In this part, we looked at the first of two opportunities
that David has to take Saul’s life. This is in 1 Samuel 24. Before we went there,
we backtracked just a little bit because I believe the Holy Spirit gave me
deeper understanding on something we discussed a while back.
In 1 Samuel 9:16, where Saul is about to be anointed by
Samuel to be Israel’s first king, his purpose is stated. Previously we stated
that his purpose was to destroy the Philistines. Technically, though, he was
not destined to destroy the Philistines, but to “deliver my people from the
hand” of the Philistines. There is a subtle, but important, difference. To
deliver from the hand is more a defensive or reactive action. When you examine Saul’s life as king, you find
that he never initiates conflict with the Philistines. He either reacts in
defense of Israel when they are attacked or joins in the fight already started
by his son Jonathan.
This is not only in line with his purpose as king but
also with his being a type and picture of the Law. The Law was never intended
to defeat sin. It was a defense against it until grace, the power to defeat
sin, came. King David, the picture of grace, defeated Philistines everywhere he
went. In fact, when we look at his appearance on the scene, we find Saul and
his army powerless against Goliath. David shows up, goes on the attack and is
victorious.
Law cannot defeat sin. Trying to make yourself not sin
does not help you overcome it (though that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to
have a little self-control). Only grace operating on the inside of you can
change your heart so that you no longer desire to sin. Law is a defensive tool,
and grace is an offensive weapon against sin.
There are 3 reasons law seeks to destroy grace. The first is jealousy. We have discussed this quite a bit. Law is jealous of what grace can do. The second is that law thinks grace is undoing
all its hard work. The third is the
opposite point of view on how to deal with sin.
Law thinks grace is dangerous.
Now, let’s get to 1 Samuel 24. In verse two, it says that
Saul was pursuing David with 3000 men. The number 3000, especially in relation
to law and grace, is important. In
Exodus 32:28, just after the giving of the 10 Commandments, 3000 people die. In
Acts 2:41, when the Holy Spirit filled those in the upper room, Peter preached
his first “Spirit-filled” sermon and 3000 people were born again – or received
eternal life. Both events happened on the “Day of Pentecost.” In Exodus, that
feast had not yet been established, but we can trace the day to 50 days
after the first “Passover” as they were set free from Egypt. Of course, the
coming of the Holy Spirit also happened on that 50th day after the
true Passover Lamb was slain. The coming
of the Holy Spirit was the true completion of Christ’s work. His death, burial
and resurrection paved the way for the Holy Spirit to be able to come in power
upon all believers. It is the sealing of the Covenant of Grace. In 2 Corinthians 3:3 and 3:6, the Law is
called a ministry of death and the Spirit a ministry of life. What amazing
pictures the Lord paints for us!
In 1 Samuel 24:2 it says that Saul is looking for David
in the “Crags of Wild Goats.” Remember that Saul was a donkey herder. God saw
that His people were stubborn and needed someone accustomed to dealing with
donkeys. Goats are much like donkeys in their stubbornness. They require strict
boundaries – i.e. LAW. David, the one
who was a shepherd, was hidden in the caves along the way where the sheep
grazed. Sheep are not stubborn but know the voice of their shepherd and obey.
Grace leads sheep. We know His voice and do not need to be ruled by lists of
rules, but His voice. These caves are where the sheep would be hidden to
protect them when predators were near. This is also where Saul goes to “relieve
himself.”
In 1 Samuel 24:4 David’s men tell him that Saul coming
into this cave is confirmation that God was delivering his enemy into his
hands. This is a great example of why it is so important to hear from God and
not men. His men were getting it all wrong. First of all, the “enemy” God spoke
of was not Saul, but the Philistines. Second, David was not called to destroy
Saul. David sneaks up and cuts a corner off of Saul’s robe. A king’s robe
was an extension of themselves. It was also symbolic of their victories. When a
king conquered another king, it was common to take a piece of the robe of the
defeated king and attach it to his robe, thereby growing the “train” of his
robe. This is why the train of God’s robe fills the temple. He has been
victorious over ALL!
Immediately after doing, so David is “conscience
stricken” (verse 5). He realizes he had declared before Saul and God that he
would never harm Saul, even though Saul was trying to kill him. His guilty
conscience did what it is supposed to do and can do only under grace – deal
with the problem. A guilty conscience, under law, will bring condemnation and
separation. Law-mindedness would have cause David to declare he was no longer
worthy to be king. Grace says your mistakes do not cost you your future – not
if we bring them to God. David ends up
apologizing for this in the end.
Hebrews 9:14 tells us that the blood of Jesus cleanses us
from a guilty conscience. Hebrews 10:22 says much the same. Grace does not
cleanse us from the need of a conscience all together, just a guilty
conscience. Grace leads us to bring our failures to God, not hide in fear and
condemnation. This is a hallmark of David’s life. He deals with his failures
head-on before God and finds grace and mercy.
Just as Saul did not provoke attack against the Philistines, David
never attacks Saul. He continued to serve a king who wanted to kill him.
Meanwhile, he continued destroying Philistines.
In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus talks about how He did not come
to destroy the Law, but fulfill it. David did not destroy Saul, but served him
faithfully (with Saul as a picture of the Law). Going on, Jesus says that not
one “jot or tittle” of the law would pass away until all is fulfilled. The
law-minded like to point to these words directly from Jesus as evidence that we
must still uphold the Law. What is missed is the fact that He said that it was
until all was fulfilled. He had just stated that He came to fulfill the law. He
is saying this before He had finished that work. Praise God, He DID fulfill all the righteous
requirements of the Law. The law is
there for instructions about how to interact in life, but it does not rule us
any more. He did what we could not. He
delivered us from the ministry of death!
Don’t ever let your failures disqualify you from your purpose. Continue
to run to God with your failures and see what He will do with your life.
To listen to the entire sermon go to http://ahwatukeechurch.com/media.php. To learn more about Living Word Ahwatukee,
visit http://ahwatukeechurch.com/.
