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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the Bibleignmenistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

We’re going to study a little bit about a guy named David. This is part two on David. So, I’ll turn in your Old Testament there to the book of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel and the Bible tells us about David and what was going on in his life and talks about the death of Saul and Jonathan. You know, there was a Scripture tells us that Jonathan and David were very, very close. And Jonathan, as evidently supposed to be, the next in line to be the king.

It’s all one of them son to have it, but things were not going along too well. So Jonathan decides that he wants to protect David and they were pretty good buddies. But Jonathan’s dad, who was the king, well he would become a very very jealous of young David because Saul would go out and you know and then fight and he come back and you know Saul kills his thousands but David goes out and comes back but David his 10,000.

Uh-oh that brings jealousy right off the bat and so there’s a lot of that going on and God had already told David that he was going to be the king, but things weren’t looking too bright. David was hunted by Saul and Saul wanted to kill David. So God used the young man in his life to help him and Jonathan really liked David and he could see the hand writing on the wall. So he told David he says, now look, when When you get to become king, usually the person who becomes king kills all the rest of anybody else that was the king before and his sons and grandsons and all that just kill them off.

That way you don’t have to worry about them trying to insert power and get it back. So they were just naturally killed at money. Well Jonathan says, look, I’ve got a son. I want you to show kindness to my family if you become king. And so he made him swear to it. Well, he did. It seemed like everything was running long pretty good. But look what he says here in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 20, 1 Samuel chapter 20.

And David had to flee and he says, what have I done? Why is your daddy after me like this? he did, he wanted to kill him. Well look at verse 3, the good little statement that’s mentioned here, David swear more over and said, my Father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes. And he said, let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved, but truly as the Lord limit and as as thy soul limit. There is but a step between me and death, one step between me and death.

I think that’s something for all of us to remember. There’s just one step, one heartbeat between us and death. And by the way, we can be taken out of this world so quickly, so easily, in regards to how you feel today, have you ever been so sick you just knew you were gonna die? But you didn’t. And sometimes you might feel so healthy, you just go live forever. and you won’t be going to die. So it’s not going to be based too much upon your feelings.

Feelings change. They come and they go. Today you may feel great, tomorrow you may feel lousy. But he says, I got a problem. And verse four, then said, Jonathan and David, what sort of I soul desire I will even do it for you. And so they would get ready for, I believe, the Passover. And so David was supposed to be sitting at the King’s table. He’d been there playing music and so forth, and now he becomes like a young warrior.

And he has a place at the table with Jonathan and King Saul and others. But he knew that he was trying to kill him. So he decided not to show up. And Johnson says, we need to scheme. He said, if you’re not there for three days, when you ask, I’ve got to give an answer. This is what we need to do. So he came up with this little idea. He says, you go away and don’t come to the dinner.

And there’ll be an empty spot there. And maybe the first day, you know, daddy won’t say nothing. And maybe the next day, and maybe the third day. He says, but what I’ll do is this, I’ve got a young lad. I’ll shoot an arrow and you hide in the spot where you know that because of the new moon, you’ll be able to see it’s at nighttime. And I’m gonna shoot this arrow. And if I say to the lad, it is beside thee.

He says, then that means it’s okay for you to come on in. But if I say, and I shoot the arrow, And I say, it’s beyond you, then you’ll hear me when I say that, and you’ll know you got to get out of here. Daddy’s still mad. He’s upset. He’s going to kill you. And so David, they had a little sign worked out. And all they had to do was have cell phones. I don’t know why they didn’t have cell phones.

Wouldn’t have been so much easier, depending upon bows and arrows in those days. So things were not looking too good. He says in verse 7, he says, if he saved us, it is well. thy servant shall have peace. But if he be very wrath, then be sure that evil is determined by him. And he wants to slay you so that you know them. And look in verse 12, and Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my Father about tomorrow, anytime or the third day, and behold, if there be good toward David, then I then send not unto thee and show it thee.

And the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan, but if it pleased my Father to do the evil, then I will show it thee and send thee away that thou mayest go in peace. And the Lord be with thee as he hath been with my Father. And thou shall not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the Lord that I die not, but also that shall not cut off thy kindness from my house forever. So whenever you become king don’t cut off my house, don’t kill my family.

Because he knew that’s what generally kings do. So in verse 16, so John the medic of him with the house of David, Jonathan made it covenant. Say, and let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again because he loved him, for he loved him as his, as he loved his own soul. And Jonathan said to David, tomorrow is the new moon, and thou shall be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

And when thou have stayed three days, then thou shall go down quickly and come to the place without this hide thyself when the business was in hand and shall remain by the stone isl. And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof as though I shot at a mark. And behold I will send a lad saying go and find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, behold the arrows are on this side of thee take them.

Then comeeth thou, for there is peace for thee and no hurt as the Lord liveth. But if I say thus unto the young man, behold the arrows are beyond thee go thy way, for the Lord have sent thee away. And as touch in the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold the Lord be between thee and me forever, for David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon was come, the king sat down to eat meat.

Now the party begins. And in verse 25, the king sat upon a seed, as at other times. Even upon a seed by the wall, and Jonathan arose and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty. Nevertheless, Saul spake not anything that day, for he thought something had befallen him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean. They came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said, the Jonathan is son, wherefore come not the son of Jesse to meet, neither yesterday nor today.

So Saul had known he wasn’t there yesterday. He knows he’s not there today. Hey, hey, where’s your buddy? Where’s David? The son of Jesse. He says in verse 28, and Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. And he said, let me go, I pray thee for our family hath a sacrifice in the city. And my brother, he said, He had commanded me to be there. And now if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away.

I pray thee and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table. Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan. Now daddy’s against Jonathan because he’s siding with David. He doesn’t buy the story. But anyway, he says, thou son of the perverse rebellious woman. Do not I know that thou have chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveeth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established nor thy kingdom.”

In other words, you’ll never be king. We have got to do away with David. So Jonathan knew my dad’s ought to kill this guy. didn’t God already tell Samuel to anoint David to be the king of Israel because I have chosen him? Well David should know that regardless of what Saul wants to do, God says I’m going to be the next king and he shouldn’t have worried about it. But hasn’t God made us promises and we worry anyway? We often, sometimes we know what God promised and then we still worry and fret, a lot of sorrow and grief because we don’t think right.

We don’t always remember everything we’re supposed to. But David had a rough road of hope and he had a long way to go yet. Now, he was about 30 years old when he became the king of Israel and he ruled for about 40 years. So he was about 70 years old in the 70s, a long time to live, isn’t it? You’re an old man when you’re 70, aren’t you? I said no. Well, I knew that was coming. I knew that was coming.

I don’t think 70 is old. I used to think it was old. I think 80 is old. But when I get 79, I won’t think that. But anyway, he knows that he’s got to get him out of there. And so the plot thickens and as time goes on, David has to run for his life. But now I want you to look there in 1 Samuel, chapter 22, 1 Samuel, chapter 22. And look in verse 1, where he says, David therefore departed thence and escaped to a cave of Dulam and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard of they went down to the to him and get this and everyone that was in distress, everyone that was in debt and everyone that was discontented gathered themselves unto him and he became a captain over them and there were with Him about 400 men.

So David has to run for his life, but you know because of people’s love for David and their hatred for Saul and he builds him an army of a bunch of misfits. These are a bunch of misfits. They all got problems. They’re in debt. As he says here, they were in debt and in distress and discontented. So they start gathering around young David. So David is slowly getting him an army together. And with this army, he could do a lot of damage to Saul.

And there’s several occasions where David actually had the opportunity to kill Saul. Because Saul was out with his army and in while he was sleeping or something like David come down here and cut a piece of his garment off of it and then haul it from a high heel. He says there was your were your servants guarding you tonight? Look what I got. Let them know that I was there and if I wanted to take your life I could have done so.

So and in time and saw what, oh, I was wrong and I confessed and I should have done this and you’ll leave him alone for a while and then Nicky know he’s back at it again. He would only be a piece for a little short period of time. And I’ll… David’s army, you know, they kept asking him, says, why don’t you just kill this guy? He says, God forbid that I should put my hands against the Lord’s anointed, because he has been anointed King.

I will not do that to this man. And so even though he had opportunity, the man was trying to kill him. So it just wasn’t going to work that away. But notice, he says in verse three, and David went thence to Miss Potts. of Moab and he said unto the king of Moab, let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth and be with you till I know what God will do for me. There’s times when you cannot always tell what God has next in store for you.

So you just be patient and wait and God will open up doors. Sometimes I’ve wondered, Lord, what’s next? Or I’d be in such a problem and so deep into a hole and I think, Lord, how are you going to get me out of this mess this time? Now if you never get into anything, it never has to get you out of anything. So I can look back over my life and I can see where I trusted the Lord here and I took off and I did this because I believe that’s what God wants me to do and sometimes it seems like it’s a wonderful idea and I’m a great man of faith.

And then sometimes it goes haywire. And it looks like you’re dumb, dumb. You haven’t got to out so brain in your head. I mean you just, like you never made any wise decisions. Have you ever made any foolish decisions? Any decision you’ve ever regretted? And it seems like now, man I’m so smart now, why wasn’t that smart then? Why shouldn’t I say that? I tell the college kids, I said, look, when you get married, if you’ll make three decisions in a row that’s right, your wife will think you’re so brave.

I said, if you make three dumb decisions in a row, she’ll think you’re so dumb. I says, no. Whatever you do, try to make at least three right in a row. And very few men can ever reach that achievement. They make one once in a while and then they’ll make a blunder. the right thing and then say the wrong. You can mess up just given a woman a compliment. And how’s my hair looked? Well, that’s too long. It was supposed to be beautiful and everything was great, but you take too long and you’re in trouble, boy.

And we just sometimes mean to stay in trouble. But as he goes through here, he says there’s things that are going to happen. Then you get over there to chapter 24 of 1 Samuel David’s mercy to Saul in Geddi, now Bindi in Geddi. And it’s like whenever you’re going down toward Jericho there’s a road to the side that goes up into the mountains and a little trail. And last time I was over men. James went up into that trail and there’s a little pool up there and a little waterfall, you know, and it’s a beautiful little area.

And the thing, this is where David hid with some of his men up in that area. So as you go through here, you’ll see a lot of interesting things. David takes somebody to be his wife and has some kids by her and it does a lot of thing that probably shouldn’t have done, but he does it anyway. Now look there in chapter 27, and look at the despair of David. So in 1 Samuel chapter 27, it says in verse 1, And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.

But wait a minute, didn’t God tell him he was going to be the king of Israel? Well then, and then he came to parish, Kenny, if God’s already promised. So he says, there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines and saw, shall despair of me, to seek me anymore in the any coast of Israel, so shall I escape out of his hands. So David had to leave and he had about 600 men in the verse two.

And so how long was he there in the land of the Philistines? They were not the friends, but they also knew that David at one time, he act like a crazy man. He’d go in there and he’d spit all over himself and just drool and act like he was nuts. And so the people didn’t want to do anything to him because they thought he didn’t lost his brains. But he was acting, trying to see them thinking that, you know, you ain’t got to worry about me, I’m a nut.

All the things that they did. Believe it, verse 7, and the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year in four months, almost a year and a half, he’s over there in the Netherlands. Why is he there? Because Saulancel is trying to kill him. And so he had to do the thing that he did, and yet he was over there with Israel’s enemies. Now, the time came, this is why David was so concerned because of Saul going to fight the Philistines, and Saul and Jonathan dies in a battle with the Philistines, but David had to give his word, he wasn’t going to fight.

And so look down in chapter 30, 1 Samuel chapter 30, when David had gone to one place, he had to leave some people in another. And so by doing that in Zilag, he says up in verse six, and David was greatly distressed for the people’s spake of stoning him. Can you get that? His people, now because it seemed like everything’s fallen apart, and they have captured some of his people and taking them captive. And so David just doesn’t look like a very good leader.

I mean, he had these people come to him, a bunch of deadbeats, and everything is wrong with them. Miss Fitts. And so later on, you’ll read about the mighty men of David, the mighty men of David. And God developed these men. God was developed with David and to be a great general, and he had a great army. But he wasn’t there yet. See, God sees down the road. He sees how everything’s going to fit together. And there’s times in our life when we just don’t seem like anything is working.

Everything’s going wrong. Have you ever thought that? Everything’s going wrong. Nothing ever works right for me. Nobody knows what I’m going through. Yeah, there’s only about six or seven billion people on planet Earth that are going through life just like you. But maybe not learning the lessons you’re going to learn. And so anyway, it says up here, they was going to stone him. Because the soul of all the people was greed. Every man for his sons and for his daughters, but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

Now you ought to underline that phrase. I’ve told you all this before on the same verse. Encourage yourself. Sometimes there’s nobody around to encourage you. Sometimes you have to give yourself your own pep talk. Sometimes This is why I like canceling people, because the encouragement I’m trying to give to them, I have to take my own medicine. And when I remember what they need to do, thinking, you’re hypocrite, you need to do that too. And it can help you when you’re trying to help somebody.

This is why sometimes if you’ll forget about yourself, sometimes in your own problem, and try to help somebody else bear there, you’ll solve yours. Because you’ll come up with a counseling in a good advice for somebody else that you need. I’m serious, it will help you when you start learning to help somebody else. Don’t put yourself in a little cave and it’s just you and nobody else and you isolate yourself from everybody else because solving a lot of your problems is trying to help other people solve them because you get answers that way.

You’re listening and they say that, you know, that’s what I’m going through. whatever I tell them, well, that’s what I need to do. And after you help somebody and they’re so thankful, you’ll feel so much better and you get your mind off of yourself. It will work, guarantee you. But as you go down through here, there just happened to be something that David asked God. He says, Lord, if I go after these people that took our people, and I’m not gonna be able to overtake them.

God says, yep. Now wouldn’t that be nice? Lord, I need a million dollars. You’re going to give it to me? And Lord says, yes. Really? Wouldn’t that make you happy? If we could get answers like that from God and he didn’t even have an iPad or nothing like that, you know, a text Lord. And Lord text right back. Yes. Sometimes you wonder, how did God communicate back in those days? Yes, David. Look what he says here in verse 8.

And David inquired at the Lord saying, shall I pursue after this truth? Shall I overtake them? And he answered, pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them and without fail recover all. So God told them, go after them, you’ll overtake them and you’ll recover everything. But they’re ready to stone David because they don’t know this. But God can let him get to the place where everybody turns against you. But God, and if you know that you and God are on the same page, don’t worry about anything else.

You and God are a majority, but you better make sure for God’s stand and you’re standing with the Lord. You can’t understand and figure all of this stuff out. It’ll drive you nuts. So anyway, they went after them and they got things out of them, but look in verse 19. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoiled nor anything that they had taken to them, David and Yondal and the line those words.

David recovered all. Now everybody’s all excited. Now everybody’s…what a great leader. I’ve had people say, well, that Yankee’s a great pastor and I’ve had others say, he don’t have a clue what he’s doing. You’re good and bad. Somebody says, we want a young preacher. Other than we want an old one. We want a young preacher that knows everything. Well, then he wouldn’t be young. Can you please everybody? No. So you don’t even worry about it. Just try to do the right that you know to do and keep getting up and you’ll find out that God will bless you.

Turn over there now the first, second Samuel, second Samuel. Now Samuel has died, got killed in the battle. In 2 Samuel, in chapter 1, David keeps asking the question, how are the mighty fallen, how is the mighty fallen? And he says, because they were slain. See that in verse 25, how are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle? Oh, Jonathan, Dawah slain in die-high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant has stopped bending to me.

Thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen? Now, there’s homosexual’s want to take and make them go out of that. I don’t believe that. No. Because there’s not a sin that Bible talks about of loving somebody. But the camaraderie that they had, the fellowship that they had, and the covenant that he had. Because Saul had a son, Jonathan, that he wanted to be the king. And Jonathan was married and had a child.

And this child was a kid by the name of Mafibishev. And when trouble arose, the nurse took Mafibishev when he was five years old and headed out, but she fell and when she did, the kid got injured and was never able to walk. And time passed. Hello friends. Thank you for listening to Bibleline. And thank you to those who write in and tell us how Bibleline is making such a big impact in your lives. It’s such an encouragement when we receive your letters and emails.

Can I ask, how is your prayer life? Does it need some help? Most Christians think of prayer as a secondary or last resort. Do you realize that Jesus spent hours upon hours in prayer to His Heavenly Father? And yet we so often fail to practice prayer as a priority in our lives. Well during this month, for a gift in any amount, we’re going to send you Dr. Arnold’s four sermon series on The Power of Prayer. Perhaps prayer is a shortcoming in your life and this teaching is surely able to help.

Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634, and don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. God bless you, and thank you again for supporting Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Now, friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound, and we will be changed.

Cut up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.