[Life of David] Unlikely Trial, Teacher, TimingSample

An Unlikely Trial

Numerous chapters of Scripture are summed up in 1 Samuel 23:14. It says that David stayed in the wilderness, hiding in the hill country; and though Saul searched every day, God did not hand David over to him.

This was an unlikely trial. Why did Saul hate David? David conquered Goliath on Saul’s behalf. It should have been Saul fighting, but David fought instead. He took down Goliath. And David was not only a warrior, but a musician. When Saul was depressed, David played for him. David’s best friend was Saul’s son. 

Saul should have loved David. He should have thought, “Wow! David is special; he’s a star performer.” But that’s not what happened. Why? Saul was jealous, angry, and afraid of David.

When the people came out to celebrate King Saul’s victory over the Philistines, and David’s killing of Goliath, they sang: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” The song made Saul angry and jealous. David received more praise than Saul. 

You can be praised by thousands, but when somebody else gets tens of thousands, you can be jealous. You can get accolades, but when somebody else gets more, you can resent them. Human praise will never fill the human heart; it’s like a black hole. Saul hated David because of jealousy and anger. 

Saul saw that God’s hand had moved to David, and he was afraid. In the New Testament, you cannot lose your salvation. You cannot lose God’s hand on you. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit lives inside you. But in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would rest on people only for a while. Saul had God’s hand upon him, the Spirit of God upon him, but then he disobeyed God. So, God said, “I will put my hand and my Spirit on David.” Saul was jealous, angry, and afraid of David.

Who are you jealous of? Who are you angry at? Who are you afraid of? We all like to think that we are like David, but we’ve got some Saul in us. It can be hard to admit. Somebody gets a little more glory, or they get what we thought we deserved, and we become just like Saul. You may be angry, afraid, or jealous not just of individual people, but of groups of people. Watch out for that in your heart.