Aftermath of a Giant-Killing, Part 2

Sometimes we wish we could peer into the trick to unveil what's coming up one year from perhaps five or 10 years, but when we consider the chaos that foresight might cause it's gracious of God to keep our future a mystery. Well, today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll continues her message introduced on Thursday's program were in first Samuel 17 where were surprised by the emotional funk that followed David's victory in the conflict with Saul that was coming. Chuck titled his message aftermath of a giant gracious God to give David one day at a time, a man who proved himself a battlefield man who killed one that everyone else was afraid of turned in his experience from the highest pinnacle of popularity to the lowest tied while in chapter 17 of first Samuel were going to be looking at some very practical things as the passage bleeds on into chapter 18 I think is very unfortunate that we have a chapter break here. They all tied together and sort of a panoramic flow of life.

David has just accomplished an incredible thing. It's a remarkable achievement young man not get 20 years old, not 6 feet tall. I'm sure never wore a uniform from the Israeli army never once suited up for battle. Never once knew what it was to carry a sword under the kingdom of Saul and yet he walked down the battlefield, he faced a 9 foot nine giant and with one's one roll of the sling. He killed and you know what happened there was instant popularity.

Very few people can take that very few can take what oh what David took. He suddenly flew into the attention of the public before we get into that I want to show you something about them. Verse 55 through verse 58 here. It's sort of a flashback when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the Army after whose son is this young man ever said by your life. Okay, I do not know. This is a flashback David we know is already slaying the giant what God wants us to hear something that happened back in the tent of Saul, while the giant killing was going on.

There was a conversation that happened is very significant. It ties David with Saul to son is verse 56 the king said you inquire who suddenly uses when David returned from killing the Philistine. Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine his head in his hand.

Verse 58 says Saul asking whose son are you young man. David answered I'm the son of your servant Jesse. The Bethlehem I look at what Saul wanted to know he didn't want to know who is David he asked three times the same basic question. He wanted to know who son is the young man verse 55 who son is this youth verse 56, whose son are you young man. Verse 58 David was a new David was one of Lewis's father was.

The question comes what one whose dad was we need to learn to read the Bible for what it is not for what we think it's saying it's a good question. Verse two of chapter 18 will help you know part of the reason he wanted who his son was his father was Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. Saul said we want to know who your dad is because I want you permanently is my bodyguard.

Anybody that can whip up a listing that big deserves to be my bodyguard, so he wanted David to be in the court permanently and that took the father's permission. Furthermore, look at verse 25 of chapter 17 and you'll see another reason he want to know who his dad was 17, 25 minute visual said, have you seen this man was coming up.

Surely he's coming to define Israel Goliath, and now it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills it with great riches and will give him his daughter and will make his father's house free and Israel. Saul wanted to make his promise good so I want to know who his father was so he could write the check. David knew how to take success and live with it without it affecting him. That's a rare person. In fact, as I read this passage. It sort of unfolds into four different relationships.

There is a relationship of submission with Saul as a relationship of affection with Jonathan a relationship of elevation or exaltation. As we mentioned with the nation people and then finally of opposition, which lasted year after year after year to see God's hand was on David he was going to use them as the great King of Israel, and he had to break him and hold him and sharpen him and crush him toes or his right. It's doubtful that God can use any person greatly until he is hurt him deeply. And that's where David was in the in the crucible of pain. Now you will notice that he brought him and that is Saul brought in David verse 58 said I'm the son of your servant Jesse. The Bethlehem I verse two of chapter 18. Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. So verse five ads. David went wherever Saul sent him beautiful. Here is the champion of champions. This giant and he went wherever Saul sent him. He was in submission, you might be a very gifted person highly capable of many things beyond what you're asked to do in your employment. You be careful about running ahead. You do your job in a submissive manner.

If you work under an individual you be loyal to that individual or you quit, you make a success of that individual that you serve under or you leave the company your calling is not to badmouth your superior your calling is to be a person of integrity and to go wherever you are sent as what David did.

He served as sort of an intern. Incognito king in the making hay that that really does put down roots. Right now, and some lives that are here God talks in practical ways. In fact, I find four times in this chapter we read that David prospered. See verse five he went wherever Saul said him and he prospered. Verse 14 David was prospering in all his ways. Verse 15 when Saul saw that he was prospering greatly. Verse 30 then the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle and it happen as often as they went out. David prospered the truth of Scripture renders it behave himself wisely four times in this chapter he behaved himself wisely. What a man not one whit of envy or jealousy, he simply did what God led them to do and God gave him prosperity. He'll do that submitting to authority. God lifted up the life of David above his peers. So that's the first experience. There's another one standing in the shadows. As David stood before the king was a man who was named Jonathan verse one. He is the son of King Saul. They have apparently never met until this moment, but suddenly their lives are knitted together.

It came about when he David had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. Verse three.

Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. I know for Bible students. This is a familiar passage but maybe there's something that you haven't seen before. God knew that David needed an intimate friend to go through the valley that was ahead of and that's true in our lives as well. There are some here tonight who have a few intimate friends, intimate friends are never great in number, you don't have a whole lot of intimate friend, you have a few often only one occasionally two or three in all of life in the something about an intimate friend that allows you to knit your soul with him or with her. See how it's rendered in verse 01 heat in the soul of Jonathan was knit. There is an interweaving of soul which sold it's what I call a kindred spirit is the true you will run across a few people in life with whom you have a kindred spirit and you don't even have to work at cultivating a relationship. It just grew. It just builds there you are intertwined together almost overnight. It happened I want to share with you four characteristics of an intimate friend from the passage were looking at and a couple of chapters before us. Okay, here they are number one and intimate friend is characterized by a voluntary willingness to sacrifice. You don't have to beg of close friend for a favor. He is violent or she is voluntarily willing to sacrifice. See verse four. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor including his sword and his bow in his belt. He wanted to give David something that belonged to him and was meaningful to him. Friends do that and not stingy you can hardly presume on an intimate friend. Another verse is in chapter 20 verse four Wert yes it is. Verse four.

Then Jonathan said to David, whatever you say.

I will do for you.

That's the word of an intimate friend, you can hardly impose on an intimate friend is there for the purpose of assisting. He doesn't keep score as to whether it's your turn artist turn just loves to be with you and intimate friend is there to assist in whatever way is needed. Unselfishness prevails. Let me give you another one.

Chapter 19 verses four and five and intimate friend is a loyal defense before others won't talk against you when you're not around ever had a fair weather friend is noted for doing the opposite.

He speaks with fork in tongue when you're there. He says one thing when you're gone.

He says another. He's not an intimate friend C. 19 for Jonathan spoke well of David to salt his father paying a listener that was significant. Saul was not only his father Saul was the enemy of David and Jonathan stood up to his father and said dad about David. It says he spoke well of David to Saul he said do not let the king same against his servant David since he has not sinned against you since his deeds have been very beneficial to you, for he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel, and you saw it and rejoice.

Why then would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause that the defendant ever friend you defendant. When people speak against them party badmouth is not a friend.

If you don't stand in loyal defense of him when others say certain things against sometime.

It's hard to do that sometime in the fights. Ruth harms caulking in her book. Tell me again Lord I forget writes about it. Lord help me to be her friend to care for her. Genuinely. Without envy shrinking my heart when I see her at the banquet tonight, poised, radiant, beautifully attired, may I congratulate her with honest enthusiasm. Regardless of the fact that both our husbands were eligible for promotion and hers. One practical sometime you will fight the battle of envy. But when you're a close friend with an individual and that individual or his partner or wife or husband is exalted, you rejoice over that exaltation. That elevation you applied because God is lifted them up. No Scripture that really goes begging in the family of God, rejoicing with those that rejoice, what letter of congratulations do you write to one who gets in honor that you saw was sort of thought you deserved your running for office in the school and someone beat you out as your attitude though.

Tell us just think it doesn't stop in school goes right into business you're working alongside her in a pool and suddenly they reached down and the management lifts up one says she gets the promotion attitudes are affected. Few are the individuals that say hey that's great, I'm happy for you. Here's a man who stood in defense of his friend against his own father, who was ready to take David's life. This is what you call bottom-line theology. This is putting shoe leather to your belief to your faith and I'll tell you jealously can run on a mission field. Just like you can run rampant in the church right here in America jealously can run among the ranks of the ministers and the ministerial is affected because one fellow doesn't get the church the other fellow thought he ought to have or vice versa. One gets the church that the other one thought that jealousy runs through our bloodstream and I'll tell you. You'll be a friend of one of those individuals merely to stand in his defense is your friend. There's 1/3 20 verse 41 were talking about an intimate friendship.

Jonathan had with David we talked about how there's a voluntary willingness to sacrifice a loyal defense before others.

The third one is a complete freedom to be yourself when you got a friend. You don't have to explain why you do what you do you just do it when the land was gone David Rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. He wasn't worshiping.

He was in anguish he just fell over and he fell over and fell again and they kissed each other and wept together, but David Moore when you've got a friend in your heart is broken and bleed all over that friend and that person will understand and said that's fine. You won't share with you three versus the straighten yourself up non-friends are known for sermons ever had sermonic friends may always use such things as the Lord led me to give you these verses always wonder how come the Lord himself didn't deliver the verses I community use you to bring up to my attention. You got a good friend and is hurting, let him hurt good friend feels like weeping letting we let them complain a little. He knows it's wrong. You want somebody here in isn't it true that those kind of people are rare when you've got an intimate friend. He hangs with you even when you to the point of cursing stage right there had a friend tell me Chuck, you can build a wall around your house, climb over that wall, to be near you, and there's 1/4 characteristic and that is he's a source of constant encouragement. 20 2315, 16, David became aware that Saul would come out to seek his life.

Think of that there was a hitman on David's life. His name was Saul and he was in the wilderness of all places. Behind every bush every rock down in the ravine. There could have been Saul and he lived the God of Saul's haunting life and look at Jonathan. Verse 16. Jonathan, Saul's son arose and went to David and Harish and encouraged him and God while that's the kind of friend I want some friends come and tell you the seven bad things that could happen when he gets a hold but others come and say look me tell you what God can do is it important when you have a friend like this and you see them in a low tide here there and forever you can you bring encouragement sometime in encouragement is nothing more than I understand how that feels. You have every right to have those feelings. I support you in. I stand with you. There will be a brighter day someday, but right now it seems like the end no one in this family that we call the church will have a few friends like that. That's what makes the night air so lonely when you walk out and it had a deer's Norwegian lady who lost her husband in a password. I had up in New England.

She's to call me pastor spindle is all pastor spindle you do not know how lonely it is to fix a meal for one jet a marvelous relationship with her husband and suddenly God took it. She didn't have one friend she's at night after night. I drown in my tears.

Somebody said loneliness is the most desperate of all English words don't think it's a sign of maturity that you don't have friends. That's a strange theology, even Jesus surrounded himself with there is to be an interdependence in the body of Christ at the world witnesses and is my love one another. My life is not the richer because I have no friends. I am the loser. My constant prayer would be God, give me a few I'll settle for one love me and help me and encourage me like Jonathan did. David, I think it's a shame that some have brought this low level of sexuality into the relationship and claim that this is a biblical basis for homosexuality. It wasn't like the love of a woman.

It was beyond that it was a relationship that was a kindred spirit in God, so that these men could embrace and relate and love one another and assure each other with God's encouragement and low tides most shamelessly relationship David's friendship with Jonathan was pure. It was authentic and in the coming days will discover how Jonathan's friendship with David has become a model for us all. Your listening to Insight for living in a message from Chuck Swindoll titled aftermath of a giant killing and to learn more about this ministry. Be sure to visit us online@insideworld.org. Just before we hear a closing comment from Chuck. I'll remind you that inside for living has a long history of providing Bible study tools to complement each series. These study tools have been produced because sometimes the deepest spiritual lessons you learn occur apart from this program. When you're reading the Bible on your own. Along those lines. You might want to purchase a copy of the very practical Swindoll study Bible and inside for living. We take delight in helping listeners and readers learn how to apply the truth of God's word to every aspect of their lives. Even the complicated ones in the study Bible chucks practical insights are intended to help readers learn to think biblically, no matter what issues they face. You can purchase a copy of the Swindoll study Bible right now. When you go to Insight.org/store or give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 with you. We bear a tremendous burden for the complicated cultural issues that have surfaced in recent years and in many respects, it seems like these problems have done little more than polarize our friendships and cause a deeper divide.

So for the followers of Jesus Christ. How do we make any difference in our world. Here's Chuck personal holiness is rarely the result of legislation. Now don't get me wrong, I truly believe our country should establish and enforce laws that uphold biblical values, but genuine transformation in the heart sweeps across the country. When Christians began to think and act biblically, the Reformation, for instance, was ignited by Martin Luther in Germany, but the torch was carried by the zealous believers who burn with passion for the unadulterated truth of God's word for that very reason. Insight for living ministries is fully devoted to making disciples and equipping listeners just like you to think biblically so that you are prepared to act biblically in this culture with its back, turned against God in his letter to the Romans, Paul put it this way. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think and I'm calling on every listener that includes you to do your part in fulfilling our calling Jesus mandate was clear, go and make disciples of all the nations together. God can use you and me to accomplish something phenomenal for him. Together, you and I can ignite a fresh worldwide movement by making disciples.

One listener at a time. The only thing that stands in the way of our mission is the financial resources that are required. That's where you come in.

Let me urge you to stretch yourself and give generously today. Please ask God what he wants you to get and then obey by responding to his leaving become part of something phenomenal impact our country together and our world by Christians to think back. Thanks, Chuck. We invite you to give generously toward the school because here's how to respond if your listening in the United States, call 800-772-8880 or you can get online@insight.org/donate again when Chuck Swindoll continues to describe the aftermath of a giant killing. That's Monday on insight for living. The preceding message aftermath of a giant killing was copyrighted in 1977, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll.

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