2Samuel 1:1-16
How to Deal with Problems
We take a step back in time tonight to see how King David dealt with some of
problems he had to deal with as a king.
Last week, we did a quick summary of the first 7 1/2 years of David’s reign
\\See 2010Notes on "2Sam 2:1"\\. There we noticed that much of the story turned
away from David to others. Instead of David doing the action, he was reacting to
the actions of others.
I believe by looking at how David handled these situations, we might get
encouragement and help on how to deal with situations ourselves. Let’s see.
I. David dealt with problems in a just fashion.
A. If you did not notice, the account between how Saul died is different
from 1Samuel to 2Samuel.
1. 1Samuel makes it clear that Saul died at his own hand.
1Sam 31:3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him;
and he was sore wounded of the archers.
4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me
through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through,
and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid.
Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon
his sword, and died with him.
2. In \\#2Samuel 1:10\\, an Amalekite came to tell David that he had
actually killed Saul.
a. Is there a discrepancy?
b. Not if the Amalekite lied.
(1) All we have in 2Samuel is this man’s word for what happen.
(2) 1Samuel speaks as the Word of God, with the inspired
writer recording the events.
(3) If I were a betting man, I would put my money on 1Samuel.
c. It is likely that this Amalekite found Saul and his dead
armor bearer and decided to take the booty he found and make a
larger fortune off of it.
(1) \\#10\\ He already had Saul’s crown and bracelet (some
type of jewelry Saul wore to signify that he was king).
(2) These were expensive treasures.
(3) This man thought he might get a position and wealth if
claimed to kill Saul, David’s enemy?
(4) How was he to know that David still honored Saul?
(a) Have you ever read the comic strip, The Born Loser?
(b) It’s not all of that funny, but it sure describes
this fellow’s lot!
3. How does David deal with this guy?
a. \\#2Sam 1:14-16\\ David had him killed.
b. David was not concerned with whether this man told the truth
or not.
c. He judged him based on what he said he did, whether he did
it or not.
B. What can we learn from this situation?
1. King David, who here represents the Christian, was not a big fan
of euthanasia.
a. The versions of both First and Second Samuel agree that Saul
was mortally wounded.
b. 1Samuel even tells us that Saul wanted to die before the
Philistines could get to him. (No doubt, the Philistines
hadn’t signed the Geneva Convention.)
c. Still, David held this man accountable because he claimed to
have killed King Saul.
2. Why? I see two reasons.
a. Because Saul was the Lord’s anointed.
(1) We have seen this before.
(2) I think we learn more about the importance of honoring
authority from the life of David than we do any other
passage in the Bible.
b. Because life is God’s to give and God’s to take—no matter
what!
(1) That may sound strange since we are talking about David,
a man known as a man of war.
(2) However, most of the killing David did was justified and
when it was not, God held David accountable for it.
3. It is difficult for some to comprehend, but God commands man to
take the life of another in one case and God allows it in a
second.
a. God commands man to take the life of another when the other
has committed murder.
Ge 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the
image of God made he man.
(1) The opposition to capital punishment in America has grown
greatly in the last 150 years.
(2) That opposition is not a display of pity for the murderer.
It is a display of rebellion against God.
(3) God does not suggest or allow capital punishment. He
commands it.
(4) While no one, except perhaps a bitter victim, has ever
wanted to see another executed, it is important to know
that capital punishment is God’s command against those
who thought so little of life as to heartlessly take
another.
(5) God commands their life to be forfeited for several
reasons:
(a) Because it is just. They took a life. Now they
must give a life.
(b) Because it sends a clear message to everyone else.
If you take a life, you will forfeit your own.
(c) Because it stops that person from taking anyone
else’s life.
i. Murderers do murder again.
ii. One man, Wesley Lowe, has what he calls a "short
list" of convicted murderers who were released
and murdered again on a website by his own name.
The list contains over 50, most of whom were
released in the 1970 through the early 1990’s.
Some on that list were originally sentenced to
from 1,000 to 3,000 years but were released.
iii. An article entitled "More Murderers being
Paroled in N.C.," dated March 19, 2009, states
"That year (2005), the number of people paroled
after serving time for first-degree murder more
than tripled from the average of the previous 10
years, rising from 5.7 to 21."
"In 2007, the number increased to its highest,
27. And in 2008, 24 people convicted of first-
degree murder were granted parole."
http://www.wral.com/news/local/wral_investigates/story/4774027/
(6) The truth of the matter is, according to the Bible,
anyone—even a doctor—who deliberately and purposely
takes a life, is required to make the payment.
(7) UNDERSTAND THAT YOU AND I ARE NOT THE ONES TO EXECUTE
THAT PENALTY. THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN IS GOD-APPOINTED
GOVERNMENT.
(8) In our country, the government has ceased to honor the
sanctity of human life; even so, WE HAVE NO POWER OR
RIGHT TO DO IT FOR THEM.
(9) If any individual does, they are then required to forfeit
their own life.
(10) The only reason I bring it up at all is to say that just
because abortion or euthanasia is legalized, it is still
wrong and those who take the life of another in such a
fashion are still guilty of murder in God’s eyes.
b. God allows man to take the life of another in a justified war.
(1) This is why David’s hands were so bloody.
(2) He was a man of war, but those killings were justified.
(3) Again, God is not pro-war.
(4) However, God set up the boundaries of the nations and
when one nation invades the territory of another, God
allows that nation to defend itself.
(5) I don’t get that from a single Bible verse.
(6) I get that from the entire Old Testament.
(7) Again some people have a hard time with God.
(a) They like to call God barbaric and cruel, especially
when it comes to God’s command to utterly slay those
dwelling in the land He gave to Israel.
(b) Remember that all men are sin’s condemnation.
(c) God can collect on that debt whenever He chooses.
(d) The land those nations were living in was Israel’s.
(e) Just because they had it first, doesn’t change
anything.
4. So David handled this Amalekite with justice.
1Sam 1:16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth
hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.
a. This man had taken a human life and that of God’s anointed.
b. He paid with his life for it.
C. Justice is a good way to deal with wrong, especially by the government.
1. Few people hold justice in regard any more.
a. In court, people steal, defraud, use and sell drugs, even
commit murder and expect the judge to show them mercy.
b. In life, people lie to you and about you, cheat, and do you
dirty more times than you can count, then want you to forget
it.
2. Learn an important lesson - No one can appreciate mercy if there
is no justice.
3. Christians are taught to forgive and we should gladly do so but
forgiving someone does not mean that justice should always be
waved.
a. A convicted murder gets saved. He asks the victim’s family to
forgiven them, and they may; however, the murderer should
still pay for his crime.
b. A man steals from the church and is caught. He asks the church
to forgive them, and they may; however the thief should still
pay for his crime.
c. Someone attacks a Christian, beating him up. The attacker is
caught. He asks the Christian for forgiveness; however, he
should still pay for his crime.
4. When mercy is expected and even demanded, it is no more mercy but
INjustice.
II. \\#2Sam 1:17-27\\ David dealt with problems in a gracious fashion.
A. David is in an awkward position.
1. Saul had hunted him to kill him for years.
a. Saul’s hunt had cost him his wife, forced his parents into
exile, run in out of his home and nation, and ruined his name.
b. Now Saul is dead.
c. What will David’s reaction be?
d. How will his mature Christian deal with this situation?
2. David will use graciousness.
a. David wrote a beautiful song about Saul and Jonathan and had
it taught in Israel.
b. The song does not remember Saul as a tyrant, as a murderer,
or as a rebellious sinner.
c. Understand, David wasn’t trying to make Saul out to be a
better man than he was.
(1) The truth is that everyone already knew what kind of man
Saul was.
(2) Even to this day, we remember these things about Saul.
(3) David was trying to keep alive the memory that not every-
thing Saul did was bad.
d. David was exercising grace.
B. It is good for Christians to be gracious.
1. We all understand the need to defend ourselves.
2. We all understand the need for bluntness and truth.
3. However, we need not forget the need to be gracious, kind, generous
of spirit, helpful, and optimistic.
a. In Alabama, we just went though an election.
b. I heard a local newscaster talking to the channel’s political
expert, and basically opening the door for the expert to say
the negative ads might have hurt a candidate.
c. However, the expert saw the opening, pointed it out, and then
stated that, whether we like them or not, the negative ads
work.
d. Perhaps they work for others, but they don’t work for me.
(1) I have come to realize that with auto insurance and
politics, everyone can’t be telling the truth.
(2) My policy is not to believe any of them.
e. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could get back to a place where
people could speak the truth, even be blunt if necessary, but
still be gracious.
III. \\#2Sam 2:4-7\\ David dealt with problems in a kind fashion.
A. This may not look like a problem but it could have been.
1. David is coming in as the king.
2. Saul was the last king.
3. It is obvious that Saul and David weren’t exactly on good terms
with each other.
4. Now, the people of Jabeshgilead go out and do something gracious
for Saul’s family.
5. If you have ever seen a work place spat get out-of-hand, you
haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen how far out-of-hand a
monarch spat can get.
a. Saul killed a whole village of priests for doing far less for
David.
b. No doubt, the men of Jabeshgilead had some concerns about how
David might react to them.
6. David reacted with kindness.
7. David sent messages and thanked them for what they had done.
B. It is good for Christians to be kind.
1. I have often called kindness the lubricant that makes co-existence
possible.
2. The Bible calls us God’s ambassadors.
a. We are to spread the good news of God’s salvation.
b. However, if kindness does not go out before us, we will have
very limited opportunity to speak.
3. Sometimes an act of kindness can do more to open a door and warm
a heart than a thousand words.
4. Some of us may be more natural at showing kindness than others but
even if we must put forth an effort to do so, God’s people should
be the kindest people in the world.
What are we seeing? We are seeing how David, as a king, dealt with problems. The
characteristics that I see are JUSTICE, GRACIOUSNESS, and KINDNESS. These
characteristics are what David will use to take a divided kingdom and put it back
together again. That is extremely important when you consider Rehoboam started
with a united kingdom and used characteristics like arrogance and haughtiness to
split it. What characteristics do you think would be most effective in your life?
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