Mike Bickle emphasizes that the life of David serves as a manual for responding to conflict and mistreatment, particularly in the context of leadership. He highlights David's godly response to Saul's death, showcasing how David viewed Saul not merely as an adversary but as a fallen leader deserving of honor and compassion. Bickle stresses that our emotional responses are deeply connected to how we perceive others, and that seeing people through God's eyes can transform our reactions and decisions. David's lament for Saul illustrates the importance of maintaining a redemptive perspective, even towards those who have wronged us, and encourages leaders to foster a culture of honor and grace.

The Life of David is a textbook, it's a manual on how to respond to conflict. I mean, that's kind of reducing the life of David to a bare minimum. It's more than that. It's a vision to see the beauty of God and to go hard after God. But it is a textbook. It's a manual on how to respond to conflict and how to respond to being mistreated. In other words, it's a textbook on leadership. Because leadership really, not only, but is significantly about knowing how to respond to conflict and mistreatment in your own life and how to help other people and how to help different groups and ministries and departments do it with one another. So much of leadership is about this. So I'm not surprised over the years as I study the life of David more and more that it is about so much of it is about this subject. So much of our spiritual life is rooted in this. Because when we respond in a right way to conflict or mistreatment, we feel so differently. When we respond wrongly, which is our natural way to do, we get stuck and we get emotionally in turmoil. So much, here's the key point, so much of responding right begins with seeing right. If we can see how God sees our adversary, if we can see how God sees us, if we see how God sees, that is absolutely the foundational key to this whole thing. Much of how we feel is connected to how we see. So much of how you feel emotionally is connected to how you see the people who are bothering you, the people that are challenging you, the way you see yourself. Now, in the next session, we're going to look at 2 Samuel 2-4. It is so much about David responding to conflict. But he's not going to be able to respond to conflict right in chapter 2, 3, and 4 if he doesn't have this reality clear in chapter 1. Now, obviously, he's already got it, and he did do it right, but I want you to understand chapter 1 is critical to responding right in chapter 2, 3, and 4. We get clarity on this one subject, we're going to make better decisions for our life. We get clarity on this one subject, we're going to make better decisions for the people that we're over, because many of you have a leadership calling. Okay, so 2 Samuel 1. Now, we're not going to look at a lot of the details of this. We're not going to go verse by verse and look at all the details. What I really want you to do is to be able to picture what happened. Because if you can picture what happened, then you can apply the principles. If you can see the context. So we're going to give some of the details so you can picture it. Because once you get that context clear, you can apply the principles in many different situations in your own life. But don't read this chapter quickly and just go, well, that's about when Saul died and David, he cried at a funeral, that's cool. Let's get on to the next thing. No, this is a really major chapter about the way that David transitioned to being king. This is a very transitional reality right here at this time. Don't be so concerned about the poetry. Misty, let's just turn this down a little bit. It's too hot up here. Don't be so concerned about the poetry. Because this lament at his funeral has a lot of poetry in it. But I want you to be concerned about the truth that's behind the poetry. So we're not going to, again, spend so much time dissecting all the poetry. Because the truth behind it is pretty simple. Okay, let's look at Introduction, Romans 1. 2 Samuel 1 gives us important insights into David's perspective on his enemies, number one. But there's another application. It's our perspective on how we view fallen leaders in the body of Christ or believers. Because people can fall and stumble. And they're not necessarily an adversary or an enemy. I'd rather use the word adversary. But it's when somebody falls, how do we view that? And a lot of believers, it's a real common temptation when a major ministry falls. Or just even a believer just functioning in the body of Christ, they stumble. It's very easy to get a strange negative attitude about that. A kind of, well, you know, I always knew they had trouble. I could tell that was coming. And that kind of thing. And the Lord wants us to view our adversaries. And Saul is a picture also of a fallen leader, not just an adversary. So get both pictures in your mind as you work through this. I remember when Jimmy Swaggart fell into sin. I mean, it was made known. I think it was 1988, something like that. I mean, literally like 30 years ago almost. And he probably had as big of a ministry across the world as anybody. Because he was on TV in all these nations. And the only other man probably more well-known at that time in the body of Christ worldwide would have been Billy Graham. And Jimmy Swaggart, some of you don't even know his name because he was so big in the 70s and 80s. And he fell into some kind of sin in his life. And he sat down. And a lot of believers were kind of gloating about that and said, well, we always knew this. And they had a certain attitude. And I remember Bob Jones came to me and he said, the Lord visited him in a dream. And he said, what is it that you are kind of okay with the fact that this major ministry fell into sin? He goes, and you're all, because they were dissecting it all over the news and how he, you know, did this and did that and whatever. And the Lord told Bob Jones in a prophetic dream. He said, he rebuked him and he said, he's my beloved son. He is a man that has fought the enemies of the kingdom for years. Yes, he stumbled. My heart is grieving. I love this young, I love this man. He is my servant. Why don't you see it like I see, Bob? And Bob was so rebuked. And he came and told us all publicly. He said, whatever attitude any of us have, whether it's a major leader or whether it's a person without any leadership, anyone in the body of Christ that stumbles or any adversary of yours that stumbles that's a believer. We need to view them in the way that God sees them. And David gives us a clearest kind of a litmus test of how to respond and how this works at this point. I mean, how we're to respond to this kind of thing. So paragraph A, David's response can be used as a litmus test for us to measure the elements of bitterness that we might have towards our own personal soul or a fallen leader in the body of Christ. Let's kind of get the context of it. In 1 Samuel chapter 31, the Philistines, they were fighting against Israel. And all the men of Israel were slain in this big battle at Mount Goboa up in the north. Now this is the same time that David is in that Ziklag situation where he's, we looked at it in our last session. David's down in the south fighting the Amalekites and recovering his family because the Amalekites burned the city of Ziklag. It was our last session. And up north, King Saul is fighting the Philistines, but as you have the passage here, you can read it on your own, is that King Saul was killed. An archer came and an arrow got through and he struck him and he was laying there and he asked his armor bearer to kill him. His armor bearer said no, and then he fell on his spear to take his own life is how it looks. Now we find in the next chapter we look at in just a moment that another Amalekite came around and gave Saul the death blow. But here's the idea that Saul and his three sons all died in the battle here. That's the important part to grasp, paragraph C. So how did David respond to Saul's death? Now remember Saul's been chasing him in the wilderness trying to kill him for about six, seven, eight years. We don't know the exact time. Probably five, six, seven years, something like that's probably more accurate. So here's this man who really hates David. I mean hates him with a fierce determination. Not only wants to destroy his ministry and his reputation, he wants to kill him. He wants to take his life. And he has the whole power of the government behind him. I mean he is a deadly enemy and this enemy is now dead. Now think of the person most adversarial in your life. Maybe there's a few of you that say I don't really have anyone. Well bless you and hang on for just a few minutes. Somebody will get bothered by your obedience to the Lord sooner or later. And they'll get bothered by other things as well. A prayer that I've prayed over the years that I'm sure David was very familiar with this idea. It's this prayer. Lord I want to see what you see and I want to feel what you feel about so and so. And when I get an adversary, even in the body of Christ, even a friend who's really causing me trouble. And undermining me and resisting me. And I've had a few of those over the years in 40 years of ministry. I have had the life of David as a tremendous encouragement. I mean obviously the Lord Jesus is the main encouragement. But because of David's fallenness, I relate to his struggle better than the Lord's. Because it's just a different situation. But I would pray this prayer, not always, not enough, but certainly many times. And I want to give it to you. Lord I want to see what you see. And I want to feel what you feel about this adversary. Or about this fallen leader. Maybe I don't even know them. Or a fallen member of the body of Christ. I want to feel what you feel when you look at them. Now Proverbs 24 says we should not rejoice when our enemy falls. Because there's a temptation for people to secretly wish for the downfall of somebody that's troubling them. And when they fall down, if they have just a little bit of spirituality, they're not going to vocalize their joy in it. But they could still miss the Lord in it. I want to be in unity with the Lord's heart. I don't want to just look good. I want to actually be in unity with His heart. And I want to not rejoice. I want to enter into how God feels in the struggle of that particular person. Even if they're causing trouble for my life. It says in Ezekiel 33, the Lord says I have no pleasure even in the death of the wicked. I have no pleasure in the downfall of my own people. Even if it's somebody that's troubling any of us. The Lord has no pleasure in it. I remember one time I was praying through the Song of Solomon. And I was at that great verse, chapter 4, verse 9. Where the Lord is. The king is speaking to the bride. He says, you've ravished my heart. You've ravished my heart with one glance of your eyes. You've ravished my heart. And I was before the Lord. And I said, oh Lord, I'm so in touch by your generosity. That you're that moved by someone like me. And the Lord surprised me. I mean just gave me the shock of my life right there. Is that I had a couple guys that were being really public. And coming against me in a pretty intense way. And the Lord whispered in my heart in a way that was so clear I couldn't miss it. He said, do you know I'm ravished for that man too. Not just you. I love him the way I love you. I know that he doesn't love you. But I love him the way that I love you. And I remember I took a step back and I said, Lord, you're ravished for him. I said, oh no. I said, that's not good. Lord, you don't understand what he did. Or more importantly, what he's doing. What he's continuing to do. And I thought about it for a while. And the idea came to my heart that, no, this is good. Because if the Lord's heart is like that to be ravished towards him. That means I have job security. I mean that's the wrong term. But I mean that means I'm secure forever. If the Lord feels that way. Then that is how he feels towards his people. See and this is what David is tapping into. Some of this reality. He's viewing who Saul is. From God's point of view. Not viewing who Saul was. I mean from just a personal point of view as being David's enemy. Paragraph E. Paul said it so clear in 2 Corinthians 5. He said, from now on. We regard nobody according to the flesh. The idea. Regard means we don't evaluate them. We don't consider them. We don't view their life according to the flesh. We don't see who they are. And determine who they are. Based on their natural abilities. Or even their actions. The things they do. Even in their weakness and fallenness. The idea is. We are to view people according to the spirit. We are to view people according to how God views them. Not according to how men see them. But how God sees them. That's the idea. And Paul said from now on. He goes this is my commitment. I want to view people according to the spirit. Not according to the flesh. I want to regard them. Meaning I want to evaluate them. I want to relate to them. I want to respond to them. All of that is contained in this idea. If we regard them. We respond to them. We evaluate them. We relate to them. Based on who they are in God's sight. Not who they are in man's sight. Because I can look at somebody in man's eyes. I can look at somebody and see all their failures and brokenness. And the Lord saying. Yeah but do you know who they are to me? Do you know who they are in Christ? Paragraph F. So David viewed Saul through the lens of Saul's calling. He was the anointed servant of the Lord. I mean there might be someone in this very room. That's really bothering you. And that's really troubling you. And they've got a bad spirit. I mean they're actually doing wrong. And the Lord says do you know that guy, that gal. They are my servant. They're still mine. They still carry my word. They are still a vessel that I'm using. I know they are wrong in this issue the Lord might be able to say. But Saul, Saul, David. I mean David viewed Saul as more than just his calling. As the Lord's servant. He saw him in his public role as the top leader of the nation. So he says not only is he your servant Lord. He is the leader of our nation. And as the leader of our nation. We need to be contending for the blessing of God on their life. And whether it's the leader of your business. The leader of the city. The leader of a ministry. The leader of the business that you're working with. The university. Whatever. You know wherever there's leadership. View the person not only personally how they might be troubling you. But look at them in that other way as well. And then David as you'll look through the poetry of this. And again we're not going to break down all the poetry of this whole passage. In a really intense way. But as you look through the poetry of this. David is also remembering the former friendship that he had with Saul. He's remembering that friendship. He's remembering the early days when he was his son-in-law. And he was at family dinners. And they really delighted in one another. Saul really loved David for a season. And now Saul's life is over. And David is saying I'm remembering that. I want to recall that as well. And I remember going back to this guy. When the Lord says I'm ravished for him as much as I am for you. And I went oh Lord. Another thought that hit me in that time. I'm just going back to that memory. This was many years ago. And the idea came to me that in the resurrection. We'll be great friends forever. Beloved in the resurrection. That guy that's bothering you that's in the kingdom. You'll be very good friends forever and forever. I mean billions of years. He might bother you for ten years. But you're going to enjoy him for billions of years. And he's going to enjoy you. I mean that sounds like oh that's kind of neat. No this is real. They're really in the family of God. They really are servants of God. They really have a mandate from God. And if all we can see is that they're bothering us. If that's all we can see in them. We're never going to be able to respond like David. But here's the problem of not responding like David. Just in a practical sense. You'll never have the skillful leadership of David. Because David's skillful leadership is rooted to this issue. Because if we get tripped by people. And we get disturbed by them easily. Because we don't see how God sees them even a little bit. We'll make wrong decisions related to them. Long decisions related to all sorts of things. Because you get that emotional traffic of negativity inside of you. You won't make good decisions for your own life. Or for your place in the kingdom. So this is not just a nice little area to settle. This is critical issue about your future leadership. In your home. Leadership in your marriage. Leadership in your family. Leadership in the marketplace. Your leadership is dynamically rooted to this issue. And David is giving us this poem. But we know it's anointed by the Spirit. It's truthful is the idea. I mean David wasn't hyping this. And it got written in the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is bearing witness to what David said. And in essence the Spirit is saying. Hey you can trust it. He really felt that way. This isn't an exaggeration. I the Holy Spirit put it in the eternal Word of God. You can count on this. This is really how he felt. And this is one of the keys to why he was the kind of leader that he was. Because of the way that he saw people. Let's go to the top of page 2. Having David's view of Saul as an adversary. But then having David's view of Saul just as a fallen leader. Which is separate than an adversary. I mean this case it's the same guy. But again whether we're viewing a fallen person in the body of Christ. Or we're viewing an adversary that was actually against us. If we can see what David saw about other people. The Lord can use us to bring healing to hurting hearts. Whether in the church. Or I think where the society is going. Having the civil strife that is clearly on the horizon in our nation. And in the cities of the earth. I mean who are going to be the peacemakers. The ambassadors of peace. Who are they going to be? Well Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers. In Matthew 5.9. They'll be called the sons of God. They'll be recognized as being the children of God. Because the peacemakers will have an ability above and beyond their natural ability. And it's because it starts with seeing like God sees. Is the idea. When I think of history. I think of recent history. Nelson Mandela in South Africa. You know he died just a couple years ago. Here he's in prison. What 20 plus years. With injustice against him. He gets out of prison. And all of South Africa. Is in this tremendous upheaval of social about to explode. And he gets out of prison. They vote him in as the first black president. In this nation. And he causes the blacks to forgive and bless the whites. Who did it to him. I mean it was outrageous. His response in his own personal life. And the way he led the nation. And he led the nation through a fire storm. Into a place that was far more subdued. And it was because of his leadership. Because he had this ability to view the situation. And to view people through an entirely different lens. Than the whites and the blacks were viewing in that nation. And that powder keg. That was surely destined for a civil war. And it got averted. And it got quelled because of the response of one man. Nelson Mandela. Abraham Lincoln. The same thing that at the end of the civil war. Now he was assassinated right at the end. But he had set policies in place. And made declarations of his generosity towards the south. Which were his great enemies. He said we are not going to break them. We are going to befriend them. And invite them in to a family relationship with us. And a lot of Lincoln's government said what? We are going to make them pay for this. He goes no. No if we approach it that way. We will never see healing in our nation. I mean our nation still needs lots of healing. But those two men at critical times of history. It is remarkable how the response of those two men. By viewing people in a way different than other people did. Created a lot more environment of peace. Not total peace for sure. Because only when the Lord returns we are going to have that. Paragraph H. One of the reasons that David responded in the way that he did towards Saul. That I mean he viewed Saul in the way God did. But he also did not view Saul as his source. He didn't look at Saul and say wow. If you get happy with me then finally the will of God will happen. He thought Saul I can do the will of God whether you are happy with me or not. And beloved when it becomes really established in us. That us doing the will of God is not dependent on another person opening a door for us. The Lord says I will open the door. Don't be mad. Don't be frustrated. Don't be jealous. Your problem isn't that other person who is not cooperating with you. Trust me the will of God cannot be stopped in your life except for by you. The thing I have said over the weeks that the only man that could stop David was David. Saul could not stop David. The demons couldn't stop David. The Philistines couldn't stop David. When you are obedient to the Lord. Nobody can stop the will of God in your life. You might have trouble in your life. But you will be able to fulfill the will of God in your life. Paragraph I. I have just Jesus his statements about the value of loving our enemies. And this is what Saul was really doing. But it's more than just he loved his enemies. He saw his enemy in a different way. That's the key right there. Okay let's look at Roman numeral 2. So this Malachite comes in. So we are at the beginning of the chapter now. And again the details of the chapter are pretty easy to go through. And it tells the story of a Malachite who comes to David. David is still down in Ziklag down in the south part. He just came back from the recovering his wife. And all that was lost when the Malachites burned his city. We looked at that last time. And he is back in Ziklag. I mean they are exhausted. You know but they have recovered everything. And a couple of days go by. And this Malachite comes running in. And he says oh he's got his clothes are torn. And he's got dust all over him. And he's panting and he's urgent. And David said like what's going on here? You can read it on your own verses 1 to 4. And he says oh I got bad news for you. I was there up north. I happened to be there when it all happened. He goes what happened? He goes a great battle. And he goes here in verse 4. Saul the king. He died. I saw him with my own eyes. He died. And his son Jonathan your best friend David. I mean the Malachite didn't know that. But he died as well. And Saul's three sons. His oldest three sons. He has a fourth son that lived. We'll look at it in the next session. And he comes and he gives the report. Let's look at the top of page 3. Paragraph D. David. He's not sure how credible the report is. I mean this is really big news. I mean that Saul is dead. I mean after the years of persecution. You mean it's over now? Really it's over? The season shifts. Beloved I have good news. The Adullam years do come to an end. The season does change in the timing of God. But David was so overwhelmed by the grief of what it meant. That the anointed of the Lord in the covenant nation. Was cut off by the enemies of God. The Philistines no less. Whom Saul should have had every ability in the grace of God to defeat. David Saul the nation was defeated. By those in which the nation was anointed to have victory over. And so this Malachite guy comes in. And David says here in verse 5 to 10. He goes. Tell me. Verse 5. How do you know for sure? He goes. I don't really know you. And I don't. How am I for sure what. That your story is accurate. Because this is too big a news. For me to ignore. If it's true. But it's too big for me to buy into. If it's not true. He goes. I got to know. And so at the end of verse 10 here. The Malachite. He pulls out Saul's crown. And his bracelet. The royal bracelet. The royal jewelry. And David goes. That is his crown. I know that crown. I lived in the royal residence. I lived in the court. Yeah I know that. And I know that bracelet. He goes. How did you get that bracelet? He goes. Well I came by. Saul. And he was you know. Leaning there on his sword. At the very end of his life. And he was. And he asked me. He goes. Hey come here. Come here. He goes. Help me out here. He goes. You know. I fell on my sword. I've already used it. I can't fall on it again. But the life is lingering in me. Barely. And the Philistines are just a minute away. And if they catch me. They're going to torture me. They're going to really make the last few moments of my life miserable. So. Would you finish me off? Please do that. Show me the compassion to do that. So the Malachite goes. Well. I mean. Okay. If. If you really want me to. And Saul goes. Please. And so the Malachite says. I gave him the final death blow. He was there. Moments away anyway. He would have died if I would have left. He was all but dead on his last breath. And I took his crown. I took his bracelet. Now the Malachite is pretty excited. Imagining. That David is going to respond to this. In the way that another man would. That David is going to say. Oh. Phenomenal. The only obstacle. Is now gone. I can be king now. This is amazing. I can now be the king of Israel. The obstacle. The obstacle is gone. Young Malachite. Thank you. I have a handsome reward for you. For giving me this great news. And giving me the proof. Of the crown. And the bracelet. Of the king. This is fantastic. But David. Has a very. Very. Different response. David. Is grieving. He's weeping. And the Malachite is going. Wait. Now this is your number one enemy. What are you weeping for? He goes. He's more than my number one enemy. He's the servant of the Lord. He's called of God. He's fought the battles. He's fought against the Lord's enemies. Yeah. He is an enemy of mine. But he's more than an enemy. And David. Had this remarkable ability. To look at the big picture. Of what was going on there. And so. Let's look at paragraph H. He's weeping. Paragraph H. What David. Really cared about. Was. That. He was not going to one day. Be accused. Of. Having this. Bracelet. And this crown. And you know. Israel going. Hey. How did you get that? Were you up there? You know. We heard you went up with the Philistines. You were with Achish king of Gath. And you were traveling with him. And you were in his entourage. And. You actually. Were there. When Saul died. Interesting. That you have the crown. And the bracelet. I mean. Now David was down in Ziklag. But remember. David was a minute away. From being in that battle. But the news. Kind of the news network. Of that day. Wasn't quite so accurate. And not so up to date. And so. David was concerned. That. The story. Didn't get twisted. And it ends up. That he's the one. That it looks like. In the public eye. Is the one. Who. Who. Killed. Actually the king of Israel. Paragraph H. I mean. Paragraph I. Verse 11. David took hold of his clothes. As he's. Right there. Talking to the Amalekite. And he tore them. And. Here's an interesting phrase. All the men. All the men of Israel. They were. Responding. In the same way. That David did. I mean. David's men. Remember. They were the guys. Those were the guys. Who said. Let's kill Saul. They were the guys. That wanted to kill Saul. But now. They're actually. Weeping over Saul. Because they're actually. Been converted. They've. They've seen more. What David has seen. About Saul. Because these were the very guys. That were in the cave. Going. Kill him. Kill him. Now they're weeping over Saul's death. I mean. Where's this transformation? How did that happen? And one of the ways. It happened. Obviously. Is that David. Has imparted this value. To them. Okay. Let's look at. Top of page four. Roman number three. Roman number three. David wrote a song. He wrote this lamentation. Over Saul. And Jonathan. This is where all the poetry. Comes in. And again. I'll let you. Kind of read the poetry. And study it. To the. To the degree. That you want. But basically. The poetry. Is. Affirming. That David. Saul. Them. In their redemptive light. He saw. The positives. In their life. I mean. He did see the negatives. It's not like he forgot them. But he decided. That he was going to. Emphasize. And focus. On who they were. In God. And what they accomplished. Rather than. Focus on. Focusing on. What they did to David. Bad. Or what they didn't do. For David. They should have done. For David. I mean. There's things. They did to David. Wrong. And. Or should have done. To David. That David was waiting on. Some help from them. I mean. Even Jonathan. Jonathan helped a couple times. But. David could have said. Jonathan. Jonathan. You know. You could have. Weighed in a little heavier. You know. The last couple years. Things were getting really tough. And you were with your dad. The whole time. But. David's response. In this anointed. Lament. This. Funeral song. That. He made the whole nation learn. Look at. Look at this. In verse. Eighteen. He told them. Teach this to the children. Of Judah. Because. His. You know. He's only over. The region of Judah. The tribe of Judah. He goes. I want to. So. I so buy into this. That. I want. To pass. On the value. I want. To form. A culture. Of honor. Where. Our children. See Saul. In this light. I don't want to raise up. A generation. That has a. Adversarial. Attitude. Against. A difficult time. In our nation. And a difficult time. In the kingdom of God. I want them to have a. A. Redemptive. View. Yes. They can. Understand. There were failures. And faults. But they see the redemptive. View. They see the bigger picture. Of what was going on. So here. In verse. Eighteen. David. He had this. Zeal. To make sure. That the. The. This. Song. Was taught. All throughout Judah. Even. That the children. Had got into the school curriculum. Because. He didn't just want. this attitude right now and the immediate it. He wanted this value and this attitude to be in the next generation so it would actually form the way they related to the kingdom of God and to their nation as they grew up and became leadership. Now this is called the Song of the Bow, the Song of the Bow. Paragraph B. Now in this poetry, it's loaded with poetry but the meaning is pretty clear of a lot of it. He starts off verse 19. He says the beauty of Israel is slain on the high places. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Tell it not in gaff, you know he's singing the song, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice. For Saul and Jonathan they were beloved and they were pleasant in their lives. I mean this is a completely different view than most of the people would have had in David's position. Number one, verse 19, which is paragraph C, they call, he calls Saul and Jonathan the beauty of Israel. I mean how could this cruel, jealous king, how could you see any beauty in him? David, surely you're exaggerating and I think the Holy Spirit would say no. No, this is, I bear witness to this, this lament. He acts, I showed him the redemptive qualities of what Saul accomplished. David rejoiced in them and he pressed and he imparted that value to the nation. He goes, oh how the mighty have fallen. Well, if they have fallen, why are you calling them mighty? Because he means mighty soldiers. And David's answer could be, yeah they fell in this battle but they won many other battles over the decades. They defeated the Lord's enemies, the enemies of the kingdom, many times. Not every time, but many times. He goes, I'm highlighting that. So I'm thinking of the, or I'm wanting you to think of the adversary that's bothering you. Or maybe the person down the way that they fell or stumbled and do they have any victories in their life that you can look at it and lock into? Because I can assure you the Lord is looking at that. Because that's, this is how the Lord even evaluates people. It's not just David was more generous than God. This is actually how the Lord says, David I want you to see this. And I want you to impart this value. And I want you to lead out of this paradigm. I want you even in the future to maintain this way of seeing people in the way that I see them. That doesn't mean that David's naive about their sin and their failure and their rebellion. But he sees more than that. But the bigger picture is David doesn't see it, doesn't take it personal. He doesn't see Saul as his personal enemy. He sees Saul as the vessel of the Lord in the kingdom in his generation. And that's a very different view. I mean David knew he was his enemy, but he was more than a personal enemy. Then he goes on in verse 23 and he calls Saul and Jonathan beloved and pleasant. I mean like really David, you think who was Saul beloved to? And the Lord would say I loved him. There were people through his life that loved him. There's people that he loved. It wasn't all bad. And that's again David's ability to take a hold of this. He wants this to be the national song that creates the narrative that remembers Saul. It's like I can imagine some guys going David I'm not going to sing that song. When they stand up to sing that song I'm sitting down. I'm not going to do it. That is just not true. And David says yeah it is true. It's not all the truth about Saul but there is truth in this. And beloved if you can get a hold of that part of the grace of God when you view others that it will so affect the way that you process, the way they come against you. It doesn't feel near so personal and near so painful when they say insulting derogatory things to you. Because you know there's a bigger storyline about their life and who they are to God. And that God says I'm going to take care of you. The will of God in your life is still secure. You don't have to live by what they say. Live by what I say. And don't worry about them. They're my child and they're part of my kingdom forever. And you're going to be friends forever. You know some person might look at this and say oh come on realistic. This has helped me so many times over 40 years. This is not pie in the sky theology. This is real. I've come back to this song on a number of occasions and said Lord this is how I want to go forward. I don't mean just real mean guys out there. I mean friends that are adversaries in the kingdom. I've got a number of friends over the years that have caused trouble and said wrong things and stirred up things and the Lord says I want you to see the goodness of who they are to me and who they've been to you. And don't forget that. Believe for a breakthrough. And here's the glorious thing. I've had a number of pretty intense relationships that got reversed around and we have great fellowship together. I've hung out with some guys in sweet fellowship that were passing terrible lies about me at different periods of time over the years. And if you stay with it and you don't lose heart in it I tell you many things turn around if you just get a big picture view and be patient about it and just let the thing unfold. Look at Psalm 16 verse 3. Look at David's view of people of believers is what it is. It's his view of people Psalm 16 verse 3 through the lens of the grace of God. He goes for the saints who are on the earth they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. Now I know the life of David pretty well and I go David there wasn't that many excellent ones that I can see like now which ones exactly were you thinking of? David I don't know your story as well as you do but I know it a little bit. Now I can't picture too many of them because there's just so many troublemakers even within the ranks of his leadership team. But let David could say yeah they are troublemakers but they're more than that. They're beloved to God. They have an excellence about their life from the point of view the grace of God. I lock into that. I find delight in that. I don't have an interest in writing them off. I have an interest in partnering with the grace of God and seeing who seeing those qualities coming to fullness in their life. Look what David writes later Psalm 149. He says the Lord takes pleasure in his people. That's why David did. David took pleasure in people because he saw what God saw a little bit. He didn't see it all. You know the prayer Lord let me see what you see and feel what you feel about this person this adversary. And the Lord told David verse 4 Psalm 149 I delight in these people. I have pleasure in them. And again when you look at the cast of people around his life I'm trying to put a name and a face to this verse. But it's the lens of the grace of God. And here's what David said. He goes here's what I know. God will beautify them. God's beauty is already in them and he will beautify them more as time goes on. Now paragraph D. David sings the song from verse 20. Tell it not in Gath. Now Gath as you know Achish king of Gath the Philistine city. The Philistines killed Saul so they're going back to their main city of Gath and they're publishing it in the news. The great evil king of Israel finally the gods of the Philistines have triumphed over the God of Israel. And he has fallen and they're shouting it in Gath. It's headline news. Israel's fallen. Israel's fallen. The God of Israel can't bring his own people to victory. They're mocking God. They're mocking Saul. They're mocking Israel. David says don't even let them tell you because I warn them don't rejoice in this even in the enemy territory. But here's the real point I want to make. If the Lord doesn't want the enemies of God rejoicing in the fall of the saints. How much less does he want the saints rejoicing in the fall of the saints. The just says yeah I don't really rejoice in it but I'm glad that guy finally got sat down. Well you're kind of a little bit rejoicing in it. Well no not really but I you know it was time. It was time. I wouldn't call rejoicing but the Lord says I don't want you to even tell the story like that. I don't want that narrative about their life. I want a grace of God narrative to be told. So he tells the enemy don't you tell the story that way. So how much more are the people of God to tell the story through the narrative of the grace of God or through the lens of the grace of God. Paragraph E. Here the poetry goes on. And he talks about Saul in verse 23. They were beloved. They were pleasant. It goes on they were swifter than eagles stronger than lions. That's their military abilities and victories in a poetic way. Verse 24 he said oh daughters of Israel weep over Saul. He clothed you in scarlet. In other words Saul's victories brought economic prosperity to your home at various times. Not the entire time. Not like the whole 40 years of his reign. But there were real gaps. But it goes there were seasons where his victories brought prosperity to your house. Yeah that was 15 or 20 years ago. Well let's not forget that. Let's not forget that. It did bring prosperity to your house. Let's say thank you to God and be grateful for that. Yeah but that was a couple years ago. That's old news. David said verse 24 be sad over a believer a servant of God who is now fallen and taken down. Because he was taken down in the judgment of God even. But the Lord says I have no pleasure in this. I don't have any delight in this. Like when Bob Jones mentioned that about Jimmy Swaggart who fell. He said I don't want you rejoicing in him. He's my servant. He is my son. He is my beloved. He has fought the enemies of the kingdom and had victories. He's liberated many people. What are you doing smiling about this? It's not okay with me. My heart is grieving over that. Then we'll end here in paragraph F. He now locks into his friendship with Jonathan. And again if you tear apart the poetry there's so much of detail and nuance that's beautiful about. It's about loyal relationships. It's about seeing people redemptively through the grace of God. He goes Jonathan that was David's best friend. You were slain in the high places. The high places because it was Mount Gilboa. It was a it was a mount. And so you you died in that battle. He goes oh horrible. Verse 26 I'm distressed over you. He goes I'm not offended that you didn't leave your father and come join me in the wilderness. I've always had that question. Why didn't Jonathan go to the wilderness? I mean Jonathan knew who David was in the grace of God. Jonathan knew more about David's calling than anybody else. And had confidence in it. But he didn't ever break away from his dad. He stayed with the rebellious king that was persecuting David. Like Jonathan come on we got a place for you. That's it. When I get up there on the other side I'll ask David first. Hey can I bring this up to Jonathan? And David might go nah let's let that one go. I just want to know where he was. But David he says I'm not mad at you for dropping the ball. I mean David was chased around six seven years. I mean serious lack of follow-through on Jonathan's part from my point of view. In terms of helping in a more practical way. And he says you have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful. Surpassing the love of women. Now what Jonathan what David is saying. Some people really twist this and distort it. This is not a verse about homosexuality. You know some of this appears in some of the writings out there. It's just absolutely missing what David is saying. What David he's not talking about physical pleasure and sexual pleasure. That's not at all what he's talking about. He's talking he's saying this. There is nothing there is no one more powerful in commitment and loyalty than a woman in love. If you find a woman in love she will give everything for that relationship. And David says I don't really find too many guys like that. You know you this could be a situation where you apply it all wrong. So hopefully you don't. But you know you Abigail. Let's look at Abigail because you know David has two wives. And Abigail is the perfect example. David's 30 years old when he's writing this. He's got this new wife Abigail which is the prototype picture of this. Abigail is this wealthy woman. This wealthy woman whose husband was the probably the wealthiest man in the whole region. He dies. The Lord removes him. The wealth is hers. She leaves this very pleasant I mean comfortable lifestyle. She loves David. She's out in the wilderness going cave to cave. She's a rich woman going cave to cave dodging the spiders and the bugs. Going I want to be with you. This is the most remarkable thing. Now you know a woman will do that. And that's what David's saying. He goes it's wonderful. It's surpassing. There's nothing like the loyalty and the intensity of commitment as a woman in love. He goes men don't do it that way. You know two men can be best friends. And one man gets a great job on the other side of the nation. And he tells his best friend hey I'm going to miss you. And hey I'll check in with you. And we'll see each other a couple times a year. And hey let's do it. And they don't think that's even strange. A woman in love says are you kidding? I'll quit everything and go with you. And I mean it's a very different thing. David said Jonathan was like that. He goes I saw this loyalty in him. Again I can't fully make sense of why Jonathan didn't break free of everything. But David said I see the loyalty. I see the intensity in him that was as unique and beautiful as the loyalty and the commitment of a woman that has given her heart fully. Again there's no sexual overtones in any of this. That's a complete, complete confusion of what this verse is about. He's talking about the depth of loyalty. Well I'll end with this. The point of this whole chapter as I've said over and over is if you can see how God sees then you will feel differently about those people. Then David will make very different leadership decisions because all the emotional traffic inside of his heart, all of the frenzy and the hubbub of all the emotion of fear and rejection and all the pain of he did this and they did that and I just can't get through it and I'm so burnt out. I don't believe no more. Just all of the stuff that's so common everywhere. David says I'm not even going there. I'm going the totally opposite way. And the Lord says that's leadership 101 life of David. There it is. And then right through 2 Samuel we see this amazing leadership ability but it's rooted in this key issue right here. Amen and amen. Let's stand.