Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults

Listen to this week’s leader training podcast with Y Bonesteele, team leader for The Gospel Project for Adults, for a summary and guidance in leading your group.

This week’s additional resources for study and preparation:

• Sermon Outline: “It’s Not About Me” by Greg Breazeale
• Sermon: “Vengeance” by Jeff White

Transcript of Leader Training Podcast:

Hi, this is Y Bonesteele, team leader of The Gospel Project for Adults. Welcome to another Leader Training podcast. Today, we are in Unit 11, Session 2, The Lord’s King, with the core passage of 1 Samuel 24:3-12 and 16-20. And with the key concept of: God is merciful, so we must be too.

Last week, we saw the age-old narrative of David and Goliath. Yet what happened after David’s victory was jealousy on Saul’s part against David.  As you look at the timeline on page 81 of the Leader Guide, you can see that from there, Saul grows paranoid and attempts to kill David and eventually, David had to flee for his life.

Saul surely was growing crazy and paranoid as he allowed his pride and selfishness and the desire to be the sole king invade his heart and mind. We see him in chapter 22 blaming everyone around him and killing the priest Ahimelech and his family, God’s priests, because of his paranoia. Only Abiathar, one of Ahimelech’s sons, escaped, who eventually found David and stayed with him. Then it was a chase of cat and mouse between Saul and David with a mix of battling the Philistines in between.

We thus come to this session’s passage and personal preparation. Saul, trying to pursue David, came to a cave near a sheep pen to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding nearby, and the men told David, this is the moment you can do whatever to Saul you want, implying kill him. David then secretly went and cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. The Gospel Project Commentary on page 82 has some insights here. Previously in chapter 15, Saul had torn Samuel’s robe, pleaing with him to forgive him and return with him. But Samuel said no and Saul’s tearing of Samuel’s robe was symbolic of Samuel’s words: “The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you” in 1 Samuel 15:28. David’s cutting of Saul’s robe is again symbolic of the kingdom being torn from Saul. But “David’s conscience bothered him” in verse 5. Why would it bother him if he didn’t do anything wrong. Or maybe his motives initially were to taunt Saul a bit. Scripture doesn’t say but it does say his conscience was bothered.

And he told his men that he wouldn’t harm Saul. Even though Saul had been pursuing him all this time for no good reason, simply because of jealousy, David showed mercy. David stated, “I will never lift my hand against him, since he’s the Lord’s anointed” in verse 6. We can see that David’s commitment is based on honoring the Lord, first and foremost. He saw that Saul was God’s anointed, so he didn’t think it was his place to harm Saul in any way. David even had to persuade his men not to harm Saul as seen in verse 7. In our culture, it would seem right to have revenge and see justice as David’s men saw it. But David knew mercy was needed here.

Why do we desire revenge when we are treated unjustly? Our innate desire to see justice is a good thing. But when we see it as our right or mission, as opposed to God’s, we are wrong. Only God can judge justly and administer justice because He is good and sovereign and all-knowing. He sees the big picture and what justice is and truly looks like in any given situation. We have a sinful nature and are limited in knowledge. So we administer justice very poorly. Our desire for revenge is sometimes masked in our desire for justice but that is not the same thing. But sometimes we make it out to be such. We must learn to trust God and follow His wisdom when pursuing justice and make sure we’re not pursuing revenge.

After Saul left the cave, then, David called out to him, “My lord the king!” David’s loyalty to God and Saul was consistent. As Saul looked behind him, David even knelt low in homage. He pleaded with Saul, trying to convince him that he wasn’t after him as assumed by Saul. “Someone advised me to kill you, but I took pity on you,” David said. He showed Saul the corner of the robe that he cut. “Recognize that I’ve commited no crime or rebellion. I haven’t sinned against you.” David tried to reason with Saul, showing evidence of his loyalty. He even calls on God to judge. “May the Lord judge between me and you” in verse 12. David’s respect for Saul and the Lord allowed him to be merciful in this situation.

How can you show respect and honor to those whom God has placed in authority over you? When the authority are wise, faithful leaders, it’s easy to listen to what they say and be obedient. When the authority is not however, discernment is needed. But respect and honor can still be shown in the way we ask questions, make comments, and stand up for God’s righteousness. David makes it clear that he would not harm Saul. But he also makes it clear that Saul’s been listening to rumors and to the wrong people. David also reasoned that he, himself, hadn’t done anything wrong. Speaking truth in love is difficult sometimes but when we do so with God’s honor and glory in mind, that’s always a good first step.

So though evil is done to us, we show mercy to others. And that mercy toward others, will soften hearts. Feel free to scan the QR code on page 84 of the Leader Guide to see Bonus Content on how David reflected God’s mercy in his life. And ultimately Jesus did the same.

So continuing in verse 16, Saul actually found some clarity, at least for the moment, affected by David’s words and his mercy. He replied to David, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Saul had already walked a ways off so he wanted to confirm it was David. But realizing it was him, he wept aloud. Full of emotion, he stated, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you.” Saul finally saw that David was better than him, more righteous and honorable. He understood that though David could have killed him, he didn’t. He knew that if their places were switched, Saul wouldn’t have hesitated in killing David. He rhetorically asked, “When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed?” as if to say, of course not. But David did the honorable and merciful thing. He spared Saul. The repetition of “good” is equated with David. He is a good guy. And he extended mercy, even when those around him told him not to.

Would you characterize your mercy as a begrudging mercy or a delighting mercy? Why? Your group will have varying answers to this question. But the point is, sometimes we show mercy when we really don’t want to. But God knows our hearts. We must continue to guard our hearts, making sure we delight in doing good, delight in showing mercy, as opposed to doing so begrudgingly.

Saul realized that David was more righteous than he. And he acknowledged: “Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.” Saul for the moment relented to the fact that he would lose the kingship and David would take over.

How have you seen mercy soften a person’s heart toward you? And Toward God? Perhaps you’ve simply seen awe or surprise when you act kindly toward those who have yet to believe in God. I think about those in prison who have learned about God’s forgiveness and love and thus, turn to Him. We can disagree with a person’s evil actions but still love the person as God would. In turn, we may soften their hearts to the love of God. Mercy is not condoning a person’s actions. It’s showing love despite it.

David reflected God’s mercy and changed Saul’s heart, even if momentarily. But we know God’s mercy throughout Scripture is the storyline that leads to Jesus coming to die for our sins. From Genesis, with Adam and Eve, through the narratives of Abraham and beyond, with the actions of the Israelites and their constant tendency to stray from the Lord’s commands, God showed mercy again and again. God shows mercy so we must as well, despite what our culture tells us sometimes.

On to the Group Experience time, start with the icebreaker, asking your group to share about a time they showed someone mercy, maybe a child or relative or employee or someone under you at work. Then ask, “Why did you choose to show mercy in that moment?” Maybe you thought that person didn’t do their wrong act intentionally and just needed to learn the rules. Maybe you saw it as a teaching moment, for that person to learn from and do better next time. Maybe you remembered a time someone showed you mercy.

Go into the Context seeing how Saul wavered in his affection for David, going from love for him to pursuing him and wanting to kill him. Display Pack Item 7: David’s Flight from Saul, showing David’s journey. You can start by pointing to Socoh where David slayed Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:50. Then go up a bit to show where Samuel provided David temporary shelter in Ramah in 19:18. Then to the right, Ahimelech provided David with food and arms at Nob in 21:6-9. Then David went to Gath (on the left) in 21:10, then to the caves of Adullam, just right of Gath, in 22:1. From there, David went all the way to Mizpah of Moab, seeking safe refuge for his parents in 22:3, near the bottom right of the map. Then from there, David goes back to the center, near Adullam, and rescued the town of Keilah from attack in 23:5. After Keilah, Saul pursued David through the wilderness to En-gedi in 23:13-14. And En-gedi is where David spared Saul’s life in our current passage. Get familiar with the map so that you can easily point out David’s journey to your group.

To Recap, ask, “What happened in this week’s passages? Who were the main figures, and what did they do?” Go over some of the highlights of your personal preparation time with the group. Ask for any questions and summarize before going into the Group Activity. Transition with letting the group know that we will be discussing David’s mercy and God’s mercy.

Direct your group to the chart on p.70 of the Personal Study Guide. Invite someone to read 1 Samuel 24:3-12. Identify how David was merciful in his conversations with his men. David could have killed or maimed Saul in the cave, but he didn’t. He did cut off the corner of Saul’s robe, but he felt bad about that in verse 5. He was merciful to Saul in calling him “the Lord’s anointed” to his men in verse 6. He was merciful in telling them that he would not lay a hand on Saul as well.  He also persuaded his men not to harm Saul in verse 7.

Then ask, “How might peer influence affect our attitude toward those who wrong us?” We easily have ‘mob mentality’ when injustice is rampant. We want justice and our friends rightly want justice. But we fail to understand that God is the only one that can administer right justice. Otherwise, it ends up being evil upon evil or revenge. Our friends may mean well in standing up for us or for justice, but if we do not understand that God is the one in control and the only one who can “take vengeance” in His sovereign will and goodness, we are in the wrong ourselves for doing so. “Why did David refrain from doing more than cutting Saul’s robe?” Because he knew that truth, that only the Lord can take vengeance for him.

From verses 8-12, in his conversation with Saul, David was merciful in calling Saul “My lord, the king” in verse 8. He was merciful in bowing down to Saul, paying homage to him, as well, even after the cruel things Saul did to him. He reasoned with Saul, trying to convince him that he had not sinned against him. He told Saul that he would never harm him. Ask, “Why are we tempted to take matters into our own hands?” Some answers may be that we think we deserve justice or revenge. We want payback. We want someone to suffer what we suffered. “What reasons did David give for showing mercy to Saul?” David showed mercy to Saul because he knew God was sovereign, that Saul was the anointed king, that the Lord would eventually judge and take righteous vengeance in His own time and own way.

Have someone read 1 Samuel 24:16-20. Ask, “How did Saul describe David’s mercy toward him?” Saul knew that David’s mercy made him “more righteous” than Saul. He knew that David had “done what was good.” He responded with a blessing that God would repay David with good. And he finally admitted that David would certainly be king. “What does this teach us about how we should show mercy to others?” It reminds us to leave things in God’s hands, to not seek revenge, to seek God’s will and the goodness of others, living humbly.

Then have someone read Romans 3:19-26. Record what God’s mercy is like. God’s mercy is always above and beyond ours. In our sin, we deserve death, but He shows us undeserved mercy. He passed over our sins in v. 25. When we trust in Christ, He freely shows us grace and mercy, declaring us righteous before God.  Ask, “How do the offenses people have committed against us compare with the offenses we have committed against God?” They don’t compare. Our offenses against God are greater than anything that can be done to us. “Why should we show mercy to others then?” Because we have been given abundant mercy by an all-holy God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

Debrief with, “If you had the opportunity to get the upper hand on someone who has harmed you without cause, how hard would it be to extend mercy instead?” Honestly, in our flesh, it would seem rather hard. But with the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, it should be easier than we actually want to admit. With God on our side and with knowing that we have been gifted so much mercy ourselves, we should be able to extend the same mercy.

Continue through the Summary and Head, Heart, Hands section, focusing on the Hands question if time is limited. “What are some ways we can show God’s mercy to those who mistreat us?” We can still be kind and uplifting with our words. We can show intentional kindness with our actions as well, going above and beyond. We can honor them and serve and minister to them, even as they hurt us.

Continue through Next Steps and Prayer Requests and Praises as usual. And pray through Psalm 57 if time permits, as David would have, focusing on verses 1-7, as verse 1starts with: “Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes.”

Hey, thanks again for joining me on another leader training podcast. Write me at [email protected] and hope you have a great group time.