The Kings of Israel, Saul, David

1. Old Testament (OT) Journey
Lesson 19: From Sovereign God to Earthly Kings
GOD’S TOUCHPOINTS
Old Testament Summary
The Patriarchal Ages
The Judges
The Reign of Royalty
The Prophetic Era

2. OT Journey - The Reign of Royalty
1. From Sovereign God to Earthly Kings
2. David Leverages the Win-Win
3. The Falls and Recoveries of David
4. Royal Verses – Psalms
5. Royal Wisdom – Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
6. A Royal Love Story – Song of Solomon
7. Division and Downfall of Israel
8. Esther, Queen of Persia

3. Presentation Overview
• 1 Samuel 3-17
• Israel demands a King
• A jump start with the
Holy Spirit
• A poor finish with an
evil spirit

4. Israel Demands a King
I Samuel 8:6 But when they said, “Give
us a king to lead us,” this displeased
Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And
the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the
people are saying to you; it is not you
they have rejected, but they have
rejected me as their king.

5. Israel Demands a King
I Samuel 8:8 As they have done from
the day I brought them up out of Egypt
until this day, forsaking me and
serving other gods, so they are doing
to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn
them solemnly and let them know what
the king who will reign over them will
claim as his rights.”

6. Saul – Chosen by God
1 Samuel 10:23 They ran and brought him
out, and as he stood among the people he
was a head taller than any of the
others. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do
you see the man the LORD has
chosen? There is no one like him among
all the people.”

7. Saul Among the Prophets
1 Samuel 10:9 As Saul turned to leave
Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart,
and all these signs were fulfilled that
day. 10 When he and his servant arrived
at Gibeah, a procession of prophets
met him; the Spirit of God came
powerfully upon him, and he joined in
their prophesying.

8. Saul – Rejected by God
1 Samuel 13: 13“You have done a foolish thing,”
Samuel said. “You have not kept the command
the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would
have established your kingdom over Israel for all
time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure;
the LORD has sought out a man after his own
heart and appointed him ruler of his people,
because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”

9. Saul’s Face Saver
1 Samuel 15:30 Saul replied, “I have
sinned. But please honor me before the
elders of my people and before Israel;
come back with me, so that I may worship
the LORD your God.” 31 So Samuel went
back with Saul, and Saul worshiped
the LORD.

10. Samuel Mourns for Saul
1 Samuel 15:34 Then Samuel left for
Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in
Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died,
he did not go to see Saul again, though
Samuel mourned for him. And
the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king
over Israel.

11. Saul Seeks a Medium
1 Samuel 28:5 Saul took one look at the
Philistine army and started shaking with
fear.6 So he asked the LORD what to do. But
the LORD would not answer, either in a
dream or by a priest or a prophet. 7 Then
Saul told his officers, “Find me a woman
who can talk to the spirits of the dead. I’ll
go to her and find out what’s going to
happen.”

12. Both Saul and David had humble
beginnings.
Saul sought man’s favour (I Samuel
15:30) – God removed his spirit (I
Samuel 16:1)
David sought God’s favour - God’s
spirit came mightily upon him (I
Samuel 16:13).

13. David Honoured
David is first brought to us in the Bible in a
brilliant, dramatic way. He is introduced to
us in the Bible with a huge head start. We
see him:
• Honoured by God
• Honoured by the King
• Honoured by the people

14. Honoured by God
I Samuel 16:7
“For man looks at the outward
appearance but God looks at the heart”.

15. Discussion
Read 1 Samuel 16 v. 1-
14, 21-23
1. What qualities did
Samuel and Jesse look
for in their choice of a
King?
2. What did Jesse think
of David?

16. Honoured by God
• Read II Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range
throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts
are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing,
and from now on you will be at war."
• Even today, God is looking for someone to anoint.
• Does God’s opinion of us or man’s opinion of us disturb
us more. How do we see people?

17. Discussion
The Lord is with him 1 Sam 16 v 18
1. What are some of the qualities David possesses now?
V. 18
2. What does that show about the work of the spirit?
3. How do you view this as part of God’s plan?

18. The Spirit of God in a person can
influence the most heathen rebel.
The Spirit of God in our lives can
drive out the evil spirit in others

19. Honoured by the King
Read I Samuel 16:14-23
• 1 Samuel 18:5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on,
David was so successful that Saul gave him a
high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and
Saul’s officers as well.
Augustine’s father, a heathen told him, “Be great”. His
mother told him “Be good”. He said I will be both. After
years of folly he resolved to be good. He is still
remembered as one of the world’s greatest saints.
What a contrast from Lord Clive who while being cheered
by the nation for his success shot himself through his head.

20. Honoured by the People
1 Samuel 18: 6 When the men
were returning home after
David had killed the Philistine,
the women came out from all
the towns of Israel to meet
King Saul with singing and
dancing, with joyful songs and
with timbrels and lyres. 7 As
they danced, they sang:
“Saul has slain his
thousands, and David his
tens of thousands.”

21. Discussion
David’s experience of God was restricted to “those few
sheep in the wilderness” (1 Samuel 17:28). Now he was
facing a whole army. But it did not matter to him.
Read 1 Samuel 17:22-33
1. What are the possible reasons why David’s heart could
have failed?
2. Instead what response did he show? 1 Samuel 17:32-
37

22. David’s Key Success Factors
A single mind – he was
highly focussed, nothing
could deter him
A single motive 2
Samuel 17:46 “that the
whole world may
know that there is a
God in Israel.”

23. Old Testament (OT) Journey
Lesson 20: David’s win-win
GOD’S TOUCHPOINTS
Old Testament Summary
The Patriarchal Ages
The Judges
The Reign of Royalty
The Prophetic Era

24. OT Journey - The Reign of Royalty
1. From Sovereign God to Earthly Kings
2. David Leverages the Win-Win
3. The Falls and Recoveries of David
4. Royal Verses – Psalms
5. Royal Wisdom – Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
6. A Royal Love Story – Song of Solomon
7. Division and Downfall of Israel
8. Esther, Queen of Persia

25. Presentation Overview
David Leverages the Win-Win
1 Samuel 18-32
• Courageous when
cheated
• Not bitter when hated
• Submissive to
suffering
David not only won
battles, he won
relationships!

26. Win Lose (1 Sam 18:6-8) – Saul’s
Attitude
1 Sam 18:8 The
women's song upset
Saul, and he became
very angry. He thought,
"The women say David
has killed tens of
thousands, but they
say I have killed only
thousands. The only
thing left for him to have
is the kingdom!"

27. David’s win-win Attitude
Courageous when Cheated
I Samuel 18:21-30
• Saul tried to trap David
to death. David doubled
the challenge and won
Michal, Saul’s daughter
as his wife.
• In v.30, “…David met
with more
success than the rest
of Saul’s officers, and his
name became well
known”

28. David’s Win-Win Attributes
Courageous when Cheated
• What portions in 1
Samuel 22:1-3, 23
indicate David’s inner
strength?
• In Psalm 27, what are
the secrets of David’s
strength?

29. Amy Carmichael’s Prayer
From prayer that asks that I should be
Sheltered from winds that beat on thee
From when I should aspire
From fainting when I should climb higher
From silken self O captain free
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.
Give me the love that leads the way
The faith that nothing can dismay
The hope no disappointments tire
The passion that will burn like fire
Let me not sink to be a clod
Make me Thy fuel, flame of God.

30. David’s win-win Attitude
Submissive to Suffering
Refer 1 Samuel
20:41,42.
• David does not
complain of his fate.
He weeps and bids
Jonathan goodbye. He
accepts the fact that
he is now a hunted
man.
• What is the secret of
David’s acceptance?

31. David’s Win-win Attitude
Not Bitter when Hated
• Saul makes three
more attempts to
David’s life. Yet we see
no bitterness –just
questions.
• God’s strong hand of
protection is on David.

32. David’s Win-Win Attitude
1 Samuel 24: 10 This day you have seen with your own
eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave.
Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I
will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is
the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, look at this
piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your
robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my
hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion.
I have not wronged you, but you are
hunting me down to take my life.

33. David’s Win-Win Attitude
Not Bitter when Hated
• The victim becomes a
victor with an army
behind, an army in
front – and not a drop
of blood or hatred.
• Enact this scenario
with two players –
David and Saul

34. Old Testament (OT) Journey
Lesson 21: The Falls and Recoveries of David
GOD’S TOUCHPOINTS
Old Testament Summary
The Patriarchal Ages
The Judges
The Reign of Royalty
The Prophetic Era

35. OT Journey - The Reign of Royalty
1. From Sovereign God to Earthly Kings
2. David leverages the Win-Win
3. The Falls and Recoveries of David
4. Royal Verses – Psalms
5. Royal Wisdom – Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
6. A Royal Love Story – Song of Solomon
7. Division and Downfall of Israel
8. Esther, Queen of Persia

36. Presentation Overview
The Falls and Recoveries of David
2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1,2
• Objectives
• A Shining Start
• A Stunning Fall
• A Stuttering Recovery
• Video
• Recap
• Discussion

37. Objectives
To:
 Realize that the most faithful believer is vulnerable to fall
 Understand the tripping points in David’s life and avoid
them
 Realize what is irrecoverable and what can be recovered
in a fall

38. A Shining Start - Forgave Enemy
Read 2 Samuel 1-4
Wept over Saul’s death
and avenged it (ch 1)
Kept his promise to his
friend Jonathan (ch 4)
Avenged the death of
Ishbosheth (ch 4)

39. A Shining Start - Feared the Lord
Read 2 Samuel 6
When Uzzah died,
David’s anger turned to
reverence – ch 6:8-10

40. A Shining Start -On Fire for the Lord
Read 2 Samuel 6
Danced before the ark
of the Lord, oblivious of
self – ch 6:14,15.

41. A Stunning Fall - Cover up/ Deceit
• Started with Abimelech
(1Sam 21:2).
• Continued with Achish
(1 Sam 27:9-11)
• Culminated with Uriah
(2 Sam 11:10)

42. A Stunning Fall - Carnality to Covetousness
• Abigail (1 Sam 25:39-41)
– after her husband’s
death
• Michal (2 Sam 3:14) –
while her husband was
alive
• Multiplied concubines
and wives (2 Samuel
5:13)
• Uriah’s wife (2 Sam
11:4) - after causing her
husband’s death

43. A Stunning Fall - Cruelty/ Murder
• Angry enough to kill
Nabal (1 Sam 25: 22,
39)
• Actually got Uriah
murdered (2 Sam
11:17)

44. A Stunning Fall - Census
• Relied more on
schemes – culminating
in Numbering the
people (2 Samuel 24)

45. A Stuttering Recovery
2 Samuel 24:14 - “It is
better to fall into the
hands of God than into
the hands of man.”
• God’s Reproval
• David was not to build
the temple 2 Sam 7:13
• Sword in his house
- 2 Sam 12:10, 16:28
• Wives publicly violated -
2 Sam 12:11
• Immorality - 2 Sam
16:22

46. A Stuttering Recovery
David’s Response
His sin, not God’s
punishment Ps 38:4
His hope, not
arguments/ questions
Ps 38:14,15
His confidence in
God’s vindication, not
doubt (Ps 38:20)

47. A Stuttering Recovery
2 Samuel 24:14 - “It is
better to fall into the
hands of God than into
the hands of man.”
David’s Restoration
• Kingdom established
(Present and future)
• Dies in honour
• Immortalized as “Man
after God’s own heart”

48. King David – Falls and Recoveries
Recap
• A Shining Start
• Forgave Enemy
• Feared the Lord
• On Fire for God
• A Stunning Fall
• Cover up
• Carnality
• Cruelty
• Census
• A Stuttering Recovery
• God’s Reproval
• David’s Response
• David’s Recovery

49. Discussion
• How could a man of
God fall so hard?
• In spite of his serious
lacunae in morals how
was David a
benchmark for all other
kings?