In the Aftermath of Success

It's great to have you with us tonight. I have the wonderful opportunity of preaching through both the Old Testament and the New Testament. And the Old Testament is so much different than the New Testament when it comes to preaching because it's written in narrative form. And so you have all these stories and all these characters. And so it's kind of a different approach when it comes to preaching, unlike the New Testament. And yet I have the privilege of doing one on Wednesdays, the Old Testament, Sundays, the New Testament.

And it's a great privilege for me. And I love the story of David and what God did in and through this man. And I hope that as we go through it in the weeks and months ahead, you'll be able to see how applicable it is to your life and the mind as we understand God's call upon our life. We find ourselves in 1 Samuel chapter 18, in the aftermath of success, in the aftermath of success. You know, very few people can handle success. For every hundred people that handle adversity, there's only one that can handle prosperity.

It's different. It's difficult. And how you handle success tells a lot about you as an individual. And David handles it in quite a unique way. And we'll read about that 1 Samuel chapter 18, because we're committed to the reading of the scriptures. We will read the chapter. 1 Samuel 18, verse number one.

Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as himself. And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. So David went out wherever Saul sent him and prospered. And Saul sent him over the men of war.

And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. And the women sang as they played and said, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. Then Saul became very angry for this saying displeased him. And he said, they have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me, they've ascribed thousands.

Now what more can he have but the kingdom? And Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on. Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mildly upon Saul and he raved in the midst of the house while David was playing the harp with his hand as usual. And a spear was in Saul's hand and Saul hurled the spear for he thought I will pin David to the wall. But David escaped from his presence twice. Now Saul was afraid of David for the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul.

Therefore Saul removed him from his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people and David was prospering in all his ways for the Lord was with him. When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he dreaded him, but all Israel and Judah loved David. And he went out and came in before them. Then Saul said to David, here is my older daughter Mirab. I will give her to you as a wife. Only be a valiant man for me and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul thought my hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.

But David said to Saul, who am I? And what is my life for my father's family in Israel that I should be the king's son-in-law? So it came about at that time when Mirab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David that she was given to Adriel, the male fight for a wife. Now Michael, Saul's daughter, loved David when they told Saul the thing was agreeable to him. And Saul thought, I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.

Therefore, Saul said to David for a second time, you may be my son-in-law today. Then Saul commanded his servants, speak to David secretly saying, behold, the king delights in you and all the servants love you. Now therefore become the king's son-in-law. So Saul's servants spoke these words to David. But David said, is it trivial in your sight to become the king's son-in-law since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed? And the servants of Saul reported to him according to these words, which David spoke.

Saul said, thus you shall say to David, the king does not desire any dowry except 104 skins of the Philistines to take vengeance on the king's enemies. Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. When his servants told David these words, it pleased David to become the king's son-in-law before the days had expired. David rose up and went, he and his men and struck down 200 men among the Philistines. Then David brought their four skins and they gave them in full number to the king that he might become the king's son-in-law.

So Saul gave him Michael, his daughter for a wife. When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michael, Saul's daughter loved him, then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David's enemy continually. Then the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle. And it happened as often as they went out that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed. Quite a story, but it is the aftermath of success. Most of us who grow up in Sunday school know about the story of David and Goliath.

We've seen it, you know, enacted on stage and we've read the story and we can kind of do it in our Sunday school classrooms. We know the story and yet we don't know what transpires between the story of David and Goliath to the time he becomes the king of Israel. There are many years that pass by and this is the beginning of those years. And we find that in the aftermath of David's success, he gains a friend. It wasn't that he was looking for a friend. He wasn't going around saying, woe is me. I have no friends.

Can anybody be my friend? After all, I did kill the giant. Can somebody please be my friend? That wasn't his attitude, but he gained a friend, a friend that he would have until Jonathan would die. He also gained fame. David wasn't looking for fame. He wasn't looking for popularity, but he had fame in all the land of Israel because of the slaying of Goliath. But he also obtained a foe. That is the jealousy of Saul. And this foe would remain with him until Saul would die on Mount Geboa with his son, Jonathan in first Samuel chapter 30.

It's a long time, but this foe remains a foe of David's for the rest of Saul's life. And it talks to us about jealousy and how jealousy can destroy a man's soul. And tonight, I don't know where you are, but if you have a jealous spirit, if you have an envious spirit, a bitter spirit, God's going to speak to you because what happened in Saul's life is devastating simply because he could not handle what was happening with David and nothing was happening with him. It's quite a story. In the aftermath of success, let's begin with the friend that David receives.

That's Jonathan. In the first four verses, it says, now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as himself.

If you go and you study the life of Jonathan, you're going to notice some similar characteristics to that of David.

One is that both had a gallant spirit. Both were men of war and both were men who were able to attack the enemy. We saw that in David's life with Goliath early in first Samuel 14.

You see that with Jonathan. Not only that, both men were generous men. Both men were gracious men. But the thing that marked them as great friends was the very fact that both of them had a consciousness of God's presence in their lives. They both understood that God was with them, that God was everywhere, that God was involved in the happenings of Israel and that God was involved in the happenings in their lives. And this is what knit them together. This is what eventually would tie them together.

If you go back to first Samuel chapter 14, it says these words about Jonathan as he goes to battle with the Philistines.

It says, verse number six, then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. Perhaps the Lord will work for us for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few. Then down in verse number 12, and Jonathan said to his armor bearer, come up after me for the Lord has given them into the hands of Israel. He was aware that God was going to fight the battle for him. He was aware of the presence of God in his life. We saw earlier in first Samuel 17 with David.

Oh, he was going to fight against Goliath with the captain of the Lord of armies at his side. And that all Israel would know and all the land would know that there is a God and he rules in Israel. It was all about God and the consciousness of God and all way back. Or if you turn further into first Samuel chapter 23, it says these words in verse number 15, the last encounter that Jonathan and David have, it says, and David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

And Jonathan, Saul's son arose and went to David at Horesh and encouraged him in God. Thus he said to him, do not be afraid because the hand of Saul, my father shall not find you and you will be king over Israel. And I will be next to you. And Saul, my father knows that also in the last encounter that Jonathan and David have before Jonathan's death. It's all about God and the consciousness of God involved in making David king of Israel. And Jonathan, knowing that he is not going to be the next king of Israel, although he has erred in the throne because the curse upon Saul removed any of his descendants from being the king of Israel.

And so they were conscious about God. And so these two men, their souls were knit together. That's a unique phrase because it's used in Genesis 44 to speak of Jacob's love for Benjamin, his youngest son, and how he and Benjamin were tied together. How the lad was intertwined with Jacob, his father. There was a father-son bond that knit them together so tight. And that's why they didn't want to leave Benjamin behind when they would go back to their father. And Joseph says, I want Benjamin to stay with me.

We can't do that because this guy is loved by his dad and their souls are knit together. That's the way it was with Jonathan and David. Their souls were knit together. Their relationship was a strong relationship. It was tied so closely together because of their desire to do what God had asked them to do and to follow God and to know that God's presence was with them wherever they went. Notice also that it says of Jonathan, that he loved him, that is David, as himself.

It says it again in verse number three, then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

Not only was this relationship one that was based on strength because they were knit together. It was based on selflessness. This was a selfless man. He loved him as he loved himself. Now we know that, that no man ever hated his own flesh. And we know that we love one another. The book of Matthew says we don't love others as we love ourselves. That's exactly the way Jonathan was. He loved David as if he was loving himself. He was committed to David. Not only that, the Bible says very simply that Jonathan made a covenant with David.

Their relationship was a steadfast relationship. They made a covenant together. And not only did they make a covenant together, but Jonathan would give David his armor. He would give him his bow and he would give him his arrows, his sword, because that was all symbolic. Listen to what Meronger says about this as he describes for us this whole covenant of friendship. He says, this friendship would be ratified by specific ceremonies in the presence of witnesses. State that the person's covenanting with one another would covenant as brothers life for life.

To receive any part of the dress that had been worn by a sovereign or his oldest son, which Jonathan was, and heir was deemed the highest honor that could be conferred on a subject. Jonathan, the king's son, gave all the material gifts. In other words, Jonathan honored David. He knew that he wasn't going to be the next king. And so he esteemed David as higher than himself. He loved him as he loved himself. He had no problem giving him his armor as a symbolic gesture, as you know what, I'm giving everything to you.

This was the relationship. This is what David gained in the aftermath of his success. He gained a friend. It's not that he's looking for a friend. He wasn't saying, oh, oh, oh, Jonathan, you're, you're the king's oldest. Can you be my friend? Let's be friends. Let's be bosom buddies together. David doesn't initiate it. Jonathan initiates it. Jonathan's the one that goes after him. And he goes after him in such a way that he knits his soul together with David and they become the best of friends, the best of friends.

Wow. It's a great story. And later on, as we go through the story of David, we'll see more about this relationship and how it plays out in the life of Jonathan and David. This thing I want you to see is his fame. He also gets fame because it's very popular. Two things happen. One, he gets a promotion. Second of all, he gets praise.

He gets a promotion in verse number five. So David went out wherever Saul sent him and prospered. And Saul sent him, sent him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. This man got a promotion. Now note, David wasn't in Saul's army because David wasn't yet 20 years of age. You had to be 20 to be in the army of Israel. Old Testament speaks to that. So Jonathan was in the army. Okay. So Jonathan's older than David is. David is still a teenager.

Maybe he's 16, maybe he's 18. No one knows exactly how old he is at this point, but he's not yet 20. So he's not in Saul's army because he comes from the backside of Bethlehem to bring food to his brothers. And that's how the whole battle with Goliath begins for David. And so now he has set over the men of war. I mean, I mean, after all he fought the huge giant and won, he's got to be the leader of all the soldiers of Israel. And so he gets promoted. He gets lifted way above everybody else. He gets lifted above Eliab, his oldest brother, who ridiculed him when he came to the battle battlefront.

He got lifted above his other two brothers, older brothers that were already in that army. He was elevated to a place of prominence in the aftermath of his success. Not only that, the Bible says these words in verse number five.

So David went out wherever Saul sent him and prospered. Notice in verse number 14, it says, and David was prospering in all his ways.

In Hebrew, it's a word that means to act wisely. The reason he was able to prosper is because he acted with wisdom. He behaved as a wise man at a very young age. And this man was promoted. Not only was there promotion, but there was praise. Listen to what it says, verse six, and it happened as they were coming when David returned from killing the Philistine that the women came out of all the cities to Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments.

And the women sang as they played and said, Saul has slain his thousands and David, his ten thousands. You read about that and you are immediately struck by what it doesn't say. And that is this. God is excluded in the praise. God's not in the praise. Saul has slain his thousands. David has ten thousands. And you can imagine the eruption of praise in the land of Israel when the King and David and the armies come marching back into the villages. And yet God's excluded. You know why God's excluded?

This is not hard to understand. It's because the leader who is Saul, okay, didn't walk with God, didn't emphasize God, didn't live for God. So the people by nature follow in line to their leaders. They are not conscious of God either. They're not even thinking about giving praise to God. If you go back to Exodus chapter 15, remember the whole story of Pharaoh as he would pursue Israel after they fled Egypt and they were on the brink of the Promised Land and there was the Red Sea and they couldn't cross it and they were afraid to death.

And Moses said, stand still and watch what God will do. And the waters opened up and they went through on dry land and Pharaoh and his army were drowned in the sea. Well the whole song in Exodus 15 is about what God did. Look what God did. But here it's not about what God did. It's about what man did. And that is what happens when you have leaders, whether they're in your home, in your church, at work, wherever you are, who don't keep you focused on God. Then you don't think to give God the glory when He is to receive that glory.

And that's what took place. But praise was given to David in the aftermath of success. You know, you think about that and you realize that David wasn't looking for that. Not at all. He wasn't aspiring to fame. He wasn't looking for a promotion. In fact, he remains humble because even though he's set over the men of war, you will note that in the story he's still playing the harp for Saul, right? He's a humble man. He's a very humble man. He is still playing the harp for Saul. When Saul calls him to his chambers, that's exactly what he does.

He's not looking for any kind of achievement. He's not looking for any kind of praise. He's not looking for any kind of fame or success. He's just kind of trying to be the man God wants him to be. That's it. And fame is thrust upon him. It's thrust upon him. Listen to this. Proverbs chapter 27, verse number 21. The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, and the man is tested by the praise accorded him. The man is tested by the praise accorded him. Two ways that God tests a man. One is through adversity, the other through prosperity.

And a lot of times we can't handle prosperity. But David, he was able to handle it. He was able to understand it. He was able to keep it in check. It didn't go to his head. Even when Jonathan gave him his armor and his sword and his arrows and esteemed him as a higher man than himself, it didn't go to his head. When he came to the city and people would praise his name, it didn't go to his head. So in the aftermath of success, he gained a friend, a good friend. He gained fame, but he also gained a foe, an enemy in the king himself.

And this is where we're gonna spend the rest of our time this evening, because here you see what happens when one man's soul is completely entrenched with a jealous spirit and how it is so devastating to a man, because this will consume Saul for the rest of his life. Jealousy consumes you. It consumes you. And you've got to be careful. And look how the story ends in verse 29. Thus Saul was David's enemy continually. Remember back in chapter 16, verse number 21? Chapter 16, verse number 21. What's it say?

It says that David loved him. I mean, that Saul loved David. He loved him. Now David is Saul's enemy from now on. How did it change? And it struck me as I was preparing for this evening, David, the king of Israel, the shepherd king, had a son named Solomon. And he invested in the Solomon. He taught Solomon. He led Solomon. And Solomon would write many chapters of our Bible. And yet Solomon didn't listen to his dad. He took for himself foreign wives, which the king cannot do, because they would turn your heart away from God.

And that's exactly what they did. They turned Solomon's heart away from God. And so here was King David, this man after God's own heart, who had this son Solomon, who was able to build the temple of the living God and be able to be used in a great way for God, but turned his heart against God. And then here is Saul, who is the Darth Vader of Israel, okay, who has a son like Jonathan, who loves David, who loves God, who serves God even to the very end. And it goes to show you that as parents, you can do all the right things.

You can say all the right things, and you can be even the right person. And those kids of yours, when they grow up, they're going to make choices that sometimes are devastating. And you can be the worst father around, and you can have a Jonathan. That's the grace of God. There's nothing you did. That's the grace of Almighty God. And for any of us who think that, you know, what we're doing with our kids, they are that way because of us, don't go that, don't go that route, because it's the grace of God that brings your kids to where they are.

It's God who does it. God wants to use you. Doesn't mean you can neglect your responsibility. You got to do what God said you got to do. But remember, it's the grace of God that brings them where they are. It's God who does it. And you got Darth Vader here, and you got Jonathan. And then you got the king of Israel, okay, and you got Solomon. And you know, you try to scratch your head trying to figure out, wait a minute, if you do the right things, you teach the right things, aren't they always going to turn out right?

Not always. Why is that? I don't know. You got to ask God when you get to heaven. That's just the way it is. And so here was this man, Saul, who became the enemy of for the rest of his life. Let me talk to you about jealousy for a second.

Jealousy, a word used some 45 times in the Old Testament in our English King James version. If you look at the Hebrew word, it's used some 80 times, okay?

And it's translated envy, zealous, jealous, okay, in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the word for jealous, zealous, is a word that's used quite often. But there was a unique thing that the Greeks did. And that is, they had another word for envy, okay? Another word for envy. And it was, fathanos. And that word was used to depict the difference between envy and jealousy. And this is what they said. Jealousy is the desire to arrive. And envy is the desire to deprive. Jealousy is the desire to arrive at the same position, at the same status, at the same popularity as the person you want to be, who has all that recognition that you don't have.

And envy is the desire to deprive that person who has everything that you want from receiving what's due him or her. For example, you go buy a new car, okay? You got a brand new car, and it's a nice car. I mean, it's a 2015, and we're only in 2012. It's way ahead of time. It's a great car. And someone comes along and says, man, I want that car. I got to get that car. And you were so jealous that they got the best car ever made. And you want that same car. So you do everything you can. You have a drive to arrive at their same status.

And so you do all you can to the thing that you were so jealous. But if I'm envious of what you have, I take a hammer to your car and I bash it in. Because I want to deprive you of the opportunity for you to drive that car. See, that's the difference between jealousy and envy. And Saul was both. Saul was both. He was so jealous of David. And he was so, he wanted to have what David had. But he didn't have it. So what did he do? His jealousy turned to envy. He was going to deprive David of that kingship.

He spent the rest of his life in that pursuit. Till it ultimately killed him in 1 Samuel 30. So let me talk to you about, about jealousy.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13, I'm sorry, 1 Corinthians 3, verse number 3. Paul says, for you are fleshly, for since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly? And are you not walking like mere men? There is jealousy in the church of Corinth. Paul knew it. There were those in Corinth who wanted what others had. And they were jealous for it. In Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter 13, in verse number 13 says, let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust.

In the light of the return of Christ, you need to make sure that jealousy doesn't erupt into your, in your soul and cause you to turn away from the things that God wants you to do. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13, that God's love is not jealous.

It's not jealous. Why? Because you see, God never desires to aspire to what you have because he has everything, right? He has everything. He doesn't need anything. So God's love is not jealous. And whenever you have a jealous spirit, you know that the love of God is not controlling your attitude, right? Absolutely. So let me give you some principles about jealousy as they unfold for us in this chapter.

In this chapter alone, 1 Samuel chapter 18 tells us number one about jealousy, that jealousy develops when people respond to others more than they respond to you.

Jealousy develops when people respond, when people respond to others more than they respond to you. And that's what happened with Saul in this chapter. David was getting all the accolades. Now let me show you how this happens.

This was seen number one in, in the affection that Jonathan had for David. This affection that Jonathan had for David was so strong that later in our story of 1 Samuel, Saul wants to disinherit his son, Jonathan. Because Jonathan had a love for David. Michael, the second daughter of Saul loved David, the text tells us in 1 Samuel 18.

And he would give her to David to be his wife. She loved him. The Lord loved David. The Bible says this several times, the Lord was with David, the Lord was with David.

Saul knew the Lord was with David, right? So David had the affection of Jonathan, his oldest son. Michael, his second oldest daughter, the Lord himself, he had the affection of everybody.

Saul didn't have that. All their affection was going outside the family, not in the family. And that's what took place. You know, when somebody, you find this in families all the time, when mom and dad show a response and affection toward one member of the family more so than maybe somebody else in the family, the other family members tend to get a little jealous, don't they? Because they don't receive the same kind of affection. Anyone knows that? Happens quite frequently in families. And all of a sudden, one son or one daughter or two sons or three daughters begin to get a little jealous because they don't have the attention nor the affection that one of the siblings is receiving.

There's a story about that in the Bible. You know it about Genesis chapter 37, the life of Joseph. Remember that story? It goes like this. Genesis chapter 37, verse number one.

Now Jacob lived in the land where his father has sojourned in the land of Canaan. These are the records of the generation of Jacob. Joseph, when 17 years of age was pastoring a flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zophar, his father's wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son of his old age. And they made him a varied colored tunic. And his brother saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers.

And so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. There's a lot to this story. You notice that, you notice that Joseph came back with a bad report about his brothers.

It wasn't a good report because evidently their brothers were doing something that wasn't good. And the text says that Joseph, that Jacob loved Joseph more than all the other sons. And he gave him a special coat, right? Special coat because he was a son of his old age. People say, well, you know, he was the youngest son and he was, he was, you know, Jacob was like a grandfather. And boy, I tell you, this was, this was his favorite son. You know, be careful how you translate that. Son of his old age means son of wisdom.

It was spoken of as an old head on young shoulders. The reason Joseph received the coat was because of one thing and one thing only, it was his character. It was far above his brothers. See, Reuben should have been the one to receive that coat, but he forfeited that opportunity because of sin. But Joseph was a man of character. He was a man of commitment. He was a man of strength. And Joseph, Jacob loved that in his son because the other brothers weren't that way. As the story unfolds, you see that happen.

And that's why God blessed Joseph so, so amazingly. But the text does tell us that in Acts chapter seven, verse number nine, I believe it is, in Stephen's story about recounting the history of Israel says that the brothers of Joseph were jealous. They were jealous of, of, of what Joseph had with their father that they didn't have. Not understanding that because of their soiled character, it put them at a different standing with their father. Just like because of Saul's soiled character, it put him at a different standing than David because David was a man of character, a man of commitment and Saul was not.

He just wasn't. And so he received, David received the affection of Jonathan. He received the affection of Michael. He received the affection of the Lord. He received the affection of the Israel because of who he was. And, and Saul didn't like that at all. What should Saul do? He should go back and reevaluate his character, go back and reevaluate his spiritual condition. But he would not. He disobeyed the decrees of God and he disdained, he disdained the discipline of God because all this was part of God's discipline in his life.

Because he disobeyed the decrees, it led him to disdain the discipline that God would put upon him because he disobeyed the decrees. If he would just submit and say, you know what, Lord, you're right. I was wrong. Please forgive me. Lord, help me to be the kind of man you want me to be. But Saul never uttered those words. That wasn't his heart. So things just got worse for him as time went on. And so there was the affection of Jonathan for David and Michael for David and the Lord for David that caused jealousy to develop in Saul because people responded to David more and better than they responded to him.

There was also the acclaim that, that David received. This is so good. Notice what it says. Maybe you missed this. Verse number six, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet who? Who? King Saul. They came out to meet the king because he's coming into town. And they came with tambourines and with joy and with musical instruments and the women sang and they played and they said, Saul has slain his thousands. You can imagine Saul saying, yeah, man, his vest is about to bust right out.

I've killed my thousands. I am the man. And then he hears the refrain, but David has killed his ten thousands. Someone's like, wait a minute, I'm the king and you're giving more credit to, to the little guy, this shepherd boy. There's no teenager back here. You should be giving the acclaim to me. I should be receiving all the accolades. Why are you giving them to David? Because you want to say you didn't do anything. For 40 days you let Goliath taunt the enemies, the armies of Israel. You didn't do anything, but David did something.

You didn't do anything. That's why he receives the accolades. But see, they responded to David and not to Saul. And this is how jealousy began to develop in his life. Third thing you need to see is this, is that this jealousy is seen in the acceptance of David by others.

It says all the people, all the people in verse number five, David was pleasing in their sight, all of them. And then the attitude of Saul, he became angry. He became so angry. Verse eight, then Saul became very angry for this saying displeased him. And he said, they have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me, they have ascribed thousands. Now, what more can he have but the kingdom? And God saying, you got it. He's getting it. You don't have it anymore, Saul. And Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

In other words, his eye was on David from that day forward. He looked upon that young man with great disdain because jealousy had developed in his heart. Folks, jealousy is a killer. He wanted to arrive at the same place David was, but he was unwilling to submit to the decrees of God. He was unwilling to do what God said. David was. Simple as that. David was willing to do what God said. Saul simply was not. And he just became more incensed as the days went on. So, jealousy develops when people respond to others more than they respond to you.

Number two, jealousy destroys our ability to react properly to the blessings of others. Jealousy destroys our ability to react properly to the blessings of others. Saul should be saying, you know what, David? You are the man. Praise be to God. You are the man. You deserve this. Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12, rejoice with those who rejoice, right? A jealous spirit cannot do that. It just can't. And Saul, he wasn't going to do that. Let me remind you of James chapter 3, verse 14.

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but it's earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. Folks, that's powerful. If there is jealousy in your heart, there is evil all around you. Every evil thing, every form of disorder happens because somebody has a jealous spirit. Somebody wants what you have. They're not getting it and they're going to do everything they can to obtain it.

And it just destroys your lives. That's why over in Proverbs chapter 6, it speaks about those things that the Lord God himself hates. Proverbs chapter 6, there are six things which the Lord hates. Yes, seven are an abomination to him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness to others' lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers. Folks, a jealous spirit does all of that and more. A jealous spirit is that which has a heart that devises wicked plans.

We'll see that in a minute with Saul. It's a false witness that utters lies, doesn't speak the truth. That's what jealousy leads to. Excuse me. So there's all kinds of evil surrounding a jealous spirit. Saul, because of a jealousy, destroyed his ability to rejoice with those who need to be, who have been blessed by God. And so we see that Saul lost control of his emotions. You've got a jealous spirit, that's what happens. It says in verse 10, it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul.

He raved in the midst of the house, and while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual, and the spear was in Saul's hand, and Saul hurled the spear before him, he thought, I will pin David to the wall. But David escaped from his presence twice. He lost control of his emotions. Folks, people who get jealous, they lose control. They go haywire. Maybe you're a man that comes home from work, and you're yelling at your wife, and you're yelling at your kids, and you don't know why. It could be simply because you were at work, and you got passed over for the promotion.

Somebody else got it. A younger guy got it. You've been there for 20 years. He'd been there for two. He got the promotion. You didn't get it. And all of a sudden, you lose control of your emotions. You come home, you're all ranting and raving, and yelling at the kids, and kicking the dog, simply because of what took place at work. There's a jealous spirit on the inside, because all kinds of disorder and all evil things stem from a jealous spirit, James tells us. Happens all the time. You're losing control of your emotions.

Ask yourself, what do you desire to have that someone else has that you didn't get? And it rubs you the wrong way. That's a jealous spirit. And that's what Saul had. You were passed over for the promotion. He wasn't. David received the acclaim. Saul didn't. And he lost control of his emotions. He lost confidence in his abilities. Verse 12, now Saul was afraid of David, for the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. Wow. He lost confidence in his abilities, because he lost control of his emotions, simply because he had a jealous, bitter spirit.

It just kills you from the inside out. He also lost courage before David. It says this, and David was prospering in all his ways, for the Lord was with him. When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he dreaded him. That's a word used in Scripture 10 times in the Old Testament, translated, standing in awe of, when it comes and refers specifically to the Lord. But here was David, who was just doing what God had called him to do, a shepherd boy, a teenage boy. And here was King Saul dreading this young man.

He could not rejoice in what had taken place. Israel won the victory. God had been seen. God had been honored. But because Saul wasn't honored, as God was honored, he was upset. Because Saul wasn't honored, as David was honored, he was upset. Saul didn't receive what everybody else was getting. He thinks he should have received the glory. He thinks he should be the prominent one. He should be the one that everybody bows down to and adores, and they're not doing it. And he can't stand the fact that somebody else is receiving more attention and more accolades than he is.

So he loses it. I'm killing him. But he misses. Twice. Twice. You'll find a third time later on in the story of David and Saul.

And so the story continues. And you need to understand this about jealousy. Jealousy devises plans by which others will be put down. Jealousy, number one, develops when people respond to others more than they respond to me.

Jealousy destroys our ability to react properly to the blessing of others. And jealousy devises plans by which others will be put down. This is a wicked man. Look what he does. He plans. His plans will lead to lying and deception based on wrong motives. Verse 17, Saul said to David, here's my older daughter Mirab. I mean, I know I tried to kill you, but I was out of my mind that day. But here's my daughter. You can take her. I will give her to you as a wife. Only be a valiant man for me and fight the Lord's battles.

For Saul thought my hand should not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. I'm a righteous guy. I'm not going to, I'm not going to have his blood on my hands. I'll let the Philistines kill him. Now remember what was offered to the man who killed Goliath? The daughter of the King. Right? That was offered to the man who killed Goliath in first Samuel 17.

The daughter of the King. So here is Saul offering the daughter, but with a condition. He's already met the condition. He already killed the giant. He should already have the daughter. And David can say, excuse me, didn't you make an edict that whoever kills Goliath gets the girl? She's mine, isn't she? But he didn't do that. He didn't do that. Instead, Saul has plans. David said, Saul, who am I? And what is my life for my father's family in Israel that I should be the King's son-in-law? I don't deserve to be the King's son-in-law.

See the humble man? He could say, you're right. Give me that, give me that daughter and that one and that one and that one as well, because I deserve them all. But he's very humble. He says, I'm just a lowly shepherd. My father's poor. I'm poor. I don't deserve to be the son-in-law of the King. So it came about at the time when Mirab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she should have been, that she was given to Adriel, to give to somebody else. Now, Michael, Saul's daughter, loved David.

His daughter number two. When they told Saul the thing was agreeable to him, Saul thought, I will give her to him, that she might become a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. You see the plans that are devised? They're all evil. He can't keep from it. He is so entrenched with a jealous spirit. He is thinking of every way possible to rid himself of the presence of David. This guy can't be King. I'll give him my daughter. I mean, if she loves him, boy, this is great.

He loves Michael. She'll become a snare to him. Therefore, Saul said to David a second time, for a second time, you may be my son-in-law today.

Lucky you, David. I know I tried to kill you earlier, but forget it. Let bygones be bygones. It's okay. We're going to be good friends. You can have my daughter. You can take her. Then Saul commanded his servants, speak to David secretly, saying, behold, the King delights in you and all his servants love you. That was true. That was true. All his servants did love David. And you and all his servants love you. Now, therefore, become the King's son-in-law. So Saul's servants spoke these words to David.

David said, this is not a trivial thing. I just can't become your son-in-law. I'm a poor man. So Saul then said, thus you should say to David, the King does not desire any dowry except 100 foreskins of the Philistines. You don't have to pay me a thing. Just go to war one more time. Just give me 100 foreskins of the Philistines. Now, that's not an easy thing to do. This is a forced conversion, by the way, okay? Make Jewish proselytes out of those Philistines, okay? How is he going to get 100 foreskins?

He's got to kill 100 men. They're not going to sit by and let themselves be circumcised because King David killed Goliath. No, they're going to fight. They're going to have to die. Well, David, look at this.

It says, now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. When his servants told David these words, he pleased to become the King's son-in-law. He pleased David. I can do this. I can do the killing thing. I can go kill the Philistines. I can't give him any money. I don't want to kill the Philistines. What's he do? He kills 200 of them and gets 200 foreskins. Dude's a stud, man. He knows what he's doing. I mean, he is going to double the amount. He is so going to please the King because that's what he wants to do.

He wants to please the King. I'm going to please the King. He is going to love me. So he goes and he gets 200 foreskins. Then David brought the foreskins and they gave them in full number to the King that they might become the King's son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michael, his daughter for a wife, foiled again. He's back. He survived again, but it won't stop. It goes on and on and on till first Samuel 30.

It never ends. And when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michael, Saul's daughter loved him, then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David's enemy continually. Jealousy develops when people respond to others more than they respond to you. Jealousy destroys our ability to rejoice with those who have been blessed. Jealousy devises plans by which others will be destroyed or put down. And jealousy defeats itself because God knows our hearts and will vindicate his servants.

Jealousy is always a dead end road. You don't go anywhere with jealousy. It's a dead end because God's going to vindicate his servants. He knows your heart. He vindicates his servants. And that's exactly what takes place right here. Saul was David's enemy continually. Then the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle and it happened as often as they went out that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed. Everything that Saul wanted to do went right back in his face.

He could not accomplish what he wanted. David name just grew even greater. God blessed him even more because jealousy is a dead end road. Every time it'll kill you. And that's what happened to Saul. Can you believe that? What a sad, sad thing. Remember Psalm 37, David wrote this. Do not fret because of evildoers. Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land, cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in him and he will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as light and your judgment as a new day. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way. Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes, see some anger, forsake wrath. Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. David wrote that because he experienced it firsthand.

He understood it. Isn't it interesting that David had a level head throughout all of his success? And Saul lost his head because of David's success. David had a level head. David is one who refused to change because of his success. And he refused to take credit for any of his success because God was in it. God did a great and mighty work. I don't know where you're at tonight. I don't know what's happening in your family. I don't know throughout your life you developed a jealous, bitter spirit that's enveloped you and you've lost control of your emotions.

You've lost confidence. You have lost the ability to rejoice with those who rejoice. You just have an angry spirit because you are so jealous that somehow you didn't get what you think you deserved. That's a sad place to be. That's a very sad place to be because it's a dead end road. It's a dead end. It doesn't lead to life. It leads to death. It leads to destruction. It leads to devastation. It doesn't lead to that. That's why back in Galatians chapter 5, Paul says, for you were called to freedom brethren.

Verse 13, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word in the statement, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another. Isn't it interesting that Jonathan, who should have been next in line to be the king, had not a jealous spirit at all toward King David. He was not envious, was not covetous of David. He became David's friend.

He loved David. Saul the king, he became jealous, but Jonathan did not. That's because he loved his brother as he loved himself. You have a jealous spirit. Ask yourself, do you love your brother as you love yourself? The answer is you don't. You love yourself, but you don't love your brother as you love yourself. But that jealous spirit wouldn't be there. And Paul goes on to say, walk in the Spirit, you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

For these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger. And it goes on to be careful, to walk in the Spirit. If you have a jealous spirit, two things you need to do. Number one, start serving your brother.

Start serving your brother. Love him and serve him. And then once you start serving your brother, always step submissively with the Lord. Walk in the Spirit. Be obedient to the Spirit. And you will fulfill the lust of the flesh, which are immoralities, envies, strife, and jealousy. May God give you the grace to exemplify His love for those around you. Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for tonight and a chance to once again dive into the Old Testament, the story of David, and what it is you did in that man's life.

So much is said of Saul in this chapter. Very little is said of David and what he says. We see his actions. We see his responses. We see his commitment. But we see you, Lord. You were with him. You blessed him. You prospered him. You did it. You were at work. May we be convinced this evening that you are at work in our lives because you are with us day by day, leading and guiding us every step of the way. Help us to trust you, to believe in you. Help us, Lord, not to have a jealous spirit, to rejoice with those who rejoice, to be able to look at you in your response to us, not at others in their response.

And may we seek to honor your name in every relationship we have. In Jesus' name, amen.