1 Samuel 24:6: He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.”
1 Samuel 26:9-11: But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.
--------------------------------------------------
Have you ever had a bad leader? A politician? A boss? A pastor? Headquarters? What would you about it if you had a chance and some impunity? David was in this spot. Neither would David strike his leader NOR would he let people under his authority act against the Lord's anointed. David wouldn't do or say anything against his boss the king. We believe God still raises up our political leaders and anoints our religious and spiritual leaders to this day. As such, just like David, we need to respect those who God Himself places in authority over us.[1]
We know about King Saul, the one to whom David needed and did offer respect and to whom he did submit. King Saul was jealous of David: going back to 1 Samuel 17 and the David and Goliath episode – remember the people said that Saul had killed his thousands and David had killed his tens of thousands…Saul didn’t like that much. But David refused to say anything bad about him.
On another occasion, King Saul, being upset with David tried to trick David into getting killed. He told David that he could marry Saul’s daughter (as he was already promised when he defeated Goliath in battle) if he brought him 100 of their enemies', the Philistines, foreskins (1 Samuel 18:25-27). Saul didn’t think that David would live to pull this off (or all 100 of these!) But he, and his comrades, did.
Saul then tried to pin David to the wall with a spear and twice tried to kill his own heir and eldest son in the same manner when Prince Jonathan supported David.
Now in our stories today, King Saul has taken three thousand chosen and skilled warriors and has headed off in pursuit of David with the express goal of killing him. This is David's boss, whom, David - in full knowledge of this - 1 Samuel 24:6: He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to [my boss] my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.”
Have you ever had an enemy? Have you ever had someone who attacked you at every opportunity? Have you ever had someone who hated you? ...who spread lies about you? ...who wanted you dead? What would you do if you had a chance to get them off your back? What would you do if you had a chance to say something bad about them or have someone beat them up or get them arrested or get them banned from some place? Would you let it pass? Now imagine that they are your boss or your pastor or DHQ. This is David’s situation.
In Samuel 24, David’s friends are telling David to be done with Major, I mean, King Saul. Like the devil in the Gospels, they even quote Scripture to pressure him into it (cf. Matthew 4, Luke 4). Saul, after all, has done all that stuff we’ve talked about: not only turning people against David and choosing 3000 people to attack him but he has actually tried to kill David more than once and is trying to kill him right now. All those who have an axe to grind with Saul are surrounding David (1 Samuel 22:2). All those who owe Saul's supporters money and don't want to pay them back, all those who are grumbling for this or for that. They point out that God has delivered Saul into David's hands.[2] They surround David; he becomes their Captain and they attempt to tempt David (some maybe unwittingly) with the poison chalice of self-righteousness, spite and revenge. David’s friends in Chapter 24 encourage David to betray and even kill Colonel, I mean, King Saul. And in Chapter 26, they even volunteer to finish off Captain, I mean King Saul for him. 1 Samuel 26: 8ff:
This response reminds us of Arc Angel Michael's response to Satan when the devil tries to draw him into an argument. Michael refuses to engage but rather leaves the rebuking to the Lord (Jude); remember too how our Lord Jesus Christ responds when Peter chops the ear off a soldier who is coming to arrest Jesus in order that Jesus can be killed. How does Jesus respond? He heals the soldier's ear and goes with him willingly (John 18). These responses: David's, Michael's, Jesus' should be ours;[3] but have you -like David- ever had a friend who offered revenge on your behalf?
Have you ever had someone offer to get someone back for you? Have you ever had someone, out of misplaced loyalty, gang up on someone else? Have you ever acted out towards someone because of what you THINK they have done to a someone else? If the person you are provoking or letting others gang up on is in a position of authority then you have committed the sin that David’s friends -and all the grumbling discontent people- are trying to tempt him to do.[4]
In The Salvation Army, Susan and I are the pastors, the Captains, and the local bosses here at 614 and Warehouse. In some respects we are in the pace of Saul. In other respects we are in the place of David. We have our bosses - AC, DC, TC - and if we have a difference with them, if we have a problem with them; if we encourage you to call headquarters or if we turn a blind eye when you do then we are acting out in a bad way towards our bosses and we are acting in a bad way towards God. When we betray, provoke, or otherwise rebel against our God-appointed leaders, we are committing the sin that David here - who is in a much more pressing situation than any of our corps and any of us have ever been - is refusing to commit.
David's men have a list of grievances against their current leadership –the leadership is trying to kill David for one; their leader is jealous, envious of David; the leader’s leadership is going in a different direction from God even; David has been anointed! He is chosen to lead his people and his people want David to lead. They know what has to be done – in their opinion - and they want it done now!
This is not unlike our own experiences, many churches' experiences, many work place experiences, and many Salvation Army experiences. I admit when I was younger I got caught up in this more than once - believing that I was right and those in authority must be complained against and otherwise resisted, evaded, or deceived. I grew up in a church much larger than any in our Salvation Army. I must admit that I sinned more than once by starting a petition or forming a faction or a clique or speaking about someone instead of speaking to them. I have been a part of movements that have tried to force our own agenda opposed to those in authority. That is sin against our Lord.
There have even been times when I have spoken poorly of Officers or pastors and –because of that- the devil has been able to use me to cause problems. I admit even as an Officer I myself a long time ago may have utter those ill-advised words, "then call DHQ". There was a time and a place when I even knew people were writing to a DHQ and THQ and I at best sat back giving it my tacit approval (reminiscent of Acts 7:58 and Saul watching the coats for people who were killing the Christian, Stephen) or worse I have fanned the flames of rebellion myself. In my recent memory I have even erred by listening to people's rebellious complaints about my bosses and not set people straight. If I have reinforced the grumbling of anyone who is here, I really do apologize. These experiences are equivalent to if David had tried to kill or maim King Saul in the cave or while he slept.[5] That is wrong; that is sin. That is what we do when we disrespect, complain about, or try to undermine those God has raised up as our leaders.
If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to undermine them. If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to complain about them secretly to others. If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to go over their heads. If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to go behind their back. If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to gossip, slander, malign, or even THINK bad things about our bosses, pastors, our bosses’ bosses or our pastor’s pastors (remember as well the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7). If we have a problem with those in authority we are never supposed to even listen to those who try to undermine them. That is disastrous to a church. If you attack a pastor, a Captain, a Major, a Colonel, a leader in that way; you may actually be a part of the ruin of the whole church. It really is pushing the self-destruct button. If I get drawn into the trap of complaining about my boss to my employees, my parishioners, or as bad or worse – to his or her boss, I am holding a grenade to my soul and that cannot end well. If you get drawn into the trap of complaining about your pastor to our employees, our parishioners, or as bad or worse – to my boss, then you are holding a grenade to all of our souls and that cannot end well for the church or for any of us.
The Apostle Paul, who writes much the same things about respecting authorities in his letter to the Romans and elsewhere: Romans 13:1-7, Colossians 3:18-4:1, Ephesians 5:21-6:9, 1 Corinthians 15:28, Titus 2:9; likewise Luke in Luke 2:51; 10:17; and James, the brother of Jesus, in James 4:7; 3:1-2. Paul and Peter receive martyrs' crowns via a state execution and en route to their death they still refuse to disrespect the authorities God placed over them (cf. Acts 23:1-5). Peter writes, 1 Peter 2:13-15, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
Submit ourselves to the leaders of the places we are citizens -both on earth and in heaven - and in the church where God has called us. If someone gossips or complains to you, refuse to listen to them! By doing this good, as the scriptures say, you will silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. And my friends –if any of us are indulging in complaining, make no mistake, it is ignorant and we need to be silenced.
However, as we refuse to take part in these behaviours the darkness and troubles around us will really turn into light and life.[6] I promise. Leo Tolstoy, a couple of hundred years before 'pay it forward' wrote a book called 'The Forged Coupon'.[7] This book starts with one person giving into a little temptation and then it spirals way out of control with lots of people down the road creating lots of serious problems -even death -for others. But then at a mid-way point of the book, the story reverses. One lady refuses to partake in selfishness and her act of goodness reverses the trend and is the first in a series of blessed events that sees all the characters, instead of spreading darkness, shining the light of Christ into the world.
It is the same with us. If the next time someone complains to you about The Salvation Army of which you by your very presence are a part, if the next time someone complains to you about HQ, if the next time someone complains to you about these Captains or those Majors, if the next time someone complains to you about someone at 614 or the Warehouse, if you refuse to listen to it and counter by saying something good about that person and direct the complainant -with a smile - to speak to the person instead of about him/her; if you pray for him/her and refuse to gossip or even listen to her/him then you can be that turning point which God uses to transform a whole community from darkness to light.
However, if we choose to complain ourselves or listen to others gossip. grumble and complain then we are feeding the darkness. Today the choice is ours, like Saul (both NT and OT), we can hunt down our enemies on a seemingly righteous campaign and spread darkness and death or, like David in today's stories, we can love and support those in authority over us; we can love and support our neighbours, refusing to repay evil with even a bad thought. The choice is ours. We can choose the light of salvation or darkness and death. It is my hope that we will choose the light and love of God, for as we do we will see the whole world changed, our churches changed, and indeed we will see our very own souls transformed.
1 Samuel 26:9-11: But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.
--------------------------------------------------
Have you ever had a bad leader? A politician? A boss? A pastor? Headquarters? What would you about it if you had a chance and some impunity? David was in this spot. Neither would David strike his leader NOR would he let people under his authority act against the Lord's anointed. David wouldn't do or say anything against his boss the king. We believe God still raises up our political leaders and anoints our religious and spiritual leaders to this day. As such, just like David, we need to respect those who God Himself places in authority over us.[1]
We know about King Saul, the one to whom David needed and did offer respect and to whom he did submit. King Saul was jealous of David: going back to 1 Samuel 17 and the David and Goliath episode – remember the people said that Saul had killed his thousands and David had killed his tens of thousands…Saul didn’t like that much. But David refused to say anything bad about him.
On another occasion, King Saul, being upset with David tried to trick David into getting killed. He told David that he could marry Saul’s daughter (as he was already promised when he defeated Goliath in battle) if he brought him 100 of their enemies', the Philistines, foreskins (1 Samuel 18:25-27). Saul didn’t think that David would live to pull this off (or all 100 of these!) But he, and his comrades, did.
Saul then tried to pin David to the wall with a spear and twice tried to kill his own heir and eldest son in the same manner when Prince Jonathan supported David.
Now in our stories today, King Saul has taken three thousand chosen and skilled warriors and has headed off in pursuit of David with the express goal of killing him. This is David's boss, whom, David - in full knowledge of this - 1 Samuel 24:6: He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to [my boss] my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.”
Have you ever had an enemy? Have you ever had someone who attacked you at every opportunity? Have you ever had someone who hated you? ...who spread lies about you? ...who wanted you dead? What would you do if you had a chance to get them off your back? What would you do if you had a chance to say something bad about them or have someone beat them up or get them arrested or get them banned from some place? Would you let it pass? Now imagine that they are your boss or your pastor or DHQ. This is David’s situation.
In Samuel 24, David’s friends are telling David to be done with Major, I mean, King Saul. Like the devil in the Gospels, they even quote Scripture to pressure him into it (cf. Matthew 4, Luke 4). Saul, after all, has done all that stuff we’ve talked about: not only turning people against David and choosing 3000 people to attack him but he has actually tried to kill David more than once and is trying to kill him right now. All those who have an axe to grind with Saul are surrounding David (1 Samuel 22:2). All those who owe Saul's supporters money and don't want to pay them back, all those who are grumbling for this or for that. They point out that God has delivered Saul into David's hands.[2] They surround David; he becomes their Captain and they attempt to tempt David (some maybe unwittingly) with the poison chalice of self-righteousness, spite and revenge. David’s friends in Chapter 24 encourage David to betray and even kill Colonel, I mean, King Saul. And in Chapter 26, they even volunteer to finish off Captain, I mean King Saul for him. 1 Samuel 26: 8ff:
Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.
This response reminds us of Arc Angel Michael's response to Satan when the devil tries to draw him into an argument. Michael refuses to engage but rather leaves the rebuking to the Lord (Jude); remember too how our Lord Jesus Christ responds when Peter chops the ear off a soldier who is coming to arrest Jesus in order that Jesus can be killed. How does Jesus respond? He heals the soldier's ear and goes with him willingly (John 18). These responses: David's, Michael's, Jesus' should be ours;[3] but have you -like David- ever had a friend who offered revenge on your behalf?
Have you ever had someone offer to get someone back for you? Have you ever had someone, out of misplaced loyalty, gang up on someone else? Have you ever acted out towards someone because of what you THINK they have done to a someone else? If the person you are provoking or letting others gang up on is in a position of authority then you have committed the sin that David’s friends -and all the grumbling discontent people- are trying to tempt him to do.[4]
In The Salvation Army, Susan and I are the pastors, the Captains, and the local bosses here at 614 and Warehouse. In some respects we are in the pace of Saul. In other respects we are in the place of David. We have our bosses - AC, DC, TC - and if we have a difference with them, if we have a problem with them; if we encourage you to call headquarters or if we turn a blind eye when you do then we are acting out in a bad way towards our bosses and we are acting in a bad way towards God. When we betray, provoke, or otherwise rebel against our God-appointed leaders, we are committing the sin that David here - who is in a much more pressing situation than any of our corps and any of us have ever been - is refusing to commit.
David's men have a list of grievances against their current leadership –the leadership is trying to kill David for one; their leader is jealous, envious of David; the leader’s leadership is going in a different direction from God even; David has been anointed! He is chosen to lead his people and his people want David to lead. They know what has to be done – in their opinion - and they want it done now!
This is not unlike our own experiences, many churches' experiences, many work place experiences, and many Salvation Army experiences. I admit when I was younger I got caught up in this more than once - believing that I was right and those in authority must be complained against and otherwise resisted, evaded, or deceived. I grew up in a church much larger than any in our Salvation Army. I must admit that I sinned more than once by starting a petition or forming a faction or a clique or speaking about someone instead of speaking to them. I have been a part of movements that have tried to force our own agenda opposed to those in authority. That is sin against our Lord.
There have even been times when I have spoken poorly of Officers or pastors and –because of that- the devil has been able to use me to cause problems. I admit even as an Officer I myself a long time ago may have utter those ill-advised words, "then call DHQ". There was a time and a place when I even knew people were writing to a DHQ and THQ and I at best sat back giving it my tacit approval (reminiscent of Acts 7:58 and Saul watching the coats for people who were killing the Christian, Stephen) or worse I have fanned the flames of rebellion myself. In my recent memory I have even erred by listening to people's rebellious complaints about my bosses and not set people straight. If I have reinforced the grumbling of anyone who is here, I really do apologize. These experiences are equivalent to if David had tried to kill or maim King Saul in the cave or while he slept.[5] That is wrong; that is sin. That is what we do when we disrespect, complain about, or try to undermine those God has raised up as our leaders.
If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to undermine them. If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to complain about them secretly to others. If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to go over their heads. If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to go behind their back. If we have a problem with those in authority over us we are never supposed to gossip, slander, malign, or even THINK bad things about our bosses, pastors, our bosses’ bosses or our pastor’s pastors (remember as well the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7). If we have a problem with those in authority we are never supposed to even listen to those who try to undermine them. That is disastrous to a church. If you attack a pastor, a Captain, a Major, a Colonel, a leader in that way; you may actually be a part of the ruin of the whole church. It really is pushing the self-destruct button. If I get drawn into the trap of complaining about my boss to my employees, my parishioners, or as bad or worse – to his or her boss, I am holding a grenade to my soul and that cannot end well. If you get drawn into the trap of complaining about your pastor to our employees, our parishioners, or as bad or worse – to my boss, then you are holding a grenade to all of our souls and that cannot end well for the church or for any of us.
The Apostle Paul, who writes much the same things about respecting authorities in his letter to the Romans and elsewhere: Romans 13:1-7, Colossians 3:18-4:1, Ephesians 5:21-6:9, 1 Corinthians 15:28, Titus 2:9; likewise Luke in Luke 2:51; 10:17; and James, the brother of Jesus, in James 4:7; 3:1-2. Paul and Peter receive martyrs' crowns via a state execution and en route to their death they still refuse to disrespect the authorities God placed over them (cf. Acts 23:1-5). Peter writes, 1 Peter 2:13-15, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
Submit ourselves to the leaders of the places we are citizens -both on earth and in heaven - and in the church where God has called us. If someone gossips or complains to you, refuse to listen to them! By doing this good, as the scriptures say, you will silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. And my friends –if any of us are indulging in complaining, make no mistake, it is ignorant and we need to be silenced.
However, as we refuse to take part in these behaviours the darkness and troubles around us will really turn into light and life.[6] I promise. Leo Tolstoy, a couple of hundred years before 'pay it forward' wrote a book called 'The Forged Coupon'.[7] This book starts with one person giving into a little temptation and then it spirals way out of control with lots of people down the road creating lots of serious problems -even death -for others. But then at a mid-way point of the book, the story reverses. One lady refuses to partake in selfishness and her act of goodness reverses the trend and is the first in a series of blessed events that sees all the characters, instead of spreading darkness, shining the light of Christ into the world.
It is the same with us. If the next time someone complains to you about The Salvation Army of which you by your very presence are a part, if the next time someone complains to you about HQ, if the next time someone complains to you about these Captains or those Majors, if the next time someone complains to you about someone at 614 or the Warehouse, if you refuse to listen to it and counter by saying something good about that person and direct the complainant -with a smile - to speak to the person instead of about him/her; if you pray for him/her and refuse to gossip or even listen to her/him then you can be that turning point which God uses to transform a whole community from darkness to light.
However, if we choose to complain ourselves or listen to others gossip. grumble and complain then we are feeding the darkness. Today the choice is ours, like Saul (both NT and OT), we can hunt down our enemies on a seemingly righteous campaign and spread darkness and death or, like David in today's stories, we can love and support those in authority over us; we can love and support our neighbours, refusing to repay evil with even a bad thought. The choice is ours. We can choose the light of salvation or darkness and death. It is my hope that we will choose the light and love of God, for as we do we will see the whole world changed, our churches changed, and indeed we will see our very own souls transformed.
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Presented originally to 614 Warehouse afternoon service, 30 July 2017
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[1] Gbile Akanni and Nupanga Weanzana, Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010), ' 1 Samuel 24:3-6: a test for David's heart': God may have done this to test David's heart: Humility is the understanding of the boundaries we need to observe in relation to anyone to whom God has given authority.
[2] Gbile Akanni and Nupanga Weanzana, Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010), '1 Samuel 24:3-6: a test for David's heart': God may have done this to test David's heart
[3] But cf. Ronald F. Youngblood, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:1 and 2 Samuel/Exposition of First Samuel/III. Establishment of Monarchy in Israel (16:1-31:13)/A. The Rise of David (16:1-28:2)/12. Sparing Saul's life (24:1-22), Book Version: 4.0.2: David may have sinned in cutting the robe; he did repent publicly.
[4] Gbile Akanni and Nupanga Weanzana, Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010), '1 Samuel 24:7-16: The Power of the Spoken Word', 367
[5] Gbile Akanni and Nupanga Weanzana, Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010), '1 Samuel 24:7-16: The Power of the Spoken Word', 367
[6] cf. Bruce C. Birch, 'The First and Second Books of Samuel' in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 2, ed. Leander E. Keck, et el. (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998), 1160.
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