Our sermon passage for today is the whole chapter, 1 Samuel 24.
! I'll read it trusting that it's God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, sufficient word
! That he's preserved for us over every generation.
And in the hand of the Holy Spirit, it's the sword.
It's powerful.
It cuts through where no man's words can pierce.
All right.
We read in 1 Samuel 24, beginning at verse 1.
Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told
him, saying, Take note, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.
Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in the rocks
of the wild goats.
So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, and there was a cave, and Saul went in to attend
to his needs.
David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.
Then the men of David said to him, This is the day in which the Lord said to you, Behold,
I will deliver the enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.
And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe.
Now it happened afterwards that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe.
And he said to his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's
anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.
So David restrained his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise against
Saul.
And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.
David also arose afterward, went out of the cave and called out to Saul, saying, My Lord,
the king.
And when Saul looked behind him, David stood with his face to the earth and bowed down.
And David said to Saul, Why do you listen to the words of men who say, Indeed, David seeks
your harm?
Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the
cave and someone urged me to kill you.
But my eye spared you.
And I said, I will not stretch out my hand against the Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.
Moreover, my father, see.
Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand.
For in that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you.
Know that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you.
Yet you hunt my life to take it.
Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge you on me.
But my hand shall not be against you.
As the proverb of the ancient says, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked, but my hand shall
not be against you.
After whom has the king of Israel come out?
Whom do you pursue?
A dog?
A dead dog?
A flea?
Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see, and plead my case,
and deliver me out of your hand.
So it was when David had finished speaking these words to Saul that Saul said, Is that
your voice?
My son David.
And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
And he said to David, You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good,
whereas I have rewarded you with evil.
And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me.
For when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.
For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely?
Therefore, may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.
And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall
be established in your hand.
Therefore swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me,
and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house.
So David swore to Saul, and Saul went home.
But David and his men went up to the stronghold.
The word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Please be seated.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord shall endure forever.
Let's pray.
Oh Lord, we ask that you please work mightily through the preaching of your word.
We ask that you take the truth in your word, Lord, that you open our eyes, our minds, our
hearts to see Christ, to receive Christ.
We pray that you please help the preacher to lift up Christ, to give your people Christ.
And Lord, we pray that we can leave here trusting more in Christ, looking forward to his kingdom,
and enjoying the status we have as citizens in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, even while we're
sojourners and pilgrims on this earth.
We ask this for your glory.
Amen.
Well, we humans are perpetual waiters.
Someone has pointed out how even with technology and all the shortcuts and the efficiency, we
still find ourselves waiting and waiting and waiting for many things, don't we?
I think this is wired into who we are.
We spent childhood waiting for the freedom of adulthood, only to spend adulthood waiting
for retirement, for the weekend, or for some change in our situation.
And as we wait for different things in this life, it's very easy in our flesh to look to
worldly things as a fix.
Someone described waiting as a faint kind of death.
To wait is to die slowly because it drains out the life we have in the present.
If we are always waiting, it's like we are merely enduring life.
We often are waiting for some new king or new regime or new change, solutions, leaders, money,
status, something that we think will help, but none of those things can actually save.
In Lamentations chapter 3, verses 25 and 26, we have this wonderful promise.
The Lord is good to those who wait on him.
The soul who seeks him.
So there is a type of waiting on the Lord that is good.
When our soul is seeking him first, his kingdom, not a fix of this world.
It's good that a person should hope and wait quietly for the kingdom of the Lord.
It's a quiet confidence that the outcome is already secured by the better king.
Chapter 4 causes us to do that.
To put our hope in a better king.
A king who is coming.
And that's the title for our sermon today.
An encouragement for you and me today.
We look back at the first coming of Jesus.
We also look forward longingly with hope in his second coming.
So brothers and sisters in the Lord, be encouraged.
From this chapter, a better king is coming.
Four observations as we look at this passage.
First, a better king is coming.
A king whose heart loves God more than anything he can grab in this world.
A better king is coming.
A king whose heart loves God more than anything he can grab in this world.
Let's look back at verse 1.
We read,
Now it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines.
Remember, that's where we left off in chapter 23.
Saul and his men were encircling the rock of escape about to capture David.
And then a messenger says,
Hurry, the Philistines are invading Judah.
So all those men turn around and go fight off the real enemy.
And we remember right before that,
that Saul loved to do one thing day after day after day.
And that's chase David, hunt David down.
So as soon as he's driven off the Philistines,
apparently successfully by God's power,
Saul returns to the thing he loves to do every day.
And that's find David again.
And there are some messengers at work.
Look at verse 1.
It was told him.
And this is a pattern we see.
Skip forward a couple more chapters.
Those Ziphites, again, in these rocky caves,
they go back out of their way to Gibeah to tattle on David to Saul.
This is a repeating pattern.
And they say,
Take note, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.
Verse 2.
Who then saw took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel
and went to seek David and his men in the rocks of the wild goats.
In this region, there were apparently these many caves.
Some of them had a big mouth,
and you could bring an entire little flock of sheep in there
to get out of the heat of the desert and the wilderness.
They could enjoy a little bit of shade.
Or in the other months, if it's snowing and cold,
it provides a little bit of shelter.
And it was just a place where maybe like Waterton Canyon,
you can see these wild goats or longhorn sheep as you go there.
An amazing place to hike around
and so many places to hide.
In verse 3,
What does your translation say that Saul went in to do?
Well, in the Hebrew, it literally says,
Saul went in to cover his feet.
And the feet are meaning like cover your lower parts.
It was a polite way of saying a lot of different things.
It became an idiom.
Go and cover the lower parts.
Or cover your feet.
Matthew Henry, maybe because he's in that Puritan era
and he's being overly British about it,
he says that he was just, you know,
laying his robe maybe like over his feet
so he can be in the fetal position and stay warm.
But I think a better interpretation,
we can take our cue from Scripture itself in Judges 3.24.
We're told of another wicked king,
King Eglon.
And they said he went up to the upper room
to use the bathroom,
but they used that exact same phrase.
He went up there to cover his feet.
And so whether he actually has the robe,
you know, pulled down over his feet
isn't necessarily implied.
It could mean he takes off the royal garment,
puts it hanging up on the rocks out of the way.
And David and his men were staying in the recesses
of that same cave.
Can you picture this, kids?
And I wonder from their perspective what that was like.
You hear these men coming,
oh man, we might be trapped here.
Should we try to get out quick and go somewhere else?
Like when you're playing hide and seek,
you know you're in a dead end.
You got to find a way out.
Maybe it was too late.
We don't know.
Somehow they ended up that way.
They're hiding now in the shadows
and the recesses of the cave.
And here comes, you know,
maybe not the whole 3,000,
but at least the elite bodyguards with Saul.
And they probably give him his privacy,
give him a little distance.
And there's Saul inside the cave
with David's men hiding inside that same cave.
Verse four,
then the men of David said to him,
probably in a whisper,
you know how it can echo in a cave,
this day of which the Lord said to you,
behold, I will deliver the enemy into your hand
that you may do to him as it seems good to you.
So David's men are giving him counsel.
They're saying, we are all fugitives.
We're exiled.
We don't have a place to lay down our head
one night in a row.
We're living here on hard rocks in these caves.
Let's end all of our misery once and for all.
If you won't do it for yourself, do it for us.
You can almost hear them saying,
God has put your enemy right here in front of you
for the slaughter.
Verse four says,
David arose.
So I wonder if the men thought he's going to do it.
And he starts walking over toward where Saul is
and he's got something sharp,
some sharp blade in his hand,
maybe a smaller dagger,
something like that,
if Goliath's sword would be inconvenient
at this time maybe.
And instead of killing Saul,
could have done that in any number of ways.
He's a veteran warrior.
He'd gone out slaying the enemies of the nation
and come back victoriously many times.
Instead, David secretly cut off
a corner of Saul's robe.
Literally in Hebrew it says,
David cut off the wing of his robe.
You've heard this before.
You remember in the book of Ruth,
where Ruth comes next to Boaz
and she says, cover me with your wing.
You know, the tip of the robe.
And cover that over me.
And that becomes imagery of God
covering his beloved.
You know, like the wings of the eagle.
Or Jesus said, even like a mother hen, you know,
putting the wings around my people.
In Sunday school, Professor John
brought an actual tassel
that has the Torah, the Jewish law.
And that was the instruction
that you will put the law on these wings,
these corners of your robe.
And it also reminds you of another tearing of a robe
in this same book.
Do you remember that one?
How the prophet Samuel walked away from King Saul
and Saul reached back and grabbed
and tore off the corner of his robe.
So this motif is developing
and it's very symbolic.
Verse five says,
it now happened afterward
that David's heart troubled him
because he had cut off
Saul's robe.
He didn't take his life,
but he did take
other things from him.
Representing the law,
the kingdom,
the royal garments.
And David's heart is now troubled,
sensitive
before the Lord.
When the spirit
of the holy God
lives within
a saved
sinner,
God's redeeming grace
makes the believer
tremble
at the thought
of committing
even a small
wrongdoing
against God.
You've experienced this,
haven't you?
The Holy Spirit
indwelling a believer.
He does not
let our conscience
be okay with that,
with sinning against him.
Well,
while we don't have more insights
into David's heart
in this moment,
there's a wonderful
application for us.
believers who have
the Holy Spirit
indwelling us.
In 1 John 3.15,
we're told,
whoever hates his brother
is a murderer.
And you know
that no murderer
has eternal life
abiding in him.
Verse 6 picks up,
and he said to his men,
the Lord forbid
that I should do this thing
to my master,
the Lord's
Messiah,
the Lord's
anointed.
That's what's
on David's mind.
To stretch out
my hand against him,
seeing he is
the Messiah
of the Lord.
He is
the anointed.
Verse 7,
so David restrained
his servants
with these words.
David went over
and got a piece
of the robe,
but his men
were ready
to do this
themselves now.
He's having to
hold them back.
And these words
reminded them all,
it's God
who anoints.
It's God
who gives
delegated power
to a steward.
Don't sin
against the Lord,
no matter how
evil Saul is.
He did not
allow them
to rise
against Saul,
and Saul
got away
for free
that time.
He got up
from the cave
and went
on his way.
If they're
whispering this
entire time,
I wonder how
much arguing
and fighting
there is after
that.
I mean,
if you're David,
you might have
a mutiny
on your hands.
This should
have been it.
You blew it.
How are we
ever going to
trust our
captain again?
This guy
has no
common sense.
We're at war.
We don't know
the exact
inspiration
for all the
Psalms,
but we do
know the
occasion
and the
setting of
them
in the
wilderness
and prayer
and asking
the Lord
to judge.
These are
common themes
and even
if it's
a different
psalmist,
it's the
same
Holy Spirit
breathing out
the Word
of God.
In Psalm
119,
verse 161,
which we read
as part of our
call to worship
today,
says this,
Princes
or noblemen
like Saul
persecute me
without a
cause,
but my
heart
stands in
awe
of your
word.
It's the
Word of
God,
the good
law of
God
that's
keeping
David
in check
by the
power of
the Spirit.
Psalm 37
is a
Psalm of
David
with this
setting as
its occasion
and in this
Psalm,
David
sings,
rest in the
Lord and
wait patiently
for him.
Do not
fret because
of men
who prosper
in their
way.
There's
David now
even reflecting
back and
singing to
rest in the
Lord and
wait patiently
on him.
Do not
fret because
of evil
men.
Spurgeon
commented,
he who can
sing to
God in
the recesses
of a cave
will not
be tempted
to grab
the crown
by the
hand of
murder.
Sing to
the Lord.
Preach
to your
own soul.
Rest in
God.
Wait patiently
on him.
David knew
that he
who waits
for God
loses
nothing
by our
patience.
In
Matthew
4,
our Lord
Jesus Christ
was offered
the kingdoms
of this
world
by the
prince of
this world,
Satan.
And our
Lord Jesus
Christ,
King
Jesus,
the
Messiah,
the
anointed
one,
he battled,
he fought
back with
God's
word,
God's
law,
the first
of the
Ten
Commandments,
also this
theme of
Deuteronomy
6,
the Shema.
And he
told Satan,
you shall
worship the
Lord your
God and
him only
shall you
serve.
The Lord
will strengthen
you and me
too,
brothers and
sisters,
by his
spirit and
his word
hidden in
our heart
that we
may not
sin against
God.
By God's
power and
God's grace,
this will be a
testimony for
each of us.
As Matthew
Henry put it,
a whole
kingdom will
never be
worth a
sin.
A better
king is
coming,
a king whose
heart loves
God more
than anything
he can grab
for himself
in this
world.
Second,
a better
king is
coming,
a king
who will
restore
honor to
the office
he will
fill.
A king
is coming
who will
restore
honor for
the office
that he
himself will
fill.
Isn't that
what David's
doing?
Look at
verse 8.
What happens
next is not
what you would
expect.
It's something
you'd read
in the Bible.
David also
arose afterward
and went out
of the cave.
I wonder
if his men
approved of
this decision
next.
I mean,
think of the
options available
to Saul
and these men,
do you think
these 3,000
choice men
like being
away from
their families
going around
this wilderness
area?
There's the
target.
You can
almost hear
their bow
is getting
pulled back.
There he is
right there.
David steps
out into
the wide
open.
not only
does he
make himself
visible,
he calls
out to
Saul.
And if
that's not
shocking enough,
his words
and his
posture
certainly
elevate it.
Look at
what he
says.
I'm going
to summarize
some of
them,
but I
want you
to see
each one
very carefully.
In
verse 8,
he says,
my lord,
see,
you're the
ruler here
and I'm
your servant,
the king.
he has
a high
regard
for the
office
that crazy
Saul holds.
And look
what's next.
He's stooped
with his
face to
the earth,
bowed
down.
Three
powerful
descriptions
in a row
of his
posture.
He's
restoring
honor to
the office
of king
that Saul
has so
disgraced.
In
verse 10,
he calls
Saul the
Lord's
Messiah,
the Lord's
anointed.
In
verse 11,
he calls
Saul my
father.
And in
verse 14,
he calls
him the
king of
Israel.
David is
restoring
honor to
this very
office that
David himself
will fill
next for
Israel.
He starts
off in
verse 9 of
this speech
by telling
Saul,
why do
you listen
to the
words of
men who
say,
indeed,
David
seeks
your
harm.
Now,
whether
there's
spies going
back and
forth or
gossip or
rumors or
stuff like
that,
we don't
know.
Someone
pointed out
in Bible
study,
maybe it's
him helping
Saul save
face a
little bit,
but he's
telling Saul,
beware of
bad counsel,
whether it's
your own
crazy mind
or these
spies,
the Ziphites
and others
going back
and forth.
those voices
are lying
to you.
They're
bearing false
witness about
me.
You've got
it all
wrong.
David now
shows him,
I can
prove I
don't seek
your harm
in verse
10.
Look,
this day
your eyes
have seen
that the
Lord delivered
you today
into my
hand in
the cave
and someone
urged me
to kill
you,
but my
eye spared
you and
I said I
will not
stretch out
my hand
against my
Lord,
for he
is the
Lord's
anointed.
I wonder
what David
is recalling
here by
using this
word over
and over
anointed,
Messiah.
I wonder
if he's
remembering
the oil
that flowed
down his
head even
before he
could grow
a beard
when he
was anointed
by the
prophet
Samuel.
The
spirit of
God upon
him mightily
in battle
and playing
the harp.
The
promise of
an anointed
one,
a Messiah.
How much
of scripture
David knew
that seed
of Eve,
that promised
one that's
coming,
that seed
of Abraham,
that seed
that would
now be
coming through
David's line
one day,
the Lord's
anointed.
He says,
moreover,
my father,
he's extending
grace,
he's reminding
Saul,
you're the
father of a
nation,
you're my
father-in-law,
that's how I
see you,
Saul.
He says,
yes,
see the
corner,
the wing of
your robe
in my hand,
loaded with
symbolism.
for in that
I cut off
the corner
of your
robe and
did not
kill you,
know and
see that
there is
neither evil
nor rebellion
in my
hand,
I have
not sinned
against you,
yet you
hunt my
life to
take it,
you are
the one
who seeks
my harm,
he says.
In verse
12,
David reminds
Saul,
I'm a
sojourner,
I'm in
caves,
he calls
himself even
worse than
that here in a
bit,
and while
you're the
king,
while you're
my father,
look at
verse 12,
let the
Lord,
let Yahweh,
the Lord of
hosts,
judge between
you and
me.
If David's
not innocent,
this is a
scary thing
to invoke.
You and
I,
we don't want
what we
deserve,
do we?
We need
God's grace.
David says,
let the
Lord avenge
me on
you,
but my
hand shall
not be
against
you.
He's
emboldened
by summoning
the Lord
to judge.
I won't
do anything,
Saul,
if the
Lord will
strike you
down.
That's the
Lord avenging
you himself.
Verse 13,
as the
proverb of
the ancient
says,
wickedness
proceeds from
the wicked,
but my
hand shall
not be
against you.
He's saying
it would be
wicked to
kill the
one that
God has
put in
this office.
Only a
wicked man
would wish
to avenge
himself,
and I
do not.
I leave
that to
God.
Verse 14,
after whom
has the
king of
Israel
come out?
Now he's
reminding him
of how
little David
is.
Whom do
you pursue?
A dead
dog?
Now there's
a picture
for us.
I mean,
in the
wilderness,
there might
have been
some sheep
dogs,
you know,
there's
these sheep
folds all
around,
but there's
also the
hyena of
the Middle
East,
it's a
jackal.
A dog
was viewed
by the
Israelites
as a
dirty
scavenger.
It's a
name used
derogatorily for
those outside
of God's
covenant.
That's what
David is
describing himself
as.
I am the
outcast here,
I'm the
outsider,
I'm living
here like
a scavenger,
and I'm
a dead
dog at
that.
I'm a
flea,
he says.
It's a
tiny little
parasite that
lives on
sheep and
dogs and
other animals.
In verse
15,
therefore let
the Lord
be judge and
judge between
you and
me,
see and
plead my
case and
deliver me
out of
your hand.
David could
have walked
out of that
cave,
think about
this.
He could
have walked
out of that
cave and
shown the
army of
Israel,
the head
of King
Saul,
another tall
corrupt
warrior,
another
Goliath,
and the
whole army
of Israel
could have
followed him
that day.
Instead he
stepped out
into the
sunlight with
a token of
God's mercy
because a
better king
is coming.
In
Psalm 35,
David cries
out,
plead my
cause,
O Lord,
with those
who strive
with me.
Fight
against those
who fight
against me.
Stir up
yourself,
God,
and awaken
to my
settlement,
to my
cause,
my God,
my Lord.
Judge me,
O Lord,
my God,
according to
your
righteousness,
and let
not them
rejoice
over me.
David's
case is
entirely
in the
hands of
God
as his
advocate.
God
sees,
he knows.
God
pleads,
he trusts.
God
delivers.
David would
not strike
Psalm
even
though
Saul
was a
wicked
king
because
David
knew
his
office,
the office
that Saul
currently
held,
was sacred.
It was
appointed
by God.
And a
kingdom
gained
by sin
would be
a curse,
not a
blessing.
David
had this
promise
from God
of the
kingdom,
but he
would not
take it
by blood.
He
would wait
on God's
time.
God
can
look at
David
and we
see the
image of
Jesus
Christ.
Jesus
was
reviled,
but he
did not
revile
back.
He
had the
armies
of heaven.
He
is
the
Lord
of
hosts
and he
could
have
commanded
the
angels
of
heaven
and
all
the
saints
to
come
in
power
and
crush
his
enemies.
And he
said,
not my
will
according
to my
flesh,
but your
will be
done,
oh Lord. He suffered according to his human nature and patiently endured to fulfill all righteousness
because Jesus Christ is the better king. The king who restored the honor to the office that had been
so corrupted. Think of the office of king in Israel, the office of priests in Israel, the office of a
prophet so corrupted. God had been silent for 400 years. The Lord Jesus restored those offices and then filled them.
Well the third observation for today is that a better king is coming. A king whose rule is established
in righteousness, justice, and mercy. A better king is coming. A king whose rule is established in
righteousness, justice, and mercy. That's the kingdom you want to be part of and belong to. Look at verse 16.
So it was when David had finished speaking these words to Saul that Saul said, is this your voice my son
David? Someone pointed out in our Bible study David initiated the grace. He said my father
and Saul now reciprocates it at least in the moment my son. And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
Real tears here. Real wailing. And then he said to David you are more righteous than I.
If that's what Saul is weeping about, praise God. A sinner recognizing his righteousness is not enough.
We fall short of the righteousness we need. He quickly shifts his focus to himself again. He says,
for you have rewarded me with good where I have rewarded you with evil.
And so we need to take Saul in this chapter as he is and then watch in the next two chapters to find out
if this is a repentance wrought in his spirit by the work of God or if it's more of a superficial
repentance at this time. Someone pointed out if it was a repentance of the feelings and not of the soul,
he's weeping because of the danger he, his near death experience and not because of a true turn from his sin.
Saul's temporary repentance at the words of David shows how truth can reach even the most hardened
conscience. And the law of God does that. The moral law of God, it taps into that part of being made in
the image of God, which every man, woman, boy and girl, every generation, every part of the world knows this,
that I am a sinner and I need a savior outside of myself.
In verse 18 we read Saul's words,
Verse 20,
And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king
and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.
The Hebrew is powerful here.
In the English we get these words like surely, you know, it will endure.
It's like trying to add emphasis.
And in the original language it's this,
Reigning, you shall reign.
A double emphasis.
It's guaranteed.
It implies an absolute certainty.
Even Saul recognizing that David's uprightness was the mark of God's true king.
The kingdom of God is not a kingdom of force where man gets his own way,
but it's a kingdom of servants of God who wait upon the providence of God.
Proverbs 16, 12 tells us,
It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
for a throne is established by righteousness.
Isaiah 9, 7 is this prophecy of the better king that's coming,
of the increase of his government and peace.
There will be no end.
Reigning he shall reign.
Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom in order to order it
and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward,
even forever.
Isaiah 16, 5,
In mercy the throne will be established,
and one will sit on it in truth,
in the tent of David,
judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.
This is the kingdom of Jesus,
the better kingdom.
It's established on righteousness,
justice,
and mercy.
And even wicked King Saul recognizes this
and declares it.
It's a powerful reminder how one day when our Lord Jesus comes back,
every knee,
even the most wicked knees,
the knees of his enemies who will never repent and be saved,
every knee will one day drop to the ground
and every tongue will confess,
even the enemies of God's anointed to the end,
those who resist his kingdom in pride and stubbornness.
They will confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord of Lords
to the glory of God the Father.
A better king is coming.
Well, the fourth and final observation for today,
a better king is coming,
a king whose kingdom is truly blessed.
A king is coming whose kingdom is truly blessed.
Verse 21 reads,
Therefore,
in Saul asking David,
swear now to me by the Lord
that you will not cut off my descendants after me,
and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house.
This is Saul who's built an idol for himself.
It's Saul who parades around all Israel
to celebrate his own victories.
And his final words give us a glimpse
into his true concerns.
My name,
my house,
my kingdom still.
Now,
in verse 22,
we read,
David swore to Saul.
Is this David compromising?
We read next that Saul went home,
but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
In our Bible study this morning,
you all pointed out something powerful here.
Two things.
First, in verse 22,
David swore to Saul nothing new.
Because who is in the line of Saul?
It's Jonathan.
He's already covenanted with Jonathan
to show God's covenant faithfulness to Jonathan's line.
So swearing this to Saul is not a new promise or a new vow.
It's simply knowing this already is in place
with what I've promised Jonathan.
And then the second observation is
their physical movement is to drift away.
And if all of this is a restored relationship,
then wouldn't you expect David and his three
or his 600 men
to travel now back in peace with Saul
to Gibeah,
the headquarters,
the palace,
the kingdom.
And he's back in the,
you know,
he's a son-in-law.
He's in good standing
and we're at peace.
But in his shrewdness
or maybe by the direction of the spirit,
as Saul goes home,
and we're not given other details,
we simply read,
David and his men
went up to the stronghold,
waiting on God's time
in a defensive posture.
And that's where the story leaves us for today.
David could spare Saul's life.
He did not need Saul's death
in order to be safe.
David committed his cause to God most high
in the words of the psalm
who performs all things for me,
trusting in God's sovereignty.
And now David remains a pilgrim.
Notice the themes that we see exhibited here,
these shadows in David.
By God's grace and power,
in this story,
David was meek.
Let's define that word.
He had the power to kill Saul.
Remember, the sword was in his hand.
But by God's grace and power,
he kept that power under God's control.
That's meekness.
It's strength under God's control.
And as a result,
he would inherit the kingdom from God.
By God's grace and power,
on this occasion,
David showed mercy to his enemy.
In return, David obtained mercy from God
and even a blessing from Saul.
By God's grace and power,
in this crisis,
David's heart was so aimed at pleasing God
that even cutting off a corner of a robe
felt like a stain on his purity.
David has been reviled
and persecuted day after day
by Saul and his evil advisors.
Yet David remained exceedingly glad
in the words of the psalm
to trust God's ultimate judgment.
Do these kingdom descriptions sound familiar to you?
David prefigures the final victory of Christ
where the old order,
dominion under Adam,
the dominion of sin and death,
it's forced to recognize the authority of Jesus Christ,
the risen king,
whose kingdom of grace
will outlast the kingdoms of men.
Our Lord Jesus Christ showed
that the weapons of his kingdom,
the way he does battle
and goes to war,
it's not material.
It's not the powers of this world
and man's way,
but it's spiritual.
It's a kingdom that's not grabbed by force,
but that's given,
that's bestowed by God.
The kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ
is the truly blessed kingdom.
Amen.
Our Lord Jesus declared this as the king,
as the lawgiver for his people
in Matthew 5, 3 through 12.
Blessed are the poor in spirit
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful
for they have obtained mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers
for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness sake
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile
and persecute you
and say all kinds of evil
against you falsely for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad
for great is your reward in heaven
for so they persecuted the prophets
who were before you.
This is the blessed kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The Lord can bless those in his kingdom
because he first fulfilled Romans 12, 21.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was not overcome by evil
but he did overcome evil with good.
Our Lord Jesus taking evil
that man threw at him
with all the force available.
The Lord submitted himself to God
who will judge all
and he endured it.
1 Peter 2, 21 which we read earlier.
Our Lord Jesus committed no sin
nor was deceit found in his mouth
who when he was reviled
did not revile and turn.
When he suffered he did not threaten
but committed himself to him
who judges righteously.
And to this you were called church
because Jesus Christ also suffered for us
leaving us a pattern
that we should follow in his steps.
Ephesians 4, 31 and 32.
By the power and grace
of the Holy Spirit working
and true believers
hear this exhortation from God's word.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor
and evil speaking be put away from you
with all malice
and be kind to one another.
Tender hearted, forgiving one another
even as God in Christ forgave you.
The better king has come.
He has come in mercy
and he will come again soon as judge.
And like David in the wilderness
we are pilgrims in this world.
Jesus Christ is our stronghold
but in him we are truly blessed.
Amen.
Let's pray.
O Lord
we thank you for your kingdom
the better kingdom
the true kingdom of heaven
brought to earth by God the Son
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord help us with our mouths to confess
with our hearts to believe
with our even our posture
with our knees
our faces in the dirt
to declare that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father
we ask.
Amen.