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order to kill him deliver me from my enemies oh my god defend me from those who rise up against me deliver me from the workers of iniquity and saved me from bloodthirsty men for look they lie and wait for my life the mighty gather against me not for my transgression nor for my sin oh Lord they run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine awake to help me and behold you therefore O Lord God of hosts the God of Israel awake to punish all the nations do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors say law that evening they return they growl like a dog and go all around the city indeed they belch with their mouths swords are in their lips for they say who hears but you O Lord shall laugh at them you shall have all the nations in derision I will wait for you oh you his strength for God is my defense my god of mercy shall come to meet me God shall let me see my desire on my enemies do not slay them less my people forget scatter them by your power and bring them down o Lord our shield with the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride and for the cursing and lying which they speak consume them in Wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth say law and that evening they return they growl like a dog and go all around the city they wander up and down for food and how if they are not satisfied but I will sing of your power yes I will sing aloud of your mercy in the morning for you have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble to you oh my strength I will sing praises for God is my defense my god of mercy amen will please turn with me in your Trinity hymnal to him number 218 him number two in 18 will sing the first tune please stand with me Oh Oh Oh you Oh please be seated let us pray or God in our Father it is a joy to come into the house of the Lord on this lord's day we come to praise and to worship and to glorify your most holy name the psalmist said from everlasting to everlasting you are God the scripture everywhere testifies you are the one who made this world and all things in it you are the God who and his Providence upholds all his creatures and all their actions God we come on the Lord's Day with the special reference to the reality of God as Redeemer we thank you Father for sovereign grace we thank you for election and for predestination we know as one brother has well said election doesn't find us in Christ but it places us in Christ and we rejoice in this reality we thank you Father for sending your son into this world sinners to save his death or his life as death and his resurrection is that by which we have justification and we thank you for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit that he takes the accomplishment of redemption and applies it to your people and causes us by grace to come to believe and to repent God certainly Father Son and Holy Spirit is to be praised for these wonderful works and as we sing and as we call upon you and as we hear from the Word of God may it be the case that we would take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ that we would worship you that we would love you with all of our heart soul mind and strength grant us help and aid by the Holy Spirit that we may indeed worship you in spirit and in truth and would you be pleased to be exalted as the psalmist said be enthroned upon the praises of your people here and father we ask that we would know the presence of that spirit that we would indeed call call upon you with earnestness and that we would give attention to Holy Scripture that we would be obedient to the things that you call us on to and father for any and all who have come here this morning that are outside of Christ we pray that today would be the day of salvation we pray the Holy Spirit would come to convict of sin to show how far short man that women boys and girls fall before a holy God and may that spirit shine the light upon the lord of glory even Jesus Christ even David's greater son we ask our Father that Christ would be proclaimed all over this earth today that the gospel would run swiftly that a multitude would turn from their useless idols to the true and living God we know and are convinced from Holy Scripture and by the work of the spirit in our own lives sin is a hard taskmaster Christ is most blessed Christ offers rest Christ offers peace and we pray that today sinners would hear and by grace respond to that blessed one we ask God in heaven that you would look with favor upon our children and the young people in this congregation we pray that you would surround them that you would provide a hedge of protection about them we live in a godless and a wicked wicked age we pray that they would know the presence and the power of God in their own lives that they would remember their Creator from their youth that they would call upon the Lord Jesus and they would know the joy of being found in him not having their own righteousness which is from the law that righteousness which is from you through faith in Christ the Lord we ask our father that you would look with favor upon each and every one here that you would cleanse us from our sins and our unrighteousness when we read the Decalogue when we read the law throughout scripture we do see how far short we come when we are told by Paul to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel we see how far short we come so we plead a fresh the merit and the mercy of the Lord Jesus we thank you that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared we thank you that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and we thank you Most High God that there is that fountain open for sin and unclean pneus plunges Neath that flood even now Lord God and cause us to lose all our guilty stains we ask that you would look with favor upon those in our midst that have illness that have physical issues and trials we prayed for several in the last hour we just commit them again into your gracious hand and into your care and mercy we know that you are the great physician and that you are sovereign over all of these things so we would ask Lord God that you would look with favor upon the suffering Saints that they would know the nearness of God as they're good on the Lord's Day that they would be refreshed in the inward man that they would built up and be built up and strengthened even though the outer man decays it Lord you would watch over your people in this congregation we ask our Father that you would look with favor upon churches throughout this land we live in days that the Isaiah the prophet Isaiah spoke of in his generation he said woe to those who call good evil and evil good we pray that you would revive your church we pray that you would cause your church to think your thoughts after you that we would see things according to Holy Scripture and that we would pray that we would act that we would conduct ourselves in this generation in a manner that is appropriate that we would be a faithful people shining as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and give us boldness and opportunity to hold forth the word of truth we pray for an outpouring of your Holy Spirit to awaken those who are dead in their trespasses and sins God we see all manner of lawlessness abounding in our country we see it to the south we see it throughout the earth does Jesus taught us to pray we ask that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven we pray for an end to abortion we pray that this wicked horrific practice would be criminalized in every country and in every place where it is practiced we pray God for a change of mind and heart concerning sodomy we know the gospel is powerful to save sinners so we pray that that gospel would go forth today and those who practice such things would be saved by grace through faith we pray these things would not be legislated or proved on in a public setting God we would pray in short that you would be merciful that you would cause your truth to abound and we pray that you would cause your name to be glorified throughout the earth and look with favor upon us now as we continue in our time of worship help us again to take note of the things that we are called to this morning we are to think your thoughts after you so help us father help us respond accordingly to praise you to worship you and to approach you with reverence and godly fear we ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me in your Trinity hymnal again to number five hundred hymn number 500 will stand as we sing together Oh Oh you may turn in your Bibles to 1st John chapter 5 for our scripture reading this morning first John chapter 5 beginning in verse 1 whoever believes that jesus is the christ is born of God and everyone who loves him who begot also loves him who is begotten of him by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments for this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his commandments are not burdensome for whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God this is he who came by water and blood Jesus Christ not only by water but by water in blood and it is the spirit who bears witness because the Spirit is truth for there are three that bear witness in heaven the father the word and the Holy Spirit and these three are one and there are three that bear witness on earth the spirit the water and the blood and these three agree as one if we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he has testified of his son he who believes in the son of God has the witness in himself he who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of his son and this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son he who has the son has life he who does not have the Son of God does not have life these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the son of God now this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him if anyone sees his brother sending a sin which does not lead to death he will ask and he will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death there is sin leading to death I do not say that he should pray about that all unrighteousness is sin and there is sin not leading to death we know that whoever is born of God does not sin but he who has been born of God keeps himself and the wicked one does not touch him we know that we are of God in the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know him who is true and we are in Him who is true in His Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life little children keep yourselves from idols amen well there are few things we ought to observe in this particular chapter in the first place if you notice in verse 2 by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments the book of 1st John is a wonderful book to go to to ask the question how do I know that saving faith is present saving faith looks like what John specifies in this particular book one aspect of saving faith of the the presence of saving faith moves the one with that faith to love God and to love brethren we ought to have a biblical understanding of what love looks like very often I think we take our cue from the world I can be overly sensitive and if someone doesn't smile at me I might suspect that they're not loving me well that's not how the Apostles deal with this doctrine of the love of God in Romans chapter 13 Paul the Apostle says to love one another when he specifies what love looks like he doesn't mention bringing flowers to people inviting them out for to your coffee he says don't murder them don't commit adultery with their spouses don't steal from them love is is concrete action in terms of God's holy law that is what the Bible says not what Hollywood dictates not what we might have in our preconceived ideas but we go to the law to the testimony to flesh this out certainly we can as an expression of those things bring flowers and take people out for tea and coffee there is a legitimacy to that to be sure but never conclude that the Brethren don't love you because the absence of those particulars and then notice what else John says that is very crucial to the life of God's people verse 34 this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his commandments are not burdensome I've always been shot by those theological approaches to the Word of God that try to minimize or even remove the law of God it seems to fly completely in the face of what John tells us in first John 53 his commandments are not burdensome the burden is in our own sinful hearts the burden is when we hear God tell us for instance remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy we Griffiths and we grumble and we complain and we think how unfair that I have to give up an entire day for the Lord the problem is not with the command the problem is with us it's always with us the genuine saint of Jesus Christ does not view the law of God as a burden rather he sees his own sinful heart as the burden he confesses it to God and he pleads for mercy and for the presence of the Holy Spirit so that he may comply with that law of God and then in the third place I want us to see what John says that is said in John's Gospel as well in chapter 5 at verse 11 it is very crystal clear this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son he who has the son has life he who does not have the Son of God does not have life that is the fundamental principle you ask the question how do I know I'm saying do you have the Sun have you believed the gospel have you by the grace of God looked and lived remember when those men in the wilderness were bit by those serpents and Moses built that brazen serpent and he lifted it up in the wilderness it was a look and a live proposition it wasn't a fix yourself drag yourself do everything you can then go to that brazen serpent it was a look and to live and the same is true and new covenants new covenant theology it is a look to Christ and faith and therein is everlasting life and when that Blessid faith is present we will love brethren we will love God we will pursue truth we will pursue righteousness not to the degree that we like to but far more than what we ever did prior to the Lord Jesus but if you do not have the son you do not have everlasting life the pluralist of our age are absolutely wrong the pluralists of our age teach that all roads lead to heaven nothing could be further from the truth there is one name given under heaven among which we must be saved it is the Lord of glory only Hinduism and Islam and an all manner of competitors to the Christian faith will end the soul in hell if you do not have Jesus Christ you do not have everlasting life if you do not have Jesus Christ may I say to you today to believe to look in to live and then one final thing the way John ends is a piss a lot to produce fear in our hearts little children keep yourselves from idols that's the perennial problem for the Christian isn't it that is the constant attendant upon our walk in this lower world it's idolatry yes it's not stakes it's not stones it's not all the sorts of things that we see in the religion of bail or an Astra or or in Molech but certainly we have our idols comfort ease security money prestige all those sorts of things are constant attend to the soul of the man of God in this lower world and John gives us careful admonition little children keep yourselves from idols if it was just a matter of not going to wear bail was worshiped we would all probably be in a happy place but bail is in our hearts the things that we do in terms of the pursuits of things that are not God that is what we need to be on guard for in a guard on guard against little children keep yourselves from idols amen we'll let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for the word of God and its absolute sufficiency in all matters of faith and practice give us ears to hear and hearts to receive your truth and grant us the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit so that we may comply so that we may obey so that we may not roll our eyes at the mention of the holy law of God may it not be a burden to us but may it be our delight so it was with the psalmist as it was in the men of God in the past and we pray these things through Christ Jesus our Lord amen well you may take your Trinity Salter the red Salter and turn to Psalm 63 Psalm 63 will stand as we sing together you may turn in your Bibles to First Samuel chapter 19 we will return to our studies in the Gospel of Matthew in just a few weeks taking a bit of a break as we ended chapter 19 to look briefly at some of the snippets of the life of Saul and David we have seen David in the valley of a la bring deliverance to Israel through the cutting off of goliaths head in chapter 18 saal and envy and enrage and in malice tries covertly to try and destroy David what was covert in chapter 18 becomes overt in chapter 90 we have an illustration of state-sponsored terror in the rat and the the rule of King Saul of Israel I want to read chapter 19 and then we'll look at the particulars now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants that they should kill David but Jonathan saw son delighted greatly in David so Jonathan told David saying my father saw seeks to kill you therefore please be on your guard until morning and stay in a secret place and high and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are and I will speak with my father about you then what I observe I will tell you thus Jonathan spoke well of David to saw his father and said to him let not the King sin against his servant against David because he has not sinned against you and because his works have been very good toward you for he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel you saw it and rejoiced why then we sin against innocent blood to kill David without a cause so Saul heated the voice of Jonathan and Saul swore as the Lord lives he shall not be killed then Jonathan called David and Jonathan told him all these things so Jonathan brought David to Saul and he was in his presence as in times fast and there was war again and David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a mighty blow and they fled from him now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon us all as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand and David was playing music with his hand then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear but he slipped away from sols presence and he drove the spear into the wall so David fled and escaped that night Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning and Michael David's wife told him saying if you do not save your life tonight tomorrow you will be killed so Michael that David down through a window and he went and he fled and escaped and Michael took an image and laid it in the bed but a cover of goats hair for his head and covered it with clothes so when Saul sent messengers to take David she said he is sick then Saul sent the messengers back to see David saying bring him up to me in the bed that I may kill him and when the messengers had come in there was the image in the bed with a cover of goats hair for his head then Saul said to Michael why have you deceived me like this and sent my enemy away so that he has escaped Michael answered saw he said to me let me go why should I kill you so David flat and escaped and went to Samuel at raima and told him all that Saul had done to him and he and Samuel went stayed in nail now it was told Saul saying take note David is at nele than drema then Saul sent messengers to take David and when they saw the group of prophets prophesying and Samuel standing his leader over them the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul and they also prophesied and when Saul was told he sent other messengers and they prophesied likewise than Saul sent messengers again the third time and they prophesied also and he also went to Rhema and came to the great well that is at say q3 aunt asked and said what are Samuel or where r Samuel and Dave and someone said indeed they are at nay auth and Rima so he went there to Nathan Reema then the Spirit of God was upon him also and he went on and prophesied until he came to Nathan Rima and he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and laid down naked all that day and all that night therefore they say it's all also among the prophets will let us pray our God we thank you for the word of truth we thank you for what it instructs us concerning in the first place you as well the way that you deliver an uphill uphold your servants give us grace now to receive these things fill us with the Holy Spirit that he may aluminous as we study scripture and may this all be an act of worship to our great and our triune God forgive us again for our sin and uncleanness and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well if we were to look at the next three chapters and we were trying to some try to sum up each of these chapters under one word in chapter 2 19 what we have is deliverance God delivers David in chapter 20 we have covenant it is based on this covenant transaction between David and Jonathan that God continues to preserve David and in chapter 21 we have provision when David officially flees from Saul and starts going from place to place we see God's gracious provision to his servant in his time of need well as we consider this theme of deliverance the deliverance of David by God in chapter 19 there are two broad categories we ought to appreciate when we come to chapter 19 in the first place will notice the defense of David by Jonathan in verses 127 and then secondly the deliverance of David by Yahweh in verses 8 to 24 note in the first place as we consider the defense of David by Jonathan the various responses to David we pointed this out in our study in first annual that there are various responses to David that are in play in Israel at this particular time just like with David's greater son the Lord Jesus went about doing good the Lord Jesus went about preaching the gospel of the kingdom the Lord Jesus went about doing all manner of blessed things from a whole host of persons and yet there were varying responses you truly see the reality of sin that everybody didn't bow down and worship the Lord Christ as an evidence or a proof of the Bible's doctrine of total depravity but what we have is that some do believe on Jesus some do follow Jesus some do want to take on his yoke and and know that blessed peace but there's that opposition to the Lord Jesus and in the same way that's what we find in this particular section note the desire of Saul in verse 1 now Saul spoke to Jonathan is son and to all his servants that they should kill David so again what was covert or secret in chapter 18 is now over Dan public in chapter 19 thats all is instructing his son and his servants to exterminate or liquidate David shows us yet again a further evidence of the depravity of Saul he moves from simple defection the blood of full-blown apostasy we all ought to take a cue from Saul if you ever want to be afraid read the life of Saul he starts off by neglect and he ends up in this murderous rage and this is the reality for all of those who profess the saving faith who begin to start pairing off the rough edges who begin to start skipping steps who begin to start neglecting the things of God absent being themselves from the places they ought to be defection leads to apostasy you cannot miss this over and over again in the scriptures if you caught a little off here and you caught a little off there there's going to be nothing left learn from Saul that affection leads to apostasy notice the overt statement that they should kill David and it's entry because in chapter 16 or rather chapter 18 this distressing spirit from Yahweh comes upon saw will read later in chapter 19 that this distressing spirit comes from Yahweh upon saw remember Saul is a man under judgment God has departed from him God has taken from him the holy spirit not in the sense of salvation the Saul was not ever saved but in the sense of his political rule in Israel and now what God has substituted in its place is this distressing spirit that sends all into these frenzies but here in 8 19 1 there's no mention of a distressing spirit we might say that in this particular section Saul is in his right mind we can't blame it upon this distressing spirit from Yahweh we blame it upon Saul who is culpable who has entered the realm from king of Israel to a tyrant over a people in bondage and he wants to murder David the one who is the heir apparent vannoy says so the shocking thing at the opening of chapter 19 is that the reigning king of Israel that is the highest-ranking leader of God's covenant people proposes allowed the murder of David the person whom God had chosen to succeed him as king you know Saul is not only paradigmatic or a pattern for the professing people of God he certainly functions as a pattern or a paradigm for political leaders who are subsequent to Saul lies deceit murder malice rage chasing enemies rather than administering the kingdom this is the folly of tyranny and that god's people don't pray against such things and inform themselves of such things really does escape the mind i'm not suggesting that we all need to be political junkies but Jesus did teach us to pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven God's will and doesn't have lying tyrants God's will in heaven doesn't have abortion clinics God's will in heaven does not include same-sex or sodomite marriage God's will in heaven dawn on earth that's what we as the people of God are charged to pray now notice that the light of Jonathan in chapter 18 David is loved by Jonathan verses 1 and 3 he's loved by Israel and Judah verse 16 he's loved by Michael verses 20 and 28 he's loved by the servants in verse 22 it's very intriguing the tyrant wants to liquidate David but everybody else loves him everybody else sees him as we ought to appreciate he's a national hero he kills Philistines he destroyed the Java the giant from Gath he cut his head off something that was typical of the final and decisive judgment of David's greater son when he crushes the head of the serpent David gives us a down payment of that in the valley of elah and rightly people respond in love and in admiration but not Saul Saul is foaming with anger and rage and malice and ill intent now notice this discussion with David and verses 2 and 3 essentially Jonathan says my father wants to kill you just imagine if you were David here for a moment you've had a pretty sterling career up to this point I'm never going to suggest that David was a perfect man David certainly had his sins no one is going to dispute that but David was a man of integrity and a man of God wasn't man after God's own heart and though he said he nevertheless was submissive to the Lord God most high but up to this point he's only been a sterling character his first act is to play his harp to soothe the frenzied gate in First Samuel 16 on the next earned the next act in chapter 17 what does he do he's on a delivery massive mission with cheeses and to find out how his brothers are faring and he says what is this uncertain sighs man taunting the armies of the Living God and David always knows and always realizes that he's going to kill this man he goes into battle E and merges victorious chapter 18 when he's proffered the deal to marry one of Saul's daughters what does he say who is your servant he's just on Belize lowly he doesn't deserve such things he's only done right by Saul and when we come to this section in verses 2 and 3 jonathan is now telling him my father wants to kill you again see the tip typical significance of David Jesus only did right when he came into this world Jesus only went about doing good Jesus career if we can call it that was marked by grace and mercy and kindness distributed far and wide to see when that light meets up with the darkness the darkness hates it it rages against it and here we have saw this man of darkness being exposed by this man of light very similar to what we find with Jesus in the Pharisees in the New Covenant situation so David was to hide while Jonathan spoke to his father and he would then be instructed on what the disposition was now notice Jonathan's appeal to Saul in verses 4 and 5 this is masterful Jonathan knows what he's doing does it need me to commend him on that but he nevertheless does notice first of all he appeals to the king what not the king this isn't an emotional plea this isn't a daddy plea this isn't a sentimental or mystical thing David samora says Jonathan addresses his father formally as king he makes his plea based not on his own feelings but on the behavior appropriate to a king you see God's men are governed by God's law Deuteronomy 17 provides principles for the governing key and one of those principles is not go out willy-nilly murder people that are threat to you that's simply inconceivable that an acting king in Israel would function that way yeah paradigmatic because how many kings subsequent through have function in just that same sort of manner you talk about state-sponsored terror read the history of Israel it really is in print before your eyes notice the rational argument that Jonathan presents to saw he says free is not sinned against you and because his works have been very good towards you it's a rational argument isn't it why would you want to kill him he hasn't done anything against you and everything that he has done has been very positive toward you notice the moral argument for he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine Saul you don't want to murder a man that does such noble things the morality of this situation ought to be evident even to a man that is in this position notice the theological argument and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel this should have stopped Saul in his tracks that you always using David what has saw now done he has positioned himself against God's servant and hence against God this is a terrific terrible position for a man to be it and then notice the implication that Jonathan draws out of all this you saw it and rejoiced why then will you sin against innocent blood to kill David without a cause you see Jonathan argues very succinctly very convincingly and in a manner that is honoring to god and to david so what us all do he lies do we expect anything different from tyrants noted Saul heated the voice of Jonathan verse 6 and Saul swore as the Lord lives he shall not be killed the Geneva Bible comments behold how the tyrants to accomplish their rage neither regard oath nor friendship god nor man now I do suggest that you think about chapters like these again concerning the modern political climate now when I say that don't go hide yourself in your room and just study politics the Brethren there ought to be a sense where we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ where we are thinking in terms of the Bible when we look around us and when we see the viciousness and the rage of math we ought to realize in the first place there's nothing new Under the Sun I mean the same sorts of things that we face are the same sorts of things that David was facing in this particular age but in the second place it gives us fuel and admonition or I'm ammunition rather on how we ought to pray how we ought to intercede in this generation notice in verse 7 then Jonathan called David and Jonathan told him all these things so Jonathan brought David to Saul and he was in his presence as in times past in chapters 16 and 18 remember David initially it was called to play the harp to soothe soul chapter 18 saal brings him into his presence and conveys on him honor not honored because he honored him but because he wanted to put him into battle and see him murdered and see him destroyed so that's the defense of David by Jonathan notice in the second place the deliverance of David by God whose to deliverance is really verse 8 and then the rest verse 8 God delivers David yet again from the Philistines I mean we just run through verse 8 and verse 8 is just a small little section in this particular chapter I think it functions similarly to what we see in 17 and 18 David is victorious in 17 chapter 18 how to saw respond with envy with rage with malice and with a desire to murder David same thing here David his victorious in verse 8 he is blessed of God to bring a decisive blow against the Philistines Saul should rejoice Saul should pray Saul should delight but that's not what's all does soul responds with rage and envy and manga anger and malice same sort of a pattern here but notice in verse 8 there was war again and David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a mighty blow and they fled from him is that beautiful that's God's servant that's God's man that's the one who has the action of yahweh Philistines flee from him Philistines run from him Philistines are afraid of David you see why David is the legitimate heir to the throne of Israel he's not afraid he's not cowering he's not quaking in his boots he's not joining Saul in Israel on the sidelines while the giant goes out into the valley of ayla to taught the armies of the Living God David will have no part of the threat posed by the enemies of God upon the N upon the church or the kingdom of God rather than dare to be a David we're not out killing Philistines to be sure and I say never take this in the literal sense there's a difference between the Old Covenant theocracy and holy war to the new covenant application but certainly we ought to be those people who aren't sitting on the sidelines quavering in our boots because everybody's advancing against the kingdom of Christ we ought to scan behind the master who said i will build my church and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it how many times have you and I heard people say well the threat of Islam the threat of secularism the threat of this cult or the threat of this religion the promise of Jesus trunks each and every one of those threats the people of God must be like David the people of God must be faithful the people of God must know their God and as a result living light of their God it's too much retreat in the christian church today let's have some advance it's propagate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ let's evangelize sinners let's not be afraid of what the government might do if they find out we denotes homosexuality you know that sort of increasing pressure is coming upon us in the West somebody recently asked me what if you get thrown into prison as a result of preaching against homosexuality what they're supposed to say well I'm going to change the message I'd rather get thrown into a prison in Vancouver and then face my god for faithlessness for treachery for treason oh because you hate homosexuals no because I want them converted unto Christ when we will gitam eyes their lifestyle we keep them from the only thing that will save them Christ Jesus came sinners to save when we identify it and every other abomination before God as sin we offer them hope we offer them a savior we offer them reconciliation it is barbarism to call it normal and to cut them off from the only means of salvation that is destructive behavior brethren we need to be David's in our generation notice the response by Saul in verses 9 224 again David comes back from the battlefield victorious Philistines fled from him now probably people talked about this just like when he comes back from the valley of ayla remember what the ladies sang for Saul or Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands no doubt when David is victorious in chapter 19 and verse 8 persons say something similar did you see that David was awesome and battle did you see that he had his sword and he had his ruggedness and he was killing people and he he got to the point where the Philistines were all running from him they were the fraidy cats they were and the Israelites the faithful would be rejoicing in the victory that God had brought through David their warrior Saul hears this and instead of bowing to God and thanking him that he's given him a trusted servant and David who will help secure the border of Israel he rages against him you see we've pointed out that this sort of pride is diabolical when God bless his brethren brethren we ought to rejoice with that when God confers gift upon someone and he uses them don't get mad at them don't let your eyeballs roll at them don't try to keep them out of the way don't engage in this Saul I diabolical pride wicked it's horrific this man instead of praising and honoring and worshiping God who gave Israel a day it wants to exterminate the very gift that God has given it truly is madness it truly does show what sin does in the heart of a man when we look at this particular soul now notice the first attempt the attempt with the spear the attempt with the sphere I think I dealt a little bit with this last week but we might ask the question why in the world would David ever go back into the presence of Saul especially while Saul was sitting there holding a spear just as I was reading this again did anybody think to ever take the spear out of the Kings hand pat him on the head and say everything's going to be okay so just try to remove that spirit hide it from him this is act 2 for David and the spear isn't it why would David do this why does David go back into the court of Saul to play the harp for Saul when Saul has already one time previously tried to pin David to the wall well in chapter 18 it's this distressing spirit from the Lord upon him probably as I've suggested it drove him mad he raved inside of his house he was full of madness and frenzy probably in chapter 18 no one interpreted interpreted it as a murderous intent specifically against David fact when David showed up with harp and Han on that day they might have said to David you know he's having a particularly rough day today and so david starts to harp away and they take he takes the spear and throws it at david he escapes david on the way out probably said yes you're right he is having a rough day today he just tried to make a pin cushion out of me with his spear do you see David at that point doesn't think in terms of murder he's not thinking that Saul has an ax to grind against him specifically he just thinks all is a bit loopy and as a result he's thrown this spear so David when this distressing spirit comes back on Saul in verse 9 goes to play the harp before him again david has seen this behavior he'll strum the harp he'll sue the man and hopefully all will be well and called notice verse snoring now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon soul as he sat in his house with his spear in his aunt and David was playing music with his hand then salt sought to pin David to the wall with the spear but he David slipped away from sols presence and he drove the spear into the wall so David flat and escaped that night so once again Saul tries to spear David now that David has different information now he can no longer write this off as a bit of madness or frenzy on the part of this cake Jonathan has told David that Saul is trying to kill him Jonathan has instructed David concerning the situation he said well even after that why did he show up again this time David's a servant to the king he's not completely sure of all things at this particular point but guarantee you from this point on David knows what's happening vani makes this observation that's very good concerning Saul in his state here the solemn message of this chapter is that repeated disobedience of the Lord may lead to a hardening from which there is no way back see we can't redeem Saul at this point try as you may to yell at Saul in chapter 19 he ain't coming back defection leads to apostasy for those of you who do not understand the distinction that I am suggesting by those two terms defection starts small defection starts with neglect defection starts with substitution I know I should do this I know I should serve the god of this God in this way but i'm going to substitute this because it's more pleasing to me because i want to do it that's way enough times of defection from the lord turns up to be apostasy that is a falling away from there's no redemption for an apostate this is what is described in Hebrew 6 in Hebrews 10 apostasy there's no repentance in this state because God isn't good or gracious it's because the apostate will have nothing to do with it you see when sensitive Souls here Hebrews 6 and 10 preach they start to ask questions am I an apostate and they start to evidence concern if you are an apostate you don't evidence concern you don't ask questions you take your scanned against Yahweh and against his Christ you have harden your heart you have rejected his gospel you have turned your back upon the Holy One of Israel that's apostasy and that's where Saul is Vinoy continues in other words no one can continually act in deliberate disobedience to God's clearly revealed will and to skate expect to escape serious consequences brethren take heed Saul is in this section of Scripture certainly to advise us about you know terrible political leaders but Saul is in this section to inform us as believers in Jesus Christ that at one time Saul was doing quite well at one time Saul was killing ammonites until the heat of the day at one time Saul was obedient to Yahweh and now he's throwing spears trying to destroy the very servant whom Yahweh the sent to save Israel notice in the second place another attendant this time at David's home we read Psalm 59 at the outset of worship this morning you know when David wrote Psalm 59 in conjunction with this occasion it's fascinating and intriguing to me that through all these trials all these dangers all these difficulties David is nevertheless praising God in the midst of it all it's truly amazing note that in the narrative we have in First Samuel 18 19 20 21 we don't get a lot from David in terms of his thoughts concerning his trials but the psalter fleshes it out for us David and the Psalms tells us how we had to think concerning these trials that beset him he tells us in the Psalms at these that this God had delivered him is the God who will deliver us as well David comments very beautifully concerning the Lord's protection in the midst of all of these things note the plan by Saul he wants to send persons there to make sure that David is liquidated and nude Saul's falling soul tries to get Jonathan to murder David what does Jonathan do he tips davidoff concerning souls plan Saul gave David Michael in chapter 18 to be a snare to him remember the snare specifically was if he wants to marry her he has to bring me a hundred for skins from Philistines before you say that's icky think about what the implications are Saul says to David you need to go out and kill in battle a hundred Philistines in order to bring me their foreskins remember Philistines aren't going to give up those foreskins willingly they're not going to stand at the clinic and pick a number so that their time is next David would have to liquidate them to bring the foreskins to show that indeed he had done the task Saul's purposes evident get David in the midst of Philistines so they can kill him what does David do he brings back 200 foreskins David is a man of faith in this particular instance he had given Michael to David to become a snare who is it that delivers David here Michael you see the folly of man you see the idiocy of man we try to manipulate and control events we try to engage in total planning and control the government tries to micromanage we ourselves try to micromanage we want cradle to grave you know of protection and security we try to put our hands on everything soul is behind the scenes and all of his evil machinations pulling strings to ensure that David meets his demise and everything thats all sets his hand to God overrules it Jonathan becomes the defender of David Michael becomes the one who helps him escape brethren all the tyrants of the earth cannot rage against God he will silence them as david says in psalm 59 he will hold them in derision as david says in psalm 2 when the mutiny of man rages against Yahweh and his anointed how does the Lord respond is he biting his cosmic finger saying oh no what am I going to do with my mutinous creatures no he is in settled steadied composure and he laughs at the wickedness of these men he responds by setting his holy King on his Hill Zion and it is that King will ultimately swing the sword to destroy all those who rage against the enemies of God it truly is beautiful in what are very mundane events in terms of you know escapes and and spears and and and all these things caught over rules at all God's involved in the details of life again David's commentary on these events and the psalter tells us this isn't just peculiar to David I mean the specifics might be of course we're not hopefully getting Spears thrown at us if you are will pray for you that's a pretty terrible situation hopefully you're not having to escape your home because guards are watching it and you are going to be liquidated in your sleep hopefully you don't have the sorts of things that David face going on but you certainly have trials You certainly have afflictions You certainly have sorrows You certainly have issues but God the one who delivered David from all of these things is the same God who delivers his people now we ought to be encouraged if the Lord God most high can ensure that David escapes from the murder rage of Saul then the Lord God most high can certainly see us through a difficult Monday UT or a difficult trial that we are undergoing then Paul used this logic in the eighth of Romans he who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things if the Lord's Supper is true as we eat this bread and we drink this cup and we rejoice in the reality that Christ has saved us from our sins is it not the case that when we face a difficult situation on Monday God's not going to help us the songs are blessed commentary on the life and Ministry of David read them be encouraged find hope find strength find the reality that this God who gave what John Gill calls David nimble moves right to dodge that spear Gill says he moved nimbly if God gave David nimbleness certainly God is able to deliver us from our distress this God is truly glorious and amazing the Geneva Bible succinctly I probably should have just read this seven minutes ago thus God moved both the son and daughter of this tyrant to favor David against their father it's an interesting statement concerning Michael she puts this image in the bed the details are a bit difficult to try and figure out i think the bulk of it is is to create bulk put the idols their cover it with blankets and say that David is in bed sick doesn't answer the question why Michael had idols doesn't answer a lot of things for us but it was sucked her fuge it was an act of deception calculated to afford protection to david diehl wealth davis says concerning this the details of the verse a verse 13 are a bit elusive however what did Michael do with the terrifying images of household and family data of household of family deity's that she stashed them in the bed to give bulk to sick David I love what he says here they really were appropriately used as dummies isn't it glorious the idols here functioned as their purposed to function adobe's or place them beside the bed ask protectors of the ill and what was michael doing with such relics anyway but the overall picture is clear something like a quilt rumpled up at the bed perhaps some used God's to give form to the body and a bedspread pulled up Saul then sends men and Saul then confronts Michael now notice something about Michael it was nice of her and kind of her to be sure to make sure David escaped with his life she didn't honor him she dishonored his reputation the imagine you were Saul and and you heard from from your daughter what he threatened to kill me he threatened to liquidate me she didn't honor David again let's think of the typical significance with reference to David even among his own Franz the Lord Jesus found resistance even among those who loved him even among those who confessed him even among those who followed him what happens in accordance with the Prophet Zechariah strike the Shepherd and what happens to the Sheep may scatter he's denied by Peter it's not on his reputation is an honored in that instance Peter of course repented the disciples of course repent the disciples are restored I'm not suggesting otherwise but we need to see with reference to David even those who were close to him even those who loved him even those who were supposed to afford protection to him nevertheless dishonored here now notice the third instance where Saul tries to kill David David's had enough I know if he's had enough because he continues on a long time being plagued by Saul and a fugitive from Saul but in this instance he goes to rain he goes to tell Samuel what is happening Samuel Saul has turned his rage against me it's no longer Philistines thats all is embattled with embattled where Saul is targeting me so he tells Samuel this he gets Samuel the Prophet on board he instructs him well Saul gets when to this against pitt state sponsor terror people are reporting to Saul every move of David they have their own version of the NSA they had their own version of all those things that one would track movements and they're reporting back to saw so that he can target David you see the folly why was he concerned about Philistine troop movements why isn't he concerned about ammonites why isn't he concerned about mullah bites why isn't he concerned about genuine threats to the kingdom because he's a patty proud envious wretch that's what pride creates we see it in Saul beautifully don't wait you ever see it in ourselves something happens there's an event there's an incident there's a situation we ought to be happy for people and instead we're upset when rumbly we're whiny we're complaining we make the whole thing about us probably one of the things that are very much akin to all of our hearts is a love for self I think John when he says little children keep yourselves from idols probably means us we like to see ourselves in the best possible way and if somebody threatens that we respond with pride with Pat eNOS with envy with rage and malice it's easy to see it here with Saul it's not so easy to see it with us when we're not rejoicing with those who rejoice Michael kind of diabolical this is that when somebody has a blessing in their lives somebody comes to prayer meeting and they offer a praise and they say you know I just got a raise at work and somebody's upset because they didn't get a raise at work brethren be happy for people that are blessed it really evidence is the pettiness in the pride of our hearts if we don't take to heart that simple injunction to rejoice with those who rejoice so David fleas he escapes he's with Saul of Samuel and Rima now notice the information is given us all there are messengers then sent to take David and they are overcome by the spirit this is interesting because God has delivered David in a myriad of ways and here directly by the power of the Holy Spirit so look at what then happens to other sets of messengers are likewise overcome by the spirit and a prophet saw the King then goes to Rhema you can hear him saying something like well if you want a job done you have to do it yourself he sent messenger after messenger after messenger instead of killing David the parasite it's all says we can't have this they're not supposed to bust out in prophecy they're supposed to be killing me some David so Saul now ventures to Rhema Saul goes to not pay off which is probably a neighborhood in or a malware prophets dwell and the spirit or power saw it's truly an amazing depiction isn't it we say wait a minute is saw now like I say uh or Jeremiah or Daniel or Hosea is so godly again is that what's happening in this particular instance let's look specifically at what's going on here the nature of the prophesying is not explained to us it's not told that they are singing hymns of praise or psalms of praise to God we really don't know what the nature of this prophesying was deal points out that as the messengers had done singing such like songs or for telling such like things as they did he and Bey speaking not of themselves but as they were moved by the holy spirit of prophecy for such gifts have sometimes been bestowed on men that were destitute of the grace of God as Balaam Caiaphas and others so it's not uncommon for this to happen it was Matthew Henry he said I quite like to think that they were prophesying about who the next king would be in Israel that would take a work of the Spirit upon Saul's wretched and hardened heart but notice when the Spirit comes upon them guess what's not happening they're not chasing it they're not murdering David they're not destroying David this overpowering influence of the Holy Spirit putting them in a position of prophesying is restraining them and keeping them from this murderous deed of taking David out of the way now notice it says that salt stripped off his clothes verse 24 he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and lay down naked all that day and all that night therefore they say is Saul also among the prophets a couple of things we need to understand here the nakedness probably doesn't mean he was in his birthday suit probably doesn't mean he was in the buff he wasn't absolutely naked he stripped off his kingly garments the Spirit is showing something forth here maybe they were prophesying about the next king because the reigning king has taken off his royal roads the reigning king is now naked we see something akin in chapter 18 when David comes from the battle of the valley of elah what happens when Jonathan meets him Jonathan takes off his robes Jonathan takes off his armor Jonathan takes off his sword to defer the kingdom to David Jonathan essentially says take these because you are worthy of them I want you to be the king of the heir apparent to the throne will hear the stripping off of Saul's clothes indicate something probably the removal of the royal prerogative it's interesting in chapter 10 verse 11 a similar question is asked his saw also among the prophets there they're amazed Saul is being equipped for battle Saul goes in and chapter 11 he kills ammonites until the heat of the day that was a different vision or a different scene here it's incredulity it's all also among the prophets he's not acting like one he's divested himself of his royal robes he's taken off his kingly attire he has shone forth in symbol that he is no longer the King this with two men had to save Anna Lee says just as the early okay earlier Asia Saul's prophesying with a company of prophets was a confirming sign of his investiture with the role of a king so on this occasion is prophesying combined with the stripping off of his clothes was a sign that he was divested of that same royal office their symbol going on in this brethren it's not just the madness of salt wow isn't that wacky takes off his clothes he's got the spirit and he's prophesying God the Lord is showing us here in vivid detail it's all his dawn Saul is done his career is over I mean it makes what looks like or what's going on in other parts of the world today look like child's play in effect one other man said a reversal of what 10 12 9 says of Saul's endowment with the spirit in both cases the spirit is a divine manifestation in chapter 10 he gives strength to Saul to carry out his feat of bravery in chapter 19 he works in the reverse he makes all helpless and drives him to strip off his clothes the clothes of a king he goes there to haunt David the Spirit overpowers him such that he prophesies and he strips off the kingly robes the prophesying is probably not good faithful exposition and breaching we don't know particularly what it is but the spirits evident power is manifested in the section so that's exposition let's just conclude with a few thoughts and then we'll be done the first place I think we've tried to sufficiently point out the tyranny of soul the King sets his heart on the destruction of God's servant sounds just like the greater than David the Kings state their counsel together they speak together against Yahweh and against his anointed Saul is acting in typical fashion as well if David is tight a typical of the greater than David Saul is typical of every wicked rejecter of the gospel that would ever follow suit this rage and malice and finger targeted against one who is altogether lovely in chief among ten thousand if you're not a Christian here this morning I want you to ponder this question what is it about Jesus Christ that keeps you from him doesn't the bride describe him that way in the song he is altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand if we see something altogether lovely in chief among ten thousand aren't we drawn to it if I were to say to you hey or we listen to these young men today they said we went to yellow and it was beautiful and the majestic beauty it was and it was glorious and if you're in fit shape and you could you know hobble your way up those mountains and see what we saw it be tremendous there's a draw there isn't there there's a longing that is developing their you meet Christians you hear people that say you know what I was this or I was that or I was this or I was that but the Lord has saved me he has washed me he has cleansed me he has purified me he has given me a righteousness such that i can stand before his father you hear that your soul should be drawn to him should want the one who is altogether lovely in chief among ten thousand why is it you continue in Saul rage why is it that you continue to reject and resist why is it that you would rather choose the bondage of sin and the devil himself and to flee and to find grace and define mercy and to find the Lord Jesus Christ he is altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand you young people and you children you're growing up in a day and age very much unlike what your parents have we had all the same sense we just didn't have as easy access to it as all we didn't carry little factories of you know i'm not saying phones are necessarily bad do not take that from what i'm about to say but what you can see through that phone in the space of two seconds is bad we have to try a little harder to get at that sort of stuff we still were successful to our shame but nevertheless we had to do a few more things in terms of jumping hoops you carry power in your pockets and that stuff is prolific it's all over the place it's conspicuous can't walk down the street without being confronted by temptation flee to Christ believe on him turn from your wickedness now and find grace and mercy and forgiveness Christ is one of those objects that we should cleave to and never ever ever let go that's the refuge for our souls you are in Saul's company this morning if you continue to resist and continue to reject the one who is the hero the one who is the champion of Israel the one who has brought redemption to his people saw pursued murder rather than the proper government of his kingdom he continued in his downward spiral as a result of previous declension the declension hands in full-blown apostasy and his ruin is ultimately the judgment of God most high do not think that Saul has escaped God Saul is under God's judgment in the second place we ought to find friends like Jonathan find friends like Jonathan better yet be a friend like Jonathan in chapter 20 20 this develop is developed more in detail for us this covenant of friendship that David and Jonathan manifest Lord one another they love each other and that love isn't like I was trying to suggest earlier this sappy syrupy I'm just here to do what you want sort of thing its principal it's rooted in covenant it's rooted and moral obligation it's rooted in mutual affection for the glory of God the good of his servants find Jonathan's fine David's or be Jonathan's and be David's thirdly the deliverance if Yahweh has manifested he delivers David by Jonathan he delivers David by nimble moves he delivers David by Michael and he delivers David directly by the power of the holy spirit in Rima and the fourth observation I'm going to lean on Ralph Davis again here do you notice a pattern with David did you see something that's happened to David since he's originally identified as the heir to the throne in Israel when the Spirit comes upon David what happens does David enter into that special rank and privilege that the health wealth and prosperity preachers talk of is his life full of joy full of peace full of Friday's full of his best life now you notice that in David's life he has no small share of trials of afflictions of hardships of woes of difficulties of excruciating pain I mean how would you like it brethren if your king was trying to throw Spears at you how would you like it if you're laying peacefully in your bet your wife gives you a shake and says you need to go or else my father is going to murder you how would you feel if there was a man who was foaming with rage and malice against you trying to kill you would you respond by writing song 59 would you respond by writing psalm 34 Psalm 56 Psalm 57 someone 42 would that be your response or would your response be similar to my response why is this happening to me why does the Lord keep getting me why am i suffering why am i hurting why this hardship Benny Hinn said once I came to Jesus gold and silver and money would be my lot and yet that's not happening to me do God's people respond to God's providence delayed God servant David did I mentioned on Wednesday night Psalm 34 is in a cross stick he wrote Psalm 34 in the events going on in chapter 21 not to write poetry is beyond me to begin with but in a cross stick poem that means you start with a and B and G and go all the way through the Hebrew alphabet and compose poetry accordingly that's David's response to trial that's how David copes that's David's therapy that's David's comfort that's David strength when trials come he doesn't fall apart when trials come he doesn't cry when trials come he doesn't suck his thumb when trials come he looks to God brethren what's the take home message for us look to God Davis says Yahweh's regimen of protection should have proven instructive for David as well at the end of chapter 19 the danger is still live for David nevertheless even in this distress and in this momentary relief David should have been able to look back and see assuring evidence of the always care and intention to preserve him much in fact almost everything seemed discombobulated yet in it all there was this clear evidence that David has not been forsaken has not been abandoned now this next line brethren is the kind of stuff besides the written word is this kind of stuff that reminds us about the written word to furnish comfort to our souls listen to dr. Davis sometimes the clearest evidence that God has not deserted you is not that you our successfully passed your trial but that you are still on your feet in the middle of it that's money God's evident provision deliverance and protection for his people does not always equate the removal of trial it means that in the midst of trial you're able to pull yourself out of bed to stand on your feet to go to work to love your family to be faithful in the midst of it God is present and God is upholding you David seems to record this very sentiment at the end of verse at the end of song 59 but I will sing of your power yes I will sing aloud of your mercy in the morning for you have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble to you oh my strength I will sing praises for God is my defense my god see First Samuel is an oasis for the people of God brethren if you are not able to attend on Wednesday night I don't want to scold you I don't want to lambast you I don't want to guilt you if we stop in the next couple of weeks at the end of probably chapter 21 please read / Samuel please no to God's care please attend to his deliverance in his provision and his protection for his servants and realize that it's not just for David but according to David and the Psalms for all those who fear God let us pray our Father we thank you for the word of God and we thank you for what it instructs us concerning your deliverance we ask our Father that you help us to get our minds wrapped around the Psalms and get our minds wrapped around these narratives to see the reality that our God is for us who then can be against us we ask that you would go with us now I ask that you would take the word preached by the power of the Spirit she would convict sinners so that they would look in faith to the one who is altogether lovely to that one who is chief among ten thousand and we pray these things through Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then we dismissed you