From Shepherd to King (3)
“True Friendship” 1 Samuel 18, 19 & 20
I heard about two friends who were out hunting. Suddenly one of them yelled & the other turned round to see a huge grizzly bear charging out of the forest towards them. The first man desperately pulled off his boots & started putting on his running shoes. The other guy asked him, “What are you doing? Don’t you know you can’t run faster than a grizzly bear?” The first guy replied, “I don’t have to run faster than the grizzly bear. I just have to run faster than you!” Well, what kind of friend was he? I guess it depends upon your definition of “friend”. He certainly was not the kind of friend Jesus talked about when He said, “Greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) What Jesus is talking about takes friendship to a far deeper level than simply being good mates out hunting together. The true friend, according to Jesus, would not run away leaving his friend behind to be caught by the bear. He would try to save his friend even if it meant losing his own life. And of course that is what Jesus did for us – He gave His life that we might be saved.
Very few friends would display the kind of love Jesus is talking about. And probably very few could say that they enjoyed a friendship as close & real as the friendship we are going to consider today – the friendship between David & Jonathan. The dictionary defines a “friend” as, “a person with whom one enjoys mutual affection & regard.” It also defines a friend as “a sympathizer, a helper, someone on the same side.” This is certainly true of the friendship between David & Jonathan but as we will see their friendship was much deeper – it was closer to the kind of friendship Jesus describes. It was a costly self-giving type of friendship. It seems everyone wants to find true friends but very few actually find them. We all have acquaintances, people with whom we get on pretty well, but an acquaintance is not the same as a real true friend. Let us look first of all at how David & Jonathan became friends:
1. David & Jonathan become friends
The marvellous victory over the giant Goliath was a turning point in David’s life. He had already played the harp for Saul the king & had served as one of his attendants, Saul now wanted to find out more about David. After all Saul had promised that the one who defeated Goliath could marry one of his daughters. At end of 1 Samuel 17, David is asked more about his family & his background. It is quite possible that not only was David the youngest son in a poor family but some Bible scholars think he may have been an illegitimate child. This is only speculation but if true it would have carried with it a certain stigma & shame.
We read at the beginning of chapter 18. “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, & he loved him as himself.” It seems that as Saul’s son Jonathan listened to David he was deeply touched by his story. He was very impressed. Despite being so young something about David, his faith, his humility, his openness maybe, struck a chord with Jonathan. He was immediately drawn to him as a person. Jonathan, the crown prince, heir to the throne, took David to his heart despite the fact David came from such an ordinary background. In a small way it is a picture of how Jesus loves us. His love for us is not based on our background or on our status. He accepts us just as we are.
Jonathan himself was an impressive man, & was himself recognized as a brave warrior. He was quite a bit older than David – perhaps as many as ten or fifteen years older. Jonathan now finds himself so drawn to David that we read, “…Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing & gave it to David, along with his tunic, & even his sword, his bow & his belt.” (vrs 3 & 4) Jonathan, as the oldest son of Saul, was heir to the throne. According to ancient custom, what Jonathan did in giving David his robe & his weapons was a mark of highest honour & respect. Jonathan honoured David in front of everyone.
Of course Saul was also impressed with David & gave him a high rank in the army. David became extremely popular. He was so popular that we read, “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 & dancing, with joyful songs & with tambourines & lutes. As they danced, they sang: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, & David his tens of thousands.’” (vrs 6 & 7) Sadly the song of the women had a very negative effect upon Saul. He was already very sensitive about the fact the prophet Samuel had told him that God had rejected him as king. He probably sensed that the Spirit of God was no longer with him. He had already been experiencing dark moods & periods of insanity. So despite the great victory won for the nation as a result of the defeat of Goliath & the Philistine army, Saul was feeling very vulnerable. His admiration for David began to turn to jealousy. We read in vrs 8 & 9, “Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, ‘but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?’ And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.”
Jealousy is very dangerous. It may not seem a major sin but in reality it quickly leads to unkind thoughts, words & even actions. A jealous person hates to see others succeed. They hate to see others happy. Jealousy leads to hate & sometimes even murder. It destroys relationships, ruins health, brings misery & often ends in disaster. Do not let jealousy get a foothold in your life. It will ruin you. We get jealous when we feel insecure, when we do not have a healthy self-image, when in fact we are too self-centred, when we are not walking in humility, openness & integrity before God & man. The opposite of jealousy of course is love – having a kind & generous spirit towards others. Paul says in Romans 12:14-15, “Bless those who persecute you, bless & do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice & mourn with those who mourn.” David who was anointed by the Spirit of God was able to live in this way – even though things were going to get very tough for him.
1 Samuel 18 tells how Saul becomes more & more jealous & even afraid of David. Despite the fact David was helping unite & strengthen the nation Saul saw him only as a threat. He made up his mind to get rid of David. Sadly Saul’s jealousy got so bad David’s music was no longer able to sooth him when he got into one of his dark moods. On two occasions even while David was playing his harp for Saul, he tried to kill David by throwing his spear at him. Twice David was able to dodge the spear & escape. Despite all the bad things Saul did v.14 says about David, “In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.” Saul may have been trying to harm David but the Lord was with him. He need not fear.
Saul went back on his promise to give the one who defeated Goliath the hand of his daughter in marriage. However when he discovered that his second daughter, Michal, had fallen in love with David, Saul thought up an evil plan. He said Michal & David could marry but David had first to pay a dowry or bride price. This bride price was not money (for David couldn’t have paid it anyway) but instead of money David had to go & kill 100 Philistine men & bring the proof back to Saul. This would put David in great danger. Verse 25 tells us, “Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.” Saul’s evil scheme failed for even before the time was up David returned. He & his men had killed 200 of the enemy - not just 100.
Even though Saul was obviously trying to get rid of him, David by contrast remained loyal & respectful to Saul. No doubt his friendship with Jonathan helped David keep his perspective & balance. In addition, he was now married to Saul’s daughter, Jonathan’s sister Michal, so they now had close family ties as well. It must have been very hard for David to have to face such obvious antagonism from his father-in-law, the king.
As we come to chapter 19 we see Jonathan standing up for David.
2. Jonathan stands up for David
It is a sign of true friendship when our friends speak up for us, even when this puts them at a disadvantage or in danger. Jonathan not only warned David of his father’s intention to kill him & promised to do what he could to change the situation. We read in 1 Samuel 18:4, “Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father & said to him, ‘Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, & what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, & you saw it & were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?” Jonathan spoke up for David. He knew that his father’s attitude & actions were wrong. Jonathan respectfully yet firmly & bravely challenged his father. Jonathan must have known what his father knew – that David would be the next king. Yet Jonathan’s love for David his friend meant that, unlike his jealous father, he was able to support David & speak up for him. A true friend is loyal. They don’t talk about you behind your back - rather they speak up for you even when others attack. Amazingly Saul listened to his son & agreed to welcome David back.
There was a time of relative calm. Sadly however, Saul’s jealousy & hate was not far from the surface. Suffering another of his demonic episodes or attacks, Saul once again tried to kill David. David escaped back to his home. He knew however that his life was once again in grave danger. His wife Michal realised that Saul’s men were watching the house. She knew there was a plot to arrest David in the morning. Michal helped David escape from an upstairs window under cover of dark. Sure enough in the morning Saul’s men came looking for David. Michal said he was ill in bed. The men left & reported back to Saul. He was not happy & “…sent the men back to see David & told them, ‘Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.’” (V.15) When Saul’s men came back to get him of course they discovered David was no longer there. David had escaped to where the old prophet Samuel was living in Ramah. Saul himself ended up going to Ramah to kill David but in a most unexpected way the Spirit of God immobilized him. Saul ended up prophesying – unable to do anything about David.
We come now to our final point for today about how David & Jonathan make a covenant with each other.
3. David & Jonathan make a covenant
As chapter 20 opens we find David secretly heading back to Gibeah from Ramah to find Jonathan. As with all true friends, David is able to speak from his heart. In v.1 David asks Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?” The whole situation must have been painful for both David & Jonathan. David knew Jonathan was putting his life on the line for him. The fact Jonathan also loved & respected his father Saul (no matter how bad he had become) helped David I am sure, to avoid hating Saul or wanting to get revenge. Their friendship helped both men stay closer to God & seek His solutions. A true Christian friend is like that. They help give us courage to do what is right rather than give in to temptation or evil.
David & Jonathan came up with a secret plan. If things looked hopeless & Saul seemed determined as ever to kill David Jonathan would let David know. The plan was agreed. You can read the details in chapter 20. Jonathan said to David, “May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like that of the LORD as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, & do not ever cut off your kindness from my family - not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth.” (vrs 13 -15) The two friends made a covenant together. It was a covenant based on their mutual love for God – the One who is unfailing in kindness.
Back at the palace things went very badly. Jonathan once again stood up for David & as a result suffered humiliation & abuse from his father. His father was so angry he even tried to kill Jonathan. At the appointed time & place Jonathan returned to meet David. By shooting some arrows & telling his servant boy to run & pick them up he gave the secret sign to David (who was hiding behind some rocks) that sadly he needed to flee. The servant boy had no idea what was going on & Jonathan sent him on ahead back to the town. Jonathan was then able to have a few brief moments alone with David without coming under suspicion. In I Samuel 20:41 we read, “After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone & bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other & wept together - but David wept the most.” It was a deeply moving parting. The two friends had to say goodbye not knowing if they would meet again. By the way, in the context of our corrupt society today, it is important to mention that the relationship between David & Jonathan was not in any way sexual. Homosexuality was totally taboo amongst the Israelites. In the Bible homosexuality is everywhere condemned as evil & wrong. God loves sinners, but He doesn’t condone sin.
Jonathan was not just a friend to David. He was like a brother – in fact far closer than any of David’s brothers had ever been to him. Now he & Jonathan had to say goodbye. Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you & me, & between your descendants & my descendants forever.’” (v.42) It was not the last time they saw each other. They met briefly one other time during the years David was on the run, a fugitive hiding from Saul. Jonathan was tragically killed fighting the Philistines alongside his father. David’s love & respect for his friend Jonathan must have helped him through all the struggles he was to face while he was a fugitive. Thinking of his friend Jonathan kept him from losing heart & becoming bitter towards Saul. David must have learnt from Jonathan the importance of what Jesus later said, “Love your enemies & pray for those that persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44). Their friendship helped make David a “man after God's own heart.”
Do you have a true friend? We all need such friends who will stick close, listen, care, offer honest advice & practical help in difficult times as well as good times. It is better to have one true friend than to simply have many acquaintances. As Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”Sometimes even very famous people have hardly anyone they can truly call a friend. If you want a true friend then be a true friend! Why not ask God to give you such a friend & ask Him to help you be a true friend to someone else. As brothers & sisters in the family of God, of course, we should seek to be such friends to others. David had a great friend in Jonathan but in the Lord Jesus you & I have an even more wonderful Friend. He gave His life for us. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. Do you know this greatest of Friends? The old hymn says it well: “What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins & griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to Him in prayer!”
From Shepherd to King (2)
“Facing the Giant” 1 Samuel 17
David was chosen by God to be king - a very unlikely choice perhaps from a worldly point of view. He was so young & inexperienced in many ways. Yet God saw his heart & the Spirit of the Lord anointed David for the task to which he was now called. Notice however that it was not right away that David was made king. He had been anointed in secret & it would be some years before he actually would be crowned as king. Yet as we will see today, God began to position David for his future role. God used him, even as a teenager, to win a major victory over the enemies of God’s people. Saul was still Israel’s king but God’s hand of blessing was no longer upon Saul. In fact 1 Samuel 16:14 tells us, “Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, & an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.” This does not mean that God sent an evil spirit to possess Saul. It simply means that once God’s Spirit was removed from Saul he was open to the influence of evil spirits. In this sense God allowed it for Saul had chosen to turn his back upon God. So too, when we deliberately turn away from God we open ourselves to demonic powers.
God’s hand of blessing, however, was very much upon David. Very soon he was to find himself learning a lot about what was involved in being king – it was a huge jump from looking after the sheep of his father Jesse. It all began when Saul starting having strange moods & even periods of insanity. Of course his attendants were very concerned & tried everything to help. Someone had heard about the young shepherd boy from Bethlehem who played the harp & sang so incredibly beautifully. It is very interesting to see how David is described by one of Saul’s servants in v.18 “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man & a warrior. He speaks well & is a fine looking man. And the Lord is with him.” Isn’t this a wonderful description of young David? Most important is the fact this man noticed that the Lord was with David - & he was such a talented nice guy. David’s gifts & his character were clearly connected in this man’s mind with the fact the Lord was with David.
It is wonderful when people in the world, people out in secular society, see a Christian & describe them in this sort of way. I have been impressed again how well people speak of NZ’s Olympic runner, Nick Willis. He is known as a Christian - & people say “And he is such a nice guy!”They say the same of TVNZ weatherman Jim Hickey & former All Black rugby player Michael Jones. This is how it should be! Christians should not be seen as strange, judgmental religious fanatics – but rather we should be seen as reliable, hardworking, nice people. Jesus said to His followers, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds & praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
The fact David was called to the palace to play the harp & to sing for Saul when he got into a bad mood is a real sign of God’s kindness & grace to Saul. David would have been playing & singing many of the songs of praise that he had composed. The quality of his music was fantastic & it soothed the distressed mind of Saul. Each time David played Saul began to feel better. I am sure too that the words of David’s songs had much about our loving merciful God, & were so uplifting that they touched Saul’s heart. Yes, it was the grace of God to Saul – giving him the chance to come back to a life of faith & obedience – if he so chose.
We not only see here a beautiful picture of the grace of God, but we also see a picture of the sovereignty of God. David was called to the palace of the one he would one day replace as king. This was part of God’s plan. David could learn firsthand about the affairs of state – even if from the sidelines. Saul was so pleased with David that he made him one of his armour-bearers. The word “armour bearer” also means “servant” or attendant – yes, David was just one of many such servants but he was right there in the palace. It was not yet the right time for David to actually be made king. He was in no hurry, nor was God.
We too need to learn to be patient. We may believe that God has certain plans for us. He may have given us a vision, a promise. Maybe there is something we believe God wants to do for us, some prayer we want Him to answer. But we need to wait for His perfect timing. In the meantime we can learn & we can grow in our life of faith despite the difficult circumstances we may be facing. We can trust God. He knows best. 1 Samuel 17:15 tells us, “David went back & forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.” Saul was based at Gibeah which was not far from Bethlehem. David could go home in-between periods of service in the palace. It was a time of learning.
As chapter 17 opens we discover the nation of Israel was facing a great threat. War was looming with their old enemies the Philistines. The Philistines lived along the coast & quite often attacked Israelite settlements in the foothills of Judah. The Philistines had more advanced weapons than the Israelites & at the time had a near monopoly of iron & metal working. The Israelites had to go to them to have their iron ploughs & pruning knives sharpened. In terms of weapons, the Israelites had very few swords & relied on wooden weapons, spears, bow & arrows & the sling. In the Book of Judges we read about 700 Israelites from the tribe of Benjamin (Saul’s tribe) who “could sling a stone at a hair & not miss.” (Judges 20:16)
We read in 17:1, “Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war & assembled at Socoh in Judah.” In other words they had invaded Israel. The Philistines stood on a hill on one side of the valley while the Israelite army faced them from a hill on the other side of the valley. There was a stand-off between the two armies but the Philistines seemed to have a big advantage. Not only did they have superior weapons, but they had an experienced & terrifying fighter, called Goliath. He was about 3 metres tall (that is almost 10 feet). The Chinese basketball player Yao Ming is only 7ft 6ins (i.e. 2.29 metres) so Goliath would have towered over him. It was fairly common in ancient times for each army to choose their champion. Then instead of the two armies fighting, the chosen champions of each army would fight each other. This would save a lot of bloodshed & the side of the victorious fighter would be seen as the winner & could claim the disputed territory.
And so we read in v 4, “A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp.” Not only was Goliath huge, he was covered in heavy armour. His armour covering front & back was made of bronze & weighted five hundred shekels, i.e. 127 pounds or 57 kilograms. He had a massive spear with an iron point. He had a helmet too & another man carried a large shield ahead of him – so he was very well protected. This scary guy Goliath came out each day & shouted across at the Israelites. “Why do you come out & line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, & are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man & have him come down to me.” (v.8) Furthermore Goliath shouted out this challenge, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man & let us fight each other.”(v.10) Notice the effect Goliath’s challenge had upon the Israelites. The Bible puts it very clearly, “On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul & all the Israelites were dismayed & terrified.”(v.11)
Are there not times when we feel dismayed & even terrified, when we feel overwhelmed by all the difficulties we are facing? Temptations, troubles, tragedies or bereavement – these things can suddenly strike us. Our normally peaceful pattern of life gets disrupted. We do not know what to do or where to turn. Sadly, like Saul & his army, some people do not turn to the Lord. They face the enemy feeling totally lost & helpless, unable to do anything. Their eyes are focussed on that giant shouting his obscenities, the enemy threatening to overwhelm them. The Philistines & Goliath were the enemies threatening God’s people. In a very real sense the enemies facing God’s people today are the trio we sometimes refer to as “the world, the flesh & the devil”. The “world” refers to the mindset of our secular godless society. The “flesh” is our old sinful nature. And the devil of course is Satan, the evil one. Saul & his army saw the enemy out there & were left dismayed & terrified. We very often feel totally overwhelmed by “the world, the flesh & the devil”. We feel dismayed & terrified.
This is where young David comes into the picture. In vrs 12-39 we read of how he comes to visit his three soldier brothers. David brings them all kinds of goodies from home sent by their father Jesse. Just as David arrived, the Philistine giant Goliath appeared giving his daily challenge from across the other side of the valley. David saw how all the Israelites reacted - in panic & fear. David overheard what the soldiers were saying & asked for more information. What was uppermost on David’s mind was not the reward being offered to the one brave enough to offer to fight Goliath but the shame to Israel of the current situation. David asks in v.26, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David’s chief concern was the glory of God. His eyes were not so much on the giant as upon God & His glory. Goliath had referred to the Israelites as the army of Saul but David saw them as the armies of the living God.
David’s oldest brother Eliab, one of Saul’s soldiers, clearly despised his young brother & spoke very unkindly to him. David however was not put off by his brother’s angry remarks. If no one was ready to take up Goliath’s challenge, David decided he would do something. This soon got reported to Saul & we read in v.32, “David said to Saul, ‘Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go & fight him.’” Saul understandably was not convinced. He said, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine & fight him; you are only a boy, & he has been a fighting man from his youth.” (v.33) David then proceeds to tell Saul about how he had fought & killed both a lion & a bear that attacked his sheep. Saul had looked at David & said, “No way!” But, David who was looking at God said, “No problem!” Listen to his powerful statement of faith: “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion & the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. Saul said to David, ‘Go, & the LORD be with you.’” (v.37)
What happens next is really humorous – as Saul gets David to try on some armour. He was not used to it & politely said “no thanks!” “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag &, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” (v.40)
Can you imagine the scene? The army of the Israelites must have watched in disbelief as David, just a young teenager, headed down the slope towards the towering Philistine standing across on the opposite hillside. They must have watched with bated breath as he bent down to choose his five stones from the stream. Just as dumbfounded must have been the Philistine army. Maybe both armies were asking themselves, “Who does he think he is?” Maybe Goliath asked the same question. They should not have asked “Who does he think he is?” but rather, “who does he (David) think He (God) is?” This was the key to David’s bravery & the key to his faith. It was what he thought of God that mattered. The Israelite soldiers had said about Goliath: “He’s so big, he’ll kill us.” By faith David however was saying, “He’s so big - it would be hard to miss such an easy target!”
Not surprisingly, Goliath thought the whole thing was just a joke. “He looked David over & saw that he was only a boy, ruddy & handsome, & he despised him. He said to David, ‘Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.” (vrs 43 & 43) He threatened to tear David apart & feed him to the birds. How did David reply? “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword & spear & javelin (in other words, with ordinary weapons), but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” David was saying he was coming not just with ordinary weapons. He was coming with spiritual weapons. The greatest spiritual weapon of all is the powerful name of LORD Almighty, the wonderful name of Jesus. As we pray in the name of Jesus the giants standing in our way are defeated. There is power in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus.“This day the LORD will hand you over to me, & I'll strike you down & cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air & the beasts of the earth, & the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, & He will give all of you into our hands.’” (vrs 45-47) What an incredible statement - not said sitting in a cosy lounge or in a beautiful church but said facing a ruthless battle-hardened giant bearing down upon him. “I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty… whom you have defied.” “The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.” “The battle is the LORD’s.” What an important lesson to learn! It was above all a spiritual battle & David was using spiritual weapons. Not only that – it was God’s battle, not David’s!
Dear friends, do we face giants intent on tearing us apart? Do we face the mocking attacks of a world that defies God & laughs at His people? In some societies Christians face very real physical opposition, being a Christian can be dangerous. This past week I heard Pastor Lai of Lighthouse Church share about a certain nation in Asia where a preacher was threatened with death if he dared go to a certain place to preach. He went anyway, despite the warnings of the local people that his life would be in danger. “Why did you come?” they asked. “I came because I have such good news that I am prepared even to give my life in order to bring it to you.” After he finished preaching the village head rose to his feet & said, “I want to believe in the God of this man who was willing to give his life for us.” After he stood to his feet, so did many others. Like this brave preacher in modern-day Asia, David was putting himself in great danger by facing the giant Goliath. He was so committed to bringing glory to God that he was unafraid. He knew that whatever happened, the battle belonged to God. He could trust God to take care of him.
David only needed to use one of those five stones. His very first sling shot hit its mark – right on the forehead of the giant. It hit like a bullet. Goliath fell down flat – knocked out cold. David then used the giant’s own sword to chop off his head. The champion of the Philistines lay dead & the Philistine army fled in terror. A great victory was won that day. Dear friends – let us learn from this famous story. Let us, like David, be passionate about God’s glory. Let us not be left paralysed by the opposition of secular society around us. Let us long for the presence & the power of God to be displayed amongst His people. Let us be ready to lay our lives on the line for the God we serve, that others may see & believe.
From Shepherd to King (1)
“Chosen by God” 1 Samuel 16:1-13
David is one of the most popular names in our church. Just think of all the David’s we have! Well, David is also one of the most famous names in the Bible. There is more written about David in the Bible than about any other person, except Jesus of course. There are about 140 chapters in the Bible related to David – far more than about Abraham, Moses, Daniel or Paul or any other famous Bible character. We know more about David’s words, his thoughts, his prayers, his strengths & weaknesses than we know about anyone else. Despite some of his serious failings, God had a very high regard for David. In Acts 13:22 we read that God said of David “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart.” David was God's man. He had a real heart for God.
Today we start a new series of messages looking at the life of this amazing man.
Although he lived 3000 years ago, we can learn a lot from David. Whatever situation we face it is quite possible that David has insights that will help us. Many of the precious truths we find in the Psalms David found true in his own experience. He speaks to young & old. He speaks to those enjoying success & those feeling deserted & alone. He speaks to those enjoying intimacy with God & to those feeling cut off from God. All through his life, in all the incredible ups & downs he experienced, David was someone with a passion for God. Yes, he made some terrible mistakes. He knew he needed God’s grace & forgiveness. Pleasing God was all-important to David.
After Moses led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt it was under Joshua that they conquered the Promised Land. After that for almost 400 years they had a series of judges or leaders of whom Gideon & Samson are perhaps the best known. The last judge was the prophet Samuel the nation’s undisputed spiritual & civic leader. This was when the people asked for a king, like other nations had. So in about 1050 BC Saul was anointed by Samuel as Israel’s first king. Saul started out really well but sadly did not continue that way. He became proud. Power corrupted him. He did not follow the instructions given by God through the prophet Samuel. We come to a very sad statement in 1 Samuel 15:26 where Samuel says to Saul, “You have rejected the word of the LORD, & the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!”
This is where the story of David begins. Obviously Samuel was deeply grieved about Saul. Twenty five years earlier he had anointed Saul as king. Saul’s failure & rejection by God hit Samuel very hard. Well God had important instructions for Samuel. We read in 1 Samuel 16:1, “The LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil & be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.’” Samuel was told to get oil ready for an anointing ceremony. Just as Samuel had anointed Saul king all those years earlier, God now wanted him to anoint a new king. He was to go to the village of Bethlehem to the home of a man called Jesse. God had chosen one of Jesse’s sons as the next king & God would show Samuel who it was.
Samuel was very scared, however, & said to God, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it & kill me.” Yes, Saul had become a cruel, jealous man. He was no longer a leader who cared about his people. He was a law unto himself. God gave Samuel the following instructions in vrs 2 & 3, “Take a heifer with you & say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, & I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.” Samuel lived in a place called Ramah where the tabernacle was set up, but used to travel around the countryside holding sacrifices for the people as he taught them about God. So, when God wanted to have a new king anointed, He told Samuel to take a heifer, that is a young cow, & go down & hold a sacrifice in Bethlehem. This would not in itself make Saul suspicious.
Each village or town in Israel had its elders (local leaders), probably the heads of influential families. When Samuel, the revered prophet unexpectedly arrived in Bethlehem, the elders were very surprised. In fact the Bible says “the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, ‘Do you come in peace?’” (v.4) Samuel reassured them & invited them, including Jesse & his sons, to the sacrifice. They were to consecrate themselves before the sacrifice actually took place. Consecration involved washing themselves. This outward cleansing was a sign of the importance of inner cleansing. It reminded the people of the importance of coming to God with a pure heart. This is important for us too as we come to worship. We too need to ask God to cleanse our hearts & minds as we come into His holy presence.
After a sacrifice the men of a village would normally eat a feast with Samuel. During his visit to Bethlehem, Samuel must have been asking the Lord to show him who was the one he was to anoint. He already knew it had to be one of Jesse’s sons but which one? Samuel also knew if Saul heard about it there would be big trouble for all concerned. He had to be very careful. Samuel must have told Jesse that he wanted to meet all his sons. Most probably he did not say why, except that it was very important & that he would explain later. Jesse would have introduced his sons to Samuel one by one from the oldest to the youngest. The Bible tells us, “…Samuel saw Eliab & thought, ‘Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD.’” No doubt Samuel was very impressed with Eliab, Jesse’s eldest. Samuel immediately thought that he must be the one God had in mind. No sooner had such a thought entered his mind, however, than we read, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” (v.7) Saul, who God had now rejected, had also been very impressive. He was tall & handsome. Maybe Samuel thought the new king would have to be tall & handsome like Saul, but God warns Samuel not to judge by outward appearance alone.
When we judge by outward appearance we can very easily overlook unseen qualities that are far more important. The physical, outward things by which society judges a person are no measure of their true worth. A person may not have the looks of a movie star but they might have inner qualities, inner good looks, inner beauty that is far more lasting & of far greater value. Young people, remember this when you are thinking about romance & marriage. Girls, don’t let a guy’s good looks or charisma be the only things you notice. Look deeper. Look for someone who is reliable, honest, humble, hard-working, & who loves the Lord. Guys don’t just look for outward beauty. Look deeper. Look for someone who is pure, gentle, modest, faithful, & godly. Don’t judge by outward appearances.
The same applies to selecting employees. Don’t just look at the outward, seemingly obvious. Get honest references. Make sure their CV is genuine. Even the NZ Immigration Department & the Ministry of Defence have made mistakes, not adequately checking a person’s CV. We can do the opposite as well – that is, reject a really good person simply because of outward appearances. Judging people by their outward appearance is what a racist does. The racist looks at ethnic background, colour of skin, or language, rather than taking people on their merits. A well-known media personality recently got into serious trouble, & rightly so, over remarks he made about our Governor General. His remarks clearly reflected racial prejudice – judging a man not by character or merit but by ethnic background.
If looking deeper is important in all these areas just mentioned, how much more important it is in our Christian lives! Yes, God looks at the heart. He sees what we are like inside. Most of us spend at least some time in front of the mirror each day – making sure we look OK. If we take care of our outward appearance should we not also be concerned about how we are on the inside? We make sure our hair, if we have any, is in place. How about taking care of our hearts? Others may not know what we are like inside, but God knows.
It is also important to remember these things when we think about serving the Lord & when we think about church. It is easy to make a good impression, to look very spiritual, to be busy doing all kinds of things for God – while our hearts are not in a good place. We might be secretly holding on to bad habits, or ungodly attitudes, while at the same time leading worship or praying or preaching. I once got an email from a respected Christian brother, an elder in a church in South Africa, in which he confessed to me that his marriage was in trouble because he had become addicted to pornography on the Internet. He looked good on the outside but on the inside in his private life he was in deep trouble. Well my dear friends, God sees everything. He sees our hearts & He knows when we are sincerely seeking to please & obey Him. We may stumble & fall but God is looking at our hearts. He knows when we are sincerely sorry & when we are genuinely crying out for His forgiveness & His help.
Yes, it is wrong to judge others by what we see or don’t see on the outside. There are some people, for example, that we hardly notice & seldom praise who are truly pleasing to God. He sees their kind words & loving deeds, the things they do behind the scenes. One day they will hear His “well done, good & faithful servant.”
After God told Samuel that Jesse’s eldest, Eliab, was not the one to be anointed king, it seems that Samuel was not quite so quick to jump to conclusions with the rest of Jesse’s sons. V.8 says, “Then Jesse called Abinadab & had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, ‘The LORD has not chosen this one either.’” And so along came son number three. “Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, ‘Nor has the LORD chosen this one.’” (v.9) The three sons mentioned so far were all soldiers in the army led by king Saul. They were tough physically impressive young men. Yet none of them was chosen by God. Jesse introduced each one of his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel looked at each one of them carefully, but no matter how impressive they were, we read that Samuel told Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” (v.10) Samuel had been introduced to all of Jesse’s sons, or so it seemed, but not one of them had been suitable. Had not the Lord told him that the one He had chosen was a son of Jesse? Well then, Samuel’s question to Jesse in v.11 is perfectly understandable. He asks, “Are these all the sons you have?” Maybe there was another son somewhere who had not yet been introduced to him.
And that is exactly what had happened. “‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered, ‘but he is tending the sheep.’ Samuel said, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.’” It seems Jesse had not given his youngest son David so much as a passing thought. He was just a young lad. What use could he possibly be to the great prophet Samuel? “If Samuel has not found what he is looking for in any of my older boys,” Jessie may have thought, “surely he will not find it in David!”
All that Jesse & his sons could now do was to wait patiently, or perhaps impatiently, for David to arrive. The fact David was working as a shepherd may indicate that he had been despised by others in the family. He was not much good for anything else in their eyes, perhaps. But in God’s eyes things were very different. David may have been forgotten & neglected by his father. He may have been mocked & looked down upon by his brothers. But he had not wasted his time as a shepherd. He had become skilled with a sling. He was brave & with his bare hands had killed wild animals attacking the sheep. He had also become incredibly skilled as a musician. He had spent countless hours playing his harp singing the songs of praise & worship that he had composed, songs of praise to the God he loved. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” The magnificent Psalm 23 is one of David’s songs of praise to God composed as he sat watching his father’s sheep. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Psalm 19, speaking of God’s creation & of His Word, was possibly composed as David sat under the stars meditating upon the Lord & His Word. His years watching the sheep were not wasted years. In God’s school they were essential training for the one who was to become shepherd over God’s people.
So finally along comes David, the smell of the fields & the sheep still clinging to his clothes. And this is how he is described, “He was ruddy, with a fine appearance & handsome features.” (v.12) David may have been the youngest. He may have been less impressive than his older brothers but he was still a very good looking young man. The moment Samuel saw David we read, “…the LORD said, ‘Rise & anoint him; he is the one.’” What a powerful statement! God had chosen the youngest, the least impressive in the eyes of the world. But this was the one God had chosen to be the future king of His people.
We read in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, “Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world & the despised things…” God chose unlikely David. He also chooses you & me. What a huge privilege!
The secret ceremony, attended only by Jesse & his sons, now took place. “Samuel took the horn of oil & anointed him in the presence of his brothers, & from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.” (v.13) People were anointed with oil when they were set apart for God’s service – as a prophet, a priest, or as a king. The oil symbolized holiness. Saul was still king & would remain so until his death but God had chosen David to replace him. Notice the very important phrase: “from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.” God’s Spirit had been withdrawn from Saul. Saul no longer enjoyed the favour & blessing of God. But young David was anointed not just with oil but, more importantly, he was anointed by Spirit of the Lord. David would not be able to fulfil God’s calling upon his life unless he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon certain people for certain special tasks. In the New Testament however the anointing, the infilling, of the Holy Spirit is God’s provision for every believer. Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Do not try to live the Christian life or to serve the Lord in your own strength. You will not be able to do it. Christianity becomes a burden without the infilling & the power of the Holy Spirit. It is like a car without fuel. It is like a gas burner without gas. It is like a lamp that is not plugged into the power supply – there is no light, no shining.
Has God chosen you? Has He anointed you? Do not think it is unlikely or impossible for God to use you. He sees your heart. He is able to prepare you for ministry. He is able to equip you with power. Praise His wonderful name. God does this by His Spirit. This is what He did for David, & what He can do for you & me.