*Disclaimer- I apologize if I don’t have the correct citations, please contact me if I may have inadvertently quoted someone inappropriately. I give anyone anywhere full use of this sermon in any format for any application with or without citation of me. Its all God’s word. If it blesses you and you want to use it- please do. Would love an email or a facebook connect to let me know, but not required. If you’re a tired pastor having long week- preach this thing word for word with no citation. I don’t care. I just want to help other pastors.
1 sam 21 The Insane Man with Saliva On His beard
There’s some pretty big things that David does here that are really really bad.
1. David lies to the priest
• This is a big deal Prov 17:20 He who has a deceitful heart finds no good,
• the priest asks- here by yourself? You’re the King?- What are you doing here? HE LIES
• The priest more than likely has heard that David is on the lam- he’s trying to see whats up
• David should have told him the truth- Saul is trying to kill me! I need to be hidden- I need help!
• This is the Priest! This is the guy who is in a position to help him- a guy who can protect him
• But no- for whatever reason- David chooses to lie to protect himself.
• Leviticus 19:11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.
• Henry- David had great faith and courage, yet both failed him; he fell thus foully through fear and cowardice, and owing to the weakness of his faith.
2. David eats the consecrated bread
• Only Levites were allowed to eat this bread. Proverbs 20:17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
• 12 loves, 12 tribes, fresh every week, eaten by the priests only. Showed Israel dependence
• Exodus 25:30 And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.
• Leviticus 24:8–9 Makes it clear- Only the priests are allowed to eat it (feasting- JC Bread of Life)
• God showed him mercy in this instance- but he wasn’t supposed to eat it in the first place
• It was wrong. It was not for him. It was for the Priests. God forgave it- but its not his ideal.
3. David takes Goliaths sword
• How do you go from fully trusting God, killing Goliath with a sling shot to now, trying to find a way to defend yourself from Saul?
• Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.
• Who is he trusting? Is he trusting in God, or trusting in his own strength?
• He eventually learned- Psalm 3:3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
• But that’s not happening now- Its an act of unbelief that he takes the sword- an act of unbelief.
4. David hides with the enemy
• So the lying, bread stealing, unfaithful man goes a step further. Looking for protection? You can go and set up shop with the enemy- The ones who worship false gods, hurt Israel, pagans
• Help me understand- how do you go from defeating the enemy to sleeping with the enemy?
• You don’t go and find comfort with the Nation of Israel, but with the enemy? What the heck?
• The King of Gath is a sworn enemy of Israel- and now David is going to find protection there?
5. David acts like a fool
• So david is there- he is with the Enemy- He’s made some bad decisions- This guy Doeg is there watching David- probably going to report back to Saul where he’s at
• David loses his marbles here- He goes from the triumphant soon King that defeated Goliath to a faking madman- Scratching on the walls and drooling on himself- No fight. No confrontation-
• Just- I’m going to act crazy- that will get me out of this bind. I’m crazy- that’s why I did that!
What do we do with that? What’s the message?
• The “don’ts” are pretty obvious- Don’t lie. Don’t be unholy. Don’t trust in your own strength. Don’t go to the enemy. Don’t be a fool- This is not a “be like David” moment. It’s the opposite
• David has failed God, himself, Israel, his family, He has, in this instance ruined his good name
• How can a man like this be trusted to lead God’s people? How can he be used by God now?
• The truth is that some of the most powerful influential men of God in the Bible fell into some of the most grevious sins.
This passage of Scripture tells us a few things
1. The Bible is real
• Many people who argue with the Bible argue against its authenticity based on the stories of the failures in the Bible. Moses the murderer. Tamar the woman who prostituted herself to her father in law. The Apostle Paul killed Christians. Peter denied Christ. Jonah was disobedient.
• All these stories Shouldn’t have been included in the Bible if it was attempting coercion.
• If I’m writing the Bible to inspire fakery and coercion I’m painting the Bible people as perfect
• 2 Peter 1:20-21 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
• I’m not including that one of the Greatest Kings of Israel “a man after God’s own heart” was a failure. We haven’t even got to the story of Bathsheba! He kills her husband so he can have her
2. Men are sinful
• Even the best of us can fall into sin- No one is safe. We all make bad decisions. Even the pious
• Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
• 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
• This is the central theme of the Bible- Men are sinful and left to themselves they are unable to honor God with their lives.
• Only through the Holy Spirit can a man be holy- They need redemption- even kings
3. God doesn’t agree with sin
• The sins of people, and in the bible were not authored by God. They were forbidden and punished and only forgiven when repented of.
• Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
• God is patient- sometimes the punishment wasn’t immediate- but eventually it was dealt with
• God never looks past sin- it must be repented of.
• 1 john 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
4. God can redeem anyone
• God sees people as valuable- not dispensable-
• Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
• 1 john 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
• If David continues in this path of destruction- it will not end well for him. He may not be KING
• But here we are 3000 years later talking about how God can use a man like David
• David had some great attributes- but Salvation isn’t if you did more Good than bad.
• You can live a 99.9% Horrible life and be saved from your sin. Do 99 good, not repent and NO
• But in a human sense- why do we ostracize a man for indescretions that given the same circumstance we may have fell into- if not in action but in our hearts? God redeemed DAVID
• 1 Jn 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
• This is a GREAT encouragement to ANYONE who has fallen into sin- GOD CAN STILL USE YOU
• Isolated moments of transgression do not equal a disqualification for your whole life
• Read Psalm 51 sometime- David repented! He was sorrowful for how he had lived
• Isaiah 49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.
• Paul was sorrowful- He realized what he had done- he went and started converting people
• Peter was sorrowful- He was sad at what he had done- he went and started preaching JESUS
• They turned it around.
What affect should it have on you-
1.You should be watchful to not be a cautionary tale- “let he who thinks lest he fall”
• 1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
• Its great that God redeemed David- but isn’t a better story that God didn’t have to rescue you?
• Live you life in such a way that you don’t have to constantly be coming back to God repenting
• Watch how you live! Stay away from sin- be drastic about it. Make clear what you will NOT do
2. You can be restored-
• Isaiah 61:7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
• READ Joel 2:25-26
• God can and will restore ANYONE who repents- He restored David- he can restore you.
• David the liar with unbelief, who sleeps with the enemy and acts like a madman- THAT GUY
• If God can restore him- he can restore YOU-
3. Look to Jesus as the perfect example
• Hebrews 12:2 READ
• If you are looking at ANYONE besides JESUS as the perfect example- you’re going to be let down
• Not Abraham, moses, David, Paul, Peter. A parent, a friend, a pastor, a ministry. NO ONE
• ONLY Look to JESUS- That’s the end- David isn’t a perfect KING- Only JESUS can save Israel!
• David was a fool to save himself- will you be a fool for Christ to save your soul?
