DAVID—A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART
03—SOOTHING MUSIC FOR A SEETHING SOUL
TEXT: 1 Samuel 16:13-23; 18:10; 19:9-10
1 Samuel 16:13-23 KJV Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. [14] But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. [15] And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. [16] Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. [17] And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. [18] Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. [19] Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. [20] And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. [21] And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. [22] And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. [23] And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1 Samuel 18:10 KJV And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
1 Samuel 19:9-10 KJV And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. [10] And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
I. INTRODUCTION—THE POWER OF MUSIC
Jack Tueller was a World War II fighter pilot. He flew mostly on bombing missions over all of Europe but as the war began its final leg in 1944, his flights were mostly concentrated over France and Great Britain. He is now 91 years old and in 2010 he related one of the most troubling times of being a bomber pilot.
He said that they had flown out of the Omaha and Utah beach areas and spotted a large group of German tanks on the move and the orders came over the radio for Tueller and his fellow pilots to destroy them. He said that because they were only at an altitude of 1000 feet he could look out the cockpit window and see the carnage that he was responsible for on that day. While they were battling against the ruthless and wicked Hitler, Tueller said that he knew that a lot of those German soldiers were just like he was. Pulled from farms, mechanic shops, and business counters these young men were thrust into Hitler’s devilish war machine.
Having eradicated the German tanks, Tueller made one more pass over the carnage only to discover that inadvertently their bombs had landed on some homes of the French civilians. But he also noticed that the German tank commanders had forced some of the French women and children to dress in bright clothes and ride on the tanks because they felt like the Allied forces would not fire on these human shields. Tueller said it was only after the fact they realized what they had done on that fateful day. He recounts what took place when he returned to the airfield.
“We got back to the airstrip, on Omaha Beach, and we were all stressed out," he recalled. "I was the only nondrinker of all the pilots. I got rid of my stress with music. It was therapeutic. It does the same thing as alcohol, but with no hangover."
Tueller pulled out his trumpet, a frequent companion, and prepared to play. A friend warned him that trumpet music carried a long distance, and was sure to alert a nearby sniper who had been firing on the camp. The music would make Tueller a target.
So Tueller chose a German song, "Lili Marlene," that both he and the sniper could enjoy. No shots were fired.
The next day, the sniper was among the prisoners captured. Tueller said that a troop carrier designed to haul prisoners came rolling slowly past their camp. A 19-year-old German asked in very broken English who it was that had played the beautiful song. Tueller, just a few years older than the sniper, drove down to the beach.
"He was scared and young, just like I was," Tueller recalled. "The music that soothed my spirit soothed his, too. He offered his hand, and I shook it." Tueller said that the young sniper said that when he heard the music that he could not kill any more of the American troops.
Tueller, a retired engineer who plans never to retire from trumpet playing, said one of his favorites is Charlie Chaplin's "Smile."
"Smile though your heart is aching
"Smile even though it's breaking.
"When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by."
And he has. His father left when he was young, and his mother died a few years later. An aunt took the boy in, and she had a trumpet. Over time, Tueller taught himself music and optimism. He still practices both.
“You have to look forward to tomorrow and forget the past, which is a learning road," he said. "Anger, resentment and grudges only hurt the person holding them. Life is sweet, and if a road is hard, you appreciate the view more when you get to the top of that mountain. I'm in good health, and when I go, my plan is to hit a high C and fall right into the grave."
-Such is the power of music!
II. THE SYMPHONY IN THE PASTURE
-The text we read in 1 Samuel 16 actually takes place before David ever killed Goliath.
-Notice the terrible transition that takes place in 1 Samuel 16:13 and 16:14.
• David is anointed and the Spirit comes to rest on him from that day forward—v. 13.
• Saul has the Spirit of the Lord to depart and it is replaced by an evil spirit—v. 14.
-That should put chills on the soul! We cannot even be sure if Saul was even aware of what took place on that day except to say that suddenly a troubled mind became a dilemma of life for him.
-Saul starts his free-fall toward disaster and David starts his rise toward royalty. It would take almost twenty-two years before David would finally be fully recognized as the king of all the tribes of Israel but this passage is where it all is set into motion.
A. Saul Sends for Relief
-The instructions that Saul gives the command to seek out someone who can play an instrument for him a very interesting observation comes about. The Hebrew word that is indicated as servant tells us that this man who was reporting in to Saul was from a lower class of people (Keil and Delitsch OT Commentary). Prejudice had even found its way into the courts and yet they apparently knew of the spiritual things that those in power did not.
• Saul on his throne but not happy.
• His royal surroundings but with a troubled mind.
• His great riches could not bar trouble from getting into his heart.
• His political position could not keep the pain out of his soul.
-So David was ushered into the court to play for the troubled king before he ever would banish Goliath. The servant makes a description of David:
• Skilled at playing a harp. He can worship as a skilled musician.
• A mighty and valiant man. He can kill lions and bears.
• A man of war. He has fought with those against the marauding bands of Philistines.
• Prudent in manners. He conducts himself well with his brothers, kind and courteous. He has control of his tongue.
• A comely person. He has a sense of presence about him.
• The Lord is with him! This is the most important thing of all.
-It is important that we never forget anything that has come to us because of our past. God can use some of the most seeming insignificant things to bring great glory to His kingdom. . . but it may come much later than we expect it.
-That is exactly what happened to David. He was playing his harp out in the pasture getting ready for God to use him. On that day when he was sent before Saul, neither David nor Saul knew that he was going to replace Saul.
B. The Power of the Pasture
-There have been more times than one that I have gone into the principle of the pasture and I don’t want to get off on that tangent again. However, you must know with everything inside of you, that God uses some of the pastures that we think are so mundane and unimportant to create greatness in us that is the will of God!
-Consider David’s pasture from a bit different angle:
• Pastures are places where we learn how to fight.
• Pastures are places where we learn how to protect the sheep.
• Pastures are places where we are called on to express the violence of force.
• Pastures are places where we kill the predators that attack us.
• Pastures are places where we defend our inheritance.
• Pastures are places where our hands are taught to do war.
-But:
• Pastures are also places where we learn how to worship.
• Pastures are places of heart-felt and tender prayer.
• Pastures are places that God helps us to compose songs in loneliness.
• Pastures are places that the prevailing obscurity teaches humility.
• Pastures are boot camps where only time proves its purpose.
-I can also tell you with a certainty that after your anointing, you are going to get sent back to the pasture. Just as Mordecai had to go back to the gates of the city, David had to go back to the responsibilities of his sheep in the pasture.
III. THE KING’S COURT
1 Samuel 16:21-23 KJV And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. [22] And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. [23] And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
-David was ushered into the king’s presence and Saul had no idea who he was. But this young man pulled his harp out and began to play. Whether Saul was on his cot, pacing the halls of the palace, writhing in the madness of his depression, David could come in and begin to play softly and the horrible spirit that troubled Saul would leave him.
-We don’t know if David sang along with his harp although I have a feeling that he probably did. In fact much of the Psalms were accompanied by music during those Old Testament times. I am unsure if Saul sang along with him but I have a feeling that there were times that he did.
-Saul began to love this young singer-shepherd because of the soothing effect of the music. In 1 Samuel 16:23, the Bible states that Saul was refreshed.
Berkley—It eased Saul; he felt better and the evil spirit left him.
Moffatt—Saul breathed freely.
Young’s Literal Translation—Saul hath refreshment and gladness, and the spirit of sadness hath turned aside from off him.
Jerusalem—Then Saul grew calm, and recovered.
Knox—Saul was comforted and felt easier, till at last the evil mood left him.
Basic English—New life came to Saul, and he got well.
-The music could draw things out of Saul’s soul that would invite hope into his heart. How many times has that happened to you? You walked into this church and it wasn’t too long that the music began to lift your heart above the shadows.
Psalm 49:14 KJV . . . I will open my dark sayings upon the harp.
-Perhaps this is the context of what David watched with his own eyes. He would play that harp in the palace and he would see darkness. But as the time passed he would see the darkness begin to lift.
-David learned that music had the ability to open up the treasures of darkness and to pull the pearls from the deep. Turn the darkness into a musical note and let if form a song and then the harp would leap in his hands and become something that could turn into praise.
IV. GOD-CONSECRATED MUSIC
-Music is a vital part of worship. In fact, music is a gift from God to the church. Some of the old reformers believed that corporate worship was complete until they had sang from the hymnal and read Scripture from the Bible. The music and the preaching went hand in hand in the development of the soul.
-It has to be that way with us also. Genuine worship comes about when the declaration of biblical doctrine takes place because it deepens our understanding. Genuine worship also takes place when we sing out the old hymns both old and new.
-David had his songbook in progress long before he was summoned to the king’s court. The Psalms decided that music was an art that required the discipline of deep thinking and a heart that is right before God. The Psalms are music for the mature in Spirit!
G. Campbell Morgan—The book of Psalms. . . is the book in which the emotions of the human soul find expression. Whatever your mood, and I suppose you have changing moods as well as I do. . . I can find a Psalm that will just about express it. Are you glad? I can find a Psalm that you can sing. Are you sad? I can find a Psalm that will suit that occasion. . . The Psalms range over the whole gamut of human emotions. . . They were all written for us in the consciousness of and in the sense of the presence of God. . . In every one of these Psalms, form the first to the last, whatever the particular tone, whether major or minor, the singer is conscious of God. That gives peculiar character to the Book of Psalms.
-I have led you to these before but perhaps reiterating them can help you to see them again with more familiarity. . . Psalm 1, 23, 91, 100, and parts of 119 are all places that we can find a song of worship.
Ephesians 5:19 KJV Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Colossians 3:16 KJV Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
-You can start looking through the Bible and figure out quickly that music and singing brought something to a soul that was sanctified. Singing is the jubilee of the soul that brings about spiritual refreshment.
-The saints through the Scriptures have sung.
• They sang when they were in the great majority—Psalm 149:2
• They sang when they were in the greatest of straits—Isaiah 26:19
• They sang when they were in their greatest flight—Isaiah 42:10-11
• They sang in their greatest deliverances—Isaiah 65:14
-Singing is the music of heaven—Revelation 15:3.
-It was practiced by a lot of folks in the Bible:
• Jesus and His disciples—Matthew 26:30
• By godly princes—2 Chron. 29:30
• By worthy governors—2 Chron. 5:12
• By holy prophets—Psalm 146:2; Deut. 32
-That is why the devil works so hard to corrupt the music in our world today.
-But there is one last song in the Bible that I want to mention. It is a song of victory that Deborah and Barak sang after they had defeated Sisera. Judges 5, the whole chapter is a song. Consider that this was the first song of victory that had been sung since the song of Miriam after the crossing of the Red Sea. It took a long time but it finally come to pass.
-An old song that I like. . . The Old Account Settled.
There was a time on earth, when in the book of Heav’n
An old account was standing for sins yet unforgiv’n;
My name was at the top, and many things below,
I went unto the Keeper, and settled long ago.
Chorus:
Long ago (down on my knees), long ago (I settled it all),
Yes, the old account was settled long ago (Hallelujah!);
And the record’s clear today, for He washed my sins away,
When the old account was settled long ago.
The old account was large, and growing every day,
For I was always sinning, and never tried to pay;
But when I looked ahead, and saw such pain and woe,
I said that I would settle, I settled long ago.
When in that happy home, my Savior’s home above,
I’ll sing redemption’s story, and praise Him for His love;
I’ll not forget that book, with pages white as snow,
Because I came and settled, and settled long ago.
O sinner, seek the Lord, repent of all your sin,
For thus He hath provided for you to enter in;
And then if you should live a hundred years below,
Up there you’ll not regret it, you settled long ago.
-That is soothing music for a seething soul. . .
Philip Harrelson
April 22, 2012
