The Honorable Heir and the mad king
1 Samuel 18-20
For every new testament point, there is an old testament picture.
James 3:13-4:2: Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.
Main Idea: Envy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Humility leads to peace, love, and joy.
I. The Honorable Heir (18:1-5)
1 Samuel 18:1-4: As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.
David was thirty when he became king (2 Samuel 5:4). Saul reigned for forty years (Acts 13:21). So David must have been born in the tenth year of Saul’s reign. Jonathan was already fighting with Saul during the third year of his father’s reign (1 Samuel 13:1, see footnote); and an Israelite solider needed to be at least 20 (Numbers 1:3). So in the tenth year of Saul’s reign, when David was born, Jonathan must have been at least 27. This means that Jonathan is old enough to be David’s father.
Real love offers no room for envy.
1 Samuel 18:5: As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on.
II. The Mad King (18:6-19:24)
1 Samuel 18:5: And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
It is through pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.
~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
…sorrow for another’s good
~ Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica
Envy is self-destruction. Envy is self-deconstruction.
Love says, “I’m happy when you’re happy, I’m sad when you’re sad.”
Envy says, “I’m happy when you’re sad, and I’m sad when you’re happy.”
Romans 12:14-16: Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
Throughout these three chapters (18–20) we see the envy of Saul fill him with murderous hate over ten times:
David evades the spear of Saul twice (18:11)
Saul sends David to the front lines (18:12)
Saul tries to form an alliance through marriage (18:17a)
Saul tries to outsource his murder (18:17b)
Saul gives his daughter to David on one condition (20-28)
Saul tells Jonathan and Company to Kill David (19:1-7)
Saul attempts to kill David by spear (19:8-10)
Saul sends messengers to kill David at his house (19:11–17)
Saul chases David to Ramah (19:18-24)
Saul places David on a hit-list (20:30-31)
Saul hates Jonathan as though he was David (20:32-33)
III. The Story Retold (20:1-42)
The Savior King
Matthew 3:16-17: And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 4:1-2,17: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry…From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The Honorable Heirs
John 3:28-30: You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The Mad Kings
When Jesus called out His hometown for their unbelief (Luke 4:16–30).
When Jesus challenged the Pharisee’s traditions about the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–14; Mark 2:23–3:6; Luke 6:1–11).
When Jesus placed Himself above the Pharisee’s level of authority (John 5:1–18).
When Jesus called Himself by God’s name (John 8:48–59).
When Jesus referred to Himself as being God (John 10:31–39).
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:45–57).
When Jesus cleansed the temple the final time of corruption (Mark 11:15–18; Luke 19:45–48).
When Jesus told the chief priests and Pharisees that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to another nation (Matthew 21:33–46; Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–19)
Mark 15:10: For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.
Romans 8:32: He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
