1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,180 Well, please open your Bible, at 1st Samuel and chapter 24, we’re continuing 2 00:00:05,180 –> 00:00:09,620 our series, The Tale of Two Kings, in which we’re following the story of Saul 3 00:00:09,620 –> 00:00:14,580 and of David. Saul, a religious man, as we now have come to know well. He believes 4 00:00:14,580 –> 00:00:19,660 in God but his heart remains throughout his life all about himself, and that’s 5 00:00:19,660 –> 00:00:22,799 not what it means to be a Christian, to believe in God and be about yourself. 6 00:00:22,799 –> 00:00:28,299 But that’s how it was with Saul. David was very different. He was a regenerated 7 00:00:28,639 –> 00:00:32,720 man, that is, God had given him a new heart. God had given him a heart after 8 00:00:32,720 –> 00:00:38,599 God. And as the story progresses, we’re beginning to see just how different 9 00:00:38,599 –> 00:00:44,180 these two men really are. The different character that flows from a different 10 00:00:44,180 –> 00:00:50,360 heart. And last time we saw how Saul has become a destroyer. Remember wiping out 11 00:00:50,360 –> 00:00:55,459 the whole town of Nob, 85 priests, there, but David has become a deliverer. 12 00:00:55,599 –> 00:01:02,220 And we saw the marvelous story of how he set free the town of Kelah. Now Saul was 13 00:01:02,220 –> 00:01:06,900 the king throughout all of the time covered by this story. But remember that 14 00:01:06,900 –> 00:01:12,260 David had been anointed to be the future king, to be the future king after the 15 00:01:12,260 –> 00:01:17,879 time of Saul, to be his successor. And so here we have David the future king, the 16 00:01:17,879 –> 00:01:23,139 king in waiting, and he’s been loyal to Saul. He has served Saul. He’s been the 17 00:01:23,320 –> 00:01:30,180 commander in Saul’s army. But Saul has become jealous of David. And he has 18 00:01:30,180 –> 00:01:35,860 increasingly become obsessed with this one objective. He’s living now to try and 19 00:01:35,860 –> 00:01:42,680 destroy David and to get rid of him. Now I want you to think today about a Saul 20 00:01:42,680 –> 00:01:49,040 in your life. A person who has been antagonistic or hostile towards you. 21 00:01:49,379 –> 00:01:54,120 Perhaps a person who has made accusations against you, sort of person 22 00:01:54,120 –> 00:01:59,500 who is always on your case. Might be someone in the workplace, might be 23 00:01:59,500 –> 00:02:05,540 someone in the school. Remember that David worked for Saul first as a 24 00:02:05,540 –> 00:02:11,839 musician and then as the army commander and David has given to Saul the best of 25 00:02:11,839 –> 00:02:17,080 loyal service but nothing David did ever was pleasing to Saul. Perhaps there’s 26 00:02:17,279 –> 00:02:22,399 like that in your life and and they’re making your life really difficult and 27 00:02:22,399 –> 00:02:27,580 nothing you do ever pleases them. Or it maybe that this is in the circle of the 28 00:02:27,580 –> 00:02:33,580 family. Remember that David was Saul’s son-in-law. He had married Michael, the 29 00:02:33,580 –> 00:02:39,119 daughter of Saul. So this is a story that speaks to division in the family, to 30 00:02:39,119 –> 00:02:44,279 tension in the family, to a person who becomes hostile within the family and it 31 00:02:44,500 –> 00:02:50,899 everyone else apart. And the question then is, how are you to handle this 32 00:02:50,899 –> 00:02:58,399 hostile person? How are you to deal with this relentless antagonism that just 33 00:02:58,399 –> 00:03:03,860 colors the whole world of your work or perhaps your family? This person is 34 00:03:03,860 –> 00:03:08,699 always against you. This person for whom nothing you do is ever right. Nothing you 35 00:03:08,699 –> 00:03:15,899 say can ever be accepted at face value. Well, you don’t need me to tell you of 36 00:03:15,899 –> 00:03:19,740 course that our culture is becoming increasingly hostile to Christians and 37 00:03:19,740 –> 00:03:25,259 we therefore need all the wisdom that we can get in order to know how to handle 38 00:03:25,259 –> 00:03:30,059 hostility. It should not surprise us to find ourselves in the same position as 39 00:03:30,059 –> 00:03:35,259 David where people assume that we are the problem, that if we are Christians we 40 00:03:35,259 –> 00:03:39,880 are up to no good and that we are not people who can be trusted. So we need to 41 00:03:39,880 –> 00:03:47,300 learn how to live with and how to handle with grace the kind of antagonism that 42 00:03:47,300 –> 00:03:54,839 came to David and perhaps increasingly will be our experience also. We got to 43 00:03:54,839 –> 00:03:59,919 chapter 23 in verse 6 last time you remember where we ended Saul sought 44 00:03:59,919 –> 00:04:08,720 David every day but God did not give him into his hands. So here’s this 45 00:04:08,720 –> 00:04:14,360 relentless antagonism that’s coming from Saul and God is protecting David not 46 00:04:14,360 –> 00:04:18,799 giving him into his hands. Saul can never quite find him or get hold of him and 47 00:04:18,799 –> 00:04:27,359 then one day one day God allows David to be in a position where he had the 48 00:04:27,359 –> 00:04:32,720 opportunity to put an end to it all. Where Saul was delivered into David’s 49 00:04:32,720 –> 00:04:39,820 hands and was really at his mercy. In fact this happened not once but it 50 00:04:39,820 –> 00:04:45,100 happened twice. The first of these I’m calling the story of the robe and the 51 00:04:45,100 –> 00:04:49,820 second the story of the spear. Let me tell the stories in brief outline 52 00:04:49,820 –> 00:04:53,980 and then I want us to draw from them the lessons that we find in the Scripture 53 00:04:53,980 –> 00:05:00,459 here about how we should handle people who are antagonistic towards us. So I hope 54 00:05:00,459 –> 00:05:04,660 you have your Bible open in First Samuel chapter 24. The story here is that Saul 55 00:05:04,660 –> 00:05:09,579 has now gathered an army of 3,000 men, a very large army, to go after 56 00:05:09,579 –> 00:05:14,440 David. And David has a much smaller group of men who pledged their loyalty to him 57 00:05:14,440 –> 00:05:17,980 and they’re on the move and they’re hiding in forests and they’re hiding in 58 00:05:17,980 –> 00:05:23,500 caves and so on. Then in verse 3 of chapter 24 we read that Saul came to the 59 00:05:23,500 –> 00:05:31,019 sheep folds by the way where there was a cave and Saul went in to relieve 60 00:05:31,019 –> 00:05:33,720 himself. So we’re out in the wilderness here. 61 00:05:33,720 –> 00:05:40,880 There are no restrooms in the wilderness and so Saul goes into a cave and most 62 00:05:40,880 –> 00:05:45,239 likely he would have taken off his robe thrown it a bit further back into this 63 00:05:45,239 –> 00:05:51,100 cave. Not realizing that much further back in the cave in this vast cavern are 64 00:05:51,320 –> 00:05:58,720 David and his mighty men and the men of David realizing that Saul’s come into 65 00:05:58,720 –> 00:06:02,399 the mouth of the cave, there in the back, they say verse 4 well now here is the 66 00:06:02,399 –> 00:06:06,600 day of which the Lord has said to you David behold I will give your enemy into 67 00:06:06,600 –> 00:06:12,040 your hands and you can imagine that this must have been a massive temptation for 68 00:06:12,040 –> 00:06:19,940 David, one thrust of his sword into Saul and all this relentless antagonism that 69 00:06:20,079 –> 00:06:25,299 has dominated his life now for years is put to an end. One thrust of the sword 70 00:06:25,299 –> 00:06:30,940 into Saul and David becomes king and life is going to get so much better for 71 00:06:30,940 –> 00:06:37,820 all these people who have suffered under the tyranny of Saul for so long and the 72 00:06:37,820 –> 00:06:44,140 arguments for seizing the moment are overwhelming to David’s men Saul’s 73 00:06:44,140 –> 00:06:49,640 become a tyrant the nation’s on the road to ruin, David take the sword here’s 74 00:06:49,700 –> 00:06:54,739 your opportunity put an end to Saul right now the end will justify the means. 75 00:06:54,739 –> 00:06:59,359 You can imagine that argument. Can’t you David? thousands of people will thank 76 00:06:59,359 –> 00:07:07,220 you if you will put an end to Saul right now and the arguments seem to be 77 00:07:07,220 –> 00:07:16,739 overwhelming except for one thing God said you shall not kill and Saul was a 78 00:07:16,739 –> 00:07:25,040 bad king he was a king and rebellion against God but he was still the King 79 00:07:25,040 –> 00:07:34,739 and David refuses to do anything that will harm saw and so instead he creeps 80 00:07:34,739 –> 00:07:40,739 forward and with his sword just cuts the corner of Saul’s robe that presumably 81 00:07:40,739 –> 00:07:46,200 had been thrown behind him while he was there in these moments in the 82 00:07:46,200 –> 00:07:52,359 cave and David’s men can hardly believe that David is passing up this unique 83 00:07:52,359 –> 00:07:57,160 opportunity to put an end to Saul if the roles were reversed of course Saul would 84 00:07:57,160 –> 00:08:00,779 have finished David off in a moment and and David’s men are saying in effect 85 00:08:00,779 –> 00:08:07,380 well if you won’t do it we will we’ll take responsibility the verse seven 86 00:08:07,380 –> 00:08:14,200 tells us that David did not permit his men to attack Saul he holds them back 87 00:08:14,200 –> 00:08:19,660 so now you’ve got the picture Sol finishes his business he comes out of 88 00:08:19,660 –> 00:08:28,100 the cave he has absolutely no idea of the grace the kindness and the sheer 89 00:08:28,100 –> 00:08:35,640 loyalty that has been shown to him by this man David until David comes out 90 00:08:35,700 –> 00:08:44,799 holding the corner of Saul’s robe in his hand and we’ll come in just a moment to 91 00:08:44,799 –> 00:08:50,440 what David said to Saul and then what Saul said to David and what we can learn 92 00:08:50,440 –> 00:08:55,520 from it and there’s so much here but I want you to notice first that this 93 00:08:55,520 –> 00:09:01,719 sparing of Saul’s life this grace that David extended to Saul happened not 94 00:09:01,979 –> 00:09:07,679 simply on one occasion but it happened twice it’s very significant because you 95 00:09:07,679 –> 00:09:12,919 remember earlier in the story twice Saul the Destroyer tries to take David’s life 96 00:09:12,919 –> 00:09:17,419 by throwing the spear and we’re now reading in the Bible that twice David 97 00:09:17,419 –> 00:09:24,700 the deliverer saved Saul’s life by intervening on his behalf and the second 98 00:09:24,700 –> 00:09:27,900 story is just over a couple of pages and you can read it in full in your leisure 99 00:09:28,200 –> 00:09:33,219 I’ll just give you a quick outline of the story it’s in a chapter 26 it’s the 100 00:09:33,219 –> 00:09:39,380 story of the spear and the significance of the second story is that Saul did not 101 00:09:39,380 –> 00:09:45,979 change even after he was shown grace by David in regards to the story of the 102 00:09:45,979 –> 00:09:51,460 robe in chapter 26 Saul is back doing what he had always done before hunting 103 00:09:51,700 –> 00:09:59,739 David and trying to destroy him . . . Isn’t this interesting even after Saul tasted grace it 104 00:09:59,739 –> 00:10:07,700 did not change him he remained the same, and so chapter 26 where Saul is 105 00:10:07,700 –> 00:10:10,960 back on the hunt for David, David finds the camp where Saul and his three 106 00:10:10,960 –> 00:10:17,380 thousand men are sleeping and verse 5 of chapter 26 David rose and he came to the 107 00:10:17,380 –> 00:10:22,780 place where Saul had encamped and David saw the place where Saul lay with Abner 108 00:10:22,780 –> 00:10:27,979 the son of Ner who was the commander of his army. And Saul was lying within the 109 00:10:27,979 –> 00:10:33,460 encampment while the army was encamped all around him so David now goes into 110 00:10:33,460 –> 00:10:38,219 the camp at night while Saul is asleep with this man Abishai his friend with 111 00:10:38,219 –> 00:10:45,179 him and David and Abishai, verse 7, they went to the army by night and there lay 112 00:10:45,219 –> 00:10:54,820 Saul sleeping within the encampment notice guess what with his spear he 113 00:10:54,820 –> 00:11:03,820 keeps coming up his spear stuck in the ground at his head and Abner and the 114 00:11:03,820 –> 00:11:12,539 army lay around him. So here is Saul asleep on the ground and this very spear 115 00:11:12,859 –> 00:11:18,000 that he has thrown twice at David to try and take his life is stuck in the 116 00:11:18,000 –> 00:11:22,380 ground point in the ground just next to Saul’s head it would be so easy to pick 117 00:11:22,380 –> 00:11:31,479 it up like that down like that end of Saul and he’s sound asleep and Abishai 118 00:11:31,479 –> 00:11:36,219 verse 8 says well God has given your enemy into your hand 119 00:11:36,219 –> 00:11:42,340 David this is exactly the same pattern as the story in chapter 24 120 00:11:42,500 –> 00:11:48,619 verse 10 of chapter 26 David says as the Lord lives the Lord will strike him or 121 00:11:48,619 –> 00:11:55,619 his day will come to die or he will go down to battle and perish but the Lord 122 00:11:55,619 –> 00:12:02,960 forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed and so in 123 00:12:02,960 –> 00:12:07,900 this wonderful story just like David cut off at the corner of the robe in the 124 00:12:08,599 –> 00:12:14,559 incident David just takes the spear and slips out along with Abishai out of the 125 00:12:14,559 –> 00:12:19,719 camp goes up the hillside on some distance away and then shouts over to 126 00:12:19,719 –> 00:12:24,719 waken up Abner who was the commander supposedly responsible for protecting 127 00:12:24,719 –> 00:12:28,260 the King but he’d I guess fallen asleep at the wheel as it were 128 00:12:28,260 –> 00:12:32,940 Abner wakes up and finds to his absolute horror that David’s been able to get 129 00:12:33,179 –> 00:12:39,299 up to the head of Saul and David shows the spear and again the spear like the 130 00:12:39,299 –> 00:12:46,340 corner of the robe is really evidence of grace twice Saul the destroyer has tried 131 00:12:46,340 –> 00:12:50,159 to take the life of David and relentlessly he’s been on the move 132 00:12:50,159 –> 00:12:55,219 trying to find him except that God will not give him up but twice David has had 133 00:12:55,320 –> 00:13:03,619 opportunity to take the life of Saul and he will not do it. He shows grace to the 134 00:13:03,619 –> 00:13:14,280 person who has been so persistently and so pervasively hostile towards him now 135 00:13:14,280 –> 00:13:18,099 that’s the story, it’s a wonderful story and it’s given to us not so that we’ll 136 00:13:18,099 –> 00:13:22,020 know many interesting things about David but so that we might know how to live 137 00:13:22,179 –> 00:13:28,539 the Christian life today and so let me offer to you simply this as we see how 138 00:13:28,539 –> 00:13:35,979 David displayed grace I want to offer to you from this seven ways to handle a 139 00:13:35,979 –> 00:13:39,659 hostile person and you’ll see they’re all in the story and they just directly 140 00:13:39,659 –> 00:13:44,260 come out from it so you’re thinking now about someone who is difficult in your 141 00:13:44,260 –> 00:13:48,219 life, antagonistic towards you, how are you to handle them in a way that 142 00:13:48,900 –> 00:13:56,919 grace, what does grace look like in the reality of our world today. Let me make 143 00:13:56,919 –> 00:14:01,859 these observations from the Bible for you. Number one and this just comes from 144 00:14:01,859 –> 00:14:08,099 the whole story and then we’ll get to the specifics practice restraint this 145 00:14:08,099 –> 00:14:13,320 was huge and very obvious. In both occasions, David holds back any desire to 146 00:14:13,380 –> 00:14:19,280 get even. He holds it back in the cave and at the camp. The temptation must have 147 00:14:19,280 –> 00:14:25,619 been there surely. Saul has done so much harm and there is always an instinct in 148 00:14:25,619 –> 00:14:33,299 our flesh to say, Now I’m going to get my own back. Now I’m going to get even. But 149 00:14:33,299 –> 00:14:41,539 this is a marvelous picture of God’s restraining grace. God does not give us 150 00:14:41,659 –> 00:14:51,219 what we deserve. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. If God treated any of 151 00:14:51,219 –> 00:14:58,760 us as we deserved our life would be hell on earth. But he does not. There’s 152 00:14:58,760 –> 00:15:07,299 restraining grace that holds back what would otherwise come to us. Let me quote 153 00:15:07,299 –> 00:15:11,419 to you from Proverbs in chapter 24 in verse 29 and I want you to 154 00:15:11,419 –> 00:15:19,460 see that this is in the Old Testament. God says, do not say, I will do to him as 155 00:15:19,460 –> 00:15:26,719 he has done for me. Do not say, I will pay the man back for what he has done. See a 156 00:15:26,719 –> 00:15:30,799 lot of people have the idea that the Old Testament is commending an eye for an eye 157 00:15:30,799 –> 00:15:35,000 in a tooth for a tooth. Do you think that’s the idea in the Old Testament? No. 158 00:15:35,000 –> 00:15:39,539 The eye for the eye and the tooth for tooth, which is enshrined in the Old 159 00:15:40,539 –> 00:15:49,580 Legislation is a limited law. It is to say that recompense, satisfaction is not 160 00:15:49,580 –> 00:15:56,960 to exceed the scale of the crime. It’s not to be you’ve taken my eye and so I’m 161 00:15:56,960 –> 00:15:59,640 going to take your two eyes, your nose, your mouth and your ears and everything 162 00:15:59,640 –> 00:16:04,799 else. You see how trouble escalates. This is how the First World War began, isn’t it? 163 00:16:04,880 –> 00:16:12,460 The guns of August. Escalation. You hit us, we’ll nuke you, you see. No. The whole point of the eye 164 00:16:12,460 –> 00:16:16,520 for the eye and the tooth for the tooth is it’s limiting legislation and very 165 00:16:16,520 –> 00:16:22,460 necessary. But even in the Old Testament God’s people are called not simply to 166 00:16:22,460 –> 00:16:26,140 live by legislation, but by grace, which is why the Book of Proverbs in the Old 167 00:16:26,140 –> 00:16:31,580 Testament says do not say I will do to him as he has done to me because if 168 00:16:31,580 –> 00:16:34,659 you’re reflecting the character of God, whether you’re living before or after 169 00:16:34,679 –> 00:16:39,940 the cross, you’re gonna be doing what Jesus spoke about and what David’s doing 170 00:16:39,940 –> 00:16:48,080 here, which is what? Love your enemies. So, practise restraint and understand how 171 00:16:48,080 –> 00:16:53,419 glorious this is, that that is commended to us and modeled to us even in the Old 172 00:16:53,419 –> 00:16:58,000 Testament in these very harsh and early days. 173 00:16:58,260 –> 00:17:06,000 Number two, show appropriate respect. So, you’re thinking about this person who’s 174 00:17:06,000 –> 00:17:10,239 been antagonistic towards you, I’ve got to by the grace of God exercise 175 00:17:10,239 –> 00:17:17,760 self-control, I’m not in the business of trying to get even. And secondly, I want 176 00:17:17,760 –> 00:17:22,359 because I want to be a peacemaker at all times, to show to this person proper 177 00:17:22,359 –> 00:17:24,619 respect. That’s in verse 8. 178 00:17:28,819 –> 00:17:31,079 Notice how he speaks to Saul who’s hated 179 00:17:31,079 –> 00:17:32,160 him so much. 180 00:17:44,839 –> 00:17:50,400 Now, the scriptures are really clear on this principle. It’s very important that if you 181 00:17:50,400 –> 00:17:57,339 have a bad boss, you have a dysfunctional parent, you’re in a relationship where 182 00:17:57,339 –> 00:18:05,160 someone has behaved badly. The scripture says give honor to whom honor is due. 183 00:18:05,160 –> 00:18:10,819 That’s Romans 13 and verse 7. Honor your father and mother, that’s the fifth 184 00:18:10,819 –> 00:18:17,540 commandment. Honor everyone, 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 17 and 185 00:18:17,540 –> 00:18:23,060 particularly honor the Emperor one Peter 2 and verse 17. Well, what kind of emperor 186 00:18:23,099 –> 00:18:28,420 did they have in the days when Peter was writing? A dreadful one, but you still 187 00:18:28,420 –> 00:18:36,319 honor and you still give honor to whom honor is due. Show respect for other 188 00:18:36,319 –> 00:18:42,420 people, especially other people who God has put in positions of authority over 189 00:18:42,420 –> 00:18:49,020 you. They may not exercise that authority well, Saul was a disaster. But notice the 190 00:18:49,140 –> 00:18:53,660 example of David, he does not say, Well Saul’s forfeited any right, to any 191 00:18:53,660 –> 00:19:00,900 respect from me. He shows respect because he’s a man of grace, and he wants to see 192 00:19:00,900 –> 00:19:09,060 hostility lowered, not to see it increased. 3. Make the kindest 193 00:19:09,060 –> 00:19:16,579 possible assumption. Verse 9, David said to Saul, Why do you listen to the words 194 00:19:16,760 –> 00:19:25,959 of men who say, Behold David seeks your harm.” Now that was very simply folks, the 195 00:19:25,959 –> 00:19:32,439 kindest possible assumption. We saw last time that Saul was absolutely convinced 196 00:19:32,439 –> 00:19:37,140 that David was out to get him but David lifts the burden of this off the 197 00:19:37,140 –> 00:19:43,359 shoulders of Saul and points to the role of his advisors. Why have you listened 198 00:19:44,239 –> 00:19:49,839 he says, taking it somewhat away from Saul, the men who say that David seeks 199 00:19:49,839 –> 00:19:56,599 your harm. AW Pink, who is wonderfully helpful here, speaks about the method we 200 00:19:56,599 –> 00:20:03,160 should follow when seeking to subdue the malice of those who hate us and he says 201 00:20:03,160 –> 00:20:07,199 this, I quote, 202 00:20:13,800 –> 00:20:28,780 You see how generous David is being towards Saul here? 203 00:20:28,780 –> 00:20:35,560 Well, with the attitude that Saul has, it must be that others have spoken ill. 204 00:20:35,560 –> 00:20:40,239 It must be that others have given him false information. It must be that he has 205 00:20:40,280 –> 00:20:44,959 listened to others who have stirred him up. And, do you see how David is reaching 206 00:20:44,959 –> 00:20:51,180 out to heal the breach, if that were possible? Do you see how grace is creating 207 00:20:51,180 –> 00:20:58,300 room for some kind of lowering of tensions and lowering of hostility. 208 00:20:58,300 –> 00:21:01,660 Number 4 — demonstrate grace. 209 00:21:01,660 –> 00:21:03,359 Verse 10, 210 00:21:03,359 –> 00:21:08,540 Behold this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you into my hand in the 211 00:21:08,979 –> 00:21:14,020 cave, and some told me to kill you, but I spared you, and I said I will not put out 212 00:21:14,020 –> 00:21:18,819 my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed. 213 00:21:18,819 –> 00:21:22,900 And David holds up the corner of the robe 214 00:21:22,900 –> 00:21:27,420 as the evidence of grace. 215 00:21:27,420 –> 00:21:28,280 Verse 11 216 00:21:28,280 –> 00:21:33,959 See my Father. See the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I 217 00:21:34,060 –> 00:21:39,619 cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that 218 00:21:39,619 –> 00:21:46,619 there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you 219 00:21:46,939 –> 00:21:51,819 hunt my life to take it. 220 00:21:51,819 –> 00:21:58,819 So here’s David laying out evidence of grace. It is demonstrated, not only in his 221 00:21:59,680 –> 00:22:06,300 words, but in his actions. Because he’s seeking to reach out to this person who has 222 00:22:06,300 –> 00:22:12,459 been so hostile towards him. And we are being given here the most marvelous reflection 223 00:22:12,459 –> 00:22:19,119 of the grace of God in Jesus Christ in the life of this person in this hardest and 224 00:22:19,119 –> 00:22:21,920 toughest of all situations. 225 00:22:22,119 –> 00:22:27,199 Number five, appeal to the 226 00:22:27,199 –> 00:22:36,239 relationship at its best. You want to see some healing of hostility? You want to 227 00:22:36,239 –> 00:22:42,160 see some lowering of tensions in the workplace? Appeal to the relationship at 228 00:22:42,160 –> 00:22:50,219 its best. Do you notice what he says there in verse 11 to Saul? See my father, 229 00:22:50,300 –> 00:22:57,400 see the corner of your robe in my hand. Now of all the ways for David to 230 00:22:57,400 –> 00:23:02,140 describe Saul after all that had gone on, my father. Of course he was. He was 231 00:23:02,140 –> 00:23:06,739 married to Saul’s daughter and so he was his father-in-law. That was the 232 00:23:06,739 –> 00:23:14,859 relationship at its best. He might easily have come out and said see my enemy, see 233 00:23:14,979 –> 00:23:22,000 my king. But it’s very distinct isn’t it. He is appealing to the very deepest and 234 00:23:22,000 –> 00:23:27,099 strongest foundation of this relationship, because he’s reaching out. 235 00:23:27,099 –> 00:23:31,780 He’s trying to show grace. He’s trying to see some change in regards to the 236 00:23:31,780 –> 00:23:38,459 hostility that has been coming from Saul. Saul, we’re in the same family. I’m never 237 00:23:38,599 –> 00:23:46,280 gonna hurt you. My father. This is so important in trying to deal with the 238 00:23:46,280 –> 00:23:55,459 hostile person. We’re on the same team. We’re part of the same family. We’re 239 00:23:55,459 –> 00:24:04,040 sisters in the Lord. Again Pink, who is helpful here points out. This came to me 240 00:24:04,839 –> 00:24:12,599 when I saw it. You remember when Judas comes to Jesus and he’s going to kiss 241 00:24:12,599 –> 00:24:16,040 him in the Garden of Gethsemane to betray him and he’s going to go to his 242 00:24:16,040 –> 00:24:25,300 death. And Jesus does not say to him traitor, what you do quickly 243 00:24:25,300 –> 00:24:31,520 do it quickly. He doesn’t say to him betrayer what you do do it quickly. 244 00:24:31,660 –> 00:24:41,479 Do you remember what he says, friend do what you have come to do quickly. Friend 245 00:24:41,680 –> 00:24:48,619 appeals to the relationship at its best with this most hostile of people. If 246 00:24:48,619 –> 00:24:52,380 that’s what Jesus does in relation to Judas, if that’s what David does in 247 00:24:52,380 –> 00:24:59,319 relation to Saul then that is what we are able to do with the folks who may be 248 00:24:59,359 –> 00:25:07,579 hostile towards us and make our lives very very difficult indeed. Number six. 249 00:25:07,579 –> 00:25:16,979 Do good without expecting it in return. You’re dealing with a hostile person? Don’t 250 00:25:16,979 –> 00:25:20,760 try and negotiate. Notice how David doesn’t do that. Verse 251 00:25:20,760 –> 00:25:28,400 12, Saul realizes the position that he’s in and he says verse 20 and this has 252 00:25:28,660 –> 00:25:34,119 been clear in earlier parts of the story that Saul really does know that David is 253 00:25:34,119 –> 00:25:39,939 going to be king. But he affirms it again here, verse 20, and now behold I know that 254 00:25:39,939 –> 00:25:46,500 you shall surely be king and that the Kingdom of Israel shall be established 255 00:25:46,500 –> 00:25:52,079 in your hand. I know it’s true. I know that you’re the Lord’s anointed. That’s 256 00:25:52,079 –> 00:25:55,819 what Saul saying and then immediately you notice that he asks for something. 257 00:25:56,060 –> 00:26:00,400 Saul says, so swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my 258 00:26:00,400 –> 00:26:05,680 offspring after me as his children and that you will not destroy my name, my 259 00:26:05,680 –> 00:26:11,959 family line, in other words, out of my father’s house. And David swore this to 260 00:26:11,959 –> 00:26:17,260 Saul. I know you’re going to be king. Please promise me that you won’t harm my 261 00:26:17,260 –> 00:26:21,199 family and David says of course I won’t harm your family your family is my 262 00:26:21,380 –> 00:26:28,699 family. I swear it to you. Now of course if David was a good negotiating he would 263 00:26:28,699 –> 00:26:34,459 have said let’s do a deal. I’ll give you this promise if you’ll call off this 264 00:26:34,459 –> 00:26:38,359 relentless hunt an antagonism against me and then we’ll not have chapter 26 you 265 00:26:38,359 –> 00:26:47,619 see. But David is a wise person. He knows that it does not help to negotiate with 266 00:26:48,020 –> 00:26:52,180 a hostile person who may not even be able to keep the word that they gave it 267 00:26:52,180 –> 00:26:59,160 they were ready to give it to you. And so he follows the pattern of Christ and he 268 00:26:59,160 –> 00:27:06,219 does good without seeking it in return. This is Romans chapter 12. You see you 269 00:27:06,219 –> 00:27:11,339 overcome evil by doing good. He gives this commitment and he gives this 270 00:27:11,339 –> 00:27:17,479 promise he doesn’t ask for anything in return, and I do want you to notice this 271 00:27:17,560 –> 00:27:23,040 as well that after all this has happened, if you look in verse 22 at the end of 272 00:27:23,040 –> 00:27:28,280 the chapter, David does not then go back home with him. It says there that Saul 273 00:27:28,280 –> 00:27:34,680 went home but David and his men went up to the stronghold. In other words, for all 274 00:27:34,680 –> 00:27:40,959 the kindness that David has shown, he does not have any expectation that there 275 00:27:40,959 –> 00:27:47,160 will be a change in Saul or that in some way Saul’s antagonism towards him is 276 00:27:47,160 –> 00:27:53,160 suddenly going to be changed. He just does good anyway. He just does it anyway. 277 00:27:53,160 –> 00:28:03,959 Grace meant that David did good to Saul. It did not mean that he trusted someone 278 00:28:03,959 –> 00:28:11,760 who had repeatedly deceived him and been antagonistic towards him to somehow 279 00:28:11,839 –> 00:28:17,839 change when there was no evidence whatsoever of change. But he does good 280 00:28:17,839 –> 00:28:24,939 anyway. Not in order to get something but because that’s how God is. Because He 281 00:28:24,939 –> 00:28:30,199 shows kindness that is intended to lead us to repentance even although in 282 00:28:30,199 –> 00:28:36,819 thousands and thousands and millions of lives it does not. And then here’s the 283 00:28:36,880 –> 00:28:41,040 last thing here. Trust God for your vindication. Trust God for your 284 00:28:41,040 –> 00:28:46,839 vindication. Verse 25 he says may the Lord therefore judge and give sentence 285 00:28:46,839 –> 00:28:52,939 between me and you and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your 286 00:28:52,939 –> 00:29:01,780 hand. It’s not easy as many of you know well to live under a barrage of false 287 00:29:01,780 –> 00:29:06,780 accusation and puning of your motives, people assuming the worst about you and 288 00:29:06,780 –> 00:29:12,079 Jesus said look it’s gonna happen. He said to his disciples people will say 289 00:29:12,079 –> 00:29:17,859 all kinds of evil against you on account of my name and he said when it happens 290 00:29:17,859 –> 00:29:21,280 remember you’re in good company because that’s what happened with regards to the 291 00:29:21,280 –> 00:29:24,560 Prophet and of course all kinds of evil was said 292 00:29:24,560 –> 00:29:30,459 about our Lord Jesus and when it was said of our Lord Jesus Peter says when 293 00:29:30,459 –> 00:29:34,199 he was reviled he did not revile back in return. What did he do? 294 00:29:34,420 –> 00:29:42,280 He trusted his Heavenly Father and looked to him for his vindication and that’s 295 00:29:42,280 –> 00:29:45,939 what David is doing here he’s saying well now I’m not going to be the one 296 00:29:45,939 –> 00:29:49,079 who’s going to be able to demonstrate the rights and wrongs of all of this 297 00:29:49,079 –> 00:29:56,400 but I am trusting my case into the hands of the Heavenly Father and He will make 298 00:29:56,400 –> 00:30:03,859 judgment. He will pass sentence with regards to both you and me now this is a 299 00:30:04,040 –> 00:30:10,300 wonderful, wonderful seven-fold manifestation of Grace. It’s a marvelous 300 00:30:10,300 –> 00:30:15,560 model to really ponder as to how we can learn from these things and put them 301 00:30:15,560 –> 00:30:22,099 into practice. Things that reflect the very Grace of God in a world where there 302 00:30:22,099 –> 00:30:28,500 is so much hostility. How to handle a hostile person practice restraint, show 303 00:30:28,500 –> 00:30:36,280 appropriate respect, make the kindest possible assumption, demonstrate Grace, 304 00:30:36,280 –> 00:30:41,719 appeal to the relationship at its best, do good without expected it back in 305 00:30:41,719 –> 00:30:47,939 return and trust your vindication not into your own hands, but into the very 306 00:30:47,939 –> 00:30:57,599 hands of God. Now folks we need these things because we’re living in a world 307 00:30:57,599 –> 00:31:02,660 in which there’s much hostility, and you won’t get through life without finding 308 00:31:02,660 –> 00:31:11,040 yourself in this kind of a position. We want to be people of Grace. Now in these 309 00:31:11,040 –> 00:31:14,459 last moments let me just address this question what came of this? 310 00:31:14,459 –> 00:31:22,719 What came of this evidence of Grace poured out? And the answer is that Saul 311 00:31:23,380 –> 00:31:28,979 That’s the point of chapter 26. Don’t expect that we live in a world 312 00:31:28,979 –> 00:31:32,800 in which if you act in a Christ-honoring way that somehow that’s 313 00:31:32,800 –> 00:31:38,900 going to bring transformation to the entire workplace. It may not. The tragedy 314 00:31:38,900 –> 00:31:47,380 of Saul is that although David offers kindness and extends grace, Saul never 315 00:31:47,400 –> 00:31:56,060 actually changed. And so you’ll see at the end of the chapter that he weeps, but 316 00:31:56,060 –> 00:32:02,660 he doesn’t repent. Saul lifted up his voice and he wept. Yeah, but you see in 317 00:32:02,660 –> 00:32:06,739 chapter 26 he’s back to the old paths just doing what he always did, hunting 318 00:32:06,739 –> 00:32:10,060 David and trying to destroy him. So there’s a regret here, but there’s not 319 00:32:10,060 –> 00:32:16,599 repentance. He weeps but he does not change. He concedes but he doesn’t 320 00:32:16,599 –> 00:32:21,599 confess, he says to David verse 17, you’re more righteous than I for you 321 00:32:21,599 –> 00:32:27,719 have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. Well he’s giving 322 00:32:27,719 –> 00:32:31,579 something to David, but there’s no way that counts as any kind of confession 323 00:32:31,579 –> 00:32:38,140 before God. Matthew Henry says, bad men will commonly go no further for this in 324 00:32:38,140 –> 00:32:42,319 their confession. They will say they are not as good as some others are and that 325 00:32:42,319 –> 00:32:47,280 there are those who are better than they, more righteous. So Saul comes up and 326 00:32:47,280 –> 00:32:52,479 you say, you know David, you’re right, I’ve been in the wrong here. Big deal. 327 00:32:52,479 –> 00:33:00,680 There’s no change ever comes out of that. So well, I know I’m not perfect God. No 328 00:33:00,680 –> 00:33:08,400 change ever gonna come out of that. It’s a concession, certainly not a confession. 329 00:33:08,560 –> 00:33:14,300 And he asks, he asked David for this favor that he will not wipe out the 330 00:33:14,300 –> 00:33:17,660 descendants and David of course immediately makes that promise and was 331 00:33:17,660 –> 00:33:21,800 true to it. He asks but he does not commit, there’s nothing that’s coming 332 00:33:21,800 –> 00:33:28,119 back, he simply asks of this one who points us forward to Jesus Christ but he 333 00:33:28,119 –> 00:33:31,760 does not make any commitment to him, swear therefore by the Lord that you 334 00:33:31,760 –> 00:33:37,739 will not cut off my offspring after me. Very interesting here’s this man who 335 00:33:37,959 –> 00:33:41,420 he’s soon going to go out into eternity, he’s worried about the future 336 00:33:41,420 –> 00:33:45,939 of his family on earth, he’s still giving no thought to the future of his own soul 337 00:33:45,939 –> 00:33:56,819 in eternity sorting out the will, making sure it’s alright for everybody else but 338 00:33:56,819 –> 00:34:04,219 what about your soul? What about where you’re going? And so Saul does not change 339 00:34:04,819 –> 00:34:10,659 Here’s the tragedy of this person and we’re to learn from it. The discipline of 340 00:34:10,659 –> 00:34:21,139 God does not break him and the kindness of God does not melt him. He remains as 341 00:34:21,139 –> 00:34:34,040 he always was, a man with a hardened heart consumed with himself and some of 342 00:34:34,040 –> 00:34:40,739 us needs to hear this story from the perspective of David, but some of us need 343 00:34:40,739 –> 00:34:46,979 to hear the story from the perspective of Saul. Here’s your position, let me 344 00:34:46,979 –> 00:34:54,899 describe it to you. You know the truth. Saul says I know David that you’re 345 00:34:54,899 –> 00:34:58,179 going to be on the throne. He knew this. He didn’t like it. He kept pushing the 346 00:34:58,179 –> 00:35:03,060 truth away but he knew it. He knew it in his heart. He’d known it for a long time. 347 00:35:03,500 –> 00:35:09,540 And you know the truth. That there’s a God in heaven who, by a right, lays claim to 348 00:35:09,540 –> 00:35:16,239 your life and you don’t like this truth. You keep pushing this truth away, but you 349 00:35:16,239 –> 00:35:21,840 know that it is true. Romans chapter 1, although they knew God, they did not 350 00:35:21,840 –> 00:35:26,679 honor him. And although Saul knows the truth what does he do? He believes the 351 00:35:26,679 –> 00:35:32,739 lie, the lie that is constantly repeated, David’s against you, David’s against you. 352 00:35:32,760 –> 00:35:39,500 The Lord’s anointed is out to get you and do you harm? And in the same way 353 00:35:39,500 –> 00:35:43,540 there’s someone here today and you, though you know the truth, that there is 354 00:35:43,540 –> 00:35:47,739 an eternal God who lays claim to your life, you have believed the lie. And the 355 00:35:47,739 –> 00:35:51,100 reason that you have not committed yourself to him is that you believe in 356 00:35:51,100 –> 00:35:55,360 your heart of hearts that this God is out to get you, that this God is out to 357 00:35:55,360 –> 00:35:59,919 harm you. That this God, in some way, is going to make your life less and that 358 00:35:59,959 –> 00:36:03,520 your life will be far better if it’s in your own hands than if it were in his. 359 00:36:03,520 –> 00:36:09,959 You believe that lie and that’s why you keep pushing him away. Like Saul, you’ve 360 00:36:09,959 –> 00:36:15,639 seen evidence of grace. There’s David the Lord’s anointed ,he holds up on one 361 00:36:15,639 –> 00:36:19,600 occasion the corner of the rope, he holds up on another occasion the sphere and he 362 00:36:19,600 –> 00:36:24,520 says, look you have nothing to fear from the Lord’s anointed. David is saying 363 00:36:24,580 –> 00:36:34,399 because, here’ grace, here’s the evidence that I am for you Saul! God holds before 364 00:36:34,399 –> 00:36:42,280 you today not the corner of a robe nor a spear but holds before you a cross. You 365 00:36:42,280 –> 00:36:46,040 believed the lie that God is out to harm you. That your lives going to be less if 366 00:36:46,040 –> 00:36:50,479 you become a fully devoted follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and he holds 367 00:36:51,120 –> 00:36:55,199 you the cross today and he says here is the evidence that I am 368 00:36:55,199 –> 00:37:00,780 not out to harm you more than that that I am totally for you. God demonstrates 369 00:37:00,780 –> 00:37:06,360 his own love for us in this, the while we were still sinners. While we were just 370 00:37:06,360 –> 00:37:16,360 resisting him and antagonistic towards him. Christ died for us that’s grace and 371 00:37:16,360 –> 00:37:19,959 the tragedy of Saul’s life was that when grace was displayed he just kept 372 00:37:19,959 –> 00:37:25,040 pushing it away and so on the basis of the story in God’s Word I say to you 373 00:37:25,040 –> 00:37:33,479 today. Don’t be like that. Today if you hear his voice do not harden your heart. 374 00:37:33,479 –> 00:37:42,199 Come to Christ in faith. Come to Christ in repentance. Come to Christ in 375 00:37:42,199 –> 00:37:48,919 confession, and why would you not want to be a reconciled to this God of grace 376 00:37:48,919 –> 00:38:01,139 who is for you and offers himself to you in Jesus Christ even today. Father draw 377 00:38:01,139 –> 00:38:09,120 us to Yourself by the power of Your Spirit through the blood of Your Son who 378 00:38:09,120 –> 00:38:16,219 loved us and gave himself for us. That Your grace may triumph in many lives 379 00:38:16,219 –> 00:38:25,020 today and that out of this church there may be souls who become David’s by 380 00:38:25,020 –> 00:38:33,540 Your transforming grace and power, for it is in Jesus’ name that we pray and all 381 00:38:33,540 –> 00:38:36,959 God’s people together said, Amen.