Law Vs Grace In The Lives Of Saul Vs David

I. EXORDIUM:

What can King Saul and King David teach us about law and grace?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To learn law from life of King Saul and grace from life of King David

IV. TEXT:

1 Samuel 16:7 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

V. THESIS:

King Saul personified the law and King David personified grace

VI. TITLE:

Law Vs Grace In The Lives Of Saul Vs David

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Authors: Samuel (Israel's last greatest judge) - some parts of it, Nathan and Gad (1 Samuel 10:25, 1 Chronicles 29:29) and some say it's Anonymous

1 Samuel 10:25 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.

1 Chronicles 29:29 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

All the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Record of Gad the Seer.

B. Purpose of writing: Account of the history of Israel from 12th to 10th B.C.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Characters Personifying law and grace

1. King Saul personified law

a. King Saul was requested by the people because they wanted to be like the nations around them. The law is “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” to be similar to other nations, they needed to have a king and not considered or noticed GOD is KING of kings and LORD of lords and their protection. GOD is more than enough.

1 Samuel 8:19-22 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said.

“We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said,

and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

2. King David personfied grace

a. King David was chosen after GOD's own heart, after GOD's own thoughts and feelings. Grace was a better dispensation if not for it, we will all die because the law can't meet the matters of our heart. Grace is obedience.

"I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart."

Acts 13:22 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

1 Kings 14:8 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

I ripped the kingdom away from the family of David and gave it to you. But you have not been like my servant David, who obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart and always did whatever I wanted.

2 Chronicles 6:8-9 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good,

but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’

B. Law looks in the outward appearance: height and looks

“Don’t judge by his appearance or height,"

1. King Saul was chosen because he stood head and shoulders above anyone else. Now, since Samuel saw that the LORD considered the height of King Saul, he thought this will be the criteria of choosing the king, so when Samuel saw Eliab, the eldest among 8 brothers, he considered him to be GOD's chosen king but this time, GOD by His Grace, have chosen by grace standards and not by law's standards. And since, David is the 8th son, the youngest, he was assigned by his father Jesse to take care of the sheep, and did not thought that David would be the chosen one or an important one to be included in the sacrifice.

1 Samuel 10:23-24 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.

Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

1 Samuel 16:6 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)