The Lord and His People

After a few months break, we’re are back in 1 Samuel. Some have groaned at the thought, wishing we could just pretend we were done with 1 Samuel after “David and Goliath”.

Let me share a thought from H.B. Charles Jr. He says:

“The Bible is not the cafeteria where you select what you want and leave the rest behind. The Bible is Big Momma’s house where you eat what she cooked or you don’t eat at all.”

This applies to people who want to ignore truths they don’t like or truths which they believe to be culturally-outdated.

It also applies to those of us who prefer some books over others.

We need ALL of God’s Word. Every part of it—every mark (every jot and tittle, for you King James folk)—is useful for us.

So we’re back in 1 Samuel and will be here for a while, following the story of God and His people.

Let me refresh our memories since we’ve been out of the book for a while.

Hannah gave birth to a son, Samuel. Samuel became a prophet, a priest. Israel eventually asks for a king. God gives them Saul. Saul fails. The Lord leads Samuel to David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons. Samuel anoints David as king.

David fights the Philistine giant, Goliath, kills him with a stone from his sling, and cuts off his head.

When we come to our text for the day, David is still carrying Goliath’s head around with him (pretty gory, or pretty cool, depending on your perspective).

1 Samuel 17:57 (NIV)

57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

This brings us to our text for today, the continuation of the story. David killing Goliath shook more than the ground. It shook everything up.

Everyone is now taking notice of David, for better or worse. Some of the attention he receives is good; other, not so much.

If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to 1 Samuel 18. We’ll be focused on chapters 18-19 this morning.

1 Samuel 18:1–5 NIV

1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

When I was in Bible College, we had to write a big exegetical paper our senior year. Every student at MCC dreaded this paper; it was a huge deal and an enormous percentage of that course’s grade. For years, there was only one topic for students to write about: divorce.

You had to examine all the Bible passages that reference divorce. My paper was 28-pages long and took me weeks to write.

A year or two before I had to write the paper, the college decided to offer another topic, a topic that would be facing the church in increasing measure. I now wish I would have chosen the other topic, but I avoided it at the moment.

The other topic was homosexuality and all the related Bible passages.

Oddly enough, one of the passages for the paper on that topic was 1 Samuel 18—Jonathan’s love for David.

This passage, the verses we just read, are used by some in an attempt to suggest that Jonathan and David’s relationship was more than friendship.

It’s ludicrous and insulting and a cheap attempt to read something into the text that is simply not there.

If their relationship was more than friendship, the Bible would have mentioned it and then condemned it.

The Bible is unashamedly truthful; if there was any hint of that here, it would be clearly mentioned as it is throughout (Genesis, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Judges, Romans, 1 Corinthians).

There’s nothing nefarious going on here with Jonathan and David’s relationship. They’re friends. They love one another. Jonathan will go out of his way to protect his friend David toward the end of our text.

Here’s the truth of these first verses:

The LORD puts His People in Relationship with One Another (18:1-5)

David was young. He was impressive; he had bravely fought the Philistine. He was given status just by virtue of that feat. Carrying Goliath’s head around was a less-than-subtle reminder of what David had done.

David, here, was immediately given status by his relationship with the royal family. Remember, Jonathan is Saul’s son, the would-be-king (if Saul’s kingship hadn’t already been taken away from him).

Jonathan, the crown prince, recognized something in David and struck up a deep friendship with him.

Saul even, at this point, wanted/needed David with him, gave him a high rank and a home in the palace.

Jonathan made a covenant with David. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow, and his belt.

This is not mere generosity. It’s a recognition of David’s worth.

Can you imagine a prince voluntarily renouncing his throne, and symbolically giving it away to a friend? Perhaps Jonathan knew more than it seems; David will be king.

Jonathan gives his status and position to David. It’s a hint, a glimpse of what Jesus does for us. We, who belong to Him by faith, are clothed in His righteousness. Jesus made Himself nothing so that we could have everything.

The Lord puts His people into relationship with one another, and always for a purpose. We need each other!

God has always had a people for Himself. Not a bunch of individual persons, but a people. After Jesus’ ascension, we call this ‘THE CHURCH’.

We need one another, we need to honor the relationships the Lord has given us. We must see the gathering together of one another as more than optional.

It’s a necessity. If you’re a Christian, you are not exempt from the gathering together of Christ’s people. No Biblical argument can be made for the solitary practice of faith.

The Lord puts His people into relationship with one another. It’s one of the best things He does.

1 Samuel 18:5–9 NIV

5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well. 6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” 8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

In verse 5, we see David’s success in whatever he does. Later in the story (19:5), Jonathan points out that it was the Lord who won the victory, because this is true:

The LORD is Constantly Working Through His People (18:5-9)

There’s a repeated word in these chapters: success. There are four references to David’s success in 1 Samuel 18 (vv. 5, 14, 15, 30).

David is successful because the Lord Yahweh is at work through him.

David kills the Philistine. And all the women from all the towns in Israel come out and greet David and Saul, and sing them a song.

David gets more credit and praise than Saul, and that bugs Saul. It displeased him greatly and from that point on Saul kept a close eye on David.

Let me say this: God’s presence or pleasure with you doesn’t guarantee success (that’s some of that prosperity gospel, Joel Osteen/T.D. Jakes junk theology).

God’s presence or pleasure with you doesn’t guarantee success, but any success you have, any success David had was because of the Lord’s presence and pleasure.

The Lord is constantly working through His people. If you are part of His people, know this. Trust this. Believe this. The Lord is working through you, right now, His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

As we read the remainder of 1 Samuel 18, keep an eye out for any phrase that repeats itself:

1 Samuel 18:10–30 NIV

10 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14 In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns. 17 Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!” 18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19 So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. 20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21 “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.” 22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’ ” 23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.” 24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. 26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. 28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. 30 The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

The LORD is Always With His People (18:10-30)

Three times—verse 12, verse 14, verse 28—we read the same thing: the Lord was with David.

Saul, a fierce warrior in his own right, chucks his spear at David. David eludes Saul twice.

Saul, fierce warrior and king, and more than a tad crazy. Saul was tormented by a spirit from God, and David would play him some music to soothe him. You might remember this:

1 Samuel 16:23 NIV

23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

So, here, David was unbothered by Saul’s spear-throwing. Just a more high-stakes game of darts...

I think I’d probably leave the room faster than you could say, “See ya!” if someone was throwing a spear at me. But, not David.

The Lord is with David, and this is a comfort and unspeakable assurance to David (and to the reader).

But the fact that the Lord is with David causes Saul to fear David.

Saul gives David rank and assignment. Saul thinks, “Well, eventually the Philistines are going to get him. It’s the law of averages; young David verses the vast enemy army. At some point, the Philistines will overpower him.

And yet, because the Lord is with him, David is successful; he had great success because the Lord was with him. Over and over, David is successful.

Saul decides to give David one of his daughters, and when that doesn’t work, gives him another—Michal who loves David.

Did you notice Saul was pleased that Michal loved David? Not pleased in the way a good father would be pleased, but pleased because now Saul can use her against David. “I’ll give her to him so that she may be a snare to him.”

Isn’t that sweet? What a nice toast at the wedding.

It’s crazy. Saul is out to get David.

When David rejects the idea that he—poor and unknown—should marry the king’s daughter, Saul has his servants reassure David that he doesn’t want a lot of money for his daughter, just for David to take revenge on the Philistines.

Remember: Saul wants David to die in battle.

Haddon Robinson comments on different parts of the OT saying, “The past is a strange place and strange things happen there.”

Never is this more true than in 1 Samuel. The price for marrying Saul’s daughter was set at 100 foreskins. David goes to battle and brings back 200 foreskins. See what we’d miss if we stopped at David and Goliath?!

Saul’s plan was to have David go to battle against the Philistines and die.

David goes to battle against the Philistines and does even greater things than he’s done already.

Saul realizes, and is afraid of the fact, that his daughter loves David, and that the Lord is with him.

Every one of Saul’s plans to be rid of David fail. One New Testament author would say it this way:

Romans 8:31 NIV

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

The Lord is always, always with His people. David is no exception.

God is for David. Saul is against David, but to what end?

God is for you, Christian? Who can be against you in any successful measure? You’re right! No one!

The Lord is working through David and has a plan for David. The Lord is with David and will make certain David is protected.

Indeed, that’s the lesson in 1 Samuel 19:

The LORD Protects His People (19:1-24)

The entirety of 1 Samuel 19 communicates this great truth, that the Lord protects His people. The chapter consists of four episodes of God’s deliverance (we’ll look at them briefly).

Saul, afraid of David, tells his son Jonathan and all his attendants to kill David.

But Jonathan is David’s friend. Jonathan warns David and speaks to his father on David’s behalf—what a friend! The value of relationships cannot be overstated.

1 Samuel 19:4-5 record Jonathan speaking well of David and going to bat for him. “David hasn’t wronged you. He’s risked his life for Israel, killing Goliath. The Lord saved us and you were glad! Why would you kill David? He’s innocent!”

Saul actually listens to his son:

1 Samuel 19:6–7 NIV

6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.” 7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.

Sometime after this “reconciliation”, war breaks out and David does his thing and fights the Philistines.

We need to remember that Saul is a man under the Lord’s judgment. And the next scene is deja vu all over again:

1 Samuel 19:9–10 NIV

9 But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

David just “struck down” the Philistines, and here Saul tries to “strike down” David. Verses 8 and 10 share the same verb. It’s a sad irony.

David escapes Saul’s spear, God protecting him.

Saul is still on the hunt, sending men to David’s house (which is also Saul’s daughter’s house).

Once again, one of Saul’s children protects David from their own father.

1 Samuel 19:11–13 NIV

11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.

Michal pulls a Rahab (Joshua 2), lowering David down through a window. And then she pulls the classic sneak-out-of-the-bedroom-put-some-pillows-under-the-covers-to-trick-the-parents.

Kids, don’t try this. Your parents are smarter than you. Plus, they’ve done it all before. There’s nothing new under the sun.

God uses Michal to protect David. David escapes (a word used 5 times in 1 Samuel 19).

1 Samuel 19:18 NIV

18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.

Saul finds out pretty quickly where David is. Saul is still king, after all.

Saul’s men arrive. They see a group of prophets prophesying, and guess what happens?

1 Samuel 19:20 (NIV)

20 … when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.

Saul sends a second and third group of men, but the result is the same:

1 Samuel 19:21 NIV

21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied.

Dale Ralph Davis explains what in the world is going on:

“The point is clear. David’s back is to the wall; Saul will not grant him sanctuary even in Samuel’s company. So God sends forth His Spirit in raw, irresistible power on Saul’s men and compels them into helplessness.”

Saul thinks to himself, “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” and heads out to find David himself.

But the result is the same. Saul doesn’t even make it to Naioth. The Spirit arrests Saul and Saul starts to prophesy like his men before him.

Saul is just as helpless as the men he sent before him. And Saul’s helplessness lasts a while.

The Lord’s Spirit protects David in a rather unusual, though very effective manner.

God protects and provides a way of escape for David via Jonathan, a poorly thrown spear, Michal, and the Spirit.

Imagine what’s going through David’s mind at this point. He’s been pulled from his flock, ends up on the front line killing Goliath, is living in Saul’s palace. Saul tries to spear him a few times, gives orders to kill him a few times. David escapes a few times.

And it’s not over for David. But it’s gotta be clear to him that the Lord Yahweh is working through him, is with him, protecting him.

“Sometimes the clearest evidence that God has not deserted you is not that you are successfully past your trial but that you are still on your feet in the middle of it.” - DRD.

It’s incredible how the Lord works; unlikely ways seem to be His preferred way of doing things.

Now, we are not David, but we can still take the principle here and apply it to our lives.

God will keep us, protecting us, holding us fast, until whatever He has ordained for us to do is accomplished.

Jesus assures us that we are held in the palm of God’s mighty right hand and that nothing can take us from Him.

What can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord? Nothing.

We know He’s with us—always, to the very end of the age. He’s promised that; we can take it to the bank. May we never forget it!

Hebrews 13:5 5 God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

We know that God is at work in us, through us, even in spite of us.

Philippians 2:13: “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

And we’re confident He’s put us in relationship with His people—that’s what the church is! The gathering of Christ’s people who depend upon one another and worship God together is one of the great blessings He gives.

He is the Lord and we are His people; thanks be to God.