Transcript Slide 1

“Saul kept a jealous eye on
David” (1 Samuel 18:9)
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“I am your God, the one who rescues you
from all your troubles and difficulties,
but today you have rejected me and have
asked me to give you a king. Very well,
then, gather yourselves together…” (1
Samuel 10:19)

“Then Samuel had each tribe come
forward, and the LORD picked the tribe
of Benjamin. Then Samuel had the
families of the tribe of Benjamin come
forward, and the family of Matri was
picked out. Then the men of the family of
Matri came forward, and Saul son of
Kish was picked out. They looked for
him, but when they could not find him,
they asked the LORD, ‘Is there still
someone else?’
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“The LORD answered, ‘Saul is over there, hiding
behind the supplies.’ So they ran and brought
Saul out to the people, and they could see that he
was a foot taller than anyone else. Samuel said to
the people, ‘Here is the man the LORD has
chosen! There is no one else among us like him.’
All the people shouted, ‘Long live the king!’
Samuel explained to the people the rights and
duties of a king, and then wrote them in a book,
which he deposited in a holy place. Then he sent
everyone home. Saul also went back home to
Gibeah. Some powerful men, whose hearts God
had touched, went with him.” (1 Samuel 10:17-26
– GN)
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“When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God
gave Saul a new nature.” (1 Samuel 10:9)
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“Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I
will join you there to sacrifice burnt
offerings and peace offerings. You must
wait for seven days until I arrive and
give you further instructions.” (1 Samuel
10:8 NLT)
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“The Philistines mustered a mighty army
of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as
many warriors as the grains of sand on
the seashore! They camped at Micmash
east of Beth-aven. The men of Israel saw
what a tight spot they were in; and
because they were hard pressed by the
enemy, they tried to hide in caves,
thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.” (1
Samuel 13:5-6 NLT)
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“Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped
into the land of Gad and Gilead. Meanwhile, Saul
stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with
fear. Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as
Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still
didn't come. Saul realized that his troops were
rapidly slipping away. So he demanded, ‘Bring me
the burnt offering and the peace offerings!’ And Saul
sacrificed the burnt offering himself. Just as Saul was
finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived.
Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel
said, ‘What is this you have done?’ Saul replied, ‘I
saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't
arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines
are at Micmash ready for battle.
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“So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march
against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked
for the LORD’s help!’ So I felt compelled to
offer the burnt offering myself before you
came.’ ‘How foolish!’ Samuel exclaimed. ‘You
have not kept the command the LORD your
God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD
would have established your kingdom over
Israel forever. But now your kingdom must
end, for the LORD has sought out a man after
His own heart. The LORD has already
appointed him to be the leader of His people,
because you have not kept the LORD’s
command.’” (1 Samuel 13:7-14 NLT)
“This vision of ultimate good being
determined by faithfulness and not
results is the point where we
modern men get off.” – J.H. Yoder
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“Love your enemies, do good to those
who hate you, bless those who curse you,
and pray for those who mistreat you.”
“Turning the other cheek isn’t going to
work with these enemies…”
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“The basis for the ethics of the Sermon on the
Mount is not what works but rather the way
God is. Cheek-turning is not advocated as what
works (it usually does not), but advocated
because this is the way God is - God is kind to
the ungrateful and the selfish.”
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Stanley Hauerwas
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Fighting the Philistines
Saul: “There’s no time to consult the
LORD!” (1 Samuel 14:20 – GN)
 Priest: “Let’s consult God first” (1 Samuel
14:36 – GN)
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“The Israelites were weak with hunger that day,
because Saul, with a solemn oath, had given the
order: ‘A curse be on anyone who eats any food
today before I take revenge on my enemies.’ So
nobody had eaten anything all day.” (1 Samuel
14:24 – GN)
 Jonathan unknowingly breaks the oath: “May
God strike me dead if you are not put to death!”
(1 Samuel 14:44 – GN)
 “But the people said to Saul, ‘Will Jonathan, who
won this great victory for Israel, be put to death?
No! We promise by the living LORD that he will
not lose even a hair from his head. What he did
today was done with God's help.’ So the people
saved Jonathan from being put to death.” (1
Samuel 14:45 – GN)
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“Go and attack the Amalekites and completely
destroy everything they have. Don't leave a
thing; kill all the men, women, children, and
babies; the cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.” (1
Samuel 15:3 GNB)
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“Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and
kept the best of the sheep and goats, the
cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—
everything, in fact, that appealed to
them. They destroyed only what was
worthless or of poor quality.” (1 Samuel
15:9 NLT)
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“Samuel heard that Saul had gone to the
town of Carmel, where he had built a
monument to himself…” (1 Samuel 15:12)
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“When Samuel finally found him, Saul
greeted him cheerfully. ‘May the LORD
bless you,’ he said. ‘I have carried out the
LORD’s command!’” (1 Samuel 15:13
NLT)
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“Aaron answered, ‘Don't be angry with
me; you know how determined these
people are to do evil. They said to me, 'We
don't know what has happened to this
man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt;
so make us a god to lead us.' I asked them
to bring me their gold ornaments, and
those who had any took them off and
gave them to me. I threw the ornaments
into the fire and out came this bull-calf!’”
(Exodus 32:22-24 GNB)
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“Samuel asked, ‘But what is this sound of
sheep in my ears and this sound of cows
that I hear?’” (1Samuel 15:13-14)
“Saul answered, ‘My men took them from
the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep
and cattle to offer as a sacrifice to the
LORD your God, and the rest we have
destroyed completely.’” (1 Samuel 15:15)
“Why did you not obey him? Why did
you rush to grab the loot, and so do what
displeases the LORD” (1 Samuel 15:19)
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“I did obey the LORD,’ Saul replied. ‘I
went out as he told me to, brought back
King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites.
But my men did not kill the best sheep
and cattle that they captured; instead,
they brought them here to Gilgal to offer
as a sacrifice to the LORD your God.’” (1
Samuel 15:20-21 GNB)
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“But Samuel replied, ‘What is more pleasing
to the Lord: your burnt offerings and
sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?
Obedience is far better than sacrifice.
Listening to him is much better than
offering the fat of rams.”
Rebellion against him is as bad as
witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as
idolatry. Because you rejected the LORD's
command, he has rejected you as king.’” (1
Samuel 15:22,23)
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“Then Samuel turned to leave, but Saul
caught hold of his cloak, and it tore.
Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has torn
the kingdom of Israel away from you
today and given it to someone who is a
better man than you…‘I have sinned,’
Saul replied. ‘But at least show me
respect in front of the leaders of my
people and all of Israel. Go back with me
so that I can worship the LORD your
God.’” (1 Samuel 15:27-30 GNB)
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“In their celebration the women sang,
‘Saul has killed thousands, but David tens
of thousands.’ Saul did not like this, and
he became very angry. He said, ‘For
David they claim tens of thousands, but
only thousands for me. They will be
making him king next!’ And so he was
jealous and suspicious of David from that
day on.” (1 Samuel 18:7-9)
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“Saul ordered them to tell David: ‘All the king
wants from you as payment for the bride are the
foreskins of a hundred dead Philistines, as revenge
on his enemies.’ (This was how Saul planned to
have David killed by the Philistines.)…David was
delighted with the thought of becoming the king's
son-in-law. Before the day set for the wedding,
David and his men went and killed two hundred
Philistines. He took their foreskins to the king and
counted them all out to him, so that he might
become his son-in-law. So Saul had to give his
daughter Michal in marriage to David.” (1 Samuel
18:25-27)
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“As Saul more and more realized that
GOD was with David, and how much his
own daughter…loved him, his fear of
David increased and settled into hate.
Saul hated David.” (1 Samuel 18:28 MSG)
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“Saul tried to pin David to the wall with
his spear, but David dodged, and the
spear stuck in the wall. David ran away
and escaped.” (1 Samuel 19:10)
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When the priest helped David:
 “The king said, ‘Ahimelech, you and all
your relatives must die.’ Then he said to
the guards standing near him, ‘Kill the
LORD’s priests!’…Saul also had all the
other inhabitants of Nob, the city
priests, put to death: men and women,
children and babies, cattle, donkeys, and
sheep – they were all killed.” (1 Samuel
22:17,19 – GN)
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“The source of human unhappiness is an obsession
with self. Behind it is the central message that the
devil has placed inside our heads. That central
message is, “Look after number one because you
can’t trust God to look after you.” “Take matters
into your own hands.” “Pay yourself first. Every
cent that you earn, make sure that you spend it on
yourself before you give it to some church, charity
or individual in need and, even if choose to give,
make sure you do it to get some other payoff like
honor and praise or at least a tax deductible
receipt.” The sin problem all comes down to one
common denominator - me, myself, and I.”
- Manuel Silva
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“But if you are bitterly jealous and there
is selfish ambition in your heart, don't
cover up the truth with boasting and
lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not
God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are
earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For
wherever there is jealousy and selfish
ambition, there you will find disorder
and evil of every kind.” (James 3:14-16
NLT)
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“Envy is the worst of all passions, and
feedeth upon the spirits, and they again
upon the body; and so much the more
because it is perpetual, and, as it is said,
keepeth no holidays” (Bacon, 'Essays').
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“Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous;
but who is able to stand before envy?”
(Proverbs 27:4)
“A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.” (Proverbs
14:30)

Matthew 27:18, “For he knew that they
had handed Him over because of envy.”
Mark 15:10, “For he knew that the chief
priests had handed Him over because of
envy.”
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“At the heart of envy is social comparison, a
common and powerful influence on the selfconcept. Much of our self-esteem comes from
comparison with others. When one’s abilities,
achievements, or possessions compare poorly
with those of another, there is potential for a
decrease in one’s self-esteem and public stature,
and surely this is one route to envy…Social
comparison can also stir up envy simply by
heightening one’s awareness of one’s own
deprivation…” (The Psychology of Jealousy and
Envy” – Salovey)
“sorrow at another’s
good.” - Aquinas
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“Aristotle…points out that envy is felt
chiefly toward those who are our
peers…People do not necessarily envy the
Rockefellers’ wealth, because the
discrepancy does not reflect badly on
them. It is only when the discrepancy
between someone else’s success and one’s
own failure serves to demonstrate or call
attention to one’s shortcomings that envy
results.” (Salovey, pg 7)
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“Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut, Doesn't have a
swelled head…Isn’t always ‘me first,’
Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep
score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel
when others grovel…” (1 Corinthians
13:4-6 MSG)
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“Jonathan became David’s closest friend.
He loved David as much as he loved
himself…. Jonathan made a pledge of
mutual loyalty with David because he
loved him as much as he loved himself.”
(1 Samuel 18:1-3 GW)

“Make a careful exploration of who you
are and the work you have been given,
and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be
impressed with yourself. Don’t compare
yourself with others. Each of you must
take responsibility for doing the creative
best you can with your own life.”
(Galatians 6:4-5 MSG)
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Envy manifests itself in the resentment of
others’ prosperity.
Envy manifests as judgment, condemnation and
hatred of others
Envy is fueled by the expectation of deserving
success and recognition over another person.
Envy, therefore, is closely linked to pride,
selfishness and greed
Envy is the opposite of love. Love rejoices over
the good of another.
Envy seeks the destruction of another for the
benefit of one’s own gain.

“He who is apt to feel indignation, feels
pain at those who are undeservedly
successful; but the envious man, going
beyond him, feels pain at every one's
success.” (Aristotle)
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“Now Samuel had died, and all the Israelites had mourned
for him and had buried him in his hometown of Ramah.
Saul had forced all the fortunetellers and mediums to leave
Israel. The Philistine troops assembled and camped near the
town of Shunem; Saul gathered the Israelites and camped at
Mount Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was
terrified, and so he asked the LORD what to do. But the
LORD did not answer him at all, either by dreams or by the
use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets. Then Saul
ordered his officials, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium,
and I will go and consult her.’ ‘There is one in Endor,’ they
answered. So Saul disguised himself; he put on different
clothes, and after dark he went with two of his men to see
the woman. ‘Consult the spirits for me and tell me what is
going to happen,’ he said to her. ‘Call up the spirit of the
man I name.’ The woman answered, ‘Surely you know what
King Saul has done, how he forced the fortunetellers and
mediums to leave Israel. Why, then, are you trying to trap
me and get me killed?’
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“Then Saul made a sacred vow. ‘By the living LORD I
promise that you will not be punished for doing this,’ he
told her. ‘Whom shall I call up for you?’ the woman asked.
‘Samuel,’ he answered. When the woman saw Samuel, she
screamed and said to Saul, ‘Why have you tricked me?
You are King Saul!’ ‘Don’t be afraid!’ the king said to her.
‘What do you see?’ ‘I see a spirit coming up from the
earth,’ she answered. ‘What does it look like?’ he asked.
‘It’s an old man coming up,’ she answered. ‘He is wearing
a cloak.’ Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he
bowed to the ground in respect. Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why
have you disturbed me? Why did you make me come
back?’ Saul answered, ‘I am in great trouble! The
Philistines are at war with me, and God has abandoned
me. He doesn’t answer me any more, either by prophets or
by dreams. And so I have called you, for you to tell me
what I must do.’
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“Samuel said, ‘Why do you call me when the LORD has
abandoned you and become your enemy? The LORD has
done to you what he told you through me: he has taken
the kingdom away from you and given it to David
instead. You disobeyed the LORD’s command and did
not completely destroy the Amalekites and all they had.
That is why the LORD is doing this to you now. He will
give you and Israel over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you
and your sons will join me, and the LORD will also give
the army of Israel over to the Philistines.’ At once Saul
fell down and lay stretched out on the ground, terrified
by what Samuel had said. He was weak, because he had
not eaten anything all day and all night.” (1 Samuel 28:320 – GN)
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Was that really Samuel?
Would God use a forbidden practice to communicate with
Saul?
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“If any of you go for advice to people who consult the spirits of the
dead, I will turn against you and will no longer consider you one
of my people.” (Leviticus 20:6 – GN)
Saul had them banned
“People will say to you, ‘Ask for help from the mediums and the
fortunetellers, who whisper and mutter.’ Shouldn’t people ask
their God for help instead? Why should they ask the dead to help
the living?” (Isaiah 8:19 – GOD’S WORD)
“So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and
did not obey the Lord’s instructions; he even tried to
conjure up underworld spirits.” (1 Chronicles 10:13 NET
Bible)