Transcript Slide 1

Children of the Bible
Lesson 7
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:11-13
I Samuel 16:11-13
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are
here all thy children? And he said,
There remaineth yet the youngest, and,
behold, he keepeth the sheep. And
Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and
fetch him: for we will not sit down till he
come hither.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:11-13
12
And he sent, and brought him in.
Now he was ruddy, and withal of a
beautiful countenance, and goodly to
look to. And the LORD said, Arise,
anoint him: for this is he.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:11-13
13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and
anointed him in the midst of his
brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD
came upon David from that day
forward. So Samuel rose up, and went
to Ramah.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:14-17
I Samuel 16:14-17
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed
from Saul, and an evil spirit from the
LORD troubled him.
15 And Saul’s servants said unto him,
Behold now, an evil spirit from God
troubleth thee.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:14-17
16
Let our lord now command thy
servants, which are before thee, to seek
out a man, who is a cunning player on
an harp: and it shall come to pass,
when the evil spirit from God is upon
thee, that he shall play with his hand,
and thou shalt be well.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:14-17
17
And Saul said unto his servants,
Provide me now a man that can play
well, and bring him to me.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:19-22
I Samuel 16:19-22
19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers
unto Jesse, and said, Send me David
thy son, which is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass laden with
bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid,
and sent them by David his son unto
Saul.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:19-22
21
And David came to Saul, and stood
before him: and he loved him greatly;
and he became his armourbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let
David, I pray thee, stand before me; for
he hath found favour in my sight.
Lesson Text—I Samuel 16:23
I Samuel 16:23
And it came to pass, when the evil
spirit from God was upon Saul, that
David took an harp, and played with his
hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was
well, and the evil spirit departed from
him.
Focus Verse—I Samuel 16:23
I Samuel 16:23
And it came to pass, when the evil
spirit from God was upon Saul,
that David took an harp, and
played with his hand; so Saul was
refreshed, and was well, and the
evil spirit departed from him.
Focus Thought
God sees an individual’s
faithfulness in service, even when
done in obscurity, and He
orchestrates circumstances to
maximize one’s human potential to
enhance His kingdom.
I.
Culture Connection
Faithful,
in His Adversity and
The Foundations of David’s Success
Obscurity
God
elevated David from the fields
where he watched over sheep to the
palace where he watched over the
people of Israel. What marked David
for such success in God’s kingdom?
What precipitated his elevation to
leadership? Fundamentally and
primarily it was his devotion to
faithfulness—doing the
responsibilities set before him to the
best of his ability through the Lord’s
empowerment.
I.
Noted
English
preacher
of
the
early
Faithful,
in
His
Adversity
and
twentieth century, A. W. Pink, observed
in his Obscurity
sermon titled “Faithfulness,”
“Faithful people have always been in a
marked minority. ‘Help, Lord, for the
godly men ceaseth; for the faithful fail
from among the children of men’
(Psalm 12:1), cried David. Note how
those two characteristics are
conjoined, for piety and honesty are
inseparable—compare ‘good and
faithful servant’ (Matthew 25:23).
I.
So, too, Solomon exclaimed, ‘Most
Faithful,
inproclaim
His Adversity
and
men will
every one his
own
goodness:
but a faithful man who can
Obscurity
find’ (Proverbs 20:6). Why is this?
Because it is the part of fallen human
nature to take the line of least
resistance and choose the path easiest
to the flesh. . . . ‘A faithful man shall
abound with blessings’ (Proverbs
28:20): the true way to be happy is to
be holy and honest. He who is true to
God and man will be blest of Him”
(www.eternallifeministries.org,
accessed April 6, 2011).
David
to watch and
over the
I. Faithful,
inwas
Hisfaithful
Adversity
sheep, and God blessed him and
Obscurity
elevated
him in His kingdom.
Faithfulness to God and one’s fellow
man is a character trait to be admired,
desired, and emulated—and it is the
doorway to future blessings of God.
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
Obscurity
Today’s lesson considers a
Contemplating the Topic
marvelous principle: God recognizes
faithful service as the primary basis
for promotion. There are no shortcuts
to success in any area of life’s
worthwhile endeavors. It is always a
matter of hard work, perseverance,
and patience.
I.
David’s diligence as a young
Faithful,
in His Adversity and
shepherd built the foundation for the
strength
of character he displayed in
Obscurity
becoming king of Israel. The years he
spent in solitude out on the hillsides
with his father’s flocks provided him
time and opportunity to perfect the
skills that led him to become “a man
after God’s own heart.” David did
things to the best of his abilities.
Because of that, God elevated him
from obscurity to universal acclaim.
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
David’s life serves as a powerful
model Obscurity
to teach us the importance of
living for God with all our might.
Searching The Scriptures
A. David Faithfully Kept the
Faithful, in His Adversity and
Sheep
Obscurity
A. David Faithfully Kept the Sheep
The people of Israel were primarily
farming folk. They kept sheep, goats,
and cattle to provide wool, hides, meat,
milk, butter, and cheese. They kept
valuable livestock close to the house
or turned them over to be kept by
shepherds in the fields.
I.
They usually relegated shepherding to
Faithful,
in His
Adversity
and
someone
near the
bottom of the
social
ladder.
Shepherds were either less
Obscurity
significant family members or men
hired by several farmers to watch over
large, combined flocks. Farmers who
could afford it often hired foreign
workers to care for the sheep. Jesse
made David a shepherd because he
was the youngest of Jesse’s sons and
considered to be the least significant.
Shepherding in Old Testament
times was a rigorous and lonely
lifestyle.
I.
There was no opportunity for a social
Faithful,
Hishuman
Adversity
and
life or in
normal
contact outside
of theObscurity
shepherd community.
Shepherds spent their days and nights
out in the elements without human
comforts and companionship that
others took for granted. The Israelite
religious community looked down on
shepherds because they could not
participate in the religious rituals they
considered necessary to be clean.
They could never observe the Sabbath
properly because shepherding was a
24/7, 365-day-a-year job.
I.
Shepherding was also a responsible
Faithful,
in had
HistoAdversity
and
job. They
keep the sheep
diligently
because sheep owners
Obscurity
demanded payment out of their wages
for any lost animals. If a wild animal
attacked the sheep, the shepherd had
to provide to the creature’s owner
evidence of what had happened. Bears
and lions would even attack any
human standing in the way of a
delicious mutton meal, so the
shepherd had to be brave, resourceful,
and fierce if both he and the sheep
were to survive.
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
Obscurity
David was a good shepherd who
protected his father’s flock from
predators on more than one occasion.
B.
B.
God
Observed
David’s
God Observed
David’s
Faithfulness
Faithfulness
“But the Lord said unto Samuel,
Look not on his countenance, or on
the height of his stature; because I
have refused him: for the Lord seeth
not as man seeth; for man looketh on
the outward appearance, but the Lord
looketh on the heart” (I Samuel 16:7).
I. Faithful,
inGod
Hissent
Adversity
and
When
Samuel to Jesse’s
houseObscurity
to anoint one of his sons to be
the next king of Israel, the appearance
of the older boys pleased Samuel and
he expected God would choose one of
them. But God rejected the older
brothers Eliab, Abinadab, and
Shammah, and then the others. Finally
Samuel asked, “Are these all your
children?”
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
Jesse had not even summoned the
Obscurity
youngest, the insignificant shepherd
boy, but God saw something in him
that others, including his family
members, had not yet seen—his pure
heart—a heart that belonged to God.
“The Lord hath sought him a man
after his own heart, and the Lord hath
commanded him to be captain over his
people” (I Samuel 13:14).
C. Faithfulness Brings Opportunity
C.Samuel
Faithfulness
Brings
told Jesse to send someone
to callOpportunity
David in from the fields. When
David arrived he probably was
surprised to see the prophet there and
had no idea how the next few moments
would change his life. But God had
seen David’s faithfulness in small
things and decided to grant him the
opportunity to serve on a greater scale.
A principle is evident here: the door
to opportunity is marked
“faithfulness.” (See Matthew 25:21.)
The Shepherd Boy Anointed
A. TheA.Lord’s
Endorsement
The Lord’s
Endorsement
When David arrived, God said to
Samuel, “Arise, anoint him: for this is
he” (I Samuel 16:12).
David was as handsome as his
older brothers, but God was more
interested in what He saw in the heart
of Jesse’s youngest son. David had
spent most of his time in the fields
without human companionship, but he
had communed with God.
I.
Wherever he went, he took his harp
Faithful,
in His Adversity and
and sang sweet songs of praise. God
basedObscurity
His promotion of David on his
past behavior and attitude more than
anything else. If we want God’s favor,
we must spend time communing with
Him, searching His Word, and serving
Him faithfully and cheerfully. (See
Mark 10:43-45; Psalm 75:6-7; Proverbs
3:34-35.) David’s example shows us
the way to find spiritual promotion and
honor.
B. The Prophet’s Anointing
B. The Prophet’s Anointing
“Then Samuel took the horn of oil,
and anointed him in the midst of his
brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord
came upon David from that day
forward. So Samuel rose up, and went
to Ramah” (I Samuel 16:13).
I.
Samuel
did
not
anoint
David
with
Faithful,
in
His
Adversity
and
just a dab of oil but poured enough on
Obscurity
David’s
head to run down over his
face, body, and clothes. As Jesse’s
family watched, God gave the most
insignificant son a most significant
blessing that set him apart from the
others from that day forward. The
anointing assured David that God’s
promise of kingship would someday
come true.
C. The Spirit’s Presence
C. The
Spirit’s
The Spirit
of thePresence
Lord came upon
David after he was anointed, providing
hope and inspiration during the long
years that separated his anointing
from his actual coronation as king.
David treasured God’s Spirit and
presence in his life. In Psalm 51:10-12,
which David wrote in repentance after
his sin with Bathsheba, he revealed
how much he wanted and needed
God’s Spirit in his life: “Create in me a
clean heart, O God; and renew a right
spirit within me.
Cast me
away
from thy presence;
I. Faithful,
innot
His
Adversity
and
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Obscurity
Restore
unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free
spirit.”
Truly, the baptism of the Holy Spirit
is the greatest treasure God gives to
human beings. Having the Holy Spirit
in one’s life is literally having Christ in
us, the hope of glory. (See Colossians
1:27.)
III.
God’s Orchestration
God’s Orchestration
of Circumstances
of
Circumstances
We are often confused over finding
the will of God. When things go well,
we do not question our relationship
with God. But when trouble or illness
occurs, we may ask God, “Why?”
“Why me?” or “Why me now?”
Whether or not we understand it, God
is working everything out according
to His plan for our lives.
I. Faithful,
in His
Adversity
William
Cowper
(1731-1800)and
was a
British poet and hymnist. Throughout
Obscurity
his life he struggled with depression,
even spending periods of time in
mental asylums. During one of his
better periods, sometime between
1765 and 1773, Cowper wrote the
hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious
Way,” which powerfully illustrates
God’s orchestration of circumstances
to bring about His divine will.
I.
God moves in a mysterious way,
Faithful,
in His
and
His wonders
to Adversity
perform;
He plants
His footsteps in the sea,
Obscurity
And rides upon the storm.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
And scan His work in vain;
God is Obscurity
His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
The way God worked out a plan for
David’s life can be of great help to us.
We may not always be able to see His
plan for us, but we can rest assured He
has one.
A. The
A. The Spirit’s Departure
Spirit’s Departure
from
from Saul
Saul
“But the spirit of the Lord
departed from Saul, and an evil spirit
from the Lord troubled him” (I
Samuel 16:14).
God’s presence rested upon
David, but it abandoned King Saul.
When God left Saul he suddenly felt
cut off, hopeless, and depressed.
Sometimes chronically unrepentant
people actually pray for God to leave
them alone.
I. Faithful,
in His
Adversity
They want
to sin
in peace, butand
there is
no such thing. Only in the Prince of
Obscurity
Peace can one find peace. Saul’s
misery, emptiness, and despair
occurred when his repeated
disobedience caused God to forsake
him.
B. An
B.
An
Evil
Spirit’s
Entrance
Evil Spirit’s Entrance into
into Saul
Saul
As God forsook Saul, an evil spirit
moved in to plague him. How tragic!
From the heights of knowing and
feeling the strength of God’s Spirit,
Saul plummeted to the depths of
demonic torment. Demonic spirits
show no kindness or mercy but delight
in tormenting human souls.
C. The Remedy for Saul
C. The Remedy for Saul
“Let our lord now command thy
servants, which are before thee, to
seek out a man, who is a cunning
player on an harp: and it shall come
to pass, when the evil spirit from God
is upon thee, that he shall play with
his hand, and thou shalt be well. And
Saul said unto his servants, Provide
me now a man that can play well, and
bring him to me” (I Samuel 16:16-17).
Transparency 2
Thein
evilHis
spiritAdversity
apparently had
not
I. Faithful,
and
taken full possession of Saul, but it
Obscurity
oppressed
him and made him
miserable. The king’s servants
suggested that soothing music would
help Saul regain his composure and
calm his troubled mind. In an age
when there was no recorded music,
they would have to find a live
musician who could be available day
or night to calm the storm raging in
Saul’s mind.
D. A Qualified Young Man
D. A Qualified Young Man
“Then answered one of the
servants, and said, Behold, I have
seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite,
that is cunning in playing, and a
mighty valiant man, and a man of war,
and prudent in matters, and a comely
person, and the Lord is with him” (I
Samuel 16:18).
I.
David fit the need perfectly. His
Faithful,
in Hismade
Adversity
and
qualifications
him the number
one applicant
for the job.
Obscurity
1. Son of Jesse. He came from a wellrespected family.
2. Talented musician. He not only
played well, but he wrote his own
songs.
3. A brave man. He showed strength
and courage in times of danger.
4. A wise man. He was mature beyond
his years.
5. The Lord’s presence was with him.
He was obviously a spiritual man.
I. Faithful,
Adversity
and
The in
factHis
that David
was a child
of
Jesse was a matter of nature over
Obscurity
which he had no control. However,
David took the raw materials of his
character—musical ability, bravery,
wisdom, and spirituality—and
developed them on his own.
We can derive inspiration from
David’s life as a shepherd boy, which
inspires us to face our mundane and
seemingly insignificant tasks every
day.
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
If we consider David’s vigilance as he
Obscurity
watched over his father’s flocks, we
may realize that the quality of energy,
concentration, and excellence we
invest in our every action is a key to
our personal integrity. Whether or not
other people are watching, we should
do everything wholeheartedly, as David
did. That is the biblical mandate. It is
the gauge by which God measures our
character.
A.
A King’s Request and a Father’s
Saul Sent Messengers
Response to Jesse
A. Saul Sent Messengers to Jesse
“Wherefore Saul sent messengers
unto Jesse, and said, Send me David
thy son, which is with the sheep” (I
Samuel16:19).
I.
King Saul’s request for Jesse to
Faithful,
in His
Adversity
allow David
to leave
the flocksand
and
come Obscurity
to work for him in the palace
posed both an honor and a hardship
for Jesse. Jesse needed David as a
shepherd. If he were not watching the
flocks, someone else would have to do
it. Perhaps he would have to hire
another servant to take David’s place,
which would be expensive. On the
other hand, David’s presence in the
palace would give Jesse’s family
prestige.
Gossiping
servants
would spread
I. Faithful,
in His
Adversity
andthe
news and people throughout all Israel
Obscurity
would talk about the young son of
Jesse, the only one who could soothe
the king’s troubled spirit. Yes, Jesse
stood to benefit from this vicarious
association with the ruler of the land.
B. Jesse Responded Positively
B. Jesse Responded Positively
“And Jesse took an ass laden with
bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid,
and sent them by David his son unto
Saul” (I Samuel 16:20).
Jesse did the politically correct
thing by responding positively to the
king’s request. He even made sure
David did not arrive in the royal
presence empty handed. He sent gifts
to King Saul to show his respect and
appreciation for the position he had
created for his son.
C. The King Approved
C. The King Approved
“And David came to Saul, and
stood before him: and he loved him
greatly; and he became his
armourbearer. And Saul sent to
Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee,
stand before me; for he hath found
favour in my sight” (I Samuel 16:2122).
Saulin
quickly
became extremely
I. Faithful,
His Adversity
and
fond of David. He trusted him and
Obscurity
honored
him with the additional
duties of bearing his armor. The
diligence and faithful service David
exhibited on the hillsides watching
over the flocks continued in the
palace as a servant of the king. He
served Saul wholeheartedly, which
garnered the favor not only of the
king, but of the members of the royal
family (I Samuel 18:1-5).
V. Good’s
Good’s Ultimate
Ultimate
Power
Power over Evil
over
Evil
“Moreover the law entered, that the
offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more
abound” (Romans 5:20).
Since the time of Adam and Eve’s
temptation up to the present, good
and evil have been in conflict.
I. Faithful,
in His
Adversity
and
The apostle
Paul
discussed this
conflict with the assurance that good
Obscurity
ultimately triumphs over evil. (See
Romans 5:12-20.)
In the Book of Job, Satan used all
of his evil tricks to try to overcome
Job’s goodness with afflictions and
hardships. But Job held on and God’s
power gave him the ultimate victory
and restoration. Wherever evil
abounds, grace abounds much more.
A. Anointed Music Dispels Fear
A. Anointed
Music
Dispels
Fear
“And it came to pass, when the evil
spirit from God was upon Saul, that
David took an harp, and played with his
hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was
well, and the evil spirit departed from
him” (I Samuel 16:23).
The evil spirit that bedeviled Saul
made him paranoid, emotionally
consumed with irrational fears and
jealousy.
I.
One thing definitely helped Saul, and
Faithful,
in the
Hissweet
Adversity
that was
and gentleand
refrains
of David
as he sang and played his
Obscurity
harp. David’s melodies helped give
Saul some relief from the evil spirit of
irrational fears.
Soothing music calms the troubled
soul. In recent years, expectant
mothers have been playing classical
music by Mozart and other renowned
composers to the developing babies
inside. This music is said to stimulate
the babies’ brain development and
calm their nerves.
I.
Ancient armies often would rely
Faithful,
in His Adversity and
upon musicians and singers to
raise
the sound of music over the
Obscurity
battlefields. (See II Chronicles
20:21-23.) This encouraged the
soldiers to fight more valiantly.
Martial drum music has been used
to set a cadence for marching and
advancing into battle by armies
around the world. The drummers’
and buglers’ playing stimulates a
sense of urgency in the soldiers to
forget their fears and “Charge!”
Transparency 3
B.
B.
The
Spirit
of
the
Lord
The Spirit of the Lord
Refreshes
Refreshes
David’s anointed music calmed and
refreshed Saul. Isaiah prophesied
about the Holy Ghost as a refreshing.
“For with stammering lips and
another tongue will he speak to this
people. To whom he said, This is the
rest wherewith ye may cause the
weary to rest; and this is the
refreshing” (Isaiah 28:11-12).
I. Faithful,
in Spirit
His Adversity
and
God’s
calms and refreshes
the human soul. Where God is, there
Obscurity
is no reason to fear or dread. His
presence brings a sense of peace,
safety, and calm.
“God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble. Therefore
will not we fear, though the earth be
removed, and though the mountains
be carried into the midst of the sea”
(Psalm 46:1-2).
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and of a good courage,
fear not, nor be afraid of them: for
the LORD thy God, he it is that doth
go with thee; he will not fail thee,
nor forsake thee” (Deuteronomy
31:6).
C. Evil Spirits Flee
C. Evil Spirits Flee
Words of praise are like an invitation
to God’s presence. “But thou art holy,
O thou that inhabitest the praises of
Israel” (Psalm 22:3). Truly anointed
music glorifies and elevates the Lord
and makes evil spirits uncomfortable
and fearful. This is because they know
who the Lord of glory truly is, and
because they know Him, they fear Him.
(See James 2:19.)
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
David’s
anointed music gave honor
Obscurity
and glory to the Lord and dispelled
the evil spirits that plagued Saul. Just
as God refuses to dwell in an unclean
vessel, neither will evil spirits coexist
with God’s holy presence. They must
flee.
D. A New Life Results
D. A New Life Results
Nothing less than David’s anointed
music and godly attitude could soothe
King Saul and give him temporary
relief from the torment. David’s playing
and singing drove away Saul’s fears
and gave him hope. Consequently,
Saul’s whole life improved as long as
David played. We are so much more
fortunate than Saul; when God’s
presence comes into our lives we can
find “fullness of joy.”
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
We canObscurity
experience a brand new life
that is filled with faith, hope, and love.
Our fears can be forever vanquished
and we are set free from evil spirits
that have held us captive. Jesus gives
us victory over evil.
I. Faithful, in His Adversity and
David
began life as the youngest of
Obscurity
Jesse’s sons, a seemingly
Internalizing the Message
insignificant member of the family.
But his strength of character set him
apart from his brothers and other
men. He served faithfully as a lowly
shepherd. He risked his own life to
protect and preserve his father’s
sheep, and proved himself on the
hillsides of Bethlehem as a good
shepherd.
At least
risked his own
life
I. Faithful,
intwice
His he
Adversity
and
in rescuing sheep from the jaws of a
Obscurity
lion and
a bear. He was brave,
diligent, vigilant, and faithful in all he
did.
Because of David’s strength of
character and faithfulness in small
matters, God endorsed and promoted
him to become the second king of
Israel.
I. Faithful,
in
His
Adversity
and
We should never look down on
anyone
for the job he performs as
Obscurity
long as he does it to the best of his
ability. We should learn from David’s
life and aspire to greatness in God’s
kingdom by following his example of
wholehearted servitude. Let us live by
this motto: “Whatsoever thy hand
findeth to do, do it with thy might”
(Ecclesiastes 9:10).