For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die” (1 Samuel 20:31).

Had Saul forgotten what Samuel prophesied?

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” (1 Samuel 13:14).

Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind” (1 Samuel 15:28-29).

Since Saul knew these things, his attempts on David's life revealed his desire to thwart what God had decreed. Since it was unfavorable for him and for his children after him, Saul could not accept God's Word. Saul rebelled against God's choice and raged against David through the rest of his life. 

I wonder if Saul's attitude does not mirror the attitude of Satan, who also faced a very unfavorable fate. Unlike Saul, whose rage ended with his death, Satan's rage continues throughout the ages. 

Friends, is there any among you that has been dealt an unfavorable hand in life? Since God is sovereign over all things, clearly whatever misfortune comes ultimately from His hands. If God did not directly cause it, He certainly could have thwarted it or, at least, mitigated it. But to blame God and rage against Him would be an exercise in futility. 

What is the best that you can do in such a situation? Humbly accept God's decree and give Him praise as One who both gives and takes away. This was what Job did when he faced terrible calamity and loss though he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

When God decreed that David's son would die as a consequence of his sins, David humbled himself and fasted before the LORD. Instead of raging against the LORD, David hoped in God's grace, but in this case it was not forthcoming, for the child died. But listen to what David says:

While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:22-23).

We cannot presume on God's grace in every situation, but we can still humbly appeal to it. In other words, we can ask to be saved from a bad situation, but we cannot presume that He will grant our request. But to rage against God, as Job almost did in the course of his dialogue with his friends, would be futility and folly. It was such for Saul. It will be the same for Satan. 

Friends, let us humble ourselves before the Lord, embrace our lot in life, and faithfully serve Him, aknowledging God's sovereignty and striving to honor Him the best we can, even if there is no immediate reward or fortuitous change in our circumstances. 

But even though there is no guarantee of earthly prosperity, there is a definite hope for a future reward. Listen to Paul's last words:

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

A crown of righteousness! That is our great reward in heaven. It is a crown given by the One, who is our chief Love, for He gave his life so that we might gain eternal life. So, dear friends, let us praise our great God and Savior! Let us remember that no amount of misfortune in this life can compare to the glory that will be revealed in us at the redemption of our bodies:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on. (1 Samuel 18:8-9).

When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he dreaded him (1 Samuel 18:15).

When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David’s enemy continually (1 Samuel 18:28-29).

Some leaders are so deeply concerned with what others think about them and with guarding their own reputation that even when they know that they are wrong about something, they will not admit to it and resist those that try to expose it. In doing so, their judgment gets clouded and they fail to appreciate the ones that would have been their most loyal and capable servants. 

This was Saul. He was so concerned with guarding his own authority and reputation as king, obeying God was no longer a priority. Little did he realize that his paranoid efforts to destroy David would only seal his own fate, which God prophesied through Samuel. Even though it took some time before David ascended to the throne of Israel, by continuing to do what was right and waiting on the Lord, he became a model of righteous leadership for all generations. 

Friends, this message from the Scriptures reflects some valuable lessons that I've learned in my short life about leadership. If you would indulge me, I'll share a few of them here:

I have had the privilege of being both a worker and a manager, an employee as well as an employer. As a worker and an employee, I learned that the most important thing was to do my best at my job and to take responsibility for it, even as if I were the owner. I learned that it was wisest to do this without any bitterness or complaint. 

As a manager and an employer, an important lesson I learned was never to be jealous of others or to fear that they might displace me. I learned that it was to my credit to support and promote those wiser and more capable than me. 

And in whatever position I learned never to compromise integrity, which applies not only to serious matters like lying on a report or staying silent about unbiblical teaching, but even more subtle matters like not taking office supplies for personal use and being on time for meetings. 

But today's lesson from Saul is all about leadership, even godly leadership. Saul failed to understand that his authority was given by God, and so he felt that he himself had to guard this authority against anyone or anything that might threaten it. 

Friends, the Bible teaches us that all authority is ordained by God (cf. Romans 13:1). And every good thing comes from Him (cf. James 1:17). There is nothing in us that makes us more special or more deserving than anyone else (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:7). If this is so, we don't need to jealously guard our reputation or our position. God will do it. And we must recognize that what He has given, He can also take away. It is sufficient that we humbly and faithfully serve Him without compromising His Word. This is all that God requires of us. 

Today, we read about the danger of wrongful jealousy, which can be a form of coveting, which is desiring what does not belong to you. We are told that after the women of Israel gives greater credit to David for his military accomplishments, Saul is angry and jealous:

When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. This was their song:“Saul has killed his thousands,and David his ten thousands!” This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. (1 Samuel 18:6-9 NLT)

Rather than being angry with the women, Saul is angry with David, who is innocent in the matter, since he was simply carrying out the orders of the king. 

What is more amazing is that previously we read that King Saul loved David:

So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer. Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.” (1 Samuel 16:21, 22 NLT)

On that occasion Saul loved David because David played music to comfort him when he was tormented by the tormenting spirit sent from God. Saul, in keeping with the general tenor of his character, only loved David when it suited his purposes. Now that he felt David was a threat to his authority, Saul turned against him. 

Friends, wrongful jealousy is like a cancer. It can destroy you. It pays no attention to logic. Among all Saul's servants, David was perhaps the most faithful. Even when Saul was seeking to kill him, David considered Saul God's anointed and refused to harm him. David even honored Saul in his death. Yet, Saul through jealous eyes only saw David as a threat to his throne.

Wrongful jealousy is like a wildfire. It destroys indiscriminately. Saul even attempted to kill his own son when he thought Jonathan was trying to defend David. And when he suspected a priest, Ahimelech, of aiding David, he murdered him, his family and everyone else in the city of Nob. 

It is amazing that this wrongful jealousy, which led to such disaffection and destruction, began with a simple song.

It is this very jealosy that was at the heart of the division in the Corinthian church. Contrary to what some have preached, there was no dispute over doctrine or interpretation of God's Word. The division arose out of jealous quarreling and pride of association. That is why Paul wrote that they were ungodly and worldly:

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere human beings? (1 Corinthians 3:3 TNIV)

So Paul also writes, "No more boasting about human personalities" (1 Corinthians 3:21). This is why he says that neither he nor Apollos was anything. Only God was worthy of any credit. And if there was any cause for boasting, it was for everyone to only boast in the Lord. This is why he also wrote that everyone, including himself and Apollos, were bound to stay within the boundaries of God's Word:

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. (1 Corinthians 4:6 TNIV)

In other words, Paul's solution to their problem of jealousy and pride was to stay submitted and true to God's Word. And his logic is captured in the rhetorical questions that follow:

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7 TNIV)

In other words, you are no different than any other Christian. Whatever wisdom, strength, gift you have, you only have it because it was given to you. Therefore, there is no cause for pride. And there is no reason for jealousy. 

Saul did not understand this. He forgot that God gave him his kingship. He did nothing to get it for himself. He had no reason for personal pride. Even his jealousy was unwarranted since his kingly authority was something for God to give and take away as He pleased. 

David well understood this. When his son Absalom usurped his throne, forcing David to flee, a man named Shimei threw rocks at him and called David names. Abishai wanted to behead Shimei for such a treasonous act, but David humbled himself and acknowledged God's sovereignty over his kingship:

David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.” (2 Samuel 16:11, 12 TNIV)

David's humility before the LORD was completely the opposite of Saul's pride. This is why David is known as a man after God's own heart.

Let us, too, then be wary of wrongful jealousy and pride. Let us always humble ourselves, seeking praise from God rather than human beings. Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Don't be bitter when your enemy succeeds and don't celebrate when they fail. Instead, recognize that everything comes from the hand of God. It is only when we have this attitude toward things that we have a proper perspective of God's sovereign place in our lives and can live in a way that pleases God. 

Only with Saul is it mentioned that an evil (or injurous) spirit from God is mentioned (1 Sam. 16:14, 15, 16, 23, 1 Sam. 18:10, 1 Sam. 19:9).  Just curious but does anyone know why this is the only reference in the Bible to an evil spirit coming from God?

Yujin responds... Great question, brother Matt! However, this is not the only occasion where it is written that an evil spirit comes from the Lord, and there are a lot of other indirect situations, where even if He does not send an "evil spirit," He is nevertheless behind the working of the evil or destruction. For example, we read in Judges 9:23, "Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech." In 1 Kings 22:22 God sent a "lying spirit" in the mouth of the false prophets in order to send Ahab to his death. Also, in the famous case of Job, God incited Satan to afflict Job. And remember, it was God who raised up Pharaoh and hardened his heart in the time of the Exodus. And it was only after Jesus gave the morsel of bread to Judas that Satan enters him. And then he leaves to betray Jesus after Jesus' word, "What you do, do quickly" (John 13:27).

What are we to make of all this? God is sovereign. While God cannot be tempted and does not tempt anyone directly (cf. James 1:13-17; Psalm 18:30; 5:4; 145:17), He nevertheless controls and uses evil angels and men and circumstances to bring about the evil or disaster that fulfills His good and perfect will (cf. Amos 3:6; Isa 45:7; Deut 32:29; 1 Sam 2:6; Job 42;11; John 9:1-4). Let us be careful not to conclude, as some do, that all evil originates with the devil. While it is characteristic of his nature (cf. 1 John 3:8; John 8:44), and he is an agent of death (cf. Hebrews 2:14), the devil and his actions are still subject to God's sovereign purposes. He, along with other angels and men, are still created beings, lumps of clay in the Potter's hands.

But then you may ask, "How is this consistent?" How can you say that God is all good and yet He brings about evil ends? Let me ask you this. Who killed Jesus? Did God plan for Jesus' crucifixion in the Old Testament? Did Herod, Pilate and the Jews kill Jesus? Did Satan enter into Judas so that he went off to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them? The answers are yes, yes, and yes. Consider the message of Acts 4:27-28,

²⁷"For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

Yet, while we are quick to attribute wickedness to all the other agents, we do not associate wickedness to God, who directed the whole matter in the first place. Why? It is because what God does is inherently good, even when done by anyone else it would be evil. When God killed the Amalekite infants, it was good, but if any person were to do this without command from God, it would be a terrible evil. Why is this? It is because God is not subject to the same standards and laws that He gives to men. And his good purposes often puts to use the evil in men. It is true that God is not the author of evil, but we must understand what this means. While he does not originate evil, He often and perhaps always directs it. This is why we can have confidence that all things will work together for the good in the end (cf. Romans 8:28). Here's a good summary word from John Calvin: "To sum up, God's will is said to be the cause of all things, I have made his providence the determinative principle for all human plans and works, not only in order to display its force in the elect, who are ruled by the Holy Spirit, but also to compel the reprobate to obedience."