Omc: Family Chapel

After receiving the promises of the Davidic covenant, David begins to experience success like Israel has never seen before. Many of us yearn for success in life, but how are we to handle it when it actually comes? Through this passage, we see that true success is faithfully fulfilling one's calling. And through David's success, we see the greater success of the Greater David, who fulfilled His calling by going to the cross to defeat our enemies and to secure our place in His Kingdom.

We can continue to carry out the mission of God in an ever-changing culture by being slow to speak and quick to listen. When we listen well, we reflect to the world the love of the God who hears. The greatest demonstration of this love is seen at the cross, where God hears the deepest cries of our hearts and sends His Son to save us.

In our passage this week, David seeks to secure the favor of God upon his kingship with a plan to build a house for God. Yet, in response to this seemingly noble act, God responds in an unexpected way. God shows us that His favor is not something that we earn; it is something that is given freely by God in His grace and mercy. Our God is the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God, and we will see that our primary response to His faithfulness ought to be awestruck humility and faith.

In our passage this week, David has just been enthroned as king of Israel, and he makes it his first mission to bring the ark of the LORD to Jerusalem. Though his intent is to worship God, he takes a careless approach in not fully recognizing God's holiness. What we learn is that if we want to partake in true worship, it is essential that we are first gripped by the holiness and worth of the God we are worshiping.

After the death of Saul, David now has a clearer path to the throne. However, instead of securing the throne for himself by any means necessary, David seeks to pursue God's call on his life in a way that honors the Lord. And through David, we see that God's work requires God's way. And we can faithfully do God’s work in God’s way by following God’s lead, by adhering to God’s methods, by trusting in God’s provision, and by knowing God’s purposes.

David receives news of Saul's death, but instead of rejoicing, as many might expect, David laments. And through his lament, we see what godly grief looks like. In the face of tragic events, God’s people should respond in godly grief, which stems from godly character, is emotionally honest, gives thanks, and is willing to linger. However, grief does not have the final word since we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Rather, in the midst of our grief, we place our hope in Christ!

The tragic death of King Saul serves as a warning for everyone as they navigate through life. Saul makes a wrong turn, which leads him down the wrong way, which ultimately takes him to a dead end. We too can make a wrong turn when we disobey God's clear commands. And we too can go down the wrong way when we attempt to secure life apart from God. And those who continue in their rebellion and refusal to repent come to a dead end. Thankfully, in Christ, there is an alternative route, as we turn to Him, walk in His way, and find true life.

Under the threat of Saul, David decides to move to the land of the Philistines and live in exile. Like David, Christians today find themselves in exile, living in the world, while not being of the world. But rather than being passive bystanders, Christians are to actively live the Kingdom Life even in exile. And Christians faithfully live as exiles in the world by: carrying out the mission of God, maintaining the character of God, pursuing strength and guidance from God, and providing for the people of God.

David has been called by God to be king, but David remains on the run from Saul. However, David’s biggest problem is not the Saul that is chasing after him, but David’s biggest problem is the Saul that is lurking within him. Yes, David has received God’s call to be king, but even more than that, David needs God’s character to be king. Kingdom citizens are to pursue after God’s call on their lives by pursuing after godly character. God’s call requires godly character. And if God has called you to it, he will prepare you for it.

David is on the run from Saul, there are spies all around, and his life is constantly in danger. While in the most trying circumstances he's faced in his life, David does not use this as an excuse to act selfishly or sinfully, but continually shows selfless mercy to those around him. Like David, we can live mercifully in times of trouble when our eyes are fixed more on God than on our circumstances.

While David’s life is in danger by the hands of Saul, David’s greatest support comes from an unlikely ally: Jonathan, son of Saul, the heir to the throne. While David is called to wield power for God’s kingdom, Jonathan is given the more difficult call to yield his right to the throne. Like Jonathan, we are at times called by God to yield our own “kingdoms” for the sake of His own. We will see that we can yield our kingdoms in the same manner when we, like Jonathan, submit our lives to the greatness and goodness of God’s kingship.

With David's rise, we see the various markers of jealousy through Saul. At its root, jealousy comes from a restless heart that rejects God as King. Thus, the solution to our jealousy is found in contentment living for God's Kingdom rather than for our own kingdoms.

In this week’s passage, we will be introduced to the man to replace Saul as king: David, son of Jesse. David is chosen as king not because of his outward appearance, but because he has a heart that is pleasing before God. We see David’s heart in the battle against Goliath, a heart of faith in the character of God, and a heart whose chief concern is the honor and glory of the LORD. This is the heart which God sought after in Israel's king, and is the same heart which God seeks today.

God desires obedience from His people for the advancement of His Kingdom. Unlike disobedience, which is rooted in fear and foolishly acts on one's own preferences, obedience is rooted in faith and faithfully acts on God's promises. While disobedience disqualifies us from service in God's Kingdom, God uses our simple obedience for His Kingdom purposes.

Israel has rejected God as King and they have requested a king just like the other nations. How will God respond? While the people may reject God, God will not reject His people. By God’s sovereign grace, He transforms our rejection into our redemption.

As we continue through the narrative of Samuel, we will see Israel’s rebellion in demanding a king for themselves. By doing so, they are rejecting God as their king. In the same way, we too find ourselves rejecting God as King when we place our trust in earthly “kings” (powers, people, promises of the world, etc.). From our passage, we will see the futility of placing our trust in these earthly kings, and will be challenged to turn our hearts and eyes to Christ, our eternal King.

Because of our sin, God's presence is a problem. No one can stand before the holy God in their sinfulness. However, we cannot deal with the problem of God’s presence by just pushing it off. Rather, we can safely enter God's presence by repenting and turning to Him.

God seeks to raise up leaders for His Kingdom purposes. Thus, God removes leaders who abuse their power, refuse to repent, and forget their purpose. In their place, God calls leaders who faithfully abide in His presence and humbly accept His call.

When we are given the life we never wanted, we are to hold on to our bitter faith because bitter faith is still genuine faith. Bitter faith turns to God in honest prayer and bitter faith turns to God in surrendered trust. And under God's sovereignty, we have hope because bitter faith will one day give way to joyful praise. (1 Samuel 1:1-2:11)

The faith of Rahab serves as an unexpected reminder of our faithful God who is always doing the extraordinary in the ordinary. As such, we should take time to pause and remind ourselves that it is God who conquers and keeps His promises. And we should put our faith into action as we trust that God does the extraordinary even in our ordinary.