1 Samuel 19; The Spiral Continues

Introduction

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Mark Twain once said, “History does not repeat, but it does rhyme.” No two situations are exactly the same time, place, people, context, etc. However, history does often seam to almost repeat due to how similar the same mistakes are made over and over again.

We see this all the time. The War to End All Wars is now known as World War 1. Single parent homes create single parent homes. The mistakes we make today will rhyme with the mistakes made by others tomorrow.

This week’s sermon will rhyme very much with last week’s. The same characters and similar events will repeat on our text this week.

Need

The reason that I didn’t preach these two chapters as one sermon is because we need to hear the same truths over and over again until they took root in us. We need to be told the same things multiple times before they convict us. We need to know just know it but believe it. God is once again going to show us that God will humble and crush giants. Saul’s uncontrolled sin lead him to spiral uncontrollably.

We need to be reminded that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Let us not go down the same spiraling path of insanity as King Saul. Let us examine ourselves clearly, see our sin, and put it to death by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Topic

The Spiral Continues

Referent

1 Samuel 19

Organization

Sermon in a sentence: Uncontrolled sin always leads to uncontrollable spiraling.

Saul’s Son (vs. 1-7)

Saul’s Spirit (vs. 8-10)

Saul’s Subterfuge (vs. 11-17)

Saul’s Shame (vs. 18-24)

Application

Read 1 Samuel 19:1-7 and Pray

Sermon in a sentence:

Uncontrolled sin always leads to uncontrollable spiraling.

Saul’s Son (vs. 1-7)

Remember, the story of 1 Samuel moves along the Covenants and Commanders.

Last week, we saw Jonathan, the king to be, laid down his position for the advancement of David.

We are going to see Jonathan do this again this week.

Jonathan’s leadership is contrasted with Saul’s sin.

Last week, we say Jonathan lay down his position before David while Saul raised up against David.

Eli and Samuel had worthless sons. Jonathan is not the worthless son, but it is Saul the worthless father.

We must be willing to speak out against sin, even at our own expense. Jonathan was almost killed by his own father for disobeying an oath that was not Saul’s to make. Here Jonathan is willing once again to put his own life in danger to defy his father, the king in order to do what is right.

How much more should we be willing to address sin in our lives and those around us? By neglecting to call out the sin in our families we are allowing that sin to continue to spiral. We cannot stop sin. However, we can fight against it by the help of the Holy Spirit. How many families are we willing to spiral out of control until we speak up? How many churches are we willing to hurt until we are willing to call out sin?

Saul’s Spirit (vs. 8-10)

David’s continued victory is the catalyst for this Saul’s evil spirit.

Once again, the higher God exalts David the lower Saul is going to descend into madness and sin.

Just like Goliath, God is the one that has sovereignly spared the life of David.

We all know that we hate to see our enemies succeed. It doesn’t matter what that person is doing. A person can find the cure to cancer and the first thought is who are they going to sell it to?

Hatred and pride will eat you alive. It will also make you go against the wisdom of others. I was talking to someone that did not like what I had to say.

I was having a conversation with an believer. This person claims to be a Christian. This person also told me they read their Bible every day. So in this conversation I mentioned a particular doctrine. This person didn’t know what I was talking about when I said the name of the doctrine. So, I sent this person a Bible passage. Matthew 18:15-20. This person replied, “Oh my, seminary has got ahold of you. Bless your heart.” Because of this person’s anger towards me, they couldn’t listen to anything I told them. Even if it was literally the Bible verses that I was quoting.

Saul was calmed for a moment. He repented of his sin for a season. But the more he saw David rise, it ate him alive. He couldn’t handle it. Despite God’s blessing on David’s life, Saul was willing to murder an innocent man. Brothers and sisters, how many times have we murdered the reputation or intentions of a brother or sister because of our own pride?

Saul’s Subterfuge (vs. 11-17)

Last week we say Saul’s plan to use Michal’s love for David as a way to kill him.

Here, we see Michal’s love for David leads her to make a plan to save David from Saul.

This delivery is similar to Rahab’s plan for the spies and the apostle Paul’s escape from Damascus.

Notice Saul’s language of David. 1 Samuel 19:17 says that Saul thought David was his enemy.

He hated David.

Michal uses an household image (Genesis 31:9 - Rachel and Laban) to deceive Saul’s messengers.

I believe God put this detail her as a foreshadow of what was to come.

Last chapter, we saw that Michal loved David, but the text didn’t tell us that David loved Michal. (2 Samuel 3- David and Abner make a covenant)

1 Samuel 25, we see David marries Abigail and Ahinoam.

2 Samuel 3 - We are given the names of 7 other wives, he also had concubines and maybe more wives

2 Samuel 6- We see Michal angry at David for dancing before the ark.

2 Samuel 11 - We see David’s sin with Bathsheba

I do not think that deception in itself is sinful. If we look at the entirety of scripture, God often uses deception for the good of his people and his glory. Let me give you a few examples of how God uses deception or even lies to bring about his purposes.

1. The Egyptian midwives lie about the Hebrew women. God then explicitly bless them with children.

2. Rahab lies to the leaders of Jericho about the Hebrew spies.

3. God tells Joshua to attack Ai and act like they are retreating in order to deceive them.

4. God told Samuel to tell everyone that he was making an offering if anyone questioned why he was going to Jesse’s house?

I would have no problem saying “No” living under Nazi occupation.

With that being said, I think David is trying to follow the will of God. He has not tried to take the kingdom by force or any coupe. He has been a faithful servant of Saul. He has been perfectly happy with the station God has given him up to this point. However, I think the author of 1 Samuel is doing something with these little hints in 18 and 19. David was not willing to sin by taking the throne by force. He was willing to “be still and know that I am God.” I think in his mind, he is doing great because he is submitting to God about the biggest thing going on in his life. He is focused on the big temptation. While he is so focused on this debacle, he is slowly letting his guard down on another front. We are going to see that David will allow his situations to end in a second and third marriage in chapter 25. By the end of the book of Samuel, we are going to see that David not only married multiple women, he becomes a murdering polygamist king. Just like Saul, he allowed his sin to continue and spiral out of control.

Brothers and sisters, do not allow your small sins to take root in your life. We may be wining our fight against those big sins. But, it is generally the small things that we leave untreated that cause us the biggest problems. Husbands maybe willing to work 12 hour days at work but can’t spend 12 minutes to sacrificially love our wives.

I shared a video on my facebook page a year or two ago. This man was interviewing fathers on a busy sidewalk. These fathers seemed like great dads. But their ignorance really showed them how little they were willing to truly care about their families.

Saul’s Shame (vs. 18-24)

Saul is four times shamed here.

He sends and goes but who is this king before the King of Kings?

This is similar to Nebuchadnezzar being humbled before the Lord.

Saul’s inability to stop and ask, “Why am I doing this?”

Saul is going to the prophet, the man he hasn’t seen since his horrific sin of a blasphemous offering. 1 Samuel 15:35 told us that Saul did not see Samuel after this event until his death. I think the point is that this meeting is unlike any other meeting. This is not normal. This is totally unique. And thats so sad. The king could have listened to the prophet and the Lord. Saul should have went to Samuel to confess his sin to Samuel and David. He could have taken this opportunity to confess and repent.

He is going to the “house of God” if you will to commit a sin. We say this type of sin throughout the Midlevel ages. People would go to church to confess sin or buy indulgences solely to allow them to do the sin they wanted to do.

The last time Saul prophesied was at the beginning of his kingship. Now, Saul is once again prophesying. However, this time the spirit upon Saul is shaming him and exposing his sin.

This passage ends with Saul so crushed by the Lord that he lays naked before Samuel and the Lord. Last week, Jonathan willfully and joyfully took of his royal clothes, armor, and weapons to set them before David. We see the final trust of these two chapters to see Saul stripped of his clothes by force not by his will.

Conclusion

There is only one king that was willing to lay down his kingly robes, take on shame, and take the curse of his enemies upon himself. This King, the Lord Jesus Christ, offers you forgiveness today. The only thing he requires your faith.

Brothers and sisters, let us take the negative example of Saul and the positive example of our Lord Jesus to heart. You are not a slave to sin but a slave to righteousness. Do not allow your sin to spiral out of control.

Application

Last week, I encouraged us to remember that each year, Hannah made her boy a little robe. A biblical theology of clothing is an interesting topic. Garden, Joseph, the priests, Samuel, Goliath, Jesus tunic, Robes of Righteousness. This week, how can we apply this same truth? Can I encourage us take a moment each day this week to meditate upon how unaddressed sin will always lead to uncontrolled spiraling. We are going to do this every day when we are getting out of our “work” clothes.

Brothers, maybe that is the blazer you take off right after service today.

Sisters, maybe it is when you are taking out your earrings later today.

It can be at the end of the day when you take off those uncomfortable Walgreens scrubs.

Maybe its at the end of the day when you take off your favorite oversized tshirt to but on your pajamas.

Whatever it is for you. When you are dressing down, remind yourself that unaddressed sin always leads to spiraling. And the Lord may just one day show us our sin and treat us like a Saul.