A Tale of 2 Hearts: Part 2 | 1 Samuel 16:1-7, 1 Samuel 24:1-19

In today’s episode, we’re talking about King David from the book of Samuel in our series on the heart. David’s love for God was so great, and quick to repent when he made mistakes. I want to be more like David.

David was being pursued by King Saul, who was out to kill him. Despite Saul’s attempts to kill him, David refused to kill him when given the opportunity. This is an example of the importance to not seek revenge, but instead leaving judgement to God. There’s so much good stuff here. Let’s dive in!

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Transcription:

I kind of like to imagine the Lord went up to Samuel the prophet and said, this is your mission, should you choose to accept It. But it probably went down a little more serious. Hi, welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, your host. We continue studying the human heart this week. Last time you and I looked into the heart of King Saul. We read one story together about how he disobeyed God. He didn’t wait for Samuel and in doing that, he didn’t wait for the Lord, and it was just kind of one Costco sample from King Saul’s life. And we’re not beating him up, but we’re looking at him and we’re saying, okay, Lord, I don’t want my heart to turn away from you. I want to be like the person whose heart we’re going to study today, King David. And he also made mistakes. The difference was King David loved the Lord with all of his heart, and every time he missed the mark, he would always turn back and say, Lord, I am so sorry, and they would resume their relationship and he gives us a beautiful example of what you and I are to do when we miss the mark. So, join me now in F1 Samuel chapter 16, we’re going to pick it up in verse one. Again, this is kind of the mission impossible style line that I imagine.

Now the Lord said to Samuel,

Who, again, was the priest, the prophet.

“You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.” 2 But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.” 4 So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?” 5 “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too. 6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

So, here’s Samuel, the prophet looking at all of the sons of Jesse, and I imagine they’re strong and tall and ruddy and handsome, and none of them were chosen by the Lord. The one God chose wasn’t there. He was out shepherding the sheep. So, David came and was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel. Now, that was the beginning of a hunt that would last for a very long time. King Saul was so jealous of the future King David, that he constantly had this weird friendship with him and also was trying to kill him at the same time. It was really strange, and that’s what jealousy does to the human heart. Saul hunted him down for such a long time, and David had every right to be mad at King Saul, and to take revenge upon him. But we are going to study David’s heart today in1 Samuel chapter 24, beginning in verse one, and we’re going to see what a man after God’s own heart looks like.

After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats. 3 At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave! 4 “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. 5 But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” 7 So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, 8 David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him. 9 Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? 10 This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the Lord’s anointed one.’ 11 Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.12 “May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. 13 As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. 14 Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea? 15 May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!” 16 When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, “Is that really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry. 17 And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. 18 Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it. 19 Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today.

Wow. David had an opportunity to take his revenge, but he did what you and I have been learning on this podcast. He took Saul off his hook and put him on God’s hook. God took care of Saul. He didn’t get away with the evil that he committed against King David, but David made the right choice. David’s heart was so aligned with God’s spirit that he was able to refrain. That’s the kind of heart I want to have. I don’t want to take revenge. I want to leave it in God’s hand. I want to be amazingly kind. Lord Jesus, give me and give my friend who’s listening a heart like that. A heart after your own. In Jesus’ name, amen. Until next time, you are loved.

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