Born To Win Podcast - With Ronald L. Dart

And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.1 Samuel 24:1–3 AKJVAs Saul approached the cave:[…T]he men of David said to him, Behold the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it shall seem good to you. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privately.1 Samuel 24:4 AKJVDavid could easily have struck Saul down at that moment. But he simply cut of the hem of Saul’s robe.And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. And he said to his men, The Lord forbid that

After the win over Goliath, David went on to show himself a true fighting man. He apparently fought without fear, believing with all his heart that he was in the right and that God would fight alongside him. He chalked up some great victories, and the people loved him and honored him to such an extent that it generated great jealousy on the part of King Saul. Saul had promised his daughter’s hand to the man who slew Goliath. Knowing this, wheels began to turn in the king’s mind, that he might find a way he might be rid of David.And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, you shall this day be my son-in-law. And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Talk with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king’s s

One of the truly great ironies of the Bible followed on the heels of the failure of Israel’s first king: Saul, the son of Kish. From the moment of Saul’s rejection by God and the anointing of David as King in his place, the Spirit of God departed from Saul and went to David. The result for Saul was tragic. Because in the beginning, God gave him every chance. He had all the physical assets of a king and, in addition, God gave Saul his spirit and changed him into another man. He was converted. Then, when he disobeyed, he lost it all. Samuel told him flatly:And Samuel said, has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.1 Samuel 15:22–23 KJ2000Later, When Samuel was sent to find another k

The first king of Israel was exactly what the people envisioned for a king—tall, handsome, athletic. And God gave him the gifts he would need as king. He had a chance to become great and to have his dynasty established forever. It was a real chance, too—not something extended and then taken away. But it was as true then as it is today that power corrupts, and early on Saul displayed an impulsiveness and a headstrong approach that nearly led him to kill his own son.The first thing he did wrong was to assume the office of priest when Samuel was later than Saul thought he ought to be. And then (trying to be religious, I suppose) on the day of a major battle with the Philistines, he commanded that everyone fast. His son did not hear his father’s command and ate some honey. Only then did someone tell him what his father had commanded.Then answered one of the people, and said, your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food this day. And the peopl

The decision by Israel to change their government from a theocracy to a monarchy was a disastrous decision. It was surely not God’s will for them, because they had lived in freedom for so long. But freedom includes heavy burdens for a people, and they just got tired. Sadly, I see signs of the same fatigue among our own people today. But the fact that the decision was not God’s will for them, he cannot be accused of giving them an inferior king.The kings in those days had to lead people into battle, and the first king of Israel was well endowed for that. He was head and shoulders taller than any other man. He was handsome and possessed of the necessary charisma to lead. He was humble—that is to say, he was little in his own eyes. And God changed him into another man by filling him with the Spirit. It was not long before Saul’s leadership and his resolve were tested. Terrorism is not new to the Middle East, and what is threatened here is terrorism of the worst sort.1 Then Nahash the Ammo