In other words, David didn't dodge one spear, but two. It's all through two different occasions. A spear David, or it could mean that he missed the first time and grabbed another spear.
I mean, you duck once, how do you come back? See, here's the downward digression of a man who's eaten alive with envy. I think it's well said by Francis Bacon that envy is the worst of all passions because it never gives you a hullabaloo. It begins with hurt, which leads to hate, which leads to hostility, which can lead to harm. King Saul was a troubled man.
He did everything he could to run from God. One of the ways that he tried to drown out his problems was by having David play music for him. In fact, many of Saul's problems had a direct impact on David. David needed to respond carefully and wisely to Saul. Have you ever been in a situation where someone else's actions were impacting your life?
This is wisdom for the heart, and today Stephen Davey has a message for you called, Behaving Wisely. The Celtic religions believe their goddess created this. The Romans believe their goddess Minerva created it for several thousand years. Hindus have believed that their goddess Saraswati created it. The Greeks believed it came from Zeus. For generations, not only has mankind struggled with the idea of the origin of the human race, of course for those who follow the scriptures it's answered, but along with everything else they struggled with what human beings are observably capable of doing, acting, thinking. In a word, wisdom. Where did wisdom come from?
Where did the ability that is uniquely human to rationally consider the past and the present and the future, the ability to constructively create civilizations with justice and equity and grace and law, the ability to apply knowledge with insight to relational, ethical, financial, moral, spiritual issues. The Greeks believed that Zeus found out his wife was expecting, he wasn't too happy about it, in fact he became so enraged he swallowed her whole, that's how you take care of it I suppose. And then somehow she remained alive and when it came time for her to deliver the baby girl, Zeus developed this intense headache and cured it by taking an ax and hitting himself in the head.
This makes a lot of sense, I know, but stay with me. Anyway, through that opening in his head, out walked, fully grown, developed Athena. Athena would be the goddess of wisdom coming from the head of Zeus, Athens would be named in her honor, in fact they would build the Parthenon in her honor. As most gods and goddesses of the pantheon of the Greek and Roman world, they would choose and be represented by an animal Athena chose and was represented by the owl as her sacred bird that gave rise to the popular belief that owls are wise birds. As superstition exists to this day, we talk about somebody being wiser than an owl.
In fact, I do a little study as I did, it's all there, Wikipedia.com, I get paid for this. A group of owls is not referred to as a flock of owls, but as a parliament. And that word of course is used for that gathering of what we would hope to be wise parliamentarians. According to the Bible that delivers to us the answer, wisdom comes from two sources. The word wisdom simply refers to applying the knowledge you have to your life and it can be positive or negative. It can be holy or it can be unholy.
Listen to what James says. He writes, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast. This is not the wisdom that comes from above, but this wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder at every vile practice. And then he contrasts vile wisdom with another kind. He said, but the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. I can't think of a better, more clearer, flesh and blood illustration that contrasts vile wisdom with pure, peaceable, holy, heavenly wisdom than 1 Samuel, chapter 18. So if you have your Bibles, go back there and let's pick it up where we left off with the biography of the singer of Israel, David. Now in this particular chapter, you're going to actually follow David's rise and the demonstration of godly wisdom and you're going to watch the digression of Saul and his demonstration of earthly wisdom. And what we're going to do as we go through the chapters, we're going to ask and answer the question, what does it mean to walk with wisdom? That word wisdom appears several times. It's never translated wisdom in my text.
It may be in yours. It's translated successful or success. But it has to do with behaving wisely. And it's going to appear several times. In fact, as we go through this chapter rather quickly, we're going to answer the question by showing three defining characteristics of heavenly or pure wisdom. And let me define it by giving you the first of three now and then eventually we'll get to the text.
Walking wisely means, first of all, responding to promotion with humility. Now let me set the stage. As you arrive at chapter 18, David has just gained instant popularity. He's killed the giant. He is, one author wrote, an overnight celebrity. He's the young giant killer and his head must have been swimming. I mean, think about it.
He left his father's little flock of sheep to take some cheese to his brothers. And 48 hours later, he's the giant killer. How's that for a change in life?
It's like winning American Idol, The X Factor, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. I'm not sure if that's even on anymore, but you get the point. And Jeopardy.
All at the same time. In fact, if he were living today, he would be a guest on Duck Dynasty. He'd be wearing camo and he'd be teaching those guys how to use a slingshot, you know, to hunt. Truth is, everybody has David's name on their lips. He has launched into the stratospheric realm where he was a nobody and now he's a national hero. I agree with one author who wrote that very few people would be able to take all of this in stride. It would be easy to let all of this go to his head, but it didn't. All right, with that, let's begin at verse 1. As soon as David had finished speaking to Saul, answering his question about his family and clan, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. Jonathan loved him as his own soul. You might wonder, where was Jonathan when David went out to fight Goliath? We're not told, but from his reaction, it seems that Jonathan would have probably done it himself.
Not willing or wanting to embarrass his father, he didn't do it. Look at verse 3. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul and Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David and his armor and even his sword and his bow and his belt. This is symbolic of a number of things, but first and foremost, you grab the fact that there's a deep friendship that just takes off as well.
As David is being introduced to his father, Saul, this young man who without any training in war takes a slingshot, goes and marches against a giant and kills him, Jonathan is effectively saying, this is my kind of guy. This guy's soul is my soul. This guy's heart is my heart. It's character.
It's my desire to honor the God of Israel. By the way, the foundation for any friendship, any deep friendship is not compatibility or chemistry. It is shared character. It's shared vision. It's shared faith and trust in the living God. That's why you might not know much about the people that sit around but there is a kinship because you share Christ and this common life. You get on a plane and you're sitting next to somebody and you find out they're a believer and immediately there's a kinship. This is the foundation of their friendship, certainly faith and the living God.
By the way, I do need to address this just for a moment. There are those who would shamefully twist this text into something sexual, homosexual, because we're told that Jonathan loved David. For those who would hold that view, all they need to do is read the rest of this chapter, even in English. The same word for love is going to show up four times in this text, all from the same Hebrew verb. In fact, in verse 16, we're told that all Israel and Judah loved David.
There's nothing sexual in that verb. In verse 20 and also 28, we're told that Michael, the daughter of Saul, loved David and that's before they consummated their marriage. Back in verse 22, the verb shows up again where we read that all the servants of the king loved David.
I mean, the point is obvious, isn't it? Everybody loved David. Furthermore, this particular Hebrew verb for love, and there are several, this one has political overtones to it.
It's interesting to discover this in my research. You can use the word to talk about conspiring together in some alliance and that's the idea. You need to understand that when Jonathan took off his robe and gave it to David, when the servants of Saul and the daughter of Saul loved David, they are effectively transferring, even in a sense, prophetically or appreciately, their loyalty to this one who we know is the heir apparent. Later on in chapter 20, Saul is going to condemn Jonathan for as much as handing the kingdom over to David. He's going to say, Jonathan, you're out of your mind. It's because of his love.
It has political overtones to it. In fact, what we really ought to be doing is we ought to be sort of amazed that Jonathan, his humility, if anybody ought to be given a cold shoulder to David, it's Jonathan. If anybody ought to be threatened with somebody else that might take the throne, it would be Jonathan and that he isn't in any way intimidated. He loves the heart of David in his faith. I have an old book in my library well out of print by a Puritan author by the name of Blakey who commented on this moment when these two young men are introduced and he says this, no shadow of jealousy darkens Jonathan's brow. Self seekers and self-pleasers look at him and be ashamed. Never were hands more cordially grasped.
Never were congratulations more warmly shared. Verse 5, David went out, and here it is again, and was successful wherever Saul sent him. That is from this Hebrew verb sahel. It's often translated, in fact, in the Old Testament, wisdom or wise. It simply is saying this. Samuel is telling us that David walked wisely.
Success I think is an unfortunate translation because success has nothing to do with money or promotion or prestige or family or connections. It has to do with walking with wisdom, and that's what David was doing. In fact, the same word will show up again in verse 14. David behaved wisely, you can render it, in all his undertakings for the Lord was with him. So what does Saul do with a wise, prudent, young man who has exercised such faith in the living God?
I know what you do. You promote that kind of guy. And so David, verse 5, tells us is promoted by Saul, he is set over the men of war.
That's amazing to me. And David had that and he practiced swinging a sword, but now he's the general. He would be certainly second in command to Abner.
He just kind of soars to the top of the heap, and everybody is okay with that, even all the soldiers as we see. And nowhere in this chapter do you find David admiring his own reflection. Nowhere in these early days does he send a message home to his brothers, especially Eliab. You remember Eliab who told David when he came out with the cheese, what are you doing out here?
You just want to be a hot shot. Go back to those few sheep. I mean, can't you see David sending a postcard from the palace back to Eliab? And one message, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, whatever that is in Hebrew. Look at me now. Your little brother. None of that. Listen, walking wisely means you are able to discern what moment is the perfect time to keep your mouth shut.
Problem is everybody else is talking. Look at verse 6. As they're coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.
They're coming back. Could even be a later campaign. The Philistine could be a general usage of one more campaign against the Philistine.
But this is common in ancient times. Victory celebrations normally led by the women who meet the returning troops with dancing, singing. The singing, the Hebrew text informs us it's antiphonal. That is, a group of women would sing one thing and another group would sing back to them. You'll see how the lyrics are shared between them in just a minute. But according to historians, you also need to understand that when it says they're out there dancing, they're not doing some random shuffle. This isn't some unrehearsed two-step twirl or whatever.
This is actually very well organized. In fact, you need to think in your minds of a parade. And they're dancing the war dance, the victory war dance of Israel, details which have not survived the centuries.
We're only told they're doing it. But typical of every culture, there are symbolic, culturally rich songs and dances that kind of embody the heart and the soul of that nation. In our western world, we've dropped the choreographed dance and we have the national anthem. And that alone stirs our hearts whenever we hear it sung or we sing along. By the way, as a side note, and I've got to be really quick about this, this was the issue in Judges 16 where the Philistines had captured Samson, put out his eyes. He had given away his secret to Delilah. They had him now captured. The King James translates it that they brought him out when they were celebrating this banquet and this temple supported by these columns.
The ESV says they brought him out to entertain them. King James translates it to make sport. It's the same verb found here in 1 Samuel 18. What they did effectively was they brought Samson out into the courtyard near supporting pillars and then made him to mock him, dance the victory dance of Israel and sing the national anthem of this nation that had been defeated and more importantly, the God that had been defeated. So they make this man dance and sing their victory dance and song and they kind of revel in the fact that he's been and his nation and his God defeated and they laugh and they jeer until Samson, of course, brings the house down. God is not vindicating Samson's sinful stupidity. God is effectively judging the Philistines' utter blasphemy. Now back to Samuel, you have this victory parade, the victory dance and the chant and it's going back and forth and they have some lyrics that they've added and these are the lyrics given to us. Here's what they're singing. Verse 8, Saul has struck down his thousands, David his ten thousands.
They go back and forth. Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousands. Talk about raining on Saul's parade.
That did it. Verse 8, and Saul was very angry and this saying, these lyrics displeased him and he said to himself, by the way, they have ascribed to David ten thousands and to me they have ascribed thousands and what more can he have, here's the issue, but the kingdom. And Saul eyed David from that day on. Now whether or not David picked up on the suspicion of Saul, we're not told and I would doubt it because of the way the chapter bears out at least until near the end of the chapter. But what we do know from this chapter is that David isn't saying anything. He's not poking Saul in the eye. He's not going around the palace humming the new lyrics to this song. I love that new chorus. Let me sing it for you.
None of that. Behaving wisely means responding to promotion with humility. Secondly, behaving wisely means tolerating the weaknesses of others with grace. Let me show you what I mean. Verse 10, the next day an evil or harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre as he did day by day or whenever he was called upon.
Let's stop for a moment because this needs a better understanding. God isn't doing evil. He doesn't. Nor does he tempt evil.
He's not worked out a deal with some demon. The word spirit, it might help you to write on the margin of your Bible, can be translated breath, breath. This is the breath of God. The question is, it says evil or harmful. I think it's a better translation. It could be translated unpleasant.
You could actually translate it as well, miserable. In fact, the words rushed upon Saul or fell upon Saul is from a word that means to literally overwhelm. He's overwhelmed by this miserable breath from God. What does that sound like? It sounds like conviction to me.
That's exactly what it is. In fact, Job will use the same verb to talk about his despair and it will be translated terrified. What's happening to Saul is a deep, despairing, terrifying, miserable, depressing conviction over his sin. Not to mention the crumbling of his self-made plans and his self-made kingdom and his self-made throne and the promise of Samuel where he's been told it won't be your dynasty. Your throne is going to go to your neighbor.
He just didn't name them. Now he's contending with the rise of this young man who may very well be the man to take his place. Did you notice we're told this takes place the day after the parade with this new song ringing in his ears, tearing away at his pride, the convicting work of God in his heart because he refuses to repent. It's eating him alive.
That's what's happening. So what do you do when you try to silence a guilty conscience? What do you do when you refuse to repent? I'll tell you what you don't do. You don't get along where it's quiet. You turn up the music. You get distracted. You don't want to drive to work in silence. You don't want to think. The moment it's quiet around you, it becomes even more miserable.
So find something to distract you, to forget, to help you forget, and just about anything will do. I'll never forget hearing Howard Hendricks in class talk about his neighbor who owned a boat. He spent every spare minute on that boat. He would spend his day off waxing and waxing and polishing his boat. And then he would come over to Hendricks. He came over to him one time and he said, I've got 37 coats of wax on my boat.
Hendricks would look at us and say, you know, I never disparaged him. In fact, I didn't even say anything negative to him because I knew that my neighbor's boat was his only form of anesthesia to deaden the pain of an empty life. I had to find something to distract me.
It might not be bad in and of itself. Nothing wrong with a boat. If you feel convicted and want to give it to me, great. See me after the service. All right. That's not the point. The point is we've got to do something with our hands. We've got to turn up the music. We've got to get distracted. We've got to be entertained.
We've got to do something because we cannot be quiet under the breath of a convicting God. So where is that musician? Only now he recognizes him. Verse 10, while he's raving in his house, David's playing.
The lyre, it's a small hand held harp, the forerunner of a guitar. Saul had his spear in his hand and Saul hurled the spear for he thought, I will pin David to the wall. David evaded him.
This is the most shocking word of all. Twice. Twice. In other words, David didn't dodge one spear, but two. More than likely this phrase summarizes the fact that Saul threw it two different occasions, two different times, a spear David, or it could mean that he missed the first time and grabbed another spear.
I mean, you duck once, how do you come back? Later Saul will throw a spear at his own son, Jonathan. So here's the downward digression of a man who's eaten alive with envy. I think it's well said by Francis Bacon that envy is the worst of all passions because it never gives you a holiday. It begins with hurt. You're hurt, which leads to hate, which leads to hostility, which can lead to harm.
Hurt, hate, hostility, and harm. But again, no word from David, no angry retaliation. David doesn't whistle that lyre back at Saul's head.
I don't know what he does. Ducks. And by the way, what do you do when somebody throws a spear at you?
Duck. And then second of all, and more importantly, don't pick it up and throw it back. Because when you do, you lose. You join them in that digression.
There are plenty of people out there that are skilled at spear throwing. Don't learn that art. Don't join them in that downward spiral.
It will never give you a day off. Don't rush to the wrong interpretation here. I think David is unaware of Saul's true intention. And I think the chapter bears it out, which is why I principle as the second observation in the way I did. Evidently in the minds of the people in the court and in David's own mind. This spear throwing is categorized as, well, Saul's raving again.
We don't know what brings it on, but maybe it's a dark mood or maybe it's the pressure or maybe he can't help it. He doesn't really mean anything by it. Like one author said that everyone at this point in time would have believed that King Saul was dangerous but not malicious. Again, we're the ones that are let in on the inside scoop. We know what's happening.
They don't. And you just think that Saul is overwhelmed by something he can't control. He's overwhelmed by some dangerous, some difficult, some depressing episode. But what this means then, especially for David to get back on that little stool within spear reach is that David is making allowances for Saul as well, even though he's the one used for target practice. David, I think if he were a part of our assembly or if he were in your family or where you work, he would probably be the kind of person who is insulted and then he says, they really didn't mean it. You know, there's something else going on.
I'm sure they didn't intend that. Giving the benefit of the doubt, which by the way is an evidence of true love. This is not naivety. This is the oil of relationships. This is what salves relationships. David is a great example to us of how we can best respond. This is wisdom for the heart. Stephen Davey is calling this lesson behaving wisely.
It's from his series on the life of David called the singer. This message is not complete. We're going to bring you the conclusion on Monday. In the meantime, we'd like to hear from you. You can send us a note if you address it to wisdom international P O box three seven two nine seven Raleigh, North Carolina two seven six two seven. Please consider a year end gift to our ministry when you write. Have a great weekend and then join us back here on Monday here on wisdom for the heart. Thank you.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-07-03 04:08:21 / 2023-07-03 04:18:14 / 10