Joshua to Jesus - Day 4

Good evening everyone. Nice to see all your bright, shiny faces here again this evening. Thank you for coming with me on this journey, which I'm really enjoying, and exploring this together with you. Today, we are looking at the time of the judges, then at Saul, and then we looked at how David disappointed God, so he wasn't suitable to continue to be the king. God told Samuel to go and anoint David. We saw how David was anointed to become the king, but the challenge is how do you become the king? It's not enough. What could David do? He's a young boy, a teenager. Could he go along to the palace and knock on the door and say, 'Excuse me, King Saul, Samuel has just anointed me to be the next king of Israel. Would you mind stepping down?' This is a great challenge, then, how to become the next king of Israel, and it's a really important lesson here.

If you remember, Samuel was the last judge, and because his sons were corrupt, the people realised that his sons weren't qualified to become judges when he died. They came to Samuel and said, 'We want to have a king over us like all the other nations to lead us out into battle and to uphold justice.' Samuel then appointed Saul, and Saul became the king. He was a great warrior and defeated the Ammonites, but then he made the mistake with the Amalekites, where instead of putting them all to death, he spared the king and lots of others. He had a son called Jonathan, who was a very good son. He really loved his dad, respected him, and looked up to him, but because Saul disappointed Jonathan and disappointed God, God told Samuel to go and anoint David. It was a risky thing for Samuel to do, as he was doing that at the risk of his life. If Saul had found out about it, Samuel could have been put to death.

So he anointed David, and David then became the anointed one. In that sense, we have a relationship between Jonathan and David, like a classic Cain and Abel relationship. Who has the birthright? Jonathan has the birthright; he's the son of the king. He has the birthright, so naturally, when the king dies, he'll become the next king of Israel. But God wants David to become the next king of Israel, which means David has to win the birthright from Jonathan. This is a really difficult and challenging situation. How do you do this? It's a story that some young men, the children of the sons of True Parents, should have read.

The first thing David did, as I said, he was a young boy looking after the sheep. He hasn't quite got to Goliath yet. Anyway, he was looking after the sheep, and then there was a struggle with the Philistines. The Philistines were attacking the Israelites, and the Israelites were all camped on the hill while the Philistines were camped in the valley. David's older brothers went off to join the army of the Israelites. Jesse was sitting at home, wanting to know how the battle was going. In those days, they didn't have a radio or television. Can you imagine? So Jesse wanted to know what was going on, and the only thing he could do was send David off. He said, 'David, go up and see your brothers and find out how the war's going. Bring me back the news.'

David put some lunch boxes on his back and hiked off to find the army. When he arrived, he noticed down in the valley there was a giant named Goliath, who was challenging the Israelites. Goliath said, 'Why doesn't one of you come down here and fight me man to man? Whoever wins wins the whole battle.' Instead of thousands being killed on either side, why not settle it man to man? If I kill your champion, then you're all our servants. If your champion kills me, we'll be your servants. He started insulting the God of Israel. David came up to his brothers and said, 'That's a really rude man down in that valley. Why doesn't one of you go and kill him? How dare he insult God and us like that?' His older brother said, 'Silly little boy, what do you know about fighting and soldiers? You just look after the sheep.' David couldn't find anybody who would go down and do it, so he felt he had to go and do it himself.

David went to Saul and said, 'I'm going to kill the giant.' Saul gave him all his armor, but it was too heavy. David said, 'I don't need all this armor. I'm just going to go down there, and God will be with me.' He went down the hill, crossed a stream, picked out some smooth stones, and went to challenge Goliath. When Goliath saw him, he was really offended. David said, 'With God's power, I'm going to kill you.' David took out a stone, put it in his sling, and slung it. The stone went straight off, hit Goliath on his forehead, and he fell over dead. David went over, took Goliath's sword, and cut off his head. He presented it to Saul in his tent. David killed Goliath, who represents Satan in that sense. When Jonathan saw this, he was overwhelmed. He realised that David was a better person than him, braver, wiser, and would make a better leader than he would.

It says in the Bible that as soon as David finished talking with Saul, Jonathan's life became bound up with David's life, and Jonathan loved David as much as himself. From that point forward, Saul kept David in his service and wouldn't allow him to return to his father's household, treating him like his son. Jonathan and David made a covenant together because Jonathan loved David as much as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his armor, sword, bow, and belt. What Jonathan is doing is giving to David all the things that represent the fact that he is the king's son, the future king of Israel. He is transferring the birthright to David. David has won Jonathan's love and respect. It's interesting to note the quality of Saul's soul. Normally, when someone in that position sees someone better than them, they feel jealous and try to get rid of them, but Jonathan does the opposite. He immediately gives his position to David.

Saul was very happy with David and appointed him as a military commander. David went out and was successful in every mission Saul sent him to do, which pleased the troops as well as Saul's servants. Everyone was pleased with David; he created such a good impression upon people as a wise, intelligent, brave, and courageous young man. David really loved Saul, who had adopted him as his son. David practiced filial piety towards Saul. When he led the army back into the city after winning a battle, it says that the women sang, 'Saul kills by the thousands, David by the tens of thousands.' This made Saul very angry; he took it as a personal insult. From that moment on, Saul kept his eye on David, which shows the limitations of Saul as a king. He was quite insecure.

Saul came from the smallest clan in Benjamin, from the town where a terrible crime was committed. He has some kind of inferiority complex. After defeating the Amalekites, he built a statue to honour himself, which is often what inferior people do. If Saul had been a good king, he would have wanted a field marshal, someone better than him. A great leader surrounds himself with people who are better than himself. This requires self-awareness to recognise one's own weaknesses and find people who are better in those areas. One of the main qualities of good leadership is the ability to manage people and build a team that covers all the different bases, especially to make up for one's weaknesses. Saul, however, took it personally when he heard the women's song. He felt angry and jealous, thinking he should be receiving all the praise and honour.

When Saul saw how successful David was, he was afraid of him. That jealousy turned into fear, and Saul was always afraid that David would try to take his throne. He had some awareness that David was more qualified to be king than him, which made him afraid. This is politics; you read about this in the newspapers every day. You can tell the difference between good leaders and not-so-good ones depending on the team they build around them. Saul had these limitations. As I said, all these stories are here for lessons in political philosophy. Saul became very jealous and tried to kill David. David was not only a great soldier but also played the harp and composed beautiful psalms. Saul started to get troubled by evil spirits and went a little bit crazy. To soothe his soul, he asked David to come and play music for him, which calmed Saul. However, when Saul became very jealous, he took his spear and threw it at David, trying to kill him. David realised it was dangerous to be around Saul.

One of the things that was supposed to happen for killing Goliath was that Saul promised whoever killed Goliath could marry his daughter. David killed Goliath, but when Saul realised this boy was just a shepherd, he thought he wasn't mature or qualified to marry his daughter. He delayed giving his daughter in marriage. Eventually, he said that if David wanted to marry his daughter, he had to kill many Philistines and bring him proof. David did that, and then Saul married David to his daughter.

Mikhail, who was Saul's second daughter, really loved David. When Saul realised that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Mikhail loved him, Saul became even more afraid of David and remained his enemy for the rest of his days. Saul then started a scheme to kill David. One evening, he ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. However, Jonathan, who liked David very much, warned him, saying, 'My father Saul is trying to kill you. Be on guard tomorrow morning; stay somewhere safe and hide. I will talk to my father about you and tell you whatever I find out.' Jonathan spoke highly of David to Saul, telling him that the king should not do anything wrong to his servant David because he had not wronged him. In fact, David's actions had helped Saul greatly. He risked his own life when he killed that Philistine, and the Lord won a great victory for all Israel. Saul had seen it and was happy about it. So, Jonathan asked, 'Why then would you do something wrong to an innocent person by killing David for no reason?'

In response, Saul became angry at Jonathan, saying, 'Do you think I don't know how you allied yourself with Jesse's son? Shame on you and on the mother who gave birth to you! As long as Jesse's son lives on this earth, neither you nor your dynasty will be secure.' Jonathan then asked his father, 'Why should David be executed? What has he done?' This was a plea for fairness and justice, reminiscent of how Abraham and Moses spoke to God. Jonathan realised that his father intended to kill David, and in a rage, he got up from the table and did not eat anything on the second day of the new moon because he was worried about David and felt humiliated by his father. This raises the question of what kind of son Jonathan was. Some might think he was not a good son for not obeying his father, but obedience is not a virtue in the Bible; love is the true virtue. Justice, love, and justice are paramount.

Just as Abraham and Moses challenged God, Jonathan followed the same pattern and challenged his father. This was the most loving thing to do, as he realised that his father wanted to commit a terrible sin. The loving action was not to obey his father and commit a crime, which would bring shame upon his father's head. Instead, Jonathan stood up to his father, risking his life to challenge him. This model of critical fellowship is something we observed when we looked at Moses and the Israelites. Jonathan feared God and listened to his conscience, which is a principle we should all follow: to follow our conscience more than we follow the king, our parents, or our teachers. If any of them tell us to do something wrong, we must not do it. This principle is exemplified by Jonathan.

After warning David, Jonathan left dinner, and Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and kill him in the morning. However, Mikhail, David's wife and Saul's daughter, warned him, saying, 'If you don't run for your life tonight, you will be killed tomorrow.' Mikhail let David down through a window, allowing him to escape. Here, Mikhail is also disobeying her father and the king to save her husband's life. She loves David and knows that what her father wants to do is wicked. Rather than cooperate with her father in a wicked deed, she enables David to escape, even at the risk of her own life. When the soldiers came to arrest David, Mikhail hid a mannequin in the bed and told them that David was sick. When they discovered the ruse, Mikhail was brought before Saul, who was furious and intended to kill her. She lied to her father, saying that David made her do it, which was justifiable as it would have brought even more shame upon her father if she had allowed him to kill David.

As punishment, Saul took Mikhail and married her off to another man, even though she was still married to David. Meanwhile, Jonathan visited David and encouraged him in God, saying, 'Don't despair; my father Saul can't lay a hand on you. You will be Israel's king, and I will be at your right side to help.' Jonathan was essentially giving David the birthright, supporting him to become the next king of Israel when Saul died. The two made a covenant before God, and David stayed at Horash while Jonathan went home. Saul, unhappy that David had escaped, took three thousand able young men from all Israel to look for David and his men near the crags of the wild goats. David was now in exile, having formed a group of vagabonds and others in exile, establishing a protection racket to protect farmers and extort money from them.

Saul, as king, should not have been engaging in a personal vendetta against David, but that is exactly what he was doing. While pursuing David, Saul entered a cave to relieve himself, unaware that David and his men were hiding further back in the cave. David's men urged him to kill Saul, saying, 'This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you,

I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.

Interesting when David hears about the death of Saul, it means he is going to become king. However, he does not rejoice or throw a party; instead, he is heartbroken. He composes a beautiful song about Saul and Jonathan, which reflects the quality of David's heart. Unlike regular politicians, David is incredibly generous. Even though Saul was trying to kill him, David loved Saul and recognised him as appointed by God. He could see both Saul's strengths and weaknesses, wanting to remember and glorify the strengths. This serves as a reminder for everyone today, as it is easy to paint politicians as either all good or all bad, but David recognised the complexity in Saul's character.

After Saul and Jonathan's deaths, a period of civil war ensues. David is first acknowledged as the king of Judah, the largest tribe, with Joab, his nephew, as his military commander. Meanwhile, the other tribes remain loyal to Saul's son, Ishbosheth, whose army is led by Abner. This civil war lasts for about seven years, during which conflicts arise between the two groups of soldiers, many of whom knew each other well. This leads to painful confrontations and significant loss of life. Abner, being chased by Joab's brother, pleads for him to stop, but when Joab's brother continues, Abner is forced to kill him. Abner then warns Joab that continued civil war will lead to nothing but bitterness, a sentiment that often holds true in such conflicts.

Abner eventually falls out with Ishbosheth, recognising that David, anointed by Samuel, would be a much better king. He seeks to resolve the bitter situation by visiting David to make peace and support him. David is pleased with this meeting. However, when Joab learns of the agreement, he is upset and confronts Abner under the pretense of friendship. Tragically, Joab murders Abner, which deeply angers David, as this was not his intention and would bring shame upon his kingdom. Later, Ishbosheth is murdered by two of his servants, who come to David expecting a reward. Instead, David is furious and has them executed. With Ishbosheth's death, David becomes king.

After becoming king, David conquers Jerusalem from the Jebusites. At this time, Jerusalem is not part of any of the twelve tribes, and David makes it his capital, similar to how Washington D.C. was established as a neutral capital in the United States. David aims to make Jerusalem not only the political centre but also the religious capital. He brings the Ark of the Tabernacle, which had been in Shiloh, to Jerusalem. David expresses to Nathan the prophet that he feels it is wrong for him to live in a house of cedar while the Ark remains in a tent. Nathan initially agrees, but God later tells Nathan to inform David that He does not require a house. Instead, God promises to establish a house for David, referring to his lineage, and that his offspring will build a house for God's name.

This conversation highlights a significant play on words: David wishes to build a house for God, but God indicates that He will build a house for David, establishing his lineage. God promises to raise up David's offspring, referring to Solomon, who will build a temple. David is not only a great warrior but also an incredible artist, composing many Psalms that are still cherished today. One of these, Psalm 23, reflects David's spirituality and connection to God. Despite the challenges he faced, including being chased by Saul, David always felt God's presence and protection. His desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord forever, a sentiment that resonates deeply even 3,000 years later, as these songs touch the human heart.

As David leads his army and expands the kingdom, there comes a time when he grows weary. His soldiers advise him to stay behind in the palace while they fight. One day, while on his balcony, David sees a beautiful woman named Bathsheba sunbathing. He sends for her, and after a series of visits, they end up spending the night together. Later, Bathsheba informs David that she is pregnant, and he realises the implications of this situation. To cover his tracks, David summons Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, from the front lines, hoping he will spend the night with his wife, thus concealing the child's paternity. However, Uriah refuses to go home, feeling it would be wrong while his fellow soldiers are in the field.

Frustrated, David sends a message to Joab, instructing him to place Uriah in the most dangerous part of the battle and then withdraw the other troops, leading to Uriah's death. When Joab informs David of Uriah's death, it is a grave moment, reflecting poorly on David's character. God is displeased with David's actions and instructs Nathan the prophet to confront him about his sin. Nathan is apprehensive about delivering such a message to the king, fearing for his safety, but he understands the importance of addressing David's wrongdoing.

A lot of wisdom can be found in this story. Nathan is wondering how he can confront David without risking imprisonment. He devises a plan and approaches David, saying, "Your Majesty, a terrible crime has been committed in your kingdom." David, eager to punish the evildoer, asks for details. Nathan tells him about a rich man who took a poor man's only lamb to serve to a guest. David is outraged and demands to know who the man is so he can punish him. Nathan then reveals, "That man is you," leading David to realise the gravity of his actions. Nathan chastises David, asking why he has despised the word of the Lord and committed such a terrible sin.

Following this, Bathsheba gives birth to a child who tragically dies, but later she has another son, Solomon, whom the Lord loves. It is important to note that while David is often seen as having committed adultery, technically he did not. Before going to war, soldiers would divorce their wives to ensure they could remarry if they died. Therefore, Bathsheba was technically divorced from Uriah. However, this does not absolve David of the immorality of his actions. The rabbis interpret David's actions as a spiritual failure; he saw Uriah as the serpent and Bathsheba as Eve, believing he was destined to be with her. Nathan's rebuke highlights that David acted hastily without restoring the relationship with Uriah.

In interpreting the story, I believe David should have acted differently. After his revelation, he should have invited Bathsheba for tea but sent her home instead of sleeping with her. He should have summoned Uriah to discuss his intentions to marry Bathsheba, offering him a chance to marry another beautiful woman and rewarding him with money and a promotion. This way, Uriah might have willingly consented to give Bathsheba to David. Instead, David's actions led to Uriah's death, which was not the right path. He failed to perform the necessary tikkun, or restoration, in his relationships.

When Nathan confronted David, he was deeply remorseful and recognised his sin. David expressed his sorrow in a psalm, pleading for God's mercy and acknowledging his transgressions. He wrote about his feelings of guilt and the need for cleansing, stating, "Against you alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight." This psalm reflects David's spiritual journey and his genuine repentance, which is a significant aspect of his character.

The importance of repentance is a recurring theme in the stories of biblical figures. Leaders are not defined by their perfection but by their ability to admit mistakes and learn from them. Judah, for example, evolves from selling Joseph into slavery to being willing to sacrifice himself for his brother Benjamin. This transformation illustrates that true leadership involves growth and repentance. David's lineage continues because he recognised his faults and sought forgiveness, demonstrating that God values a contrite heart over perfection.

Even after David's repentance, Nathan informs him of the consequences of his actions. He tells David that calamity will arise from his own household, foreshadowing the turmoil that will affect his family. Despite David's repentance, he faces significant challenges, including the tragic deaths of his children and turmoil within his family. This narrative serves as a reminder that while repentance is crucial, the consequences of one's actions can still unfold in profound ways.

David becomes withdrawn and paralyzed, unable to guide or confront his children. Everyone knows what he has done wrong, making it difficult for him to address their sins, which mirror his own. As a result, everything goes wrong in David's family after this. Later on, David and Bathsheba made love again, got married, and had a son named Solomon. The name Solomon signifies that the Lord loves him; he is called Solomon because God loves him. Although he is the youngest son, he holds a significant position in the family.

David had several other wives before Bathsheba, one of whom was called Maacah, who had a son named Absalom. Absalom was an older brother, and David's first wife had a son named Amnon. Amnon took a fancy to Absalom's sister, Tamar, and invited her to come to him. Despite her resistance, he raped her and then despised her, throwing her out without marrying her. This act was worse than that of the man who raped Dinah, who at least wanted to marry her afterward. Amnon's actions led to a series of tragic events.

When Absalom learned of what Amnon had done, he was understandably furious. On Absalom's birthday, he hosted a large party and invited all his brothers, including Amnon. During the festivities, Absalom killed Amnon. When David heard about this, he was upset and angry, but he did not confront Amnon for his actions because he had lost face himself due to his own adultery. Consequently, he could not challenge Absalom for murdering Amnon either, as he had arranged for Uriah to be killed. This loss of respect from Absalom led him to believe that David was no longer fit to be king.

Absalom gathered many young men around him and decided to rebel against David. This rebellion forced David to flee from Jerusalem to save his life. In a public act of defiance, Absalom had sex with all of David's concubines on the rooftop, humiliating David further. Joab, David's army commander, was involved in the civil war between David and Absalom. Eventually, Absalom's forces were defeated, and he was killed. David's grief over Absalom's death was profound, leading him to mourn publicly, which upset Joab. Joab reminded David that he should be grieving for his loyal soldiers who fought to restore him to the throne.

As David aged, he struggled to keep warm at night, so they arranged for a young girl named Abishag to lie with him for warmth, although he did not have sexual relations with her. David's weakness became apparent, and he withdrew from his role as king. Another of David's sons, Adonijah, believing his father was too old to rule, sought to proclaim himself king. He gathered supporters, including Joab and Abiathar the priest, while Solomon remained loyal to David.

Bathsheba learned of Adonijah's plans and reminded David of his promise that Solomon would be king. Nathan the prophet also supported this claim. Together, they arranged for Solomon to be crowned king of Israel. Adonijah, fearing for his life, sought refuge, and Solomon assured him that he would not be put to death if he remained loyal. As David approached death, he advised Solomon to be strong and act like a man, urging him to observe the Lord's requirements and keep His decrees. David warned Solomon about Joab's actions and instructed him to deal with Joab wisely, ensuring that he did not die peacefully.

David then passed away, and the narrative will continue with Solomon's reign.