Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Recap:
The Lord has rejected Saul and anointed David as the next King of Israel
So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
The Lord has rejected Israel’s first King, Saul and has anointed David, a man after God’s own heart, as the next King.
However David’s throne is not immediately established.
Recognized as Israel’s next King by only a few, David is now a fugitive on the run, hunted by the very jealous King Saul.
In comparison to Saul, David’s rise to the throne is much more delayed.
Saul himself was established as King after rescuing the city of Jabesh ().
David rescues the city of Keilah, but instead of reigning he is running again.
Because the people he came to save, were going to surrender him to Saul.
David flees and barely escapes Saul thanks to a very timely Philistine attack on Israel ().
David barely escapes thanks to a very timely Philistine attack on Israel ().
Exposition of :
The Setting (Read )
Though God had rejected Saul He still granted Saul victory over the Philistines.
Saul will eventually meet his end in battle against the Philistines (), so why not now?
Why does God still let Saul live to hunt David?
Though God had rejected Saul He still granted Saul victory over the Philistines.
Saul will eventually meet his end in battle against the Philistines (), so why not now?
Why does God still let Saul live to hunt David?
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Saul will eventually meet his end in battle against the Philistines, so why not now?
God's ways and timing cannot always be understood but they can always be trusted.
In any case it gives David a chance to prove his worth.
God's mysterious ways cannot always be understood but they can be trusted.
And it gives David a chance to prove his worth.
With an army strong enough to defeat the Philistines, and spies everywhere feeding him information, Saul is still a serious threat.
And now Saul has sent out 3000 of his elite forces (5 times the number of David’s men) to capture David.
While searching the caves for David, Saul takes a toilet break.
But of all the caves Saul chose he chose David’s secret hideout.
Searching Saul takes a toilet break.
But of all the caves Saul chose he chose David’s cave.
But now Saul is alone and vulnerable.
Previously, David almost fell into Saul’s hands.
For once Saul, alone and vulnerable, has fallen into David’s hands.
The hunted can easily eliminate the hunter once and for all.
Will they ever get this chance again?
Discerning God’s Will (Read )
Ultimately it wasn’t a mere coincidence that Saul chose David’s cave to take a break.
This turn of events is no doubt the Lord’s doing, as Saul later also admits ().
This unexpected turn of events is no doubt from the Lord as Saul later admits (24:18).
So not only is it irrational to waste such a rare opportunity, to David’s men, the only reason why they have been given such a golden opportunity is because the Lord wants David to kill Saul and finally take his throne.
We often make the same mistake of discerning what God wants us to do based on our circumstances e.g God supposedly ‘opening doors’ for us.
However we are responsible to follow God’s revealed moral will and not try to spec what to do based
The trouble is circumstances are also very subjective.
We can interpret them however we like e.g if we encounter trouble we think “maybe God doesn’t want us to do it” or the opposite “Satan is not happy with what we’re doing!
Lets continue!”.
The quick and easy way may not necessarily be the way God wants us to take.
But we are responsible to follow God’s revealed moral will and not speculate on why God has allowed things to happen the way they did.
See .
However we are responsible to follow God’s revealed moral will and not try to spec what to do based
The quick and easy way may not necessarily be the right way for us to take.
Always check if it contradicts God’s Word.
In this case David knew that it was wrong for him or his men to kill Saul.
He’ll rather waste this opportunity than sin.
But he does cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
We don’t exactly know So instead of killing him, only cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe.
Saul’s robe represented his office as King (, ).
David fears the Lord
Here we see the difference between David and Saul.
Saul has no problem killing David and all who aided him ().
But even just cutting the robe troubles David’s conscience.
Most likely because it represented Saul’s office as King (, ).
However this piece of Saul’s robe is evidence that David could of killed Saul but did not.
This highlights the difference between him and Saul who would not hesitate to kill David.
How to Forgive Enemies ()
How did David let Saul go?
Or to apply it to us: How do we forgive our enemies?
We know we’re supposed to, but its often hard.
So how do we do it?
We can learn a few things from David’s speech to Saul.
How did David let Saul go?
Or to apply it to us: How do we forgive our enemies?
We know we’re supposed to, but its still hard isn’t it?
So how do we do it?
Why did David let Saul go?
Or to apply it to us: How do we forgive our enemies?
View them at their best
Not only does David fear the Lord, he still has great respect for Saul.
In vs 8 David calls out to Saul “My lord the King!” and then bows down before him.
In vs 11 “my father”.
This is not merely for show or court protocol.
Notice in vs 6, even privately David still referred to Saul as “my master” and repeatedly as “the Lord’s Anointed.”
Ironically Saul was trying to kill the Lord's anointed.
David treated Saul, not according to what he deserved, but according to how God saw Saul.
Even though rejected as the Lord's anointed David viewed Saul at his best.
See , .
And effectively practicing the Golden Rule ().
Its almost impossible to forgive someone when we think we are better than them, focusing only on their faults.
David treated Saul, not according to what he deserved, but according to how God saw Saul.
Although technically rejected (), David viewed Saul at his best even though Saul was the one who was trying to kill the Lord's anointed.
Even though Saul was already rejected by the Lord, David viewed Saul at his best, still as “the Lord’s Anointed”.
We too ought to treat others well simply because they are created in God’s image (, ).
Ironically Saul was trying to kill the Lord's anointed.
So in effect David practiced the Golden Rule ().
In vs 9 David says in effect, “I know you’re only hunting me because people have lied to you about me, saying that I want to harm you”.
The reality was that Saul had been told the opposite but Saul refused to listen!
But this shows that David assumed the best of Saul.
Worth remembering in the midst of conflicts and disagreements.
Some commentators say David was probably too generous to Saul.
View them at their best and then try to win them over.
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