David is one of the most well-known figures in the Bible.  He has a story of inspiration to all of God’s people today, because He was a flawed man that God still loved despite his faults!  Although he was not perfect, there are many good aspects of his life that we should imitate.  God must have loved David despite His faults, because God would call David a man after His own heart long after David died.  Here are some highlights from his story:

 

1.  1 Samuel 16 begins our study of David’s life.

   1. The Bible shows us that God sent the prophet, Samuel, to go and anoint David as the next king of Israel.

   2. Remember, Saul was the current king, but God rejected him, because of his disobedience to the commandments of God.

   3. Samuel was sent to Jesse’s house to find the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-2).

      1. Samuel did not know who this new king would be, but through blind faith and obedience to the Lord, he set off to find the next king of Israel.

      2. The lesson in this is that we will be given many things to believe in and many things to obey that God tells us in His Word.

      3. You must realize that we won’t understand everything God wants us to do, but we must trust Him anyway.

      4. He is always going to be more intelligent, knowledgeable, and wise than us any day of the week (Isaiah 55:8-9).

      5. He is more intelligent because He is our Maker (Genesis 1-2).

      6. If He knows how to make us, then He knows how to lead us!

      7. Please believe and obey the Lord every day of your life.

      8. He will not lead you wrong!

   4. Getting back to David’s story, the Bible says that Samuel came to Jesse’s home in Bethlehem and the first son of Jesse he saw was Eliab.

      1. The Bible says, “6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” 7 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 people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:6-7 New International Version).

      2. As you can see, Samuel was impressed by the appearance of Eliab, but God wasn’t.

         1. God was looking at the heart, which means God was not impressed by the way Eliab thought.

         2. No one knows if God rejected Eliab for moral reasons or not.

         3. That may or may not be the case.

         4. However, God judged the heart of Eliab and found him not fit for the job.

         5. Remember, God is the only Person who can read the minds of someone else (Psalm 139).

         6. We cannot do it.

         7. So we need not try to do so.

         8. The only way we can find out what a person thinks is to actually talk to them and watch the things they do.

         9. Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruits, which is symbolic of our behavior revealing who a person really is (Matthew 12:33).

         10. So, this is what we must do.

         11. We cannot not allow the physical presence, reputation, speaking ability, charisma, popularity or any other thing determine whether or not we will follow someone.

         12. If someone’s behavior is not godly, we must separate from them before their evil ways rub off on us (1 Corinthians 15:33).

   5. Moving on, we see Samuel going through the whole list of Jesse’s sons except one (1 Samuel 16:8-10).

      1. The Bible says that all of Jesse’s sons came before Samuel one-by-one.

      2. However, the Lord was rejecting every one of them.

      3. Perhaps, Samuel was getting discouraged by this point, because the chosen one could not be found.

      4. The good part about God is that without fail, if He sends us to get a job done, He will provide the tools and ability for us to get it done.

      5. He is not unrighteous to send us to things we cannot handle.

      6. In other words, He never sets us up to fail.

      7. Always believe that.

      8. Even if there are many obstacles in the way of God blessing you, God will see you though and provide for you no matter what.

      9. You will always achieve whatever God sends you to do.

   6. Returning to David’s story, the Bible says, “11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah” (1 Samuel 16:11-13 New International Version).

      1. As you can see, from a human wisdom point of view, God chose the least likely person to become the next king of Israel.

      2. Usually the oldest son would be the chosen one, but that was not God’s selection.

      3. Instead, the youngest son was chosen and anointed, which means appointed, as the next king of Israel.

      4. This shows us to never underestimate anyone.

      5. God can use anyone, including you and me, to do great things beyond our wildest imaginations.

      6. Just submit to the will of God in your life and He will take you to places and do things you would have never thought you had the confidence to do or the ability to achieve.

      7. God can cause great things to happen in your life if you obediently follow Him.

      8. Always remember what Philippians 4:13 says.

         1. It reads as follows, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (King James Version).

   7. The last Bible scene in 1 Samuel 16 shows, King Saul with an evil spirit tormenting him and the Holy Spirit departing from him (1 Samuel 16:14-23).

      1. Due to his disobedience to the commandments of God, the Lord was no longer with him.

      2. When this happens, we must understand that Satan takes control of our hearts and influences us to serve his evil intentions.

         1. When we are being rebellious toward God, we have become the devil’s servants (Romans 6:16, 22).

      3. Saul was no exception.

         1. Just like you and I, willful sin in his life caused him to be separated from God (Isaiah 59:2; 1 Peter 3:12).

      4. The Bible says that David would play the lyre instrument to calm Saul down and help bring peace to him.

         1. The lyre was an instrument similar to a harp.

      5. Saul became very fond of David.

      6. In addition, David loyally served Saul.

      7. He also became Saul’s armor bearer.

      8. This scene of David serving Saul was one we should imitate.

         1. It shows patience on the side of David.

         2. Although he was anointed to be the next king of Israel, he never undermined Saul’s authority.

         3. He never badmouthed Saul as well.

         4. We must always wait our turn instead of undermining and mistreating others in authority.

         5. Lord Willing, our day will come to lead.

         6. We must be patient in the process so that we do not become cold and ruthless in a quest for power.

         7. David was a good example of this patience and righteousness we need in all of our own lives.

2. In 1 Samuel 17, we see the Philistines at war with the children of Israel.

   1. The Philistine army and the Israelite army were camped separately on their own hills.

      1. There was a valley between the hills that separated the two armies (1 Samuel 17:1-3).

   2. The Bible shows us an intimidating warrior on the side of the Philistines named “Goliath.”

      1. The New International Version has a foot note estimating his height to be around 9 feet 9 inches tall!

      2. Not only was he large, but he was fully armored with body armor.

      3. In addition, he had a giant spear (1 Samuel 17:4-7).

   3. Goliath would taunt the armies of the children of Israel.

      1. The Bible says, “8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other” (1 Samuel 17:8-10 New International Version).

      2. As you can see, the challenge was that if any of the children of Israel would fight Goliath one-on-one and win, the children of Israel would be the victors!

      3. Unfortunately, Saul and his army were terrified by the words of Goliath and no one would meet the challenge.

      4. The Bible says that Goliath harassed and taunted the children of Israel for forty days without a challenger in sight (1 Samuel 17:16)!

   4. Now, the Bible shows us that there was a different spirit within David.

      1. David was not a soldier, but he was fearless, because of his faith in God.

      2. He was a sheepherder and not a soldier!

      3. He went to visit his brothers one day who were a part of Saul’s army.

      4. The Bible says, “22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. 25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.” 26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him” (1 Samuel 17:22-27).

         1. Notice, David said that Goliath was defying the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17:26).

         2. In so many words, David was saying that God was on their side.

         3. As a result, they had no reason to fear Goliath.

         4. David, obviously knew, that with God on our side, no one can defeat us.

         5. You and I must realize that whatever God wants to get done, it will be done due to His all-powerful nature.

         6. Thus, there is no one to ever fear but God, Himself!

         7. Even a 9 foot 9 inch giant cannot stop the plan of God.

         8. Always remember that you will run into odds that seem too much for you.

         9. However, they are never too much for God.

         10. Let your faith in God overcome your fears.

         11. If not, you will coward down like the children of Israel and not be pleasing to the Lord.

         12. However, if you have faith in the power of God, you will meet the challenge like David will do in a moment.

         13. Remember Matthew 10:28 the rest of your life that reads, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (New International Version).

         14. Also, remember there is always a reward for being faithful to God no matter what obstacle gets in the way.

         15. For David, it was a wife and riches, but for Christians, the greater gift of eternal life awaits us (Revelation 2:10).

   5. Returning to David’s story, even Saul had his doubts about David challenging Goliath.

      1. The Bible says, “32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you” (1 Samuel 17:32-37 New International Version).

      2. As you can see, David said he killed a lion and a bear.

         1. Thus, David knew and experienced the power of God.

         2. He knew that if God empowered him to kill a lion and a bear, then God can empower Him to do anything.

         3. This included killing Goliath if need be!

      3. Remember, faith always conquers fear.

         1. David had already witnessed the delivering power of God in his life when he killed the lion and the bear.

         2. Thus, he realized that nothing was too hard for God.

         3. This works the same way for us.

         4. Sometimes, God allows us to go through difficult moments in our life to make us stronger (James 1:2-4).

         5. It is within these difficult moments that we get to personally witness the active power of God in our lives for ourselves.

         6. When you realize how much God has delivered you from in the past, your faith is reinforced in your present day!

         7. When you become fearful, fall back on memories of God’s delivering power in your own life.

         8. Then, your fear will be cast out, because you will realize that if God can do it once, He can certainly do it again!

   6. Moving on, the good thing about Saul is that he tried to give David his armor and sword to go to battle with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:38-40).

      1. Unfortunately, David was not comfortable in the body armor and helmet, because he had never used them before.

      2. Instead, David took his walking staff, sling shot, and five smooth stones as his weapon of choice to fight Goliath.

   7. From there, we have come to the battle scene between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:41-58)!

      1. Goliath underestimated David because he was young.

         1. The trash talking by Goliath did not stop David (1 Samuel 17:41-44).

         2. Instead of being fearful, David responded with a statement of faith in God instead.

         3. He said, “45...You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 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, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:45-47 New International Version).

         4. Notice, two very important things David said in response to the taunting of Goliath.

         5. First, David said that He was representing God and the Lord would get the glory for the victory instead of man’s use of the weapons!

            1. It is no coincidence that David did not want to use the body armor and sword provided by Saul before the battle with Goliath.

            2. This was an event God used to make sure everyone knew that it was He who would deliver the children of Israel from Goliath.

            3. Sometimes, this is what God does with us.

            4. For example, often, medicine stops working and one becomes healthy again.

            5. This is God getting the glory so that man could never take credit for anything!

            6. Thus, remember that when you need God.

            7. Perhaps, the solutions you have designed for your own deliverance will never work, because God is waiting to show His own power of deliverance in your life?

            8. Only time will tell.

         6. Second, David said that the battle belonged to the Lord.

            1. Anytime God decides to send us to a battle for Him, we will win!

            2. You must realize that God cannot lose a battle.

            3. Satan is no match for God (1 John 4:4)!

            4. God kicked Satan out of heaven (Luke 10:18).

            5. He will also defeat Satan all the time on this earth in which we live.

            6. The final whipping from God Satan will take will be his assignment to the lake of fire forever (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15).

            7. Be on the winning side!

            8. Be on the side of God by becoming a Christian today (John 10:11-18; 14:6).

            9. Please see the message of God’s salvation at the following website address: http://bibleunderstandingmadeeasy.com/Plan_of_Salvation.aspx.

   8. Moving forward, we see the victory of David over Goliath.

      1. The Bible says, “48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp” (1 Samuel 17:48-53 New International Version).

      2. As you can see, David killed Goliath with a stone from a slingshot.

      3. David’s faith paid off!

      4. God blessed him to be victorious!

3. In 1 Samuel 18, we find out the close-knit relationship between David and Jonathan.

   1. Jonathan was the son of Saul.

      1. They were inseparable friends. (1 Samuel 18:1).

   2. In this chapter, at first, the relationship of David and King Saul was very good as well.

      1. So much so, Saul put David in charge of his soldiers.

      2. David was also a very popular young man among the entire kingdom.

      3. In other words, the children of Israel loved him (1 Samuel 18:5)!

   3. Unfortunately, the happy story also starts taking a turn for the worse.

      1. Saul became jealous of David’s popularity with the children of Israel.

      2. He started to look at David with suspicion from that day on.

      3. He believed that David would eventually try to take over the kingdom (1 Samuel 18:6-9).

   4. Saul’s jealousy over David continued to get worse.

      1. The Bible says that as David was playing the lyre instrument, Saul tried to kill him by throwing a javelin at him twice!

      2. However, God blessed David to get out of the way each time; saving his life (1 Samuel 18:10-12)!

   5. Samuel moved David away from being a personal servant to a commander in the field because he was afraid of David.

      1. Most likely, Saul was afraid that David would assassinate him by being so close to him.

      2. Nonetheless, God blessed David to be a very successful military commander.

      3. David became even more popular than ever among the children of Israel (1 Samuel 18:13-16).

   6. The wicked behavior of Saul continues.

      1. He came up with a plan to have David killed in battle.

      2. He told David that if he would fight for Saul against the Philistines, he would give David Merab as a wife.

      3. Merab was Saul’s daughter.

      4. However, Saul lied and did not give him to her as promised (1 Samuel 18:17-19).

   7. The good news is that Saul’s other daughter, Michal, loved David.

      1. Saul agreed with David that he would give Michal to him if he would bring back 100 foreskins from the Philistines from a battle.

      2. Again, Saul was not sincere about the deed.

      3. His hope was that the Philistines would kill David in battle!

      4. However, the Bible says that David was successful in bringing back 200 hundred foreskins and Michal was given to him in.

      5. Saul continued to see that God was with David.

      6. This made Saul more and more afraid of David.

      7. This made Saul an enemy the rest of David’s life.

      8. Even more, David was the most successful military commander in Saul’s army.

      9. God would bless him with success with every battle!

      10. David became very famous among the children of Israel (1 Samuel 18:20-30).

   8. What do we learn from 1 Samuel 18?

      1. Well, we learn that we can make enemies even though we have done nothing wrong.

         1. Often people hate us, because they want to be us, have what we have, or just want all the attention from others for themselves.

         2. We cannot do anything about this except what David did.

         3. David never took revenge on Saul and we should not either.

         4. We must let God take revenge instead of ourselves (Romans 12:19).

         5. We must love and pray for our enemies instead of hurting them in return (Matthew 5:44-45).

         6. Hopefully, our treating the enemy right will cause him or her to stop mistreating us because they start to feel guilty for their actions toward us (Romans 12:19-21).

         7. If not, then we must allow God to handle the situation.

         8. Remember, let vengeance belong to the Lord.

         9. It is not our place to take revenge on anyone!

4.  Unfortunately, 1 Samuel 19 shows the continued jealousy and paranoia of Saul against David.

   1. The Bible says he told Jonathan and other servants to kill David.

   2. However, the integrity of Jonathan caused him not to follow this devilish order.

   3. In fact, Jonathan warned David of Saul’s plan to kill him (1 Samuel 19:1-3).

   4. We also see how great a friend Jonathan was.

      1. In other words, he argued with his own father, Saul, on David’s behalf.

      2. The Bible says, “4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?” 6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death” (1 Samuel 19:4-6 New International Version).

      3. As you can see, we should imitate the actions of Jonathan.

         1. We must stand up for other Christians when others do them wrong.

         2. Do not stand by idle.

         3. Do not be a coward.

         4. As you will see throughout the Bible, Christians are supposed to stand up for each other (Acts 9:26-31; Galatians 2:11-21).

      4. As you can see, the Bible shows us that David and Saul were at a temporary peace for the moment (1 Samuel 19:7).

   5. However, the peace between the two would not last.

      1. David continued to have military success.

      2. It is safe to infer that Saul’s jealousy came back.

      3. The Bible says he tried to nail David against the way by throwing a spear at him while he was playing the lyre as usual.

      4. David escaped with his life (1 Samuel 19:8-10).

   6. Unfortunately, Saul was not finished just because he did not kill David with the spear.

      1. Instead, he set a watch around David’s house so his men could find the right moment to ambush and kill David.

      2. But before the assassins could arrive, David’s wife, Michal warned him to get out of town before it was too late.

      3. David listened to his wife and went out a window and fled for his life.

      4. Michal staged the bedroom as if David was there.

         1. She took an idol, clothed it, and put goats hair on it so it looked like David was lying in the bed when Saul’s men arrived (1 Samuel 19:11-13).

      5. Saul sent the men to David’s home and they confronted Michal.

         1. She said that David was sick.

         2. Saul commanded his men to bring David in his bed to Saul so he could kill him.

         3. Fortunately, they found only the idol in the bed.

         4. Saul confronted Michal for lying and helping David escape.

         5. She lied again and said that David threatened to kill her (1 Samuel 19:14-17).

   7. Although David escaped from being captured in his home, Saul was not done tracking him to kill him.

      1. The Bible stated that David fled and stayed with the prophet, Samuel.

      2. Saul’s men found him with Samuel, but God directly intervened to save David’s life.

      3. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit came upon Saul and all of his men and they began to prophesy.

      4. This just means that God made them miraculously speak a Word from the Lord (1 Samuel 19:18-24).

      5. While under the influence of the Holy Spirit, they had no power to kill David.

      6. Thus, David escaped with his life (1 Samuel 20:1)!

5. After fleeing from Saul, David and Jonathan met secretly (1 Samuel 20:1-42).

   1. This time Saul did not reveal the plan to kill David to Jonathan.

      1. Thus, Jonathan did not believe the plot to kill David was real, because Saul usually revealed plans like these to him.

      2. Nonetheless and as a good friend, Jonathan vowed to help David (1 Samuel 20:1-11).

   2. Jonathan and David developed a plan to see if Saul was really serious about killing David.

   3. The Bible says, “18 Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. 20 I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. 21 Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. 23 And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever” (1 Samuel 20:18-23 New International Version).

      1. David’s end of the bargain was to always show kindness to Jonathan and Saul’s household after God raised him to the status of king in the land (1 Samuel 20:12-16).

   4. When David was absent from the New Moon Feast, Saul’s fierce anger was shown.

      1. He scolded Jonathan for making excuses for David’s absence.

      2. The Bible says, “30 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!” 32 “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David. 34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David” (1 Samuel 20:30-34 New International Version).

         1. As you can see, Saul was so ruthless that he even tried to kill his own son, but by the grace of God, Jonathan lived!

   5. Jonathan proved to be a man of his word by helping David escape again (1 Samuel 20:35-42).

      1. When Jonathan and the little boy was in the field, he shot the arrow beyond the boy.

      2. This was the sign to David that Saul was attempting to kill him.

      3. After emotionally telling each other goodbye, they parted ways.

6. In 1 Samuel 22, we see the cruelty of Saul (1 Samuel 22:1-23).

   1. He found out that a priest named “Ahimelek” helped David while he was in hiding.

      1. This included giving David food and the sword of Goliath.

      2. The Bible says, “14 Ahimelek answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.” 16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.” 17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.” But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18 The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep” (1 Samuel 22:14-19 New International Version).

      3. As you can see, Saul killed Ahimelek and the other priests of the Lord in the town of Nob.

      4. Not only did he kill the priests, but he also killed all the people in the town of Nob; not sparing even the children and animals!

      5. The devil truly had control of his heart, because he wanted to keep power!

      6. The Bible says that only one of Ahimelek’s sons escaped.

         1. It says, “20 But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. 23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me” (1 Samuel 22:20-23 New International Version).

         2. So, David showed mercy to Ahitub, but wrongly blamed himself for the death of Ahitub’s family.

         3. This is not true and we should not take things the wrong way as David did.

         4. There are many things in life that we cannot prevent from happening.

         5. Always keep this in mind when bad things come in your life.

         6. Many things are out of your control as they were in David’s time.

   2. There is another message we should take from 1 Samuel 22.

      1. We should never let power go to our heads when we have it.

      2. The devil uses the tool called the pride of life in order to make us conceited (1 John 2:16).

      3. When we become conceited, we become cruel like Saul.

      4. Remain humble; even when you have power in this life, because the Lord can give power and take it away at a moment’s notice.

      5. You will see this point later in Saul’s story.

7. After many days of Saul unsuccessfully chasing David in the wilderness, we have come to 1 Samuel 24, which is a highlight of their story together.

   1. The Bible says, “1 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. 3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way” (1 Samuel 24:1-7 New International Version).

      1. As you can see, David had every opportunity to kill Saul in revenge.

         1. However, he is a good example to us.

         2. As you know, we must let God take revenge and not us (Romans 12:19-21).

         3. No matter how bad you are treated, do not take revenge.

         4. If it is His Will, He will do it.

         5. We are responsible to love our neighbor anyway and to pray for them (Matthew 5:44).

         6. Also, just because you have power, does not mean you need to use it.

         7. The stronger person is the one who can restrain himself/herself!

         8. Always remember that!

   2. The Bible goes on to say, “8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you. 14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.” 16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. 17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. 18 You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. 20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. 21 Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” 22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold” (1 Samuel 24:8-24 New International Version).

      1. Did you notice the result of David loving his enemy?

         1. Peace was the result.

         2. Remember, by not taking revenge, we come to a status of peace with our enemies.

         3. This is what God wants us to try to achieve at all times and in all situations.

         4. He says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 New International Version).

      2. Also the peaceful dialogue between Saul and David is what God wants.

         1. It is part of the peacemaking process.

         2. So, when you have problems, don’t fight.

         3. Talk instead!

         4. God wants us to work out our differences in a civilized manner as David did (Matthew 5:23-34; 18:15-17)!

      3. The last thing we learn from this chapter concerning David and Saul is to not listen to everything people say.

         1. Saul had been fed false information from others regarding David wanting to kill him.

         2. This is the same today.’

         3. People will lie to you about what “he said” or “she said.”

         4. Don’t automatically believe gossip.

         5. Gossip will ruin your life if you listen to it.

         6. Instead, get to know people for yourself and do not listen to other’s people’s opinions on someone else.

         7. Form your own conclusion on what you have learned personally by getting to know the other person for yourself!

8. In 1 Samuel 25, we see David teaching us a lesson on restraint.

   1. The Bible says he sent 10 men to give peaceful greetings to a man named “Nabal” while David and his men were hiding out from Saul in the wilderness (1 Samuel 25:1-6).

   2. Through ambassadors, David asked Nabal to give whatever he could to help feed him and his soldiers.

      1. David kindly reminded Nabal that he had been good to him.

      2. David and his men never raided Nabal’s home or brought any harm upon them as they fled from Saul in the wilderness (1 Samuel 25:7-9).

   3. Unfortunately, Nabal answered David disrespectfully and rudely (1 Samuel 25:14-18).

      1. As a result, David was ready to go to war.

      2. He prepared his men for battle (1 Samuel 25:10-13).

         1. David and 400 men were going to hunt Nabal down!

   4. Fortunately, Nabal had a wise wife.

      1. The Bible says, “18 Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. 21 David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. 22 May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!” (1 Samuel 25:18-22 New International Version).

      2. As you can see, Abigail moved quickly.

      3. She brought a peace offering with her to save her household from the wrath of David and his army.

      4. The Bible goes on to say, “23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. 26 And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. 27 And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you. 28 “Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. 30 When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, 31 my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant” (1 Samuel 25:23-31 New International Version).

      5. As you can see, Abigail begged for mercy!

   5. Thanks be to God, David listened to Abigail and did not attack Nabal (1 Samuel 25:32-35).

   6. However, the story is not complete.

      1. The Bible says that Nabal’s evil came back to him.

      2. In other words, the Lord took his life from him (1 Samuel 25:36-39).

   7. After Nabal died, David took Abigail to become his wife (1 Samuel 25:39-44).

   8. What was not wise about Nabal’s answer to David?

      1. Nabal did not think before he spoke.

      2. His hasty words could have gotten him killed very easily.

      3. Remember, he was “mouthing off” to David and his army of men who could have killed him.

      4. Never underestimate anyone.

      5. Mouthing off to big people, small people, or any one other there can get you killed.

      6. Since we live in a society ruled by guns and other weapons, the size of a person does not matter anymore.

      7. Please do not underestimate anyone.

      8. Anyone can kill you today in the blink of an eye!

      9. Many people have been killed by not thinking before they speak.

      10. The Bible says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…” (James 1:19 New International Version).

      11. Being slow to speak gives us the opportunity to think about the situation and decide whether we should respond to others or not.

      12. If we are going to respond, we should say positive things about others.

          1. The Bible says, “29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (New International Version).

      13. If we are not going to respond, then we must understand that it is better to be silent than to be killed (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

      14. Choose your battles wisely!

      15. It may make the difference between life and death!

   9. What was wise about Abigail’s actions?

      1. First, Abigail was wise, because she dealt with her issues right away.

         1. Unfortunately, procrastination makes our problems worse.

         2. Especially when dealing with a potential enemy, we must do our part to make peace as soon as possible.

         3. Otherwise, anger builds in both parties.

         4. When anger builds, it may spill over into violence and all sorts of evil.

         5. Jesus says, “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison” (Matthew 5:45).

      2. Second, Abigail was wise, because she gave her potential enemy what he needed to create peace.

         1. We should do the same.

         2. Sometimes, our enemy needs an apology and we should not be too prideful to do so when we are wrong.

         3. Sometimes, if we need to restore our enemy’s property if we have damaged the property.

         4. Whatever we must do, we should do it to create peace.

         5. We not truly the children of God unless we are trying to be at peace with all people (Matthew 5:9).

   10. What was wise regarding David?

       1. Well, unfortunately, David let anger get the best of him.

       2. As you know, anger is not a sin, but over reacting and doing shameful things is (Ephesians 4:26-27).

       3. David was about to murder a man because he felt disrespected and betrayed!

       4. Well, we all go through these emotions at some points in this life.

       5. Even Jesus was betrayed by Judas, but never mistreated him in return (Luke 22).

       6. On the bright side, we see that Abigail was able to talk some sense into David to get him not to commit murder.

       7. If we don’t have anyone to talk any sense into us at the moment, we always have God to talk to in order to calm us down (Philippians 4:6-7).

       8. He will do so and we will be prevented from doing things we regret.

       9. Remember, a Christian must have restraint as David finally showed in not murdering Nabal.

       10. Don’t imitate David’s angry response.

       11. Instead, imitate his listening skills and restraint, because pride is not worth us hurting others or going to jail for assault or murder!

9.  In 1 Samuel 26, we see David sparing Saul’s life again.

   1. Saul was still chasing David even though he was acting as if he was at peace with David.

   2. During the chase, David and one of his men, Abishai, found Saul asleep.

      1. Abishai wanted to kill Saul, but David stopped him.

      2. Instead, David took Saul’s spear and water jug.

   3. Later, when it was discovered that the spear and water jug was missing, Saul knew that David had spared his life.

   4. The Bible says, “17 Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, David my son?” David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.” 18 And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? 19 Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20 Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.” 21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.” 22 “Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. 23 The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. 24 As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.” 25 Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned home” (1 Samuel 26:17-25 New International Version).

   5. What do we learn from this story?

      1. We learn that sometimes we must forgive people multiple times for the things they do to us.

      2. Saul again was trying to kill David, but David refused to kill him.

      3. This shows us that we can forgive people for anything they do over and over again!

      4. Jesus made this clear when He was speaking to Peter.

         1. The Bible says, “21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22 King James Version).

         2. This equals 490 times. 

         3. This 490 times is not a literal number.

         4. It is symbolic of showing us that our forgiveness should be without limit.

         5. This is a part of loving our enemies (Mathew 5:44).

         6. We cannot love them if we not willing to continually forgive them.

      5. If David could forgive Saul multiple times, then we can forgive our enemies multiple times.

      6. Let’s do it and make God proud of us!

10. Regarding 1 Samuel 28, one good thing about Saul’s kingship is that he kicked the spiritualists and mediums out of Israel (1 Samuel 28:4).

    1. He had obviously put many, if not all, of them to death (1 Samuel 28:9).

    2. This would be the same as the fortune tellers and so called “psychics” we have today.

    3. We should never visit these people as they are doing the work of the devil.

    4. What you need to know, you get from studying the Bible and praying to God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:5-8).

    5. God is very displeased when we go to these psychics and fortunate tellers, because it is really the devil speaking through them (Acts 16:16-24).

    6. However, Saul was a hypocrite.

    7. He sought the knowledge of a witch located in the town of Endor to find out about his upcoming battle with the Philistines.

    8. He sought her advice, because God would no longer answer him.

    9. Remember, God only hears our prayers when we are not living in rebellion against Him.

       1. He says, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).

       2. Thus, we need to stay in good standing with God through continued obedience so He hears our prayers.

       3. Like Saul, you never know when you will need Him and if He is not listening to us anymore, then we are in trouble.

       4. So, we are at a great advantage when we obey God, because He listens to our prayers and grants any request we have when we are obedient to His Will for our lives (1 Peter 3:12; 1 John 5:14-15).

    10. Getting back to Saul and the Witch of Endor, Endor was a town in Israel.

        1. Thus, this witch was one in hiding.

        2. The woman was hesitant about helping Saul even though he disguised himself as someone else.

        3. Even though, she asked who Saul wanted to see.

        4. He asked for Samuel; then the Witch knew it was Saul.

        5. She was terrified at this point, because she thought she would be killed.

        6. Saul assured her that he would not harm her.

        7. Samuel or a likeness of Samuel appeared.

        8. Many argue today as to whether or not this was the true Samuel.

        9. Well, we will not get into the argument, but the message from the appearance of the person brought up in the ceremony was recorded in 1 Samuel 28:13-19, which reads, “13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.” 14 “What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.” 16 Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18 Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. 19 The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines” (New International Version).

        10. The Words from Samuel were fulfilled later in Bible history.

        11. Saul and his sons would surely die in the near future.

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