Welcome to Summer Bible Study
Tonight We look at the Life of David
The Name of David
•The name of David is mentioned throughout the Bible.
•800 times in the OT
•60 times in the NT
Why is David important?
•A direct descendant of the Christ
•A king of
•A model of faith
•A model of a sinner forgiven
•A poet
•A Psalm writer
•A foreshadow of the Christ
David and Jesus
•Jesus is given the oft repeated title of “Son of David.”
•Paul says Jesus “descended from David according to the flesh.”
•John tells us that Jesus Himself says “I am the root and the offspring of David.” (Rev. 22.16)
David’s Family History
•In the genealogy of Ruth and Boaz as a grandson (Ruth 4.18-22) - “Moabite blood flowed in his veins.” Later, David will deal severely with the Moabites. ( II Sam. 8.2)
•David is the son of Jesse.
•He is the youngest one of Jesse’s 8 sons.
Read
•Read I Sam. 16.1-13
The Upcoming King
The upcoming king is selected by God.
•The sign of the new king is the one who the prophet Samuel anoints.
The smallest one
•David is described as the “youngest” of Jesse’s sons.
•But, the Hebrew word means “smallest.”
•The smallest one is chosen to be king.
David, the shepherd
•David is first introduced to the world as a shepherd.
•The last story about David in II Sam. shows David as a shepherd concerned for a different flock. II Sam. 24.17 David says: “These are but sheep.”
David the Red Head
•David’s appearance is described as “ruddy.”
•The Hebrew word can be translated as “red.” I Sam. 16.12
David as Handsome
•“a fine appearance” or “beautiful eyes”
•“handsome”
Outward and Inward
•David had outward attractive qualities.
•David had inward attractive qualities.
•But, God was looking not on the outward, but on the inward.
•“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” I Sam. 16.7
The Holy Spirit and David
•The anointing of David with oil symbolizes the anointing of David with the Holy Spirit.
•The Holy Spirit came on David that day and the Holy Spirit stayed with him throughout his life.
•The Hebrew verb indicates permanence. The Holy Spirit does not come and go as in some places in the OT.
Capstone of Samuel’s Ministry
•“The anointing of David was the capstone to Samuel’s career.”
The Rise of David’s Career
•All events to come in the upcoming narratives arise out of David’s anointing.
•David to be king was:
–Long foreseen
–Pre-elected
–Thoughtfully and prayerfully anointed
Read
•Read I Sam. 16.14-23
David in Saul’s Service
•The Spirit departed from Saul.
•An evil spirit tormented Saul.
•The evil spirit terrified him.
•The effect on Saul”
–“Saul became subject to fits of intense mental agony under which his reason gave way and temporary insanity, accompanied by outbreaks of violence, came on.”
What was wrong with Saul?
•Jost, in the History of the Jews Since the Time of the Maccabees Vol. 1 page 12 says: “Saul suffered under the form of madness called hypochondria and that the Jews gave this name bad air, the words translated here as “evil spirit.” For they held the devil inhabited the air.”
Saul’s Problem
•“A study of Saul’s character makes it probable that, as is often the case with men of brilliant genius, there was always a touch of insanity in his mental constitution.”
Saul’s Condition
•The rejection of Saul and the departure of the Spirit may have brought Saul into a depression. The depression may have at times approached madness.
Evil Spirits and the Gospel
•Jesus dealt with them.
•Paul dealt with them.
•Christians are engaged in spiritual warfare.
•Some know it and many do not know it.
The Evil Spirit
•The evil spirit is said to come from the LORD.
•Good as well as evil can come from God.
•God brought down the throne of David.
•The true king, God, dethroned Saul and withdrew his blessings from Saul.
David and Music
•David is selected to come to king Saul on the basis of his musical talents.
•He can play the harp or some translate the musical instrument as the small lyre.
•In modern times, we have music therapy.
•There is something very healing about playing and listening to music.
•“There is an awesome revelation of divine purpose in the providence by which David, who is to replace Saul in the favor and plan of God, is selected to minister to the fallen king’s melancholy. So, the lives of these two men were brought together, the stricken giant and the rising stripling.” The New Bible Dictionary. P.266
David wins the heart of king Saul.
•“The chapter ends with a gifted young man,
Read
•Read I Sam. 17.1-11
Representative Warfare
•Representative warfare- a contest of champions
•“The purpose of such contests was ‘to obviate the necessity of a general engagement of troops which would spill more blood than necessary to resolve the dispute.” Harry Hoffner as cited in I & II Sam. by Ronald Youngblood
•Not uncommon in ancient times.
Goliath’s Challenge
•Goliath was over 9 feet tall.
•Bronze weapons.
•Armor
•Helmet
•“It must have made the man’s figure look particularly terrifying.”
Goliath’s Insults
•Insults the army of
•Insults Saul and his monarchy.
•Insults the living God of Israel.
Army of
•“dismayed”
•“terrified”
•Yet, the army of
•If no challenger found, by default the Philistines would win.
Read
•Read I Sam. 17.12-19
David’s Dual Career
•David was a “music therapist” to king Saul. (Note: Pastor’s Ken’s title assigned to David. Not found in commentaries.)
•David was still a shepherd.
•David went back and forth from seeing King Saul and tending his father’s sheep in
David to go to the army of
•David’s instructions:
–Take provisions for his brothers
–Get information about his brothers
–Bring back a token of their welfare
–(David will eventually do all three. The head of Goliath will fulfill the third instruction of his father.)
Urgency
•Jesse instructs David “hurry.”
•Jesse is thinking about the health and welfare of his sons.
•But, behind all this is God’s perfect timing.
Question
•How do we know when a matter is urgent in God’s perspective?
Read
•Read I Sam 17.20-58
The Transformation of David
•David will go from a shepherd to a victorious warrior.
What David Heard and Saw
•David hears the challenge of Goliath.
•David sees Goliath.
•For members of the Israelite army this causes fear and panic.
David’s View of the Situation
•Goliath is “an uncircumcised Philistine.”
•Goliath comes to defy the armies of the living God.
•Not going to be Goliath who “kills him (David). Rather it will be Goliath “who kills the Philistines and removes this disgrace from
David’s View vs. the View of the Members of the Army of Israel
•Army of
•David sees Goliath as “an uncircumcised Philistine who has the audacity to reproach the armies of the living God.”
The Perception of the Problem
•David thinks differently.
•The problem is not defined negatively or with fear.
•The problem is seeing as primarily spiritual.
David’s Courage
•David said: “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” I Sam. 17.32
•The odds are against him, yet David will fight because he knows the power of his faith in God.
Question
•How do we respond when the odds are against us?
•Do we fight knowing that God will give us a victory or do we give into defeat without a fight?
David Recalls Days of a Shepherd
•David as a shepherd fought off the prey of the sheep. (lions and bears)
•A shepherd did not use armor.
•The offensive weapon of the shepherd was the sling. (also a club or rod-not the same as the shepherd’s staff.)
Saul Tries to Help
•Saul thinks David must fight Goliath on the same usual terms as a warrior.
•Saul offers David his armor.
Fight with the Flesh?
•Saul’s approach is much like trying to fight in the flesh.
•Saul wanted to use the best armor and best weapons of the day.
•But, the true nature of the battle was not about the flesh.
•It was spiritual warfare.
NT and the Struggle
•“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6.12
Question
•Do we recognize the spiritual forces at work in the world today and that the battle before us in spiritual in nature?
The Major Crime of Goliath
•“he has defiled the armies of the living God.” I Sam. 17.36
•Literally “he casts scorn or insults upon the ranks of
•Perhaps the greatest insult was that the ranks of
David’s Decision
•The armies of God are threatened by a predator much like the flock of sheep was threatened by a predator.
•David will handle Goliath the same way he handled bears and lions.
Selection of Stones
•Got them from the streambed in the
•Stones of this nature were usually 2-3 inches in diameter and flint. (see p. 700 in Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 3 editor Frank Gaebelein
Goliath’s Mistake
•Pride: considered himself invincible.
•No understanding of the spiritual. He was not fighting David only. He was fighting David who was empowered by God.
•Proverbs 16.18
The Secret of Victory
•David tells Goliath: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty…”
•David’s source and his weapons are not from this world.
•To come in God’s name is to be God’s direct representative.
The Victory Comes not From David But from God
•“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world.” Jesus (John 16.33)
The Death of Goliath
•Was it direct from the stone? Or did the stone just knock him out and David later killed him with Goliath’s own sword?
•Commentators are not united on this one.
The Sword
•The irony is that David has to use Goliath’s sword to cut off the head of the giant.
•Later, both the head of Goliath and the sword of Goliath would be displayed as trophies of war.
Faith in a Nuclear Age
•“David’s defeat of the Philistine champion affirms the superiority of trust in Yahweh over any purported marvels of human technology or skill.”
•quote by Ceresko as cited in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 3 p. 702 editor Frank Gaebelin
The Victory Parades and the Women
•David returns a conquering hero.
•The women came out singing and dancing singing of David’s victory. I Sam. 17.6-7
•Victory celebrations were usually led by women.
Saul’s Jealousy
•Read I Sam. 18. 6-16
Saul’s Jealous Rage
•Twice Saul would try and pin David to the wall with his spear. Again he tries in I Sam. 20. 9
•Saul even tries to impale his own son. I Sam. 20.32-33
God Turns the Tables
•One day David will have the chance to do the same and pin Saul with a spear.
•David will refuse to do it because he would never “lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.” I Sam. 26.8-11
The Military Exploits of David
•Saul places David in charge of a large number of the army. (commander)
•Saul is sinister.
•Saul plans to put David in front on major battles in hopes he would be killed by the Philistines. I Sam. 18.17
•Later, David will use this strategy to get Uriah out of the way so he could have Bathsheba. II Sam. 11.14-15
Saul’s Plot
•Saul plots to kill David. I Sam. 19.1
•Saul is warned by Saul’s son Jonathan.
•Jonathan is a close friend of David. “He was very fond of David.” I Sam. 19.2
•(Footnote: the wonderful story of Jonathan and David inspired me to name my second son “Jonathan David Chorle.”)
David Flees
•Saul again tries to kill David with a spear. I Sam. 19.9
•Michal, David’s wife and Saul’s daughter encourages David to escape.
•David escapes and will become a fugitive on the run.
Jonathan and David
•Jonathan works with his father to see if David can come back.
•Jonathan is certain it is not safe for David.
•So, David remains a fugitive.
David in Hiding
•David reasons that the best place to hide from Saul is in Philistine country.
•He takes refuge with Achish, the tyrant of
•Later Achish will get jealous and suspicious of David.
•David fakes madness to get out of the situation.
David flees next to Adullam
•Here David gets a band of men who will become soldiers and like a professional army of mercenaries working for him.
•I Sam. 22.2
Wilderness of Ziph
•Goes to Ziph due to the fact that neighbors will not protect him from Saul.
From Ziph to Engedi
•Word gets out that David is here.
•Saul seeks David out.
•The king falls into the hands of David. But, David will spare the king’s life.
David leaves
•David leaves Engedi and goes to Maon.
•Here once again Saul falls into the hands of David who spare Saul’s life.
Ziklag
•David settles in Ziklag.
•He acquires power and influence here.
•Ziklag will be his base of operations.
•David is like a warlord in that he fights off
•As David conquered regions, those regions gave allegiance to him.
David’s Power
•David acquired power in a two step process.
–Got a band of men to serve as soldiers (a lot like mercenaries)
–Used his forces to conquer enemies of
David Becomes King
•
•David shows his skills at writing when he composes a tribute to Saul and Jonathan. II Sam. 1.17-27
•David was both a gifted composer and musician.
•Read I Sam. 16.18
David at
•David marches to
•The men of
•In a sense David was already acting like a king. This ceremony marked a formalization of what was already happening.
David at
•David remains at
•
•David hoped to unite them.
King in
•Soon after he becomes King of Israel, David moves his residence to
•
•David captured the city.
•David fortifies and builds up the city of
King’s Success
•David succeeds in defeating the Philistines.
•The ongoing threat of the Philistines has been stopped.
David’s Success
•A second area of success was in the area of religion.
•Saul ignored the Ark of the Covenant.
•David brings it to
More Military Success
•David conquers the Ammonites.
•David conquers the Arameans.
•He becomes the undisputed master from
•“Thus he was the most powerful ruler in the world of his day.” The Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary. Vol. I p. 778
David Commits Adultery
•Read II Sam. 11.1- 12.25
One Sin Leads to Another
•To gain Bathsheba completely, David arranged for Uriah to go into the front of battle in hopes of Uriah being killed.
Nathan is sent.
•The prophet Nathan tells a story about a poor man who has a sheep that is like a daughter to him.
•The sheep is taken from the poor man by a rich man.
•David says that such a man deserves to die.
•Nathan says “thou art the man.”
Adultery in Today’s World
•Can easily begin in the office or work world.
•The Internet is now an easy way to “cheat” or have an “affair.”
•Very common on TV and in movies.
•Passed off as “falling in love.”
Question
•What percent of married women today is engaging in an “affair?”
Answer
•SIXTY FIVE PERCENT.
•From the cover of a very recent book entitled Undressing Infidelity by Diane Shader Smith Copyright 2005
•“Who are these women (women who cheat)? They are your neighbors, your friends, your coworkers. They go to your gym. They shop at your grocery store. They are the women you see every day who seem to have it all. Statistics tell us that 65% of married women cheat.”
Diane Shader Smith
•Director of Public Relations at
•The company she worked for did business with Microsoft, General Mills, Baja Fresh and others.
Diane Shader Smith
•She interviewed 150 women who cheated.
•The women told their stories.
•She published a book.
•Many major news sources have interviewed her. (LA Times, National Public Radio, Newsweek, CBS News)
Diane Shader Smith
•Good moral woman.
•Loved her husband and her children.
•Began to flirt in her workplace.
•Almost engaged in the affair.
•Questioned why she almost fell for it.
•Reasoned if I almost did, other also must have felt the same way.
Shocking Findings
•Boredom in marriage is a major reason why women feel it is justifiable to have an affair.
•Other reasons given are: desire to feel pretty and attractive again, to discover excitement, to be desired again, to get back at a husband, and others.
Men not Exempt
•The findings listed and information given in this study does not exempt men.
•Men are guilty also.
Shift in Society
•Men have traditionally been the ones who were blamed for the damage done by affairs.
•But, the research in Diane Shader Smith’s book indicates that a shift has occurred in society.
•Women are leading the way in “affairs” or the sin of adultery.
Takes Two
•Again, let me affirm that men too are sinners and freely participate in affairs.
•Affairs are so common that no one is standing up for “old fashioned values.”
•The old fashioned values are found in the Bible.
•Marriage is sacred and the covenant is meant to exclude extra marital sex.
Questions
•As a society, why do we like to watch affairs on TV in soap operas and in movies?
•Does TV or the movies point out the consequences of adultery?
Family Problems
•David’s relationship with his son Absalom was filled with problems.
•A feud over Tamar ended in tragedy.
•Absalom was exiled for 3 years.
•Absalom returns and there is temporary reconciliation.
Absalom’s Rebellion
•Absalom revolts and seizes the throne. II Sam. 15-19
•David flees the city.
•David plots against his son to take back the throne.
•David gives orders to spare Absalom.
•Absalom is killed.
•David is bereaved.
