The Cat and the Mouse, Part 2

60 years ago. Emotion that does not lead to action only leads deeper into rebellion.

But notice the contrast here. David is Kings Rob often is smitten with Jill's conscience struggles that one little act and swallows you refuse to repent his pride in his envy and premeditated attempts over and over and over again.

Jill gladly joined us is continuing through his series on the life of King David series called the singer King Saul pursued David relentlessly, in his jealous rage you want to David that all the while God was pursuing Saul out of his great love he wanted Saul to respond in repentance today were studying the section of Scripture that describes this in learning some important principles for us.

Stephen began this message on Friday but we didn't have time to complete it. So this is part two of the message called the cat in the mouse in order to help you send some of the despair.

Let me retell an illustration from John Phillips commentary on this particular passage John Phillips know the Lord wrote about one pastor's home in one of the Soviet occupied countries just after World War II, a Lutheran pastor and his family served in a church there.

The Lutheran pastor had an attractive single daughter who worked in the office of the government agency communist government agency. Eventually, the Communist Party secretary. Her boss gave her choice either. She became his mistress or her father would be arrested on trumped up charges the church closed the ministry and under constant pressure and growing fear for her father's life without her parents ever knowing she tragically gave within a few months she discovered that she was going to have a child in English guilt and despair. She hung herself. She left a note in her pocket explaining what had brought her to utter despair and taking her life party leader found her body and in the note inside her pocket and he confronted his superior with the note, the official denied it took the letter and then privately tore it up even secretly forged another letter supposedly from this young lady slipped it into her pocket and when she was found by officials. The note said that she had been molested by her father and could no longer stand the shame. The police arrested the father. The church was closed.

He was sent to prison where he was often beaten by the other prisoners who hated such criminals, all the while this pastor's wife and family, church grieved with the surprising and unexpected unexplained events. Several years later that Soviet official responsible for the death of that young girl was arrested for embezzlement and placed into the same prison and into the same cell.

He confessed to this pastor. The truth, for the first time they now knew the story into this man's utter amazement. This father for gave claiming the purposes of God would fully be accomplished and understood. One day take how you feel right now and apply it to this man, David, because we know the end of the story we just skip over the EIAs being chased is lost his wife, his prospects is hope. In fact, as is on the run he will write one of his famous songs relative to what's happening in this context were studying today and he will say, oh God save me by thy name vindicate me by your mind. First, strangers have risen against me.

Ruthless men seek my life, behold, God is my helper, the Lord is the upholder of my life. In other words, God, if you don't hold me up on that can make it one more day's only at this moment that something unbelievable happens in fax 600 of David's men will unanimously agree can only mean one thing.

The God is given David the opportunity to settle the score to strike back to get even worse to install took 3000 chosen men out of all Israel and went to see David and his men in front of the wild goats rocks that let me to say a few words here. Saul has now chosen 3000 elites troops. These are the best. These are especially skilled warrior that David is slipped away. Not this time.

He's going to chase him down these in Russia and that David would've been able to see miles away would've seen Saul and they chose a cave verse three references the sheep falls what this is referring to is how shepherds would place walls of stone around cave entrances to create a buffer and protection for sheep that they would bring into the cave. Davis chosen one of those caves. Verse three and Saul came to the sheepfold by the way work. There is a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Your translation may read he covered his feet to euphemism for going to the bathroom. I think this is earthly, it's simple but I think God is given us this fact to let us know that Saul at this moment is totally vulnerable to an attack is no idea that 600 pairs of eyes are watching him sit there in a Texaco gas station reading his newspaper is so preoccupied and even hear the whispering somewhere deep in that cave and here's whether whispering verse for the man. David said here's the day which the Lord said to you, this is David. Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand. David the fact that that Saul has chosen to use this with a guard around him. This is proof from God strike him down. God has set this up. Can you imagine their excitement as they see David slipped through the dimness of this cave with Goliath's sword in his hand was for the middle part David Rose and stealthily cut off a corner you would expect it to say ahead of corner of Saul's robe got his head a piece of his robe.

You could translate this David cut off the wing probably some emblem in his train that signified his royal authority because immediately David feels guilty that he's gone too far. Verse five says his heart struck him. That is his conscience convicted to what you cut a piece of cloth away.

Besides, that's at your royal road is where learned from David here. One of the marks of growing in grace is a sensitive conscience, even the smallest fence.

A minor reaction. The first self-centered thought becomes to you too heavy await to carry for very long before confessing to get this is David's chance to get even and he feels guilty, not even touching the Kings robe and cutting some of it off as he knew he did it in the spirit of defiance verse six he said was men. The Lord forbid that I should do this thing, my lord. The Lord's anointed even put out my hand against him, saying he is the Lord's anointed. So David persuaded his men depressed his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul is an interesting ladies and gentlemen have the same event can bring to entirely different interpretation. 600 men saw this as God's will and opportunity to get back to take the throne of Saul, that kingdom and and one man sees this as God's will to spare Saul's life. This is God's will for you to kill him. This is God's will for me to show grace.

Saul gets up and leaves the cave. He is oblivious to the fact that the obsession of his murderers in the and hatred has just saved his skin.

Now keep in mind before we get to the next verse that David is not going to harm the king but he is going to confront the king, he might not be able to change Saul's heart, but he will deliver the facts and challenge Saul's obsession. Look at verse eight. Afterward, David also arose, and went out of the cave and call after Saul my lord the king installed behind him.

David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. David said to Saul, why do you listen to the words of men who say, behold, David seeks your harm.

In other words, Saul.

People are talking, but you're listening to the wrong people, by the way, they don't want to lose your crown because those their own place their own power and that's what they really care about.

So David begins by saying stop listening to the wrong gossip the wrong people. Verse 11 see my father by the way, touching reminder Saul my father-in-law look my father seated corner of your robe in my hand.

For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, but I do want to know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands are not sinned against you.

Though you hunt my life to take it.

Philip Keller wrote on this confrontation. Colorfully these words can you see David there is some safe distance away. Can you see them suddenly hold up his arm to display the train of Saul's royal robe see it fluttering in the wind one and cut away by the razor-sharp sword of Goliath here was proof he wasn't just saying to Saul, he was loyal he was acting like in the result. By the way, is somewhat unbelievable.

It's wonderful. It's short-lived but it's wonderful.

Saul begins to cry. We were 16 little parcel lifted up his voice, and wept. They said to David, you are more righteous than I for you repaid me good whereas I've repaid all you've declared this day how you've dealt well with me and that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. Saul is overwhelmed the truth of this encounter this close encounter with death, fully realizing that just happened.

It shakes him to the core here stands the king of Israel, weeping. I would agree with Keller, who adds, this could have been the pivotal moment in Saul's life and story it was moved to go on and say to David a recognizer nobility.

I recognize God is indeed going to place you on the throne.

He admits his evil heart decries hot tears.

He admits to the evidence, but is going to march back home unrepentant short-lived. That's remorse. By the way repentance lasts remorse. Tears of sorrow admission and then let me get back to life as it was one author wrote 60 years ago. Emotion that does not lead to action only leads deeper into rebellion say that again a motion that does not lead to action only leads deeper into rebellion and you cannot help by the way, but notice the contrast here David cuts a little piece of the Kings Rob often is smitten with Jill's conscience troublesome that one little act in Saul as you refuse to repent of his pride in his envy and premeditated attempts over and over and over again to kill David. David know Saul well enough now to know that those tears probably won't last rather than laying down their arms and joining Saul in those 3000 elite troops and heading back home. He stays in and getting I want you to keep your Bibles open when I finish but I want to give you two lasting impressions from David's reactions to things that we can certainly learn. There are many that a little identity first. Every believer should expect to be chicks maybe like a mouse chase bated cornered, treated unfairly and unjustly unkindly.

What to look for ways is a Christian to get even, is to stem the flow of grace in your heart and your life. Thank you become the victim over and over and over and over again as you replay that injustice or unkindness. I can imagine what you might be going through that what your biography looks like, but II want to encourage you not only to look to David's example but to the son of David, Jesus Christ. Look at the grace of Christ treated with the ultimate betrayal. Injustice pain. Look at his grace, and during the cross, accepting the shame when he could've struck back with just one command.

And he could strike back today doesn't look at the grace of Christ. Every believer, every one of us want to be like Christ right is probably the number one thing on your prayer list all Lord make me more like you write way about those nails trails justice about across when we say we want to be like Christ. I fear what were saying is Lord we want to be like you and your perfections not in your suffering. So Paul would write that wonderful testimonial and he would say oh that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. Amen to that, but that I might share in his suffering's Philippians 310.

Beloved expect to be chased, expect to be hounded you're being made by David and the son of David. Secondly, the surprise those who mistreat you by refusing to get even be a shot. That doesn't mean by the way, you become everybody's doormat and David's going to say to Saul several times. Look at verse 12.

May the Lord judge between you and me. May the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against it is not trusting this situation to God and God is going the jibes between you and me and determine who is truly rebelling against his will by the way David does even further resistance all happened in those rebelling against God's will. Verse 15 the Lord will plead my cause and deliver me from your hand is telling the truth. I'm not to retaliate, I'm not going to strike back. I'm entrusting it to God and by the way there and soon Saul I'm going to leave the ultimate indication of my reputation.

He says in the hands of God, God will take your record of history will straighten out the innuendos and the criticisms of the lies that you endure. Perhaps have endured even this week. Learn from David here as I'm leaving it in the hands of God. Wonderful lesson truth from David though he knows Saul was wrong. He leaves it to God to make it right. I hesitate telling of the story is simple because it was one of those occasions when the right thing and meditate stories about pulling levers and shutting off electricity in creating an impression that I have something figured out whatever I come to this text. I think of this event that occurred early in our marriage.

When we arrived in Detroit Michigan where I enrolled for my studies in seminary, 1st° studies we eventually moved into the most inexpensive place we could find. It was an old two-story house near the Fisher body Plant.

If you're from that area.

That means is you get up every morning with a thin layer of soot over your car that would belch all night from those industrial smokestacks across the river. This would have been considered something like the slums, although it was just an old neighborhood wasn't the best but the landlord was a believer.

We met in the church in order to help us. He said look I let you to live there are hundred and $50 a month great deal more money for books so we moved in.

His mother would occupy the upstairs renovated apartment for her. We would live downstairs. That became our challenge.

His mother was an unbeliever and alcoholic extremely angry and bitter that his son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren had moved out and we had moved in and we didn't know that to we the impact our landlord himself had no idea she would respond in the way she did, she would come in late at night or early in the morning hours from some nightclub and stomped all the way up those bare wooden floors that led directly over our bedroom.

She began to accuse us of stealing thing from her. She would often accuse me with vicious profanity. Nothing we tried to do helped Marsha tried harder than I did. But no matter how kind or generous or helpful. Nothing worked. On occasion we bought an old upright piano moved it in. Whenever I played it matter what our day evening, she would stamp her feet on the floor, which was our ceiling until I stopped. This went on for about a year and 1/2. Finally, seminary graduation was just around the corner and I was happy to graduate from more than one reason we were preparing to leave just a few days we would be gone. One of those last afternoons I walked out of the back porch down in the little backyard were shed. She was standing on the balcony above me, looking out over the backyard that she was sweeping she saw me as I walked through the backyard and she stopped and began to curse and swear accusing me this time of stealing her garden and then she launched into a tirade that I was a hypocrite than I was willing to be a preacher and I was up blanketing blankety-blank ideology didn't reference blankets is different words. I just kept walking. Then she said I still feel and do you know what you are stopped and I turned around and the first time ever responded. I looked up at her and I said and you know what you are. She stopped sweeping out of the corner of my eye. The neighbor on her back porch. Stop to listen. Birds stopped in midair to listen. I was listening and by the grace of God I just settled down and I lowered my voice and I said you are a very unhappy woman walked away, took 30 minutes for my blood pressure stop pounding my ears.

Nothing important, we had failed. Frankly, we couldn't wait to move away. When we moved to Dallas to enter that seminary for another degree. I recall a couple of months later, surprising phone call and it was from Ron, our former landlord and he sits even you're not gonna believe it.

I didn't even guess she killed the next tenants I don't know she said after after you moved away. She agreed to go with us to church should never agreed even when we lived there evil and the grandkids said please come.

She went today.

He said I was able to leave my mother faith in Christ. Then after that, he said. We sat around talking about the new tenants for downstairs. We ought to get and she said, would you please get some people to live down there like Steven and Marcia. He said I knew you'd like to hear.

After I recovered from fainting. Marsha and I rejoice.

Beloved, let me suggest to you that you surprise others to be ever so often will get it right, refusing to get even surprise them, surprise yourself surprised by the grace of God to us. We should never get over surprised by the grace of God flowing through us. I think perhaps more painful and yet more fulfilling.

Perhaps you come in here and you're really right now you're living in a cave in and getting you get a chance perhaps to strike back getting settled and I urge you to resist the urge to get even like David and like the sound of the last pressure rings of God, thanks for joining us today here on wisdom.

This is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stephen is the pastor of the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina. You can learn more about us. If you visit our website which is wisdom online.org.

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Like many other parents. King David experienced the death of a baby. Stephen wrote a booklet on that passage of Scripture that provides biblical comfort to any parent who has experienced that the booklet is called two babies really go to heaven when they die in the e-book is available this month as a free download. You can access it anytime@wisdomonline.org is a link right on the homepage well.

Thanks again for joining us today were so glad you were with us and I hope to be with us for our next Bible lesson tomorrow right here on wisdom for the hearts