1 Samuel #25: an exposition of 1 Samuel 25:1-44. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, August 5, 2012.
Intro:
Are you always consistent? I mean in your spiritual life. Do you consistently live out the truth you profess? It is easy to “rattle off” what we believe. It is easy for me to hand someone a copy of the Baptist Faith and Message saying, “This is what our church believes and I believe it to be a fair and accurate summary of my personal beliefs.” I have no trouble sitting down with a person and answering questions about my faith. I enjoy discussing the Scriptures and what they mean. The problem is when they follow my life closely and see those glaring inconsistencies! You wouldn’t have to follow me around very long before you would be asking, “Just how does that fit with what you said in last week’s sermon?” I was asked recently why I didn’t play golf and I said, “My testimony couldn’t handle it.” We all profess more than we perform. We believe more than we live. We are, after all, in the process of being made holy. We are not there yet. While we are to strive toward perfection and seek to consistently live out our faith, we all struggle. How are we to deal with our inconsistencies? How does God respond?
David was a man after God’s own heart. A good, righteous and holy man yet he was a man. He was flesh and bone and thus he too failed. Sometimes miserably! In this evening’s text we see David stumble. Yet the focus in not on David and his failings but God and His grace. Our text is found in 1 Samuel chapter 25.
Text: 1 Samuel 25:1-44
Chapters 24, 25 and 26 hang together.
You need to have chapter 24 in mind as you read chapter 25.
In chapter 24 David had opportunity to seize the throne.
Saul was vulnerable and David could have ended the king’s life.
Yet David said he would not raise his hand against God’s anointed.
God’s will could be accomplished in God’s way, in God’s time.
It was a remarkable expression of faith as David left things in God’s hand.
It is important to keep that in mind as you read chapter 25.
The chapter opens with the death of Samuel – 25:1.
Samuel hasn’t appeared in the story since David, escaping Saul, went to him at Ramah (19:18).
Now David’s patron is dead.
Israel’s judge, prophet, priest and king-maker is gone.
Given who Samuel was and the role he played, 1 verse hardly seems fitting. Yet that’s what we have: Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. (25:1)
Then verses 3-39 is the story of David’s dealing with a “fool” and his own “foolish” behavior and how God graciously intervened.
As we follow the story we learn…
Thesis: 1 Samuel 25 reveals both God’s gracious care for His own and His sovereign control of all things.
There are two things I want to point out along the way.
- In loving kindness God graciously interrupts our inconsistent faith. (25:3-27; 32-35)
- God, with sovereign purpose, will see to the fulfillment of His kingdom agenda. (25:28-31, 36-38)