1 Samuel 18:5-11 - The Jealousy of Saul
Introduction:
review of last week
A. The Reaction of Jonathan (v.1-4).
1. The Loving of a soul.
a) When he had finished speaking to Saul (v.1a).
b) Jonathan’s soul was knit to the soul of David (v.1b).
c) Jonathan’s soul was knit after the battle had been won.
2. The Making of a covenant (v.3)
a) Jonathan and David made a covenant (v.3a).
b) Ruth loved Naomi as her own soul (Ruth 1:16-17; Esther 4:16).
c) Jonathan loved David as his own soul (v.3b).
3. The Stripping of oneself (v.4)
a) Jonathan gave David his robe.
b) Jonathan gave David his weaponry.
c) Jonathan dethroned or stripped himself of everything.
d) This is a daily issue for us (Matt.16:24-26).
A. The Reaction of David (v.5)
Here in the eyes of God David is the king but Saul continues to sit on the throne. David was just a teenager when God anointed him in that house in Bethlehem (16:12) and buy the time that David slays Goliath in chapter 17 and including the events we are reading in chapter 18 David is probably no more than 20 years of age. Now we know from (2 Samuel 5:4) that David would be 30 years old before he would ever sit on the throne of Israel and reign. So there is a period of ten years between the time the promise and the fulfillment of the promise that he would be the king of Israel and sit on the throne.
I ask the question: Why would God wait ten years? Why doesn’t God just wipe Saul out and make David king right away? God is not done with Saul yet. Saul has an important part to play in the development of David’s character. Before David is fit to wear a crown he will go through ten years of preparation. The greater the call on our life the longer and harder the preparation from God.
1. David did what Saul told him (v.5a).
a) David submitted to Saul.
(1) We are to submitt to authority:
Submission to rulers is important, Peter said to "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.” (1 Peter 2:13-14, NKJV)
Submission to Christian Leaders is important "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17, NKJV)
Submission to God is of the uttmost importance "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7, NKJV)
Jesus submitted to His Father: "He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.“ (Matthew 26:39, NKJV)
The writer of Hebrews says that "though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8, NKJV)
(2) He didn’t say Saul; you don’t have the right to tell me what to do. Where were you when Goliath was opposing the nation? I was the one that the Lord gave victory to, I am the on who is anointed by God. He submitted to his leadership.
2. David behaved wisely.
a) David had spiritual and practical wisdom.
(1) David was very wise in the way he handled every task assigned him. And he was very successful in every assignment given to him by Saul. Why?
(2) David had spiritual and practical wisdom:
Paul writing to Timothy said "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:14-15, NKJV)
To the church in Thessalonica Paul said "You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;" (1 Thessalonians 2:10, NKJV)
He goes on to say that "Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5, NKJV)
As Christians we need to "Put off, concerning our former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts," (Ephesians 4:22, NKJV)
As youth, you need to "Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12, NKJV)
b) God was a living reality in his life. How did this happen?
(1) When David was alone, he worshipped God, meditated upon his word day and night.
(2) What a man does with when he is alone with his thoughts will decide what his is when he is in public with other people.
(3) When you are alone, you will either be self-inulgent or self-disciplined, and that is where character is made.
(a) Sow a thought, reap an act… sow an act, reap a habit… sow a habit, reap a character… sow a character, reap a life… sow a life, reap a destiny!
(b) However, later in David life, if anyone had told David before or even right after his affair with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11) that he would break every one of the laws of the second table of the Law, he would have denied it.
(c) Before this incident was over, David: coveted his neighbor’s wife (2 Sam. 11:2, 3), committed adultery (2 Sam. 11:4), committed murder (2 Sam. 11:15), stole (2 Sam. 11:4) and, bore false witness (11:8, 21).
(d) David's downfall into sin is a serious warning to each of us of the deceitfulness of sin and its consequences in the law of sowing and reaping: "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:13)
(e) Just as no one can sow peas and produce watermelon, or breed donkeys and produce thoroughbred horses, so no one can sow evil and pro-duce good.
(f) We cannot sow discord and produce unity.
(g) We cannot sow lies and produce truth.
(h) We cannot sow sin and produce holiness.
Jesus said "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” (Matthew 12:34-35, NKJV)
(4) This was just the beginning because each of these sins would be reaped within his own family.
B. The Reaction of Saul (v.6-9).
1. Saul defends himself.
a) As Jonathan dethroned himself, Saul is determined to defend himself.
(1) All through history when their armies of men would lose, the women were the victims of their loss. So the women really have something to sing about here (v.6).
(2) But note something here: When the women rejoiced that God had parted the Red Sea, in (Exodus 15:20) the woman danced and sang a song “unto the Lord” praising Him for what He had done. The song wasn’t to Moses. They didn’t say, “Wow, they should make a movie about him”. But now something has changed, something that will cause problems, they are talking about who their favorite warrior is (1Sam.18:7). They are talking about men not the Master, servants not the Savior and this is going to cause problems.
(3) Let no flesh glory in the presence of the Lord
Jeremiah writes "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24, NKJV)
To the church in Galatia, Paul said "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14, NKJV)
He goes on to say to the Philippians that he worships "God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh," (Philippians 3:3, NKJV)
(4) We are the women, we are the bride of Christ and we ought to be having the name of Jesus on our lips, not the name of this person or that person.
b) David becomes popular (v.6-7).
(1) David was not a yes-man, people pleaser; David did not seek popularity.
(2) David became popular because he was a man after God’s heart. People could see the love, the wisdom, and the peace of God in him.
(3) How did David react to this sudden popularity? (v.14).
(4) This was a test:
(a) The devil wanted to use this popularity to bring David down, and the LORD wanted to use this to build David up.
(b) David never received this kind of declaration when he was keeping the sheep. The sheep never danced and sang a song praising him!
(c) Now David faces the challenge of success. Many people who could handle adversity well enough fall under the challenge of success.
(d) Because David was content in keeping the sheep with no praise, it put his heart in the right place to receive it when it came his way.
2. Saul is displeased (v.8-9)
a) Anger, jealousy and envy (v.8-9).
(1) Saul’s heart filled with envy when he heard that David had more praise than he did.
The writer of Proverbs says “As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise” (Prov. 27:21).
(2) Praise is like a hot furnace:
(a) It reveals what a person is really made of. The praise that made David humble only brought the dross to the top in Saul’s heart and revealed his pride and desire for glory.
(b) Because you remember that Earlier Saul had shown that he was more concerned with being honored by his people than with being faithful to God (15:30).
(3) Listen to what the Word of God says about this topic:
(a) The prodigal sons brother (Luke 15:11-32)
(b) Joseph and his brothers hatred toward him (Gen.37:1-4, 5, 8, 11, 18, 20)
Proverbs says that "A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.” (Proverbs 14:30, NKJV)
This is why you are to "Not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day” (Proverbs 23:17, NKJV)
(c) Related passages: (Mk.6:18-19; Lk.6:11; Acts 23:12; 1Jn.2:9; 3:15; 4:20; Est.3:5-6)
C. Saul’s First Attempt To Kill David (v.10-16).
1. An evil spirit came upon Saul (v.10a).
a) God allowed Saul to be tormented (see 1 Sam.16:4).
(1) God’s judgment included two aspects:
(a) God’s Spirit ceased to empower Saul for kingship, leaving him to his own mental and spiritual helplessness and instability (cf. 28:15, 16).
(b) God tormented Saul psychologically. The word, “distressing,” translated “evil” in the KJV, may describe in various contexts something either morally evil or unpleasant. God caused Saul to feel miserable (v.23), perhaps periods of severe depression (cf.1 Kin. 22:20–23).
(2) God removed the protective covering from Saul and allowed a messenger from Satan to attack Saul (cf. Job 1:6-12). There is no evidence that the demon indwelt Saul
b) Saul prophesied in the house (v.10b).
(1) This word “prophesied” in Hebrew, is “Hithaphel:” and it is never used for true prophecy. It’s just used for babbling. The word that is used for true prophecy in the Scripture always is, ‘Nabi’ in the Hebrew. So this was not a true prophecy.
c) Test the spirits.
(1) John was right when he said to “test the spirits” (1Jn.4:1).
(2) When prophesy is being uttered, words are being shared. This is coming from a person who prophesied earlier in the Spirit (ch10) & now he is prophesying from an evil spirit. Sort of like Peter (Matt.16:21-23).
(3) The same guy that before was prophesying in the Spirit is now an instrument of the Devil.
(4) We must always examine to see what is being said is matching up to the Word of God!
Jesus said "See to it that no one misleads you.” (Matthew 24:4, NASB95)
Listen to what the Lord says in Deut.13: "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. “ You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. “But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you. " (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, NASB95)
The Lord said "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:22, NASB95)
We are to "Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)