The Rightful King
But God...Testimonies of Transformation • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro points:
Intro points:
The picture of a sunrise and sunset
Saul appointed by Samuel as the first king of Israel
Started well
Good looking and brave and early military campaign success
Victory over the Ammonites - love of all the people
Victory over the Philistines (1 Samuel 13/14)
Saul shows his lack of integrity or character in chapter 13 by disobeying God’s command to wait on Samuel’s arrival to a place called Gilgal. Saul decided to take control and called for the priestly offerings. 1 Samuel 13:12
I thought: The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor. So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”
The Lord’s favor
David - the Lord was with Him
Rejected vs. anointed King
Uncommon Unity
Uncommon Unity
Jonathan was the crown prince
If the Kingdom had not been torn from Saul, Jonathan would have taken his place on the throne. It could be assumed that David’s ascension would have been a thorn in Jonathan’s side.
What happens is quite the opposite of this.
Admiration (his vs. Saul’s view)
Anyone would have admired David
Imagine the reality - Goliath had been shouting at the people. For forty days he did this and in doing so, he had completely neutralized the armies of God.
No one took up the challenge he offered. That is of course until he was slain by the great and powerful King Saul with his strong armor and sword.
Right? No, that’s not what happened. David stepped forward, denied Saul’s request to use his armor and weaponry and instead chose to fight behind the garrison of the Lord’s strength.
Unlike Saul, David was content to fight behind the Lord.
Goliath been brought to his knees, slain by the shepherd David with a sling and a stone and his head brought on a plate. Even then, Saul wanted to know the name of David’s father, whose name was Jesse. (Isaiah stump of Jesse quote later)
It is no wonder Jonathan admired David. Jonathan heard David’s proclamation that the Lord would win the battle for the people and recognized that this was man to follow.
But admiration wasn’t the peak of their relationship.
Jonathan has a deep affection for David. The way the original Hebrew reads in verse one is most accurately translated as “Jonathan knit his soul to David’s.” This is a metaphor and a very powerful one.
In the realm of friendship, this is about as strong of metaphor as one could offer.
In the everyday story of human friendship, if you have one friend, you’re rich.
Imagine if you had a friend who could tolerate you, be honest with you, love you, sacrifice for you, know the worst about you, stick with you, you’re rich.
If you have two - you’re a multimillionaire. This is a unique friendship. There may not be a better picture of the fulfillment of the second half of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.
Are we knitting our souls to our neighbors?
Jonathan’s love and admiration for David wasn’t for his personal gain, it was a product of his surrender.
Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself.
Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
What is the symbol of this surrender? Jonathan’s transfer of the robe and his weaponry. He lays it all at David’s feet. Jonathan understands the importance of surrender and he says, David, you wear this. Jonathan turns over any thought that remained in his mind about sitting on the throne and embraces a role that few, if any, take - the role of second place.
Uncommon Jealousy
Uncommon Jealousy
Initially, Saul and David got along. David provided musical therapy for Saul’s spiritual torment. David became the armor bearer for Saul. David and Jonathan become friends. But,
There is no way that Saul is prepared to live in the role of second place. He had already been told that there was one greater.
In 1 Samuel 15:27-28 we read that Samuel confronts Saul regarding his disobedience, Saul grabs Samuel’s robe and tears off a piece. Samuel tells Saul that this is an example of God taking the kingdom from him and giving it to someone else. And, that this neighbor is “better than you.”
Can you imagine hearing those words ring in Saul’s ears everyday? Better than you…better than you…better than you...
Saul may have fully realized, after the fall of Goliath and the transfer of Jonathan’s robe that he had just met this neighbor.
Saul’s reaction to David’s success
As Saul returned from the battle against the Philistines, the welcoming throng was jubilant. While Saul was honored by the singing, greater honor went to David.
As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments.
As they celebrated, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.
Possibly, the greatest descriptor of Saul’s character was jealousy.
This greatly displeased Saul, and he became intensely jealous because the only thing left for David to have was the kingdom!
This victory celebration of singing and dancing and tambourining can also be seen in Exodus 15:21
Miriam sang to them: Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.
But notice the difference, the people magnified God, not Moses. Up until this point in 1 Samuel, Israel had no earthly king, so the common refrain was to sing of God’s victory, not a person’s. Samuel tried to warn the people what would happen when a king took the throne and they didn’t listen. The Red Sea victory that Lt. Amanda preached about last week was attributed to God, not the people.
For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil.
Here James is describing the two kinds of wisdom - earthly and heavenly - and he says that wisdom that promotes anything but humility is foolish wisdom it will lead to disorder.
While God was elevating David, Saul’s desire was to end that process.
If you continue reading through 1 Samuel, you will see that jealousy is a short step away from murder. In verse 9, Saul makes his first attempt to kill David. Saul unsuccessfully attempts to kill David multiple times and in multiple ways, and, ultimately, Saul grew to become afraid of David. It is in this phrase, Saul grew to become afraid of David that brings us to the final point in this sermon:
A Victory Enjoyed
A Victory Enjoyed
Back 1 Samuel 18:5
David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the soldiers, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.
The sunrise of Saul’s kingship began at his appointment, but this text shows pretty clearer that Saul’s reign is now sunsetting.
Recall that the victory being spoken of here in verse 5 is David defeating Goliath. God was shaping David through his successes, and the sunrise of David’s kingship is taking place. Equally important here to understand:
God wants to shape you through your successes.
It is possible that the most explicit and outward evidence of who reigns on the throne of our lives is how we respond to success.
In this ongoing scene, we see that Saul is particularly interested in popular reaction. Saul wants and needs the approval of the people to bring him fulfillment. Saul is not a servant king, one who goes out and fights battles for the people. Rather, he is a king who demanded others serve him for his personal glory.
When we consider our relationships, and the relationship of greatest value, that is the one we have with God, do we have a relationship that looks like the one Saul wanted to have with David?
“Wow, God, I really like having you around,... God, I just want you to calm me when I am anxious and troubled. And, wow, God, bless me with earthly comforts. Also, I’d really like it if you would heal me when I am sick.. Oh, and please, God, take care of those who are dear to me.
And, speaking of others, God, if you would take care of those that would stand against me… let me prosper, and let my enemies fail,... give me victory over anyone who would disagree with me… GOD, SLAY MY GIANTS FOR ME!!!.... (BACK TO A SOFT VOICE)
But, wait...… What do you mean you want to be my king?
We are seeing a fulfillment of Samuel’s prophecy of a future king of Israel.
Samuel says the king will take your chariots and use them in battle, take your sons away to war, and he will go into battle on your behalf. Wait, what?
See, Saul had been a moral disaster. But now, the people love David because they see a king who will fight their battles for them, one who will go into the fight on their behalf.
Think of this, in 1 Samuel 14:6 Jonathan approached the garrison of the Philistines and said “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” He watched the fewest number possible, one, David, save the people of Israel from the garrison that was Goliath.
There is a King greater than David who sits on an eternal throne of victory who is coming.
His name is Jesus and He ran straight to the garrison that was death to claim victory over the enemy.
Think of the great response from the people for David in his victories - they really loved David.
Someone reigns on the throne of our hearts.
The challenge for each one of us is this -
Do I really love Jesus? Is He the King?
Have we, like Jonathan, realized that we must surrender the robe of our personal kingdoms over to the Lordship of Jesus?
The world system, the body of sin, and the devil all attempt to counteract the elevating work of the gospel/Spirit in your life. Often, it comes with throne-taking opportunities -
Will career advancement become the idol you worship?
Will the discovery of a gift of the Spirit fill you with pride?
Will the growth of a family cool your love for God?
Will the fruitfulness of your church dry up your prayers for it?
Jesus, I surrender my life to Your blood
I surrender my name for Your glory
I surrender my heart to Your will
I surrender my dreams to the plans You have for me
Thank You for showing me
The emptiness of all I held onto
I surrender it all
I surrender my everything for You