Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / David on the Run - The Book of 1 Samuel

Transcript

David on the Run - The Book of 1 Samuel · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. So David and Abishai came to the
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: But Abner and the people lay round about him. 1
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Samuel 26.7 Lord, as the new day dawns, and I
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: meditate on today's reading, I will stay mindful of the
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: fact that not all opportunities are God opportunities. When a
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: chance arises to exact revenge or get ahead, give me
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: the restraint and wisdom of David to withhold from moving
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: forward with my plans. Instead, strengthen my heart and remind me,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, that when God desires to open my door
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: to success, nothing and no one can stop me. I
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: will not give in to paranoia and fear, because it
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: is no longer a driving force in my life. I
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: will not partner with others who don't believe in the
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: mission I'm called to accomplish. I declare that any relationships
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: that are unequally yoked with my newness and transformation will
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: be removed from my life. I am on a mission
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: to fulfill your purpose for my life, and I will
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: not let poor decisions masked in wisdom derail me from
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: my glorious future. I declare that I am no longer
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: on the run. I'm on the rise. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story, brought to
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: David on the run. In our last story, we learned
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: about Samuel's death and David's marriage to Abigail. David's community
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: of outcasts and vagabonds continued to grow and thrive under
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: his leadership. Now we learn of Saul's troubled mind resurfacing.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: The jealousy that once gripped his heart and actions begins
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: to creep back into his interactions with David. So David
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: is forced into hiding once again. What follows is a
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: story of David's victory over temptation to sin and David's
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: failure over loyalty to Israel, as inspired by the book
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: of 1 Samuel.
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: This is Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. In yesterday's episode, we heard how
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: God sent Abigail to intercept David who had planned to
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: kill her husband Nabal for this man's disrespect and disregard
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: for the will of God. God was protecting David from
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: spilling blood in a moment of rage, and David, because
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: he was a man after God's own heart, was sensitive
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: to the leading of the Lord, choosing to spare Nabal's life. Abigail,
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: now a widow, was comforted by David, and the two
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: were married, and this was a union that God blessed.
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: Today we'll find David on the run once again. Though
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: Saul had temporarily relented from pursuing David, He is back
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: at it with jealousy and rage once again. Our reading
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: today will show us two sides of a very human David.
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: One who resists temptation and trusts God's timing. And another
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: who gives in to doubts and ventures into dangerous territory.
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: So let's listen to God's word today.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: Hatred is a poison. Saul, who had a moment of
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: vulnerability and forgiveness towards David, was once again falling victim
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: to hatred's grip on his heart. Saul's repentance towards David
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: was deep, raw, and emotional. However, it did not last long.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: Saul once again mustered 3,000 men to march against David.
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: They camped outside the wilderness where David and his men were.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: In the morning, they planned to rise up and ambush David.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: Saul was in his tent eagerly awaiting the chance to
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: put an end to David forever. As the night grew later,
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: Saul and the rest of his soldiers fell asleep. Shadows
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: could be seen gliding across the tent walls near Saul's tent.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: Light footsteps could be heard entering his tent. There, with
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: his face hidden by the darkness, stood David. He and
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: his men watched Saul sleep. The tip of David's spear
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: was pressed into the ground beside Saul's temples. God has
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: given you your enemy, Abishai whispered to David. David hovered
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: silently over Saul. Saul had gone back on his word.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: He had repented with tears and embraced him as a son.
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: Who would hold the murder of Saul against him? The
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: citizens of Israel would welcome him. The soldiers would follow him.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: His wife would still love him. There would be seemingly
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: nothing to lose and everything to gain from killing Saul.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: David stood there, shaking, with his spear beside Saul's head.' No,'
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: David whispered.' He is God's to strike, not mine. I
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: should not lay a hand on God's anointed.' So David
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: put his spear in the jug of water beside Saul's bed,
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: and David and his men left without waking anybody in camp.
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: David sat far off at the top of the hill,
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: overlooking Saul's camp. The sun began to rise and paint
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: the camp a bright orange. David watched as the men
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: arose from their tents and began to prepare for battle. Abner,
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: Saul's general, began to walk among his men. David stood
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: and took a deep breath. He cupped his hands around
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: his mouth and shouted down to Abner, saying, Abner! Abner
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: raised his head to see David standing on the hill
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: above them. All the men stood at attention and watched
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: David as he shouted, Are you truly a worthy man, Abner?
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: You could not even watch over your king one night.
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: Look at the spear beside his bed. I could have
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: killed him last night. You are not fit to protect
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: the king. Saul woke up to the sound of David's
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: voice shouting from the hilltops. He emerged from his tent
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: and looked up. Saul squinted to get a good look
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: at David shouting, Is that you, my son David? David smiled.' Yes,
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: it is, my lord king,' David shouted.' Why do you
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: pursue me still? What have I done to you? If
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: it is God who has called you to kill me,
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: then strike me down now. But if it is your
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: own voice, or the voice of other men calling for
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: you to kill me, then cast them away. You hunt
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: a single flea like one hunts game in the wilderness.'
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: David's words bellowed for all the men to hear. Saul,
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: in the most sincere voice he could muster, shouted back
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: at David, saying, You are blessed, my son. You will
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: surely do many things and succeed. So Saul departed from
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: his place and did not pursue David further. David, still
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: wary of Saul, left back to his men in the wilderness.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: David did not trust the words of Saul, and paranoia
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: began to grip his heart as well. David gathered his
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: men together to find another place to rest. David knew
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: that Saul would not pursue David if he left to
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: the land of the Philistines. So David and his six
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: hundred men gathered their things and settled in Gath with
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: King Achish. David hid among enemies, a foolish choice disguised
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: as wisdom. David found favor with Achish, and the two
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: of them became friends. Achish gifted David some land in Ziklag.
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: And there he and his men dwelled for a year
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: and four months. David and his band of soldiers integrated
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: well with the Philistine people. Together they made raids on
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: the Gizites and the Amalekites. David became renowned among the Philistines. However,
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: David would only raid against Israel's enemies. When Achish would
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: ask who David raided, he would always answer Judah or
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: Negev to fool Achish into thinking they no longer had
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: ties to Israel. Therefore Achish trusted David and believed him
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: to be a true Philistine at heart.
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: Today's story begins with Saul once again pursuing David. His
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: attitude to treat David like a son has now been forgotten,
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: and he goes back to his old ways, probably because
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: he really never changed or repented at all. When Saul
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: repented or said he repented, he offered a tearful confession
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: to David, but he really truly did not turn back
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: to God. So whatever change seemed to happen was only temporary.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: And here we find Saul listening to his own fears
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: and paranoia and to those around him rather than listening
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: to God and obeying God. So Saul gathers 3,000 men
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: to go into the desert to find David. But as
• 9:24
  Speaker 3: night fell and Saul and his camp lay fast asleep,
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: David went into the camp and approached a vulnerable king.
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: He was right there to be dealt with, and David's nephew, Abishai,
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: was convinced that this was a clear sign that God
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: had given Saul over to David. It was now time,
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: he said, to kill him and end this threat once
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: and for all. From a human perspective, it seems that
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: David would have been more than justified. Saul had gone
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: back on his word many times, and there was clear
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: intention to harm David. But David wasn't looking at this
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: from a human perspective. He had determined in his own
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: heart that he would not kill Saul. So when Abishai
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: asked David to allow him to strike Saul with his
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: spear and kill him with a single blow, David refused.
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: In 1 Samuel 26 verse 9, we read his response.
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: But David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, for
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: and be guiltless? David had strong convictions about this. He
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: would trust God to deal with Saul in his own time.
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: Incredible faith, isn't it? He could have taken the easy
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: way out. He could have taken Saul's life. He could
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: have done what he wanted to do, but rather he
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: depended upon God to rescue him rather than take personal revenge.
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: David took Saul's jar of water and his spear and left.
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: The next morning, he made his presence known to Abner,
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: the man who should have been protecting the king. He
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: calls him out for failing to protect Israel's king and
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: shows him that the spear and water are missing, proving
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: that he had been that close to Saul and could
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: have taken him out. Saul heard David and recognized his voice.
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: He called out to him, treating him as a son. Clearly,
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: a strange choice for a man who wanted to shed
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: David's blood. And yet David maintains his calm and composure
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: and asks why Saul is still out to kill him.
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: Saul seems convicted again. He admits his sin and tells
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: David he'll not seek to kill him anymore. David tells
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: Saul that his decision to spare his life was based
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: on how much he valued Saul's life and how much
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: he valued God's purposes. Saul blesses David and sends him
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: on his way. But the incident shook David. And then
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: we see his faith begin to waver. David goes again
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: into Philistine territory where he's sure Saul won't go. David
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: creates an alliance with the king of Gath and is
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: given some land to settle. But David engages in deception,
• 12:02
  Speaker 3: attacking enemy camps and leaving no survivors, but always telling
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: the king of Gath that he is killing Israelites, his
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: own people. David should have trusted God, but he chose
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: his own way. And it's a reminder that even those
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: who are closest to God, chosen by him, and are
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: not immune to fear, failure, and faithlessness. Rather than criticize
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: David for this, we must remember that we too so
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: often fall short. We have doubts and act alone without
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: the presence of God. And it reminds us that we
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: need always to trust God's will in every circumstance of
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: our lives and allow faith to drive out fear. The
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: next time we'll discover that There is a price to
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: pay for David's deception and that lies always catch up
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: to us. Lord, today we pray that we will trust
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: in you and overcome our doubts and our fears by faith. Lord,
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: help us never to get ahead of you or to
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: disobey you, but to always trust you with our very lives.
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: Help us to trust you and your perfect timing for
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: every day. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app and make prayer
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: and Bible study a priority in your life. If you
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love or know,
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: and by sharing this podcast, we can get the Word
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: of God to the world. And if you want more
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: resources on how to tap into God's power for Christian living,
• 13:38
  Speaker 3: be sure to visit jackgraham.org. God bless you.