LOD-04 - Finding God Through The Loneliness Of Life And Job Loss

As we open to 1 Samuel 16 think with me what David must have felt: So much has happened so fast. First, “King for a day” in chapter 16 we met a young shepherd boy, minding his sheep when the greatest man in Israel comes and sits in his dad's house waiting to meet him. There in front of his family, David is anointed the next King of Israel. Back to the sheep he goes, and off to the war go his brothers.

Then “Super Warrior” as we turn to 1 Samuel 17, and enter one of the greatest chapters of the Bible. Most people have heard of this event. David facing, fearlessly confronting, and miraculously defeating the biggest, strongest, and most feared warrior of the day is astonishing, and so encouraging. The lessons flow from this chapter.

Then, David becomes almost overnight, in 1 Samuel 18-20, a “National Hero”. In a short period of time he becomes a member of King Saul's cabinet as a commander of the army. Plus he gets to marry into the Royal Family, while still keeping his job as the most visible musician of the day. Add to that the rage and death threats of a dark hearted Saul, and the picture becomes cloudy. David sticks it out, faces abuse: both verbal, emotional, and physical. Then the moment of truth comes. Jonathan warns him that his worst nightmare is true. The King of Israel wants to use the entire resource of the nation to hunt, track down, and to kill his own son-in-law, David.

David is an unemployed young man, facing a bleak and unknown future with nowhere to go, and on the run. That is where 1 Samuel 20 ends.