Saul Replied, I Have Sinned
Background
David and Abishai had returned from Saul’s camp and although Abishai wanted to run the spear through Saul, they end up only taking Saul’s spear and jug of water.
After getting some distance between he and Saul, David begins to interact with Saul’s Camp......
(14) David called out to the people: David did not shout directly to Saul; instead, he taunted Abner, Saul’s general.
Abner
The Son of Ner, Saul's uncle; Abner was consequently Saul's cousin. 1Sa 14:51.
He was Saul's 'captain of the host' when David slew Goliath, and he presented David to Saul.
1Sa 17:55,57.
After the death of Saul (apparently about 5 years after) Abner made Ish-bosheth king over Israel; but this did not include Judah over which David was king. 2Sa 2:8-10.
Abner was faithful to the Hose of Saul 2Sa 3:8
Abner was killed by Joab and Abishai 2Sa 3:30
(v15-16) David CHALLENGES Abner.
Abner should have been guarding Saul, no one should have been asleep especially Saul’s “Captain of the Host”.
Not only did he sneak into Saul’s camp, but he challenges Abner’s authority.
(v15) Are you NOT a heroic/valiant man?
No one is even close to you...no one compares to Abner.
Hey Abner if you are such a warrior...then WHY DID YOU FAIL?
David was RIGHT in that Abner had failed in his duty. This, in today’s climate, might be considered “negativity”, when it is nothing short of REALITY.
The reality of....
The event - Someone could have killed the King.
Abner’s Failure -Failure as a protector.
Ø David here in chapter 26 models for us the truth, the reality of Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Boldness of a lion in Paul as he stood before Agrippa at the amphitheater at Caesarea.
Boldness of a lion in Martin Luther in his famous response to his critics called Before the Diet of Worms.
You will not tremble in the presence of man if You have trembled in the presence of God.
When I find myself afraid of people, it’s always indicative that I haven’t been in the presence of the Lord because when I spend time with Him, I have boldness, peace, and confidence.
(v17) Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?”
(v18-19) David CONFRONTS Saul
(v18) And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands?
(v19) David contemplated the possibility that God was using Saul as an agent of divine discipline.
If this was the case, David expressed his willingness to offer an atoning sacrifice—an offering.
On the other hand, he called for God’s judgment on any evil men who had stirred up Saul against David.
Go, serve other gods: This phrase reflects David’s view that his exile was virtually equivalent to being forced to abandon the worship of God, since there were no sanctuaries to God outside Israelite territory.
It truly seems that there is concerted effort in our country to remove and eliminate ALL influence of the Bible.
To destroy the AUTHORITY of GOD’s WORD in our lives.
To sustitute man’s opinions and ideas for the TRUTH of God’s Word.
To remove any SEMBLANCE of Christian history.
Ø Romans 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
(v21) SAUL’s RESPONSE “Baby come back you can blame it all on me, I was wrong and I just can’t live without you.”
(v21) Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.”
In chapter 27 we read that as David heads off to the Philistines and stays in Gath, that Saul then seeks him no more.
Saul makes an truthful statement...again.....regarding his actions towards David, he says “I have Sinned”.
Saul has previously made similar confessions....
Ø 1Samuel 24:17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil.
Ø 1Samuel 15:24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
Saul was aware of his plight, his sinful habits, he was aware of his siful condition.
HOW would you define SIN?
HOW would you explain it?
“Sin is not bad because it is forbidden, sin is forbidden because it is bad”
1) SIN IS AN ISSUE OF THE HEART
All sins can be placed into two broad categories: sins of commission and sins of omission. This means that some sins are doing what we should not do, and others are not doing what we should do.
Sins of Commission
Sins of commission, doing what we should not do.
John describes it this way in his epistle 1John 3:4 “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
We think of The Ten Commandments.
The murderer, liar, idolater, fornicator, the embezzeler, the identity thief...........
Sins of Omission
Sins of omission are not doing what we should do.
As James put it, James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
This may be a little more personal.....we know it is right to serve with joy, to think of others first, to have a heart of thankfulness, to not be jealous, not to gossip........
Perhaps in this latter category we each recognize it contains even more sins than the former.
Jesus put it this way when it comes to sin Matthew 5
(v21) When it comes to murder, Jesus clearly drew a parallel to hatred as being murder within the heart.
(v28) And to look at a woman lustfully was Adultery of the heart.
Without a question the ACTS of SIN rise from a SINFUL heart (Heart full of Sin)
Ø Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
James tells that sin brings forth death, God told Adam and Eve that if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would die...they ate and they spiritually died.
2) MAN IS A FREE WILL AGENT
There are three basic logical possibilities regarding the nature of human free choice: determinism, indeterminism, and self-determinism.
Determinism is the view that all human actions are caused by another, not by one’s self. Hard determinism does not allow for any free choice at all. Soft determinism posits free choice but sees it as completely controlled by God’s sovereign power.
Indeterminism is the position that human actions are not caused by anything. They are simply indeterminate.
Self-determinism is the doctrine that human free actions are self-caused, that is, caused by one’s self.
Determinism = A Puppet
Indeterminism = Eratic Electron
Self-Determinism = Free Agent
Because MAN has a FREE WILL, he is given the FREEDOM to CHOOSE.
Ø 2Peter 3:8 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
3) GOD’s ANSWER TO MAN’s CONDITION
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
God Loves the World...which means that he LOVES you.
A SINFUL WORLD...UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
God’s ACTION was NOT based upon MAN’s ability to EARN or MERIT HIS LOVE.
Ø Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
A world that was NOT seeking, even REBELLING against GOD was the OBJECT of HIS INFINITE LOVE.
God reaching OUT to the WORLD, TO YOU and ME, not to CONDEMN, but to SAVE.
Save from what? Eternal separation from GOD.
Hell is a place that was made for the devil.
The culmination of the devil, the beast, the false prophet and all those who reject Jesus will be.....
Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
4) MAN’s RESPONSE TO GOD’s PROVISION
Man either ACCEPTS GOD’s PLAN of SALVATION through JESUS or REJECTS it.
· To procrastinate is to say NO
· To add good works or self effort is to say NO
God Accepts man as he is and then makes changes.
Changes happen quick and changes happen in phases or steps.....but they occur.
Ø Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ
TURN TO: 1John 1:8-2:2 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (2) And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Are You DECEIVING Yourself?
Have you dealt with the REALITY of SIN in your life?
· Saul just admitted to it, but NEVER did anything about it.
In the FIRST SERMON given after Pentecost, after being filled with the Holy Spirit Peter’s Words cut to the hearts of his listeners.
Acts 2:37,38 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (38) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
repent = Change your mind and your life. Turn right about and do it now.
CONFESS your SIN, Appropriate GOD’s Mercy & Grace into your life.
John WROTE these things so we WOULD NOT SIN.
Jesus our ADVOCATE - The word describes the intercessory work of the Son. When we sin, Jesus represents us as our Advocate with the Father to plead our cause in heaven’s court.
Jesus our PROPITIATION - The word means “appeasement.” Thus, propitiation expresses the idea that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for sin that a holy God demanded.
Luke 7 – “her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much…”
Thankfulness to GOD for HIS PROVISION for your SALVATION, HIS GRACE, HIS MERCY
BEING KNOWN AS PEOPLE WHO LOVE JESUS
Have you received GOD’s Gift of eternal life, the forgiveness of your sins?