David Vs. Saul (Mercy)

Text: Psalms 51:1-10

Focus: mercy

Function: to help people believe in mercy

Form: Story Telling

Intro:

Today is 9/11. Today is a day of forgiveness and mercy.

People react to mercy in different ways. I lived right on the exit of Interstate 69 and Indiana 13. I literally mowed up to the exit ramp.

The scene was obvious to everyone. Right off the interstate was this beautiful small country church. From the highway it was first the parsonage, a small orchard and the church, all within a single fence as connected property.

It afforded great opportunities for ministry and our congregation was faithful to its highway location by happily providing succor and respite for travelers whose resources were limited.

One day, in front of my house was a pickup truck spewing white steam and an industrious young man working on repairs. I stopped before heading into my driveway and offered assistance to which the young man politely refused and said he was sufficient to solve his problems.

Not seeing any anti-freeze or containers for transporting water, I casually pointed to the hose fixed to the front of my house, informed him that I was indeed the occupant of said house and explained that he was welcome to whatever water, or jug in the garage, he needed to complete his repairs.

While talking, I was slowly walking over toward his truck to eye his progress. When I got within about 20 feet of him he jumped off the bumper of his truck, grabbed a large wrench and threatened me with violence if I did not leave him alone.

Shocked, I backed away and let him walk across the highway the 500 yards to the Truck Stop. And I still do not know how to react to that person.

The focus of the message this morning is mercy, specifically the phrase, “God’s Great Mercy.”

I wondered if that independent young man had never ever received mercy for him to have such a hard attitude about letting someone else show him mercy.

I was talking with a United Methodist pastor friend of mine yesterday and he reminded me this: “God knows how to reach the heart of people.”

This Psalm is the great Psalm of confession.

This Psalm is the humble contrition of the King as the king recognizes the importance of relationship with God.

The story contains a profound contrast in what repentance looks like when it one compares King David’s remorse for his sin and King Saul’s seemingly insincere repentance.

Let me paint the picture of David’s sin and his mentor, King Saul, the predecessor who had David sitting at his table and sharing in the rule of Jerusalem with him.

David was called out by the Prophet Nathan because he committed both murder and adultery. He let his power get the best of him, he seduced the beautiful wife of his military commanders and when she was pregnant with David’s child and there was no way to save her life for committing adultery with David, the king had her husband murdered in battle, married her and counted on the fact that the baby born 6 months instead of 9 after the wedding looked small enough to be considered premature. I guess.

And I will qualify this statement later, but the worse thing could have happened to David, he got away with it.

Saul’s sin was different. Some say it was not as bad as it didn’t include murder and adultery, only fear.

The Israelites were attacked when fleeing from the Egyptians and they believed that God wanted them to punish this tribe for their ruthlessness.

And, as kings did in those days, they camped across from each other until someone decided to start the battle. Oftentimes, this waiting could last for hours or even days.

But the threat of attack, during the waiting period was always there. During that waiting time, it was customary for the different tribes to call upon their own Gods for help.

The soldiers needed to see that their God was on their side. And the Prophet Samuel (don’t get the two prophets confused, Nathan was about 30 years later than Samuel) told Saul to wait for him to come to offer the sacrifice.

And just as we all feel when we are asking God for help, we want God’s help and we want it now.

Saul’s army was getting tired of waiting, some were going home. Others were getting afraid, and Saul got tired of waiting so he offered the sacrifice himself.

This upset the prophet. Also, the Samuel gave explicit instructions to Saul that they were not to take any spoils of war. They were not to profit from the God’s punishment of this tribe.

But Saul, and his officers, decided to keep the best of the loot for themselves. And apparently the king of this tribe was to be killed.

Now, generally, when one king conquered the other king, they would lock them in prison to gloat over them. Saul was not allowed to do that.

So, Samuel shows up, after the battle, sees the spoils of war, sees the conquered king in chains and tells Saul that he sinned by disobeying and not following the instructions to the letter and dictate of the instructions.

At the end of Saul’s “sin,” the enemy has still been conquered, the living hostage can still be killed and everything can still be put to right.

But not so for David. A man is dead, a child is coming and nothing is going to change that.

Saul disobeyed by not doing everything, David committed murder and adultery.

And yet, when Samuel confronts Saul, there is a completely different reaction that what we read about here in Psalm 51.

Essentially, Saul tells Samuel, “Yeah, yeah, I sinned, but I did most of it, so what?” And then he makes a request of him: “to go up and worship with him before the people” apparently with the idea that he still wanted Samuel to make him look good before the people.

The Prophet’s confrontation with David is different.

David is sitting in his throne room and as I mentioned he has gotten away with it. Well, at least no one can officially accuse him.

I believe that a good person is not going to be feeling very well about himself at this point.

Nathan boldly walks into the throne room, risks his life, after setting David up with a story where David pronounces the death penalty against a wealthy man who stole his neighbor, a poor man’s, sheep; a sheep that was the family pet.

Nathan points his finger at him and shouts out: You are the man, the killer!

In the throne room of the king, that is a good way to lose one’s life and up till this point again, David has gotten away with it.

And this Psalm records David’s heart and reaction to his own sin.

It is much different than Saul.

Without getting into a discussion over which sins are worse than others, or if any are, theologians argue that point, it seems to me that murder and adultery were much worse than not letting good spoils go to waste.

And yet God’s mercy goes much farther to David than it did Saul.

And the difference, I believe, is recorded here in this Psalm.

Saul first blamed Samuel for not coming in time. Then he blamed his generals for talking him into keeping the spoils.

David falls on his face and humbles himself. (read verse 3)

The penalty for adultery and murder is death.

And yet, God forgives him.

Why? (read verse 1) Because of God’s great mercy.

David was not a better man than Saul. Saul tried hard, he was just to proud to trust God.

But David confesses his sin and throws himself at God’s mercy.

He believes in God’s great mercy.

It is God’s desire to restore us to God.