25-0423wc Transcript

Teacher: Mike Mathis

(0:04) Well, we’re well past the time to get started. (0:10) I’m going to be in 1 Samuel 26, (0:16) and I’m going to read verses 18 through 20, (0:24) just to get started with the lesson. (0:28) As he said, this is Saul that is pursuing David (0:37) after finding out where he is.

(0:41) He’s informed where he is, and he is pursuing him, (0:47) and finally gets to where David is, (0:53) where David’s office is on the opposite hill. (0:56) I’m sorry. (1:01) David is saying then, and he said, (1:06) Why does my Lord not pursue his servant? (1:13) For what have I done? (1:14) For what evil is in my hand? (1:19) Now therefore, please, let my Lord the King (1:24) hear the words of his servant.

(1:29) If the Lord has served you up against me, (1:34) let him accept an offering. (1:37) But if it is the children of men, (1:42) let them be cursed before the Lord, (1:46) for they have driven me up this day (1:48) from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord. (1:54) Saying, Go and serve other gods.

(1:58) So now I do not, or shall now do not live, (2:04) but have fallen to the earth before the face of the Lord. (2:10) For the King of Israel has come out to seek a plea, (2:17) as the one who hunts a cartridge in the mountains. (2:21) I want to center my attention on what David asked.

(2:31) If the Lord has served you up against me, (2:40) but I’m going to not have a lesson (2:45) if the Lord serves you up. (2:51) In this case, and there’s going to be other examples, (2:56) what I’m going to do with this lesson, (3:00) I’m going to divide it into three parts, (3:04) because I’m going to be speaking, (3:08) like I did with you after tonight, (3:11) two more Wednesdays, (3:13) because the third Wednesday, (3:20) Scott’s going to have higher congestion, (3:25) and so I’m going to be teaching this. (3:29) And this lesson, the end will be in three parts.

(3:34) So what I’m going to do is this lesson (3:38) and the next week’s lesson (3:42) will be taken from the Old Testament (3:47) and then the third Wednesday, (3:51) the third part of it is going to be (3:55) from the New Testament. (4:01) Sometimes when the terms start off with use, (4:06) it is used in a negative sense, (4:10) as in starting up a cause to do evil, (4:14) to have a mob. (4:19) Someone incites a crowd against somebody (4:25) and then it gathers into a mob (4:31) and they’ll do that which is unlawful, (4:40) create a riot.

(4:41) And I developed the idea for this lesson (4:49) from one of the videos of which I watched and listened. (4:55) Now his lesson didn’t deal with starting out, (4:59) but within what he was speaking, (5:04) he mentioned stirring the pot (5:09) and I looked in the concordance (5:14) and looked at stirring the pot (5:20) and got the idea from this. (5:29) What happens if the Lord starts us up? (5:35) Because I said we’re going to look at the Old Testament (5:40) as we are tonight.

(5:43) We’re going to stay in 1 Samuel 26 (5:50) and look at this. (5:54) In the Old Testament God has said (5:57) to stir up people to do various things. (6:03) Let us take a look at what things the Lord (6:09) or who the Lord stirs up.

(6:14) Now in this particular instance, (6:20) the question is if the Lord stirs you up. (6:28) And in this case, if the Lord stirs Saul up against David. (6:35) But in the first part of this chapter, (6:46) we’re having David hiding out (6:54) in a place where the Zephites are.

(7:02) And the Zephites came to Saul and Gideon saying, (7:07) Is David not hiding in the hill of Achela opposite to Shimon? (7:18) Then Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Sid (7:23) having 3,000 chosen men of Israel (7:29) to seek David in the wilderness of Sid. (7:34) Now David is not by himself. (7:39) Yes.

(7:40) What chapter is that? (7:41) 1 Samuel 26. (7:44) 26? (7:44) Yes. (7:45) Okay.

(7:46) Okay. (7:49) So Saul didn’t camp in the hill of Achela (7:58) which is opposite to Shimon by the road. (8:02) But David stayed in the wilderness (8:05) and he saw that Saul came after him in the wilderness.

(8:12) David therefore sent out spies and understood (8:15) that Saul had indeed come. (8:21) So David and others came to the place where Saul had encamped. (8:29) And David saw the place where Saul lay (8:33) and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army.

(8:40) Now Saul lay within the camp with the people in a tent on the wilderness. (8:49) And David answered and said to Ahimelech the Eddite (8:55) and to Abishai the son of Sarai, brother of Job, saying, (9:05) Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp? (9:12) And Abishai said, I will go down with you. (9:17) So David and Abishai came to the people by night (9:24) and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp (9:29) with his spear stuck in the ground by his head.

(9:35) And Abner and the people lay all around him. (9:40) Then Abishai said to David, (9:45) God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. (9:52) Now therefore please let me strike him once with the spear right to the earth (9:59) and I will not have to strike him a second time.

(10:06) But David said to Abishai, do not destroy him (10:13) for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s arm and be guiltless? (10:20) David said furthermore, as the Lord lives, (10:29) the Lord shall strike him or his day shall come to die (10:33) or he shall go up to battle and perish. (10:39) The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointing. (10:46) But please take now the spear and the jug of water (10:52) that are by his head and let us go.

(10:57) So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head (11:07) and they got away. (11:09) And no man saw or knew or knew where they were all sleeping (11:17) because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them. (11:25) Now notice this is the second time David had an opportunity to slay Saul.

(11:41) The first time he just cut off a piece of Saul’s robe. (11:53) He had the opportunity then to do it and now he had the opportunity (11:58) because David was asleep and it would be easy to have him killed. (12:10) But David did not take his life.

(12:20) And we see that Saul is in the foothill where David is hiding in verse 1 (12:30) and he pursues the 3,000 men and David then spares the king’s life. (12:46) And then David awakens. (12:51) David goes over the inside of the hill and he awakens Saul and his army in verse 12.

(13:07) So David took the spear and the jug of water should be in verse 13. (13:15) Now David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill (13:22) apart a great distance between them. (13:30) And David called out to the people and to Adner the son of Ner said, (13:38) Did you not answer Adner? (13:42) And Adner answered and said, Who are you calling out to the king? (13:52) So David said to Adner, Are you not a man? (13:58) Who is like you in Israel? (14:03) Why then have you not godded your lord the king? (14:10) For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

(14:18) This thing that you have done is not good. (14:24) As the Lord lives, you deserve to die. (14:28) Because you have not godded your master, the Lord’s anointed.

(14:33) And now see where the king’s spear is and the jug of water that was by his head. (14:46) So that should show Saul that David did not have any ill will against king Saul. (15:03) But Saul was jealous of him and wanted to do him harm.

(15:10) And so we see that he tells Adner that he should have been godded. (15:20) He should have been awake. (15:22) He should have been alert, protecting the king.

(15:32) And then in verse 17, Saul knew David’s voice and said, Is that your voice, my son David? (15:48) David said, It is my voice, my lord the king. (15:56) And he said, What does my lord thus pursue? (16:02) Or why does my lord thus pursue his servant? (16:07) So what has I done or what evil is in my hand? (16:12) And so he’s wanting Saul to tell him to slay him. (16:20) And he’s letting Saul go after him as if David is deserving of death.

(16:34) But then he says to him, (16:38) Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the word of his servant. (16:48) If the lord has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. (16:55) In other words, let us sacrifice to the lord and try to appease the lord.

(17:09) If it is the lord that is stirring you up against me, (17:19) but if it’s men, let them be cursed. (17:26) Now, I know that today we should be having in mind that those who are not right and may be considered our enemies, (17:46) we should pray for them. (17:49) We should do good to them.

(17:56) And as one preacher would say, (18:04) I haven’t gotten to where David has gotten to where I say, (18:11) Let my enemies be cursed. (18:15) Let them be driven and let them be killed. (18:23) Just may they be cursed.

(18:27) But he said, (18:31) But if the children of men are speaking to you, (18:37) and he is saying that it will be they who have driven me out this day for sharing in the inheritance of the lord, (18:50) say, (18:51) Your son loves God. (18:54) And that’s what, in effect, we have some people telling us, (19:03) You know, go serve this God or that God. (19:09) Or if they don’t tell us, (19:12) maybe we are making particular things out of God.

(19:23) He says, (19:24) For the king has come out to seek and flee as one hunts a partridge in the mountains. (19:35) And now King Saul sees the fact that David isn’t trying to take his life. (19:51) As a matter of fact, (19:54) here was a real opportunity.

(19:56) He had his chance. (20:03) Saul sat asleep. (20:06) Then Saul said, (20:08) I have sinned.

(20:10) Return, my son David, (20:13) for I will harden you no more, (20:17) because my life was precious in your eyes. (20:23) Indeed, I have played the fool and error exceedingly. (20:30) And David answered and said, (20:33) Who is the king’s spirit? (20:36) Let one of the young men come over and get it.

(20:41) May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness. (20:49) For the Lord delivered you into my hands today, (20:53) but I will not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointing. (20:59) Now let’s remember that when Saul was made king, (21:07) it was the Lord who chose him to be king.

(21:14) And he was anointed as king through God’s choice. (21:24) And it is indeed, he gives the Lord’s anointing. (21:30) And indeed, a sure life was valued much this day in my eyes.

(21:38) So let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord. (21:45) And let him deliver me out of all tribulation. (21:51) Then Saul said to him, (21:55) May you be blessed, my son David.

(21:59) You shall both do great things and also still prevail. (22:06) So David went on his way and Saul returned to his place. (22:14) Now this is going to be the last time Saul is going to pursue David.

(22:24) This is the last time. (22:28) Because in reality, in the next three chapters, (22:34) we’re going to find that Saul and his army (22:42) is going to have to go out and face the Philistines (22:47) and fight against them. (22:51) We’re going to find that even though Saul has commanded not (22:59) to consort with these millions, these suiciders, (23:05) these people that try to bring sorcery, (23:13) he goes to the witch of Angola.

(23:16) What he wanted to do was say she could break up Satan. (23:25) He wanted to talk to Samuel. (23:29) So he disguised himself and came to her.

(23:36) And that’s what he wanted to know. (23:41) Well, it surprised this witch of Angola when Samuel did appear. (23:50) And Samuel asked him, why were you disturbing me from my place? (23:58) And that shocked the witch.

(24:02) She was surprised. (24:03) She didn’t realize what was actually going to be. (24:07) Samuel was going to come up.

(24:11) But he wanted to know about the fight with the Philistines, (24:22) what was going to happen. (24:24) Samuel told him the same thing he did before Samuel died. (24:32) He told him that when he goes out to meet the Philistines, (24:40) that he and his sons are going to die.

(24:44) And that you’re going to be with me, he told the king. (24:52) And thus Saul and his sons are out in battle, (25:03) and they meet their death in the battle with the Philistines. (25:11) So, in truth, Saul really did stop going after David (25:21) because he met his death along with his sons.

(25:27) And, of course, Jonathan was with his sons. (25:35) And he died, the others, and Saul met his death. (25:45) Well, he was really wounded.

(25:51) He asked his armor-bearer to slay him with a sword. (25:56) The armor-bearer didn’t want to do it, (26:00) so Saul just fell on the sword. (26:04) And the armor-bearer did slay him.

(26:08) So, as Samuel told Saul, he met his death. (26:17) In all the lessons that he was going to be with him were Samuel’s. (26:26) So, let us have a word of prayer.

(26:33) Father in heaven, we come before you. (26:38) We want to give you thanks for your work. (26:43) Help us with what we have learned tonight from this lesson.

(26:50) If you stir us up, we know that you can stir things up. (27:04) You can stir people up. (27:09) And we pray, oh, Father, that we can be stirred in order to do good things, (27:20) obeying your voice.

(27:23) And we pray, oh, Father, that you’ll be with us, (27:29) be with the sick again, (27:31) and those that need caring for, (27:36) especially Tom Cree’s mother who’s in hospice. (27:41) We pray, oh, Father, that you’ll be with her family (27:47) and help them to gain strength and may we help in whatever way we can. (27:57) Father in heaven, be with us as we depart.

(28:03) May we have another opportunity to gather together to study another portion of your word. (28:10) Help us to search your word and thus follow it and be pleasing in your sight. (28:19) This we ask in the name of Christ, amen. Amen.