1 Samuel 18 - Enjoying God's presence

Here are the notes and questions we discussed from 1 Samuel 18 in last night's LightHouse on 1 Samuel 18.

Who is your favourite Bible character and why?

What, if anything, marks out friendship between disciples as opposed to other friendships?

I wonder if you spotted the repeated words and phrases as we read through the chapter together. There are lots of people who love David, there is Saul’s fear of David, David’s success, and God’s presence with David.

It is through the repeated words and phrases that the author of 1 Samuel brings our attention to the big lesson he has for Israel and for us to learn. Behind all Saul’s plotting and scheming and military, political and marital traps we see that he is not fighting against David. But he is opposing God himself, that is who he is fighting against and that is why he cannot win. But before we get there the writer sets up a deliberate contrast between Saul’s reaction to David and Jonathan’s reaction to David.

Seeking God’s Kingdom costs (1-5)
We all have favourite Bible characters, yet relatively few of us would name Jonathan as one of them, and if we do we often think of him as Saul’s son. But Jonathan is one of the quiet heroes of faith in the Bible. His actions stand throughout in contrast to Saul’s; he loves God and takes God at his word living by faith and wanting Israel to do likewise. His actions are godly throughout.

And here what strikes you is that David is as big a threat to Jonathan as he is to Saul. Jonathan is the heir to the throne of Israel, Jonathan has previously been the hero and darling of the Israelite army and people and now David threatens all that. It is not that Jonathan doesn’t know what is going on, he does as we will see but here in his welcome love and recognition of David we see Jonathan’s humble faith in God. A faith that makes him willing to become lesser so God’s anointed is exalted and rules.

Jonathan recognises in David a kindred spirit; both are young warriors who have guts and faith to lead men into battle against the odds, both love God and act and live by faith, both contend for God’s people. They share the same passions and loves, and are of one mind and so Jonathan makes a covenant with David and gives him phenomenally significant gifts.

What is it that Jonathan gives David? His robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt. That act is incredibly significant. He takes off the clothing of a prince and the apparel of the heir to the throne and the kingdom and gives them to David. Jonathan’s faith is such that he doesn’t see David as a threat he recognises him as God’s anointed, he is prepared to give up his throne, his rule, his kingdom for David because he recognises him as God’s anointed. Jonathan trusts God even when it is costly to himself, laying aside his rights for God’s king and his kingdom.

Jonathan stands as a model of one who accepts God’s king and kingdom even at cost to himself. He is not concerned about his prestige, his standing, what it will cost him. One who is prepared to become lesser so that God’s kingdom comes, so that God’s king rules. It is another pattern we see in the kingdom; John the Baptist who when asked (John 3:38-30)about Jesus ministry which is drawing more followers says this “You yourselves can testify that I said, “I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.” He must become greater; I must become less.” In fact John says there is joy in that.

Or Paul who says the priority is that Christ is preached not that he does the preaching, that he can rejoice in that.

That is the humble attitude of the kingdom, it is counter cultural. We naturally want to be made much of, to be recognised, to have our place. The gospel calls us to seek first the kingdom. It calls us to not pursue significance in world terms, but to serve Christ’s kingdom. To become lesser – and Jonathan and we are enabled to do that when we understand that we are loved by God and called to place our role in his kingdom.

Jonathan seeks first God’s kingdom and that means he can become lesser because his focus is on the kingdom not his prestige, his honour and fame. What about us, how does God call us to be lesser? Is it in pursuing the call of motherhood over career? Is it in turning down the chance of a promotion to ensure we can still serve in church? Is it in turning down a bigger church ministry to labour in a small but gospel needy church? Is it in ministry to the marginalised rather than the big and spectacular?

Opposing God’s anointed is opposing God and it is pointlessThe contrast between Saul and Jonathan couldn’t be more stark.  Saul cuts an increasingly isolated figure as the chapter goes on. Everyone else loves David – Jonathan(1), the troops and officers(5), the people(16), Saul’s Daughter(20). Saul alone is against David because he alone sees David as a threat. (8)“What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that day on Saul kept a close eye on David.”

And so begins the battle, which looks - at least on the surface - like a battle between Saul and David as he tries first of all to pin him to the wall(11), then sets him up as a military commander trusting that the law of averages will see the Philistines kill him(13), and then scheming to set up a two-fold threat through Michal. The first threat is the task he sets David, **what is it? He must kill 100 Philistines and cut off their foreskins.

The second is Michal herself, notice what Saul says in(21), he uses her as a **what? “snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines might be against him.” It is a two stage trap, step one is the task of the foreskins but the second is a spiritual trap. That word is significant and is used elsewhere to warn of the danger of idolatry. Turn to Exodus 23:33 “Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their God’s will be a snare to you.” That same phrase is used to describe idolatry in Exodus 34:12, and Deuteronomy 7:16. And if you look over to 19v13 what does Michal hide in the bed; an idol.

Yet for every trap which Saul sets David doesn’t just avoid it he positive triumphs through it, he succeeds becoming ever more popular, more loved, and even more suited to being Israel’s king. He eludes the spear not once but twice, he leads the troops so successfully that they and the people love David for his military successes, he gathers not 100 foreskins but 200 without injury, and even Michals’ idolatry will be used to successfully protect David from Saul in the next chapter. By the end of the chapter David is clothed in the apparel of an heir, is a loved military commander, and is married to Saul’s daughter.

Everything Saul does to bring David down, to end the threat, leads to David being more loved, more in line to the throne, and more the kind of King Israel needed.

But the author leaves us in no doubt that this is not because David is clever, or cunning, or tactically brilliant. It is because Yahweh is with him, he is God’s anointed and God will keep his word and establish his kingdom. Saul is not just trying to eliminate a pretender to the throne he is trying to kill God’s anointed king.

And(12) it is deliberate “Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.” Saul knows God is with David and yet he still keeps fighting, plotting, planning. He thinks he can defeat God’s plans, purposes, and promises. But at every step God shows that he is sovereign, that he will build his kingdom and opposition is pointless.

It is a theme which David picks up in Psalm 2. Turn to it.

Jonathan kisses the son, he recognises God’s anointed and relates rightly to him, not rebelling against him but joyfully serving him. Saul opposes God and experiences the futility of trying to defeat God’s plans and purposes. What an encouragement for Israel as they read this chapter, God reign and rules, his plans and promises will not be derailed or defeated, his kingdom will not fail. No matter what plots or plans man hatches, what schemes he creates God’s anointed will reign and God’s kingdom will come.

That is not just the message of 1 Samuel 18, it is the message of the Bible, as Jesus goes to the cross what looks like defeat is a glorious victory, God’s king will be anointed and reign and his kingdom will come. In Acts 4 as the early church is threatened they pray for boldness because God’s kingdom will come, his King rules now. And in Revelation John is given this great message which looks at the history of the world, all its opposition to God and his king Jesus and his kingdom and concludes ‘The Lamb Wins’.

That is the perspective we need to have. We need to expect opposition to God’s king and his kingdom, we mustn’t be naive about that. And notice here David is not immune from difficulty, threat and struggle. He doesn’t live his life inside a little protective God bubble. He has spears thrown at him, he has to go into battle, he is sinned against and plotted against, and persecuted and he feels all those things as we’ll see in his conversation with Jonathan in the next chapter. The threat is very real, but God protects because he will build his kingdom.

Jesus doesn’t call us to a sanitised life of safety and security with never a worry or a care. He calls us to be soldiers in the advance of the kingdom which will be opposed and fought against but which will not fail because he builds it.

That ought to give us boldness, we are called to be part of God building his eternal kingdom and his purposes will not fail. It ought to lead us to boldness in prayer and a faithfulness in our living.

How and where might God be calling you as an individual to become lesser? What will stop us doing so?

Where might God be calling us as a church to become lesser as we pursue his kingdom first and foremost?

What encouragement is there here for us as we struggle with viewing church as significant and when we face struggles and opposition both corporately and individually?