The world offers so
much, but cannot deliver what it promises.
Some of its promises
ring so hollow. Coke tells us to ‘open
happiness’. Coke isn’t the key to
happiness, but it is good at rotting your teeth. KBC, ‘the bank of you’—oh come on, they don’t
care more about you than their profit margins.
Nutella got in trouble for the time they claimed it was good for our
health. McDonalds has an ad with the
song, ‘where everyone knows your name’, yet it is the antithesis of the family
restaurant.
The promises of the
world are empty, but God offers us what we really need.
This morning we see two
very different kings, offering two very different lifestyles, and yet only one
can deliver what he promises.
The
empty promises of the world’s king (6-8)
As we read this story
we are keeping in mind the fact that Jesus claimed all scripture pointed to him
(e.g. Luke 24:27). The books of Samuel
centre on the person of David, who is God’s chosen king. David has been anointed, and the word
Messiah/Christ means ‘anointed one’.
David foreshadows Jesus, our Christ, who is referred to as Son of David.
But there is another
king in this book. He is the sort of
king the people wanted when they decided to reject God’s leadership and be like
the other nations. This king is Saul. Saul has been rejected by God. He is a worldly king. At this stage in the story, Saul is an
anti-christ figure who is trying to kill the Lord’s chosen king and opposes all
who are loyal to him.
Look at the portrait of
Saul in the opening verses of our reading.
And
Saul spear in hand … This mention of Saul’s spear reminds us
of his volatile nature. Saul had thrown
that spear in rage at David, hoping to kill him. Saul had also thrown that Saul murderously at
his own son Jonathan. Saul is an
unstable leader.
He is sitting under a
tamarisk tree, possibly holding court, and he addresses his officials. ‘Listen,
men of Benjamin …’ Benjamin was his tribe.
He is a king who has favoured his own tribe above the rest of the
people. Many despots do this. They are so paranoid for their safety that
they only trust people from their clan.
‘Will
the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of
thousands and commanders of hundreds?’ These words echo a warning Samuel gave the
people earlier in the book. When the
people demanded a king, Samuel said that the king would be selfish and
harsh. He said, ‘He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and give them to
his attendants’ (8:14).
Not only is he
suspicious of his officials, he believes that his own son, Jonathan, is plotting
against him, along with David. He is
filled with self-pity—‘none of you is
concerned about me.’ What a pathetic
portrait of a king! It is all about him!
Saul is appealing to
their materialistic greed. He offers
influence, favouritism, wealth and ease.
But he can’t deliver beyond the short-term. He is in the last days of his reign. Soon he will be dead and gone. His power will go with him.
In the same way all the
enticements of the world will prove to be short-lived. You can devote yours life to becoming rich,
do everything to remain popular, surround yourself by the in-crowd, and protect
all your comforts. But the offers of
this world are short-lived. You are
destined for a six-foot box that will be placed six-foot in the ground.
The
cost of standing up for God’s anointed (9-19)
Remember how Kimberly,
at her baptism, said that it was tough being a Christian teenager. Our passage demonstrates how costly it is to
remain faithful to the Lord’s anointed.
Last time we looked at
the life of David we saw that he had fled to the priests at Nob. He told them a lie—telling them he was on a
mission from Saul (he is an imperfect pre-figuring of Jesus). Ahimelech gave him the bread of presence and
Goliath’s sword. But there was a man
there who was watching everything, his name Doeg the Edomite (the only official
of Saul that was not from his tribe or even his nation). Doeg now reports to Saul. I think that this vicious character plays of
Saul’s fears as he describes what happens.
As a result of what
Doeg says, Ahimelech the high priest is brought to Saul. He is not questioned, but simply
accused. ‘Why have you conspired against me?’ He is not given an opportunity to explain
himself.
I think that Ahimelech
comes across as a hero in how he responds.
He tells Saul that he has no more loyal servant than David. He reminds Saul that David was his
son-in-law. He recalls that David had been
entrusted as the captain of Saul’s bodyguard and highly respected in his
household. However, Saul is an anti-christ
figure who hates the Lord’s anointed king and all who stand by him. Ahimelech’s truthfulness cost him his life.
If the god of this
world tries to seduce you with promises of acceptance, recognition and wealth,
standing by the Lord’s Christ offers you trials and tribulations. In the book of Hebrews we read of those ‘who
were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better
resurrection. Some faced jeers and
flogging. While still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawn in two; they
were put to death by the sword. They
went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and
ill-treated—the world was not worthy of them.
They wondered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground
(Hebrews 11:35-39).
Saul orders the
destruction of priests of Nob. None of
his officials are willing to carry out the order, except for Doeg, who erases
all that live there.
Before we move on to
our closing point, I have to mention something very uncomfortable about this
event. Earlier in the book God had
revealed that because of Eli’s unwillingness to deal with the corrupt and
perverse disobedience of his sons judgement would come upon his household. These are Eli’s people, and this is part of
the judgement. It is a reminder of a
truth that is seen most clearly at the cross—evil people, like Doeg and those
who called for Christ to be crucified, do what their evil hearts want to do,
and unwittingly God uses those evil actions to bring about what he foreordained
would happen!
The
comforting promise of the Lord’s anointed (20-end)
How different David is
from Saul! Saul sits in luxury, David is
on the run. Saul is surrounded by the
most impressive people from his tribe, whereas David welcomes all who come to
him. Saul is Saul is self-obsessed, but
David offers refuge.
Abiathar escapes the
hate of Saul, and flees to the safety of David.
But, as I said, David
is an imperfect messiah figure. He knows
that he shares responsibility for the death of those at Nob. But look at what he offers Abiathar. ‘Stay
with me; don’t be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine
also. You will be safe with me
(23). And Abiathar was safe during the
reign David.
The Son of David says, ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be
afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from the will of your Father. And
even the very hairs of your head are numbered.
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows’ (Matthew
10:28-31). ‘You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
All men will hate you because of me.
But not a hair of your head will perish.
By standing firm you will gain life’ (Luke 21:16-18).
How sad it is when the
prosperity-preachers of the Christian TV networks only offer what Saul
offers. ‘Give me your money,’ they ask,
‘and you will become rich.’ Do they not
know that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil?
ike Saul, the world
promises much, but is passing away. You
can live for popularity, privilege and possessions but you are still going to
end up six-foot in the soil. But the Son
of David accepts all who come to him, says ‘do not be afraid’, and will soon be
seen in all his fullness. He is loving
and he is for us!
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