under the surface of David’s escapes is God at work.  Saul is UNABLE to stop David’s progress.  Behind David is the spirit of God!  He is presented as a person in need of salvation – forever trusting in God to help him through. 

David is the receiver, like us, not an achiever. 

Review:

Chapter 17 – the glory of God and His reputation

Chapter 18 – God is sovereign and sees David through

Chapter 19 – David is also in the quicksand with us

David and us = the receiver

Jesus = the achiever

Defeat of Goliath

Division – liked and disliked

Deliverance (David’s need)

Talk 3: Simon Manchester – The heights of faith and depths of dependency

(1 Samuel 20:1-17)

Chapter 20, we are called to carry the cross, over time……………………………to the crown, just like David is. 

In Chapters 20-23, we see the COST of commitment and the PROVISION of God.

David now realises that Saul is out to kill him, and confides in Jonathon about it; test, arrow shot. 

Jonathon here is committed to the chosen King.  He is a KINGDOM man.  V12-17, Jonathon is a great theologian.  The word ‘Lord’ (YWH) is mentioned 6 times.  Jonathon lives before God, v12; he acknowledges David’s asking in v13. 

In v21,22 – Jonathon sees God as personal, controlling all the details.   

Jonathon as a model of faith – v4

-          Jonathon acknowledges David as the chosen one

-          Jonathon turns down his own kinghood for David

-          Jonathon aligns himself against Saul

-          He is an example of a faithful, cross-bearing believer.

Where are the Jonathons today??

Chapter 21 – Fending for Himself (provision)

David is walking a very very hard road, but even through the pits, God met his necessities!  God provides comfort everyday; David is like a friend to those who are facing hardship – God is looking after him!  He is his sole provider. 

Chapter 22 – The Cost of Allegiance

Saul is losing everything whilst David is gaining

Ahimelech faces the ultimate test/pays the ultimate price for his allegiance to David.   

Cf – Ps 59 (running from Saul), Ps 52 (Doeg dobbed in), Ps 56 (Gath, 22) also Ps 34, Ps 54, Ps 63 and Ps 18 all written around this time. 

Chapter 23 – A Lamp to the Feet (provision)

David seeks the mind/guidance of God.

Saul on the other hand, seeks his own feelings and loses everything.

The PROVISION of a MESSENGER :

Vv15-16, Jonathon – strengthens David in v17 (gives strength to David for the battle)

Vv23, 27, messenger to the enemy to turn them away from David.  Delivering David away from Saul. 

Therefore recap:

Chapter 20 – Jonathon faces cost, but loses very little (only the non-essentials)

Chapter 21 – David faces the life of being under God and receives ALL the essentials

Chapter 22 – the cost of commitment

Chapter 23 – David faces life/death and receives the gospel 

God on with faithfulness because God knows how to handle everything – he gives us our provisions, HE PROVIDES ALL!

Talk 4: Simon Manchester – The timing of God and patience of people

(1 Samuel 24:1-15)

In chapters 24-26, we see David not doing harm to Saul, David stopped by God from doing harm to Nabal.

Chapter 24 – Opportunity Knocks?

Is it a gift from God or a temptation from the devil?  BUT ‘this is the day’ only satisfies his men’s selfish agendas.  It was a temptation because it was a desire for revenge by David’s men.  V5 – David felt guilty maybe because he was disloyal/rebellious.  David does NOT give into the deceit of men, but instead goes the way of God.  

What about you??  Stay with the scripture, stick to the word of God with interpretation!  

The scripture corrected him from attacking Saul, rebuked him and made him guilty when he stumbled.

Talking and walking:

David to Saul – don’t listen to your men when they talk rubbish, as do I.  You are still my master, you are guilty, why are you picking on me? 

Saul replies – there is no repentance from Saul in his speech (vv17-21), there is remorse without repentance!  Sometimes we need to ask God to grant us true repentance.   

Chapter 25 – The intervention of God

There is a king in heaven, ruling over the kings of earth.  The heart of David shows us that he too, is still a sinful man.  Cf Jesus – put away your swords (Luke 22:49-51).

David prays for God’s intervention (v25).  In v33,34,39 he is kept from harming Nabal and his people! 

V29 – ‘bound securely in the bundle of the living’ – Abigail is a believer.  David is rescued by God from his sinfulness.  No one is reliable BUT GOD.   

Chapter 26 – Opportunity knocks again!

David this time is pro-active, but otherwise this chapter is very similar to chapter 24. 

V 10 – David expects God to do the job, Saul’s time of death will come. 

There is NEW WISDOM found here – David learns to live by ABSOLUTE VALUES, whilst Saul lives by ELASTIC standards. 

We need to work by absolute values in a world built on shifting sand.  Abigail humbles David.  David learns to do GOD’S WORK, GOD’S WAY.  Cf Jesus in Luke 4/Mark 4 to do God’s work but not God’s way (hmmmm I’m not sure what I wrote in the notes here cos it doesn’t seem to make sense). 

We are reminded that David is capable of anything, but GOD IS THE RESTRAINER.   

Thus we have a sandwich –

Chapter 24 – tempted

Chapter 25 – restrained by God

Chapter 26 – tempted again! 

We need to become centrally new people, through God!

Talk 5: Simon Manchester – The plotting of men and the planning of God

(1 Samuel 30:1-20)

Chapter 27 – David raids Philistine but Achish thinks he is raiding Israel 

Chapter 28

V1 – Achish invites David to raid Israel.

V4 – Saul encounters the Philistine army 

V7 – Saul is desperate for a message, and turns to mediums to inquire for a message (Deut 18 outlines that the OT law instructs against it)

V8-25 – the occult, Saul is terrified.  Cf Crossing Over, the devil will do everything in his power to stop the Word 

Chapter 29

V4 – David is wrestled from his predicament by God, who uses the Philistines (and basically anyone) to do it. 

In Chapters 27-29, David was in trouble, but Saul was worse – he was without a shepherd.  Cf people outside, non-Christians who are without a shepherd. 

FROM BAD TO WORSE

Chapter 30

V6 – David’s own men turn on him, but David found strength in God!  Cf Bali bombing

David is given 2 gifts – v8, Ephod, and v11, Egyptian slave (discarded) 

Chapter 31 – is downhill for Saul, obstacles are removed for David’s throne, just like Jesus 

In Chapters 30-31, we see the tying up of the loose ends of the promises of God – seeing Saul out, and David in!! 

(Sing to the tune of Advance Australia Fair)

All praise to God who raises up

His King to rule for Him

We see in David such a one

Although his light is dim

But full of brightness comes the Christ

Great David’s greatest Son

And through his death and rising up

The victory is won!

So send the news that God will use