Saul's Jealousy

David: The Man of Prayer PART V

Dr. Timothy Keller

10 May 2015

1Samuel 18: 1-14

1After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.  2From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family.  3And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.  4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

5Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in his army.  This pleased all the troops, and Saul's officers as well.

6When 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.  7As they danced, they sang:

"Saul has slain his thousands, 

and David his tens of thousands."

8Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly.  "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands.  What more can he get but the kingdom?"  9And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

10The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul.  He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did.  Saul had a spear in his hand 11and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall."  But David eluded him twice.

12Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul.  13So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.  14In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him.

Saul's life is being destroyed by Envy.

WHAT ENVY DOES

--Born of Comparison, Desire, and Resentment.

--Saul compares David's tens of thousands with his own thousands.

--Not being satisfied with what we have, but wanting what they have. (v.9--a jealous eye)

--We begrudge them for what they have as if they don't deserve it, but I do.

WHAT ENVY DOES

--Envy robs you of all joy;

--If we got happier when others are happy, there'd be a lot of joy.

--Envy grows (v.10) -- a terrifying spirit that increased.  

--God judges sin by giving you more of what you've chosen--He will let you go.

--God tells Cain that sin is crouching at your door before he kills Abel.

--Envy hides and our society encourages it (images of the body; make more money)

HOW CAN WE ESCAPE ENVY
--The example is Jonathan (v1-4)
--Comes right after Goliath; feeling that God has anointed David.
--Jonathan is Saul's heir so he has more to lose.
--He gives him his robe and armor.
--Jonathan is making himself vulnerable to David.
--Jonathan sees that God his bringing his salvation through David so he got out of the way.
--Jonathan helps us grasp the biblical meaning of love--true love can't envy.
--Secular love is more about our own enhancement.
--Love is putting our happiness into someone else's happiness.
--Jonathan shows us the "un-envyness" of God in Jesus Christ.
--Jesus is the true Jonathan.
--Jesus loves seeing us get what we don't deserve.  His joy is in our happiness.
--Jonathan shows us the freedom of abdication--get off the throne of our lives.