David

A wonderful life

After David spared Saul’s life a second time, he said, “The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness” (1 Samuel 26:23). The terms righteousness and faithfulness were central to the covenant that God established with Abraham. A key scripture that should be familiar to all Christians is Genesis 15:6 where it says of Abraham, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

The righteousness that was counted to Abraham because he believed in the LORD is the same righteousness that David said will be rendered to every man. The word translated believed, ’âman (aw – man´) indicates that Abraham “came to experience a personal relationship to God rather than an impersonal relationship with his promises” (539). The easiest way to explain this type of believing is with the example of a baby being fed by his mother. The baby does not know what his mother is feeding him, he eats because he is hungry. He trusts that what he is eating is good for him because he senses that his mother loves him and is taking care of his needs.

Righteousness “is a legal term which involves the whole process of justice. In its causative pattern the meaning of the verb brings out more clearly the sense of a judicial pronouncement of innocence” (6663). David uses the word righteousness together with the word faithfulness because he knows that he will be held accountable for his actions according to what he knows the LORD has asked him to do. Abraham’s faith was put into action when he obeyed the LORD and left his home in Haran for a land that he had never been to. David refused to kill Saul because he knew that it was a sin, “for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?” (1 Samuel 26:9).

The word translated render in 1 Samuel 26:23, shûwb (shoob) means to turn back (7725). Shuwb is also translated as restored and recover. One of the ways to look at render is in the context of something that has been lost or stolen. The LORD says in Joel 2:25, “I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten.” He didn’t say he would restore the crop that the locust had eaten, he says the years because he is referring to the time and effort that was spent producing the crop. It is not the result he is concerned with, it is the investment, what was done by faith and with trust in the LORD.

When I became a Christian, I believed I was going to have a better life. All the pain and suffering I had gone through up to that point made me want something different. I believed I was going to get a new life, one that would be filled with love and happiness. I trusted that if I lived like God wanted me to, I would eventually get the life I was hoping for. Although I know I haven’t yet received all that God has planned for me, I can say with confidence that the LORD has restored all that was taken from me and given me a wonderful life.

In God we trust

Trust is very closely tied to expectations. As we get to know people, we develop expectations of them. Expectations are not just things we make up, they are based on experience and have logical reasoning behind them. Although expectations are often associated with circumstances, the main reason we think certain things will happen is because someone has caused them to happen and expectations help us to prepare for what that person is going to do.

The primary person we develop expectations of is God. Even people that do not believe in God still have a concept of God and therefore, have some expectation of what he will do. I think most people that do not believe in God believe he punishes people for doing bad things, and because everyone does bad things, they expect him to punish them. The choose not to believe in him to avoid punishment.

On the other hand, I think most people that say they trust God believe he rewards people for doing good things. They choose to trust him because they expect to get a reward someday. I don’t think it is possible to trust anyone unless you have some positive expectation of him or her.

David said in Psalm 56:3-4, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee, in God I will I praise his word, in God have I put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” David knew from experience that when he was in a scary situation, God was with him. David developed an expectation of being delivered from dangerous situations because he had been delivered from dangerous situations in the past. Over time, David began to trust that God would always be with him and would deliver him from every danger that threatened his life.

The reason David recorded his personal experiences with God is because he knew that what was true for him was true for every Believer. God did not take care of David any differently after he was anointed to be king than when he was a shepherd tending his father’s flock. David learned that if he needed help, all he had to do was call out to God and he would take care of it.

When I cry unto thee, then shall my enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. (Psalm 56:9)

When

God’s perspective

When David fled from Saul he was completely unprepared and initially made mistakes in his decision making. In spite of his youth and inexperience in dealing with adversity, David managed to safely escape and established a small army to handle the threat to his life.

In the psalms that David wrote during this period of his life, are what could be called his secrets to success. Many of David’s psalms open in a similar way to Psalm 34 in which David says, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1). Many people might think that praise is something you are to do when you are happy to thank the LORD for his blessings, but praise can simply mean singing a song to the LORD.

When I was younger, I used to sing along to the songs I heard on the radio. I’ve noticed lately that I don’t sing very much. I have to make a conscious effort to let the words flow out of my mouth. David’s declaration that “his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1) was a commitment to sing to the LORD even when he didn’t feel like it because things were not always going to go David’s way.

The harsh cold reality of what Saul was capable of became evident to David when he found out that Saul was responsible for the slaughter of 85 priests because Ahimelech had assisted David in escaping. I’m sure David felt that Saul was out of control and there was no telling what he would do to capture and kill him. The hope that David held on to was that even if Saul killed him, David would go to Heaven and be with the LORD. Therefore, David said, “I will praise thee for ever” (Psalm 52:9).

The word we use today to talk about eternity, forever is a compound word that has taken away some of the meaning of what the words for and ever were originally intended to describe. Looking at the word ever from both the Hebrew and Greek perspective, it is clear that it is not intended to describe eternity from a time perspective, but to differentiate between time and no time or being in a state where time exists and a state where time does not exist.

A characteristic of being human is that we are aware of time. Because we are aware of time, we use it to control our behavior and to predict when certain things will happen. One of the most difficult aspects of letting God control my life is I don’t know when things are going to happen. When I pray for God to do something, if it is his will, I have the assurance that he will do what I have asked him to, but I have no idea when he will do it.

When we are with the LORD, whether it is walking with him in this world or being with him in Heaven, time does not exist. We enter into a state of timelessness and live in the moment, meaning that we are no longer controlled by time. David’s statement in Psalm 52:9, “I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it.” is spoken out of time. Another way of saying it is , I know you are going to take care of this LORD, and from your perspective it is already completed, so I am going to praise you in this moment as a way of seeing things from your perspective.

I love you LORD

The hardest thing to do when you are in the middle of a trial is to believe everything will work out, that eventually the trial will be over and life will return to normal. In one sense, life does not return to normal because trials usually bring about change, either in the individual that is going through it or in the life of that person.

The trials that David experienced before he became king were transformational. As Christians, we know that there is an intentional effort on God’s part to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. I believe the same is true of David. That is why David is such a good role model, someone that most Christians can relate to.

Some of the key problems that David had are the same problems that everyone has. In the psalms that David wrote, he shared his best and worst moments and did what no one else dared to; he admitted his failures and gave God the glory for all his victories.

The one thing that resonates throughout all of David’s psalms is his love relationship with the LORD. It is clear that David knew the LORD intimately and loved him more than anyone else.

What did I do to deserve this?

A woman that is truly a victim knows she has not done anything to deserve the mistreatment she gets from an offender. Many times a guilty conscience can cause doubt as to whether something was deserved or not. The second time I was raped, I did not feel I was a victim, but was getting the punishment I deserved for a previous wrong action. It almost felt good to be punished because it took away the guilt, but it made it difficult for me to feel anger toward the man that raped me and at that time, I was not sure if I wanted or should escape from what was happening to me.

Somewhere in between I know I don’t deserve this and this is all my fault is the question that never seems to get answered, what did I do to deserve this? David had a fail proof system for clarifying whether or not he deserved the treatment he was getting from king Saul and his army. David said in Psalm 7:8-9, “The LORD shall judge the people: Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.”

Basically, what David was saying was LORD, you be the judge. David knew it was pointless to judge himself, so he would turn every situation over to the LORD to work out according to his knowledge of David’s character and motives. The advantage to letting the LORD be the judge is that David did not ever live with guilt. He trusted that God was fair and just in dealing with his children and would not allow the wicked to triumph over the righteous. With regard to the wicked, David believed “His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own pate” (Psalm 7:16).

The moment of truth

Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah…And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering a town that hath gates and bars. (1 Samuel 23:2, 7)

The moment of truth in every Christians’ life comes when we put our trust in the LORD and he delivers us into the hand of our enemy. For most people, this kind of crisis is more than they can handle, but the seasoned Christian that is used to handling adversity will walk away with a renewed resolve to press on and finish the race they have been called to run.

Paul expresses it perfectly when he writes from prison “But I would have ye understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel” (Phil 1:12). Paul goes on in his letter to the Philippians to explain why we must press on when things turn out as we expect them to. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13-14).

The word translated mark, skopos means to watch as in a sentry or scout (4649). After David saved the inhabitants of Keilah,, he kept seeking the LORD for guidance because he “knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him” (1 Samuel 23:9). It was revealed to David that Saul was on his way to Keilah and the People of Keilah would deliver him into the hand of Saul, so David and his men fled from the city and once again escaped Saul’s army.

Whose side are you on?

Spiritual warfare is a constant activity that is rarely detected by the average Christian. It’s signs are subtle. In order to detect its existence, one must pay attention to things like fear, anger, and irrational behavior. One way to know for sure you are under attack is that you want to run, to get away from whatever circumstances are causing the attack.

“And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath” (1 Samuel 21:10). The problem with running when you come under spiritual attack is that you can’t see the real enemy, Satan, and will likely end up in a worst circumstance than the one you started with.

And the servants of Achish said unto him, is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. (1 Samuel 21:11-12).

In order to escape Achish, David changed his behavior “and feigned himself mad in their hands” (1 Samuel 21:13). David’s reputation as a valiant warrior was something he should have been proud of and yet when he found himself in a situation where he was alone and at the mercy of his enemy, he decided to trash his reputation and make himself out to be a crazy person. In one sense, it may seem as if David was being shrewd and that his ability to disguise himself as a madman was a great way to avoid being killed, but when you look at it from a spiritual perspective, David was running away from his responsibility and trying to avoid his calling to be king of Israel.

As a result of David’s action, the enemy, Satan gained ground and launched an all out attack on God’s consecrated servants by inciting king Saul to seek revenge on Ahimelech because he helped David escape. “And the king said to Doeg, Turn then, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear the linen ephod” (1 Samuel 22:18).

David learned the hard way that the consequences of his wrong actions did not always end up harming him, but doing damage to God’s kingdom. When he hears what has happened to the priests, he takes responsibility and acknowledges that he is being guarded by the LORD’s army.

And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house. Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. (1 Samuel 22:22-23)

God is on my side

The feeling that someone is trying to ruin your life can be unsettling because it is a personal attack. David not only knew that Saul wanted to kill him, he knew why Saul wanted to kill him. Saul was upset because people were crediting David with slaying ten thousands of Philistines while only crediting Saul with slaying thousands. (1 Samuel 18:7). In a moment of jealous rage, Saul proclaimed, “what can he have more but the kingdom” (1Samuel 18:8).

The psalms David wrote during the time period between when he was anointed to be king and when he fled from Saul indicate David believed God would protect him from Saul. The question that comes to mind then is why did David run? Saul had set his mind on getting rid of David and was determined to hold on to his kingdom. By leaving, David made it clear that he did not intend to take the kingdom away from Saul. David was willing to let God handle it and was confident that God was able to bring about the conclusion he desired.

David’s description of the LORD reveals the intimacy he experienced in his personal relationship with Jehovah, the self-existent, eternal, creator of the universe.

The LORD is in his holy temple, The LORD’s throne is in heaven, His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men. (Psalm 11:4)

David believed the LORD could see everything that was going on and would justify his righteous servant.

Because of his faith in God, David was willing to wait to see what the outcome of his situation would be. David said, “Because of his strength will I wait upon him” (Psalm 59:9). The word translated wait, shâmar (shaw – mar´) means to hedge about or guard (8104). Shamar is also translated watchman, someone that is responsible for calling out when an attack is imminent. David was familiar with the role of the watchman and may have been referring to his anticipation of the LORD coming to his rescue. Waiting sometimes involves being on the look out for something that will change the situation. In David’s case, there was likely to be an attack from Saul and so David relied on God’s heavenly host to be a hedge of protection around him. David was waiting or watching for Saul so that he could call out for help and be rescued by God’s army.

The end

This blog is dedicated to my niece Stephanie who died of a drug overdose this past weekend. She was the victim of child sexual abuse and never recovered from her trauma.

It is hard to explain why Christians don’t always end up with a wonderful life, but there are at least two factors that can cause someone that has submitted his life to God to follow a pathway of self destruction. Everyone has a sin nature that is not changed when a person is transformed by the Holy Spirit and God will not force a person to obey him even if that person has been anointed for a particular job in God’s kingdom.

Saul’s life was derailed when he chose of his own free will to disobey God’s command. His position as king of Israel made him accountable for the destiny of the nation and therefore, God could not just let Saul go his own way. After he let Agag the king of the Amalekites live, God decided to replace Saul with a man whose heart was right toward him, a man who would seek to do God’s will instead of his own. David was a young shepherd when God called him to be king. His defeat of Goliath showed that he was willing to do anything to honor God before the enemies of Israel.

As a result of David’s success, Saul determined that he was a threat that needed to be eliminated. David was certain that Saul wanted to kill him, so he went to Jonathon, Saul’s son for help. David’s plea to Jonathon reveals the love between these two men and the anguish David felt that they could not be friends.

And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathon know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. (1 Samuel 20:3)

Jonathon’s love for David caused him to have to choose between his loyalty to his father and loyalty to David, the man he loved as his own soul (1 Samuel 18:1). After speaking to his father, “Jonathon knew that it was determined of his father to slay David” (1Samuel 20:33).

The word translated determined, kâlâh (kaw – law´) means to end (3615). In Saul’s case, kalah meant that he had made a firm decision. There was no way to change his mind. One of the ways the word kalah is used is to represent “coming to an end” or “the process of ending” (3615). When Saul decide to kill David, you could say it was the end or the process of ending his walk with the LORD. Saul had the potential to rule over Israel for ever, but his stubborn determination to go his own way ruined not only his future, but the future of his son Jonathon as well.

Made in God’s image

David was the sort of man that when he walked into a room, all eyes turned to him. For the most part, everyone loved David. He was admired and respected. Even Jonathon, king Saul’s son had an especially close attachment to David. When he found out his father planned to kill David, Jonathon interceded on David’s behalf and warned David about his father’s intentions.

It says in 1 Samuel 18:12 that “Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him.” The word translated afraid, yârê’ (yaw – ray´) means to stand in awe. Yare’ is not simple fear, but reverence, whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the individual revered and renders him proper respect” (3372). Yare’ is most often used to describe the fear a person has of God and represents having an appropriate attitude toward his authority.

One of the things about creation that is sometimes forgotten is that man was created in the image of God. After sin entered the world, the image of man became tarnished and his separation from God led to a diminishing of the spiritual aspect of his personality. I think David is an example of what happens to a man when his relationship with the LORD is restored and his spiritual growth takes precedence in his life.

Like Jesus, not everyone appreciated David’s spiritual superiority. Saul was jealous of David and could not help wanting to get him out of the way so that the people would continue to worship him instead of God. The difference between Saul and David was that Saul wanted fame and thrived on the special attention he got from being king. His desire to kill David was similar to that of the Pharisees who wanted to kill Jesus because he gave glory to God and acknowledged that what people saw in him was the goodness of God.