Loyalty Shifted

“So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.” – 1 Samuel 20:16-17

Beyond the stories of great friendship and loyalty, I am once again reminded of the impact of Moral Authority. It’s an influence that cannot be maintained once character or integrity is questioned. When trust is gone, influence is gone.

I have an amazing network of Godly men who I study scripture with and we email our thoughts to each other daily. Today, one of my guys in Denver made this comment referencing Jonathan’s loyalty changing from his dad (Saul) to David, “The loyalty that was secure evaporated as Jonathan realized the true nature of the man he had put his trust into. At this moment he was able to contrast his father’s character with that of David, and his loyalty shifted. Shifted away from power and an eventual crown to a man after God’s heart. “

Saul had lost his Moral Authority over his own son. What a sad moment for a father.

Just yesterday a church planting pastor friend of mine shared what could have been a tough conversation with one of his staff. He was in a fragile place because he simply loves the guy and doesn’t want to lose him, what he brings to the table is amazing, but there are a few things he’s doing that aren’t cutting it (unrelated to his skill). Everyone involved knows he’s under paid, all the conditions were set for him to easily reject any rebuke and just walk away. So there was a fear in the conversation.

But my friend has moral authority in this guy’s life. His staff guy knows he cares for HIM as much as anything. He knows his heart for the church and the right things. And he humbly received all that his pastor proposed. It was a great example of the power of moral authority and influence.

It’s amazing the things you can accomplish as a leader when someone knows your heart to be good. It’s almost as amazing as the power loss when they suspect it to be corrupt.

Measuring Success

“The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known.” 1 Samuel 18:30

Success is a crazy thing. It’s measured in so many different ways, pursued in various forms, and comes with many levels of priority. If there is ever any doubt of where David found his success, then we simply have not read the story of David. Chapter 18 is no different. Throughout these scriptures we see the pattern of three things:

(1) Searching for and finding God’s leading and direction.

Vs. 28 “…Saul realized that the LORD was with David”

(2) Commitment to the role that is provided.

Vs. 5 “Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well.”

(3) Constant humility (the most intriguing to me).

Vs. 18 “But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?"

Vs. 23 “But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known."

So the lesson is obvious. Whether it’s succeeding as a man of God, a father, a husband, a boss, employee, friend, a neighbor… etc. It certainly requires all the above. When we measure success, better yet, when our success is truly judged, I would imagine these things will be the measuring stick.

Courage

1 Samuel 17 "Courage"

People probably thought David was out of his mind.

Seriously. Scripture tells us Goliath was over 9 feet tall. Think about that for a minute. And of the giants, he was their greatest warrior. And the fight was not over a girl, or pride, a misplaced “mom” joke, or his lunch money it was for an entire nation’s wellbeing. And the fight was to the death.

“He (Goliath) looked David over and saw that he was only a boy… He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" – 1 Samuel 17:42-44

Goliath basically said, “Come here boy. I’m gonna give you a spanking”. Yet David took his life. I know it sounds cliché’ but we all have our giants to slay. Here are some thoughts on what we can learn from this story of David:

1. David waited his turn (and was content playing a harp) but rose to the occasion at the right time.
2. David realized it wasn’t his giant to slay it was God’s.
3. Therefore, David acted as if He represented the Lord not himself.
4. However, David stayed true (authentic) to who he was with stones not Saul’s armor.
5. The result gave David a faith that would help him lead a nation.
6. He often remembered (psalms) God’s faithfulness in this moment.

Foolish Acts

As a church planter, I think I have a new and fresh understanding of what it means to live in the “fear of the Lord”. I really don't mean that in an arrogant "knowledge" kind of way... it's really a type of confession. It’s a constant and crazy mix of confidence and intentionality wrapped up in a little bit of insecurity and wonder. And God’s hand or presence being removed is my greatest fear. I guess that’s why my study today in 1 Samuel 13 struck such a chord with me. Two verses stood out like they were written in a different font:

"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." 1 Samuel 13:13-14

What more can you say? There is a ton of power in these two verses. In these words are both found (1) hope and (2) consequence. The hope is that God is not passive... He is not detained... He will not only SEEK out a man after his own heart, but He will find one in David. He'll find it in the least expected: a young shepherd boy. The consequence is that since Saul did not seek God out prior to going to battle or prior to selecting his men, it would not be him labeled as one who sought after God's own heart. He tried... after the fact. He tried to commit to the Lord something he had already done. But it was too late.
So as church leaders our promise of hope and our warning of consequence is this: May we always be those who seek after God's own heart. And may we never venture forward prior to God's leading or void of His way.

Threat v.s. Fact

One of my favorite movies is the 1993 Texas based film “A Perfect World” where Butch Haynes (Kevin Costner) plays an escaped convict from a Huntsville prison who, while stealing a getaway car, ends up taking a young boy hostage and eventually being hunted down by Texas Ranger “Red” Garnett (Clint Eastwood). The whole movie ends up being about Butch’s connection with the kid who is being raised in a home without a father, is oppressed by an overly obsessed “mother hen” mom, and his journey towards “manhood” through Butch’s influence. It’s kind of a like the secular movie version of “Wild at Heart” (I know, seems weird, but stick with me). The whole story is a “let boys be boys, sometimes we gotta show them how to do that, and then give them permission” movie.

Turns out Butch hates his escape partner, Terry, who is quite a weasel… One of my favorite scenes is one where they were driving down the road and Terry mentions his ear still bleeding from something Butch did earlier, he mumbles under his breath to Butch, “If you ever try that again…”

Butch interrupts, “What? You in the middle of threatening me?”

Terry replies from the back seat, “That’s not a threat…” he holds up his gun and cocks it “… that’s a fact.”

Butch leans over the seat and says, “In two seconds I’m gonna break your nose. That’s a threat.” He then grabs the gun from Terry, smacks him straight in the face, and as blood begins streaming out of his nostrils… says, “Now… that’s a fact”.

In verses 24-25 of 1 Samuel 12 it says, “And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."

This sounds like a threat. But it’s not. It’s a promise and a fact. Samuel has seen the evidence of God’s hand. He knows that our God does not offer empty threats and promises. Let’s not forget that God was using Samuel in his very own punishment as a poor father. His boys were supposed to be in charge yet because of His neglect, they would lose their influence, and as God put it NEVER be atoned for (1 Samuel 3:14).

Samuel kept his bearing because of "fact". Without it, it seems hard that he would have ever maintained any type of desire to do what God was telling him to do. After such failure in faith, most of us would reject, point the finger, be angry, and say God’s not fair. Samuel’s continuance was in the evidence. It was in the facts. Samuel knew God was God and what He said would happen, would indeed happen.

Samuel said, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your forefathers up out of Egypt. Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your fathers.” – 1 Samuel 12:6-7

He confronted them with all that God had done in the past. He confronted them with evidences of His hand and His faithfulness. He confronted them with the facts.

I’ve always thought it interesting how we go through an experience with God’s obvious hand yet fail to remember the power of His movement down the road. What’s that about? Hindsight is truly 20/20… for a season anyway. We reason away and we forget the significance. Knowing their (and our) nature, God gives them this “promise of fact”. If they remembered and served faithfully, the Lord promised to show the way. If they did not remember what He had done, like Samuel’s boys, they would surely reap what they sowed.

I dunno. Seems to me that God is so very just. The more I know Him and pursue Him, the more I see it. He spoke and it was. Literally. He promises amazing things… honestly, all our heart desires (even the ones we don’t know of). He just asks that we seek Him and His righteousness first.

We just have to remember: The journey is not about the broken nose. The journey is about Glory to Him, and us learning how to be a part of it.