What makes us righteous is we agree with God. We side with Him. That's what makes us righteous. And Saul is not that. David chose to do that, Saul chose not to do that.
He's clinging his spear again. That is the spear of paranoia. Verse 8, we'll bring that out. We'll get to the 8 in a moment. But He's ready to hurt anybody who opposes him.
He will not stand for it.
Now, there are many weasels like this, but they don't have the power to do something.
Well, he's king. He has the power. Hmm. This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Aston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville.
Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio. Specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
Now, here's Pastor Rick as he continues teaching through 1 Samuel chapter 22 on today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Saul was the ruler of. Israel. And he he, of course, was judged in the sense that uh Sentence was passed, but it just was not executed yet.
So he became, it says here in verse 2, captain over them. He did not turn them away. He said, I got my own problems. I don't I don't need this. It doesn't do that.
He takes them in because he's got a shepherd's heart. And he is going to have so much influence on these men that it will last, it lasts to this day, David has. an effect on the na the nation of Israel. The prophets, you know, when they wrote their prophecies woven within them. Is the name of David, is the influence of David?
He influenced the worship of the entire nation. And it all starts here. Here's the nucleus. Not only of the change in heart of the people. Beginning of the mighty men, but the lasting influence of David, even into deep into the New Testament church and into the millennial reign of Christ.
quite profound. They made their choice to come to him. And all he had was a cave to offer them. Nothing else. But they made their choice.
And that's again our topic: these are choices that we have to make. Here we see it happening. Spurgeon again. Happy are they who can follow a good cause in its worse state. But there's his true glory.
That's loyalty. That's commitment. When the cause that you're following doesn't offer hope, but it's right. It's true. And these are the ones that had come to him.
Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Problem is, many people don't stick around and wait for that. They think that it means I'll give you a A resort. In this life, And so he's captain over them socially. militarily.
but also spiritually. Again, Psalm 34, verse 11, a Psalm of David, Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you. The fear of the Lord. And he did that.
That's another psalm from this time. And he did this very thing, he taught them the fear of God. The fear of the Lord. so much a part of Psalm one nineteen. Yeah.
And continuing verse 2. and there were about 400 men with him. Not even half an infantry battalion. not very many men at all to fight Saul. But a lot to care for, a lot to look out for, a lot to influence.
So that's how you look at it.
Well, you get these men that come to you, and you can either say, I don't want your problems, please leave me alone, I'm better on my own, or you can say, Hey, I can be useful to God. He had to have known that God had sent these men to him. He had just written in Psalm 141 that no one cared for his soul, and now he's got a bunch to care for himself. Pretty exciting to see the hand of God working like this.
So if we're going through problems and we read this story, We have no right now to expect immediate relief from whatever's burdening us. As I mentioned, seven to ten years. For being good. He did nothing wrong. He did nothing to bring this on himself.
And there it was. In chapter 23. We'll read that this number grows to 600 men. Another 200 he'll pick up. And then more and more and more.
And very exciting when we get to uh First Chronicles 12, and David is being crowned king of all the na nation and all the men and troops that are coming out. The comments about them is. Very Exciting. Verse three now. Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab, And he said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and my mother come here with you.
I know what God will do for me. He's got a shepherd's heart, even for his aged parents. He's looking out for them. David's great-grandmother was Ruth. the Moabitis.
And there are family ties here.
So he puts that relationship to good use. Jesse, David's father, who he's bringing there. He's now amongst cousins. There's probably still a Jewish remnant there nonetheless. Ruth was Jesse, David's father's mother uh grandmother, of course.
Now here's an interesting Uh combination. Ruth was a Moabite. that had been taken in by Naomi a Jew, and then to the Promised Land. But in this, it's the reverse. Jesse and his wife are Jews, and they are taken in outside the promised land by Moabites.
The hand of God. I think one of the lessons here is don't needlessly burn bridges. You know, if you can keep that, you know me, I might need that later on. And that's what we're learning. Uh from this um trick in David's life About Choosing sides.
Verse 4 So he brought them before the king of Moab. And they dwelt with him. all the time that David was in the stronghold, Now Israel and Moab were enemies. Even back in chapter 14, David, Saul's fighting the Moabites. being an enemy of Saul happened to work for David in this case, and in this case with Achish also, in case with two kings, the Moabite king, the Philistine king.
An enemy of my enemy is my friend. And we see this taking place that, you know, again, David gets in front of these people of power. He's got nothing. Far right he you know you'll s he's Saul's enemy, but he's got a little bit more When I say he has nothing, he really doesn't have a kingdom. But there's still something about this man that's getting him in front of kings.
And it is God. and it is the personality of David that God is working with. God was his shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Another Psalm of David.
And so these roots That he had in Moab are a benefit to him now. They are making a difference. His parents and Again, or have a safe place. He knows that if he can't care for them. While he's on the run, And so he is obedient.
To the first commandment with promise, honor your mother and father. The stronghold, that Hebrew word there is literally Masada.
Now in Israel there is there in Southern part of Israel near the Dead Sea is this mountain fortress, this giant. Hill, mountain, it just It's a fortress, it sticks out. And it's a natural fortress. That is likely the place that is here mentioned, but it's not guaranteed. It could be another place named A Stronghold, but it's the same name.
1 Chronicles chapter 8.
Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear. whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were swift as gazelles on mountains. And so David picked up few men from the tribe of Gad. Verse 5 now. Actually, I have another quote from Chronicles I want to do.
1 Chronicles 12, it also mentions.
Now, 1 Chronicles, when David is being coronated, but there's these comments, and some sons of Benjamin. And Judah came to David at the stronghold.
So there's the tribe. Yeah. Benjamin, Saul's tribe, some of them defected away from him. Verse five now. 1 Samuel 22, verse 5.
Now the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold, depart and go to the land of Judah.
So David departed and went into the forests of Hirath. Yeah. God made sure that a prophet got with this godly man. You would think that, well, David's so godly, bumping out psalms like this. What does he need a prophet for?
He is a prophet. But God wants to send an official. That's got a a link direct to the throne of heaven. This prophet is Gad. Later on, Nathan will also have the king's ear.
Even until David dies, Nathan will be there. And so, as godly as David was, God decided he still needed this official man of God in order to survive. Unfortunately, some Christians think they don't need a pastor. The Bible disagrees with them. And I don't say that because I'm a pastor.
I say that because I'm a Christian. I didn't ask to be a pastor. I was called to be one. And like Jeremiah said, Lord, you tricked me. I expected other things.
Jeremiah said that. And when I read that Jeremiah said that, I said, Well, I can say it too.
So And so when we are hurting in life, like David was. You are hungry for a man of God, a child of God, to come into your life. It is a bonus if it is a person in an official capacity, a calling on their life.
Some of you may not have, some of you younger ones, may not have gotten to a desperate spot yet spiritually. where you can really appreciate this. There's times in my ministry that I know I show up and I change the for the good, I hope it seemed like. Maybe it's a person going into surgery or some other situation, and just because I'm their pastor, they see me and they just get the strength. That's God's doing, not mine.
Do not stay in the stronghold, the prophet said to David. Depart and go to the land of Judah. But a stronghold's not strong enough. There are other strengths against you, David. And so David listens.
receives it, welcomes this Word from the prophet and doesn't say, Well, I'm the leader, or he doesn't do that, he leaves.
So David departed and went into the forest of Herath. And he leaves the stronghold.
Now he's in the woods. There's ticks in those woods. Verse six. When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered.
Now Saul was staying in Gibeah under the Tamarisk tree in Ramah with his spear in his hand. And all his servants standing about him. Who cares?
Well, we do care. I don't like this guy so much, I just don't even want to read his name. Saul now is, of course, fully, he just lives to kill David. That's his whole purpose in life. He gets up in the morning, I want to kill him.
He goes to bed, maybe I'll get him tomorrow. He is obsessed, he is demonically charged. He is neglecting his rule as king, he is not taking care of the people or the troops, and this is why he will die at the hands of the Philistines because he is not doing his job. And so here he is sitting. Doing nothing but stewing in his own hatred for a righteous man.
Just stewing, just enjoying his hatred. David's done nothing to hurt this man.
Now, by righteous, David being the righteous man, what makes us righteous is we agree with God, we side with Him. That's what makes us righteous. And Saul is not that. David chose to do that, Saul chose not to do that. He's clinging his spear again That is the spear of paranoia.
Verse 8, we'll bring that up. We'll get to the 8 in a moment. But He's ready to hurt anybody who opposes him. He will not stand for it.
Now, there are many weasels like this, but they don't have the power to do something.
Well, he's king. He has the power. We've read about this spear in 1 Samuel 18 and chapter 19 and chapter 20 here in chapter 22. And we'll read about it again in chapter 26. And every time it shows up, it has something to do with Saul's insanity.
influenced by demonic forces, and it's his fault. It's not like, oh, let's feel sorry for Saul. No, he has every say-so in this. It says, and all his servants standing about him. This information that we're reading has to have come from an eyewitness, somebody who was there.
That Hints of disloyalty towards Saul. There were those that just did not like him, that couldn't do anything about it. They were of his tribe. They would fear for their families. It was a nasty situation that they found themselves cast into.
But at some point, word gets out about this when the biography is written, this section of David's life. Verse 7 Then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites!
Well, the son of Jesse Give every one of you fields and vineyards. And make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
So he's admitting he bought them. He's got money on his side. He has power and influence. David has none of this. They're coming to David.
Voluntarily, as we come to Christ. gonna be force. These men, some some of them, We're bought. And Saul Selfishly. Appeals to tribal loyalties.
So he gets his will done. It's not for the sake of the tribe or the nation or God. This is for Saul. It is personal. He has made this army his own instrument of murder.
Hoping to motivate his clansmen against David. And he says, Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields, vineyards, and make you captains of thousands, captains of thousands? Hundreds. He can't even say his name. The son of Jesse.
That's how he has to say it. His hatred is so intense And there's a lesson there. You find somebody that you can't just even say the other person, show a common decency to the other person. What's wrong with that guy? You know, if you're standing up talking to someone and someone pops into the incoming pew into the conversation and doesn't even make eye contact, say hello, don't be that guy.
Everybody is worth greeting, except Saul. That's the only one. Anyway. They are bought and paid for They're not led by a sense of conscience, of You know, we love this guy, Saul. He's right for us.
The men that came to David, they are Certainly will come to love David very much. You know, David will just say, Man, I would love a drink from the well of Jerusalem, and men will risk their lives to get him that kind of just amazing character, this man David. Verse 8, All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse. And there is no one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me. to lie in wait as it is this day.
David had an opportunity to kill Saul, and he will have more, and he won't take it. But that doesn't matter 'cause this man is so demonically charged Insecurity is not something to ignore. If you find yourself insecure about somebody else, Start checking it because it can get out of hand. How great a fire. or how great a forest a little fire can kindle.
And this small fire turns out to be ablaze. This man insane with self-absorption and paranoia. Listen to his language. All of you have conspired against me. There is no one who reveals to me My son.
Not one of you is sorry for me. I said, what a chump. I was like, I can't listen to you. You're a king. Is this regal language?
What is me, me, me, my, me, my. Hi, Saul. Who do you love? I love me, myself, and I, and no one else. He continues, or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me.
I'm still reading, I'm not adding or repeating. Just check the pronouns in verse 8. That goes back to verse 6. We talked about his spear of paranoia. What is he so insecure about?
Self being knocked off the higher hill.
So man would never be satisfied. If he could kill David, he'd find somebody else to hate.
Well, anyway. Uh truly he thought everything and everyone existed for his benefit or weren't worth his attention. And from time to time in life, we come across a soul. Thank you that we don't come across them too often, but we do come across these types of people. They're pitiful, they're controlling, they're harmful.
These characteristics belong to Saul and they belong to some folks we come along the way in life with. And yet, there are others who are unwilling to admit that these people exist. Wicked little snakes using God's name to slither. Paul had to deal with it. Of whom are Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan.
That they may learn not to blaspheme. That's pretty intense. Here's a man of God supposed to have given his life to leading people away from Satan. I'm sending you to Satan because that's your daddy and you like it over there.
So go there. Try that. Maybe, maybe you will recognize. You made wrong choices and repent. That's the spirit that Paul is writing that.
Can you imagine the church when they got that letter and they heard that and they knew who these people were, Haumenius and Alexander? They were, ooh. Apostle Paul is pretty upset with these guys. He writes again in 2 Timothy 4: Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.
In other words, there are people like this. What happens if they're family? There's still people like this. You can't give them a God pass. You may have to change how you w handle them situations.
But you can't ignore it. And then the greater question is. Or Dangers that we would ever become like this. We can. We have all the codes built within us to be just as monstrous as anybody else.
But we don't have to be that way at all. We can go the other way. We have also held the codes to be Christ-like. At least it to go after him, to go after being Christ-like. I will be satisfied when I awaken his likeness.
That's what David said. Th he's there now. Oh, no, we're here, still waiting. All right, let's move on. Verse 9.
Then answered Doag, change the music now. It means dog. I think these, I really think some of these names were given by the writers. The guy's name was probably something like Arnold or something. And he just, the writer just didn't like him so much.
I'm not calling him, I'm not going to honor him any name. He's a dog. Nabal. I mean, did really did the parents name him fool? Maybe, maybe they could tell, you know, he looks stupid.
And I don't know. But I have a suspicion because we catch these Jewish writers in certain areas to throw these zingers in. You know Ezekiel, what did he call them? I don't even want to say it. When he calls the idol worshippers, He's using a language that is very, very crass.
So Yeah, dough egg.
Now he's in the picture. Verse 9. Then answered Doag the Edomite. who is set over the servants of Saul and said I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob. and Abimelech, The son of A high tub.
Now a high tub's not a plumbing fixture. It's the guy's name. Uh anyway Doeg is as evil as Saul. Again, Saul is not the only evil person. He's just the one we have a lot of information about.
David wrote about this moment. He wrote a whole psalm about this moment. Dough egg. Not this moment, but the whole how it played out. Verse.
Psalm 52, verse 7, David writes. Here is the man who did not make God his strength. That was his choice. But trusted in the abundance of his riches. And strengthened himself in his wickedness.
In other words, Doag was on Saul's payroll. did what Saul wanted, 'cause he wanted the money. He was disinterested in God's rewards. He wanted to feast in this life on whatever he could get from this life, regardless of how wicked it was. But Donan, again.
Choices. Here is the man. Who did not make God his strength? And who is Doeg going to blame for that? He's probably started out as a prisoner of war or a defector.
from his the Edomites, and he ends up in Saul's employ, and Saul likes the man enough to make him to put him over, give him a tremendous amount of authority, give him troops. Because when they go to slaughtering the priest, it's Doag and his men. Not the Jewish men. Verse 10. And he inquired of Yahweh for him.
Now, Doag is saying, Hey, I saw David go to the priest. He went to the church and he asked about God. That's what he is telling Saul. Ooh, that's so bad. And he inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
You're acting like, yeah, I don't like the Philistines either, Saul. I'm with you. It's you and me, Saul, just you and me. That David. This Godly man seeks God means nothing to Saul.
That just turn Saul against the man of God for being available to be sought. It's not what Doag says about Abimelech. that dooms the priest. It's what he did not say. That's what dooms.
What he leaves out, you know, you go to court, you should tell the truth. the whole truth, to keep it in context. What he leaves out is that David lied to the priest. David said, I'm on a mission for the king. But he doesn't tell that story.
Not that it would have made too much difference, because Saul was just bloodthirsty at this point. And so, like Satan, he tells the truth, but not the whole truth. He needs the truth to make his lie work. He needs parts of the truth. And so David, yeah, David lied to save his own life in a moment of desperation.
Doe egg is sinister. And this important fact Uh seal the doom. Uh the priest by hiding it. Yeah. Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross Reference Radio.
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