1Samuel 18:10-12, “And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.”
It has been said “the pen is mightier than the sword.” However, few may know that Edward George Bulwer Lytton (1803-1873), an English novelist, wrote this for the first time in 1839. He wrote, “Beneath the rule of men entirely great, the pen is mightier than the sword.” In the natural this doesn’t make sense, but there are great spiritual truths to be learned in principal. In the days of David, King Saul’s jealousy toward David grew to a place of attempted murder.
In the heat of battle I would much rather have a javelin than a harp. What can I do with a harp in battle? Perhaps with my musical ability I could play the harp in such a manner that my lack of talent would cause the enemy to cover their ears and retreat. A harp was a grounded instrument, a stable instrument, while a javelin is a weapon that one can carry around. This reminds me of that character of Saul and David. David was grounded in God, as the presence of God rested upon him. Saul was flighty and unstable; one never knew when Saul would “loose it” and snap. Saul lived by his emotions and his title as king. David lived by his godly character and His anointing to soon become the king. David was patient and obedient, while Saul was hurried and disobedient.
Now David had a harp in his hand while Saul had a javelin in his. With the harp David pleased God, drove evil spirits away from Saul and thus served the king. With the javelin Saul purposed to pin David to death upon the wall. David was growing in popularity as the people said, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Although Saul had the title as king, he feared David greatly because the Lord was with David and had departed from Saul. The Apostle Paul penned the words, “…If God is for us, who can be against us?” in Romans 8:31. God was for David because David was righteous. He had a right standing before God. As a spiritual boxing match, God was in David’s corner, just as He was when David killed Goliath. David’s behaved very wisely and Saul behaved very fearfully. I imagine that Saul was quick skilled with the Javelin, but when he threw it at David, David dodged the weapon. Although Saul tried to kill David, David NEVER tried to retaliate in any way against Saul. In this day and age many pride themselves on subverting authority when one feels they are in the right. David had the Spirit of God, and therefore was defended by God. David teaches us many things.
1. Use what God gives you, even if it is a simple harp;. 2. Be stable in God; 3. Behave in wisdom not in fear. (fear God not man); 4. Know that if God is for you, who can be against you. (Romans 8:31); 5. Learn to dodge what the enemy throws your way.; 6. Respect your authorities even when they are wrong (this is tough, but necessary for God’s people); 7. Submit to authority don’t subvert authority (don’t throw javelins back!); 8. Submit to God and be guided by His spirit.
Until the nets are filled…Blessings, Pastor Phil <><
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