Tag: Saul

Responding to Rejection

DOWNLOAD/PLAY AUDIO 1st Part      DOWNLOAD/PLAY AUDIO 2nd Part       DOWNLOAD PDF

PLAY VIDEO 1st Part
PLAY VIDEO 2nd Part

 

 

 

© Stuartmiles | Dreamstime.com
© Stuartmiles | Dreamstime.com

How do you respond to a rejection of your offer of service? What determines the offer has been rejected or you need another attempt at getting it accepted? The service could be delivering the gospel, training a subordinate business associate that presents himself or herself as untrainable, parental training of a child that has proved to be non malleable, or other examples. As these examples indicate, responding to rejection requires first a decision, maybe often a difficult decision, that one’s effort at performing the service has been rejected. The bible provides clear instruction on how to respond, having determined that rejection has occurred. It also provides guidance on what needs to be done before declaring a rejection. However, a decision to declare rejection will likely always be difficult, because accepting rejection is equivalent to accepting failure of an effort. We discuss examples of declaring and accepting rejection by the apostle Paul, Christ’s teaching on responding to rejection, and God’s guidance through Prophet Ezekiel on what one needs to do before declaring a rejection.

Continue reading “Responding to Rejection”

David Mourns Saul and Jonathan

Why David Mourned for Saul, Jonathan, Israel

DOWNLOAD AUDIO                 DOWNLOAD PDF

When Philistines defeated Israel in the battle at Mt. Gilboa and killed the Israeli king Saul and his son Jonathan, David mourned Saul, Jonathan, the Israeli army, and the house of Israel. In this study, we examine why he mourned. While his mourning for Saul was intended to honor and show respect, his mourning for Jonathan was an expression of sadness and regret for an unexpected loss of life. In contrast, we find that his mourning for the Israeli army and house of Israel goes beyond grieving or lamenting for the dead and invokes spiritual mourning such as mentioned in “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted [Matthew 5:4].”

Continue reading “David Mourns Saul and Jonathan”

David and Saul Close Encounters: Saul in Pursuit of David

Responding to an Oppressor

DOWNLOAD/PLAY AUDIO                 DOWNLOAD PDF

After David left Saul’s service, Saul went after him to hunt him down and kill him, because he saw David as a threat to continuation of his kingdom. David, with a team of about 400 men, moved frequently to evade Saul. Twice he had good opportunity to kill Saul but did not kill him because of his great respect for Saul as God’s anointed king of Israel.

Continue reading “David and Saul Close Encounters: Saul in Pursuit of David”

David Departs from Saul and Begins to Build His Team

David Builds His Team

DOWNLOAD/PLAY AUDIO                 DOWNLOAD PDF

After David left Saul’s service, he set out to build a team to protect him from Saul. He needed people, food and supplies, and weapon. He was joined initially by a group of four hundred men that needed relief under Saul’s administration. They would be unreachable to Saul’s people by teaming with David and at the same time help protect David by building a team around him. David’s relationship with this group illustrates an important principle of team building.

Continue reading “David Departs from Saul and Begins to Build His Team”

Master versus Innovative Subordinate: Saul Tries to Kill David

Saul Tries to Kill David: Jealous and Afraid

DOWNLOAD/PLAY AUDIO                 DOWNLOAD PDF

How Should a Master and an Innovative Subordinate Relate? Interactions between Saul and David after David killed Goliath indicate useful answers. David remained in Saul’s service after killing Goliath and was threatened by Saul because Saul was jealous and afraid of him. Saul was jealous of David because he killed Goliath and led Israel to victory over the Philistines at a time that Saul, the king, was visibly too frightened to try. He was afraid of David because God was with David and had left Saul, and David was successful and impressed the people of Israel in everything he did. Therefore, Saul, the master, felt out-performed by his subordinate, David, and reacted by threatening to kill him.

Continue reading “Master versus Innovative Subordinate: Saul Tries to Kill David”

Introducing Heart of David Series

David, Samuel, and Saul

DOWNLOAD/PLAY AUDIO                 DOWNLOAD PDF

God rejected Saul as king over Israel because he disobeyed God by selectively performing only aspects of God’s instruction while doing as he liked regarding the others. After God rejected Saul’s kingship, he directed Samuel to seek out a son of Jesse and anoint him king.

Continue reading “Introducing Heart of David Series”