We’ve reached the end of 2 Samuel and in it’s epilogue we find David’s song. It captures the essence of his life. It is David’s memoir-ic poem and he say’s “God is my deliverer”; David gets into trouble and God delivers him. From lions, Sauls, and personal failures God demonstrates to us through David that he can deliver us. We all face things - spiritual and natural - that work against us and in those moments it can feel like we’re up to our necks in trouble. David models a practice of calling on God when we’re in trouble. But more than that, David and the prophets point us to Jesus, the ultimate deliver. Jesus is the Son of David but he doesn’t rule as David did. Jesus rejected the nationalistic and militaristic ideas placed on the expected son of David – Jesus instead leads a kingdom not by violence, one that isn’t characterized by oppressive rule but one that is self denying, one that is marked by love. As we call on Jesus, he delivers us into his loving presence.

Nathan’s challenge to David is one of the most famous interactions in the whole bible. He confronts David’s sin, David confesses, God forgives. It sits at the heart of David’s story. But the episode also raises a bunch of questions concerning the suffering that David and Israel will experience as a result of David’s sin. It’s important for us from time to time to wrestle with the problem of how a good god can allow, never mind seemingly instigating suffering. But such wrestling should not take away from the main challenge of this story, and the Bible in general. The Bible is less concerned with philosophical musings or impossible questions, than it is with what God has to do with us. It’s is always personal. And it is always direct. David has lost God, and he goes through the humbling process of coming back to him. We can draw courage in being able to do the same, because Jesus always heals and always forgives.

The story of David and Bathsheba reminds us again how important it is to read an ancient Hebrew story with context and background. This story is uncomfortable! It’s uncomfortable that David did what he did to Bathsheba and Uriah, it's uncomfortable that her feelings and perspective (and name!) are barely included in the account, and it’s uncomfortable that David is still revered as Jesus’ forefather and fore-shadow, after all this. It’s a intricately woven piece of writing - with messaging in there that it’s easy to miss. With a CW on sexual abuse, let this passage speak to you like it might not have done before.

From deep lament to joyful praise, the influence that David has had over the way we worship is probably the most of any other human in history. In this talk we explore the expansive faith of David through his worship, and we learn some lesser-known stories, like that of Michal, his wife. When our identity as children of God becomes the foundation, faith and freedom in worship follows

David sparing Saul’s life was not just an act of mercy and forgiveness, but it was an act of great faith. When faced with the opportunity to take his destiny into his own hands, David chose to trust in the Lord to do what He said that He would do. This simple moment of trusting God gives us an insight into why he is one of the great heroes of the Christian faith, and encourages us put our hope in God for our own lives.

How can we be sure God is looking out for us? David faces a less than ideal scenario, his best friend’s dad is out to kill him. Saul is set on holding onto power by killing David. Jonathan, however, ensures David that their friendship is in the Lord. Meaning that their friendship with one another is like that of the Lord’s; he won’t leave David alone. And like David, if we’ve ever been alone facing less than ideal scenarios, we long to know whether or not God is looking out. Community is God’s antidote to loneliness; in the same way Jonathan was an extension of God’s love and faithfulness. Godly community is like a well that God can draw on to look out for us. In his community we find that we’re not alone, we’re not orphans. Jesus calls us his siblings, clothed in his Sonship to the Father. In his family, the Spirit empowers us to fight loneliness and stand in solidarity with one another.

Saul’s murderous envy of David is similar to other stories in OT- Cain and Abel and Joseph and his brothers are the best examples. Envy is serious and it can lead to violent outcomes. Unfortunately we’re all susceptible. We desire. Saul’s envy of David, leads him to obsess over David. He becomes embittered and joyless. The antidote is seen in Jonathan. Instead of envy and rivalry he chooses love. The love we need is so pure it can only come from God. And just as Jonathan gives up his claim to power, and gives himself to David, we’re called to do the something similar to Jesus. When we direct our desire towards him he fills us with a sense of identity and a fullness of love that truly satisfies.

David and Goliath is more than a story of the small guy overcoming the big guy. And it’s more than a moral story about the importance of faith. Rather it is about God being our champion though David. It is about him fighting for us, him holding our fears, him giving us a way through when we feel afraid. When we are able to admit our fears and our weakness, God can get to work. Ultimately David is the foreshadow of our eternal champion Jesus, who overcomes all that holds us back on the cross. Our challenge is to bring out fears to him and let him deal with them.

More pages of the bible are dedicated to the life and legacy of King David than any other person apart from Jesus, and in today’s talk we meet him for the first time. He is anointed as the new chosen King of Israel but Samuel the prophet, when he wasn’t even invited to anointing party (he’d been out on the fields, protecting the family sheep.) In front of 7 of his more eligible brothers, God says ’this is the one.’ It’s hard not to imagine how this must have felt to Eliab, Abinadab and the ones Samuel doesn’t even bother to name. God chooses the unexpected one over and over again, which leads us to ask why, and what does it say about Him. This one is about the human instinct to compare, and the unexpected work that God does when we’re out in the wilderness.

Before we get to David, we’re introduced to Saul. In a famous scene from chapter 15 we see the kind of person Saul is – he serves as a warning of what can happen when we allow pride to make a home in our hearts. Pride pushes God out and it puts us at the center. Saul, in his pride, rejects God and forfeits the call on his life. The story-teller then sets us up for the one who models the opposite of pride, humility. Jesus is the ultimate humble one who comes to us – he isn’t too great for the least of us. Jesus, in his humility, comes to us all. The invitation to us is to humbly follow him. Humility brings God in. Humility positions us to listen to his voice and that is where God’s delight lies.

We begin our series in 1 and 2 Samuel with the story of Hannah. Her culture tells her that she is valued only if she bears children, but she is barren. This causes great distress. Her husband Elkanah tries to be kind, but unwittingly simply replaces one sort of cultural expectation and oppression with another (that her worth can be found in being a loved wife). Hannah chooses instead to pray and seek God. In doing so she gives both herself and her potential pregnancy to God, and it is this process of surrender that brings joy and peace. Moreover in her rejoicing she hints at a greater peace that is to come- not just for her, but the whole world. God’s anointed Messiah is coming, the prince of peace, to end all anguish and strife. When we can come before him in prayer and submission, he carries us free from the burdens that cultural expectation look to oppress us with, and we can as Hannah did before, live in peace and joy.