1 Samuel 19 – Rage Against the Messiah
Saul is a despicable person, isn’t he? David is only a young man, in late teens or early twenties. He is handsome and brave. He’s well spoken, musical, and the type of guy people like to be around. He is the national darling. Everyone loves him, except Saul. Saul is angry and afraid, consumed with murderous jealousy. When he is not hurling spears he is hatching schemes to mastermind David’s murder under the guise of generosity. David had got Saul out of a hole – while Saul was cowering in his tent David stepped into the void. Saul was paralysed by the Philistines, but David pulverised them – Saul had got a victory he didn’t deserve. Yet, “Saul was David’s enemy continually” (18:29). What a scumbag!
We tend to think of ourselves as David – God’s man or woman, brave and bold. If we’re experiencing opposition or problems then it is someone else’s fault, they are the one with anger or fear issues. We’re David and our problem person is Saul. But this week let’s look at the story from another angle. David is God’s messiah, his chosen ruler of his people. Saul owes him obedience, submission, and service. Just as his son Jonathan had handed over his royal weapons and clothes (18:3-4), relinquishing his right to rule, Saul should have too. He might not have had to go so far as to abdicate, but he should have mentored and prepared David. Instead, we see in this chapter that Saul rages against the messiah.
Now we get a whole new view on this story – it’s a lens through which we see the person and work of Jesus, God’s ultimate Messiah, and the reactions to him. Saul’s rage against the Messiah reveals the default reaction of the wicked human heart to God’s Messiah. This is the heart we are all born with. This is the nature of sin; it is rejection of God’s rule and rebellion against his Messiah. When we tolerate, feed, or indulge sins, it may not be conscious rage against the Messiah, but it’s rejecting his rule over us. This is the ugliness of sin. See Saul; see yourself.
Questions
- How are we more like Saul than David in this story? What sets David apart from ‘normal’ people like us?
Prayer Points
- Ask God to give us eyes to see the ugliness of sin this week.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.