Chico Alliance Church
December 8, 2002
Pastor David Welch
“Samuel & David”
Unlikely Heroes Part Seven
Review
The point of this brief series has been to emphasize the fact that an all-powerful God delights in using the weak things of this world to accomplish the impossible.
Those who listen, trust and obey God in the face of impossible odds bring Him pleasure.
Hebrews 11 lists those who please God by their faith and who from weakness became strong because at some point in their life they listened, trusted and obeyed God’s voice.
Barak in all his reluctance courageously faced impossible odds and brought about victory.
Gideon, in spite of a long list of significant inadequacies became a courageous warrior and leader to bring about deliverance for Israel.
Jephthah, in spite of a shameful heritage and impulsiveness, also believed that God would deliver Israel through his leadership.
Samson lived a life of selfish sensuality and fleshly indulgence resulting in severe life-long consequences but finally realized his desperate need for God which resulted in significant deliverance from Philistine occupation.
Introduction / Background
There are two more unlikely heroes left in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews which highlights those who by faith realized the power of God against the impossible.
Today we look at Samuel and David, the final two names listed in Hebrews 11:32.
Samson’s persistent disobedience resulted in a premature demise which left God’s plan for deliverance incomplete.
Samuel
In 1 Samuel we stumble on another godly barren woman.
I find the comparison and contrast between Samson and Samuel quite striking.
A leadership void arose in Israel not only politically with the life and death of Samson but spiritually with the corruption practiced by Eli the priest’s perverted sons.
God addressed this void in answer to the humble prayer of a godly woman named Hannah.
Hannah was one of two wives married to Elkanah.
Elkanah loved Hannah even though she bore him no children.
In fact he treated here more special than his other wife who had given him children.
His other wife however persecuted Hannah and never let her for get that God had closed her womb to children.
This became a continual point of distress for Hannah and she cried out to the Lord for a child.
She promised if God granted her a child she would dedicate him to life-long service to God in the tabernacle as a Nazirite. (A substitute for Samson?)
God heard her plea and granted the desire of her heart.
Samuel was born and presented before to Eli the priest for service in the things of the Lord.
From a very young age Samuel ministered to the Lord by doing chores and serving Eli.
Because of Eli’s corrupt children and his failure to rebuke them, God pronounced judgment through a prophet of God.
God then issued a call to His young servant Samuel.
We are told of his early growth and sensitivity to God.
Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fail. All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD. 1 Samuel 3:19-21
Through this unlikely boy who was raised by an impotent priest, God accomplished what Samson failed to do.
Through Samuel, God brought greater deliverance from Philistine rule.
Samuel became a powerful prophet and a highly respected judge of Israel.
Perhaps Samuel lacked a parental role model because his very own son’s failed to follow in his godly example and the people feared what would happen when Samuel died leaving his sons to rule in his place.
Their fear was based on their unbelief in God’s ability to effectively rule over them.
They rejected God as their supreme ruler and expressed a desire for a monarchy modeled after the other nations rather than a unique Theocracy.
Saul
God granted their desire and anointed a human king to rule over them.
Saul does not appear in Hebrews because Saul’s life was a disaster and full of disobedience and selfishness to the very end.
He was impatient, impertinent, impulsive and incomplete in his obedience to God.
"Your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." 1 Samuel 13:14
Because of such a self-centered focus and a heart like Samson’s rather than Gods, God ripped the kingdom from his hands and removed His Spirit’s anointing on his life.
David
That opened a new chapter and the anointing of a successor to Saul.
Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons." 1 Samuel 16:1
Not only would David succeed Saul as king but would be the first in a lengthy unbroken line of ancestors to rule God’s people and at the right time give birth to the ultimate Prophet, Priest and King.
What was so special about David that God would anoint him over Saul?
Scripture carefully reveals some special things about David’s life but also candidly exposes some disturbing elements that definitely qualify David as a member of the unlikely hero club.
The historical record of David’s life is rather extensive and it is not my intent to do a complete exposition of his life.
I want summarize his life under two categories and then draw some life lessons to contemplate and apply.
The first category has to do with the attributes that mark him as an unlikely hero.
The second touches characteristics that demonstrated an unmistakable anointing of God.
Unlikely attributes
David’s life is a continual mixture of faith and fear, trust and doubt, victory and defeat.
He was both directed by power of the Spirit and driven by the flesh.
He was at times obedient and at times disobedience.
A chart of David’s life might look like this.
A chart of any one of our lives might look pretty much the same.
Even one day would be a mixture of faith and fear, trust and doubt.
David struggled with many of the same things we do.
David succumbed to many of the things we have struggled with and even some we have kept away from.
Yet, God used Him mighty, deeply loved him and blessed him greatly.
No one’s life has been or will be perfect.
No one has an unblemished record.
Sin has deeply permeated the entire human race to this very day.
All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard of life including David.
What made David unlikely hero material?
I want to start with the flaws and failures and finish with his faith and fruit.
David was the youngest of eight brothers.
He was the unnoticed runt.
When God instructed Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s boys to be the new king, they were all called to interview with Samuel for the job except David; who had been delegated to tend the sheep.
There were other glitches in David’s days.
David lied to the priests (21) when he was running from Saul, telling them he was on a secret mission from Saul. It cost them their lives.
He lied to Achish the son of Gath’s king about the raids he had been running on the Philistines.
He was afraid of the king of Gath and acted like a mad man (21:12-15)
David took hung out with all the distressed, debtors, disenchanted.
David struggled with doubt.
He hid out “until I know what God will do for me.”
God had already told him he would be king.
After delivering him from Saul’s hand David said, “I will perish one day by the hand of Saul”.
As a result, David accepted protection from the Philistines.
David multiplied wives in direct violation of God’s counsel concerning kings.
David exhibited a vengeful streak that almost made him kill Nabal out of personal vengeance rather than divine directive.
Were it not for an appeal by Nabal’s wife Abigal David would have acquired another stain.
David got angry at the Lord when Uzzah was struck down trying to prevent the Ark of the Covenant from tipping over on the cart.
David became lazy, slothful and irresponsible.
Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 2 Samuel 11:1-2
This extended leisure opened the door to unbridled lust leading to adultery, more deceptions and lying leading to murder.
Out of all the struggles up to this point, this was a turning point in David’s reign.
David demonstrated spiritual hardness and pride by not immediately repenting of his sin but trying to cover it up for at least nine months.
It took direct confrontation by Nathan the prophet of God to finally expose his sin.
David turned out to be a passive parent when he did nothing to deal with the rape of his daughter Tamar by Ammon which led Absalom to take matters into his own hands.
Even in his later reign David succumbed to Satan’s temptation to number Israel in violation of God’s instruction and his general’s counsel resulting in a severe plague on the people. Probably do to arrogance or doubt and fear. (how big is my army).
At his death there was an interesting method for keeping David warm.
They brought in a beautiful virgin to lay with him. Why?
The unpleasant consequences to these sins and failures to trust God were clear.
Deception and cover-up ravaged the extended family.
God pronounce some very specific consequences.
The sword would not depart from his remaining reign.
Chapter 21 records war after war, battle after battle.
God predicted rebellion and continued trouble within the household leading to the rape of his wives in open shame and heart-wrenching rebellion by his children.
There was an immediate consequence in the death of Bathsheba’s first child.
God did not allow David, the greatest of all worship leaders, to build His place of worship.
Family line sexual lust consumed Ammon who raped his sister.
Absalom dealt with Ammon with deception and murder.
Not the greatest resume for a godly hero yet the anointing and blessing of God was clearly demonstrated throughout his life.
This is another glaring graphic of God’s amazing grace for sinners.
God’s estimation of David amidst all of his struggles is striking.
The name David is mentioned in 928 verses, second only to Jesus at 944.
Moses 779 - Abraham 215 - Paul 156 - Peter 150 - John 133
God calls him, “My Servant David.”
It is the house of David, the city of David, David’s throne.
He (King Abijam) walked in all the sins of his father (Rehoboam) which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father David. But for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 1 Kings 15:3-5
David became the measuring standard for all the kings of Israel.
They either had a heart like his or didn’t have a heart like his.
"Thus says the LORD, ’David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; Jeremiah 33:17
Jesus is called, “The Son of David.”
In spite of his turbulent life and attributes which made him an unlikely hero, there was an unmistakable anointing of God.
Unmistakable anointing
Early faith and courage
Early evidence of God’s anointing
Musical ability cause even demonic spirits to relinquish their control.
God granted supernatural physical strength to protect the sheep.
David was given the faith to stand against impossible odds (small stone against a significant sword of Goliath)
David manifested early a servant’s heart of a servant (genuine servant to Saul)
There is a great deal of space devoted to the anointing of God on David.
David had a Heart like God’s
"But now your (Saul) kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." 1 Samuel 13:14
The LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7
"After God had removed Saul, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ’I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN ACCORDING TO MY HEART, who will do all My will.’ Acts 13:22
Give attention to God’s accounting criteria.
He looks at the heart.
He looks for one whose heart operates according to God’s heart as David’s did.
So David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands.
Psa 78:72
"As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, 1 Kings 9:4
Solomon had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 Kings 11:3-4
The manifested presence of God touched David
God’s presence was evident early from the time of his anointing by Samuel.
The Spirit of God came mighty on David for ministry.
Then one of the young men said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him."
1 Sam 16:18
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. 1 Samuel 16:13
Now Saul was afraid of David, for the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. 1 Samuel 18:12
Not only did the Lord remove the power and direction of the Spirit from Saul, but an evil spirit took His place.
Where as David was directed by the Spirit from that day forward, Saul was driven by an evil spirit till the day of his death.
The work of the evil spirit in Saul’s fleshly live lead to rage, jealousy, murder, fear, occult practices.
David was prospering in all his ways for the LORD was with him. 1 Samuel 18:14
Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the LORD helped David wherever he went. 2 Samuel 8:6
Over and over again we find David inquiring of the Lord and seeking His direction.
David cultivated his devotion to God
I sometimes wonder if the same David who wrote the majority of songs we find in the Psalms is the same David recorded in the historical record.
The historical record chronicles all of the turbulence and struggles.
The Psalms reveals the heart of the one facing life in a fallen world with trust in God.
We hear David’s passion for God even in times of deep turmoil.
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:1-8
The blessing of God was on David
God refers to David as “My Servant David” in numerous places.
There is an obvious deep connection.
"Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ’Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. "I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. "I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. "I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. "Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever." ’ " 2 Samuel 7:8-16
Lessons to live by
• Perfection is not a prerequisite for usability or blessing or relationship with God.
Take heart!!!!
Sin permeates every human heart.
It is the heart after God that connects with God.
The promise of the New Covenant is a heart that beats for God; a heart on which is written God’s law.
Relationship with God depends on the righteousness of Christ.
Jesus gives us His righteousness and presents us to His father holy and blameless. Col 1:22
As flaky as the people in the church at Corinth were (and some had some horrible backgrounds) God called and cleansed them all.
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified(made holy) in Christ Jesus, saints(holy ones) by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor. 1:2-9
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6:9-11
God uses broken, flawed people.
Because there is none without sin, God has no choice but to use sinners in his plan.
• Idleness feeds the flesh which breeds sin and spawns consequences.
• Forgiveness of sin does not guarantee forfeiture of consequences.
What we so we will reap.
• God focuses on the heart in spite of the habits.
We will all struggle on various levels of our life for the rest of our lives.
i.e. thoughts, actions, emotions, motives, priorities, passions, fleshly indulgence…
The important thing is to keep our heart connected and directed toward God.
We need to cultivate hearts that seek the Lord even in the consequences of our sinfulness.
The difference between Saul and David is that David continually pursued God, whereas Saul looked out only for his own self.
Continual struggle with the passions of a fallen flesh is universal and unavoidable this side of heaven.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Galatians 5:17
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. Rom 7:18-19
I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:21-23
Take the advice from David’s son Solomon.
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
When the heart is right our habits will be right.
Focus on the heart.
God looks at the heart, the intent, the core, the passion and purpose of our life.
"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. 2 Chron. 16:9
Through Christ we can receive new heart; a soul inclined toward God.
It is up to us to cultivate that heart and not let it become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Based on the fact that we have confidence to enter the presence of a holy God because of the sacrifice of Jesus and that Jesus is our sympathetic high priest at the right hand of God, we are to practice three things.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25
1. Continually draw near to God with a sincere heart and strong faith having had our hearts cleansed and our lives purified by the work of Christ.
2. Continually hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering believing that God will be faithful to fulfill ALL of His promises.
3. Continually consider how to simulate one another to love and good deeds through increased gathering for encouragement.
Stop lamenting your walk and turn the eyes of your heart on the one who is the author and perfecter of your faith.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us (like David), let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
Cultivate your heart after God.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Blessing
My deepest prayer and plea to God for us who continually fight the battle…
May God grant grace and peace to be yours in the fullest measure! 1 Peter 1:2
May God’s grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by His own glory and excellence He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:2-4
May God prevent you from throwing away your confidence, which has a great reward! And may He enable you to hold fast your confession for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. Hebrews 10:35-36
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:25
