Introduction
You all have heard the saying, "Desperate times call for desperate measures." Well, Saul is desperate. As a desperate man who is trying to hold on to what he has, Saul will do unthinkable things. In this chapter, Saul is experiencing the descent into the grave that those who turn their backs on God and on whom God has turned his back are doomed to experience.
I. How We Got Here.
A. Saul became exactly what the people asked for: a king just like the kings of the nations, so God told him that someone else would become the king of Israel.
B. God chose David to be the king after his own heart, though he won't ascend to the throne for a decade.
C. Saul became paranoid and so intent on holding on to what God had already said he couldn't hold on to that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of David.
II. Saul's Descent into the Grave.
A. The murderous king is a pouting king, 6-8.
1. This is pathetic and unflattering picture of Saul.
2. We can almost see him pouting under the tree trying to guilt his servants into following him, 7-8.
3. He is doing a routine that we are all too familiar with: the poor me routine.
B. The murderous king is an unreasonable king, 9-16.
1. Notice that Saul at no point questions Doeg's story.
a. There was no investigation.
b. There was no thinking, "You know, these priest have been loyal to me all this time."
2. The first thing that Saul does is to summon the priests and accuse them of treason, 11-13.
3. The priests demonstrate to Saul that he has no reason to kill them, but Saul is so Blinded by hate toward David that he only sees and hears what he wants, 14-16.
4. Is Saul's tactics your tactics in dealing with people? With Saul, it only leads to murder.
C. The murderous king doesn't have a following, 17-18a.
1. Saul gives the order, but no sane Israelite follows it, 17.
2. Saul now is not just like the kings of the nations he is the king of he nations.
a. Israel, the people of God, doesn't follow him anymore.
b. Doeg the Edomite follows him, 18a.
D. The Murderous king kills, 18b-19.
1. In one fell swoop, Saul destroys the men who spoke to God on behalf of the people (the prophet spoke to the people on behalf of God).
2. His hatred and greed were so great that he attempted to eliminate God from the midst of the people because he thought that would bring him some sense of revenge.
3. In a very real way, the death of the 75 priests lie on David's shoulders as well.
a. He didn't really think beyond himself when he went to Nob and lied to Ahimelech about being on a mission for the king.
b. David knew that he was responsible, 22.
c. Our actions and non-actions always have consequences – think through them!
III. David's Reaction to the Killing of the Priests, 20-23, Ps. 52.
A. Saul is the mighty man, at least he thinks he is, who rebels against the goodness of God, 52:1-4.
B. God does not go easy on people who, like Saul, are consumed with themselves, 52:5-7.
C. The true king, unlike Saul, trusts in the Lord, 52:8-9.
1. David had all kinds of issues, but he also believed that God was who he said he was and that he was going to do what he said he was going to do, 8b, 9b.
2. David is thankful for the providence of God instead of trying to fight it, 9a.
Ps. 52:9 (NIV) – I will praise you forever for what you have done….
IV. King Saul Points Us to King Jesus
A. By showing what Jesus is not.
1. In Saul, we see a king that was marked by selfishness – he was going to get what he thought was his no matter what.
2. In Christ, we see a king who is the ultimate model of selflessness.
Phil 2:5-8 – Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
B. By helping us see that we are a lot like Saul and, therefore, need Jesus.
1. In every story we naturally want to identify with the good guys and condemn the bad guy.
2. The truth is that is most stories in the Bible our natural identification is with the bad guy.
3. Look at Saul and tell me you can't see yourself in him.
a. Selfishly seeking what you want – never mind God already said it wasn't for you.
b. Emotionally manipulating people in order to get what you want.
c. Refusing to listen to reasonable explanations why things aren't really the way we think they are.
d. Killing people with self-righteous anger in our hearts.
4. We need what Saul needed: the atoning blood of Jesus Christ on us.
Eph. 2:1-10 – And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Conclusion
We are lot like Saul. When we realize that, we run to Jesus because he is all we got.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2016/05/a-murderous-king-1-sam-226-23.html
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