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Word in the Wild is a one year Bible adventure with friends. Join from anywhere and enjoy a fun, rewarding, and doable 12-month journey through the Bible where you read it from cover to cover and understand it. It’s not a devotional or recap. It’s a guide by your side through God’s Word. With support from a weekly podcast and an online community of fellow travelers, this is the year when you finally explore the Bible in its own words and on its own terms for yourself.
This is Word and the Wild...a one year Bible adventure with friends. My name is Owen. I'm your host and your guide, and together we are on a 12-month journey as a podcast plus community...where we read the Bible for ourselves, but not by ourselves.
We are here in WEEK 16... This week... Saul and David. It's all about to break lose between these to iconic characters. What's the final straw? That's were we're headed.
So... hello and welcome we're rolling though this journey together. It's not a recap where we feed you bite-sized bits of the Bible... No this is free-wheeling walk where we watch the story the Bible unfold like the epic movie it is... So, subscribe here on your favorite podcast platform and share with a friend.
And, a special welcome to our Word and the Wild PLUS community members. Their support of this non-profit endeavor is making space for all of us on this Bible reading adventure. They enjoy access to our private, safe online space where no honest question is a dumb question... along with a weekly livestream Q&A, and bonus content like articles, interactions, meet-ups, and even some livestream teaching gatherings with yours truly.
If any of that sounds like your jam, then check the show notes for how to become a member yourself. Or get all the details over at wordandthewild.com
As we step in to week 16, the pressure in this relationship between King Saul and David is about to bust a gasket ... But before we set out on the trail this week and see what happens, let's look back at what got us to where we stand right now.
One reason there's so much stress in the relationship between Saul and David is that we are large scale factors putting pressure on the nation of Israel as a whole. External factors and internal factors.
You've got external factors that are putting pressure on the nation as a whole. For much of the Saul / David story arc, those pressures are coming from a powerful, war-like people group called the Philistines. Best we can tell, the Philistines land along the souther coast of Canaan right about the time that the Israelite also arrive in the Promised Land. There's a good chance that the Philistine's origin story is that they are a tribe of ancient Greek warriors who got displaced from their homeland. They show up in Canaan with military training, high-tech weapons, and looking for a fight.
Meanwhile, the Israelites are farmers and shepherds for the most part. On paper, they are no match for the Philistines. Guys like Samson and even Samuel intervene for a time. But, in the end... the Israelites feel the need for the unifying force of a single king to lead them.
And that's how we get Saul.
He's tall, rich, and popular. A natural choice for king. There's a problem. More on that in a minute.
First, let's talk about the internal factors at play in the relationship between Saul and David. First, you've got the internal politics of Israel. The Israelites wanted a king to unify them as a nation... Because they weren't. The situation was scattered and tribal. We saw that play out in Judges in a major way. It's still a major dynamic that a guy like Saul has to deal with.
Saul quickly manages to rally at least 10 of the tribes of Israel to him and his leadership. But, the largest and most powerful of the tribes -- Judah -- is still on the fence. They often cooperate with Saul, but they are feeling pretty independent about things.
Judah is kind of like the Texas of Israel... if that makes sense.
The result? Saul's constantly on edge. Checking opinion polls. Sensitive to anything that would push Judah toward more doubt and disloyalty to his leadership. You put on top of that, the fact that Saul comes from a rich family with a reputation to keep up. The pressure is on.
And then, a nine-foot tall Philistine warrior named, Goliath shows up to plant his massive feet right on Saul's pressure points. The nation's anxious. Judah is questioning. And everyone is shaking in their sandals. Saul included.
And then... a foolishly brave, frustratingly naive young shepherd boy named David shows up.
As you know from the story, David solves Saul's "giant" problem... and then creates a "giant problem" for Saul.
At a time when Saul feels insecure in his leadership, he gets a big win over the Philistines. But, while he gets the win, he doesn't get the credit. David gets the credit.
On top of all that, guess which tribe David's from? That's right. Judah.
Oh, and God has his hand on David because David loves God with all his heart. So no matter what kind of impossible task Saul puts on David's plate, David succeeds. And gets more credit. And... the pressure builds.
Let's just say we got Saul and David in a situation that's DEFINITELY binge-worthy. You don't want to miss a minute.
Now, remember when I said that Saul makes a natural choice for a king? It's absolutely true. Rich, connected, tall, and handsome. He's the kind of guy we would all vote for.
But, as the story unfolds, it doesn't take long to discover that there's a problem with Saul. It's a heart problem.
What Saul wants for himself and God's people doesn't match up with with God wants. Saul and God have very different ideas on leadership and success.
Of all the pressures Saul faces... it's the internal pressure of insecurity and self-focus that finally causes Saul's pipes to burst.
Saul's relationship with David shines a big, bright spotlight on Saul's heart problem. David isn't perfect. But, unlike Saul, David loves and longs for what God loves and longs for.
David is a man after God's own heart.
So this week, as we watch the drama between these two men unfold, we also get to watch how a person driven by insecurities and haunted by what others think deals with the pressure... Versus a person who feels the pain and pressure of a deep conflict but ranks God's opinion of him above all others.
OUTRO
So pop that popcorn and enjoy the show!
I'm grateful to be rolling with you on this one year Bible adventure we're calling Word & the Wild.
All you Word and the Wild PLUS community members, special thanks to you for your financial support of this non-profit endeavor. You guys are real gems. I'll be seeing you in THE WILD... our private online community space.... this week.
Word and the Wild is a LineHouse Community. It's part of the LineHouse Community Network, a nonprofit organization with a mission to bring neighbors together to promote awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the Bible.
Because friendship and God's Word change lives and change cities.
And... presented by the LumaVoz podcast network.
And with that, we're out. I'm Owen, I'm your host and your guide. Until next time, I'll see you out there on the trail in the Word and the Wild.