Would you follow?

Welcome to God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon Arby Church in Southeast Iowa. We want to thank you for listening today, and we pray that you'll be blessed by both hearing God's Word as well as having it applied to your life and your heart. Well, please turn over in your Bibles with me to 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel is after Judges and after Ruth. And we're going to be beginning at 1 Samuel chapter 15.

And this morning, there's a reality that we need to talk about in the world, and that's we live in a peculiar nation. We're coming up on an election year. And if you listen to our radio reports, it's pretty rare that we have bloodshed in the streets after a new president comes to power. It's pretty rare that there's massive riots throughout the country. There might be some here and there, but that's not the case in most of the world. See, in most of the world, when there's a change over a power, there's typically bloodshed in the streets. And this is pretty norm for the world.

When there's a new king, blood will flow. And the question that everybody has to ask themselves when this new king or this new dictator, this new ruler comes to power, the question they have to ask themselves is, are they going to follow this new ruler? And that's the very situation that we find Jonathan in when David is anointed as the new ruler of Israel. Is he going to follow this new king? Is the king himself going to humble himself and follow the Lord's anointed? And the question you're going to have to ask yourself is, are you following the right king? And so we start today looking at 1 Samuel chapter 15, and I'd like for you just to look with me at verse 10 on the beginning of this transition in power. 1 Samuel, chapter 15, beginning at verse 10.

Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, he's the prophet at this time, saying, I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned his back from following me and has not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. Samuel is distressed. The Lord had used Samuel to anoint Saul. The Lord had used Samuel to help bring up Saul to the throne.

The people had rejected God as their king, and instead they wanted a king so they could be like all the other nations around them. And even though this distressed Samuel, he still told them, it's okay, they're not rejecting you. They're rejecting me.

And so, he allows him to set up a king, to anoint a king, the one who is taller than everybody else. And we begin to look at Saul's reign, and at the beginning of his reign, he's not too bad. But as he continues in his kingdom, he becomes power-hungry. He becomes self-sufficient.

He becomes about his throne, and his glory, and his pride, and forgets that he's nothing but a lesser king to the God of the universe. And it's here in chapter 15, verse 11, where God tells Samuel, he's turned his back from me. He no longer follows my commandments. And it was just before that that we had seen what was happening. Saul had gone to war with the Ammonites. And when he's at war with the Ammonites in verses 1 through 9, he does something despicable.

Instead of going to war and defeating the nation and taking the land like it was rightfully theirs, instead he goes and he captures their king. He destroys their army, but he takes all the loot for himself and he spares the king. And we might think, well, that's not that big of a deal. But the reality is these are pagan kings with pagan gods who bring that with them. And Saul is essentially introducing this pagan king into his circle of advisors, into his counselors. He's not following the ways of the Lord. And the Lord says, he's not following my commandments. He's become prideful. He's able to look down at Agag, the king of the Amorites, and he's able to say, yeah, just remember, I conquered you. But in all reality, who conquered? It was the Lord himself. It's the Lord who gives victory to the armies. And this is the beginning of what we see as God turning his back upon Saul's kingship because he didn't love and fear the Lord and walk in his ways and giving it to another person. And we find that another person in David.

So we have to ask ourselves, would you be willing to follow a prideful king? Would you be willing to follow a king or a ruler who is all about himself? Would you be willing to follow a king or a ruler of God's people who is all about his own pride and his own strength and his own glory? Or would you want someone whose heart was for the Lord? That's what we find. And David, look with me at chapter 16. Just turn over a page to chapter 16, verse 1. Chapter 16, verse 1. Now the Lord said to Samuel, how long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?

Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided myself a king among his sons." Samuel's told to go. To go to the sons of Jesse, and among those sons in Bethlehem, he's going to find the king that's God's chosen one. He's going to find the one he's to anoint, and to make the king of Israel.

But it's not going to be like Saul this time. He's not going to be looking for someone who's bigger and taller and badder and better than everyone else. Instead, the Lord has a different intention here with His Messiah, with His Anointed One, with His King.

Look at verse 7. Chapter 16, verse 7, But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see, as man sees, For the man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. See, the Lord is searching out for himself a king that's going to follow after him, one who is after the Lord's heart.

That is who the Lord's anointed is supposed to be. That is who the Messiah is supposed to be. That's who the king is supposed to be, one who is after God's glory, his throne, and his kingdom. And that's what we find when he arrives at Jesse's house. He goes through all the brothers, and you would expect him to choose the oldest, the strongest brother, or maybe the second born, or maybe the best shepherd. But instead, look with me at verses 12 and 13, what the Lord does. So he sent and brought him in. This is David. Now David was ruddy with bright eyes and good looking.

And the Lord said, arise, anoint him, for this is the one. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. As David, the youngest child of the family, is in the house, all of his brothers have been rejected. All of his brothers are towering above him with his aged father there.

And the Lord says to Samuel, that one, the one with bright eyes, the ruddy one, that's the one you're going to anoint with oil. And Samuel does it. Samuel pulls out his horn of oil that he had brought with him and he pours it upon his head and it flows off of his hair and down his face that wouldn't have a beard yet and onto his clothes and he is consecrated as the king of God's people.

Doesn't look like the king. He doesn't seem like the one that we would want to go to war for us, does it? And yet this is the one who says God is going to be with him all of his life. His heart is going to be after the Lord. Would you follow that king? Would you go, humanly speaking, if you were in that position, would you go after the strong one who just defeated Agag? Or would you go after this boy who's just been consecrated? Would you go after the one that makes perfect sense to go after? Or would you go after God's chosen one? Who would you follow? Who would you follow?

Well, it's just after this that David doesn't stay this little boy in the house of his father. But indeed, Saul is distressed in the rest of chapter 16 with an evil spirit. And every time he's distressed with the spirit, he gets raging out of control. And so David is actually brought into his house. This is God's odd providence here. This boy who is good at playing on the harp is brought into the house to play for Saul every time he gets upset. And it works. And he becomes calm. He finds himself anointed, and then he finds himself in the very courtroom, in the very throne room of King Saul himself, comforting the king.

But then the next chapter, 17, is the one we're most familiar with, at least if you're a little child. You've heard the story of David and Goliath. Children, you've heard the story of David and Goliath, haven't you? And that story of David and Goliath is that young boy David, who rises up and becomes this zealous warrior for God. Look with me at chapter 17, verse 26.

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that should defy the armies of the living God? Everybody else is fearful of this giant who stands across the valley and who taunts the people of Israel. And here's this boy. He comes up and he says, what's going to be done for the person who kills the one who defies the armies of the living God? David has a zealousness for the armies of who? Of the living God. They're not Saul's armies. They're not Judah's armies. They're not Benjamin's armies. They're not Naphtali's armies. They're not Simeon's armies. This is God's army.

We start seeing the inclination of his heart. And in verse 32, we find David's heart again. Then David said to Saul, verse 32, let no man's heart fail because of him, Goliath, your servant will go and fight this Philistine. David has assurance and a courage that's not from himself, but out of a heart for the Lord. And then in verse 36, the story continues with David saying, your servant has killed both lion and bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. Moreover, David said, the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, go, and the Lord be with you.

He doesn't have much confidence in this little kid. Doesn't have much confidence, but David does. David knows that it's the Lord who delivered him from the paw of the lion, and it's God who had delivered him from the paw of the bear, and it was God who was going to deliver him from the giant of Philistine. This man of Gad was nothing compared to the Lord of hosts, and would be God who would care for, protect, and defeat his foes.

And that's exactly what we find in 45 and 46. Then David, this is again 1 Samuel chapter 17 verse 45, then David said to the Philistine, he said to Goliath, you come with me with a sword and a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you had defied. this day the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you and take your head from you and this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistine to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth and that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Do you see David's heart? David's heart is not for his own glory. David's heart is not just for defeating the giant of Gath, but David's heart is because he wants the whole world to know the glory of God. The Lord of hosts is the one who's going to give him the victory. The Lord is the king of the universe, and David is looking to Him. This is why God has anointed him as the new king.

So as you stand there on the hill, and the valley is before you, and David walks out with his couple stones, would you put confidence in him now? He's got all the confidence in the world. Would you put confidence in a boy fighting a giant? Would you trust the Lord's anointed? Or would you keep clinging on to maybe a better plan? Maybe your strength? Maybe King Saul with his armies? Who would you follow?

Well, we know the end of that story that David strikes Goliath in the forehead with one stone. He falls, he takes his head, and he's the victor of that battle. And it's a great victory for the Lord over the Philistines. But what happens next amazing. Look with me at chapter 18 verses 1 through 4.

Now when he, that's David, now when David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

Jonathan is the heir to the throne. Jonathan is the prince. Jonathan is the firstborn. Jonathan is Saul's next one in line for the kingship. And when Jonathan, this man who is decades older than David, sees that the Lord is with this boy, his soul is knit together with his. He realizes this is the one who God has chosen. This is the one who's supposed to be king. And he comes into covenant with him.

So much so that Jonathan takes off his own royal robes and he places them on this child, on this boy, on this anointed king. He even takes away any defense that he has. He takes his sword and he gives his sword to David. He takes all of his princely garments and all of his royal regalia and he gives it to the rightful anointed of the Lord.

This is ludicrous. This is not so here. Please, please don't think that like, oh yeah, this is a neat story. No, this really happened and this is crazy. This is not something that normal people do. Let me ask you, how often have you heard of a king going and saying, you know what? I don't think I'm gonna be king. I think I'm gonna give my crown to a little kid. No, it doesn't happen.

But the Lord has knit together their souls because Jonathan, when he looks upon David, he sees the fulfillment of God's promises. He sees a king who's going to be after the Lord's own heart. So would you be like Jonathan? If you're the prince, if you're the ruler, the heir apparent, would you trust this boy? Would you give over all your rights and privileges? Would you cast your crown? at David's feet. It is what Jonathan does, but doesn't make Saul happy. We find Saul jealous more and more for his own throne. And we see that jealousy revealed in chapter 18. Look with me at verses 7 through 9 of chapter 18.

Saul conscripts David into his army. Saul takes David out and he becomes a great captain over the army. But when they come back into the city, verse 7, the women sang as they danced and said, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him. And he said, they have ascribed to David ten thousand, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom? So Saul eyed David from that day forward.

Saul becomes jealous. We already have seen that Saul is all about his own pride. He's all about his own kingdom. He's all about his own glory. He's not about the Lord's glory. He's not about the Lord's kingdom. And when he looks at this up-and-coming whippersnapper, who does he think he is? His women are singing David's glory.

He's killed his tens of thousands. And to me, they only ascribe the thousands. What's left? He's going to take the kingdom. And so he's suspicious of him. He eyes him out for the rest of his time. And we see that this doesn't take long. Saul starts conspiring about ways to try to get rid of David. He knows that he can't just outright do it at first. And so he tries to do it underhandedly, sneakily. He tries to say, well, what if what we do is outlaw for David something he can't refuse?

I'll offer him an entrance into my family. I'll give him my own daughter. All he has to do is go kill 200 Philistines. Go to battle against 200 Philistines. Go and take them. And the Philistines will kill him. And then my problem will be done. That's what happens in chapter 18, the rest of the section, chapter 18, verses 17 through 30. But what we find is the Lord is with David. And he's successful. And he doesn't die at the hand of the Philistines. And Saul is furious at this. And so what Saul does is he has an open plan. Then he can't kill him by the hand of the Philistines. So Saul decides he's just going to outright go and murder David. And that's what he tries to do in chapter 19. Look with me at the first seven verses of chapter 19.

Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted greatly in David. So Jonathan took David, saying, My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore, please be on your guard until morning and stay in a secret place and hide. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then whatever I observe, I will tell you. Thus, Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul, his father, and said to him, let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good towards you.

For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood to kill David without cause? So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, as the Lord lives, he shall not be killed. He's saying this with a forked tongue. He's not meaning this. As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.

Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past. Saul just says outright to his men, I'm going to kill this kid. And Jonathan rises up for him. Jonathan tells him, go hide in the field. I'm going to go talk to my dad. We're going to get this guy calmed down. And Saul swears upon the Lord's name himself that he's not going to kill David. But it's not true. It's not true.

You just have to go one more verse. And there was war again, verse 8. And there was war again. And David went out and fought against the Philistines and struck them with a mighty blow. And they fled from him. Now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat upon his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with a spear. But he slipped away from Saul's presence.

Well, that promise didn't last long, now did it? They go out to war, and the next thing you know, he has his spirit, David's there, he's doing his faithful thing, he plays on his harp, Saul picks up his spirit and he tries to pin him to the wall. And David flees. He goes home.

And the rest of that chapter, verse 19, what we find is an assassination plot by David to kill God's anointed one. He narrowly escapes because his wife Michael lets him down out of a window, but Jonathan's not aware of this plot. But in all of this we see, again, Saul's deceptive heart. We see in all of this a distrust, a pridefulness that somehow his was the kingdom and his was the glory, and this kid didn't deserve it.

And so he needed to be put to death. David needed to be killed because he was a threat against his empire, his legacy, his honor and power. So again, you have to ask, is that the king you want to follow? I mean, he's the one sitting on the throne still. He's the one with the crown upon his head. He's the commander of the Lord's armies. Are you going to follow him? Do you still keep loyalty to him? Is this how God's anointed is supposed to act?

Jonathan doesn't think so. Look with me at chapter 20. Then David fled from Naoth to Ramah and went and said to Jonathan, what have I done and what is my iniquity and what is my sin before your father that he seeks my life? So Jonathan said to him, by no means you shall not die. Indeed, my father will do nothing, either great or small, without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me?

It is not so. Jonathan doesn't believe him. He's the prince. Of course his father is going to tell him if he's trying to kill someone. And he says, there's no way that my dad's trying to kill you. But then David took an oath, he swears on it, and he said, your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes.

And he has said, do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly, as the Lord lives and your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death. So Jonathan said to David, whatever you yourself desire, I will do it. And David said to Jonathan, indeed tomorrow is the new moon, and they concoct a plan in the next few verses where it's, there's going to be a feast, and I'm going to go in hiding, but you go tell your dad that I'm supposed to go down to Bethlehem to have the feast with my family. And if your dad is cool with it, if your dad's okay with that, then you know that I'm not telling the truth. But if he's angry, you'll know it. And indeed, that's what happens. Look with me at verse 10.

Then David said to Jonathan, Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly? And Jonathan said to David, Come, let us go into the field. So both of them went out into the field. Then Jonathan said to David, The Lord God of Israel is witness.

When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow or the third day, and indeed there is good towards David, and I do not send you and tell you, may the Lord do so much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my Father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety, and the Lord will be with you as he has been with my father. And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die, but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever. No, not when the Lord has cut off everyone from the enemies of David from the face of the earth."

We need to slow down here for a second. Don't miss what Jonathan's saying. He's saying, even if my dad isn't going to kill you, Even if Saul, the king, doesn't want to kill you, when you become king and conquer your enemies, promise me you won't come after me and all my generations." Again, we live in a weird culture where we don't think about the president coming to power and killing the last president and all his family. But it's pretty normal in the rest of the world.

That's what David is asking, or Jonathan is asking David to promise here. So Jonathan made verse 16. So Jonathan made a covenant, a pact, a contract, a promise with the house of David saying, let the Lord require it at the hand of David's enemies. Now Jonathan again caused David to vow because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on the day of the deed and remain by the stone as though. Then I will shoot three arrows aside as though I shoot a target." And so that's the plan they concoct. If he shoots arrows past him, he's going to be safe, or next to him, he's going to be safe. Past him, it's evil. And they concoct this plan. And verse 23, and as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed, the Lord is between you and me forever. And then it happens. And then it happens. Jonathan goes to the feast that tells his father and his father is furious at him. His father knows what he's done. Jonathan's all in for David. Jonathan's all in for God's anointed. He's willing to give up all of his rights and privileges for him. Are you? Every right, every privilege that you have, do you cast it all at the feet of Jesus? Do you throw it down at the Lord's anointed? Do you trust the one who the world despises?

If we flip over just a chapter, we find, sorry, just one chapter, chapter 20. Verses 30 through 31, then Saul's anger was aroused against Jonathan and he said to him, you son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established nor your kingdom. Now, therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.

What's Saul concerned with? Is Saul concerned with God's glory? Is Saul concerned on who the rightly anointed one of the Lord is? Is Saul concerned about the God of heaven or about his own dynasty? About his son's kingdom? About making a name great for himself? About his rule and his power and his legacy? What are you about in your life? Last week, the question was asked to you, what's the legacy you're leaving? Is it about your pride? Are you leaving behind for you, your own kingdom, your own legacy?

Or are you seeking after the Lord's glory? Will you follow a king like Saul and follow in his steps? Or are you willing to bow to the Lord's anointed like Jonathan? See, David, is a type of Christ. David's heart was after the Lord, but there is a King who reigns in heaven now, the Lamb who was slain, who sits on the throne, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ Himself. And are you casting your crown at His feet? Are you bowing to Jesus Christ, whose heart was always and only for his Father's glory? See, David failed. We read through David's life, and he's not the perfect king. He's not the perfect one.

But when we look at Jesus Christ, we find a king who loves righteousness and who is righteous. When we look at the Lord Jesus Christ, you see a Savior who is merciful and who is just. We see a king who is not prideful, but who is humble and meek. When we look at the Lord's anointed Jesus Christ, we find one who is all about his father's business. When you look at Jesus Christ, you see the true king of Israel, who sits upon his throne forever, and who all kings must bow and pay homage to.

The question for you is, are you following that King? Are you following King Jesus, the merciful one, the Lamb who was slain, the one who is not after his own pride and after his own glory, but who offered up himself as a sacrifice for you, who doesn't try to kill those who are in his kingdom, but who dies for those so they might be brought into his kingdom. Are you coming to the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world and bowing before that king?

Is he your hope? The picture we have in Revelation chapter 17, Revelation chapter four, five, and six is of Jesus Christ sitting upon that throne. And do you know what the people of God are doing? what you're going to do for all eternity, you get to stand before the glorious face of Jesus Christ, your King, and you get to bow down before him, and you get to cast your crown at his feet, and to worship him, and to sing his praises with the myriads of angels, that he is the mighty and worthy one to receive all honor and glory and praise. Are you worshiping Him? Are you following that Savior? Are you bowing to that King? Maybe you've forgotten that glory. Come to Him today. Maybe your heart's just become dull to the beauty of His throne. Bow before Him today.

Closing Prayer

Follow the Lord's anointed. for he shows mercy to all those who come and follow him and live forever in his kingdom of grace and of peace. Let's pray. God, what grace you have shown us. Thank you for your anointing. Thank you for Jesus Christ and for bringing us into your kingdom. Father, please let us follow you Pour out your Holy Spirit on our hearts. Lord, knit our hearts to you. Let us give up every right and privilege we have, that we might cast everything to the side and follow you for all eternity. In Jesus' name, amen.

Thank you for listening to God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in Morning Sun, Iowa. We pray that you would be blessed as you grow in your love for God, your love for His Word, as well as your love for His people. Until next week, God bless you.