But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Sam 16.7
David was ritually anointed by the prophet Samuel before David's brothers as witnesses, to become Israel's future King: Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. 1 Samuel 16.13.
With the Divine rejection of Saul came the election of David, and the Spirit came upon David, leaving Saul. Why anoint David king so far in advance? David knows God‘s will for him, but he must be patient to wait for God to put him in place. An example and lesson in patience for all.
Of all Israel, it was David who came to minister to Saul in his spiritual distress.
The sovereign hand of God is so evident in the lives of David and Saul. Saul’s distress was Divine judgment; the Spirit of God departed from him: But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him 1 Samuel 16.14
A servant of Saul knew of David's musical talent on the harp; and music was understood to soothe those in spiritual distress: seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well. ... Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing... Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me your son David... And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him. 1 Sam 16.14-23
Of all Israel, it was David who was chosen to play before the king.
Here is a lesson in the will of God for your life (in ministry): David knew he would be king by Divine revelation, but how God would bring this about was God’s concern—God would get David where he needed to be, and this account demonstrates God's ability to do so. The will of God we know is His revealed will in Scripture; it is His moral will by which we are to live. That will of God which is not revealed, which involves one's life in ministry works the same way as with David—-God will get you where He wants you: it is His problem, not yours. We need to be living in faith and obedience, and He will get you where He wants you.
Saul’s distressing spirit was probably demonic. The role of music in this situation makes me think of Elvis Presley: spiritual music calmed him.
Through David's brave defeat of the giant Goliath, David would become familiar to and accepting by the people of Israel.
It was David who took on the Giant: this was a lesson concerning the situation of Israel in disobedience to God and the Divine deliverance guaranteed by obedient faith in and a zeal for God.
David learns of the challenge by the giant and is confidence before King Saul that he can defeat the giant by the Lord:
Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. ... The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. 17.33-37
David defeats Goliath by faith in God with a proper perspective about God and His purpose with Israel; David’s zeal and defeat of Goliath is the message of First Samuel:
You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. ...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands. 17.45-47
The difference between David and Saul, I believe is that Saul’s view of God was more like the idolatry of the gentiles: God was a deity who needed to be appeased so that He should bestow favor and blessing. David, on the other hand, knew God’s revelation in the Law; he knew God’s purpose and calling of Israel, and He believed in that revelation and lived accordingly. This even worked in the situation with shepherding the sheep of his father, and in the face of mortal danger, he was brave--the same bravery he had in the taking on of the giant. Saul should have defeated Goliath, as the Lord’s anointed, but He was disobedient and the Spirit had left him.
Another difference between Saul and David was that Saul didn’t fear the Lord as did David. Saul later pursued David with intent to kill him, even though he knew God was with him. And though David would do things later that seemed less brave than what was exhibited with his killing of Goliath, he refused to kill Saul when he had the perfect opportunity to do so. His reason was that Saul was God’s anointed. His actions in letting Saul know he could have killed him involved bravery; and the Lord was with him.
Saul’s fear of David
David is received with honor into the King’s court; he becomes close friends with Jonathan, with whom he makes a covenant, 1 Sam 18.1-5
Jonathan is one of the great figures in Scripture. He was willing to recognize what Saul rejected, that David would be king. Jonathan is David’s close friend through it all, and is one of the godly characters of the Old Testament. Jonathan stands up for David before Saul and warns him of danger: 19.4; 20.32. Jonathan recognizes God’s calling of David to be the King and encourages him spiritually: 1 Samuel 23.14-16. Then Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, "Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that." 16-17
Saul becomes angry at David’s popularity: 1 Sam 18.5-8: Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. So the women sang as they danced, and said: "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."
First Samuel Chapters 19-26 record that David is persecuted and hunted by Saul, but David must be patient and wait on God; God will get him where He wants him.
Saul sets David over his armies, but his popularity due to success angers Saul, which leads to his insane desire to kill David.
Saul knew the Lord was with David: 18.12, 28
Saul’s Daughter given to David as wife as a snare: 18.17: David would have to battle the Philistines, maybe he would die.
Saul seeks to kill David, 19.1
Saul, and in his madness, kills 85 priests and all their families and livestock, because one priest helped David, having the impression that David was on a secret mission by Saul, not knowing David was actually running from Saul, 22.6-23
Saul recognizes his error in seeking David after David spares Saul's life, 24.27; but Saul seeks David again: 26.2; and again he sees his error after David spares him, 26.21.
Samuel dies, (25.1) and Saul seeks a medium and inquires of Samuel: 28.15-19. Saul is desperate when the Philistines gathered for battle, for God will not answer.
The Israelites are attacked by the Philistines (ch 28.1-2; ch 29). As a judgment from God, Saul and his sons die from the battle: 31.6-10.
David is given 2 opportunities to kill Saul, but refuses to do so, because I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed. 24.10 David leaves his situation in God’s hands, 26.9-10: And David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?" David said furthermore, "As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.
This is exactly how it would be for Saul: he would die in battle, along with his sons, and the army of Israel would be delivered into the hand of the Philistines, as Samuel says during the seance: the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [Samuel]. 28.15-19; 31.3-4 Saul was hit by archers and severely wounded; then he falls on his sword to die, to escape abuse by the Philistines.
Why was it wrong for Saul to seek word from Samuel from beyond the grave through the medium? First, it was in direct disobedience to God. Also, it is not being satisfied with what God has revealed, and seeking that which can’t be trusted and what can become an obsession to know what is not for us to know.
Second Samuel
David laments Saul and Jonathan: 1.17-27: The Song of the Bow, verse 22 speaks of Jonathan’s bow, a skilled archer, which evidently gives title to the poem. 1.23: David celebrated the wonderful character of Jonathan, who could remain loyal to his father despite his father’s weakness and his own love for David, whom Saul came to hate so violently. In death, these men were not divided.
David is divinely instructed to go to Hebron, where he is anointed king over Judah. 2.4
Ishbosheth is made king over Israel by army commander Abner...2-12-3.1... There is civil war, but David grew stronger. 2.8
Abner defects to David, but is later revengefully murdered by David’s commander Joab. 3.12
Ishbosheth is assassinated. Ch 4
All the tribes of Israel came to David. All obstacles have been final removed, and now David is finally made king over all Israel: 5.1-5
Jerusalem is taken: 2 Samuel 5.6; 1 Chron 11.6 Joab became captain of army by taking the city: Joab is a significant character in the administration of David.
Philistines are defeated twice, and pushed back, 5.19,25.
The Ark is brought to Jerusalem, ch 6: JERUSALEM BECOMES David’s capital city and place of the Ark.
David wants to build a house for God, but God says no. 1 Chr 22.7-8-10 David shed too much blood. Ch 7 Solomon shall be the builder.
The Davidic Covenant
God will build David’s house: 7.11b – 17. God will establish David’s seed and his throne forever.
The promise and blessing goes beyond Solomon to Jesus Christ, the seed and son of David: Is 11.1-5; Ez 34.23; 37.24-25; Mat 1.1 and 12.23 and 22.41-42
David: Who [am] I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 7.18-28
David recognizes and worships God for His greatness and purpose for Israel.
David is given further conquests....the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. 8.15
David’s sin concerning Uriah the Hittite.
David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 1 Kings 15.5
Because of free will, God allows evil to take place, even by the hand of those who are His people. His people must learn the consequences of failing to walk according to the spirit and fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
God allowed the plan of David to kill Uriah, a man who seemed to be a noble and god-fearing man. With Uriah out of the way, David could marry Bathsheba who carried his child. God allowed David to sin, first with Bathsheba and then with Uriah. God could have sent Nathan the prophet to warn David: “Don’t do this thing…don’t do it because of the consequences…consider the consequences if you carry through with this!”
That is something we should implant in us like a groove in a vinyl record: “consider the consequences if you carry through with this.” Think about this next time inordinate desire arises in your heart. Our strength comes from the Lord when we have his word in our heart to help us discern good from evil and to take every thought captive and judge it, so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Ps 119.11; 2 Cor 10.4-6; Ga 5.16
What David did was known by a few, but God knew, and the thing displeased the Lord. 11.27
Nathan sent to the King to confront him about his sin. Ch 12
Nathan speaks a story that relates to the circumstances of David’s position and the sin and crime he committed. The parable speaks of a wealthy man who takes what belongs to a poor man. This arouses the righteous indignation of David to say that the rich man shall surely Die. Nathan responds: You are the man!
The Divine pronouncement (12.9-12): Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.
David’s response was what we would call godly sorrow: I have sinned against the Lord. 12.13
Godly sorrow is the response that I have sinned against God and has caused people to speak evil of God … I give them reason, ammunition to reject God and His truth. Worldly sorrow is the sorrow that only sees this as a setback in my life, a sorrow because you got caught.
David’s sin was put away by God. The consequence of Adultery is death, but David would not die. 12.13b However, there will be consequences, 12.14. David’s son would die; and there will be adversity in his own home. These are judgments from God divinely caused or allowed, and like it is often with sin, forgiveness doesn’t always remove all the consequences that naturally follow.
The next several chapters give account of the conflicts.
The child dies. 12.15b,18a
David’s son Amnon infatuated with, plots, and carries out the rape of his sister Tamar. 13:12-14
Absalom, Tamar’s brother plots and carries out the murder of Amnon: 13.28-29.
Absalom plots treason, to take over the throne: 15.2-6, 13, 14, 16
Chapters 15-18 gives details of David’s departure from Jerusalem to escape Absalom's coup de'tat.
We learn that Absalom’s coup eventually fails due to following wrong counsel; he dies at the hands of Joab: 18.14. David’s response is great sorrow: O my son Absalom--my son, my son Absalom--if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son! 18.33.
Though David suffered the consequences of his sin with Bathsheba, the Lord was still with him and preserved him.
David is restored king over all Israel.Chapters 19-20
The Census
Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." 2 Sa 24.1
Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. 1 Chron 21.1
The particular sin of Israel is not mentioned, but David's actions reflect what was repugnant to God concerning Israel.
Furthermore, concerning David, great authority demands great responsibility--David was to direct the people to seek God.
David defeated Goliath because he knew God was with him, so then, why was he now numbering the men fit for war? Surely this was for confidence and boasting in the strength of military might on the world scene. Even Joab found this command to number “abominable” (detestable).
Is there a contradiction as to who moved David to do this? Satan seeks to move people in disobedience to God. God was allowing this for His own judgment on Israel. David was responsible for his own lack of priorities for this failure personally and as leader of the people in the fear and trust of God. We sometimes persist in what is wrong until it is fulfilled, then we experience remorse.
Again, like with Uriah, David acknowledged his sin: 1 Ch 21.8; 2 Sa 24.10
David places the choice of the consequence with God and His mercy.
God chooses a 3 day plague, 1 Ch 21.13-14. It is stayed in Jerusalem...and then...
-The destroying angel stands by the spot of the Jebusite threshing floor after God relents.
-David is instructed to build an altar on the Jebusite threshing floor. 1 Ch 21.18
-David buys it: I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing. 21.24 The offering is only as valuable as the sacrifice it involved.
David Prepares to build
This is the house of the Lord. 1 Ch 22.1
Fire from heaven upon the new altar attests that the Religious center changes from Gibeon to Jerusalem, to the former Jebusite threshing floor on Mount Moriah. 21.26
Solomon is God’s choice as next King and the one to build the temple: And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. Now He said to me, "It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father." 22.6-10; 28.5-6
David instructs Solomon: “You will prosper, if…set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord” 22.13; 22.19; 28.9
Then David gave his son Solomon the plans ... for all that he had by the Spirit... All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans. 28.11-12,19
The temple is for God.
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