WEBVTT

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 Well, good evening.

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 Let's start with reading our passage.

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 If you'd open your Bibles, if you're looking in the Pew Bible, it's on page 273.

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 We were looking at 2 Samuel, chapter 21, the first part of that chapter.

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 Now, there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year.

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 And David sought the face of the Lord.

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 And the Lord said, there is blood guilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.

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 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them.

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 Now, the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites.

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 Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.

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 And David said to the Gibeonites, what shall I do for you?

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 And how shall I make atonement that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?

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 The Gibeonites said to him, it is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house.

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 Neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.

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 And he said, what do you say that I shall do for you?

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 They said to the king, the man who consumed us and planned to destroy us,

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 so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel,

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 let seven of his sons be given to us,

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 so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.

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 And the king said, I will give them.

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 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan,

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 because of the oath of the Lord that was between them,

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 between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul.

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 The king took the two sons of Rizpah, the daughter of Ai,

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 whom she bore to Saul,

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 Armani and Mephibosheth,

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 and the five sons of Merib, the daughter of Saul,

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 whom she bore to Adriel,

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 the son of Barzillai, the Mehalothite.

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 And he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites,

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 and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord,

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 and the seven of them perished together.

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 They were put to death in the first days of harvest,

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 at the beginning of Bar the harvest.

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 Then Rizpah, the daughter of Ai,

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 took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock,

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 from the beginning of the harvest,

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 until rain fell upon them from the heavens,

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 and she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day,

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 or the beasts of the field by night.

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 When David was told what Rizpah, the daughter of Ai,

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 the concubine of Saul, had done,

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 David went and took the bones of Saul

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 and the bones of his son Jonathan

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 from the men of Jabeth Gilead,

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 who had stolen them from the public square of Bethshon,

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 where the Philistines had hanged them

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 on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa.

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 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul

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 and the bones of his son Jonathan,

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 and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged,

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 and they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan

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 in the land of Benjamin and Zila,

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 in the tomb of Kish, his father.

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 And they did all that,

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 and they did all that the king commanded.

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 And after that,

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 God responded to the plea for the land.

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 Well, that's quite a passage.

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 In our morning services,

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 we've been preaching through the book of 1 Corinthians,

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 and Pastor Matt this morning opened his sermons

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 basically by saying,

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 we didn't plan this,

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 but in God's providence,

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 here we come to a passage in 1 Corinthians 7

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 that's all about sex on Valentine's Day.

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 Well, we didn't plan this,

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 but here in God's providence,

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 we've been preaching through the book of Samuel

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 for a long time in this service,

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 and we get to a passage that's all about

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 the St. Valentine's Day massacre.

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 I am thrilled that this congregation

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 has been going through Samuel

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 because it's one of my favorite books,

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 a book that I have learned an awful lot from.

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 I was not involved in the conversations

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 when the pastors and elders chose what to preach,

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 but I can pretty easily imagine how it went,

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 knowing everyone involved.

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 I think Greg was probably the one who said,

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 we've never preached through Samuel in our church.

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 Why don't we do that?

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 And the other pastor was like,

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 that's a great idea.

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 I bet we have a lot to learn.

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 And they were like,

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 who wants to preach on David and Goliath?

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 Oh, I do, I do.

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 And who wants to preach on God's covenant with David

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 when he tells about Jesus coming?

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 I do, I do, I do.

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 And who wants to preach on when Nathan confronts David

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 and tells him to stop sinning?

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 Oh, I'll take that.

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 And who wants to preach on the Gibeonite massacre?

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 Crickets.

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 And they were like, hmm,

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 who's a real chump we could ask to preach on that for us?

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 Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Rob Dunlop,

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 and this is my sermon on the Gibeonite massacre.

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 Now, in the book of Samuel,

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 and I'm going to keep calling the book of Samuel

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 because 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel

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 are really all just one story.

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 It happens to be that it was a long enough story

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 that they ran out of paper in the first scroll,

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 and so they had to use two scrolls,

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 and that's where you get 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel from.

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 But it's really just one long story.

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 In the book of Samuel,

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 the whole thing has been a chronological account

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 of what happened in the days

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 of the life of David and Saul, particularly,

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 up until the passage

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 that Greg preached on last week.

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 And now these last few chapters of Samuel

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 don't fit into that chronological history.

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 And so,

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 that clearly just kind of marks them off somehow.

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 When my small group went through the book of Samuel

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 about three years ago,

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 I got here and I listened to a bunch of passages

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 that I really respect,

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 and almost all of them said,

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 yeah, so, like,

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 they couldn't figure out what to do with these passages,

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 so they kind of tacked them on at the end.

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 And you should think of this as an appendix.

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 Or, so, this also happened.

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 That would be a pretty good way of characterizing

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 the passage we've just read.

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 But as I was looking at it,

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 I noticed that,

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 and this wasn't all my thinking,

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 I'm not going to take credit,

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 but the book of Samuel

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 has three major passages of songs.

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 One song comes right in the beginning

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 when Hannah gives thanks

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 for the birth of her son Samuel

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 and writes a song of thanks to God.

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 One song comes right in the middle.

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 After Saul dies,

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 David laments over the death of Saul

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 and his son Jonathan,

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 which gets alluded to in our passage.

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 And the third song,

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 section of songs,

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 comes, as you'll see in chapter,

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 I think, 22 and 23,

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 when David writes a psalm

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 and the last words of David

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 are also a song.

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 And so that struck me as,

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 well, that seems pretty integral

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 to the structure of the book,

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 to have these three songs

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 so carefully laid out,

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 this last one coming after,

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 in the section that everyone else is saying

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 is just an appendix.

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 Then I noticed that the appendix,

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 and I noticed because I read it in the commentary,

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 is very carefully structured.

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 You have our story this week,

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 David cleans up a mess

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 because of a mistake that Saul made.

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 Then you have a story about David's mighty men.

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 And then you have a son.

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 And then you have a son.

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 And then you have a story about David's mighty men.

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 And then you have a story about how David

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 cleans up a mess

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 from a mistake that he made.

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 And so that parallelism

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 makes me think that this section

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 is not just a bunch of,

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 oh, and this happened too,

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 and I forgot about it.

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 But it's actually well-crafted

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 and an integral part of the book.

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 So I'm thinking,

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 what's going on here?

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 As I was teaching through this

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 in my small group three years ago,

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 I said, well,

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 why don't I go on the hypothesis

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 that this isn't an appendix,

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 but it's a proper conclusion to this book?

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 And by that,

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 I mean that

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 you've read through the book

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 up to this point,

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 and you've still got real questions

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 about what does this all mean?

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 And now the author

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 is going to take

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 well-chosen passages,

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 not because they happened

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 at the end of David's life,

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 but because they were the best passages

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 to make his point,

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 and answer the biggest questions

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 that we ought to have as readers,

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 having gotten to this point.

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 And what I discovered

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 is that these six stories,

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 so before I actually studied

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 the six stories,

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 I laid out and said,

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 what are my biggest questions?

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 And I discovered

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 that these six stories

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 answered them very methodically.

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 So that became one of the triggers

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 whereby this story

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 helped me understand

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 what the whole book of Samuel is about.

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 And in fact,

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 it was one of the biggest

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 helps for me as a Christian

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 that I've found in many years.

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 So I am preaching this passage

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 not because I want to

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 bail out our poor pastors

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 from having to deal

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 with something really icky,

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 but because in fact

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 this is one of my favorite passages,

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 not because I'm any more comfortable

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 with what goes on in the story,

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 but because God used it

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 to teach me some really important lessons.

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 I'm hoping that over the course

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 of the sermon,

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 I can share some of those lessons

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 with you and help you

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 make sense of it.

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 So, by far,

00:10:38.919 --> 00:10:40.320
 if you're this far into Samuel,

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 the biggest question you have

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 is what really was

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 the difference between David and Saul?

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 Very clearly,

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 God was against Saul

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 and very clearly,

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 David was a man

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 after God's own heart.

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 But,

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 why?

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 What's the real difference

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 between them?

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 What's good about David

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 or bad about Saul

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 or I don't get it?

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 That's the question I had.

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 Before we can even get to

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 answering that question,

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 which is the question

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 I think this passage

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 is written to help us sort through,

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 there's a question of

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 why do I even care

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 about David and Saul?

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 So let's start with that one.

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 And that one,

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 because I think

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 much of the book of Samuel

00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:27.839
 is written

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 to help us understand

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 what the difference is

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 between David and Saul,

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 you have to ask,

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 well, why was Samuel written?

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 Well,

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 the book of Samuel

00:11:36.860 --> 00:11:38.039
 was written as a sequel

00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:39.079
 to the book of Judges.

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 So it kind of pushes you

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 back one step.

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 You have to say,

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 well, why was Judges written?

00:11:44.179 --> 00:11:45.179
 Well, the book of Judges

00:11:45.179 --> 00:11:46.059
 was written as a sequel

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 to the book of Joshua.

00:11:46.980 --> 00:11:49.320
 Okay, so why was Joshua written?

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 It was a sequel

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 to the book of Deuteronomy.

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 And before you know it,

00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:55.500
 in the beginning,

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 God created the heavens

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 and the earth.

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 I think that's the only place

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 we're going to be able

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 to start.

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 You go right back

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 to creation,

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 and the piece

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 out of the creation story

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 that I want to pick up on

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 is when he creates

00:12:12.019 --> 00:12:13.099
 Adam and Eve.

00:12:14.099 --> 00:12:14.839
 He says,

00:12:15.339 --> 00:12:16.299
 let us make man

00:12:16.299 --> 00:12:17.859
 in our image

00:12:17.859 --> 00:12:21.019
 and let him rule

00:12:21.019 --> 00:12:24.379
 over the birds of the air

00:12:24.379 --> 00:12:25.379
 and the beasts of the field

00:12:25.379 --> 00:12:26.339
 and the fish of the sea

00:12:26.339 --> 00:12:27.059
 and the things that creep

00:12:27.059 --> 00:12:28.099
 and crawl along the ground.

00:12:32.079 --> 00:12:33.439
 What you get from that

00:12:33.439 --> 00:12:34.439
 is

00:12:34.439 --> 00:12:37.079
 God made us in his image,

00:12:37.459 --> 00:12:38.620
 and I understand that to be

00:12:38.620 --> 00:12:39.740
 God wanted us

00:12:39.740 --> 00:12:41.139
 to uniquely share

00:12:41.139 --> 00:12:42.159
 something in common

00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:42.659
 with him

00:12:42.659 --> 00:12:43.740
 so that we could have

00:12:43.740 --> 00:12:44.860
 a relationship with him.

00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:48.720
 And

00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:50.659
 the focus of that relationship

00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:52.299
 was to be on

00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:53.980
 ruling over creation.

00:12:54.860 --> 00:12:55.539
 In other words,

00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:56.759
 God was saying,

00:12:57.980 --> 00:12:59.340
 I love

00:12:59.340 --> 00:13:00.860
 watching my

00:13:00.860 --> 00:13:02.399
 creation flourish.

00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:04.919
 And I want to share

00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:05.840
 that joy with someone.

00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:07.799
 So I'm going to make

00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:08.440
 mankind

00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:10.660
 who are able

00:13:10.660 --> 00:13:11.860
 to rule

00:13:11.860 --> 00:13:13.320
 over this world

00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:14.400
 so that they know

00:13:14.400 --> 00:13:15.700
 something of the joy

00:13:15.700 --> 00:13:16.560
 of what it is

00:13:16.560 --> 00:13:17.660
 to see

00:13:17.660 --> 00:13:19.260
 something under your care

00:13:19.260 --> 00:13:20.000
 flourish.

00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:22.080
 And that when God

00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:22.800
 wants to have

00:13:22.800 --> 00:13:23.960
 a relationship with us,

00:13:24.220 --> 00:13:25.740
 that is the primary focus

00:13:25.740 --> 00:13:27.360
 of what the relationship

00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:28.740
 should be made of,

00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:30.700
 is that shared experience

00:13:30.700 --> 00:13:32.260
 of ruling

00:13:32.260 --> 00:13:33.760
 and watching creation

00:13:33.760 --> 00:13:34.300
 flourish.

00:13:34.299 --> 00:13:36.339
 lest you think

00:13:36.339 --> 00:13:36.879
 that's just

00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:38.079
 Genesis 1 idea,

00:13:38.819 --> 00:13:39.459
 and then God

00:13:39.459 --> 00:13:40.059
 realized that wasn't

00:13:40.059 --> 00:13:40.719
 going to work so well

00:13:40.719 --> 00:13:41.539
 and gave up on it.

00:13:42.719 --> 00:13:43.459
 Back to our

00:13:43.459 --> 00:13:44.079
 morning series,

00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:45.259
 in 1 Corinthians 6,

00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:46.699
 Paul tells us

00:13:46.699 --> 00:13:48.179
 that in heaven,

00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:49.459
 you and I,

00:13:49.579 --> 00:13:50.439
 if you are a believer

00:13:50.439 --> 00:13:50.959
 in Jesus,

00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:52.719
 will be judging

00:13:52.719 --> 00:13:53.319
 the angels.

00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:55.359
 So both Old Testament

00:13:55.359 --> 00:13:56.120
 and New Testament

00:13:56.120 --> 00:13:56.939
 talk about

00:13:56.939 --> 00:13:58.000
 ruling

00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.199
 as being a core part

00:14:00.199 --> 00:14:01.339
 of our eternal destiny.

00:14:01.340 --> 00:14:04.480
 So,

00:14:04.820 --> 00:14:06.300
 that's

00:14:06.300 --> 00:14:07.780
 the starting thought,

00:14:07.940 --> 00:14:09.220
 is God made us

00:14:09.220 --> 00:14:12.200
 to relate to him

00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:13.019
 in,

00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:14.100
 particularly,

00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:14.940
 in his character

00:14:14.940 --> 00:14:15.460
 as a king.

00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:19.300
 Then you get

00:14:19.300 --> 00:14:20.320
 most of the Old Testament

00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:21.120
 up until the book

00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:21.639
 of Samuel,

00:14:21.980 --> 00:14:23.680
 and much of what

00:14:23.680 --> 00:14:24.399
 that is about

00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:26.240
 is God trying to

00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:26.639
 teach us

00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:27.780
 what he is like

00:14:27.780 --> 00:14:28.940
 and what it would

00:14:28.940 --> 00:14:29.620
 look like

00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:30.960
 for us,

00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:31.759
 as humans,

00:14:32.419 --> 00:14:33.360
 to live lives

00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:33.899
 that reflect

00:14:33.899 --> 00:14:34.539
 his character.

00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:36.960
 And so that's

00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:37.840
 particularly what

00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:38.820
 Deuteronomy is about,

00:14:39.419 --> 00:14:40.919
 is I basically see

00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:41.960
 Moses is writing

00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:42.820
 the first four books

00:14:42.820 --> 00:14:43.320
 of the Bible

00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:44.560
 in order to set up

00:14:44.560 --> 00:14:45.200
 Deuteronomy,

00:14:45.980 --> 00:14:46.879
 and he gets to

00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:47.379
 Deuteronomy,

00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:47.659
 he's like,

00:14:47.779 --> 00:14:48.080
 okay,

00:14:48.460 --> 00:14:49.740
 now here's the covenant

00:14:49.740 --> 00:14:50.679
 that God wants to make

00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:51.039
 with you.

00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:52.200
 This is what it looks

00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:53.060
 like to live

00:14:53.060 --> 00:14:53.740
 as God's people.

00:14:54.620 --> 00:14:55.519
 And you get to

00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:56.419
 the end of Deuteronomy,

00:14:56.779 --> 00:14:57.919
 and Moses sums it up

00:14:57.919 --> 00:14:59.500
 pretty tightly.

00:14:59.959 --> 00:15:00.459
 He's like,

00:15:01.219 --> 00:15:02.199
 you've heard all the

00:15:02.199 --> 00:15:03.000
 laws that God wants

00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:03.579
 you to obey.

00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:05.860
 You've heard

00:15:05.860 --> 00:15:08.439
 the root issue

00:15:08.439 --> 00:15:09.139
 is not,

00:15:09.539 --> 00:15:10.059
 are you obeying

00:15:10.059 --> 00:15:10.740
 these laws,

00:15:11.299 --> 00:15:12.319
 but is your heart

00:15:12.319 --> 00:15:13.360
 loving the Lord?

00:15:14.079 --> 00:15:15.159
 And are you obeying

00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:15.779
 them out of that

00:15:15.779 --> 00:15:16.319
 motivation?

00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:19.899
 If you keep

00:15:19.899 --> 00:15:20.500
 this covenant,

00:15:21.659 --> 00:15:22.939
 God is going to

00:15:22.939 --> 00:15:23.860
 bless you beyond

00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:24.659
 anything you can

00:15:24.659 --> 00:15:25.039
 imagine.

00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:27.079
 And it's just

00:15:27.079 --> 00:15:27.399
 like,

00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:28.539
 whether you're

00:15:28.539 --> 00:15:29.240
 inside or

00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:29.679
 outside,

00:15:29.959 --> 00:15:30.360
 whether you're

00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:31.240
 eating or

00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:32.059
 exercising,

00:15:32.179 --> 00:15:33.019
 whatever you do,

00:15:33.379 --> 00:15:33.860
 God's going to

00:15:33.860 --> 00:15:34.539
 bless you there.

00:15:34.699 --> 00:15:35.299
 And it just goes

00:15:35.299 --> 00:15:36.079
 on and on for

00:15:36.079 --> 00:15:36.740
 about 10 or

00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:37.759
 20 verses about

00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:38.740
 how much God

00:15:38.740 --> 00:15:39.579
 will bless us

00:15:39.579 --> 00:15:40.719
 if we keep

00:15:40.719 --> 00:15:41.139
 his covenant.

00:15:42.439 --> 00:15:43.079
 And then he says,

00:15:43.339 --> 00:15:43.699
 and if you

00:15:43.699 --> 00:15:44.819
 disobey this covenant

00:15:44.819 --> 00:15:46.120
 and break it,

00:15:46.579 --> 00:15:47.559
 God will curse you.

00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:49.219
 And that goes on

00:15:49.219 --> 00:15:49.959
 for a lot longer.

00:15:51.219 --> 00:15:52.299
 And God says,

00:15:52.299 --> 00:15:53.740
 so if you

00:15:53.740 --> 00:15:54.279
 obey him,

00:15:54.339 --> 00:15:54.939
 he'll bless you

00:15:54.939 --> 00:15:55.839
 beyond what you

00:15:55.839 --> 00:15:56.319
 can imagine.

00:15:56.599 --> 00:15:57.479
 If you disobey him,

00:15:57.539 --> 00:15:58.199
 he'll curse you

00:15:58.199 --> 00:15:58.819
 beyond what you

00:15:58.819 --> 00:15:59.299
 can imagine.

00:16:00.519 --> 00:16:01.319
 So that's the

00:16:01.319 --> 00:16:02.019
 book of Deuteronomy.

00:16:02.099 --> 00:16:02.679
 And as I said,

00:16:02.959 --> 00:16:03.779
 Joshua is a sequel

00:16:03.779 --> 00:16:04.219
 to that.

00:16:04.359 --> 00:16:04.919
 And the point of

00:16:04.919 --> 00:16:07.799
 Joshua is essentially

00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:09.599
 the generation that

00:16:09.599 --> 00:16:10.419
 followed Moses

00:16:10.419 --> 00:16:11.959
 chose to obey.

00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:13.879
 And God really did

00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:14.719
 bless them beyond

00:16:14.719 --> 00:16:15.439
 anything you can

00:16:15.439 --> 00:16:15.799
 imagine.

00:16:16.439 --> 00:16:17.240
 And there are crazy

00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:18.159
 stories in Joshua.

00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:18.899
 Like,

00:16:19.459 --> 00:16:19.979
 hey God,

00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:20.859
 this is a pretty

00:16:20.859 --> 00:16:21.379
 good day.

00:16:21.379 --> 00:16:22.000
 Can you make it

00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:22.419
 last a little

00:16:22.419 --> 00:16:22.720
 longer?

00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:23.139
 And God's like,

00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:23.480
 what do you want

00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:23.899
 me to do?

00:16:23.939 --> 00:16:24.620
 Stop the sun in

00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:25.000
 the sky?

00:16:25.139 --> 00:16:25.480
 And they're like,

00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:26.200
 that'd be a good

00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:26.480
 idea.

00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:26.899
 And God's like,

00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:27.620
 no problem.

00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:30.159
 That's the sort of

00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:31.220
 like God blesses

00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:31.860
 them beyond anything

00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:32.500
 you can imagine

00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:33.439
 sort of relationship

00:16:33.439 --> 00:16:33.960
 they had.

00:16:34.759 --> 00:16:35.939
 And the end of

00:16:35.939 --> 00:16:37.960
 Joshua is exhaustive

00:16:37.960 --> 00:16:38.980
 in showing all

00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:39.919
 the different ways

00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:40.899
 that God was

00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:41.919
 faithful to keep

00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:42.759
 every promise he

00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:43.379
 made to them

00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:44.620
 and bless them

00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:45.139
 beyond what they

00:16:45.139 --> 00:16:45.679
 could imagine.

00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:48.320
 That's a nice

00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:48.600
 sequel.

00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:50.240
 Then you get to

00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:50.700
 Judges.

00:16:51.379 --> 00:16:52.439
 The book of

00:16:52.439 --> 00:16:53.480
 Judges is,

00:16:53.659 --> 00:16:54.220
 put simply,

00:16:55.259 --> 00:16:55.820
 the people

00:16:55.820 --> 00:16:57.259
 didn't continue

00:16:57.259 --> 00:16:58.740
 to keep God's

00:16:58.740 --> 00:16:59.059
 covenant.

00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:03.659
 And life got

00:17:03.659 --> 00:17:04.339
 really bad.

00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:05.359
 Not so much

00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:05.960
 because you see

00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:06.759
 God's curses

00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:08.140
 in Judges,

00:17:08.380 --> 00:17:09.460
 but you just see

00:17:09.460 --> 00:17:10.420
 the depravity of

00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:11.180
 the human heart

00:17:11.180 --> 00:17:12.599
 working itself out.

00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:14.220
 And the people

00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:15.059
 of Israel just get

00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:16.160
 worse and worse

00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:16.859
 and worse.

00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:18.259
 And the book

00:17:18.259 --> 00:17:18.879
 of Judges

00:17:18.879 --> 00:17:20.719
 opens by saying,

00:17:21.699 --> 00:17:22.119
 there's a little

00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:22.740
 bit of problem.

00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:24.039
 They don't have a

00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:24.759
 leader like Joshua

00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:25.219
 anymore.

00:17:26.479 --> 00:17:27.339
 And you get past

00:17:27.339 --> 00:17:28.039
 chapter one

00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:29.179
 and the book of

00:17:29.179 --> 00:17:29.839
 Judges is like,

00:17:30.439 --> 00:17:31.119
 no, we got a real

00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:31.539
 problem.

00:17:31.819 --> 00:17:32.500
 There's not a leader

00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:33.479
 like Joshua anymore.

00:17:34.479 --> 00:17:35.279
 And by the time

00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:36.099
 you get to the end

00:17:36.099 --> 00:17:36.799
 of Judges,

00:17:37.899 --> 00:17:39.139
 the refrain that you

00:17:39.139 --> 00:17:40.000
 hear four times

00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:40.779
 over is,

00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:43.519
 they didn't have

00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:44.099
 a good leader.

00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:47.559
 And the end

00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:48.279
 of Judges

00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:49.920
 is really,

00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:50.940
 really bad.

00:17:51.779 --> 00:17:52.660
 And you have

00:17:52.660 --> 00:17:53.299
 to have that in

00:17:53.299 --> 00:17:53.940
 mind because that's

00:17:53.940 --> 00:17:54.440
 where Samuel's

00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:54.980
 going to pick up

00:17:54.980 --> 00:17:55.220
 from.

00:17:56.019 --> 00:17:57.220
 The end of Judges

00:17:57.220 --> 00:17:59.119
 is essentially

00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:01.779
 there's a concubine

00:18:01.779 --> 00:18:03.240
 who gets gain-raped

00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:05.299
 by an entire city.

00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:07.299
 They appeal to

00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:07.940
 justice to the

00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:09.139
 surrounding towns.

00:18:09.500 --> 00:18:10.220
 The towns come to

00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:11.160
 the defense of the

00:18:11.160 --> 00:18:11.619
 rapists.

00:18:11.619 --> 00:18:13.559
 So then they

00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:14.299
 appeal to justice

00:18:14.299 --> 00:18:14.919
 to the entire

00:18:14.919 --> 00:18:15.419
 nation.

00:18:16.139 --> 00:18:16.919
 It starts a civil

00:18:16.919 --> 00:18:17.259
 war.

00:18:18.259 --> 00:18:19.059
 The civil war gets

00:18:19.059 --> 00:18:19.559
 a little out of

00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:19.859
 hand.

00:18:19.959 --> 00:18:20.619
 They decide to

00:18:20.619 --> 00:18:21.519
 pursue a program

00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:22.759
 of genocide to

00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:23.399
 kill off that

00:18:23.399 --> 00:18:23.739
 tribe.

00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:25.139
 Then they decide

00:18:25.139 --> 00:18:25.879
 the genocide might

00:18:25.879 --> 00:18:26.359
 have been a step

00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:26.979
 too far.

00:18:27.719 --> 00:18:29.039
 So they're worried

00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:29.679
 that the tribe

00:18:29.679 --> 00:18:30.119
 of Benjamin,

00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:30.679
 which was about

00:18:30.679 --> 00:18:31.379
 to die out,

00:18:31.819 --> 00:18:32.379
 there won't be

00:18:32.379 --> 00:18:33.479
 any woman left

00:18:33.479 --> 00:18:34.039
 to bear children.

00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:34.859
 So they decide

00:18:34.859 --> 00:18:35.419
 to solve that

00:18:35.419 --> 00:18:36.239
 problem by raping

00:18:36.239 --> 00:18:37.199
 another 400 women.

00:18:38.339 --> 00:18:38.959
 You read that

00:18:38.959 --> 00:18:39.559
 sort of story,

00:18:39.679 --> 00:18:39.979
 you're like,

00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:41.199
 these people

00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.100
 deserve to be

00:18:42.100 --> 00:18:42.440
 cursed.

00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:44.160
 This is sick

00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:45.160
 and bad.

00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:47.700
 And so if you're

00:18:47.700 --> 00:18:48.620
 coming from the

00:18:48.620 --> 00:18:49.580
 Deuteronomy picture

00:18:49.580 --> 00:18:51.200
 of if you obey me

00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:51.880
 I will bless you,

00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:52.980
 if you disobey me

00:18:52.980 --> 00:18:54.259
 I will turn on you,

00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:55.860
 you expect the

00:18:55.860 --> 00:18:56.880
 sequel to Judges

00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:58.160
 to be the story

00:18:58.160 --> 00:18:58.759
 about how God

00:18:58.759 --> 00:18:59.640
 curses his people.

00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:02.799
 You expect this

00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:03.360
 to be the story

00:19:03.360 --> 00:19:04.200
 of God's punishment.

00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:04.340
 punishment.

00:19:05.539 --> 00:19:08.120
 And you will not

00:19:08.120 --> 00:19:09.000
 understand the book

00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:10.640
 of Samuel unless

00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:12.160
 you start with

00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:14.080
 the shock of

00:19:14.080 --> 00:19:17.279
 God's being patient

00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:18.059
 with these people.

00:19:18.700 --> 00:19:19.640
 Why is he being so

00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:20.000
 patient?

00:19:20.700 --> 00:19:21.600
 Why is God

00:19:21.600 --> 00:19:22.580
 withholding the

00:19:22.580 --> 00:19:24.580
 punishment that we

00:19:24.580 --> 00:19:25.600
 so clearly deserve?

00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:25.779
 serve?

00:19:32.059 --> 00:19:33.359
 You can't get very

00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:34.399
 far into

00:19:34.399 --> 00:19:35.919
 Samuel without

00:19:35.919 --> 00:19:37.299
 realizing that

00:19:37.299 --> 00:19:38.439
 something about

00:19:38.439 --> 00:19:40.579
 kingship is at

00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:41.179
 the heart of that

00:19:41.179 --> 00:19:41.579
 answer.

00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:50.799
 And as best as I've

00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:52.139
 been able to guess

00:19:52.140 --> 00:19:54.400
 at it, God's

00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:55.300
 thinking right back

00:19:55.300 --> 00:19:56.100
 to why did I

00:19:56.100 --> 00:19:56.920
 create these people

00:19:56.920 --> 00:19:57.840
 in the first place?

00:19:59.080 --> 00:19:59.540
 And he's thinking,

00:19:59.780 --> 00:20:00.500
 oh yeah, it's

00:20:00.500 --> 00:20:01.259
 because I really

00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:02.100
 wanted them to

00:20:02.100 --> 00:20:03.060
 share that experience

00:20:03.060 --> 00:20:03.620
 of what it means

00:20:03.620 --> 00:20:05.240
 to be good kings,

00:20:05.580 --> 00:20:06.259
 good rulers.

00:20:08.120 --> 00:20:09.640
 And here I have,

00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:11.740
 because these people

00:20:11.740 --> 00:20:12.400
 prove themselves

00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:13.680
 so faithless,

00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:15.259
 so wicked,

00:20:16.259 --> 00:20:17.259
 I have a unique

00:20:17.259 --> 00:20:19.280
 opportunity to show

00:20:19.280 --> 00:20:20.520
 them what my

00:20:20.520 --> 00:20:21.759
 kingship looks like.

00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:24.940
 you will never

00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:27.480
 understand God's

00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:30.900
 patience more

00:20:30.900 --> 00:20:31.660
 clearly when you

00:20:31.660 --> 00:20:32.700
 see it in response

00:20:32.700 --> 00:20:33.620
 to your stubbornness.

00:20:34.460 --> 00:20:35.200
 You'll never

00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:35.759
 understand his

00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:36.820
 mercy more

00:20:36.820 --> 00:20:37.520
 clearly than when

00:20:37.520 --> 00:20:38.060
 you see it in

00:20:38.060 --> 00:20:39.280
 response to your

00:20:39.280 --> 00:20:39.880
 depravity.

00:20:42.259 --> 00:20:42.980
 You'll never

00:20:42.980 --> 00:20:43.660
 understand God's

00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:45.300
 faithfulness more

00:20:45.300 --> 00:20:46.420
 clearly than when

00:20:46.420 --> 00:20:47.000
 you see it in

00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:47.560
 response to your

00:20:47.560 --> 00:20:48.140
 faithlessness.

00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:50.360
 I think God

00:20:50.360 --> 00:20:50.920
 looked at the

00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:51.900
 people and said,

00:20:52.140 --> 00:20:53.280
 these are stubborn,

00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:55.140
 depraved, and

00:20:55.140 --> 00:20:56.080
 faithless people.

00:20:57.120 --> 00:20:57.840
 What a wonderful

00:20:57.840 --> 00:20:59.080
 opportunity for me

00:20:59.080 --> 00:21:00.259
 to show them what

00:21:00.259 --> 00:21:01.200
 a good king is,

00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.800
 who responds in

00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:05.400
 patience, in

00:21:05.400 --> 00:21:07.560
 faithfulness, and in

00:21:07.560 --> 00:21:08.920
 grace and mercy.

00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:11.220
 So the book of

00:21:11.220 --> 00:21:13.880
 Samuel opens with

00:21:13.880 --> 00:21:15.900
 God is the great

00:21:15.900 --> 00:21:16.180
 king.

00:21:16.180 --> 00:21:16.299
 king.

00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:19.100
 And that was, if you

00:21:19.100 --> 00:21:19.920
 go back to, if you

00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:20.940
 remember back in 1

00:21:20.940 --> 00:21:22.080
 Samuel chapter 5,

00:21:22.360 --> 00:21:23.259
 there's a story about

00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:25.039
 how the Israelites

00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:25.820
 went into battle

00:21:25.820 --> 00:21:26.259
 against the

00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:27.340
 Philistines, and

00:21:27.340 --> 00:21:27.860
 they brought the

00:21:27.860 --> 00:21:28.560
 ark with them

00:21:28.560 --> 00:21:28.840
 because they

00:21:28.840 --> 00:21:29.240
 thought it was a

00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:30.660
 good luck charm, and

00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:31.460
 it didn't work out

00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:31.880
 the way they

00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:32.380
 expected.

00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:34.200
 They lost the

00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:34.620
 battle, the

00:21:34.620 --> 00:21:35.299
 Philistines stole

00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:35.860
 the ark.

00:21:35.859 --> 00:21:38.679
 This is where you

00:21:38.679 --> 00:21:40.519
 start to see God

00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:41.259
 is the great king.

00:21:45.179 --> 00:21:46.139
 Totally independent

00:21:46.139 --> 00:21:47.339
 of what the people

00:21:47.339 --> 00:21:48.599
 are doing, they

00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:49.659
 are clearly somewhere

00:21:49.659 --> 00:21:50.419
 between wicked and

00:21:50.419 --> 00:21:50.919
 clueless.

00:21:54.219 --> 00:21:55.179
 The ark goes into

00:21:55.179 --> 00:21:55.919
 the land of the

00:21:55.919 --> 00:21:56.519
 Philistines.

00:21:57.079 --> 00:21:57.679
 And what are the

00:21:57.679 --> 00:21:58.319
 problems of Israel

00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:58.839
 at this point?

00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:00.179
 You have the obvious

00:22:00.179 --> 00:22:00.819
 problems that people

00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:02.039
 are just messed up.

00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:03.319
 But you have the

00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:05.220
 surface level problems

00:22:05.220 --> 00:22:06.779
 of they're slave to

00:22:06.779 --> 00:22:07.480
 the Philistines,

00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:08.779
 they're dishonored,

00:22:09.819 --> 00:22:10.579
 their borders aren't

00:22:10.579 --> 00:22:11.879
 secure, they're

00:22:11.879 --> 00:22:12.420
 living in fear.

00:22:14.420 --> 00:22:15.399
 As the Philistines

00:22:15.399 --> 00:22:16.319
 take the ark around

00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:17.259
 to each town,

00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:19.359
 something terrible

00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:19.859
 happens.

00:22:20.059 --> 00:22:20.960
 We're not quite sure,

00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:21.899
 but it sure seems

00:22:21.899 --> 00:22:23.579
 like a bubonic plague

00:22:23.579 --> 00:22:24.619
 came on the

00:22:24.619 --> 00:22:25.700
 Philistines, something

00:22:25.700 --> 00:22:26.500
 of that nature.

00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:28.339
 And essentially, God

00:22:28.339 --> 00:22:29.480
 single-handedly wipes

00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:30.099
 out the Philistine

00:22:30.099 --> 00:22:30.440
 army.

00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:33.299
 The idols of the

00:22:33.299 --> 00:22:33.899
 Philistines keep

00:22:33.899 --> 00:22:34.759
 falling down and

00:22:34.759 --> 00:22:35.619
 worshipping the ark,

00:22:35.899 --> 00:22:37.059
 so he reestablishes

00:22:37.059 --> 00:22:37.659
 the honor of the

00:22:37.659 --> 00:22:38.440
 Israelite religion.

00:22:39.379 --> 00:22:40.680
 More than that, he

00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:41.440
 reestablishes the

00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:41.879
 honor of the

00:22:41.879 --> 00:22:42.579
 Israelites, because

00:22:42.579 --> 00:22:43.740
 the Philistines are

00:22:43.740 --> 00:22:44.599
 reacting and saying,

00:22:45.399 --> 00:22:46.240
 if these Israelites

00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:47.099
 can deal with this

00:22:47.099 --> 00:22:48.259
 God, they're a whole

00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:48.740
 different sort of

00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:49.500
 people than we are.

00:22:50.299 --> 00:22:51.259
 And they say, we

00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:53.000
 need to treat the

00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:53.579
 Israelites with

00:22:53.579 --> 00:22:54.759
 reverence, if they're

00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:56.799
 able to have a

00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:57.460
 relationship with a

00:22:57.460 --> 00:22:58.420
 God like this, because

00:22:58.420 --> 00:22:59.420
 this God is too much

00:22:59.420 --> 00:22:59.960
 for us.

00:22:59.960 --> 00:23:02.019
 And then they send

00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:03.759
 the ark back with

00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:05.019
 a, I'm sorry, no,

00:23:05.140 --> 00:23:06.120
 and please forgive us

00:23:06.120 --> 00:23:07.140
 and we'll never do

00:23:07.140 --> 00:23:08.460
 that again to you,

00:23:08.539 --> 00:23:10.279
 type offering.

00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:13.460
 And so God secures

00:23:13.460 --> 00:23:14.200
 the borders of the

00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:14.420
 land.

00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:15.880
 So you see God as

00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:16.700
 King doing all the

00:23:16.700 --> 00:23:17.480
 things you expect a

00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:18.079
 king to do.

00:23:20.740 --> 00:23:21.860
 All on his own,

00:23:23.980 --> 00:23:24.799
 he's restoring the

00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:25.440
 dignity of his

00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:26.680
 people, he's

00:23:26.680 --> 00:23:27.220
 restoring the

00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:28.460
 security of his

00:23:28.460 --> 00:23:28.819
 people.

00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:32.579
 And he's helping

00:23:32.579 --> 00:23:33.640
 the people understand

00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:34.779
 what it means to

00:23:34.779 --> 00:23:35.500
 actually worship the

00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:36.019
 true God.

00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:41.680
 So, that would be a

00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:42.860
 nice lesson if it

00:23:42.860 --> 00:23:43.620
 stopped there.

00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:46.579
 But the real problem

00:23:46.579 --> 00:23:47.460
 again is that we as

00:23:47.460 --> 00:23:48.660
 a people are just so

00:23:48.660 --> 00:23:49.340
 messed up that we

00:23:49.340 --> 00:23:50.460
 look at a God like

00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:51.480
 that and our reaction

00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:52.600
 is not, I want that

00:23:52.600 --> 00:23:53.240
 sort of king.

00:23:53.840 --> 00:23:55.240
 Our reaction is,

00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:56.259
 get me away from

00:23:56.259 --> 00:23:56.480
 him.

00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:58.460
 And that's exactly

00:23:58.460 --> 00:23:59.079
 what the people of

00:23:59.079 --> 00:23:59.559
 Israel did.

00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:00.940
 They said to

00:24:00.940 --> 00:24:03.480
 Samuel, we want a

00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:04.559
 human king, not a

00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:05.220
 God king.

00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:07.200
 We want a king that

00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:08.539
 we can see and touch

00:24:08.539 --> 00:24:09.620
 and maybe manipulate

00:24:09.620 --> 00:24:10.299
 or bribe.

00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:11.500
 They didn't actually

00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:12.079
 say that, but it

00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:12.700
 becomes pretty clear

00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:13.160
 that's where they're

00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:13.360
 headed.

00:24:16.440 --> 00:24:19.319
 And so you see the

00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:20.640
 real problem in the

00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:21.360
 human heart there.

00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:24.579
 And God, Samuel gets

00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:25.480
 upset by this.

00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:26.799
 He's like, why are

00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:27.819
 they rejecting God?

00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:29.960
 And God says, let's

00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:30.539
 give them a king

00:24:30.539 --> 00:24:30.960
 anyway.

00:24:32.379 --> 00:24:33.259
 I'll give them Saul.

00:24:35.279 --> 00:24:38.539
 So, now you have

00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:40.059
 the stories of Saul,

00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:41.439
 the bad king, and

00:24:41.439 --> 00:24:42.339
 David, the good king.

00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:43.939
 And your first theory

00:24:43.939 --> 00:24:46.220
 is, it's very early

00:24:46.220 --> 00:24:47.319
 on that you get told

00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:48.519
 that David's going to

00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:49.399
 be a king after God's

00:24:49.399 --> 00:24:49.759
 own heart.

00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:50.920
 And so most of the

00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:52.420
 life of Saul, and all

00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:53.119
 the life of David

00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:54.519
 basically, you're

00:24:54.519 --> 00:24:55.559
 working with this idea

00:24:55.559 --> 00:24:56.819
 that Saul's a rejected

00:24:56.819 --> 00:24:58.259
 king, David is an

00:24:58.259 --> 00:24:59.140
 accepted king, and

00:24:59.140 --> 00:25:00.000
 you're wondering why.

00:25:01.339 --> 00:25:02.539
 Your first theory is,

00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:03.160
 well, Saul's probably

00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:04.420
 just a bad king, and

00:25:04.420 --> 00:25:05.180
 David's a good king.

00:25:06.980 --> 00:25:07.740
 And there's some

00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:08.480
 evidence for that.

00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:09.400
 That's not a crazy

00:25:09.400 --> 00:25:10.420
 theory to have.

00:25:11.339 --> 00:25:12.759
 Saul is a bad king.

00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:14.299
 He slaughters all the

00:25:14.299 --> 00:25:15.359
 priests in the town of

00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:15.680
 Nob.

00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:17.400
 In our passage here, he

00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:18.079
 massacred the

00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:18.639
 Gibeonites.

00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:22.000
 He, in his dealings

00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:22.720
 with David, was

00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:24.579
 consistently paranoid.

00:25:25.339 --> 00:25:26.019
 He turned to

00:25:26.019 --> 00:25:26.539
 sorcery.

00:25:27.059 --> 00:25:27.819
 He's a complete

00:25:27.819 --> 00:25:28.659
 hypocrite when he

00:25:28.659 --> 00:25:29.279
 does that, because

00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:30.559
 he's the one who had

00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:31.579
 wiped out sorcery.

00:25:32.639 --> 00:25:33.879
 He is constantly

00:25:33.879 --> 00:25:35.399
 bitter about the

00:25:35.399 --> 00:25:35.960
 fact that God has

00:25:35.960 --> 00:25:36.639
 rejected him.

00:25:37.159 --> 00:25:38.339
 He deflects blame all

00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:39.019
 over the place.

00:25:39.879 --> 00:25:40.960
 And most of all, he's

00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:42.019
 just ruthless in his

00:25:42.019 --> 00:25:42.779
 lust for power.

00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:47.220
 Over the course of

00:25:47.220 --> 00:25:47.939
 the book of Samuel,

00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:50.299
 Saul attempts to

00:25:50.299 --> 00:25:51.099
 murder David no

00:25:51.099 --> 00:25:52.460
 less than 16 times.

00:25:53.539 --> 00:25:54.419
 That's a pretty bad

00:25:54.419 --> 00:25:54.639
 king.

00:25:58.179 --> 00:25:59.500
 David, as a good

00:25:59.500 --> 00:26:00.799
 king, there's some

00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:01.699
 good story for that

00:26:01.699 --> 00:26:01.939
 too.

00:26:02.779 --> 00:26:04.079
 David shows remarkable

00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:04.679
 courage.

00:26:05.399 --> 00:26:06.179
 He seems to have

00:26:06.179 --> 00:26:07.399
 absolutely no fear of

00:26:07.399 --> 00:26:08.099
 death whatsoever.

00:26:09.339 --> 00:26:10.279
 He's successful.

00:26:10.639 --> 00:26:11.579
 He seems like it's a

00:26:11.579 --> 00:26:12.740
 one man against an

00:26:12.740 --> 00:26:12.899
 army.

00:26:13.019 --> 00:26:13.759
 He's no problem for

00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:14.019
 David.

00:26:14.019 --> 00:26:14.099
 David.

00:26:14.099 --> 00:26:22.059
 David listens to the

00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:22.539
 prophets.

00:26:22.980 --> 00:26:24.740
 He listens to the

00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:25.639
 priests in his life.

00:26:26.059 --> 00:26:27.119
 He's turning to God

00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:28.059
 the way he ought to.

00:26:31.159 --> 00:26:32.199
 On the side, over the

00:26:32.199 --> 00:26:32.939
 course of Samuel, he

00:26:32.939 --> 00:26:33.859
 pretty much writes the

00:26:33.859 --> 00:26:34.459
 book of Psalms.

00:26:35.240 --> 00:26:35.799
 You've got to give him

00:26:35.799 --> 00:26:36.619
 some credit for that.

00:26:36.619 --> 00:26:41.939
 most notably, especially

00:26:41.939 --> 00:26:45.039
 in 1 Samuel, David just

00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:46.879
 refuses to seize power.

00:26:48.879 --> 00:26:50.279
 And you see something

00:26:50.279 --> 00:26:52.439
 remarkable about David's

00:26:52.439 --> 00:26:54.039
 lack of selfish ambition.

00:26:54.959 --> 00:26:56.119
 God tells David, you're

00:26:56.119 --> 00:26:56.899
 going to be king someday,

00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:58.459
 and David's like, all

00:26:58.459 --> 00:26:59.399
 right, I'll just wait.

00:26:59.400 --> 00:27:03.480
 I'm not going to seize

00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:05.120
 power, overthrow Saul,

00:27:05.380 --> 00:27:07.300
 kill him, depose him,

00:27:07.380 --> 00:27:08.060
 any of that.

00:27:08.540 --> 00:27:09.500
 If God wants me to

00:27:09.500 --> 00:27:10.780
 be king, I will wait

00:27:10.780 --> 00:27:11.580
 until God makes me

00:27:11.580 --> 00:27:11.840
 king.

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:14.680
 And so, particularly in

00:27:14.680 --> 00:27:15.600
 contrast to Saul's

00:27:15.600 --> 00:27:17.400
 lust for power, you see

00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:18.600
 a real difference between

00:27:18.600 --> 00:27:19.519
 David and Saul there.

00:27:21.019 --> 00:27:22.360
 So, you could get to the

00:27:22.360 --> 00:27:23.720
 end of 1 Samuel and

00:27:23.720 --> 00:27:24.800
 think, that's basically

00:27:24.800 --> 00:27:25.100
 it.

00:27:25.540 --> 00:27:26.560
 David's a good king,

00:27:26.860 --> 00:27:27.740
 Saul's a bad king.

00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:31.400
 But, as you all know

00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:33.540
 well, 2 Samuel doesn't

00:27:33.540 --> 00:27:34.480
 play into that story

00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:35.180
 all that well.

00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:40.120
 Even before David

00:27:40.120 --> 00:27:41.780
 becomes king, he starts

00:27:41.780 --> 00:27:42.560
 doing things that are a

00:27:42.560 --> 00:27:43.300
 little bit off.

00:27:43.720 --> 00:27:45.000
 He deceives the priest

00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:46.580
 at Nob and makes him

00:27:46.580 --> 00:27:47.620
 take a risk beyond what

00:27:47.620 --> 00:27:48.220
 they probably would have

00:27:48.220 --> 00:27:49.160
 taken on their own, such

00:27:49.160 --> 00:27:49.920
 that they do end up

00:27:49.920 --> 00:27:50.759
 getting killed by Saul.

00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:53.540
 He pretends to be insane

00:27:53.540 --> 00:27:54.220
 when he's among the

00:27:54.220 --> 00:27:54.780
 Philistines.

00:27:55.220 --> 00:27:56.280
 It doesn't exactly look

00:27:56.280 --> 00:27:56.900
 like the picture of

00:27:56.900 --> 00:27:57.259
 courage.

00:27:57.259 --> 00:28:00.819
 But then, most notably,

00:28:01.180 --> 00:28:02.319
 we have Bathsheba

00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:04.240
 and the adultery.

00:28:05.619 --> 00:28:07.160
 Uriah, the murder.

00:28:10.299 --> 00:28:12.059
 Then you have his

00:28:12.059 --> 00:28:13.000
 daughter Tamar gets

00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:13.319
 raped.

00:28:14.660 --> 00:28:15.319
 David doesn't do

00:28:15.319 --> 00:28:15.660
 anything.

00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:18.019
 His son Amnon gets

00:28:18.019 --> 00:28:18.379
 murdered.

00:28:19.299 --> 00:28:20.079
 David doesn't seem to

00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:20.299
 care.

00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:23.240
 His son Absalom

00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:26.740
 seizes the throne,

00:28:26.740 --> 00:28:28.140
 starts a civil war,

00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:29.099
 tries to overthrow

00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:29.700
 the nation.

00:28:31.160 --> 00:28:31.859
 And David just

00:28:31.859 --> 00:28:33.819
 doesn't seem to

00:28:33.819 --> 00:28:36.079
 be troubled by how

00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:37.000
 this is ruining the

00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:37.700
 people God has put

00:28:37.700 --> 00:28:38.400
 him in charge of.

00:28:39.480 --> 00:28:40.720
 And so by the time

00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:41.579
 you get here,

00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:44.759
 you're looking at

00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:45.599
 David and thinking,

00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:47.880
 this is not nearly

00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:48.980
 the good king that I

00:28:48.980 --> 00:28:49.759
 thought he was.

00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:51.140
 This is a king who

00:28:51.140 --> 00:28:52.299
 seems like content to

00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:53.920
 let the entire nation

00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:55.940
 suffer, if only for his

00:28:55.940 --> 00:28:57.220
 wicked son Absalom,

00:28:57.740 --> 00:28:59.680
 to survive or be

00:28:59.680 --> 00:28:59.960
 honored.

00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:02.860
 It doesn't make sense.

00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:04.640
 And in fact,

00:29:05.559 --> 00:29:06.900
 as you get through the

00:29:06.900 --> 00:29:07.400
 book of Samuel,

00:29:07.500 --> 00:29:08.420
 particularly as you go

00:29:08.420 --> 00:29:09.380
 into Cain's, which

00:29:09.380 --> 00:29:10.420
 you guessed it, is a

00:29:10.420 --> 00:29:11.120
 sequel to Samuel,

00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:15.160
 you start getting hints

00:29:15.160 --> 00:29:16.259
 that Saul wasn't such a

00:29:16.259 --> 00:29:17.920
 bad king in other ways.

00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:19.980
 Saul actually instituted

00:29:19.980 --> 00:29:21.519
 a major religious reform,

00:29:21.900 --> 00:29:22.380
 getting rid of

00:29:22.380 --> 00:29:23.360
 sorcery in Israel.

00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:26.299
 Saul was the first king.

00:29:27.319 --> 00:29:28.679
 It's a lot of work to

00:29:28.679 --> 00:29:29.339
 set up a government.

00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:31.339
 You have to set up a

00:29:31.339 --> 00:29:32.199
 police department, you

00:29:32.199 --> 00:29:32.899
 have to set up a court

00:29:32.899 --> 00:29:33.839
 system, you have to set

00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:34.659
 up jails, you have to

00:29:34.659 --> 00:29:35.459
 set up an army, you have

00:29:35.459 --> 00:29:36.119
 to set up a tax

00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:36.979
 collection agency, you

00:29:36.979 --> 00:29:37.740
 have to do this and

00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:38.859
 that, and it seems like

00:29:38.859 --> 00:29:39.959
 Saul pretty much did all

00:29:39.959 --> 00:29:41.259
 that stuff and did it

00:29:41.259 --> 00:29:41.719
 effectively.

00:29:42.839 --> 00:29:44.179
 And so the state of

00:29:44.179 --> 00:29:46.579
 Israel has the hands of

00:29:46.579 --> 00:29:49.639
 Saul, the pretty talented

00:29:49.639 --> 00:29:51.240
 civil servant, all over it.

00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:55.319
 So this idea that David's

00:29:55.319 --> 00:29:57.019
 just bad and Saul's just

00:29:57.019 --> 00:30:00.220
 good doesn't quite fit as

00:30:00.220 --> 00:30:01.599
 like that's the big lesson

00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:02.440
 from Samuel.

00:30:04.539 --> 00:30:07.359
 So then I think most

00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:08.620
 people come up with a

00:30:08.620 --> 00:30:09.839
 second lesson, a second

00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:10.779
 theory about what this is

00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:11.200
 all about.

00:30:11.740 --> 00:30:14.059
 Theory number two is David

00:30:14.059 --> 00:30:16.140
 repents of his sin and

00:30:16.140 --> 00:30:17.240
 Saul never repents.

00:30:17.240 --> 00:30:19.980
 And there's some good

00:30:19.980 --> 00:30:20.740
 evidence for that.

00:30:21.960 --> 00:30:25.700
 There are at least three,

00:30:25.880 --> 00:30:26.980
 maybe four times in his

00:30:26.980 --> 00:30:28.799
 life when David is very

00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:31.259
 directly rebuked for what he

00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:33.339
 did or what he's about to

00:30:33.339 --> 00:30:33.460
 do.

00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:36.620
 Abigail rebukes him when he's

00:30:36.620 --> 00:30:37.819
 about to murder Abigail's

00:30:37.819 --> 00:30:38.180
 husband.

00:30:39.539 --> 00:30:41.480
 Nathan rebukes him after he

00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:43.059
 does murder Uriah.

00:30:47.700 --> 00:30:49.360
 Joab, as we saw I think

00:30:49.360 --> 00:30:51.380
 last week, rebukes David

00:30:51.380 --> 00:30:55.259
 when, or two weeks ago,

00:30:55.380 --> 00:30:56.819
 three weeks ago, when David

00:30:56.819 --> 00:30:59.220
 refuses to welcome home the

00:30:59.220 --> 00:31:00.519
 troops who had saved him from

00:31:00.519 --> 00:31:01.539
 Absalom's rebellion.

00:31:01.539 --> 00:31:06.960
 And in every time that David

00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:10.799
 was rebuked, he does repent.

00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:14.059
 That last repentance was a

00:31:14.059 --> 00:31:16.099
 little iffy, not the best,

00:31:16.259 --> 00:31:18.440
 but there is repentance there.

00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:21.299
 So there's something to this

00:31:21.299 --> 00:31:24.319
 idea that unlike Saul, who

00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:28.379
 really never repents, David

00:31:28.379 --> 00:31:31.240
 does respond in repentance.

00:31:31.539 --> 00:31:33.899
 when convicted of his sin.

00:31:36.180 --> 00:31:37.559
 So that's a nice theory.

00:31:38.339 --> 00:31:40.399
 But then you go back to the

00:31:40.399 --> 00:31:42.980
 rape of Tamar, the murder of

00:31:42.980 --> 00:31:43.379
 Amnon.

00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:46.839
 Those are big sins, not that

00:31:46.839 --> 00:31:48.159
 David committed them, but that

00:31:48.159 --> 00:31:49.720
 David was totally indifferent to

00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:51.339
 them and didn't punish the

00:31:51.339 --> 00:31:52.619
 people that did commit them.

00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:55.059
 That's a real problem for a

00:31:55.059 --> 00:31:56.879
 king, to just tolerate rape,

00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:57.759
 tolerate murder.

00:31:59.299 --> 00:32:00.420
 And David never repents of

00:32:00.420 --> 00:32:01.240
 those that we can see.

00:32:01.539 --> 00:32:04.859
 And so if this is the big idea

00:32:04.859 --> 00:32:06.480
 of the book of Samuel, it

00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:07.700
 doesn't quite fit either.

00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:15.759
 So then a third possible theory.

00:32:18.120 --> 00:32:20.660
 There's a story of when David was

00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:23.240
 bringing the ark into Jerusalem

00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:27.799
 because he wanted to have God

00:32:27.799 --> 00:32:29.420
 as close to him as possible.

00:32:29.420 --> 00:32:32.720
 And in the procession where they

00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:33.880
 were bringing the ark up to

00:32:33.880 --> 00:32:36.340
 Jerusalem, David danced in front

00:32:36.340 --> 00:32:39.180
 of it and it seems like he

00:32:39.180 --> 00:32:40.100
 showed a little bit too much

00:32:40.100 --> 00:32:42.539
 skin and the servant girls were

00:32:42.539 --> 00:32:43.580
 going, hee, hee, hee, hee.

00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:48.700
 And David's wife, Michal, who was

00:32:48.700 --> 00:32:53.080
 Saul's daughter, rebukes him for it

00:32:53.079 --> 00:32:55.819
 and says, David, that's not the way

00:32:55.819 --> 00:32:56.599
 king behaves.

00:32:57.980 --> 00:33:00.399
 And David responds to her and is

00:33:00.399 --> 00:33:03.539
 shockingly direct, this is why I am

00:33:03.539 --> 00:33:05.480
 king and your father is not king,

00:33:06.539 --> 00:33:08.399
 nor is any son of your father king.

00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:13.800
 Because I don't try to please people.

00:33:14.440 --> 00:33:16.780
 I only care about what God thinks of

00:33:16.780 --> 00:33:17.000
 me.

00:33:18.060 --> 00:33:20.400
 So if you were to ask David, what's

00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:21.840
 the real difference between you and

00:33:21.840 --> 00:33:22.060
 Saul?

00:33:22.259 --> 00:33:23.400
 That's what David says.

00:33:24.019 --> 00:33:26.040
 He says, Saul was a people pleaser.

00:33:27.220 --> 00:33:28.740
 I live to please the Lord.

00:33:31.400 --> 00:33:33.900
 And I would say, when David's at his

00:33:33.900 --> 00:33:36.000
 best, that's clearly true.

00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:38.980
 But David's not always at his best.

00:33:40.200 --> 00:33:42.960
 And you have all this material in

00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:44.740
 2 Samuel about Absalom's rebellion and

00:33:44.740 --> 00:33:46.059
 the rape of Tamar and the murder of

00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:49.420
 Ammon and so on and so forth, saying

00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:53.200
 David's not always just trying to

00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:53.799
 please the Lord.

00:33:54.519 --> 00:33:55.759
 Sometimes he's just trying to please

00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:56.180
 himself.

00:33:56.779 --> 00:33:57.960
 Sometimes he just seems lazy.

00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:05.700
 So, we get to 2 Samuel 21, or at

00:34:05.700 --> 00:34:08.940
 least I got here, with 3 half-baked

00:34:08.940 --> 00:34:10.980
 theories about what this whole book

00:34:10.980 --> 00:34:12.240
 is trying to teach me about David

00:34:12.240 --> 00:34:12.900
 versus Saul.

00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:17.400
 And I want to know the question of

00:34:17.400 --> 00:34:19.159
 why is David different than Saul?

00:34:19.619 --> 00:34:21.679
 Because I believe that in one real

00:34:21.679 --> 00:34:25.280
 sense, God put history on hold to

00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:27.639
 teach me this lesson so that I would

00:34:27.639 --> 00:34:29.679
 know what it means when he says, I

00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:31.199
 want you to have a relationship with

00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:31.440
 me.

00:34:31.440 --> 00:34:34.820
 I made you to be a ruler.

00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:37.039
 I want you to know what it means to

00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:37.619
 be a ruler.

00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:39.880
 Look at David.

00:34:40.179 --> 00:34:40.900
 Look at Saul.

00:34:41.320 --> 00:34:42.800
 David's a man after my own heart.

00:34:43.139 --> 00:34:44.019
 Saul is not.

00:34:44.420 --> 00:34:45.800
 Figure out that difference and you

00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:46.860
 will be able to have a relationship

00:34:46.860 --> 00:34:50.119
 with me that's the sort of relationship

00:34:50.119 --> 00:34:51.599
 I created you to have.

00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:55.039
 So, I'm interested in knowing this.

00:34:55.400 --> 00:34:57.380
 I've given three tries of figuring it

00:34:57.380 --> 00:34:57.639
 out.

00:34:57.639 --> 00:34:59.119
 None of them quite worked.

00:34:59.719 --> 00:35:02.039
 And now I get to our passage in 2 Samuel

00:35:02.039 --> 00:35:04.219
 21, the Gibeonite massacre.

00:35:10.379 --> 00:35:14.339
 So, let me just retell you the story

00:35:14.339 --> 00:35:16.159
 quickly to make sure you understand

00:35:16.159 --> 00:35:17.279
 everything that's going on here.

00:35:18.039 --> 00:35:19.839
 The Gibeonites are not Israelites.

00:35:20.799 --> 00:35:22.279
 They are one of the Canaanite people

00:35:22.279 --> 00:35:24.460
 that God had originally told Joshua to

00:35:24.460 --> 00:35:25.400
 drive out of the land.

00:35:25.400 --> 00:35:27.920
 The Gibeonites were more clever than

00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:29.579
 the rest of the Canaanites and

00:35:29.579 --> 00:35:31.280
 tricked Joshua into making a treaty

00:35:31.280 --> 00:35:32.559
 with them that he would not drive

00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:33.740
 them out of the land and let them

00:35:33.740 --> 00:35:34.200
 live there.

00:35:36.880 --> 00:35:39.740
 Saul, while he was king, said,

00:35:41.320 --> 00:35:43.579
 Treaty Shmidi, I'm more powerful than

00:35:43.579 --> 00:35:43.940
 you now.

00:35:44.180 --> 00:35:45.619
 I'm going to take your land back.

00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:47.900
 And tried to kill them off.

00:35:49.059 --> 00:35:50.700
 Seems to have killed off many of them,

00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:51.519
 not all of them.

00:35:51.519 --> 00:35:57.280
 Years later, after David becomes king,

00:35:58.159 --> 00:35:59.900
 the Gibeonites pray to God

00:35:59.900 --> 00:36:03.599
 and say, we need justice because of

00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:04.759
 this massacre that happened.

00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:07.119
 And so God sends a famine on the land.

00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:09.519
 And David prays to God and says,

00:36:09.639 --> 00:36:10.820
 why did this famine come?

00:36:12.259 --> 00:36:14.139
 And God reveals to him, it's because

00:36:14.139 --> 00:36:15.639
 the Gibeonites never got justice.

00:36:15.639 --> 00:36:20.059
 That much we can all handle.

00:36:20.679 --> 00:36:22.139
 Now we get to the part that's really

00:36:22.139 --> 00:36:22.619
 awkward.

00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:25.599
 David goes to the Gibeonites and says,

00:36:25.799 --> 00:36:26.859
 what do I have to do to make things

00:36:26.859 --> 00:36:27.139
 right?

00:36:27.400 --> 00:36:29.420
 They say, kill seven of Saul's sons.

00:36:29.859 --> 00:36:31.599
 David's like, okay, I'll do that.

00:36:31.759 --> 00:36:32.819
 But I'm not going to kill any of

00:36:32.819 --> 00:36:34.239
 Jonathan's sons because I made a

00:36:34.239 --> 00:36:35.019
 treaty with Jonathan.

00:36:35.579 --> 00:36:37.599
 So he kills seven other descendants of

00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:38.299
 Saul.

00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:39.879
 The Gibeonites accept it.

00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:41.480
 God accepts it.

00:36:41.480 --> 00:36:43.840
 Well, not quite yet.

00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:48.079
 Then you have this story about Saul's

00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:56.119
 concubine feels disrespected because

00:36:56.119 --> 00:36:58.639
 her family was just killed.

00:36:59.079 --> 00:37:01.559
 And so David says, I'll make you right

00:37:01.559 --> 00:37:04.699
 too by having the proper state funeral

00:37:04.699 --> 00:37:06.059
 that Saul should have gotten.

00:37:06.579 --> 00:37:08.559
 So he has a state funeral for Saul and

00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:08.920
 Jonathan.

00:37:08.920 --> 00:37:11.360
 And then God says, okay,

00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:12.740
 everyone's good.

00:37:17.219 --> 00:37:21.400
 It sure seems like the seven people

00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:22.740
 that get killed here didn't get

00:37:22.740 --> 00:37:23.079
 justice.

00:37:25.960 --> 00:37:28.280
 I think any modern reader looks at

00:37:28.280 --> 00:37:30.440
 this story and it's just, that jumps

00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:30.760
 out.

00:37:32.639 --> 00:37:34.639
 I don't have great explanations here.

00:37:34.780 --> 00:37:35.860
 I have some explanations.

00:37:36.440 --> 00:37:38.320
 I'll share with you the way I think

00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:38.840
 about this.

00:37:39.159 --> 00:37:40.480
 Maybe it'll be enough for you.

00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:41.900
 Maybe you'll want to talk to me after.

00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:42.719
 That's fine.

00:37:44.719 --> 00:37:47.159
 The first thing I would note is

00:37:47.159 --> 00:37:51.880
 the very end of our passage,

00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:55.619
 verse 14, God says, we've settled

00:37:55.619 --> 00:37:56.039
 this.

00:37:57.719 --> 00:37:59.699
 So as much as we might be like,

00:37:59.800 --> 00:38:01.199
 this doesn't seem right to me,

00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:04.579
 if you believe that God is just,

00:38:06.939 --> 00:38:09.739
 then you have to take his ruling for what it is.

00:38:10.259 --> 00:38:12.119
 God says somehow this made things right.

00:38:13.279 --> 00:38:14.319
 Second thing I would note,

00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:17.299
 in the setup of the kingdom of that time,

00:38:17.659 --> 00:38:20.639
 it is highly implausible that sons and

00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:22.839
 grandsons of Saul would not have been

00:38:22.839 --> 00:38:25.980
 high-ranking officials in his administration,

00:38:25.980 --> 00:38:29.719
 and therefore at some level complicit in

00:38:29.719 --> 00:38:31.760
 various things that Saul did wrong,

00:38:31.980 --> 00:38:33.679
 and there were many things that Saul did wrong.

00:38:34.440 --> 00:38:38.219
 So it is not at all implausible that these

00:38:38.219 --> 00:38:40.380
 seven people actually did deserve to die.

00:38:40.380 --> 00:38:45.680
 So that moved me from,

00:38:46.180 --> 00:38:48.240
 I see people, innocent people getting killed,

00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:51.260
 to I just don't see due process of the law being followed.

00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:54.780
 Where is the trial by jury,

00:38:55.079 --> 00:38:57.800
 and all those things that we have come to associate with,

00:38:57.860 --> 00:39:00.380
 this is what it takes for laws to be applied impartially.

00:39:00.380 --> 00:39:06.260
 At that point I have to say,

00:39:06.500 --> 00:39:09.619
 yep, when I'm studying literature

00:39:09.619 --> 00:39:13.380
 from a culture that lived on the other side of the world

00:39:13.380 --> 00:39:15.340
 3,000 years ago,

00:39:16.019 --> 00:39:18.440
 there are probably going to be some questions that I ask

00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:20.599
 that weren't burning questions for the author,

00:39:21.420 --> 00:39:23.059
 and some questions that the author asked

00:39:23.059 --> 00:39:24.820
 that aren't burning questions for me.

00:39:24.820 --> 00:39:31.320
 So, while I'm troubled by the lack of due process here,

00:39:32.500 --> 00:39:34.420
 that's just not something this author

00:39:34.420 --> 00:39:36.460
 seemed to be concerned about.

00:39:36.539 --> 00:39:38.120
 That doesn't mean it was right or wrong,

00:39:38.700 --> 00:39:40.200
 that's just what you're dealing with

00:39:40.200 --> 00:39:41.180
 when you're trying to deal with

00:39:41.180 --> 00:39:43.260
 3,000 years and half a world away.

00:39:45.160 --> 00:39:46.440
 So I come to this saying,

00:39:47.200 --> 00:39:48.940
 my questions about how due process

00:39:48.940 --> 00:39:51.380
 do trouble me, they're not answered here,

00:39:52.420 --> 00:39:53.680
 can I set that aside

00:39:53.679 --> 00:39:56.679
 and learn the lessons that do seem to concern the author

00:39:56.679 --> 00:39:59.339
 to make sure I at least get that from this text.

00:40:00.099 --> 00:40:01.359
 So that's how I'm approaching it.

00:40:02.139 --> 00:40:03.000
 I'm saying, yeah,

00:40:03.259 --> 00:40:04.819
 I don't see the due process,

00:40:05.119 --> 00:40:06.579
 that seems like a big deal to me.

00:40:07.619 --> 00:40:10.379
 That's not the thing that was on the author of Samuel's mind,

00:40:10.619 --> 00:40:11.639
 let's try and learn the lessons

00:40:11.639 --> 00:40:13.359
 that were on that author's mind.

00:40:13.360 --> 00:40:19.860
 The thing that strikes me

00:40:19.860 --> 00:40:21.680
 about what David does here

00:40:21.680 --> 00:40:22.820
 is,

00:40:23.559 --> 00:40:24.860
 in the contrast I see,

00:40:25.680 --> 00:40:27.140
 Saul basically says,

00:40:27.360 --> 00:40:28.260
 I have power,

00:40:29.260 --> 00:40:32.700
 I'm responsible for advancing Israel's interests,

00:40:33.140 --> 00:40:34.920
 I have an opportunity to do that

00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:35.880
 by using my power,

00:40:36.039 --> 00:40:37.059
 I'm going to do that.

00:40:38.300 --> 00:40:39.220
 I have power,

00:40:39.300 --> 00:40:40.079
 I've got a big army,

00:40:40.079 --> 00:40:41.840
 I have interests,

00:40:41.960 --> 00:40:42.799
 I want more land,

00:40:43.079 --> 00:40:44.440
 I have an opportunity,

00:40:44.599 --> 00:40:45.579
 the Gibeonites are weak,

00:40:45.980 --> 00:40:46.980
 so I'm going to kill them off

00:40:46.980 --> 00:40:47.819
 and take their land.

00:40:49.539 --> 00:40:52.340
 That is a very human way

00:40:52.340 --> 00:40:53.579
 of dealing with power.

00:40:54.759 --> 00:40:55.900
 That's why we say

00:40:55.900 --> 00:40:57.079
 the power corrupts.

00:41:00.119 --> 00:41:02.079
 Contrast that to what David is doing here.

00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:05.079
 David says,

00:41:05.579 --> 00:41:06.779
 I have people,

00:41:06.780 --> 00:41:08.519
 they're in a family

00:41:08.519 --> 00:41:09.440
 that they don't deserve,

00:41:10.200 --> 00:41:11.720
 I have Gibeonites,

00:41:12.380 --> 00:41:13.620
 they suffered an injustice

00:41:13.620 --> 00:41:14.540
 they didn't deserve,

00:41:15.160 --> 00:41:17.040
 I have a covenant with Jonathan,

00:41:18.400 --> 00:41:19.860
 I owe him things,

00:41:21.340 --> 00:41:25.040
 I have Saul,

00:41:25.460 --> 00:41:26.900
 who never got the funeral

00:41:26.900 --> 00:41:28.280
 that his office said

00:41:28.280 --> 00:41:29.160
 he should have deserved,

00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:31.300
 nor did Jonathan get the funeral

00:41:31.300 --> 00:41:32.519
 that he really did deserve.

00:41:33.780 --> 00:41:35.420
 How can I use the power

00:41:35.420 --> 00:41:36.519
 that God has given me

00:41:36.519 --> 00:41:38.300
 in a way

00:41:38.300 --> 00:41:43.159
 that does right

00:41:43.159 --> 00:41:44.680
 by each of those different people?

00:41:46.579 --> 00:41:47.480
 And it seems,

00:41:47.559 --> 00:41:48.400
 as I read this passage,

00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:50.420
 like the narrator's

00:41:50.420 --> 00:41:54.280
 fairly impressed

00:41:54.280 --> 00:41:55.760
 that David found a way

00:41:55.760 --> 00:41:59.500
 to answer the Gibeonites' concerns

00:41:59.500 --> 00:42:02.039
 without violating his covenant

00:42:02.039 --> 00:42:02.720
 with Jonathan,

00:42:02.719 --> 00:42:05.119
 that God accepted

00:42:05.119 --> 00:42:06.299
 as good enough

00:42:06.299 --> 00:42:07.699
 to restore

00:42:07.699 --> 00:42:09.099
 rain to the land,

00:42:09.699 --> 00:42:11.139
 and

00:42:11.139 --> 00:42:13.259
 he was able to

00:42:13.259 --> 00:42:14.679
 honor the family of Saul

00:42:14.679 --> 00:42:17.079
 such that

00:42:17.079 --> 00:42:18.579
 it wasn't like

00:42:18.579 --> 00:42:19.719
 people saw the family

00:42:19.719 --> 00:42:20.319
 as cursed,

00:42:20.779 --> 00:42:21.619
 but recognized

00:42:21.619 --> 00:42:22.779
 that this is all about Saul

00:42:22.779 --> 00:42:24.379
 and his administration

00:42:24.379 --> 00:42:25.679
 as opposed to the

00:42:25.679 --> 00:42:26.959
 broader community

00:42:26.959 --> 00:42:27.919
 that Saul came from.

00:42:28.919 --> 00:42:30.639
 And so I look at this

00:42:30.639 --> 00:42:32.239
 as a story about David

00:42:32.239 --> 00:42:34.579
 using the power

00:42:34.579 --> 00:42:35.480
 God gave him

00:42:35.480 --> 00:42:37.920
 to creatively

00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:39.179
 be faithful

00:42:39.179 --> 00:42:40.480
 to everybody

00:42:40.480 --> 00:42:41.299
 around him.

00:42:42.579 --> 00:42:44.259
 And that is a lesson

00:42:44.259 --> 00:42:45.460
 that makes sense

00:42:45.460 --> 00:42:46.179
 of pretty much

00:42:46.179 --> 00:42:47.019
 the whole of Samuel.

00:42:48.819 --> 00:42:49.980
 You go back,

00:42:50.779 --> 00:42:51.839
 just take 2 Samuel

00:42:51.839 --> 00:42:52.480
 real quickly,

00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:55.619
 this idea of

00:42:55.619 --> 00:42:57.300
 faithfulness

00:42:57.300 --> 00:42:59.099
 is very much

00:42:59.099 --> 00:43:00.559
 the major lesson

00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:02.219
 that explains

00:43:02.219 --> 00:43:03.539
 almost every passage,

00:43:04.019 --> 00:43:05.519
 particularly in 2 Samuel.

00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:13.579
 David wants to be faithful

00:43:13.579 --> 00:43:14.119
 to God.

00:43:14.340 --> 00:43:15.340
 He's troubled by the fact

00:43:15.340 --> 00:43:16.139
 that he has a palace

00:43:16.139 --> 00:43:17.039
 and God has a tent.

00:43:17.940 --> 00:43:18.460
 And so he's like,

00:43:18.539 --> 00:43:19.260
 what does it look like

00:43:19.260 --> 00:43:20.500
 for me to be faithful

00:43:20.500 --> 00:43:21.240
 in this situation?

00:43:21.239 --> 00:43:22.000
 I want to build

00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:22.639
 God a temple.

00:43:23.159 --> 00:43:23.619
 God says,

00:43:23.739 --> 00:43:24.179
 nice try,

00:43:24.299 --> 00:43:25.059
 I like camping,

00:43:25.639 --> 00:43:26.899
 but because you have

00:43:26.899 --> 00:43:27.259
 your heart

00:43:27.259 --> 00:43:28.000
 in the right spot,

00:43:28.319 --> 00:43:30.279
 I'm going to make

00:43:30.279 --> 00:43:31.159
 a covenant with you.

00:43:31.439 --> 00:43:32.619
 You will have

00:43:32.619 --> 00:43:33.379
 a dynasty

00:43:33.379 --> 00:43:34.379
 that endures forever.

00:43:36.219 --> 00:43:36.679
 David wanted

00:43:36.679 --> 00:43:37.239
 to be faithful

00:43:37.239 --> 00:43:38.239
 to Jonathan.

00:43:38.859 --> 00:43:39.459
 So he said,

00:43:39.719 --> 00:43:40.439
 let's find out

00:43:40.439 --> 00:43:41.259
 if there's anyone

00:43:41.259 --> 00:43:42.199
 left of the descendant

00:43:42.199 --> 00:43:42.659
 of Jonathan.

00:43:43.019 --> 00:43:44.039
 He finds Mephibosheth.

00:43:44.579 --> 00:43:45.000
 He says,

00:43:45.079 --> 00:43:45.639
 Mephibosheth,

00:43:45.739 --> 00:43:46.339
 I'm going to give you

00:43:46.339 --> 00:43:47.039
 all the wealth

00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:48.019
 that Saul accumulated

00:43:48.019 --> 00:43:48.479
 as king.

00:43:49.219 --> 00:43:50.059
 That basically

00:43:50.059 --> 00:43:51.059
 made Mephibosheth

00:43:51.059 --> 00:43:51.699
 a real threat

00:43:51.699 --> 00:43:52.579
 to David's own power.

00:43:53.139 --> 00:43:53.659
 But he did it

00:43:53.659 --> 00:43:54.079
 so he could be

00:43:54.079 --> 00:43:54.920
 faithful to Jonathan.

00:43:57.119 --> 00:43:57.659
 Then you have

00:43:57.659 --> 00:43:58.019
 the sad,

00:43:58.139 --> 00:43:58.840
 and then David,

00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:00.480
 well,

00:44:00.539 --> 00:44:01.360
 there are other stories

00:44:01.360 --> 00:44:01.699
 where David

00:44:01.699 --> 00:44:02.420
 showed the same

00:44:02.420 --> 00:44:03.279
 sort of faithfulness

00:44:03.279 --> 00:44:04.239
 in the battlefield.

00:44:05.320 --> 00:44:05.940
 Then when David

00:44:05.940 --> 00:44:06.579
 has problems,

00:44:06.699 --> 00:44:07.360
 it's always because

00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:08.279
 he's faithless.

00:44:09.599 --> 00:44:10.820
 David is faithless

00:44:10.820 --> 00:44:11.619
 in breaking

00:44:11.619 --> 00:44:12.539
 his marital vows

00:44:12.539 --> 00:44:14.699
 and taking Bathsheba.

00:44:15.380 --> 00:44:16.440
 He's particularly

00:44:16.440 --> 00:44:17.259
 faithless

00:44:17.259 --> 00:44:17.900
 in the way

00:44:17.900 --> 00:44:18.320
 he treats

00:44:18.320 --> 00:44:18.880
 Uriah,

00:44:20.059 --> 00:44:20.940
 who's a real

00:44:20.940 --> 00:44:22.000
 picture of faithfulness

00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:22.360
 in saying,

00:44:22.579 --> 00:44:23.480
 I don't want

00:44:23.480 --> 00:44:24.500
 to abandon

00:44:24.500 --> 00:44:25.500
 my men on the field.

00:44:26.539 --> 00:44:27.440
 I'm not going

00:44:27.440 --> 00:44:29.079
 to do anything

00:44:29.079 --> 00:44:30.059
 that would dishonor them.

00:44:31.660 --> 00:44:32.720
 He's faithless

00:44:32.720 --> 00:44:34.860
 when he puts

00:44:34.860 --> 00:44:35.700
 his own family

00:44:35.700 --> 00:44:36.360
 ahead of the rest

00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:36.860
 of the people

00:44:36.860 --> 00:44:37.920
 as seen through

00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:38.920
 the stories of Tamar

00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:39.579
 and Abnon

00:44:39.579 --> 00:44:40.579
 and Absalom.

00:44:42.180 --> 00:44:43.139
 And so you basically

00:44:43.139 --> 00:44:43.940
 see that David

00:44:43.940 --> 00:44:45.079
 at his best

00:44:45.079 --> 00:44:46.440
 has a remarkable

00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:47.579
 grasp of what

00:44:47.579 --> 00:44:48.219
 it means to be

00:44:48.219 --> 00:44:48.900
 faithful to God

00:44:48.900 --> 00:44:49.500
 and faithful to

00:44:49.500 --> 00:44:50.059
 other people.

00:44:51.819 --> 00:44:52.699
 That's why he

00:44:52.699 --> 00:44:53.759
 doesn't seize power.

00:44:56.980 --> 00:44:57.900
 Because he's

00:44:57.900 --> 00:44:59.559
 thinking in terms

00:44:59.559 --> 00:45:00.759
 of not how

00:45:00.759 --> 00:45:01.340
 can I advance

00:45:01.340 --> 00:45:02.219
 my interests,

00:45:03.380 --> 00:45:03.699
 but

00:45:03.699 --> 00:45:09.059
 what is consistent

00:45:09.059 --> 00:45:10.639
 with honoring

00:45:10.639 --> 00:45:11.380
 all the people

00:45:11.380 --> 00:45:11.980
 around me

00:45:11.980 --> 00:45:12.799
 that God has

00:45:12.799 --> 00:45:14.759
 put in my life.

00:45:15.079 --> 00:45:23.400
 So I see

00:45:23.400 --> 00:45:23.960
 that as the

00:45:23.960 --> 00:45:24.860
 big lesson here.

00:45:25.819 --> 00:45:26.400
 That if the

00:45:26.400 --> 00:45:28.519
 theme of Samuel

00:45:28.519 --> 00:45:29.719
 can be summed up

00:45:29.719 --> 00:45:31.139
 as power corrupts,

00:45:31.840 --> 00:45:32.619
 and the question

00:45:32.619 --> 00:45:33.259
 is,

00:45:33.960 --> 00:45:35.059
 how can any

00:45:35.059 --> 00:45:36.259
 king avoid

00:45:36.259 --> 00:45:36.779
 being corrupted

00:45:36.779 --> 00:45:37.519
 by that power?

00:45:38.239 --> 00:45:39.039
 Samuel is pointing

00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:39.840
 us towards

00:45:39.840 --> 00:45:41.500
 it's this idea

00:45:41.500 --> 00:45:42.480
 of being faithful

00:45:42.480 --> 00:45:43.819
 that's going

00:45:43.819 --> 00:45:44.380
 to be king.

00:45:45.079 --> 00:45:46.819
 what does that

00:45:46.819 --> 00:45:47.440
 mean for me

00:45:47.440 --> 00:45:47.679
 today?

00:45:47.759 --> 00:45:48.319
 Why did I say

00:45:48.319 --> 00:45:48.840
 that this was

00:45:48.840 --> 00:45:49.639
 a really helpful

00:45:49.639 --> 00:45:50.279
 lesson for me

00:45:50.279 --> 00:45:50.659
 to learn?

00:45:55.340 --> 00:45:55.779
 Essentially,

00:45:55.920 --> 00:45:56.400
 the way I'm

00:45:56.400 --> 00:45:57.119
 taking this

00:45:57.119 --> 00:45:58.199
 is faithfulness

00:45:58.199 --> 00:45:58.699
 here means

00:45:58.699 --> 00:45:59.400
 look at the

00:45:59.400 --> 00:46:00.039
 people around

00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:00.340
 you,

00:46:00.579 --> 00:46:01.519
 find a creative

00:46:01.519 --> 00:46:02.719
 way to honor

00:46:02.719 --> 00:46:03.380
 each of their

00:46:03.380 --> 00:46:03.960
 dignities.

00:46:03.960 --> 00:46:04.639
 faithfulness.

00:46:07.280 --> 00:46:07.840
 That's what

00:46:07.840 --> 00:46:08.760
 faithfulness means.

00:46:09.159 --> 00:46:09.559
 Go through

00:46:09.559 --> 00:46:10.360
 life saying,

00:46:10.679 --> 00:46:11.179
 God put this

00:46:11.179 --> 00:46:11.639
 person in my

00:46:11.639 --> 00:46:12.019
 path,

00:46:12.500 --> 00:46:13.940
 what does it

00:46:13.940 --> 00:46:14.720
 look like for

00:46:14.720 --> 00:46:15.260
 me to honor

00:46:15.260 --> 00:46:15.980
 their dignity?

00:46:16.240 --> 00:46:16.659
 And sometimes

00:46:16.659 --> 00:46:17.139
 that's going to

00:46:17.139 --> 00:46:17.900
 take a fair

00:46:17.900 --> 00:46:18.179
 bit of

00:46:18.179 --> 00:46:18.639
 creativity

00:46:18.639 --> 00:46:21.059
 to deal

00:46:21.059 --> 00:46:21.639
 with every

00:46:21.639 --> 00:46:22.480
 situation that

00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:22.760
 way.

00:46:25.960 --> 00:46:26.559
 That's what I

00:46:26.559 --> 00:46:27.240
 see David doing

00:46:27.240 --> 00:46:27.880
 in this passage,

00:46:28.119 --> 00:46:28.599
 that's what I

00:46:28.599 --> 00:46:29.880
 think the real

00:46:29.880 --> 00:46:30.559
 lesson of Samuel

00:46:30.559 --> 00:46:31.679
 is here.

00:46:34.000 --> 00:46:34.519
 So,

00:46:35.179 --> 00:46:36.880
 after I

00:46:36.880 --> 00:46:37.659
 studied Samuel,

00:46:38.799 --> 00:46:40.099
 I largely

00:46:40.099 --> 00:46:41.119
 stopped praying

00:46:41.119 --> 00:46:42.539
 in terms of,

00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:43.500
 God, I'm in

00:46:43.500 --> 00:46:44.400
 this tough spot,

00:46:44.860 --> 00:46:45.460
 please show me

00:46:45.460 --> 00:46:46.159
 the right answer

00:46:46.159 --> 00:46:46.719
 so I don't have

00:46:46.719 --> 00:46:47.460
 to deal with it.

00:46:48.340 --> 00:46:49.119
 And many more

00:46:49.119 --> 00:46:49.639
 of my prayers

00:46:49.639 --> 00:46:50.139
 became,

00:46:50.559 --> 00:46:50.880
 God,

00:46:51.840 --> 00:46:52.619
 please give me

00:46:52.619 --> 00:46:53.340
 the creativity

00:46:53.340 --> 00:46:54.820
 to learn how

00:46:54.820 --> 00:46:55.659
 to honor all

00:46:55.659 --> 00:46:56.460
 the people around

00:46:56.460 --> 00:46:57.019
 me in this

00:46:57.019 --> 00:46:57.559
 situation.

00:46:59.059 --> 00:47:00.059
 I saw the

00:47:00.059 --> 00:47:01.739
 goal was not

00:47:01.739 --> 00:47:02.579
 how do I

00:47:02.579 --> 00:47:03.000
 solve this

00:47:03.000 --> 00:47:03.380
 problem and

00:47:03.380 --> 00:47:03.739
 get out of

00:47:03.739 --> 00:47:04.380
 the situation,

00:47:05.139 --> 00:47:07.699
 but how do I

00:47:07.699 --> 00:47:08.360
 make the tough

00:47:08.360 --> 00:47:09.019
 decisions that

00:47:09.019 --> 00:47:09.619
 God makes all

00:47:09.619 --> 00:47:10.559
 the time as

00:47:10.559 --> 00:47:10.840
 Cain?

00:47:12.019 --> 00:47:12.639
 And through

00:47:12.639 --> 00:47:13.079
 that,

00:47:13.799 --> 00:47:14.679
 relate to him

00:47:14.679 --> 00:47:15.219
 in this.

00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:16.500
 Think deeply

00:47:16.500 --> 00:47:17.539
 about, here are

00:47:17.539 --> 00:47:18.159
 all the people

00:47:18.159 --> 00:47:18.539
 you've put

00:47:18.539 --> 00:47:19.059
 around me.

00:47:20.519 --> 00:47:21.860
 What do

00:47:21.860 --> 00:47:22.420
 each of them

00:47:22.420 --> 00:47:22.799
 deserve?

00:47:24.799 --> 00:47:25.480
 What does

00:47:25.480 --> 00:47:25.920
 each of their

00:47:25.920 --> 00:47:26.820
 dignities require?

00:47:27.440 --> 00:47:28.079
 How can I

00:47:28.079 --> 00:47:28.739
 honor that?

00:47:30.059 --> 00:47:31.619
 So that

00:47:31.619 --> 00:47:32.340
 left,

00:47:32.559 --> 00:47:33.259
 changed me

00:47:33.259 --> 00:47:33.779
 from thinking

00:47:33.779 --> 00:47:34.539
 in terms of

00:47:34.539 --> 00:47:35.440
 solving problems

00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:37.179
 to I need

00:47:37.179 --> 00:47:37.820
 to relate to

00:47:37.820 --> 00:47:40.739
 God in the

00:47:40.739 --> 00:47:41.279
 position of

00:47:41.279 --> 00:47:41.739
 making tough

00:47:41.739 --> 00:47:42.380
 decisions.

00:47:42.380 --> 00:47:42.440
 things.

00:47:54.119 --> 00:47:54.720
 The much

00:47:54.720 --> 00:47:55.220
 bigger way

00:47:55.220 --> 00:47:55.840
 though, of

00:47:55.840 --> 00:47:57.559
 course, is

00:47:57.559 --> 00:47:58.840
 that Samuel is

00:47:58.840 --> 00:47:59.559
 still just trying

00:47:59.559 --> 00:48:00.260
 to teach us what

00:48:00.260 --> 00:48:00.680
 it means for

00:48:00.680 --> 00:48:01.320
 God to be the

00:48:01.320 --> 00:48:01.820
 great king.

00:48:01.820 --> 00:48:04.059
 God to

00:48:04.059 --> 00:48:05.000
 God to

00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:05.320
 love.

00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:07.840
 And I

00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:08.820
 look at this

00:48:08.820 --> 00:48:09.840
 question of

00:48:09.840 --> 00:48:11.120
 how do you

00:48:11.120 --> 00:48:11.840
 find a creative

00:48:11.840 --> 00:48:13.180
 way to show

00:48:13.180 --> 00:48:14.559
 faithfulness to

00:48:14.559 --> 00:48:15.140
 all the people

00:48:15.140 --> 00:48:15.800
 around you?

00:48:16.800 --> 00:48:17.660
 And I want to

00:48:17.660 --> 00:48:19.720
 emphasize this

00:48:19.720 --> 00:48:20.460
 last bit about

00:48:20.460 --> 00:48:20.980
 David throwing

00:48:20.980 --> 00:48:21.380
 the state

00:48:21.380 --> 00:48:21.960
 funeral for

00:48:21.960 --> 00:48:22.200
 Saul.

00:48:24.100 --> 00:48:24.780
 Saul was

00:48:24.780 --> 00:48:25.380
 David's enemy.

00:48:25.640 --> 00:48:26.039
 As I said

00:48:26.039 --> 00:48:26.620
 before, Saul

00:48:26.620 --> 00:48:27.220
 tried to kill

00:48:27.220 --> 00:48:28.000
 David 16

00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:28.880
 times in this

00:48:28.880 --> 00:48:29.160
 book.

00:48:29.159 --> 00:48:31.039
 I don't

00:48:31.039 --> 00:48:31.460
 have enemies

00:48:31.460 --> 00:48:32.000
 like that,

00:48:32.099 --> 00:48:32.639
 thank God.

00:48:35.440 --> 00:48:36.179
 This is a

00:48:36.179 --> 00:48:36.619
 story that

00:48:36.619 --> 00:48:37.119
 teaches us

00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:37.739
 something about

00:48:37.739 --> 00:48:38.500
 how you deal

00:48:38.500 --> 00:48:38.839
 with your

00:48:38.839 --> 00:48:39.219
 enemies.

00:48:40.659 --> 00:48:41.259
 And the

00:48:41.259 --> 00:48:42.480
 Bible is all

00:48:42.480 --> 00:48:42.899
 about the

00:48:42.899 --> 00:48:43.359
 question of

00:48:43.359 --> 00:48:43.659
 how do you

00:48:43.659 --> 00:48:43.960
 deal with

00:48:43.960 --> 00:48:44.420
 your enemy?

00:48:45.779 --> 00:48:46.500
 Because the

00:48:46.500 --> 00:48:47.559
 essential issue

00:48:47.559 --> 00:48:48.099
 of the Bible

00:48:48.099 --> 00:48:49.059
 is that we

00:48:49.059 --> 00:48:49.539
 are God's

00:48:49.539 --> 00:48:49.940
 enemies,

00:48:50.940 --> 00:48:53.980
 and this is

00:48:53.980 --> 00:48:54.319
 how he's

00:48:54.319 --> 00:48:54.719
 chosen to

00:48:54.719 --> 00:48:55.099
 deal with

00:48:55.099 --> 00:48:55.440
 us.

00:48:56.859 --> 00:48:57.519
 And he

00:48:57.519 --> 00:48:58.839
 found the

00:48:58.840 --> 00:48:59.640
 most creative

00:48:59.640 --> 00:49:00.360
 way possible

00:49:00.360 --> 00:49:01.519
 to solve

00:49:01.519 --> 00:49:02.200
 that problem.

00:49:03.100 --> 00:49:03.740
 Just like

00:49:03.740 --> 00:49:04.579
 David doesn't

00:49:04.579 --> 00:49:04.920
 deal with

00:49:04.920 --> 00:49:05.420
 Saul according

00:49:05.420 --> 00:49:05.660
 to the

00:49:05.660 --> 00:49:06.340
 dignity Saul

00:49:06.340 --> 00:49:06.860
 actually

00:49:06.860 --> 00:49:08.140
 deserved as

00:49:08.140 --> 00:49:09.660
 a vile

00:49:09.660 --> 00:49:10.579
 tyrant and

00:49:10.579 --> 00:49:10.900
 attempted

00:49:10.900 --> 00:49:11.380
 murderer,

00:49:12.700 --> 00:49:13.260
 an actual

00:49:13.260 --> 00:49:13.660
 murderer,

00:49:14.840 --> 00:49:15.600
 but dealt

00:49:15.600 --> 00:49:16.079
 with Saul

00:49:16.079 --> 00:49:16.500
 according to

00:49:16.500 --> 00:49:16.920
 the dignity

00:49:16.920 --> 00:49:17.760
 he ought to

00:49:17.760 --> 00:49:18.280
 have had

00:49:18.280 --> 00:49:19.260
 as a great

00:49:19.260 --> 00:49:19.620
 king of

00:49:19.620 --> 00:49:20.019
 Israel.

00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:23.039
 God's

00:49:23.039 --> 00:49:23.480
 chosen to

00:49:23.480 --> 00:49:23.900
 deal with

00:49:23.900 --> 00:49:24.620
 us not

00:49:24.620 --> 00:49:25.059
 according to

00:49:25.059 --> 00:49:25.519
 the dignity

00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:26.440
 we really

00:49:26.440 --> 00:49:28.140
 deserve as

00:49:28.139 --> 00:49:28.559
 depraved

00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:29.299
 people that

00:49:29.299 --> 00:49:29.739
 hate his

00:49:29.739 --> 00:49:30.279
 kingship and

00:49:30.279 --> 00:49:30.679
 turn from

00:49:30.679 --> 00:49:30.940
 him,

00:49:31.559 --> 00:49:32.119
 but according

00:49:32.119 --> 00:49:32.619
 to the dignity

00:49:32.619 --> 00:49:33.379
 we could

00:49:33.379 --> 00:49:34.859
 have if we

00:49:34.859 --> 00:49:35.239
 were the

00:49:35.239 --> 00:49:35.639
 people he

00:49:35.639 --> 00:49:36.179
 made us to

00:49:36.179 --> 00:49:36.639
 be and

00:49:36.639 --> 00:49:37.299
 could be

00:49:37.299 --> 00:49:39.460
 if he

00:49:39.460 --> 00:49:39.940
 changed our

00:49:39.940 --> 00:49:40.339
 hearts.

00:49:42.099 --> 00:49:42.339
 And so

00:49:42.339 --> 00:49:42.799
 God

00:49:42.799 --> 00:49:44.859
 creatively

00:49:44.859 --> 00:49:45.619
 said,

00:49:46.159 --> 00:49:46.759
 I will die

00:49:46.759 --> 00:49:47.699
 in your

00:49:47.699 --> 00:49:48.219
 place,

00:49:49.219 --> 00:49:50.699
 and thereby

00:49:50.699 --> 00:49:51.819
 allow myself

00:49:51.819 --> 00:49:53.420
 to make you

00:49:53.420 --> 00:49:53.980
 the people you

00:49:53.980 --> 00:49:54.639
 ought to be.

00:49:54.639 --> 00:49:57.440
 do you

00:49:57.440 --> 00:49:57.819
 understand what

00:49:57.819 --> 00:49:58.159
 I'm saying?

00:49:58.279 --> 00:49:58.940
 When God

00:49:58.940 --> 00:50:00.079
 chose to

00:50:00.079 --> 00:50:00.639
 send Jesus

00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:01.420
 to die on

00:50:01.420 --> 00:50:01.759
 the cross

00:50:01.759 --> 00:50:02.039
 in your

00:50:02.039 --> 00:50:02.519
 place,

00:50:03.519 --> 00:50:04.099
 he was

00:50:04.099 --> 00:50:05.759
 applying an

00:50:05.759 --> 00:50:06.199
 incredible

00:50:06.199 --> 00:50:06.559
 amount of

00:50:06.559 --> 00:50:07.119
 creativity,

00:50:08.599 --> 00:50:08.980
 how can

00:50:08.980 --> 00:50:09.259
 a mortal

00:50:09.259 --> 00:50:10.239
 God become

00:50:10.239 --> 00:50:10.739
 flesh and

00:50:10.739 --> 00:50:11.039
 die,

00:50:12.039 --> 00:50:13.679
 to solve a

00:50:13.679 --> 00:50:14.059
 problem,

00:50:14.559 --> 00:50:15.079
 not about

00:50:15.079 --> 00:50:15.619
 upholding the

00:50:15.619 --> 00:50:16.119
 dignity you

00:50:16.119 --> 00:50:16.719
 actually have,

00:50:16.779 --> 00:50:17.000
 but the

00:50:17.000 --> 00:50:17.659
 dignity you

00:50:17.659 --> 00:50:18.379
 could have

00:50:18.379 --> 00:50:19.079
 as his

00:50:19.079 --> 00:50:19.500
 child.

00:50:21.460 --> 00:50:21.900
 And so I

00:50:21.900 --> 00:50:22.519
 look at this

00:50:22.519 --> 00:50:23.099
 passage and

00:50:23.099 --> 00:50:24.159
 see that's

00:50:24.159 --> 00:50:24.420
 where I

00:50:24.420 --> 00:50:24.899
 see God's

00:50:24.899 --> 00:50:25.420
 kingship.

00:50:25.940 --> 00:50:26.440
 That's what

00:50:26.440 --> 00:50:26.839
 David and

00:50:26.839 --> 00:50:27.259
 Saul are

00:50:27.259 --> 00:50:28.579
 revealing to

00:50:28.579 --> 00:50:28.859
 me,

00:50:29.219 --> 00:50:29.819
 is this is

00:50:29.819 --> 00:50:30.119
 what it

00:50:30.119 --> 00:50:30.559
 looks like

00:50:30.559 --> 00:50:31.059
 to actually

00:50:31.059 --> 00:50:31.339
 be a

00:50:31.339 --> 00:50:31.879
 great king.

00:50:33.519 --> 00:50:34.179
 And most

00:50:34.179 --> 00:50:34.619
 clearly,

00:50:34.960 --> 00:50:35.339
 then I

00:50:35.339 --> 00:50:35.719
 understand

00:50:35.719 --> 00:50:36.139
 what's going

00:50:36.139 --> 00:50:36.420
 on at

00:50:36.420 --> 00:50:36.960
 the cross.

00:50:45.000 --> 00:50:45.699
 I'm not a

00:50:45.699 --> 00:50:46.000
 professional

00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:46.319
 preacher,

00:50:46.480 --> 00:50:46.719
 I'm just

00:50:46.719 --> 00:50:46.899
 going to

00:50:46.899 --> 00:50:47.420
 stop there.

00:50:50.859 --> 00:50:51.299
 So,

00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:53.719
 let me

00:50:53.719 --> 00:50:53.960
 pray.

00:50:54.159 --> 00:50:56.199
 and then

00:50:56.199 --> 00:50:56.480
 we'll have

00:50:56.480 --> 00:50:56.579
 our

00:50:56.579 --> 00:50:56.819
 closing

00:50:56.819 --> 00:50:57.179
 song.

00:51:08.480 --> 00:51:08.960
 God,

00:51:09.019 --> 00:51:09.399
 I ask

00:51:09.399 --> 00:51:10.759
 that each

00:51:10.759 --> 00:51:11.239
 person in

00:51:11.239 --> 00:51:11.799
 this room

00:51:11.799 --> 00:51:19.199
 would find

00:51:19.199 --> 00:51:19.619
 their heart

00:51:19.619 --> 00:51:20.319
 filled with

00:51:20.319 --> 00:51:20.899
 a desire

00:51:20.900 --> 00:51:21.900
 love.

00:51:21.900 --> 00:51:22.220
 I ask you

00:51:22.220 --> 00:51:22.820
 to have

00:51:22.820 --> 00:51:24.619
 the sort of

00:51:24.619 --> 00:51:25.079
 relationship

00:51:25.079 --> 00:51:25.539
 with you

00:51:25.539 --> 00:51:25.599
 that you want us to have.

00:51:30.400 --> 00:51:30.920
 Lord,

00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:32.559
 in the many trials

00:51:32.559 --> 00:51:33.840
 you've chosen to put

00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:34.639
 in our path,

00:51:35.320 --> 00:51:37.000
 they would respond,

00:51:37.680 --> 00:51:38.920
 we would respond,

00:51:38.920 --> 00:51:42.139
 not by shying away

00:51:42.139 --> 00:51:42.760
 from them or

00:51:42.760 --> 00:51:43.460
 asking you to take

00:51:43.460 --> 00:51:43.940
 us out,

00:51:46.380 --> 00:51:47.400
 but by asking

00:51:47.400 --> 00:51:47.720
 you

00:51:47.720 --> 00:51:50.659
 to give us

00:51:50.659 --> 00:51:51.240
 the purity

00:51:51.240 --> 00:51:51.840
 of heart

00:51:51.840 --> 00:51:57.920
 that recognizes

00:51:57.920 --> 00:51:58.740
 what it looks like

00:51:58.740 --> 00:51:59.400
 to be faithful

00:51:59.400 --> 00:51:59.960
 to you

00:51:59.960 --> 00:52:01.139
 and faithful

00:52:01.139 --> 00:52:01.680
 to everyone

00:52:01.680 --> 00:52:02.559
 around us.

00:52:02.559 --> 00:52:06.900
 so that in

00:52:06.900 --> 00:52:07.279
 growing

00:52:07.279 --> 00:52:08.480
 to be

00:52:08.480 --> 00:52:09.019
 a person

00:52:09.019 --> 00:52:09.380
 of those

00:52:09.380 --> 00:52:09.940
 values,

00:52:11.400 --> 00:52:12.860
 we would

00:52:12.860 --> 00:52:13.460
 more and more

00:52:13.460 --> 00:52:14.099
 appreciate

00:52:14.099 --> 00:52:15.619
 how glorious

00:52:15.619 --> 00:52:16.320
 you are

00:52:16.320 --> 00:52:16.940
 in your

00:52:16.940 --> 00:52:17.380
 kingship

00:52:17.380 --> 00:52:18.039
 every day.

00:52:22.119 --> 00:52:22.739
 We

00:52:22.739 --> 00:52:23.239
 more and more

00:52:23.239 --> 00:52:24.019
 understand

00:52:24.019 --> 00:52:28.239
 the miracle

00:52:28.239 --> 00:52:29.019
 of the cross

00:52:29.019 --> 00:52:34.480
 and we

00:52:34.480 --> 00:52:34.739
 would

00:52:34.739 --> 00:52:36.539
 become

00:52:36.539 --> 00:52:37.119
 closer and

00:52:37.119 --> 00:52:38.019
 closer to you

00:52:38.019 --> 00:52:38.940
 through that.

00:52:45.059 --> 00:52:46.079
 We thank you

00:52:46.079 --> 00:52:46.579
 that you are

00:52:46.579 --> 00:52:47.539
 such a great king.

00:52:49.320 --> 00:52:50.219
 We thank you

00:52:50.219 --> 00:52:50.460
 that you

00:52:50.460 --> 00:52:50.900
 demonstrate

00:52:50.900 --> 00:52:51.900
 that to us

00:52:51.900 --> 00:52:53.460
 through the

00:52:53.460 --> 00:52:54.340
 absurd solution

00:52:54.340 --> 00:52:54.699
 to our

00:52:54.699 --> 00:52:55.179
 problems

00:52:55.179 --> 00:52:56.420
 of you

00:52:56.420 --> 00:52:56.840
 yourself

00:52:56.840 --> 00:52:57.300
 dying.

00:53:02.940 --> 00:53:04.000
 We thank you

00:53:04.000 --> 00:53:05.539
 for choosing

00:53:05.539 --> 00:53:07.199
 to live

00:53:07.199 --> 00:53:07.619
 by

00:53:07.619 --> 00:53:09.059
 the values

00:53:09.059 --> 00:53:09.720
 of grace

00:53:09.720 --> 00:53:13.440
 and mercy

00:53:13.440 --> 00:53:15.139
 that motivated

00:53:15.139 --> 00:53:15.539
 you to

00:53:15.539 --> 00:53:17.019
 desire to do

00:53:17.019 --> 00:53:17.860
 that for us.

00:53:18.760 --> 00:53:19.559
 We pray

00:53:19.559 --> 00:53:19.920
 that you

00:53:19.920 --> 00:53:20.639
 would make us

00:53:20.639 --> 00:53:21.300
 likewise

00:53:21.300 --> 00:53:21.920
 a people

00:53:21.920 --> 00:53:23.340
 who treasure

00:53:23.340 --> 00:53:23.640
 those

00:53:23.640 --> 00:53:24.200
 attributes

00:53:24.200 --> 00:53:26.640
 and so

00:53:26.640 --> 00:53:27.000
 are more

00:53:27.000 --> 00:53:27.220
 and more

00:53:27.220 --> 00:53:27.680
 marked

00:53:27.680 --> 00:53:28.340
 as a people

00:53:28.340 --> 00:53:29.100
 made out

00:53:29.100 --> 00:53:29.380
 in your

00:53:29.380 --> 00:53:29.960
 character

00:53:29.960 --> 00:53:33.400
 a people

00:53:33.400 --> 00:53:34.000
 who look

00:53:34.000 --> 00:53:35.460
 very much

00:53:35.460 --> 00:53:36.260
 like Jesus.

00:53:37.640 --> 00:53:38.280
 I pray

00:53:38.280 --> 00:53:38.680
 these things

00:53:38.680 --> 00:53:39.340
 in his name.

00:53:39.660 --> 00:53:39.980
 Amen.

00:53:39.980 --> 00:53:40.079
 Amen.

00:53:40.079 --> 00:53:40.120
 Amen.

00:53:40.680 --> 00:53:42.240
 Amen.

00:53:42.240 --> 00:53:42.579
 Amen.

00:53:42.579 --> 00:53:43.000
 Amen.

00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:43.200
 Amen.

00:53:43.200 --> 00:53:44.360
 Amen.

00:53:44.880 --> 00:53:44.980
 Amen.

00:53:44.980 --> 00:53:45.180
 Amen.

00:53:45.700 --> 00:53:47.180
 Amen.

00:53:47.180 --> 00:53:49.700
 Amen.

00:53:49.700 --> 00:53:50.120
 Amen.

00:53:50.120 --> 00:53:50.280
 Amen.

00:53:50.280 --> 00:53:50.380
 Amen.

00:53:50.380 --> 00:53:50.980
 Amen.

00:53:50.980 --> 00:53:51.079
 Amen.

00:53:51.079 --> 00:53:51.120
 Amen.

00:53:51.120 --> 00:53:51.539
 Amen.

00:53:51.539 --> 00:53:51.700
 Amen.

00:53:51.700 --> 00:53:52.180
 Amen.

00:53:52.180 --> 00:53:52.300
 Amen.

00:53:52.300 --> 00:53:53.260
 Amen.