King of Hearts --- 1 Samuel 18:1-27:12
We have seen God hold bad leadership accountable. God prioritizes character over results and does not expect His people or leaders to get it right all the time. Instead He wants us to confess when we fall short and turn back to Him. That requires humility and integrity. What it also requires is accountability.
Saul and David are different in many ways. One of their key differences is their willingness to be corrected. David shows a consistent willingness to be accountable where Saul does not. After David’s anointing, Saul loses it (18-27). As David's popularity grows, so does Saul's jealousy and paranoia with it.
Because envy and love cannot coexist, Saul's affection for David turns to hate. Saul is out to get David at every turn. 1 Samuel 18:10-11, Saul even tries to kill David while playing music and in chapter 19 orders his son Jonathan to kill David. Jonathan instead helps David escape, which leads to David running and hiding for years from Saul. During this time is when David penned most of his Psalms we know today.
David cannot retaliate. Not because he is unable. In 1 Samuel 24:1-7 David had the opportunity to kill Saul with his own hands. But David refuses because David knows he cannot both honor God and seek vengeance. Until Saul's own demise by his own hand, David for years threads the needle of accountability, stability, and security in honoring God’s will and heart whereas Saul was chaotic, violent, and insecure.
Hold up, let's put all the cards on the table. David is not perfect. In fact, in chapter 25, while David is on the run from Saul, living a life of good character, David is tested. A man named Nabal betrays David, causing David’s good character to crack. David is out for blood but in that moment, David needs a voice of accountability. This comes in the person of Abigail, Nabal's wife. 1 Samuel 25:24-31 she pleads with David to have a clear head and clean heart. David on the verge of becoming like Saul needs help! As good as David is, he is one decision away from being the same as the one who is after him.
We all need accountability. Even those that live up to the highest standards of character. God brings us those still strong voices we need. Do we listen to them? Who are those voices for you?
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