The Cure For Itchy Rashness Series

THE VERY RELATABLE LIFE OF KING DAVID

THE CURE FOR ITCHY RASHNESS

1 SAMUEL 25:1-44

#kingdavid

INTRODUCTION… Personal Story of Rashness (p)

Kelly and I were married in August of 1998 and we got married and I was out of school for one fall semester from August to December. During that time, I worked as Kelly was doing her unpaid internship in an elementary school and then graduated. I had worked catering in college for several years and I got a job at a restaurant and catering business while not in school. In the interview, they asked me if I had any experience cooking or preparing food. I did. I helped the 5-star chef where I worked prepare food and grill. We cooked for 500 people all the time. I, in hindsight, rashly said I had much experience when in fact I had very little. They hired me. The first day in the kitchen, the head cook had to show me step-by-step how to do everything because in reality I knew nothing.

I worked at this restaurant and caterer from 630am to about 8:00pm or 9:00pm at night Monday through Saturday. I was working roughly 70-80 hours a week and the amount of my paychecks was not enough to pay rent and provide for our expenses. Kelly was still in school and was doing her internship so she literally couldn’t work. Rashly and with much stress, I decided I needed another job. I got a job at a K-Mart across the street from the restaurant stocking at night from about 11:00pm to 5:00am. I have never been good at math and this experience proves it. My plan was to sleep from when I got home at 8 or 9 until I went to work at Kmart and then sleep 5-630am before going to the restaurant. I was 21. I was invincible. I had to provide for my wife. I had to pay the bills. It wasn’t going to be forever since I was going back to school in a few months. I did it for 1 week and quit because I became physically ill from only sleeping around 4 hours a day. I felt I did what was needed, but I was rash.

DEFINITION OF ‘RASH’

Rash. There are three definitions of the word ‘rash’ that come to mind when I say that word. The first is ‘a temporary outbreak of red, bumpy, or itchy patches of skin possibly with blisters or puss.’ Other words for this are impetigo; hand, foot, and mouth disease; or hives. The second is ‘a series of things of the same time, often that are unwelcome, happening in a short period of time.’ For example: ‘there was a rash of tractor thefts in the area.’ The third is ‘speaking or acting without thinking.’ Other words for this are reckless, foolhardy, or perhaps the interesting metaphor ‘foot in mouth disease.’ I find it interesting that a metaphor for one kind of rash is the name of a physical rash. We are not in the Book of Leviticus so we are not dealing with that kind of ‘rash’ today and we are not dealing with an unfortunate series of events, so, we are dealing with the last definition.

Rashness is one of those unwise ways of living that can either be a normal personality trait or can be something we do or say brought on by situations or stress or the unknown or fear or the people around us.

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: Jephthah in Judges 11

When I think about stories of rashness in the Bible, I automatically think about Jephthah the Gileadite in the Book of Judges in chapter 11. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Jephthah and he is called to lead Israel against the Ammonites in 11:29. He is jazzed up and makes an oath before the Lord. He says, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” (verses 30-31, ESV). I can imagine he was thinking about war and victory and fighting and was pumped up and he made a vow to God. In verse 33, Jephthah devastates the Ammonites in battle with the help of the Lord. He arrives home in verse 34 and most likely expects some animal or chicken or something fuzzy to creep out of his house as he arrives home. Instead, his only child, his daughter, is so excited he is home and comes dancing out of the house to greet him. His rashness led to him vowing the life of his daughter away. It was rash to make a vow to God and it was rash to pray such things without thinking. Prayer to the Almighty God is serious business. Vows to the Lord are serious business. In fact, Proverbs 20:25 says: