If you have a Bible in your hands, meet me in the book of
second, Samuel and chapter one. As we begin, a new study in a
new book. But I believe it's important to
know that although this is a fresh book that we will endeavor
to journey through. In the original, Hebrew
manuscripts, first and second, Samuel were actually one
combined text. It was not seen as two separate
books. It was seen as one book, and it
wasn't until there was a Greek translation done to 300 before
Christ, where these, these two books were were created, or at
least the one text was separate and divide it into two and the
introduction to second Samuel as you.
And I will see a test That reality because there seems to
be just the seamless flow from the last chapter in first Samuel
to the introduction of this new book.
It seems like we don't miss a beat seems like things just move
on just fine. And why is that important to
know? Because as we begin a new book,
we often take the time and the introduction to look at the
themes, or the structure, or the flow of thought or the main
ideas in that text. And that is not necessarily case
with 2nd Samuel. Because, again, originally, it
was just One book. So we're just continuing with
the same intention that we did in the beginning of 1st Samuel.
We're seeing that God has chosen a man to rule and Reign and
we're going to continue to Journey with David as he makes
his way towards the throne as God leads them towards the
throne and all the things in between that are to our benefit.
There are many people who are intimidated by the Old
Testament, or have a limited view of its value in the
Christians life. New Covenant.
And all you have to do is see the New Testament commentary on
the value of the Old Testament, to realize God's desire for
those who are in the New Covenant.
It's not just to find Christ as glorious as that is.
It's not just to understand the complete picture of Redemptive
history. As important as that is, Romans
tells us in chapter 15, that there are these things given to
us to encourage us, And in 1st Corinthians, we read also in
chapter 10 that there are these stories were real.
Real stories of real people, real events to warn us to warn
us about Sin to encourage Us in Holiness.
And so, we have every right according to the Bible, to
actually come to David story and glean spiritual principles for
us today as we walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so as we do with every book as we do with every study, Why
don't we just pause and isil or to help us?
Especially as we begin a new text.
Can we do that? Oh Lord, we thank you for this
book. We thank you for how you've
taught us through first Samuel and Lord, we trust that you will
continue to guide us to know exactly what you've intended to
speak to us through these verses today.
Lord give us an attentive mind. Give us an open heart.
We pray that the spirit of God would rest upon the ministry of
the word. And so that it would be
delivered in power. And in Clarity and that Lord, we
would all leave here, edified our faith.
Built up. Lord that you would speak with
your Timeless truth into particular areas of our lives
today. Lord, let your voice be heard
and your voice alone. We submit our Wills to you.
We submit our preconceived ideas and we surrender to the
authority of the scriptures tonight O Lord.
May this be an impartation? I just have knowledge about of
Life of life, so that we can live like our master.
Aster we ask these things in Jesus name, amen.
Where we begin in second. Samuel one is exactly where we
left off. The first king of Israel has
died. He was brutally killed and War,
and we saw the detailed account of his death.
And as we're about to find out, David is going to learn of this
news. And what this first chapter is
all about is his response to the death of his sworn enemy.
And as you and I examined that though we won't be able to go
through the whole chapter. After just half of it, it will
surely challenge us. because the longer you serve the Lord, the
more dedicated you are to serving the lord, the more you
can assure yourself of enemies in this life Enemies, not just
in Satan and his minions enemies through people unfortunately.
And perhaps you are familiar with that reality today, perhaps
that is completely foreign to you regardless.
What we will see today will surely challenge Us in the Lord
in verse 1, after the death of Saul, when David had returned
from striking down the amalekites David remained, two
days and ziklag and on the third day, Behold, a man came from
Saul's camp with his clothes, torn, and dirt on his head.
And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid
homage David said, to him where do you come from?
And he said to him I have escaped from the camp of Israel
and David said to him how did it go tell me and he answered the
people fled from the battle and also many of the people have
fallen and are dead and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.
Then David said to the young men who told him, how do you know
that Saul and his son? Jonathan are dead.
Remember there was a war between Israel and the Philistines David
wanted to apparently join that war on the Philistine size,
which was extremely concerning to us.
But God providentially leads him away from that and he faces his
own issues. Because when he comes back to
this town called ziklag where he was staying, it was ransacked by
the amalekites. He goes on a rescue mission
after he repents before the Lord and seek his guidance God gives
him a victory. They rescue their wives, they
rescue their children and they had To Zeke lag.
And when we see that it comes act as a clock, we might be a
little bit concerned because we know ziklag is not where David
is supposed to be. That is in the land of the
Philistines brother. You're supposed to be in the
promised land. What are you doing there?
Okay, you've repented and you saw God leads you, mercifully to
Victory. So why are you going back to
ziklag? There's no reason to be
concerned. We have every reason to believe
that David is going to either recuperate or is planning to
rest. Remember all those days of
travel and battle. You can imagine that he was just
worn out with his men or it could be.
That David is simply waiting. He's waiting to receive report.
He's waiting for an announcement of what happened in that battle.
We don't know what is going on in, David's heart.
But all we do see, is that finally, on the third day,
Somebody in the Horizon who seems to be out of breath is
making his way towards David and the closer he gets the more
David realizes that whoever this messenger is or this visitor is,
it's not about good news because he's already showing the signs
of grief and of mourning because his clothes are torn.
There's dirt on his head and so David is already anticipating.
Not so good news. And finally, this man arrives.
And when he arrives David asked his whereabouts.
Where did he come from? And the man tells him I escaped
from the camp of Israel, and look what David says in verse 4.
How did it go tell me? Now if you don't have the ESV,
does it just say tell me? Or does he say something else?
Who has a translation other than the ESV.
What does it say? Please tell me.
Does it say the same and the King James pray thee?
Tommy, same idea. and when you see that, what you understand
is, a man who has great concern, David is not just asking out of
mere curiosity, David is asking because there is a genuine
desire to know the well-being of his people.
What a change of heart compared to a man who is willing to go to
war against his people. Now, his heart is obviously been
softened enough to be so concerned about what happened to
his own. And so he asks, please tell me,
would you just disclose to me? What has happened in that war
and what's so incredible about this?
Is that it is a display of his compassion that describes just a
glimpse of the quality of this man's love that made him.
Effective servant that he was for his God.
David here is saying, tell me how did it go?
And you're going to see his response when he realizes that
Israel has fallen that he obviously really loved the
people of God. He really did.
And what I appreciate about David's reaction here.
At least desire to know what's happening is that it was all
before. He was the king of Israel.
He's not King yet, he's not there designated leader.
In fact, she's a fugitive. In fact, he is, he has received
more mistreatment than anything else from his own people.
And yet, at the same time, there is this yearning to know, there
is this great concern in his heart.
And as I look at that, I realize that this man was not motivated
to be so concerned because of his responsibilities or his
position This man truly had an empathy, there is a sincere
interest. There is a compassion that
consumed him. There is this longing to have an
understanding of the people and their good standing. and when I
look at that, I also think about how this corresponds to us as
Servants of God, To us who do life with the people of God.
What goes on in our hearts? How do we feel about those who
belong to Christ? How do we view them?
How do we serve them? Not if we serve them, but how
because David example, here causes us to think. but if this
man can shows such passion as a fallen human being, he is not
our ultimate example. Jesus is if you're a part of
this church, you know, that on Sunday, we're discovering the
suffering servant in Jesus Christ in The Book of Mark.
And I am always humbled as I go through, Mark to see the type of
servant Jesus was not just this, the Savior that he was the
servant that he was and this will resonate with you.
My brother, my sister, if you really want to be a servant for
the kingdom of God, Jesus shows in so many ways how he felt not
just what he did, but how he felt about the people that he
served. Can I show you?
One example, it's in the New Testament.
You're gonna have to go there in your Bibles.
It's a Mark chapter 6. And verse 34 Jesus comes to a
crowd, a great crowd, thousands of people.
And when he shows up on that Shore only to see people
littering those Hills. There is an interesting
commentary of how Christ felt about these people and some of
you are already aware of it in verse 34 of Mark.
Chapter 6, when he went ashore, he saw a great crowd and he had
compassion on them. he had compassion on them because they
were like sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach
them many things, many things, When it says he had compassion
the word there is extremely intense.
It speaks of being moved in the bowels.
It's almost as though the pit of his stomach was turning.
And it was turning with a tenderness with, with a concern,
with an attentiveness, with a desire to alleviate some kind of
suffering or harm, that is what he felt before, he served those
people before him. And when I look at that, that
moves me that really does move me.
But what moves me even more is when you just zoom out a little
bit and understand the context when you just go back a couple
of verses, you see that Jesus did not come to this Shore with
the intent of helping thousands of people, he did not come to
perform some Evangelistic Crusade.
Actually quite the opposite. Now consider this I mean I read
it today and I was like Lord I'm so not like you I need you to
make me like, you, as I want to serve you.
What happens. Look at verse 30 of Mark.
Chapter 6, his disciples come back from a missionary journey,
preaching and casting out devils, and Healing The Sick,
and they were obviously exhausted.
And in verse 30, we read the apostles returned to Jesus and
told him all that had been done and that was taught and he said
to them, come away by yourselves to a desolate place.
And rest a while, don't you love that?
Come and rest. What a merciful leader, but a
compassionate Christ. He saw that these men served
them. He saw that they went out and
sacrifice much and he says come rest rest is important.
Rest is important. For those who tirelessly serve
the Lord, rest is important for those who are giving themselves
to the kingdom of God. As their first priority.
There is appropriate. Need to take some time to rest.
We are human. These are vehicles that we have
to take care of that. That's not the point, though.
He gathers, these men, he goes on a boat he wants to take him
on a little Retreat. And so as they go, there are
people on the shore that see Jesus and they see where he's
going. And so the word goes out and
they start following Jesus on the shore as they have their
eyes on that boat. What's happening on that boat?
They want to go to a desolate Place.
Jesus has a plan, he has a little conference set up for his
disciples so that they can be rejuvenated again.
And what's On the shore. Well, there's a different kind
of conference being set up by the people, they want to be
ministered to they want, they want to hear from this Jesus and
so they come. They beat him to the place and
as Jesus arrives. Plans are ruined.
Interfered. There is a interference things
did not go as scheduled. And you know what I love, Jesus
being fully human, truly human. I don't see Jesus being angry.
I don't see him complaining. I don't see him sighing and an
approaching this group and saying, okay, let's just get
this over with It says he had compassion on them, I want to be
like Jesus. You know what, I see here and
wanted to be like Jesus. I want to have compassion, even
if my plans are interrupted. Even if I have been serving the
lord and I need a little break. that in his Providence,
something happens that what might demand more energy that it
would just cause me to be all the more compassionate Isn't it
amazing how when we really study the life of Jesus that it really
challenges us and the smallest of details of life?
I don't know if I would be compassionate after a long
Ministry trip, just wanting to get some shut-eye in a nice
barbecue with some friends who serve the Lord as well to
stumble upon thousands of people. that are not only going
to hear teaching, but are going to be catered to But Jesus had
compassion. What A Savior, what a servant.
And as you think about David's life, we realize here that he is
an imperfect example but an example nonetheless, Because it
seems like he has this unusual concern for those who are
defenseless and lost and needy and that is something.
That brings us to another point and the point is this that
though he was not yet their designated leader, even though
he was a nobody at this time, the qualities of the compassion
that he had would make him the worthy candidate to be their
leader. We have every reason to believe
that as we approach David's life and coming to the throne that
God has shown us what his life was before.
He was promoted for many reasons, many many reasons
because remember God could have just fast-forward everything he
was anointed 10-15 years have gone by now.
He's on the throne. The Bible does that in First
Kings a lot but for some reason with David's life, it wants to
draw certain details. Let me give you one reason I
believe that. you see the qualities of a man who serve God
at the capacity that he was serving in before God gave him
more to do before you open greater doors before there was
further service And I believe, according to the scriptures, not
my own head, that God saw something in David and in seeing
something in David drew his heart to David so that he can
use them in the way that he used them.
Maybe you don't believe me. And so I'll show you a text.
It's in the book of Psalms. And it's about David, at least
the last part of that psalmist in Psalm 78 and I want you to
see something in verse 7 of Psalm 78, It's quite touching.
Because in this portion of this Psalm, you read that David was
described as a shepherd of actual sheep before he was known
as a shepherd of people. That's important and Psalm 78
verse 70. Look at this, he chose the Lord,
he chose David, his servant and took him from the sheepfolds
From following the nursing use, he brought him to Shepherd.
Jacob, his people. So he was shepherding the Sheep
folds and now he's shepherding Jacob God's people with an
upright heart. He shepherded them and guided
them with his skillful hand. Do you think David had an
upright heart and a skillful hand when he became king?
Or before he became king? I don't think it's difficult to
answer that. Before David had an upright
heart and a skillful hand as the ruler of God's people.
David had an upright heart and his skillful hand when he was
ruling over Jesse's sheep. And that's important.
And the reason why it's important is because even in
God's service, many people are only motivated to be devoted and
developed in their gifting, in their Ministry, in their
service, to the Lord. If the opportunity is right, and
if the recognition is to their liking, and what they fail to
realize is that those same people God considers us for
further service, when he evaluates our affection and our
attention to whatever he has put in our lives in the present.
Think about that. if you have any doubt that David had a heart
of Integrity in a skillful hand than you did not pay attention
during 1st Samuel, You see it, sprinkled everywhere.
Remember, when David was sent by Jesse to go and to give cheese
and bread to his brothers on that.
Battlefield against the Philistines where he met that
giant providentially. Remember that little detail, he
left someone in charge of the sheep before he left.
Why would the Holy Spirit? Told us that why?
Why is that important? This God wastes his words?
No. God wants to show us how he
managed the ministry that he had received those responsibilities
already had before that day. Where everything changed and his
future would never be the same. I know what it's like to be in a
place especially early. My faith with big desires and
longings to serve the Lord, and the opportunities not there yet.
but I had wise counsel, my life who gave very similar
instructions that God often evaluates your affection and
your attention to what, he's put before you now before he even
considers you for further service, David was such a man.
He had, he had compassion and concern for God's people.
We see that in verse 4. So we come back to our study in
verse 5 of chapter 1 of second Samuel.
Then David said to the young man, rather diverse for scuse
me, And he answered the people fled from Battle.
And also, many of the people have fallen are dead and saw and
his son. Jonathan are also dead.
Now, here's something very interesting, the messenger,
highlights the death of Saul and Jonathan And there's a reason
for that. The reason is deliberate.
And my question is, why do you think that is?
Did the Saul have more than one son?
He did and so why highlight just Jonathan why bring up sauce?
All may seem obvious. He's the king but why Jonathan?
When you see that you almost have an insight into this man's
motives and David has that kind of inclination as well.
So he begins to ask more questions and what we have to
understand is though we don't know much about this mysterious
messenger, perhaps he knows something about David.
Enough to formulate his presentation and the way that he
did. We have reason to believe that
he knew that Saul and David were enemies.
Enemies that wasn't just a private thing.
It was known, it was known and all of Israel, but not just that
this man, very likely believe the reason why he brings up
Jonathan when we asked, why do you think he did it?
Actually, why Jonathan. Very good.
Jonathan was the primary heir to the throne and so this would
have been very good news for for David which brings us to the
third point. This man, not only believed saw
and David were enemies, not only believed that Jonathan was the
primary heir to the throne, but he must have believed or at
least expected that David would be the next king.
That would sit on that throne. And with all of that taken into
consideration as our bird's eye view interprets.
The following, this is why it's important to know many portions
of scripture as familiar as we can get.
With all of scripture that David understood those things, he put
the pieces together, and that I'm not guessing that just go a
couple chapters later, go to 2nd Samuel for, and listen to what
David says, when he retells, the story, at least a part of it and
second Samuel for, he says something quite amazing and very
10:00. When one told me behold Saul is
dead and thought he was bringing good news.
I seized him and killed him at ziklag, which was the reward.
I gave him for his news. You know what the implication is
that this man came with the anticipation of a reward.
He was looking to be crowned with some kind of prize for not
only being the messenger of this news but also participating and
Saul's death. And so as he came, he came with
an intention that was for personal benefit and he did it
very, very shrewdly. Because as you read and you see
how he explains it, he doesn't wear.
It seems, as though saw was about Die anyway.
And so I kind of just helped him end his misery and I believe the
reason why he does that is. So just in case the response to
Saul's death wasn't taken, right that he had some kind of excuse
anyway, to cover himself up, but because he mentions that he did.
In fact, put a hand on saw, maybe maybe Dave, and we get
excited about that. And then, and then Adorn him
with some kind of gift or position.
And so this man is very crafty, very crafty.
And as he comes to David, He realizes that the reward that he
had thought he would get was not the reward that he thought he
would get. Because David's, you want to
reward. Here's your reward.
You're a dead man. You put your hand on the Lord's.
Anointed you touched God's chosen man.
You want a reward, huh? Here's your reward.
Execute him and they did. And as I look at that, we should
be suspicious of this man. And totality I, now question, if
that's true, if he came for the reward, I question his rent
garments. I questioned him, bowing before
David, and trying to show honor and respect to him.
Because it seems to be just an embellishment.
It just seems to be a whole thing in order for personal
gain, David discern, that and then David did something about
that. Here's what's amazing about it.
There's a wonderful principal here for us, Believers in our
service to the Lord, as we seek to serve Lord.
And this is so important to understand.
Jesus is the greatest and the Greater King.
He is the son of David and he is the king that we all serve.
He is the perfect King that no King could even come close to
the whole point. The main point of Samuel.
Second, Samuel first. King second king, is that?
No human King. Can rightly govern the people of
God, no human King can bring ultimate deliverance and
salvation for the people of God. And so as I paired all this, I
see David. Yes, but I also see him With a
transparency. I want to see Christ as his
descendant, as a fulfillment of the lineage of this dynasty
here, is this man who calls him. My Lord later on, here's his men
pretending to be someone hears. This man pretending to be in
service to this King. And here's what we have to
consider if David could see right through this guy, if David
can discern his true motive, his his actual plan though, he
disguised it with humility. Leti that we disguise it with
some kind of allegiance to David.
He couldn't fool him. He could have fooled David and I
read that, and I thought to myself Lord, if this man
couldn't fool David, do I think I can fool you Do you do, you
understand what I'm saying? Do I think that I can give the
Lord something from the external, and he doesn't have
X-ray vision to see the internal, he dies.
I can't fool God. I can't trick him.
No counsel can Avail against the Lord.
There's nothing I can do to matter how radical it may seem.
You don't know how radical this guy was.
He ran four miles, some believe, a hundred miles from the
battlefield to this point. That that sacrifice That's
serious devotion. But the Lord saw the intent, at
least David did, and the Lord sees our intent and all things
and Jesus puts an emphasis in the New Covenant, of where our
hearts are at. He takes it to a new level of
anybody ever. Tells you that the god of the
Old Testament is more severe than the god of the new they
have in read the New Testament, right?
He is gentle, he is lowly. But do you realize that Jesus
upholds, a greater standard for righteousness then how he
manifested the lawn? The old Adultery is when two
people who are not supposed to be together are intimate with
one another especially in there when they're in Covenant with
somebody else. Jesus is, if you thought about
it, you did it. I didn't say the Lord said it.
Murder. Murder, when you kill somebody
when you actually take their life, anger, unjust.
Unrighteous anger is murder in Jesus eyes.
And so one of the one of the ways that you and I know as
Believers and we praise the Lord, he brings that standard of
righteousness. So that every mouth would be
shot and that none can say, I am righteous and that we would fall
at the foot of the cross and receive his Mercy.
But also shows the heart of God. And as we grow in the New
Covenant, with the Lord Jesus, here's one hint that you and I
are in the right direction and our spiritual maturity.
Here it is ready. We are not concerned just about
the external but about the internal We Are Spiritual
maturity. Doesn't just say, how do people
see me spiritual maturity says, what do you see in me?
Oh, God. That makes all the difference,
and I hesitate sometimes to share these things because not
that, I'm afraid to share them, but because people can
misunderstand it, and then they leave here, feeling condemned
realize that God has given you. And I every resource to not just
be victorious, when people see us.
But when God sees us in our hearts, and our minds every
resource possible, But David here shows that he could not be
fooled. And I look at my king, my Lord,
my master. And if there's anything in me
that says I can fool a more trick him than I am greatly
mistaken. But, secondly, what do we see
here that this man clearly didn't understand who David was?
He didn't know who David was. He thought he did?
He thought he did because he thought that in this news, David
would celebrate and rejoice. And even maybe bless this man
and in fact, they put his head on a chopping block and says off
with his head, he clearly missed, Who David was And I'm
afraid that that many people who claim to know, Jesus don't
really know who Jesus is. Remember those Parables were
Jesus with the talents, especially for a man, buries his
talent and when the master comes and tells him what he did, he
says, I thought you were a severe and Hardman do you
remember that? Do you know what the crime of
that is? He did not know who his master
really was, he didn't. And you and I begin to do things
in a certain way and it all begins when we fail to really
understand who God is and what he requires of us and there's
two pitfalls in that there is legalism, there's legalism some
people and and some people perhaps even watching or
listening today, you are living according to a standard of
righteousness. And I put that in quotation
marks, that God doesn't even demand of you.
And there are those who are in. Loose living, because they have
a different understanding of who Jesus.
Is this man got into a lot of trouble and it All Began by him,
failing to know, who David really was David was not like
those other kings, who would celebrate when there was any
obstacles removed for the opportunity of being the ruler
of a certain land. That was not Who David Wise, and
this man did not see it. And so you and I are in the
safest place you and I will know great, blessing, and great
protection. When we first understand who God
is in the more, we understand who he is, the more we will know
of his goodness in our lives. So David asked him, how do you
know that they died? How do you know that they were
slain and I want to read from verse 52 verse 10 so we can get
the complete picture. Listen to this.
Verse 6, rather, and the young man who told them said, by
chance, I happened to be on Mount gilboa and there was Saul
leaning on his Spear and behold the Chariots in the horsemen
were closed upon him. And when he looked behind him he
saw me and called to me and I answered here I am.
And he said to me, who are you? I answer them.
I am an amalekite and he said, to me stand beside me and kill
me for anguish, has seized me and yet my life still lingers.
So I Stood Beside him and killed him because I was sure that he
could not live after he had fallen and I took the crown that
was on his head and the armor that was on his arm and I have
brought them here to my Lord. Here's my question. how many
detailed accounts are, we given in the scriptures concerning
Saul's death, anybody know, Somebody said, too.
Is there two or more? There's actually a total of
three including this one. The first one is in 1st Samuel
31, we read it last week. What happens we read, according
to the writer, Guided by the spirit, that's all died of
suicide. He died, a suicide.
The second telling of this same story is not in first and
second, Samuel is found in first Chronicles chapter 10.
And there is a verse there. In verse 14, that tells us
another angle to house, all died, and First, Chronicles
1014. Let me read it to you.
This is what we are told. He being solved did not seek
guidance from the Lord, therefore the Lord put him to
death. The Lord put him to death and
turn the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse.
So and first Samuel. 31 Saul kills himself.
First, Chronicles, 1014 God. Put him to death.
Second, Samuel chapter 1 and amalekite.
Kills him. What's going on here and people?
Jump up, yes. Contradiction haha, your Bible
is filled with errors, calm down.
Take a breath, relax. That's not the case at all.
We have to understand what's Happening Here.
Whenever we see two stories that are told in different ways with
different details, we have to do the work to see if we can make
some reconciliation and what people have realized with this
specific incident is that it is difficult to reconcile all
three. It's easy to reconcile first
Samuel 31 and First Chronicles 10y, well Saul died by Suicide
but it was ordained by God. It's as simple as that.
But what makes this a little bit muddy is when this amalekite
comes on the scene he says well I was the one who actually
actually All them. With that being the situation
before us, many have concluded that this amalekite must have
been what like like now. Here we are a Bible study and
here we are wanting to study the word.
And so let me ask you show me the evidence that he is lying.
Show me the evidence, not just the simple simple observation
that it's different in 1st Samuel 31 than it is here.
What is the evidence in the verses that we just read?
What are some what are some details here?
That seem to put things into question concerning?
This man's apparent testimony and if you have something feel
free to lift your hand and give you the answer.
Yes. Okay, so he happened by chance.
Well, that's kind of concerning. What are you doing?
By chance strolling around in a war.
Seems kind of odd wording there. Isn't it?
Good observation? Yes.
Yeah. What are you doing in Saul's
Camp? You amalekite are the amalekites
and Saul on good terms. Well, if you knew first Samuel,
there would be no yes, David. David did fight the amalekites.
He did early on. It's true.
And so that is that is an important detail, but I think it
helps to know that there are amalekites sprinkled everywhere.
Not just in that particular location, but that is a good
observation that the amalekites should have been completely
destroyed and we're going to get to that point in a moment.
Yes. Ah, very good.
Did you hear it? There's another character in
this story, there's another character who's on the scene of
Saul suicide, who was it? The armour-bearer the
armour-bearer was there. So we're going to hold on to
that. Yes that's a very very important
clue anything else. Yes.
Very good. Very good.
Did you hear that? Saul wanted to die particular
death and the way he wanted to die was not by the hands or at
the hands of those who are the enemies of Israel.
And so, why would he ask an amalekite to kill him?
If there a reason for his suicide was that he wouldn't die
at the hands of the enemy very good.
Anything else there's still some more clues here.
Yes. Very good, very good.
And so the observation is this meant tells it as though the
Chariots and the men of the Philistines are right at his
heels. Assaults heels.
Here's my question. If I may take it further, If
that was the case, then why do we read in 1st Samuel 31 that it
was the next day that the Philistines came and stumbled
upon Saul's body if they were right there, if they're pursuing
him right at his door? Why does it say that?
In the next day, the Philistines came and found the bodies of
Saul and his sons something's not lining up here anything
else. Before we move on these are
great observations. And so, here are the three main
ones. Number one, The armour-bearer,
the armour-bearer go back to 1st Samuel 31 and notice what
happens in verse 5. Remember sauce armor-bearer just
kill me, please kill me so that I'm not mistreated by these.
These uncircumcised Philistine, 's verse 5 and when his armor
bearers saw that Saul was what was dead.
He was dead. Now either this is a lie or
something is not lining up here. We have every reason to believe
that it was true. The armour-bearer saw that he
had died, if he had not died, Then between him not dying, this
apparent amalekite would have shown up and put him to death,
there would have been a conversation and who would have
been there the whole time? The armor Bearer and he wouldn't
have let that happen. I'm sure.
Now, some would say, well, maybe he thought he died and, and so
he killed himself, and then the amalekite happened to show up
and in saw was still, you know, he was lingering there and so he
asked him to be, you know, finished off.
But that's kind of stretching it when it says clearly he died.
Secondly, as we just heard the Philistines, Right there
apparently. That's not the case because we
come to verse a what do you see the next day?
When the Philistines came to strip this Lane, they found Saul
and his three sons. If they were right, there isn't
take 24 hours to find the man that you're chasing apparently,
apparently so close. We heard again, if Saul suicide
was caused not by wanting to be the hands of the enemy.
Then why would he request an amalekite to kill him?
Especially with his history, with the amalekites, he failed
to destroy the amalekites and now he's going to ask an
amalekite to kill him. It's questionable.
Let me give you one more detail. Notice what the amount guy says
in 2nd Samuel and verse 6, by chance, I happened to be amalga
ball and there was Saul leaning on his what.
Spear. This is a spear.
Is that what happens in first? Samuel 31?
What is the same first name of 31?
In verse 4. Somebody said it the last part
therefore saw took his own. What sword?
And fell upon it. We have a case before I said,
this man is not telling the truth.
He was not a soldier in any army that was at War.
He might have been those who just kind of lurked during the
war so that when there was the slain he jumped on the
opportunity to take some kind of kind of possession prizes or
some sort and then and get out of there before before there was
that search from the The Winning Side.
But we also see here is that this man clearly was an
opportunist. He realized who saw was he
realized, he had his crown in the armlet on his arm and he had
this whole scheme in his mind to come before David the soon to be
king and to take advantage of the situation to be promoted of
some sort. Now, if this was a lie, then
think about how tragic it is that this man thought that in
his deception he was going to receive some kind of award but
in fact his very words would be the sentencing of his own death.
No matter how great the opportunity is no matter how
wonderful, the door may seem no matter how easy may seem to be
accessed, if you just manipulate it a little bit or lie or say
something about someone that would remove them from that
position and give you a greater chance.
I want to tell you in the name of Jesus Christ, you will not
succeed. You will not succeed.
Your success will be short-lived.
And your deception will eventually be exposed if not in
this life. And oftentimes it does it will
in the time where it will matter, most before God, and His
angels, and maybe some people to Proverbs 12 tells us in, you
don't have to turn there and verse 19, truthful, lips, endure
forever. But lying tongue is, but for a
moment, A lying tongue is for a moment.
If you are a victim of somebody's lies, if you have
been slandered assaulted know, this throughout the Book of
Proverbs God has a special discipline for lying and he
assured us that lying lips will not go unpunished.
He assures us that whatever advancement was made through
deception. It's only for a moment.
It will not know. Long-term, success, and fruit.
That encourages me not to lie and that encourages me when I am
a victim of people's lack of Truth concerning me.
But there's something else here in the story.
Did you catch it? This man identifies himself and
who is he He's a what an amalekite.
That that part is true. We have no reason to believe why
this would be a lie. He was in fact an amalekite and
that makes it even more questionable in our case of
whether what he is saying is true or not, because the
scriptures never ever, ever put the amalekites in a positive
light. Always always the amalekites are
identified with an Unholy people group and race.
They are vicious, they are relentless.
And they are the enemies of God's people not just in one
generation from generation to generation and when you think
about that though there is room for debate whether or not he was
telling the truth or not, think about this deeper an amalekite,
an amalekite came and saw Saul's dead body took the crown off his
head, took the armlet off his arm and brought it before King
David. He was the one who Trips.
All he was the one who claimed that he had killed him, and if
he was alive after this, he would have trumpeted that to his
fellow, amalekites. I'm sure all to say what this
is. A disgrace for song though.
He wasn't alive to feel it. This was a disgrace.
This is humiliating. And it carries a crucial message
for us. Here's the crucial message.
All of this could have been avoided for Saul.
If he had just done what God told them to do in first Samuel
15 and that was to eliminate all the amalekites He didn't.
And just like this amalekite sin in our lives.
When God calls us to put it to death.
And we failed to do. So, we fail to go to war with
it, at least, and allow it to live It will come back to haunt
us one day. It will that is God's law.
That is just truth from old to new and it is a powerful
illustration before us through this amalekite because if you
study the amalekites in the Old Testament, what you will see is
that the characteristics of these ancient enemies of Israel
are shared with our enemy, which is the flesh.
I'm telling you it's almost it's almost mirrored.
When you look at the amalekites, their behavior, the
characteristics that are given. We realize that at parallels
almost perfectly with indwelling sin, even in the life of a
believer. Who remembers where the
amalekites are first mentioned in the Bible.
No further further ahead, but good good, good answer.
Yes, when Israel left Egypt. And something happened, they
were thirsty. God provided a miracle through a
rock, which is a picture of Christ, and right there, out of
the blue, the amalekites show up once the people experience, a
great blessing from God and they did certain things.
And there we are told certain things about the amalekites that
says something. So powerfully about our war with
sent Peter tells us that you and I as Christians war against the
passions of the flesh, he says Wars against and I want you to
see how the amalekites and the relationship with Israel.
Just a brief example. I mean do a whole study in the
amalekites and you'll be blown away but here's just one
snapshot of how it pertains to our sin and how we go to war
with a go to Exodus 17 very quickly.
We're almost done here in our study tonight.
Look at Exodus 17. Verse 16.
This is after Moses and Joshua had victory over the amalekites,
they came out of nowhere, they attacked according to
Deuteronomy the weak and the vulnerable that's in
Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy tells us that the amalekites
strategically came for those who are lingering at the end of the
line of the Israelites because that's what sin does sin comes
to us, most when we are weak. and when we are trailing behind,
But they have victory in this battle and then look what look
what we are told in verse 16, a hand upon the throne of the
Lord, the Lord will have war with amalek from generation to
generation. And so, though, they saw though,
they saw Triumph, then God assured them.
You're still going to battle with this.
The amalekites are someone that you're still going to have to
deal with. And when you feel like you've
dealt with him and one generation, a new generation
will rise up and there they'll be again, what a powerful
picture of our sin. We feel like we have Victory.
It's been a good week, huh? Not a good month.
I feel more Christian and ever. Next thing, you know.
Temptation comes like a flood. Obeying.
The Lord doing great things. In his name, great acts of faith
and all for a sudden this Rush of Temptation.
He's opportunities to disappoint.
The Lord to ruin your reputation for Christ from generation to
generation though. You and I are redeemed and
praise God that were Redeemed by Grace, still this flesh.
According to Galatians, we were told that the spirit in US goes
to war with this flesh that we are trapped in until we are
glorified forever and ever. And so know this you will go to
War until you go to be with Jesus.
That doesn't discourage as me that encourages me.
And that destroys one aspect of false teaching which says that
you can attain Perfection and this life sinless.
Perfectionism, where did you get that idea from People believe
that you can attain glorification today.
I'm not among those who believe that and I am not among those
who believe that. That means we can live in sin.
I believe that we can have the empowerment of the spirit to say
no to sin whenever it presents itself to us.
And there is conscious in and sometimes they're unconscious
things that happen in our lives. That just spring up and even
surprised us just to remind us that we are human.
But look at this. Look at verse 14 of the same
chapter And the Lord said to Moses, write this as a memorial
in a book and recited in the ears of Joshua that I will
utterly blot out the memory of amalek from under heaven. yes,
you will go to war with amalek from generation to generation,
my people but there is a Time coming when I will utterly blot
out the memory of amalek And so it is with our sin.
There is a day coming and I hope it comes soon.
Where sin will only be a memory. And I don't even think what we
want to remember it. When were there, not only not
only will sin. Be blotted out Temptation when
we block, what does that feel like?
That the suggestion to sin won't even be there at the opportunity
of sin won't even be there that the presence of sin will not
even be there. That is, that is the last and
final phase of our Salvation justification.
What does it deal with the penalty of sin sanctification?
We are being saved day by day. What is that deal with the power
of sin glorification? What does that deal with the
presence of sin? The presence of sin?
And I can't wait for the Lord to save us in that sense and he
will, he said it with the amalekites and he said it
pertaining to our sin. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes
to return and redeem his bride. We're almost done.
We come back to the last verses here in second, Samuel and verse
11. This man tells him about how he
assisted and saw suicide. And here's the response, then
David and verse 11 took hold of his clothes and toward them.
And so that all the men who are with them and they mourned and
wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan, his
son and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of
Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
I almost wanted to get into the mind of this in Malachi and
think. What was he anticipating when he
came to David with that Crown in his head and his hands and with
that news on his lips while we know later that he was obviously
anticipating some kind of reward and and maybe at least some
rejoicing if no reward. Then maybe some celebration
because anybody in their right mind would would be happy to
know that the person that was trying to kill you is no longer
able to kill you. And and perhaps even more than
that, that the throne that I've been promised and what I've been
hoping for is now more of a possibility than ever before.
And to our surprise and very likely to the shock of this
amalekite. Instead what you see is a bunch
of men Warriors, grown Soldiers with scars and Trauma because of
one man who has haunted them for years.
Breakdown, like little children. And they weep.
And they cry. And I wish I could have seen
that man's face in that moment. Like what is going on here?
What did I miss something? When I was rehearsing, what I
was saying like what these men are just shattered.
And that is convicting to me but it's also a teaching lesson for
us Believers. Is it not?
Because you and I abide by the word of God.
And this is our standard and because of the spirit of God
dwelling in us, we do not act or react in the same way that the
world does. We don't.
Christ salvation and the transforming work in US.
Purifies particular areas in our lives more detailed than you
might think. In the immediate sense.
We don't, we don't Rejoice for the same things that the world
rejoices over. We don't.
You heard it last week, right? This world is losing their minds
because they can have easy access to murder babies.
You and I are rejoicing and we should, we should continue to
pray and seek God, for a total overturn of this vicious ugly
demented law. You got two, contrasting
reactions to that news of that leak.
You and I don't rejoice in the same way that the world rejoices
you and I don't grieve in the same way that the world Grieves.
We don't, we have a different hope, we have a different
perspective. Take it further.
I love this. I always reference this.
We don't even greet. Not just not just grown and and
grief we don't even greet the same way that the world greets
didn't Jesus, teach on The Sermon on the Mount.
Don't just greet your brothers. The world does that?
And so Christ comes and infiltrates every detail of our
lives, and it brings him glory and it brings us blessing.
And what I see here is a contrast you have this amalekite
who was expecting something completely different and what
he's getting it's almost alien. It's strange.
And there are at least two observations from this, these
men grieving. And this is our closing thoughts
that relates to us. The obvious one, is that David
did not rejoice. That baffles me?
It absolutely just baffles me if anybody had the right to have a
smirk, at least try. At least you sure he's dead.
It was this man. I don't care how hard you've had
it in life. You haven't ran as a fugitive in
the Chicagoland area because somebody wanted to kill you.
If you have, I would love to hear your story.
This man did haunted. Mistreated slandered exhausted.
One would say the prime years of his life were gone because he
becomes king at 30 So you think to yourself how could this man
rejoice? And we almost think to
ourselves. How could he not rejoice?
Maybe he's just a unique character among God's people,
maybe he's just someone special and we can look at that.
Say what a Godly Man until you come to the Book of Proverbs and
you probably, you probably wonder did this writer have
David and mind when he wrote it though?
He was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Listen to these words just in case again just in case you
might think that's David. No wonder.
He was a man after God's heart. No wonder God.
No wonder God made a covenant with him read and listen to
this. And Proverbs 24:17.
Do not rejoice when your enemy Falls.
And let not your heart be, glad when he stumbles, okay, thank
that. That's great.
But then you read on less the Lord, see it and be displeased.
And turn away his anger from him.
That's something else. That's something else.
The greatest men of God have had enemies.
Jesus had enemies. Paul had enemies, the apostles
had enemies, the early church had enemies and their enemies
were great and power Governors and emperors.
And yet, at the same time, we read here, that whoever your
enemy is who intently seeks your harm, that's an enemy when they
fall. When they are disciplined, when
they are injured, do not rejoice.
Do not let your heart be glad. and if God does see that if he
sees the sense of arrogance or the superiority, or this
malicious satisfaction, Listen to this.
If the Lord sees it, he is willing to reduce his anger on
the one who was wrong. as a response to our pleasure in that
person's discipline, that's significant what's being said
there because of the wrong reaction to somebody being under
God's Wrath and displeasure He will do something with them as a
rebuke to us. That's profound, that's
incredible. And I look at that I think well
my flesh doesn't like that because I want to know some kind
of satisfaction and knowing that you got what you deserve.
You've done all this to me when I didn't deserve it.
And I hurt you deserve that. And call a couple people and
tell them about it and celebrate over it.
When the Lord sees that he is willing, just in order to
correct us just in order to discipline us.
To deal with them a little bit more gently, and to lift his
hand a little bit lighter. As a way of saying, something to
our hearts that is incredible to me.
But here's a challenge, of course, because we get, we got
to look at the totality of scripture.
Then how do you reconcile, how do you, and I reconcile, the
Psalms were David celebrates God intervening against his enemies.
Well, how about Exodus 15, the the Pharaoh, and his chariots
drown, Under the Red Sea and there's a whole chapter
dedicated to a song about their defeat.
Help us. Because we want to walk in the
ways of the Lord. Anybody have an idea how we can
reconcile those two realities. Very good.
There's a fine line between rejoicing when the person
experiences some kind of misfortune.
And rejoicing in God's Deliverance.
That's the difference. That's why we can have a verse
like this in the scriptures. And then so many other verses
were seems to give the impression that there is
celebration over God coming to a man's rescue.
When he is surrounded by adversaries.
Because you're not rejoicing over what happened to that
person who was created in the image of God, you are rejoicing
in the fact that God had brought about a Deliverance to you see
the difference. It's not pleasure in the pain of
somebody else. It's the light in God's
faithfulness, in your life. I heard of a Preacher, he was
actually a friend of mine. And I saw a little bit of David
in him when I sat with him and one afternoon.
I won't be long here. He had told me very briefly and
availed way of how he had experienced great.
Great, persecution from fellow pastors and he obviously didn't
disclose the details because perhaps it would be too
unbelievable for me, if I had not experienced it myself, but
he told me it was enough for him to get on his knees and cry out
to God in such a desperate ways. And this is his own words, and I
trust his integrity. Rhea told me he had cried out to
God and when he had cried out to God, for Mercy, for just wisdom
for deliverance from this onslaught of whatever was
happening to him. A few of those ministers
mysteriously died. They died.
In a way that didn't make sense to human understanding.
And I sat there as he said that he didn't even look me in the
eyes. He looked to the floor and he
was staring at the floor and underneath underneath his
breath. He said, I didn't ask God to do
that. I didn't ask God to do it that
way. I didn't ask God, and then he
said, I aged two years and two weeks with that news.
I said, well boy, I have to go and prepare for the meeting
tonight and he left on that note.
I was like I saw David in that, man.
God delivered him. but he did not rejoice in the fate of those
Who harmed him? The second observation from
these men who rent their garments David and his fellow
soldiers, it's a subtle one, not as obvious as the first one, we
just heard a subtle one in the principle is found in the span
of their sorrow. Notice that we are told that
they wept and fasted and till the evening, until the evening,
though, their grief was genuine. It was not prolong.
See we all have different Temptations.
Even in our emotions. Some are some are more prone to
be angry. Some are more prone to be proud.
Someone were prone to be jealous and listen to this summer, more
prone to be excessively sorrowful. these men were
genuinely broken, but they, they stop at a certain point and
David stopped at the evening because he had a duty to fulfill
and that was to provide Justice on behalf of the king and to
execute this man who came to confess as a parent murderous
plot, or at least his happen, by chance idea, his assisted
suicide and that's important to understand, because with David
does here, and in the news of Saul's death Says something
about a healthy view of grieving I don't want to make too much of
this but I couldn't help but think about David's response to
Saul compared to another man whom God actually corrected when
he when he was been sorrowful for too long.
Who is that man? Very good.
And first Samuel, 16 one, when Samuel learned that Saul had
forfeited, the kingdom because of his Disobedience, Samuel goes
to his room and he stays there, and he just weeps.
And he Grieves, and God comes in to speak to his prophet.
And he told him and first, same 061, listen to this, remember
this, right? How long will you grieve over
Saul? How long will you grieve over
Saul since I have rejected him from being King over Israel.
In other words, it's too much Samuel.
It's too much. It's time to go.
And if this is something that you're interested in, come see
me after the Bible said, I want to recommend a resource to you.
About when grieving becomes wrong.
When grieving becomes unrighteous when grieving can
actually turn into sin. That can help us and help others
that we know that. I've known great pains in life.
And let me give you two summary points before we close here, we
can know at least two flags that are yellow flags or red flags in
our sorrow one, when we begin to assault attack.
The character of God. Samuel should have known better.
Samuel is a prophet as a man of God should have known better as
he was grieving for Saul. Why?
Because he had not he had not experienced this for the first
time. He was a young man, when Eli the
priesthood had fallen and God pronounced judgment and promised
something else for the future concerning God's leadership, he
had seen that and when it came to Saul for some reason, he
doesn't remember that. And he just he just he loses
sight of God's sovereignty, he Just sight of God's control over
Israel and his leadership. And so, when you and I in our
sorrow, in our pain, and our disturbance, When we begin to.
Now, look at God and question his ability or question his
character in a way that accuses them of unfaithfulness were
being wrong. Then, we know that our grief is
letting us cross a certain line that we shouldn't have crossed.
Secondly, when our grief begins to loosen our grip on service to
God, David stop grieving because David knew he had a duty to
fulfill and that was to deal with this amalekite and to move
on and be that leader. That God called them to be
Samuel. Same idea, God calls him and
says, Hey listen, fill your horn with oil and go, you can't stay
like this for too long. You still have a Ministry to
fulfill, you must get up and get moving.
There's another king that I have in mind, and it's your job to
find him out. Call him out, anoint him and let
him know that I have a plan for him.
And there are people, I'm telling you who have known great
grief and Christian circles, they've been harmed by fellow
Christians so they never show up to church again.
Leadership in churches have failed him.
So they vowed to never ever ever, listen to a pastor sit,
under a pastor, have anything to do with a pastor and all of
that, no matter how sincere the song, Maybe no matter how real,
the crime might have been Is it clear or obvious indication that
that person's grief has turned into Disobedience or at least
LED them into Disobedience? And so we have to be extremely
careful of how something as real and as raw as pain as a result
of something that we brought about in our own lives or
somebody has caused in our own lives, we have to be very
Vigilant where it takes us. With the time left and actually
no. Next week, we will cover the
fact that David here is going to sing a song.
Write a song and even share this song with the people of God and
it is Rich it. Drips with awesome Revelation in
so many areas of Our Lives as Believers.
And for now we give thanks to God for what he has taught us,
as we've come to his word. Louis, thank you for what you've
taught us in the scriptures. We thank you for this
introduction to second Samuel one though.
We pray that. Whatever was spoken.
Would have landed in good soil. and we pray O Lord that it would
at least if there is any consequence of this Bible study
together that it would woo, our hearts Woo, our hearts.
To the person of Jesus Christ. Lori want to give you all the
glory and thanks for this family who loves to be in your word.
But Lord, let the word live through us.
Let it actually manifest in our words and our thinking, and our
hearts, and our motives in our dealings with others.
Lord, we thank you that your word is for us today, we bless
you, hello. We want to rejoice in you in
song and Thanksgiving for you. Are the author of this book.
And you are the God who speaks and we've heard your voice
tonight. Lord, encourage the
faint-hearted. Convict the one who is outside
of your will bind our hearts together in unity.
Help us be the people that you've called us to be and Lord
with all of that helped us rest in the saving work of Jesus
Christ, that Lord all that. We've heard all the challenges
comes from a place of being accepted at the cross and that
we are not living. Holy to be accepted by you.
We are not performing so that we can get heaven.
Lord, you've paid it all, and we just want to live a life of
gratitude in light of that great news.
In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
But stand and Worship the Lord together, shall we?