The Sufferings Of David

Psalm 132.1 LORD, remember David and all that he suffered. Suffered=to be occupied, be busied with to afflict, oppress, humble, be bowed down to be put down, become low to be depressed, be downcast to stoop Remember= Cause to be remembered. He did by recording it in His Word. The word remember here means to set up a memorial. God did that in His Word as well. This prayer was not for God's benefit... it was for ours. God's memory is perfect. The only things He forgets is our sins we confess to Him. This verse is speaking specifically about the trouble David went through to get the ark to Jerusalem. You can read about it in II Samuel 6-7 But there were even greater afflictions/ suffering in David's life. It was a decade he went through in his 20's. It was of no doing of his own. It was due to Saul's jealousy of him. It helps me to know that the man after God's own heart, that Joseph and Daniel of whom nothing negative is said about in God's Word went through deep sufferings and testings. It helps me when people who love the LORD deeply and seek to obey Him fully go through painful trials that others like David and Joseph and Daniel went through too. I Samuel 18.6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” 8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. The inability to rejoice when God works through others is a dangerous thing. Saul was fixated upon David and sought to destroy him. This began the downfall of Saul. It was a sad thing to watch. God used the suffering in David's life from the hand of Saul to change David drastically. 17 Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!” I Samuel 18.28 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. I Samuel 19.9 But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape. I Samuel 27.27 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” 1. David was taken into the service of the King Saul. Samuel anointed David king over Israel After this he was taken into Saul's service to sing and play the harp. Stringed instruments are soothing. We used to have music playing when we ate when the kids were growing up. It aids in digestion. Brass instrument rouse the spirit and mind to action while strings soothe the spirit. I Samuel 16.15 Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.” 17 So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.” 19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. 21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” 23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. David became a national hero by killing Goliath (and that is where the problem with Saul began) Humble "No small thing to become a son-in-law to the king! Saul hoping his daughter would become a snare to David. Bait, lure, to set a trap What a horrible and despicable thing to be said about your daughter and her fiancé. He set a price on Michal and hoping that in the midst of getting it David would die in battle, instead he deliver twice as many as Saul asked for. 2. God loved David and saw that his inner soul was altered. Broken by Saul's jealousy and eventual banishment. Saul was God's chosen way to crush David, much like Joseph and his brothers Both of these men did not retaliate when it was in their power to do so! Suffering can be agonizing. God desires to alter our personality to make us more like Jesus. "O wondrous Love Sublime, How shall this tongue of mine to wandering mortals tell, the matchless grace Divine, that I a child of hell, should in His image shine?" Suffering begets humility. Think about it? How many people who have suffered severely are proud? It is good to become friends with those who have experienced suffering, those who have had an overwhelming share of trouble. Jealousy and pride are not apt to be things the contend with. Useable because he was broken. Most things are not. Horses and dogs and people are, human beings even more. A broken spirit is of great worth in the Kingdom of God. Brokenness: It is impossible to live life without experiencing brokenness. Whether it is feeling the pain of a broken promise, surviving a broken bone or experiencing personal failure, life takes its toll on each of us. Saul had made David a Captain in the army in the hopes he would be killed in battle. He had him fight the Philistines in an overwhelming contest for his daughter's hand in marriage.Twice he hurled his javelin at David to pin him to the wall. Finally he sent messengers to his house to kill him. Then David fled. For a decade he lived among caves, was on the run, hid away from Saul. David was in great pain, separated from family and friends and his home in Bethlehem. God was doing some wonderful alterations inside of David. He called him aside and David submitted. He was like 3. Clay in the Hands of the Potter Jeremiah 18.1-4 A new vessel. Psalm 59.9 I will wait upon You, O LORD. God is my defense. The LORD remakes us. He uses sufferings to that. Suffering and afflictions are so unpleasant... look at what happened to Naomi.. her name meant "pleasant" when she returned to Bethlehem after 10 years she was hardly recognizable... "Could this be Naomi?" She answered and said, "Don't call me Naomi (Pleasant) call me Mara (Bitter) for the Almighty had made my life bitter." God was not done with her. He loves to write last chapters when we think it is all over. The Psalms were David's "therapy". He wrote these words to God, inspired by God about God's greatness and his struggles. Submit to the LORD's work in your life. Allow Him to remake you. He will produce a vessel fit for His use in His Kingdom. You will do the works He has prepared in advance for you to do.