Live Different - The mark of the righteous

The Righteous King

Deuteronomy 17:16–20 LSB

16 “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses. Yahweh has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ 17 “And he shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 18 “Now it will be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 “And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to carefully observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his sons in the midst of Israel.

Which king is this?

Was appointed as King over Israel by God?

Was anointed by Samuel?

Was filled with the spirit of God?

Delivered the people of Israel by defeating a boastful enemy

Ruled over Israel and failed the test

Saul the anointed one

Saul is the first king of Israel who was chosen by God to lead his people.

He faced many challenges including:

Being overlooked - From the smallest tribe belonging to the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin.

Boastful Snake

He saw much promise at the beginning of his tenure as king and even victory in battle.

Saul defeats a snake

1 Samuel 11:1–2 KJV 1900

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. 2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

1 Samuel 11:11 KJV 1900

11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

Saul Fails the Test

Saul faced a great and many challenges as king.

He consitently failed to obey the Lord.

1 Samuel 15:22–28 LSB

22 And Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, He has also rejected you from being king.” 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed trespassed against the command of Yahweh and your words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 “So now, please forgive my sin and return with me, that I may worship Yahweh.” 26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 Then Samuel turned to go, but Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.

David the anointed one

David was chosen by God to be king over Israel.

He was chosen because He had a heart that was obedient to God.

He faced many challenges including:

Being overlooked

Boastful Giant Snake

1 Samuel 17:4–11 LSB

4 Then a champion came out from the camps of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor, and the weight of that scale-armor was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 7 And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him. 8 And he stood and called out to the battle lines of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to arrange yourselves for battle? Am I not the Philistine and you slaves of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 9 “If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, then we will become your slaves; but if I prevail against him and strike him down, then you shall become our slaves and serve us.” 10 Again the Philistine said, “I openly reproach the battle lines of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

1 Samuel 17:26 LSB

26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should reproach the battle lines of the living God?”

1 Samuel 17:36–37 LSB

36 “Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has reproached the battle lines of the living God.” 37 And David said, “Yahweh, who delivered me from the hand of the lion and from the hand of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may Yahweh be with you.”

1 Samuel 17:45 LSB

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the battle lines of Israel, whom you have reproached.

The Test: 1 Samuel 24:1-6

1 Samuel 24:1–6 LSB

1 Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 And he came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. 4 Then the men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good in your eyes.’” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. 5 And it happened afterward that David’s heart struck him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. 6 So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of Yahweh that I should do this thing to my lord, the anointed of Yahweh, to send forth my hand against him, since he is the anointed of Yahweh.”

David faced this test to do what was right in his own eyes and to take for himself what was already promised to be given to him by God.

David in this instance passed the test and chose to suffer in ordered to later be raised up as king

Jesus the anointed one

Jesus the annointed one of God to be king forever

Like David and Saul, Jesus faced many tests and challenges

Like David and Saul, Jesus was overlooked

Like David and Saul, Jesus defeated the boastful Snake

Jesus was the only one who could pass the test

Application

We will all face our challenges.

Many will be obvious like the Goliath

The answer will be clear on how to tackle those challenges.

Some will not be as abvious and those will be the hardest to face.

Obedience and patience is key in those moments. Don’t fall for the trap and do what is right in your own eyes.

Seek the Lord and obey his word like Jesus did and continues to do.

Live in his freedom to choose what is right and flee from what is wrong.

It will be difficult to live like someone who goes against what the world deems to be right.

It’s much easier to follow suit and seek the pleasures of this world.

Live in obedience to the Lord. Walk the narrow road.

Live a humble life like Jesus the king that suffered and died for you becuase of his love and obedience the Lord. - Phil 2:1-11

Philippians 2:1–11 LSB

1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 fulfill my joy, that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose, 3 doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves, 4 not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

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