David, The Blessed Soldier – 1 Samuel 18:1-30

When good things happen to a person, it does not necessarily mean that God is blessing for the way they are living. However, God does promise to bless those who do right. David noted that in the first Psalm. (Psalm 1:1) “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” After David killed Goliath, God blessed him as a soldier.

Transition

This evening we are going to look at three qualities in David’s life that enabled God to make him a blessed soldier. These same three qualities can enable God to bless you as a soldier of the Lord.

David’s first quality was that…

His Character Attracted Godly Friends (v.1-4)

David had godly character
1. The Lord was with David (1Sa 16:18).
2. David was a leader. He stood up for the Lord when others fled (1Sa 17:24).
3. David had just trusted God to fight and defeat Goliath (1Sa 17:37, 50).
4. David was respectful (1Sa 17:58).
Jonathan was a godly man
1. Unlike his father Saul, Jonathan was a godly man.
2. “Here was a fellowship of souls. On the part of Jonathan it was the more remarkable, inasmuch as David became his rival for the throne. But even after this became well known Jonathan’s love never cooled, but rather warmed with intenser devotion to his friend, and he often gave aid and comfort to the son of Jesse in the time of his persecution (1Sa 23:17).” Daniel Whedon’s Commentary
3. His godliness powerfully attracted him to David’s godliness. Good or bad – you will attract friends that match your character.
  ☆ Your character is what you are when no one else is around. David’s character was solid. The Lord was with him. He stood up for the Lord. He fully trusted God. And he was respectful. This attracted Jonathan’s soul and began a loving friendship based on character. What is your character like? What kind of friends do you attract?
  David’s second quality was that…

His Wise Behaviour was Admirable (v.5-11)

Saul admired David’s behaviour
1. David went wherever Saul sent him (v.5)
2. David behaved himself wisely (v.5, 14, 15, 30).
  1. This term means he was prudent, circumspect, wise in understanding, had insight, gave attention to matters, pondered, and considered things before taking action. These are qualities that every one of us need. Just as they were available to David, so they are available to you and me.
  2. The book of Proverbs tells us that such wisdom comes from God. (Proverbs 9:10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Once again we see that a respectful and trembling fear of God and his Word is the key. It is available to all who will seek it (Pr 2:1-6).
3. Saul set him over the men of war (v.5) a bit later made him a captain over 1000 soldiers (v.13). Remember, David was yet a young man. Such positions of leadership speak highly of his wise behaviour.
Others also admired David’s behaviour
1. He was accepted in the sight of all the people and in the sight of Saul’s servants (v.5)
2. When David came home from battle, the women sang greater praise of him than of King Saul (v.6-7).
3. David was not seeking admiration, but people loved him because he behaved wisely. His prudent decisions and circumspect steps made him a loved and godly leader.
Saul’s admiration soon turned to jealousy.
1. Saul became very jealous of David (v.8). This was the beginning of several years of jealousy, bitterness, and hatred that welled up in Saul’s heart toward David.
2. He began to eye David (v.9). He watched him with great suspicion.
3. Twice Saul tried to kill David with his javelin as David played the harp to calm his evil spirit (v.10-11)
  ☆ Saul wanted the admiration that David received without earning it himself. Jealousy is a sin. If we are not careful, we may become jealous of others who have things we wish we had. Or we may become angry or bitter when others receive honour that we want for ourselves. That is what happened to the Prodigal son’s brother (Luke 15:28). Instead, we ought to rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15).
  David’s third quality was that…

His Walk with the Lord Shone Brightly

The Lord was with David (v.12, 14)
1. This tells us that David was right with God. There was nothing between his soul and the Lord. He was walking in fellowship with the Lord and others could see it in his life.
  1. Some Christians have lives that shine for the Lord. They are genuinely godly. They freely talk about what the Lord is doing in their life. They are happy to tell you what the Lord taught them in their morning Bible time. Their witness for Christ flows from their heart as water from a fountain. Every time you are with them you go away feeling uplifted and drawn closer to the Lord.
  2. That really describes the normal Christian life. If it does not describe my life or yours, we need revival. It ought to be the goal of each of us to have that kind of walk with the Lord.
2. Saul was afraid of David because he knew the Lord had departed from him and was with David. Saul was not a sloppy soldier. He knew when his javelin to miss the mark twice in a row that God was protecting David.
3. Knowing this did not change Saul’s hatred. He promoted David to captain over 1000 soldiers and sent him to battle. He hoped this promotion would lead to his death.
Saul saw and knew the Lord was with David (v.15, 28)
1. David’s wise behaviour pointed to his walk with the Lord. Even ungodly Saul could tell that David walked with God and this made him afraid.
  1. Saul laid another trap for David’s life. He promised to give David his eldest daughter Merab as his wife if he would be strong and fight the Lord’s battles (v.17). Yet he never fulfilled his promise (v.19).
  2. When Saul heard that his younger daughter Michal loved David, he thought to use her to get David killed. For the bride price he asked for 100 foreskins of the Philistines hoping that in this feat David would be killed. Instead, David killed 200 Philistines.
    ² We may cringe a little at the idea of warriors taking the foreskins of their enemy, but some kind of physical proof had to be brought back in order to demonstrate that the one hundred who had been killed were Philistines. As Philistines were the only uncircumcised people around this would be proof that the hundred who had been killed really were Philistines. Dr. Peter Pett’s Commentary
2. Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David (v.28). This made him more afraid and he became David’s enemy continually (v.29)
  ☆ If you will truly walk in close fellowship with the Lord, it will shine brightly in your life. Others will see it.

Conclusion

God was able to bless David as a soldier because his character attracted godly friends, because his wise behaviour was admirable, and because his walk with the Lord shone brightly. These qualities were not just for David. You can have them too. Do not be satisfied with a stale relationship with God. Ask God to revive your heart. Surrender your all. Be willing to change. Spend quality time with the Lord. Press toward the mark for the prize of God’s high calling. God longs to bless you as a soldier of the Lord.

Song: I Am Resolved – 389
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David, The Blessed Soldier
12 July 2015 PM – 1 Samuel 18:1-30 – Life of David – Scott Childs