Honoring God in the Waiting- How to Respect God’s Will and Timing: 1 Samuel 24:1-22

Show Notes

Episode 515: 
In this episode, we dove into a fascinating discussion about two similar events in the life of David from the Bible. We focused on 1 Samuel 24 and 26, where David spares King Saul's life, despite having a perfect opportunity to kill him. We explored the themes of interpreting circumstances as acts of God, the wisdom and humility of David, and the importance of not attributing to God what He may not have orchestrated. We also discussed the significance of David's patience and his respect for God's anointed, as well as the broader lesson of waiting for God's timing rather than forcing our own solutions.

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You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. We have a great episode. And today is Friday. Every day we say we have a great episode, and it's true every day. I know, I know, don't ever condemn me for saying the truth. No, I know, you're just speaking the truth. That's right in love. Today's Friday, though, and normally people expect to hear possibly what made christ We. Made Chris mad this week? But that's our favorite episode, well, our favorite. You s so say you yes, But Desiree decided to switch. Things up, and so she is asking the question, excuse me, she's asking the question what made Jeff happy this week? It makes me happy that she asked that question. That's how about that? I don't know. And by the way, let me just point out once again that I love how people attribute me always being angry and somehow you're being. I'm alway being happy. I am Jeff such a happy guy. I am. I'm a happy person, dominantly happy, very happy person. I would say I'm a contented person. Content contented, Yeah, yeah, Well, I mean, I don't have highs and lows, per se, I don't. I don't says that. I don't say I don't have highs and lows. I have highs and I have lows. But I don't know that my my angry at the world thing is as significant as yours, which then. You're then exactly welcome, which that means. I think on the other side of this, what she's expecting is that I would have these enthusiasms that equal your You're frustrations with the world, right, That's that's what I'm saying. So you have a self complex of not being so extremely happy. As much as I'm. Extremely angry, I'm very happy. I'm a very happy person, but I'm generally content, so happy. Well, it wasn't that on the grew wasn't that grows the little girls? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's so fluffy, so despicable me. Yeah, so this week it was time for me to take back my truck, so at least my truck. Yeah, it's it was time to take it. Yeah, it was good, it was happy. So Jeff got something. Yeah yeah, So. So I wanted I wanted a specific truck with specific. Trim, and. Uh, it was more expensive, well within my budget. But you know there's the responsible Jeff, and then the one that says, hey, it's still within my budget and I'd rather have this one. Right. Both of those are responsible, but one was so my wife she heard, hey, uh, so you can get this other truck that's almost as good, right for less, Like, yeah, I could, And I said, you know, my brain is telling me that's what I could do. I could do that. I wouldn't want to save a little bit and do what you can. But my heart was telling me I really like this other one, and it's within my budget. I can afford it, right, So I'm not putting my family in danger. I'm just choosing. So I wanted this one. By any story that requires such justification before you tell us what you did has got to be good. So I had already gone to the dealership and had talked with my favorite car guy that we've dealt with forever, and so we were going back and forth and he said, well, I have this one, you know, the one I wanted. He said, I have the exact. Same truck, same color, same everything, just lower trim, less money. And I said, well, I don't know what to do. I said, I know what my brain says I. Should do, but my heart really says the other one. And I said, you know, my wife is going to be excited about the fact that we'll save so much money with the other truck. And he goes, here's what I'll do. I'll just set aside both of these trucks and you guys can come back test, right. I said, good idea, I'll bring my wife on Friday. So I bring Bonnie back. And you know, the one head running boards, the other one didn't, so she couldn't hardly get up in the truck because they both have big wheels. The one head leather, the other one didn't. The one head right all these features, the other one didn't. So when we get out of the truck, our guy Carl goes, so, hey, what'd you think, Bonnie, She goes, well, I don't think there's even the competition. We got to get that other one. Yeah, yeah, right, And so I didn't even have to lobby. I didn't have to. I had said, I know, I know what the responsible decision was was the less expensive one. You know, the reality is they have four wheels and a motor is going to get me from point A to point B, right, Just I like the one better than the other one, and it's within my budget. So I didn't have to do any negotiating with Bonnie. I didn't have anything, and she was like, I think we need this other one. Well, the running boards alone. She can't get in the truck. She couldn't get in it. This is a hard time getting it. Sometimes I have a truck and she's I'm getting up in it. Yeah, get your butt up in that dry Yeah. Yeah, we're saving money. So then we had had a problem with that dealerships I'm not gonna say the name of dealership. Now, with that dealership's. Shop on a repair on a different car that we had, and it was a significant issue. So then we took that car to another competitors dealership and it turned out it was a nine thousand dollars difference between what they suggested versus what the actual solution was. Well, I would never ever go back to the dealership again. So well, I like the salesman. I didn't like that, right, So we mentioned it. Yeah, we mentioned it at the thing. Bonnie was so smart, she goes, you know, hey, we're really loyal to you, loyal to you and this brand. You know, my dad worked for General Motors and so I get the discounts and stuff, but boy, we were really disappointed with that. He goes what and so he went and the manager gave us a significant discount on this vehicle. So it really landed about fifty percent of the way between what the lower cost one was. It got about half that off on the on the payment. Yes, it worked out great. Yeah, so that's that's what made me happy, is you know what, there are still customer service people out there who want to do the right thing. Yeah. Right, So super apologetic about the bad service we got in the service department. Uh, super positive on the other side, and uh I didn't have to fight with Bonnie at all about it. So you get a Foard or Chevy it's a GMC GMC yeah yeah, yeah, it's out the GMC Sierra Denali it's so yeah, oh yes, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you don't have so my good buddy Dave one time got a what do you call Denali Tahoe Tahoe? I guess Denali? Uh, Yukon, that's right, Yukon, Denale. And they had heated water in the. Winch of wipers. Have you seen this? Yeah? Did you say that? Yeah? Okay, yeah, and the denalis are like that cool. Yeah, because if you're if your wind show has frost, it'll heat up the water and then when you turn on the wind show wipers, it actually like melts the frost. It's it's pretty neat. It's pretty neat. My tailgate folds down into a step so you can just step up into the back of your truck. Is the STEP's got a little handle to hang on to. This goofy it's his dumbest it's the dumbest truck. It's a grocery getter that I need to get out to go hunting in a couple times a year. That that's it. I don't really need this truck, but I love it. It's fun, but but the better So, so the truck is fun. That's not what made me happy, because stuff goes away. What was making me happy really was the great customer service. Yeah, right, So sometimes. We complain about customer service people. Yeah, sometimes we complain about customer service. But in this situation, you had some good guys that decided to do the right thing. That's right. Yeah, Yeah, which which We very much appreciate good customers. Absolutely, that's fantastic. So that's okay, Thanks Jeff for sharing. What made you happen made me so happy, And you know what, I took a long time to get there. By the way, I think you can claim that you're happy for the rest of the world because of good customer service. Good customer service makes everybody happy. That's right. Yep. So we have a quandary because Waundry a situation happens in David's life two times. Yeah, they're very similar. Yes, and we skipped the first one and we were heading towards the second. One, but I wind instead of like, now. That we're looking at it, this is when we should be reading the second one. We kind of really want to read the first one. Yes, and so one is found in First Samuel chapter twenty four, yep. The other is founded for Samuel chapter twenty six. What happens in between is the story of Nabel and Abigail. That's right, right, that's right. So we decided to go back to First Samuel chapter twenty four. We're going to read that story and then we'll tell you about the story that happens in twenty six. Does that feel good to you? To me? Between the two, this is by far, and you're gonna know why. You're gonna know because the outcome is the same, the reasoning is the same. But there's an element to this story that's not in the other one. And Chris just really needs us to read this. One because forever I'm still living in junior High, I mean junior High. Yes, okay, okay, hereck we go first. Samuel chapter twenty four says, after Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of Bengetti. So Saul chose three thousand elite troops from all israel I went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats, at the place where the road passes some sheep folds. Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. Hence the reason why we're reading. This story giggling. Yeah, so Saul goes into a cave to relieve himself means exactly what you think it means, listener. But as it happened, which is a funny phrase too, as it happened. As it was happening, David and his men were hiding further back in that very cave. Opportunity. David's men whispered to him, today, the Lord is telling you, I will certainly put your enemy into your power to. Do as you wish. So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul's robe. But then David's conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul's robe. The Lord knows I shouldn't have done that to my Lord the King. He said to his men, Lord forbid that I should do this to the Lord, my king, and attack the Lord's anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him. So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saulah left the cave. And gone on his way, David came out and shouted after him, my Lord the King. When Saul looked around, David bowed low before him. Then he shouted, the Saul, why do you listen to the people who say I'm trying to harm you this very day? You can see with your own eyes it isn't true, For the Lord placed you at my mercy. Back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, But I spared you, for I said I will never harm the king. He's the Lord's anointed one. Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It's a piece of the hem of your I cut it off, but I didn't kill you. This proves that I'm not trying to harm you. And then I've not sinned against you, even though you've been hunting for me to kill me. May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you're trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. As that old proverb says, from evil people come evil deeds. So you can be sure I will never harm you. Who is the King of is or trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flee. May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power. And when David had finished speaking, Saw called back, is that really you, my son, David? And then he began to cry, and he said to David, you are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. Yes, you've been amazingly kind to me today. For when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn't do it. Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well or the kindness you have shown me today? And now I realize that you are surely going to be king and that the Kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens, you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants. And so David promised this to Saul with an oath, and the Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold. Yeah. So there's so much in here. Yeah. And the reason why I love it is, Yeah, the junior high and Meat loves that piece of it. You know, it's so crazy. All goes into the men's room. Yeah, it goes in the men's room. It's so funny, and David's already there. Yes, Bunny, it reaches under the stall and cuts us right right right. But that's not even nearly why this is my favorite. It's my favorite because of this really this one comment, so David's mighty men, or it doesn't say mighty men, it says David's men. Whispred whispered and said, today the Lord is telling you, I will certainly put your enemy into your power to do with as you wish, and with their doing is they're interpreting this is an act of God. And yet what David is saying, like no, no, no, don't lay at the feet of God, which doesn't deserve to be laid at the feet of God. Right, it's the times in our lives that we sometimes listen. I told you before the podcast started, as we were talking about which story to talk about, I said, I have actually heard people say, well, I'm married to this, you know, a woman I'm like really unhappy. And I'm telling you it was an act of God that I hooked up with this other girl and they're having an affair, you know, and God just wants me to be happy. And I'm telling you, liked God brought her into my life. And I'm like, I'm pretty certain that God didn't do that at all. And I'm pretty certain that you know, you're trying to lay at the feet of God that which God did not do. Because God's word is not going to contradict itself. It never does. And so if God says that he doesn't wish for you to be divorced, because we still believe that it's a traditional belief that is in God's word pretty clearly right, that he wants us to work on our marriage and you know, not have an affair and be faithful. That's that's a biblical value, that's pretty clear. It's in the Ten Commandments. Jesus affirms it. Right. So it's like, so, why would God, you know, bring somebody into your life? And so I think that because it was a miraculous type thing. Keep in mind that it could have been that God brought him into this one cave miraculously so that David could have the victory then the way that he did so, And I say miraculous because think about this, if you're if you go to Israel, you realize how many thousands and thousands of caves there are. And so can you imagine, here's Saul's army led by Saul, walking through you know, this this this ravine or whatever it is. And as they're looking up on each side of the hills on the mountains, there are probably hundreds and hundreds of caves. I mean, at least dozens. Have you been to Ingedi that particular spot, now, Yeah, So and. Getty is a narrow canyon, right, and there's a spring, there's a waterfall in there, and then there's little caves along the edges all around their sandstone caves, so they wash out all the time. Whenever there's a new rain or something, they're gone. It's a fairly narrow spot. When we were there, it was particularly hot. It's not far from the Dead Sea, and it was one of the guys was wearing a watch that had a thing on it as one hundred and twenty degrees, which is insane, right, And that was just the circuit. As soon as we got out of that cavern or that that canyon, it went down to. Like one hundred and two or one hundred and three, but it ready on this thing. It felt it felt really great because it was so hot up in there. So the Bible says that he knew that that's where David was, was in Ingetty, so he knew he's in that. Yeah, it says it says that Saul was told that David had gone into the wilderness of Ingeti, and so the wilderness is fairly large, but this one canyon is fairly narrow. And then if you're going into the wilderness of Inghey, there's not much water, so you know you're going to head towards water. And it's this river that's flowing through this this one area, and so he goes to the rocks, a wild goes. So it didn't need to be a miracle. It could have been a miracle. It didn't need to be a miracle. It certainly was circumstantial. David's hiding in a cave near the only water source. Saul's looking for David in the area of Ingeti near the only water source. Saul probably had drank a bunch of water out of that water source. Now he needs to go relieve himself. But of all the caves, yeah, yeah, you could. You could totally misinterpret that as a as a as. A god did that right. He could have gone into any one of these hundreds of caves. And if you're only talking about just that, you know, in Getty area, you're you're talking about dozens at least when. You're hunting a person, it's not like it's a Hey, we looked around for an hour and we're going to go back home. They've been doing this for a days and. Days, days and days. The circumstance of how close and tight that was, it's not beyond comprehension that it just was a circumstance, and that David's men were blaming it on. You're trying to say, you're trying to try. To say it was just a circumstance. It could have been a circumst They didn't even be a miracle. They were saying it was a miracle. David was taking it just as a pure circumstance. Do I make it. Sound like no, no, no, no no. I was saying that like it seemed miraculous because of the odds. Because because his men say, hey, here's a quick and easy solution. God must have done this for us, right, David's a good guy. What are the odds that we would be hiding in this cave? I mean, think about how confident that's all you know was that he wasn't in that cave. He tells his whole army to wait here while he goes up into the privacy of a cave. And so and by the way, what other circumstances. Can you even imagine if you begin to sit down and dream of a circumstance sure of Saul being vulnerable, you couldn't even dream this up right, We're somehow has three thousand men and they're all waiting outside and sauls by himself. And by the way, let's just say this out loud, in one of the most vulnerable positions. Yes, he's very very delicate situation. Yeah, right, he can't even stand up and run, right, I mean his pants around his ankles and so I mean like all of those things. So it's literally like a dream come true, which is why I would say, you know, you can't dream of it. And so they're probably saying God must have done this, And so for me, the lesson is is that let's be careful not to lay at the feet of God that which God. Is not in charge of her doing. Right. So, yeah, this was a circumstance that seems like it was against all odds. But in my mind, if God did orchestrate that circumstantially, it was probably because he wanted David to get the victory of not you know, taking Saul's life. And by the way, let's talk about David's wisdom humility. It was very wise of him, because think about it, he could have he could have come out of the cave and said, oh King, my king, and all of a sudden Saul said, seize him. And then all of a sudden, six hundred men are fighting three thousand men and have a chance to lose. Right, So that was a risk. But the wisdom of like politically David gaining the loyalty of the three thousand men, because you know, those three thousand men are like, what kind of man is doing this? Right? They already probably have respect for David. They already revere him as a warrior, right, and they're being made to listen to all his orders. David comes out and says, do you realize what could have happened? And let me. Show you that I'm not trying to harm you. And so in front of his three thousand men, Saul almost had no choice. Remember seeing Gladiator, Remember the movie Gladiator. Remember when Caesar feared the people and he could have said killed the Gladiator, but he didn't be at a fear of the people because the politics were or I can't do this publicly, And I think that's what was happening here, right, I. Think that like, David has a lot of wisdom here. So then in First Samuel twenty six, it's a similar story. Saul has another three thousand men. He's out looking for David again. So he's up and down, up and down, up and down, and David sends out some spies and the spies come back and say, hey, we found where the camp is. So David turns around to Abishai and I forgot the other one a himelek, and he's goes, hey, you guys want to sneak down the camp with me, And so they do. They sneak down in the camp to see what's going on, and Abishai specifically, and so they go right into SAAL's camp. They find him asleep. There's a spear stuck in. The ground and a water bottle right next to him, and Abishai goes, God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time, right, And he goes, let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear. I won't need to strike twice, that's Abashai. Wow, how tough is that? Right? Yeah? And David goes, no, don't kill him because nobody can remain innocent after attacking, attacking the Lord's anointed one, and so instead they steal the spear and the water jug. Then they go up on the side of the hill and then they call out to Saul and say, hey, I didn't kill you again, right, So this is the second time he's able to establish to all of Saul's warriors, I'm not going to kill this guy, right right, And there's something to be said about that. They you know, not touching the Lord's anointed. The God blesses that, and Saul acknowledges that as well. That in this situation. So again, if Saul had wrestled with David and is attacking David, and David killed Saul, that would have been justified. It would have been self defense. He would have been protecting himself. But when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, not having been assaulted in that moment, it would have been murdered. It would have been the wrong thing, and he would have been executing the one that God had chosen to be king. And so David said, hey, God chose him to be king. God will take him out, but it's not going to be. At my hand. Yeah, and he says in that passage in chapter twenty six, either God will kill him or he'll die of old age, but either way. I will not raise my hand against God's anoil. That's what he says in chapter two. So David here is really demonstrating number one patience for God's plan, because David already knows that God told through the prophet Samuel and said that, hey, David, you're going to be king one day, so he could he could have easily interpreted both of these circumstances as, hey, if I kill him, I'll be the king. Maybe this is how God's going to do it. So but David decides to wait patiently and says, hey, I don't want it to be my hand. I want it to be God's hand. I'm not going to force it. I'm not going to push it through. I'm not going to be the instrumentation. I'm going to rely on God. Let it be God's thing. Which there's something to be said about that, you know, in every decision that we make, you know, let it not be us forcing it through just because we think it's God's will. Like, you know, let's sit back and make sure that this is God's doing that. Yeah. We had a conversation about this a few weeks ago about you know, I don't like to pay attention podcasts and shows and stuff that talk bad about churches and pastors and those kinds of things. And this is one of those reasons for me personally. Is far be it from me to say that God didn't call them into ministry, that God didn't choose them. The fact that they're misbehaving is none of my business anyways, right, And God will bring judgment on them, and I don't have to be a part of that. I'm not going to indulge in that. And that's that's a little bit of that. I feel like in my own life, my wife and I had a situation in ministry where we got into a thing where we realize, hey, this is a really weird fit for us, and most of the decisions the pastor I was working for at the time I just disagreed with. I'm not talking theologically or morally, just strategically. He didn't have instincts that was going to what he was dreaming and he was actually deciding to do. We're two totally different things, and I was always conflicted with that. I was frustrated. But there was never a time in five years that my wife and I ever told anybody else that we disagreed with his decision making. We always only ever reinforced his decisions. We only ever tried to help him achieve his goals. We never even though there were times when it hurt us so where we wound up taking punishment because of his choices and his decisions. But I had promised I would stay with him for five years. We did. We stayed five years and two months, and I just decided there was never going to be a day when anybody, nobody on his board, nobody in his church, would ever hear me disagree with him. There were a couple of little secondary theological things that I disagreed with, and even those I reinforced. I say, hey, this is what we believe as a church, is what our pastor believes. This is what I'm going to reinforce. And I really believe that some of the blessing that I've received in my ministry since has been because we chose not to. That wasn't my church, it wasn't my place. I was supposed to be there serving him, and so I wasn't the one that was chosen. To lead that church. He was, and so I was just supposed to support him, and I believe that God then in the same way that Saul recognized, David, you're going to do great things. God's going to do something special with you if that's the kind of person you're going to be. And that was always the inspiration for me in not disagreeing with him privately or publicly, was because hey, it's none of my business. God picked him to do that, and someday God will give me a thing. And so now at Heritage Church, I'm responsible for my dumb decisions, you know, And I think God blesses you when you choose to go, Hey, I don't have to get involved with all the negative side of somebody that God chose to lead that thing, whether they're misbehaving or not. It's none of my business, and I'm going to go on and do the right thing. Anyways, there's something to that that's great. I don't think that's carte blanche to go off in sin, right, but I do think that God will reward you and bless you for choosing not to get caught up in it. Yeah, well that's great. Well, hey, that's our time. So what a great set of stories and hopefully we'll pick back up with you next time on the Bubble Guys,