10/20/2019
A Heart After The Heart Of God-Pt 5
I Have Found David son of Jesse a Man After My Own Heart…
There Is A Friend Who Sticks Closer Than A Brother
1 Samuel 18:1-4 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 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.
Friendship Is Powerful
Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Success Is Achieved In Keeping God’s Law
1 Samuel 18:5 Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people and Saul’s officers as well.
Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
He Must Become Greater I Must Become Less
1 Samuel 18:6-7 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 tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands.”
Jealousy Can Provoke Us Into Wrong Thinking & Wrong Actions
1 Samuel 18:8-11 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?” From that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
Rejoice When Someone Else Succeeds
John 3:26-30 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan–the one you testified about, he is baptizing and everyone is going to him.” To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of Him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits & listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine & it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.
Jealousy Leads To Fear Which Leads To Isolation
1 Samuel 18:12-15 So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and He had departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed David from his presence and made him his captain over a thousand; he went out and came in before the people. David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; the LORD was with him. So when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
Using People To Hurt People Hurts Everyone
1 Samuel 18:15-17 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me and fight the LORD’S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
Using Family Against Family Is Folly
1 Samuel 18:18-21 David said unto Saul, Who am I? What is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. Michal Saul’s daughter loved David & they told Saul and the thing pleased him. “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.”
Using Authority To Destroy A Rival Is Homicidal
1 Samuel 18:22-25 Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.'” 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.” When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 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.
Using People To Hurt People Hurts Everyone
1 Samuel 18:26-29 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, Saul became still more afraid of him and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.
God Is In Charge Of Life His Plans Cannot Be Foiled!
1 Samuel 18:30 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.