God's Favor vs Human Jealousy
In Search of a King • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 9 viewsWhat we are going to see is that God’s favor on us may mean human opposition. Evil that befalls us can draw us closer to God. But through it all we must trust the plan of God, for it is all in His hands.
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Transcript
Say Nothing, Do Nothing, Be Nothing
God’s favor exalts His chosen servant (David), while human jealousy and opposition (Saul) cannot stop God’s plan.
It highlights the contrast between David’s humility and faith and Saul’s insecurity and fear, setting up the long conflict between them that drives the next chapters.
Intro
“To avoid pain from criticism, one would have to give up all action and become like a plant.” (Ethics, II.9)
“Criticism is something we must bear, for no noble life is without enemies.” (a theme that runs throughout his Ethics and Politics). “It is necessary, then, to endure criticisms, for nothing that is done is beyond reproach; but to live without doing anything, motionless like a plant, is not possible for a human life.”
You know, even Aristotle — a Greek philosopher who lived centuries before Jesus — noticed something about life. He said, “The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. You’d have to live like a plant.” Think about that. A plant doesn’t speak. It doesn’t take a stand. It just sits there. Nobody criticizes a plant. But nobody remembers a plant either.
Elbert Hubbard later put it this way: “Do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” But friends, that’s not the life Jesus called us to. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). And the thing about light is — light gets noticed. Sometimes people love it, sometimes people hate it. If we’re following Christ, we will get criticized. Jesus said the world hated Him first — so don’t be surprised if it hates you too. But better to shine for Christ and face the criticism, than to live like a plant — silent, motionless, and fruitless.
So here’s the choice: Do you want to be a plant, or a disciple?
The idea being that if we want to go about this life not being hated by people of the world, not being criticised not having anyone come against you then you are doing something wrong. Jesus warned His disciples that if they followed Him, the world would hate them (John 15:18–20). Paul said, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). The Bible never calls us to avoid criticism — it calls us to live boldly, even if it costs us.
you see we live in a world that seems to be full of hate for Christians and what they stand for. We make the mistake to think that we can always be liked by everyone by loving them like Christ loved us. What we are going to see is that God’s favor on us may mean human opposition. Evil that befalls us can draw us closer to God. But through it all we must trust the plan of God, for it is all in His hands.
Three things we are going to see in the next few chapters. God’s Favor, Evil in the world, Trust In God’s Plan
We start out with an unlikely friendship
When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship, and loved him as much as he loved himself.
Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.
It seems unlikely because as you will see, Saul was quickly becomiong unhinged and he did not like David very much.
They loved each other like brothers. “Like they loved themselves” it says. Which is the way that we are all supposed to show love to eachother. But it is encouraging to know that they where really close. No friend of the son of the king is going to stay in a shepherds house, He was going to live with the king.
Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself.
Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
They had such a close firendship that Jonathan made a covenant ith David. we do not know what the covenant was that they amde , but it was a strong matter of personal loyalty. It was a covenantal love that Jonathan had for His friend, a brotherly love.
This is signified in Jonathan giving His royal robes to David. God had already promised the throne to David, and here we see the beginnings of this come to pass.
David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.
As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments.
What we see is the continuing theme that the favor of God was on David. He had the friendship of the son of the king. He also had the love of the people. When Saul and the Israelites where cowering from the giant goliath, David took Him on with the strength of God and the people loved Him because of it. Going on from here we are going to see God’s growing favor on David, and leaving Saul.
As they danced, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.
Imagine hearing that. the people come out to meet you, the king, after a battle thinking they are going to praise you for what you had dome and they start singing that.
Saul was furious and resented this song. “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?”
So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.
God’s favor was on on David because God had rejected Saul. Saul started to go downhill from there.
The next day an evil spirit sent from God came powerfully on Saul, and he began to rave inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, but Saul was holding a spear,
I want to park here for a bit. We have God putting his favor on David and Doing the opposite for Saul.
We went over this a few weeks ago, we struggle with this idea. God is on control, even of evil. That is that nothing can ahppen on this earth without the knowledge and authority of God. He has allowed it to happen and can make good come from all that goes on in our life for His glory. “Saul’s evil bent was by the permission and plan of God. We must realize that in the last analysis all penal consequences come from God, as the Author of the moral law and the one who always does what is right
God sent or allowed an evil spirit to torment Saul. God has allowed evil to in the world but they will all serve His good and perfect plan. God uses evil to advance His good. God uses trials and temptations to draw us to himself. And God allows evil because He has given us the choice to follow Him or not and because of that evil exists.
So when evil does come let it turn us to God for it will not thwart the plan of God. If we turn to God, His good can come of any evils that befall our path. Only His peace will bring us through. It is a relief and a joy to know that Know evil will thwart God but He remains in control.
and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David got away from him twice.
Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had left Saul.
But wait a second? Didnt God favor David?
This seems odd, the Lord favored David, and yet here he is almost being killed. Sure he escaped being killed but you would think that being favored by God would mean that no evil would befall you ever again. But what we see here is two things:
God Favor of David did not mean David would never come under attack
In fact I would argue that the fact that God favored David meant that more evil came against Him. the same thing holds true for us as well. When God favors us the evil in the world, the sin ion the life of those who do not follow God can not handle it. Satan will try to come against the work of God in opur lives but if we have faith in an all powerful God He will not prevail against the plan of God.
Therefore what we can learn is that though persecution will happen, it can serve to strengthen the very movement that spiritual or physical attacks try to stop. If we trust in the plan of God that will never fail. Take David for example
In the next few verses we see that because the fear of Saul was there, he tried what He could to kill David. He made him ruler over soldiers, maybe wars would kill him. But that only earned him the favor of the people. it didn't work.
When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him.
But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was leading their troops.
The more the favor of God, the more the attacks from evil. This does not sound so good.
When Jesus was giving one of His last talks to the disciples he told them that He was going to go away but He would come again and They would be joyful. He ended by telling them that in this world they would have many troubles.
well wait a second. How can they find joy when they would have troubles. He told them to take heart, to have peace. He told them this so that they would have peace. How is it that we can have peace and know that we are going to go through many trials. If it where up to me the trials thing would be done away with thank you.
but the reason why we can go through this is seen in the book of John.
I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Jesus has overcome the world. That is why we can take heart through the trials that we face. so we remember that as we go back to the book of 1 Samuel.
David could have peace in the midst of whatever trials that he faced because God is the ruler of all. Like we were told by Jesus, He has overcome the world and will overcome the world.
God’s favor and Saul's scheming.
Saul had to try something else. He promised david His daughter merab if he became a warrior for him. Saul was scheming.
Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife if you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I don’t need to raise a hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
David approached him in humility, saying who am I that I should be honored to become the son in law to the King?
David did what he was told and Saul went back on His word.
The same thing happened to another one of the daughters of Saul, but this one loved David very much we are told.
Again David approached htis with humility saying who am I.
but the thing was he had to pay a bride price, a pretty disgusting one. apparently it was not all that uncommon to bring proof of slain enemies, and this is not the only time in history something like this had happened. 100 philistine foreskins was the price. For sure this would kill Him, but it did not.
Every time the Philistine commanders came out to fight, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers. So his name became well known.
what we learn from this is another lesson. David likely knew that Saul was trying to kill him, I think the spears gave it away. what we learn is our response to the evil that comes against us.
Christians are called to refuse retaliation and to live in such a way as not only to overcome but transform the oppressors.
Do you like this idea? To overcome oppression, to overcome persecution we are not called to fight evil with evil but the spreading of the message of the gospel. After all who was it that overcomes the world? it is sure not us.
the one who has overcome the world is Jesus not us. It is through His death and resurrection that we have freedom from our sins. and since this world is only temporary for His children don't worry about what people do to you because our job is bigger then their hate. Our goal is the spreading of the message of the gospel.
God’s Favor for us likely will mean the worlds hate
Think about the message of the cross. The death of Jesus on the cross was the ultimate reversal of fortunes. It was a tool of hate and anger. They wanted to rid themselves of Jesus and God used this tool of hate for His glory.
Even when an enemy of God, motivated by anger, jealousy, or hatred, attempts to intervene forcibly against the progress of what God is accomplishing, that very intervention itself can be used by God to further his purposes
This should bring us great joy because we don't have to worry about anything but in everything we can have joy.
But to remember God’s favor on us will bring hate from the world.
Trust in God’s plan
It is not a surprise to God that we go through trials, in fact God being a sovereign God means that he has allowed it to happen, based on our free will.
Trust in the plan of God.
A Good illustration of this comes from the remarkable life and ministry of Dr. John M. Perkins, founder and leader of Voice of Calvary Ministries in Mississippi. During the evening of February 7, two vans were returning African American students to Tougaloo College near Jackson from Mendenhall, where they had participated in a civil rights march. In Plain, Mississippi, a few miles after the vans rolled over the line separating Simpson County from Rankin County, a highway patrol car from Mendenhall pulled over one of the vans. Perkins received a call that the students had been taken to the Brandon jail in Rankin County. He and two pastor friends headed for the jail to set bail for the group. On the way, Perkins admits it occurred to him that this could be a trap. Why else would they arrest only one of the vans? Was it possible they were setting a trap for the leadership of the march?
As they arrived at the county courthouse and jail, a highway patrolman showed them where to park. They were then met by a dozen highway patrolmen in the parking lot. The policemen searched and arrested the three clergymen and immediately began beating them. They were then taken inside the jail, where the nightmare only continued. The local sheriff, five deputy sheriffs, and nearly a dozen patrolmen began beating them. In the subsequent court trial, Perkins described the scene in the jail that evening:
“When I got to the jail and saw the people in jail, of course I was horrified as to why we were arrested and when I got in the jail Sheriff Jonathan Edwards came over to me right away and said, ‘This is the smart nigger, and this is a new ballgame. You’re not in Simpson County now; you are in Brandon.’ … He began to beat me, and from that time on they continued beating me.”22
Perkins explains how he attempted to defend himself without retaliating. At one point, he describes how one of the policemen stabbed him with a fork as he continued stomping on and hitting him. Falling in and out of consciousness, Perkins could recall the looks of his attackers’ faces, which he said were so twisted with hate they looked like white-faced demons. This was a turning point in his ministry, as he later reflected on the significance of the event:
For the first time I saw what hate had done to those people. These policemen were poor. They saw themselves as failures. The only way they knew how to find a sense of worth was by beating us. Their racism made them feel like “somebody.” When I saw that, I just couldn’t hate back. I could only pity them. I said to God that night, “God, if you will let me get out of this jail alive … I really want to preach a gospel that will heal these people, too.” Well, although the students who watched over me through the night in that jail cell were sure for a while that I was dead or about to die, I came out alive—and with a new call. My call to preach the gospel now extended to whites.23
Perkins explains further that for the first time in his life, while he was being battered in that Mississippi jail, he had seen how the white man was a victim of his own racism. For the first time he wanted to bring a gospel that could set him free as well. But he contends that this was only a start, because now he saw the deep-seated bitterness he harbored in his own heart against whites for what they had done to him and his family.
Love others, calling them to Jesus in repentance, even amidst the hate. Through it all trust in the plan of God.
