Jonathan Helps David (Part 2)

Introduction:

God has a plan and purpose for our lives.

Living out that plan can be difficult.

Emotions can run high. Tears might be shed.
We might experience rejection by others, including family members.
Personal sacrifices might be required.
We might be faced with personal harm or injury.

However, when we live out the life God has planned for us the hardships are far outweighed by the blessings, hope, and promises found in the scriptures.

The David we read about in the Bible experienced many challenges and difficulties during his lifetime.

1 Samuel 20:18-42 NLT
Jonathan’s Secret sign
¹⁸Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty. ¹⁹The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile. ²⁰I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the Lord lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble. ²²But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the Lord is sending you away. ²³And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”
Jonathan talks to Saul about David.
²⁴So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty. ²⁶Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.” ²⁷But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”
²⁸Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. ²⁹He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”
Saul’s rage against Jonathan.
³⁰Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? ³¹As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”
³²“But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” ³³Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.
³⁴Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.
Jonathan warns David of the danger.
³⁵The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows. ³⁶“Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you. ³⁸Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. ³⁹He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal. ⁴⁰Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.
⁴¹As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.
⁴²At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 20:18-42 NLT

Jonathan Helps David (Part 2)

From previous lesson:

David believed that Saul would try again to kill him again if showed up at the king’s table.

Jonathan’s Secret sign

¹⁸Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty.

Jonathan was planning to use David’s absence from the celebration of the new moon festival to determine Saul’s feelings about David.

If Saul became upset about David’s absence, then David would know that there was little hope in patching up their differences. If Saul was amenable, there was hope for restoring this relationship.

¹⁹The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile.

The day after the new moon festival, Jonathan and David planned to meet by the “stone pile”

This was a well-known landmark.

Many translations call it “the stone Ezel”.

Ezel may mean:

Separation.
The Departure Stone.
The Going Away Rock.

This location became the place of the meeting and parting for David and Jonathan.

²⁰I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the Lord lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble.

Jonathan was still hoping that the relationship between Saul and David could be restored.

The son, Jonathan, was hoping that his father, Saul, would do the right thing.

²²But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the Lord is sending you away.

Jonathan recognized the Lord’s role in all of these activities.

“… the Lord is sending you away.”

²³And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”

The scripture tells us that God witnessed the vows Jonathan and David made with each other.

NIV: “… remember, the Lord is witness between you and me.”

CEB: “… the Lord is witness between us forever regarding the promise we made to each other,”

ESV: “… the Lord is between you and me forever.”

“… may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other …”

Numbers 30:2 NLT
²A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.

Ecclesiastes 5:5 NLT
⁵It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.

Promises are meant to be taken seriously.

Jonathan talks to Saul about David.

²⁴So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him.

Abner was Saul’s cousin and commander of his army.

But David’s place was empty. ²⁶Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.”

Saul thought that David was absent from the new moon festival because he was ceremonially unclean.

Because the feast involved sacrifices, one had to be clean to participate.

Leviticus 7:20-21 NLT
²⁰If you are ceremonially unclean and you eat meat from a peace offering that was presented to the Lord, you will be cut off from the community. ²¹If you touch anything that is unclean (whether it is human defilement or an unclean animal or any other unclean, detestable thing) and then eat meat from a peace offering presented to the Lord, you will be cut off from the community.”

²⁷But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”

Under many conditions, a person who had become unclean was unclean until the evening of the same day.

David’s continued absence, on the second day, required an explanation,

Saul did not even use David’s name.

²⁸Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. ²⁹He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”

David’s oldest brother Eliab, serving as the family leader, would have been the position to call the family together to observe an annual family sacrifice.

Saul’s rage against Jonathan.

³⁰Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him.

Saul directed his rage against Jonathan.

Saul used some strong words to curse his son Jonathan.

Saul was cursing his son Jonathan, not Jonathan’s mother.

“Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? ³¹As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king.

At this point in history, the King’s oldest son was likely to become the next king.

Saul was beginning to realize that David, not Jonathan, was the LORD’s anointed who would one day replace him as king.

Saul thought that Jonathan was being foolish for not aggressively pursuing the throne.

Saul is incapable of understanding Jonathan’s lack of concern for his own succession to the throne.

Saul himself almost prevented Jonathan from becoming the next king (verse 33).

Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

Again Saul expresses a desire to kill David.

Saul continues to pursue David (1 Samuel 21 – 1 Samuel 27)

David on the run from Saul (1 Samuel 21 – 1 Samuel 31)

³²“But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?”

Jonathan interceded for David again.

Previously:

1 Samuel 19:4 NLT
⁴The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could.

³³Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him.

Saul attempted to kill his own son because Jonathan had advocated for David.

Saul was filled with rage toward David and also toward Jonathan.

So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.

Reality set in. Jonathan had been reluctant to believe the truth about his own father but he could no longer deny it.

³⁴Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

Jonathan was crushed by his father’s behavior.

Jonathan warns David of the danger.

³⁵The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows. ³⁶“Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you. ³⁸Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. ³⁹He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal. ⁴⁰Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.

Jonathan proceeded to communicate Saul’s intentions to David in the way they had previously planned.

⁴¹As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground.

David bowing down more than once acknowledged Jonathan as the prince.
David gave proper respect to Jonathan as the king’s son.

Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.

Jonathan and David wept together.

⁴²At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.”

They parted, reminding themselves of the commitments they had made to each other and to their descendants.

Jonathan was willing to give up the throne for the love of a friend.

Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

David was an outcast from the royal court.

Jonathan most like went to Gibeah, the home of his father Saul.

Jonathan will only be mentioned two more times in 1 Samuel.

1 Samuel 23:16-18 NLT
¹⁶Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. ¹⁷“Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” ¹⁸So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.

1 Samuel 31:2 NLT
²The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.

Review:

God has a plan and purpose for our lives.

Living out that plan can be difficult.

Emotions can run high. Tears might be shed.
We might experience rejection by others, including family members.
Personal sacrifices might be required.
We might be faced with personal harm or injury.

However, when we live out the life God has planned for us the hardships are far outweighed by the blessings, hope, and promises found in the scriptures.

The Whole Armor of God (Part 2)

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The Whole Armor of God (Part 2)

We are in a spiritual on a daily basis.

God has made spiritual resources available to us through Jesus Christ, and we need to use them in our battle against evil.

The spiritual resources mentioned in this passage are the truth, righteousness, the Gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God.

Ephesians 6:14-17 NLT
¹⁴Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Examine the scriptures:
Ephesians 6:14-17 NLT

Verses 14-20 make up one sentence.

¹⁴Stand your ground,

For the third time (vv. 11, 13), Paul tells Christians to take a firm position in the spiritual battle against Satan and his minions.

We are in a spiritual war on a daily basis.

Stand firm in your battle against Satan. Never back down.

Resist Satan’s attacks by being properly armed.

Never compromise the teachings of scripture. (Compromise is not “standing your ground”.)

Deuteronomy 5:32 NLT
³²“You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail.

Deuteronomy 5:32 NIV
So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Paul uses the armor of a Roman soldier as imagery for spiritual armor used by believers.

Roman infantrymen were commonplace throughout the empire.

One may have even been guarding Paul when he wrote this epistle.

Everyone knew what they looked like.

Paul described the items that the Roman infantryman wore in the order in which he would have put them on.

Most of this equipment is used to defend, not to attack.

The truth.

¹⁴Stand your ground,
putting on the belt of truth

The belt of a Roman soldier held his garments in place and gave ease and freedom of movement.

The soldiers belt kept him from getting tripped up.

Everything that hinders is tucked away.

It was also designed to hold other pieces of the soldier’s armor in place.

We have access to truth. We need to put on the belt of truth.

John 8:32 NLT
³²And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 17:17 NLT
¹⁷Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.

Psalm 119:142 NLT
Your justice is eternal,
and your instructions are perfectly true.

The truths found in scripture as well as a lifestyle that reflects that truth are essential for a defense against Satan.

It is not enough just knowing the truth.

We need to know and live truth.

We need to live a life of truthfulness. A man of integrity, with a clear conscience, can face the enemy without fear.

Once a lie gets into the life of a believer, everything begins to fall apart.

Proverbs 6:16-19 NLT
¹⁶There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
¹⁷haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
¹⁸a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
¹⁹a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.

If we choose not to live truthful lives we will get tripped up.

Righteousness.

and the body armor of God’s righteousness. (the breastplate of righteousness)

The soldier’s breastplate protects his heart and other vital organs.

As a soldier’s breastplate protected his chest from an enemy’s attacks, so God’s righteousness, resulting in righteous living guards a believer’s heart against the assaults of the devil.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT
³⁰God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

Romans 6:13 NLT
¹³Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

Righteous living protects a believer’s heart against the assaults of the devil.

Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

Without God’s righteousness, we are vulnerable to Satan’s attacks.

The Gospel.

¹⁵For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

The soldier’s shoes were designed to give the soldier a good grip to the ground, stability, and surefootedness in combat.

The Gospels are a source of peace. The Gospels give stability to our lives.

The Gospel tells us how to have a right relationship with God.

The Gospel tells us how to have a right relationship with God.

Through Christ believers are at peace with God knowing that He is on their side.

Romans 5:1 NLT
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

God is our strength and with that divine strength we can stand firm.

We have been made right in God’s sight by faith.

Romans 8:31, 37-39 NLT
³¹What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
³⁷No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
³⁸And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Faith.

¹⁶In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

A Roman soldier carried a shield that was designed to absorb fiery arrows, without catching on fire, to protect the other pieces of armor as well as the soldier himself.

A Christian’s faith in the Lord can stop and extinguish all the flaming arrows of the devil.

Faith is trust in Christ as Savior and trust in God to meet our needs in evil times.

Hebrews 11:1 NIV
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
¹³The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Salvation.

¹⁷Put on salvation as your helmet,

Roman soldiers used their helmets to protect their heads.

The confidence of our salvation protects our minds and our thoughts.

We can know that we are saved,

John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9 NLT
⁹If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Knowing that we are saved, we can face the enemy with confidence.

Protect your mind and thoughts with the assurance that God has indeed saved and given eternal life to those who believe in Christ.

The last resource mentioned is

The Word of God.

and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The sword is the soldier’s only offensive weapon.

The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT
¹²For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Jeremiah 23:29 NLT
²⁹Does not my word burn like fire?”
says the Lord.
“Is it not like a mighty hammer
that smashes a rock to pieces?

God’s Word is like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces.

Believers need God’s Word to combat the enemy’s assault, much as Christ did when tempted by the devil.

We need to be spending quality time in the Word. We need to know God’s Word and we need to be putting Biblical principles into practice on a daily basis.

Grounding in Christ and scripture provides protection and ability to stand your ground.

Stand firm in your battle against Satan. Never back down.
Never compromise the teachings of scripture. (Compromise is not “standing your ground”.)
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.
Without God’s righteousness, we are vulnerable to Satan’s attacks.
The Gospel tells us how to have a right relationship with God.
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
We have been made right in God’s sight by faith
If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
A Christian’s faith in the Lord can stop and extinguish all the flaming arrows of the devil.
Protect your mind and thoughts with the assurance that God has indeed saved and given eternal life to those who believe in Christ.
God’s Word is like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces.
We need to be spending quality time in the Word. We need to know God’s Word and we need to be putting Biblical principles into practice on a daily basis.

Jonathan Helps David

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Jonathan Helps David

Jonathan was always willing to help his friend David in spite of the cost.

As we go through this lesson, note how frequently the relationship between David and Jonathan was addressed.

1 Samuel 20:1-17 NLT
^20:1 David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”
²“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”
³Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”
⁴“Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.
⁵David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. ⁶If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. ⁷If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me. ⁸Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—for we made a solemn pact before the Lord—or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”
⁹“Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”
¹⁰Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”
¹¹“Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. ¹²Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. ¹³But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. ¹⁴And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, ¹⁵treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”
¹⁶So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!” ¹⁷And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 20:1-17 NLT

Jonathan Helps David

Jonathan was always willing to help his friend David in spite of the cost.

In our previous lesson Saul was pursuing David. He wanted to kill David, but God prevented this from happening.

^20:1 David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”

As he was fleeing from Saul, David found Jonathan.

David wanted to know why Saul was so determined to kill him.

David was wondering if he had done something wrong that had provoked Saul’s hatred.

We sometimes doubt our own actions.

²“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”

Jonathan was naïve about his father’s intentions.

Jonathan appeared to be convinced that his father was not seeking to kill David.

Jonathan may not have known about Saul’s recent attempts on David’s life (Refer to previous lesson.) or he may have been in a state of denial.

Jonathan was probably remembering his recent conversation with his father. (1 Samuel 19:6 NLT) ⁶So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”

³Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’

David took an oath in order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.

But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”

David knew that Saul wanted to kill him, and wanted to convince Jonathan of the seriousness of Saul’s intentions.

⁴“Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.

As always, Jonathan was committed to helping David.

More about this in verse 8

⁵David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival.

The first day of each month, referred to as the New Moon” was celebrated with a sacrificial meal.

Numbers 28:11-15 NLT
The Monthly Offerings (from the community)
¹¹“On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. ¹²These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, ¹³and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁴You must also present a liquid offering with each sacrifice: two quarts of wine for each bull, a third of a gallon for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year.
¹⁵“On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord. This is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.

I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day.

David normally celebrated the new moon festival with the king. (11 months out of the year.)

David believed that Saul would try again to kill him again if showed up at the king’s table.

⁶If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice.

Apparently, David’s family held an annual family reunion that coincided with one of the monthly new moon celebrations.

1 Samuel 20:28-29 NLT
²⁸Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. ²⁹He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”

David (and Jonathan) lied about his intensions.

⁷If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me.

⁸Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—

Here David appeals to Jonathan as a sworn friend.

David is relying on the faithfulness of a covenant partner.

(The relationship between David and Jonathan is being addressed.)

for we made a solemn pact before the Lord—

1 Samuel 18:1-4 NLT
^18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. ²From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. ³And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. ⁴Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

When David first met Jonathan, there was an immediate bond between the two young men. Now David is referring back to the “solemn pact” that was made at that time.

We discussed this in previous lessons.

Clearly this was a result of God’s intervention.

This bond clearly came from the Lord.

Addition verses about friendships:

Proverbs 20:6 NLT
⁶Many will say they are loyal friends,
but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT
⁹Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

John 15:12-13 NLT
¹²This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. ¹³There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Proverbs 17:17 NLT
¹⁷A friend is always loyal,

Proverbs 27:17 NLT
¹⁷As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend.

Jonathan was a true friend and true friends are faithful in times of adversity.

Jonathan continues to be David’s best friend, even when he knows David, not him, will be the next king of Israel.

This pact between David and Jonathan appears again in verses 17 & 42:

¹⁷And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

⁴²At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

This solemn pact was repeated in 1 Samuel 23:18

1 Samuel 23:18 NLT
¹⁸So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.

or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”

David asked Jonathan to kill him, if he had in fact sinned against Saul.

David always recognized Saul as “the Lord’s anointed king” and David never wanted to do anything that would harm the king.

David did not want Jonathan to betray him to Saul.

David wanted to die at the hand of his friend rather than at the hand of his enemy.

David always recognized Saul as “the Lord’s anointed king”.

David had temporarily lost sight of God’s promise that he would rule over Israel.

⁹“Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”

¹⁰Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”

¹¹“Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. ¹²Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know.

Jonathan then suggested a plan by which he could communicate Saul’s intentions with David without revealing David’s location.

¹³But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live.

By this point in time Jonathan clearly understood the seriousness of this situation.

May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father.

This was amazing insight on Jonathan’s part. Somehow Jonathan knew that David had received the blessing from God that his father once had. It appears that Jonathan knew here what he verbalized in chapter 23:

1 Samuel 23:17 NLT
¹⁷… You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”

Jonathan knew that David had received the blessing from God that his father once had.

¹⁴And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, ¹⁵treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”

Jonathan was reminding David of their loyalty to each other as sworn friends.

In the Old Testament, is was not uncommon for a newly appointed king to kill all of the living relatives of the previous king.

Jonathan reminded David of their loyalty to each other as sworn friends.

Later in 2 Samuel chapter 9 David demonstrated that he, in fact, would honor Jonathan’s request.

2 Samuel 9 NLT
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
^9:1 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ²He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.
³The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”
Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
⁴“Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”
⁵So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. ⁶His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”
Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.”
⁷“Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”

¹⁶So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!”

This would include Jonathan’s father Saul.

Again, Jonathan was looking out for David’s welfare.

Jonathan continued to look out for David’s welfare.

¹⁷And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

Jonathan needed to be reassured that their vow of friendship was still intact.

The Whole Armor of God

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The Whole Armor of God

Know Your Enemy

Our enemy is a real enemy.

Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT
¹⁰A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹²For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
¹³Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Examine the scriptures:

Ephesians 6:10-13 NLTThe Whole Armor of God

¹⁰A final word:

Paul is finishing up his letter to the Ephesians.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

We are in a spiritual war on a daily basis.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Ephesians 1:19-21 NLT
¹⁹I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. ²¹Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.

Jesus’ power and authority transcend all rival powers, in this world and in the world to come.

God is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.

David recognized where his strength came from.

Psalm 28:7 NLT
A psalm of David.
David was not only a king, but he was also a fierce warrior.

⁷The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Other scriptures:

2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT
³But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT
⁵⁷But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:14 NLT
¹⁴Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.

Philippians 4:13 NLT
¹³For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Human effort is inadequate but God’s power is invincible.

The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

¹¹Put on all of God’s armor

We need to be wearing all of God’s armor every day of our loves.

so that you will be able to stand firm

Here on earth, Satan’s attacks are unending.

God is all powerful, but we are still faced with evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places on a daily basis.

Christians are to stand firm. Hold on to what we have. We are not told to attack the massive domain of evil.

against all strategies

A few of Satan’s strategies include:

Immorality

False theology

Worldly enticements

Idolatry and perversion are prevalent all around us.

Secular humanism is the prevailing philosophy of:

Government

School systems

Churches

Communities

of the devil.

Satan is a real and powerful enemy.

Satan and his demons are clever, crafty, cunning, and deceptive.

He is:

the prince (the ruler) of demons.” Luke 11:15

the God of this world. 2 Corinthians 4:4

the commander of the powers in the unseen world. Ephesians 2:2

a perverter of God’s Word. Matthew 4:6

a great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world. Revelation 12:9

He:

hinders God’s servants. 1 Thessalonians 2:18

obscures God’s Word. 2 Corinthians 4:4

controls the world around us. 1 John 5:19

1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT
⁸Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Our battle is against Satan and his demonic hosts.

It is only by the Lord’s protection that a believer can stand firm against the strategies of the devil.

More about Satan:

Ephesians 2:2 NLT
²You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

1 John 5:19 NLT
¹⁹We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

The entire unbelieving world is subject to the power of sin and the devil.

2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT
⁴Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

The world around us is under the control of the evil one.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.

¹²For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies,

We are in a battle, but human beings are not our enemies.

but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

We are fighting against:

evil rulers

authorities of the unseen world

mighty powers in this dark world

evil spirits in the heavenly places

1 Peter 5:8 NLT (repeated)
⁸Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

¹³Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor

Not partially clothed.

so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

God’s armor gives believers the ability to resist the attacks of the devil.

James 4:7 NLT
⁷So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Additional encouragement from scripture:

Isaiah 41:10 NLT
¹⁰Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Psalm 121:2 NLT
²My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

Hebrews 13:5 NLT
⁵… For God has said,“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”

Psalm 125:2 NLT
²Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.

Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT
⁸Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Michal Saves David’s Life

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Michal Saves David’s Life

The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways (FYI: This phrase is not found in the Bible.)

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
⁸“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 NLT
⁵Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

However, we can understand what is happening in today’s story.

Today’s lesson includes attempted murder, lies, idols, prophesying, indecent exposure, and more.

1 Samuel 19:11-24 NLT
Michal Saves David’s Life
¹¹Then Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.” ¹²So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped. ¹³Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.
¹⁴When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed.
¹⁵But Saul sent the troops back to get David. He ordered, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!” ¹⁶But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.
¹⁷“Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal.
“I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”
¹⁸So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. ¹⁹When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, ²⁰he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy. ²¹When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time. ²²Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded.
“They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him.
²³But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! ²⁴He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The people who were watching exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet?”

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 19:11-24 NLT
Michal Saves David’s Life

Previous lesson:

Saul Tries to Kill David
1 Samuel 19:9-10 NLT
⁹But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the Lord suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp, ¹⁰Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.

¹¹Then Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning.

Saul sent troops (agents, guards, men, messengers, officers) to kill David.

Again, Saul wants David destroyed.

Saul sent troops to David’s house with instructions to kill David.

But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.”

Michal was instrumental in saving David’s life.

Michael, at this point in time, displayed love and faithfulness.

Both Jonathan and Michal (two of Saul’s children) saved David from their father and undermined their father’s plans to eliminate him.

Michal was instrumental in saving David’s life.

¹²So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped.

¹³Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.

The Hebrew word for idol (as it is used here) is teraphim.

The teraphim was a figurine or image in human form called a household idol.

Some sources refer to a teraphim as a “household good luck image”.

The Hebrew people appeared to have a strange attraction to these “household idols”.

Michal employed the use of a household god (teraphim) in trickery and out of loyalty for her husband rather than her father.

Josiah said the use of teraphims was a detestable practice.

2 Kings 23:24 NLT
²⁴Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and every other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord’s Temple.

Zechariah 10:2 NLT
²Household gods give worthless advice,

Israelites using idols appears throughout the scriptures,

Genesis 31:34 NLT
³⁴But Rachel had taken the household idols (idols belonging to Laban) and hidden them in her camel saddle, and now she was sitting on them. When Laban had thoroughly searched her tent without finding them,

Judges 17:5 NLT
⁵Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols.

The use of household idols appears to be a practice influenced by pagan idol worship.

¹⁴When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed.

Michal lied.

Previously in scripture, Rahab also lied to save the two Hebrew spies she was hiding.

Joshua 2:4-5 NLT
⁴Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. ⁵They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.”

Michal lied to save David.

¹⁵But Saul sent the troops back to get David.

Saul was persistent.

He ordered, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!” ¹⁶But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.

Idols and lies were used to keep David from being murdered.

¹⁷“Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal.

“I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”

Michal lied again.

¹⁸So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him.

Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth.

Naioth in Ramah (verse 19)

A section of Ramah

¹⁹When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, ²⁰he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy.

What just happened here?

David was saved by “the Spirit of God”.

Saul’s men joined with the group of prophets and being filled with the Holy Spirit (controlled by the Holy Spirit) they no longer sought to capture David.

This seems to imply that the troops, inspired by the Holy Spirit, were acting in an enthusiastic, uncontrolled manner, praising of God.

The troops sent to kill David were incapable of carrying out their mission.

Editorial comment: “Troops” controlled by the Holy Spirit would appear to us to be acting in a “strange” manner.

²¹When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied!

The same thing happened a third time.

God repeatedly saved David from capture by Saul.

This is “strange” but it could have been worse.

A story from:
2 Kings 1:2-17 NLT
Elijah Confronts King Ahaziah²One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover.
³But the angel of the Lord told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, “Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? ⁴Now, therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” So Elijah went to deliver the message.
⁵When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned so soon?”
⁶They replied, “A man came up to us and told us to go back to the king and give him this message. ‘This is what the Lord says: Is there no God in Israel? Why are you sending men to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’”
⁷“What sort of man was he?” the king demanded. “What did he look like?”
⁸They replied, “He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.”
“Elijah from Tishbe!” the king exclaimed.
⁹Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us.”
¹⁰But Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all.
¹¹So the king sent another captain with fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king demands that you come down at once.”
¹²Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” And again the fire of God fell from heaven and killed them all.
¹³Once more the king sent a third captain with fifty men. But this time the captain went up the hill and fell to his knees before Elijah. He pleaded with him, “O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your fifty servants. ¹⁴See how the fire from heaven came down and destroyed the first two groups. But now please spare my life!”
¹⁵Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him, and don’t be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went with him to the king.
¹⁶And Elijah said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Is there no God in Israel to answer your question? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.”
¹⁷So Ahaziah died, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

At least Saul’s troops weren’t killed.

²²Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded.

“They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him.

²³But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth!

This was the last time the Spirit of God would rest on Saul.

God is preventing Saul from harming David. He turned Saul’s heart to prophecy and not to harm David.

Proverbs 21:1 NLT
21 The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
he guides it wherever he pleases.

Psalm 22:28 NLT
²⁸For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.

Again, God prevented Saul from harming David.

More details:

²⁴He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel.

Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Saul tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground.

A very humiliating experience.

The Spirit of God made Saul incapable of killing David.

There was another time previous to this when the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he began to prophesy.

Review the time when Samuel anointed Saul as king.

1 Samuel 10:5-7 & 9-11 NLT
Samuel Anoints Saul as King
⁵“When you arrive at Gibeah of God where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. (Praising God and instructing the people.) ⁶At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. ⁷After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you.
⁹As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. ¹⁰When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too,

began to prophesy.

A familiar Old Testament expression relating to empowerment for some God given task.

Saul was being empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry out the role of King of Israel.

¹¹When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”

Saul removing his royal garments was symbolic of God’s rejection of Saul as king over Israel.

In the O.T. the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was not a permanent status.

David knew that the presence of the Holy Spirit could be removed from a person.

Psalm 51:11 NLT
¹¹Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

The people who were watching exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet?”

The people were witnessing the power of the Holy Spirit working in Saul, however they would not have understood all that was happening.

PTF 2023

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PTF 2023

As parents and teachers we have an incredibly important and challenging, and at times seemingly overwhelming, God given assignment.

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) starts out by saying:
Train up a child in the way he should go:

Scripture tells us to teach our children. (Deuteronomy 11:19 NLT)

It’s our role to:

Train Guide Teach Direct Instruct or Disciple

our children in the way they should go.

Scripture says we are to bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Eph 6:4

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

What does this proverb communicate?

Good training establishes lifelong habits, patterns, and values.

Who is this proverb addressing?

Who is responsible for the training of children?

Parents have the primary responsibility for training their children.
Grandparents, teachers, and others come along side of the parents in a partnership to train children, but let me repeat, in a two parent family, both the mom and dad have the primary role of training their children.

It’s encouraging to know that God also plays a major role this assignment, and in fact He does the hard work.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NLT
⁶I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

One plants the seed (parents), one waters the seed (teachers, grandparents, others), but it is God who makes the seed grow.

We need to let God do His part.

Psalm 127:1 NLT
¹Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.

Back to the assignment: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Let me suggest a Biblical principle you want your children to know and practice?

This is found in:
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Imagine what could happen if you spent the next 12 to 15 years training your children to put their hope in the Lord, not in themselves.

Imagine what could happen if your children, over a period of time, truly leaned the importance of living a Christ-centered life.

Imagine what could happen if your children leaned to:
Trust in the Lord with all their heart;
and not depend on their own understanding.

In 12-15 years from now they would go off to college
Trusting in the Lord with all their heart;
and not depending on their own understanding.

Later when they are starting a family they would be
Trusting in the Lord with all their heart;
and not depending on their own understanding.

They would be teaching their children, your grandchildren to
⁵Trust in the Lord with all their heart;
…not depending on their own understanding.

Don’t forget: Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 29:17 NLT says:
¹⁷Discipline (disciple, train, or instruct) your children, and they will give you peace of mind
and will make your heart glad

How do we do this?

How do we Train up a child in the way he should go:

Let me give you a starting point.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT)
⁴“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Verses 5-6 tell us two things we as adults, as parents, as teachers “must” do.

We read:
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

we must “Love God with every fiber of our being.”

We must have a right relationship with God.

The passage goes on to say:

⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

We must know God’s Word – We must spend time in the Word.

This takes commitment – effort – work – on our part.

We cannot have a right relationship with God if we do not know what His word says.

When we commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the scriptures we will know God better and gain a better understanding of His will for our lives.

This passage goes on to say:

⁷Repeat them (God’s instructions) again and again to your children.

Repeat Biblical truths again and again to your children.

Talk about them (Biblical truths) when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

When you are at home.

When you are eating breakfast.

When you are on the road (car groups).

When you are eating dinner.

When you are getting ready for bed.

YOU SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT GOD, JESUS, AND BIBLICAL TRUTHS WITH YOUR CHILDREN ALL DAY LONG.

⁸Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Surround yourself and your family with visual reminders of the message of God’s Word.

What do people see when they walk into your house.

What kinds of pictures or plaques are on display in your home?

What is on display in your children’s bedrooms?

Be creative in the ways you surround yourself with reminders of the messages of God’s Word. Fill your house with reminders of God and His Word.

More importantly, fill your thoughts, fill your minds, with God’s Word.

Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

My challenge to you is that you make this a #1 priority for your life.

Jesus, the True Vine

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Jesus, the True Vine

From Redeemer’s web page (www.redeemerdayschool.org):

Our Mission

To provide a Christ-centered, teacher-directed, academically challenging school for Atlanta’s children while mentoring parents in Christ-centered child-rearing.

Briefly address one of Redeemer’s Core Values.

Core value (under Christ-Centered)

Nurturing students in love for the Lord by learning the Bible is Truth

2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God (God breathed) and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Either you believe that everything from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21 is truth or you don’t.

We believe it is truth.

We may not understand everything we read in scripture, but we know that it is truth.

We want our children to believe that everything from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21 is God’s truth.

Our Mission

To provide a Christ-centered, teacher-directed, academically challenging school for Atlanta’s children while mentoring parents in Christ-centered child-rearing.

The words of Jesus clearly address the importance of Christ-centered lives.

Redeemer’s school verse.

Psalm 78:4-7 NLT
⁴We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
⁵…
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
⁶so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.

One of Redeemer Day School’s primary reasons for existing is to share Biblical truths from both the Old and New Testament with all of the students. (verse 4)

At some point in their lives: (Hopefully before they reach their 18^th birthday)

We want our children to learn to set their hope on Christ (God) and not on themselves. (verse 7)

We want our children to come to understand Psalm 127:1

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. — Psalm 127:1.

We want our children to live Christ-centered lives.

Our goals are clearly contrary to the goals of secular humanism and the modern paganism that goes with it.

A look at some of the Words of Jesus.

John 15:1-10 NLT
Jesus, the True Vine
^15:1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ³You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
⁵“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
⁹“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. ¹⁰When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

Examine the Scriptures:

John 15:1-10 NLT

This passage of scripture may have been directed to the disciples, but the principles of this passage apply to all believers.

^15:1 “I am

the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.

The last of the seven “I am” statements.

The bread of life
The light of the world
The door
The good shepherd
The resurrection and the life
The way and the truth and the life
The true vine

²He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ³You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.

God, the gardener wants branches (people, Christians) who bear fruit (much fruit).

We want our children to be “Fruit bearers” – those who produce much fruit.

God does what is needed to make the vines produce fruit.

Pruning produces fruitfulness.

Most of us desire the same thing for our children and ourselves.

We pray for this.

Colossians 1:9-10 NLT
⁹So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Another of Paul’s prayers:
Philippians 1:9-11 NLT
⁹I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. ¹¹May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Instructions from Jesus. (For our children and for us.)

⁴Remain in me, (abide)

What does it mean to remain, or abide, in Christ?

Accept Jesus as Savior.
Believe the truth of the Bible.
Obey God’s commands.
Committed to serving Jesus and obeying His Word.

John 8:31 NLT
³¹Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. (We need to know the scripture.)

Colossians 1:21-23
²¹This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²²Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
²³But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.

1 John 2:24 NLT
²⁴So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.

John 14:21 NLT<
strong>²¹Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
²³Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

Jesus instructs us to remain in Him.

and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and

you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

A branch out of contact with the vine is lifeless.

⁵“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.

For apart from me (Christ) you can do nothing.

Apart from Christ people do become doctors, lawyers, teachers, professional athletes, successful entrepreneurs,

What is it that we can’t do without Jesus? We can’t produce the fruit Christ wants us to produce.

What does it mean to produce much fruit?

I can be the person God intended me to be.
I can live the life God has planned for me to live.
I can do everything God wants me to do.
I can bear the fruit God wants me to bear.
I can have the impact on others that God intends for me to have.

Apart from Christ we can do nothing.

Our goal is for all of our children to learn to set their hope on Christ (God) and not on themselves.

Gold, silver, and jewels vs. wood, hay, and stubble.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NLT
¹⁰Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
¹²Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. ¹³But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Unless the Lord build …

Psalm 127:1-2 NLT
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.
¹Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
²It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.— Psalm 127:1 ESV

Are we teaching our children to build on wood, hay, and stubble or gold, silver, and jewels?

⁶Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

⁹“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. ¹⁰When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

Obedience and love go together.

What does this look like?

Psalm 1:1-3 NLT
¹Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
²But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
³They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.

Colossians 2:6-7 NLT
⁶And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. ⁷Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Psalm 92:12-15 NLT
¹²But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
¹³For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
¹⁵They will declare, “The Lord is just!
He is my rock!
There is no evil in him!”

A final thought.

Philippians 4:13 NLT
¹³For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Slaves and Masters

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Spirit-Guided Relationships: Slaves and Masters

Introduction:

Previous lessons:

Living by the Spirit’s Power
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Children and Parents

Today’s lesson:

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Slaves and Masters

Ephesians 5:18 NLT tells us to:
¹⁸… be filled with the Holy Spirit,

A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live. (This theme is repeated from the two previous lessons.)

Ephesians 6:5-9 NLT
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Slaves and Masters
⁵Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. ⁶Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. ⁷Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ⁸Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
⁹Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.

Examine the scriptures:

Ephesians 6:5-9 NLT
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Slaves and Masters

⁵Slaves,

Slaves – Servants – Bondservants

Bible scholars have estimated that about one-third of the population in the Roman Empire in Paul’s time were slaves. One-third of the population in Ephesus would have been slaves.

Bible scholars have estimated that about one-third of the population in the Roman Empire in Paul’s time were slaves.

Slaves were, indirectly, a part of the family (household).

Husbands/wives
Children/parents
Slaves/masters

These passages all involve relationships between people.

Galatians 3:26-28 NLT
²⁶For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. ²⁸There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

There would have been Christian slaves under Christian masters.

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live.

This passage is not approving of or condemning slavery.

Slavery was a fact of life in that culture.

This passage is addressing relationships that existed in the Roman Empire.

obey your earthly masters

We are commanded to obey those who are in authority over us. (Repeated from previous lesson.)

Romans 13:1 NLT
Respect for Authority
^13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

Colossians 3:22 NLT
²²Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. …

The principles taught here would apply to employee/employer relationships today.

Obey those in positions of authority over you.

We are to practice continuous, uninterrupted submission to those in authority. (as long as the expectations do not contradict scripture.)

Obedience is the right thing to do.
Obedience pleases the Lord.

with deep respect and fear

With:

Respect for their authority.

Sincerity.

A healthy fear.

1 Peter 2:18-23 NLT
¹⁸You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect.

1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT
6 All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching. ²If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved.

Everyone should show full respect for those in authority so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching.

We are commanded to obey AND respect those who are in authority over us.

Romans 13:7 NLT
⁷Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ.

Colossians 3:22-23 NLT (repeated)
²²Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. ²³Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Ephesians 5:21 NLT
²¹And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
for this is the right thing to do.

⁶Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you.

Not just when it is easy to do so.

1 Peter 2:18-23 NLT
¹⁸You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. ¹⁹For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. ²⁰Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.
²¹For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
²²He never sinned,
nor ever deceived anyone.
²³He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.

As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT
¹⁹Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Titus 2:9-10 NLT
9 Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back 10 or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.

Obey with obedience that comes from your heart.

Obey because you belong to the Lord. (6:1)

⁷Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

The will of God is that Christian slaves honor Him by serving their human masters faithfully and with enthusiasm.

The will of God is that Christian employees honor Him by serving their employers faithfully and with enthusiasm.

⁸Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

⁹Masters, treat your slaves in the same way.

With integrity and concern.

Mutual honor and respect.

Colossians 4:1 NLT
^4:1 Masters, be just and fair to your slaves.

Paul speaking to Philemon about his slave Onesimus.

Philemon 1:16 NLT
¹⁶He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

Application:

Teachers, treat your students in the same way.

Administrators, treat your teachers in the same way.

Don’t threaten them;

More application.

Teachers, don’t threaten your students.

Administrators, don’t threaten your teachers.

Masters, be just and fair to your slaves.

remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.

Romans 2:11 NLT
¹¹For God does not show favoritism.

1 Peter 1:17 NLT
¹⁷And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”

With different roles.

God will fairly judge both masters and servants.

A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live. (Repeated)

“We will…tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord…
so that they should set their hope in God.”

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Slaves and Masters

Ephesians 6:5-9 NLT
⁵Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. ⁶Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. ⁷Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ⁸Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
⁹Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.

A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live. (This theme is repeated from the two previous lessons.)

Bible scholars have estimated that about one-third of the population in the Roman Empire in Paul’s time were slaves.

We are commanded to obey those who are in authority over us. (Repeated from previous lesson.)

Obedience is the right thing to do.

Obedience pleases the Lord.

We are commanded to obey AND respect those who are in authority over us.

Obey with obedience that comes from your heart.

Obey because you belong to the Lord. (6:1)

The will of God is that Christian slaves (Christian employees) honor Him by serving their human masters (employers) faithfully and with enthusiasm.

Masters, be just and fair to your slaves.

A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live.

Saul Tries to Kill David

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Saul Tries to Kill David

Review:

The birth of Samuel.
– Samuel’s parents were Elkanah and Hannah.

Samuel given to the Lord by Hannah, his mother.
– Samuel became an apprentice in the temple under the supervision of Eli the priest.

Eli the priest and his worthless sons.

The Lord calls Samuel.
– Samuel was a priest, prophet, and judge.

Samuel was God’s spokesman for all of Israel.

The Philistines capture the Ark of God.

The Philistines return the ark of God.

Samuel, as the Judge of Israel, leads the Israelites to victory over the Philistines.

Israel requests a king.

Samuel privately anoints Saul as king.

Initially Saul was a good king.

Continued war with the Philistines.

Jonathan was Saul’s son.
– Jonathan most likely would have made a good king, but that was not God’s plan for Israel.

The Lord rejects Saul. Saul’s kingship was a failure.

Samuel privately anoints David as king.

David kills Goliath.

The conclusion of the previous lesson.

1 Samuel 18:27-30
… So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.
²⁸When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.
³⁰Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.

There was a time when Saul loved David.

1 Samuel 16:21-22 NLT
²¹So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.
²²Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.”

Saul was afraid of David, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.

David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lordwas with him.

1 Samuel 19:1-10 NLT
Saul Tries to Kill David
^19:1 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, ²told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. ³I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”
⁴The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. ⁵Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”
⁶So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”
⁷Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before.
⁸War broke out again after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away.
⁹But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the Lord suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp, ¹⁰Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 19:1-10 NLT
Saul Tries to Kill David
^19:1 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David.

David’s success against Israel’s enemy, the Philistines, caused Saul to act irrationally.

Prior to this, Saul was hoping that David would be killed by the Philistines.

1 Samuel 18:12-16 NLT
¹²Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. ¹³Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.
¹⁴David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. ¹⁵When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.

Saul’s urged his servants and his son, Jonathan, to kill David.

Saul wants David completely out of his life.

But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David,

Previous chapter

^18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.

When David met Jonathan, there was an immediate bond between the two young men.

Where did this affection come from? (Clearly this was a result of God’s intervention.)

1 Thessalonians 4:9 NLT
⁹But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT
¹²And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

1 John 4:7 NLT
⁷Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.

1 John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Proverbs 17:17 NLT
¹⁷A friend is always loyal,
and a brother is born to help in time of need.

Jonathan was a true friend and true friends are faithful in times of adversity.

Jonathan continues to be David’s best friend, even when he knows David, not him, will be the next king of Israel.

1 Samuel 23:17 NLT
¹⁷“Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”

Back to 1 Samuel 19:

²told him what his father was planning.

^19:1 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David.

God, in His infinite mercy, used Saul’s son Jonathan to inform David of Saul’s evil intensions.

“Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields.

³I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”

Jonathan was truly concerned about David’s welfare.

⁴The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. ⁵Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”

Jonathan stood up for David.

Jonathan reminded his father, Saul, that David had done nothing to deserve death.

Jonathan appealed to his father to do the right thing.

⁶So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”

Jonathan temporarily convinced his father that it would be wrong for him to kill David.

⁷Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before.

⁸War broke out again after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away.

⁹But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the Lord suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp,

The Lord had turned away from Saul. (1 Samuel 18:12)

The Lord sent a tormenting spirit. This was a tormenting spirit, not the Lord Himself.

Evil spirits are subject to God’s control.

Saul was mentally unbalanced.

Saul’s behaviors are predictable.

Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
¹⁹When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

¹⁰Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.

Saul:

Jealousy, rage, and anger once again dominated Saul and he attempted to kill David.

1 Samuel 18:10 NLT (the previous chapter)
¹⁰The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman.

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
⁹“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?

David:

The Lord was with David.

^18:12Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul.

^18:14David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.

Psalm 18:1-3 NLTA psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:
¹I love you, Lord;
you are my strength (defender).
²The Lord is my rock (protector), my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
³I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.

Psalm 145:20 NLT
²⁰The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.

The Lord protects all those who love him.

Encouragement for us.

1 John 4:9-15 NLT
⁹God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
¹¹Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. ¹²No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
¹³And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ¹⁴Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.

All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. (1 John 4:15)

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Children and Parents

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Introduction:

A brief look at two of Redeemer Day School’s four core values.

Redeemer’s four core values:

Christ-Centered
Teacher Directed
Academically Challenging
Mentoring Relationships

Two of our Core Values talk about obedience.

Christ-Centered

Nurturing students in displaying obedience.

Teacher Directed

Respect is fostered through listening and obeying.

Ephesians 6:1-4 NLT
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Children and Parents
^6:1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ²“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: ³If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
⁴Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

Examine the scriptures:
Ephesians 6:1-4 NLT
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Children and Parents

Previous lesson:

Living by the Spirit’s Power
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands

Today’s lesson

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Children and Parents

Next lesson:

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Slaves and Masters

Ephesians 5:18 NLT tells us to:
¹⁸… be filled with the Holy Spirit,

A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live.

^6:1 Children, obey your parents

Both parents.

because you belong to the Lord,

Additional scriptures:

Ephesians 5:21 NLT
²¹And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Colossians 3:20 NLT
²⁰Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.

Proverbs 6:20 NLT
²⁰My son, obey your father’s commands,
and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
²¹Keep their words always in your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
²²When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
When you sleep, they will protect you.
When you wake up, they will advise you.
²³For their command is a lamp
and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
is the way to life.

for this is the right thing to do.

As if obeying the Lord Himself.

Obedience is the right thing to do.
Obedience pleases the Lord.

²“Honor your father and mother.”

Additional scriptures:

Exodus 20:12 NLT
¹²“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16 NLT
¹⁶“Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Honor is more than obedience.

Hebrews 12:9 NLT
⁹Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

Proverbs 1:7-9 NLT
⁷Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
⁸My child, listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
⁹What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck.

Honor is more than obedience.

Honor shows respect.

Honor displays a right attitude.

Honor is an act of submission.

Honor is more than obedience. Honor recognizes the importance or value of obedience.

This is the first commandment with a promise:

This might not actually be the first commandment with a promise. (See Exodus 20:6)

Exodus 20:6 NLT
⁶But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

This might not even the greatest commandment. (See Matthew 22:37 – Mark 12:30 – Luke 10:27)

This is a commandment of primary importance for children.

³If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, disobeyed Eli and ….

1 Samuel 2:12 & 25
¹²Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord …

²⁵… But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.

1 Samuel 4:10-11 NLT
¹⁰So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents. ¹¹The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed.

The environment in a home (classroom) is more pleasant when obedience is being practiced.

Jeremiah 7:22-23 NLT
²²When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. ²³This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’

Isaiah 1:19-20 NLT
¹⁹If you will only obey me,
you will have plenty to eat.
²⁰But if you turn away and refuse to listen,
you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”

⁴Fathers,

The head of the family, responsible for disciplining the children.

do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.

Colossians 3:21 NLT
²¹Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

Not excessive
Not harsh
Nor unjust
Domineering and thoughtless acts will discourage children.

Loving and gentle
No unreasonable demands, petty rules, or favoritism.

Fathers (parents) do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

Disciple

Teach by example.

Reflect on the Lord’s discipline.

Hebrews 12:5-11 NLT
⁵And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
⁶For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
⁷As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? ⁸If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. ⁹Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
¹⁰For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. ¹¹No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

The Lord disciplines those he loves.

There are numerous scriptures that are amazing similar to Ephesians 6:1-4 directed to us as adults.

Remember, we are children of God.

As children of God:

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 NLT
^6:1 “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, ²and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. ³Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
⁴“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 11:13-21 NLT
¹³“If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, ¹⁴then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. ¹⁵He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.
¹⁶“But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. ¹⁷If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you.
¹⁸“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ¹⁹Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ²⁰Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, ²¹so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.

The Biblical principles found in Ephesians 6:1-4 certainly apply to adults as well as to children.

They applied to Jesus.

Philippians 2:8 NLT
⁸ he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

We are commanded to obey those in authority.

A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live.

“We will…tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord…
so that they should set their hope in God.”

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Children and Parents

Ephesians 6:1-4 NLT
^6:1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ²“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: ³If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
⁴Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live.
Obedience is the right thing to do.
Obedience pleases the Lord.
Honor is more than obedience. Honor recognizes the importance or value of obedience.
The environment in a home (classroom) is more pleasant when obedience is being practiced.
Fathers (parents), do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.
The Lorddisciplines those he loves.
There are numerous scriptures that are amazing similar to Ephesians 6:1-4 directed to us as adults.
A Spirit-controlled (Spirit-Guided) life is necessary for living the life God has planned for us to live.

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