“The enemy is fear"

1 Samuel 18:6-16

Not often would it be proper for this writer to state, “I identify with David in these verses, and it is surely not for being a great warrior.”  But I’ve worked for a few Saul’s in my forty years in sales, men who at one time were successful, but had moved to management.  I’m not sure they had an evil spirit invading their person, but at the time it sure seemed so.  What they had was low self-esteem; they missed getting the praise for closing the big order, and they became jealous of the very people who were making them look successful.  Now King Saul took this to a higher level in that he on many occasions tried to kill David, never had a boss gone that far! 

David’s trouble with Saul all began when the women got together and made up a catchy little song.  It is found in verses 6-7, “As they were coming home when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing, and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”   You and I know in hindsight this was all part of God’s plan.  But it also speaks volumes about the character of King Saul; he knows in his heart that God has removed his blessing from him and that David is a man of leadership and character who is willing to listen to the Lord and obey His direction.  David is not impressed with himself, for he made it very clear to Goliath and the army of Israel that the battle was not his to win or lose, the fight was the Lords.  Do you recall in chapter 17:47, “and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear.  For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into my hand.”  It makes one wonder is that the God I’m serving, or is my god depending on my abilities, if so you’re in for a fall?

So the day Saul heard the women singing that song he feared David, and fear always leads to insecurity and his love and respect for David turned to hate and jealousy.  The very same thing happened to the Religious leaders when Jesus began His ministry, and fear leads to hate and the end game results in murder.

In verses 12-13, we see Saul removing David from his presence and putting him over a thousand men, all that David attempted was successful.  Now verses 15 and 16, tell the rest of this story; “And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.”  

I will finish with a quote from a great man; “The enemy is fear.  We think it is hate; but it is fear.” Mahatma Gandhi

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Whose son is this?

August 19, 2017

1 Samuel 17:55-18:5

Whose son is this, the question was ask of Abner the commander of the army of Israel by King Saul, and he answered, I do not have a clue.  It is not reported what David did after killing Goliath, but it is hard for me to accept that he did not lead out with the sword of Goliath and begin to remove the Philistines from this earth.  In this passage of Scripture we only have this account; “And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Do you know an unsung hero, how would you define such a person?  The dictionary.com had this to say, “a person who makes a substantive yet unrecognized contribution; a person whose bravery is unknown or unacknowledged.”  If you were to ask me it was my dad, he worked in a job he did not like but never complained.  But one job did not pay the bills, so with two bad knees he walked selling uniforms to anyone who needed them.  His family did not always understand him, and yet his friends valued him greatly.  Jonathan also fills the role of an unsung hero in everyway and he was destined to be the next King of Israel but was willing to allow David to take his place. 

Give thought to chapter 18:1-5, “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.”

Whose son is this? That question has been asked and debated about one who is more significant than David, and that discussion is still going on.  Who is the Father of Jesus Christ, and if you find yourself with the conviction He is as Nathanael said in John 1:49, “you are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!”   If you have come to the same conclusion as Nathanael, would you not be wise to do as Jonathan did with David?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The wrong Armor

August 18: 2017

1 Samuel 17:38-54

I hope the Holy Spirit is speaking to you as He has been addressing me about how I will apply the lesson of obedience.  Now it is important to state that anything other than doing what you are told at the time you are told falls short of obeying.  It is also interesting when it comes to King Saul and David how each man looks at what obedience is, and the difference in each persons experience is putting their trust in God to do it all for them.

I believe the first lesson a warrior in the Christian army must learn is the armor design for another will not fit or work for you.  My calling was not the same as my pastor, I do not have the right armor for his battles, nor would he be equipped to enter into the battle God has for me in the business world.  Each of us has a place in the line, and if we move out of this location, there will be a VOID.

King Saul wants David to wear his armor but it does not fit, and David has the understanding not to enter the battle in someone else's armor. “Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.”  We often quote Jeremiah 29:11a, “For I know the plans I have for you, declare the Lord.”  Those plans call for you taking your place in the line, not trying to do the work of ministry, but allowing the Spirit of God to work in you with the gifts and talents to fill your place in the battle line.  The soldier in Christ’s army will have his/her mind set on Goliath, but God is all you need if you understand the battle is the Lord’s.

My reference point is going to be very different than yours, but can you put yourself in the place of a Goliath.  He has disdain for a young boy coming against him with no armor and a stick, and he cursed David and told him he was going to be bird food after he finished with him.  I’m sure you have experienced such things in your business life, and those giants may not want to kill you, but they may try to get you fired.

Listen to David’s response, and ponder on it, what is your take away when face to face with a Goliath?  “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut-off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.”

David was smarter than the average follower of Christ; he understood it was not his battle to win or lose, but that he was God’s warrior, and that God had the right tools, talents, and equipment to accomplish what He desired.  David knew whom Goliath was taking on and had faith the battle was won before it began.  The question that needs asking is, do you and I understand this fact?  We are going to encounter our Goliath, and will need to set our hope in the Lord.

The next verses 48-54 are a must-read.  But let me report on this when the Philistine came at David, David ran toward the battle line to meet Goliath and took a stone from his bag and put it in his sling and it struck the Philistine in his forehead and the giant hit the ground face down.  And David took his head and armor back to his tent in Jerusalem.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The hand of God in your life

1 Samuel 17:24-37

Can you see the hand of God in your life?  It is there but often is not realized by a person for many years, and some never get it.  Goliath has for forty days been coming out and playing with the minds and fears of the army of Israel, and it has worked.  But this shepherd boy has seen God’s hand in his life often when the lion or the bear have come for his sheep, and he has done battle with them and won!

Often, it is the one in our own family, the older brother in this case that may be a little tired of hearing dad brag on his sheep keeping son, and this is what’s recorded in verses 28-30.  “Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” And he turned away from him toward another and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before.”  The older brother spoke out of anger, but it was generated by fear. 

What brought on these harsh words from Eliab, it helps if we read verses 24-27.  “All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”  Eliab has been listening to Goliath for 40 days, and there is no way he is going to fight the giant.  Little brother seems fearless about this massive Philistine, and you have to enjoy David’s reply to his brother’s fear, and after asking what he had done, turns his back on his brother’s fear and begins talking with someone else.

Samuel had already anointed David to be the next King of Israel, and he had been called into service to play for King Saul when the evil spirit attacked, but he was still a shepherd boy going back and forth to care for his dad’s sheep.  Can you see how God is moving things along; Goliath is going to make David famous and when King Saul hears there is a man in Israel who has no fear of Goliath he asks for him to step-up.  This is the conversation between King Saul and David; “And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

Now with history and the Scriptures it is easy to see how the hand of God moved in the life of David, but what about your past, have you paused to see how the hand of God is moving in your life?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Dad’s delivery boy

1 Samuel 17:12-23

This day is beginning early for me, I woke up around four in the morning with one desire to go back to sleep, but sleep did not come, and my mind began to go to the many tasks of the coming day.  I’m sure you have witnessed the uncertainty of each day and also the urgent needing immediate attention.  After waiting for days for framers to show-up as promised, today I’ve been promised they will be on the job to begin the framing of my wood shop.  I’ve also been told they are all ex-con’s but will not steal and they do good work, but do not talk to them about Jesus because they might nail you to the studs.  But I’ve also been reminded of these words in Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

I share this with you because David has a lot on his mind, King Saul has called him into service, but he is still responsible for helping out at home with his father’s sheep.  We find David going back and forth from Saul to his dad to feed the sheep and make sure all is well at home in that Jesse is old and his three oldest sons are with King Saul at Socoh on the battle lines.

Jesse is a typical dad, and he does not have Skype or a cell phone, so David is his resource to keep up with his three sons.  Saul does not feed his troop, that was the responsibility of family members, and so David is also his dad’s delivery boy, not only to the brothers but those in charge of them.

Now it is interesting what has been taking place at the battle, and we are given this report in 1 Samuel 17:19-23, “And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.”

It is evident in verse 16 that this has been going on for forty days, and it may have been the first time David has heard Goliath, but today he heard him.  It is important to recall that David knows he has God’s anointing and he also has history on his side, he faced and killed both the bear and the lion that tried to kill his father’s sheep.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Fear Sells

I Samuel 17:1-11

If I can make you fear the results of the future, you are my prisoner.  It is one of the best marketing schemes going, how much would gold be sold for today if it was not for the merchant of fear.  It goes like this the dollar is not stable, the big crash is just around the corner, and if you want to eat you better have gold. They forget to share with you that no one has a system to deal with the using of gold if the dollar had no value.  Go to your local grocery store with a gold coin and if they would take it what is its value, whatever is printed on it.

But fear sells today as it did in the time of King Saul, the Philistines had gathered their army for battle, they are on one mountain and Israel and King Saul with the army of Israel are on the other.  There is a valley in between and I’m sure you are hearing from both sides, my daddy can beat your daddy, the most amazing thing happened, a Philistine giant comes into the valley, he is with his shield-bearer out in front.  His name was Goliath and if it were not for a shepherd boy named David, we would have never remembered his name.

Goliath of Gath, his height was six cubits and a span, now that’s big, and he was 9’ 3” tall, and he was ugly.  What is important is that he understood marketing, and he knew that fear works, and it worked very well that day.  Listen to what he is wearing; “He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron.”  That is somewhat impressive in that most of Israel’s army is standing there with no armor and a pitchfork! 

But it’s the shield-bearer that is going to be the front man who is going to close the sale.  Picking up the story in 7b –11, “And his shield-bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”

Fear sells, then and now, and the people of God had no understanding of whose army they were in, much like the Christian army of this day.  And the Christian is not facing a Goliath of Gath, it is his neighbor who likes that he speaks, and talks about football with him but if asked what his neighbor believes about Jesus, he is fearful to address the question.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God's way of introducing the new King

1 Samuel 16:14-23

I found verse 14 very interesting, and if one was untrained in the Scripture it could mess with your theology.  Shall we spend a few moments of this fleeting life exploring what is being stated in verse 14, “Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.”   First and foremost it is important to understand, God is Creator, and we can look to Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”  God did not create evil, but one of His ark angels named Lucifer set his heart on being a god, and evil entered into him, and he is the fallen angel who rebelled and took one-third of the angels with him in the fall.  God has many names for him the devil, Satan, the thief, are some of the more used names.

I am in agreement with many of the men who have addressed this scripture, when God’s Spirit is removed from a man, or a nation, sin will have free access.  Do you recall that Samuel prophesied about the Spirit of the LORD rushing upon Saul and how he prophesies and turns into another man, found in I Samuel 10:6.  But God has now withdrawn that Spirit of wisdom and prudence with a spirit of fortitude and courage, and God has allowed an evil spirit to enter Saul.  This is from Matthew Henry’s Commentary: The devil, by the Divine permission, troubled and terrified Saul, by the corrupt humor of his body, and passions of his mind. He grew fretful, peevish, and discontented, and at times a madman.

He introduces God’s Word into the picture.  This stuff cannot be made up and it’s not the way you or I would have placed our new King.  He is coming in as King Saul’s musical person, not as the chosen of God but as ruler over His chosen people. David is going to the school of being a servant, and hard knocks and David’s skill set is not just playing a great harp, but also as a warrior and he won the heart of Saul.

Let’s look at verses 16-23, “Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice