THE LIFE OF DAVID 2. “See How the mighty Have Fallen”

Readings: Psalm 130, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43, 2 Samuel 1:1& 17-27
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, June 30 2024.

Liverpool was always a busy city. The traffic was always moving. On the go all the time. The shops were busy. Even the Crematorium was busy. When you had a funeral, you only had thirty minutes to get in and out and then the next one would be scheduled.

A minister friend tells of a time he had a funeral at the Crematorium and the minister for the next funeral didn’t show up. So, he offered to stand in and conduct the proceedings. He read a few scriptures, said a few prayers and then when it came to the normal time for the eulogy explained that as he had never known the deceased or his family, it was not appropriate for him to speak... “Would any of those present like to say a few words?” he asked.

The request was greeted with a stony silence as people sought to avoid his gaze. After what seemed like an awfully long time he asked again, “Is there anybody here who could say anything regarding the departed?”.

Reluctantly, an old gentleman at the rear of the chapel rose to his feet. “All I can tell you is this” he said, “He wasn’t as bad as his brother!” It was one of those occasions when a pastor was glad there were time restraints in place, as to prolong the occasion was not going to be a worthy cause. A few more prayers were offered and that was that.

Our bible reading today is a eulogy. David has learnt of the death of the King, Saul, and of his dearest friend, the Kings son, Jonathan. It is understandable that David wants to offer some words of praise to honor Jonathon. They were as close as brothers. He describes their relationship as being ‘more wonderful than the love of women’. (verse 26)

What is surprising is that he should mourn the passing of Saul. Saul had plagued David throughout his life. He acted towards David with obsession and jealousy. David had the opportunity to murder Saul, but walked away from it, as murdering the Lord’s anointed was a line he refused to cross. As it was Saul ended his days at the hand of his own sword, preferring to take his own life than surrender to the Philistines.

David puts aside any personal feelings and, in this eulogy, known in Hebrew as a “qînâ”, three times uses a phrase, which translated has become part of English language:- namely  “See how the mighty have fallen”. He counts both Saul and Jonathan as being amongst the “mighty”.

In verse18 he asks that his song of lament be given the title “Song of the Bow”. The bow was Jonathan’s weapon of choice. Saul was more renowned for his prowess with the sword than the bow, but aside from that one preferential note the poem equally tells of the achievements of two heroes, a Father and a son who stood side by side in life and in death and carved out a future for the nation of Israel.   

The first part of the song speaks of how the loss that has been experienced is not simply the loss of a political opponent and a good friend but a loss to the nation.

"Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! See how the mighty have fallen! Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, the daughters of the uncircumcised will exult.”

It is thankfully not often that as a nation we are called upon to corporately grieve. There are occasions though when such a thing is only right. My own land came to a standstill after the death of Queen Elizabeth. 10 days of mourning.  Something similar was experienced following the assassinations of President Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr. in this country.

There are times when it is right to put differences aside and in the interest of the common good allow room for recalling the noble acts of a leader’s life. A nation needs space to grieve.

David knew that their loss was, for the Philistines, a great victory. Images of your enemies rejoicing at your misfortune, rather like some of those coming from the Middle East following 911, are always disturbing. So, David expresses a vain hope that news of their defeat will not be proclaimed in the streets of the Philistine cities of Gath and Ashkelon.

This second section acknowledges that even though defeat and loss had been suffered on the mountain of Gilboa, Saul and Jonathan had not given their lives in vain. Saul carried a warrior’s shield that was anointed for battle and lived a life that was anointed as King. Saul and Jonathan fought a valiant battle to the bitter end.

"O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. "See how have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!”

The nation had enjoyed a level of prosperity under Saul’s leadership never before experienced. Though this battle had been lost, the fact was that there had been a whole lot more that had been won. Though it was a dark day in their present history, because of Saul and Jonathan they had enjoyed much and because of their legacy they could look to the future.

The poem finishes on a personal note; “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me”. Whilst Saul’s loss was a loss to the nation, the loss of Jonathan was a deeply personal grief for David himself.

What can this passage teach us?

1) There are times when telling the whole truth is more harmful than helpful. David tells no lies about Saul. He is honest and truthful and godly. The Book of Proverbs teaches that the wise man carefully chooses what he will say, and how and when he will say it. That some things are better left unsaid. David tells no lies. In the interest of edifying the nation, he simply does not tell the whole story,

Paul’s letter to the Philippians offers this advice: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8)

In our day everybody wants the gossip. Instead of looking for the good in the person or the situation, people want the juicy details. David grew to greatness as a King because he cultivated in himself the ability to seek the best in the situation and to refrain from disrespecting those who were his opponents. He knew the value of silence. That may be because of a second lesson this passage offers to us.

2) There are times when we need to acknowledge that God’s hand has guided us through our opponents. Those who take an opposite position from us sharpen our focus in a way that yes-men can never achieve. Although Saul had often acted against David, the actions of Saul had been turned to positive opportunities for David to act with grace and wisdom.

David recognized that God was at work as much in his troubles and his defeats as he was through the victories and the things that turned out just as he had hoped. Scripture teaches us that we should give thanks in all things. That’s hard to do when you are traveling through the hard times. Often it is only retrospectively that the ‘thanks’ come!

As I look back on my own life, I see that many doors that I hoped would be opened to me were closed, and because of that my life took on a different course. Other doors opened.

The week before I was due to be married, we had a mortgage set up on a property and I was in a job where I was being offered a supervisory position. Within the space of a week the loan company decided they weren’t going to allow us the money to purchase the house and the people I was working for decided that it was too expensive to pay a married person’s wage. Instead of promoting me they let me go.

Looking back, I see now how those events opened the way for me to move onto other things. Had I been in a job with considerable responsibility alongside meeting the financial demand of paying off a house, would I have been able to respond to a call to ministry? Would I even have considered it? Maybe. Maybe not. Life is full of ‘What ifs?’ Looking back, I see a guiding hand that I didn’t appreciate at the time! The things that seemed to oppose me in the end turned out to bless me.

3) There are times when speaking of our pain and our loss breaks their power over us. David teaches that we cannot move to joy, renewal, and praise too soon. The poetry of pain and grief allowed the lost kingdom of Saul to give way to the renewed kingdom of David. It is helpful to speak of kingdoms we had hoped for that have suffered defeat and is a good thing to express our feelings when events have left us despairing of justice or peace or hope.

Why? For this is the place of the Cross. The brokenness of our lives and our world must be voiced. Otherwise, we are simply avoiding life; we are not living the abundant life Jesus spoke of. Easter needs Good Friday or else Easter Sunday has nothing to celebrate. There can be no resurrection without a death. And the death of Christ goes to the darkest and deepest depths of human suffering.

Was not Jesus crucified because of lies and treachery? Was He not betrayed? Was He not abused? Was He not the victim of unjustified violence at the hands of those who abused their power? Was there ever a more holy one about whom it could be said, “See how the mighty have Fallen”?

We look to the cross as a sign of hope.  We acknowledge that the forces that crucified Him are at work in our lives and in our world. That’s not good. The Good News is that Jesus Christ overcame the forces that crucified him through resurrection to eternal life. The Good News is that He sends the Holy Spirit to give our lives an eternal focus.

Speaking of our brokenness opens us up to receive the Good News. Scripture calls us to repent and believe the gospel. Repentance is acknowledging our brokenness and sin. Believing is acknowledging Christ died for our sins and that in the strength of His Spirit our lives can be made new.

David’s eulogy teaches us important truths. To mind our words and look for the best in situations and people, no matter how they have treated us. To recognize that God is at work in our troubles as much as our victories.  To acknowledge our brokenness that we may find renewal through God.

The time will come for us when we will attend our own funeral. That is one appointment we cannot avoid. What words will be spoken over our lives? Will the preacher have to spare the grisly details and search hard for the good in us? Will it be a case of “Well. He wasn’t as bad as his brother”?  

Or will we be blissfully unconcerned, because the only words we are hearing come not from any preacher, but from God. “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” By the Grace of God may we seek to make such words apply to our lives.

For at the end of the day it is God alone who shall evaluate them. At the last day we either stand through the grace and merit of Jesus Christ, whose love we have accepted and welcomed in our hearts, or we stand before the judgment seat of the God whom scriptures tells us will deal with us according to our sins. Put your faith in Jesus Christ. Saved, through grace, you’ll be safe.!

The Rev Adrian J. Pratt B.D.

THE LIFE OF DAVID 1. “Bringing Down The Giants”

Readings: Psalm 9:9-20, 2 Corinthians 6 :1-13, Mark 4:35-41, 1 Samuel 17:32-49
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church on Sunday June 23, 2024

He was brash, loud, and downright annoying. Nobody argued with him. Why would they? He was bigger, meaner, and nastier than anybody else! His appearance made everyone shiver with fright. He was over nine feet tall, wore a bronze helmet and sported a coat of scale armor of bronze that weighed 125 pounds. On his timber-like legs were coverings of armor as well. He carried a bronze javelin slung over his back and its shaft was like a weaver’s rod with the iron point weighing fifteen pounds! Is it any wonder they called him “a champion”?

His name, Goliath, brought goose bumps of fear to the Israelite army. Every day for weeks he taunted the Israelite army of King Saul. Each morning the Israelites would line up in military ranks until they heard the voice of Goliath. Then they fled to their tents.

One day a mere boy in his mid-to late-teen years from the Judean countryside visited his older soldier brothers at Socoh in Judah, where this morning’s bible reading takes place. The text gives us the order of events that made Jesse’s son David a national hero, a biblical heavyweight, and a spiritual giant, propelling him forever from obscurity into history’s limelight! How did it happen?

I. David’s Confidence Was in God (vv. 32-37a).

The Israelite army including David’s brothers and King Saul had lost their confidence and were ill equipped to find it. They looked for their confidence in their numbers, equipment, fortification, and other warlike material. Each of them had lost sight of the real basis for confidence—God.

It was not the case that the Israelites had never been a people of faith. On the contrary the fact that they were on the battles lines was a direct result of past faithfulness. They still had the promises of God to guide them, but they were no longer reading them or understanding them or seeking to apply them to their situation.

Way back in their history they had a recipe for dealing with situations that involved facing giants. It can be found back in Deuteronomy 20:1-4.

"When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. He shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

A few verses later God instructs the Israelite's to identify those who are fainthearted so that they will not be a discouragement to them. In the situation Israel faced, their discouragement has spread from the top downwards. Saul felt the situation was hopeless. He had lost his nerve. And that sense of futility spread, through him, to the entire body of the people.

For us this passage asks us to consider exactly where we place our confidence. It calls us to make God, and the promises of God, our focus. It cautions us to not put our confidence purely in material things. It advises us to pay no attention to the doubting and faithless voices of those who should know better.

The promises of God remain the same. “I will be with you always” “Trust in me” “I am the Lord Your God and you are my people” “I will never leave you or forsake you” “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble”.

Yet time and time again, we hear the promises; but act as though they had no substance to them. “I have to face this alone” “I just don’t believe God can help me with this” “I feel as though God has abandoned me” “Yes, I trust in you… but…”

We are like the man who fell over the cliff and landed on a ledge, clinging to a tree branch. “Is anybody there?” “Yes” came the voice. “I am the Lord your God. Let go and trust in Me”. So, the man shouts back, “Is anybody else there?”

In our lives we look for solutions by saying, “If only I had this thing” or “If only I had that thing... then all my problems would be solved”. Just like the Israelite's. “If only we had more swords, or more chariots or a bigger army, then we would show those Philistines a thing or two!”

It took a young shepherd boy to remind them that confidence is found through faith in God. Listening to the doubters, even if they were in leadership, wouldn’t provide it. Looking to what they themselves could create or provide wasn’t going to do it .

The apostle Paul, a man who achieved more than you would expect of any man who was once an opponent of the gospel, one who faced overwhelming odds against him, offers to us a maxim that we do well to take note of.  He said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

II. David was comfortable with God’s Plan (vv. 37b–40).

Goliath’s battle plan was intimidation—his brute strength against an Israelite’s brute strength. David didn’t fight that way. He didn’t meet Goliath on the giant’s terms but forced the giant to meet him on his terms: five smooth stones. (and he only had to use one of them.) David understood that to meet this challenge he would do his best and leave the rest to God.

David refused to be intimidated by Goliath’s appearance. Young David was outmatched by size, age, experience, and weapons, but in a moment of sheer abandonment, he approached Goliath in the power of God! With an attitude like his and a faith in the living God, David’s plan succeeded.

Cassius Clay (who later became Muhammad Ali) is probably the world’s best-known boxer. He was practically unbeatable during his prime. The sports announcers always commented that Ali made his opponent “fight his fight.” That Ali set the pace and the other boxer either kept up or ended up on the mat.

Technically some of the other boxers could seem more impressive. Sometimes they had the advantage in terms of size. But Ali knew himself. And he had a way of understanding his opponent’s weakness.

David did something similar. He knew that God had taken care of him in the past. He had been called upon to protect the sheep he cared for from both bears and lions. Though they were physically stronger and capable of making a lot of frightening noises, he knew how to deal with them. Swiftly. Showing no fear. Trusting in God.

He knew God had a purpose for his life. If that purpose was to protect sheep, then God would see that he fulfilled that purpose. If that purpose was to take supplies to his brothers fighting on the front lines, then God would see to it that he got supplies to them. If Gods purpose was that he slay a giant, then God would give the victory.

Central to this idea of purpose was the idea that God would use David, as he was, to do God’s will. That David didn’t have to conform to others’ ideas of how things should be done or achieved. So, when Saul starts to dress him up in all the king’s armor, you get the idea that David knows this is a mistake. The boy can hardly move under the weight of all that steel.  

The greatest weapon that God has provided us with to face the things that threaten our lives is our individuality. The notion that God has a plan for our lives, and that it is an individually tailored one, can enable us to achieve far more than we could ever dare imagine.

The Harry Potter series of books captured the imagination of a generation and have continued to do so ever since the series was launched many years ago. What is the uniqueness of that series? Is not part of it the fact that Harry appears to be just your average kid, yet constantly has to deal with discovering who he really is? Time and time again he faces his fears, overcomes obstacles, and attempts to work out what the extraordinary plan is that is coming to fruition through his life.

What is it we fear? What obstacles do we face? Whose plan are we working on—our plan or God’s plan? We can waste a lot of time trying to be something that we’re not. You can spend a whole lifetime living up to other people’s expectations, putting on their armor, living by their rules, and never discovering what it was God wanted for your life.

Of course, like David, there will always be those who laugh at us. Those who treat our dreams as cause for disdain. Those who have long since lost their own purpose and direction believe that the only way to justify their own sense of hopelessness is by dragging us down to their level.

Discovering God’s unique plan for your own life, is not an easy task. It requires that you totally surrender your will to the will of God. It requires that you completely reassess your priorities and values. It means evaluating your dreams, your hopes, your aspirations... everything... in the light of Christ. Whilst not easy... it is a way that cuts the giants down to size!

III.  David Conquers the Enemy with God (vv. 41-49)

One of the visions of the Christian faith is that our God is not just somewhere in the sky and unconcerned about us. God’s presence strides alongside us as we meet the giants in our life. We take aim with our rocks of faith and God delivers them to the right spot.

In order to be a straight shooter, we need to focus. We have tools to help us do that. One of the most reliable of them is that we become a person of habit. That we habitually attend worship. That we make it a habit to read our bibles and bring our lives before God in prayer. That we consistently look for the good, not the worst in people and in situations.

That we make it a feature of our lives to look beyond the trends and the voices of the present day and to connect with the eternal Holy Spirit of God for direction and leadership. That we recognize that the people of God can sometimes lack direction and offer discouraging words rather than positive ones.

Derl Keefer, one of the contributors to the Abingdon Preaching Series makes the point that; “We either conquer with God, like David, or fail like the army of Israel against the Philistines.” As people of faith either option is open to us. We make the choice.

Davids’s previous experience prepared him for the battle that was at hand and for battles that lay in the future. As we walk with God, we learn not only from our mistakes but from our victories, that God is greater than our sin, and that our lives, placed in the hands of God, can rise to heights and face situations we are totally unable to face in our own strength.

If called upon on by God to face giants, then God will supply what we need to bring them down. All God asks is that we give God our trust and do things God’s way.

•    David’s Confidence Was in God (vv. 32-37a). So, we are called to trust in that same God.
•    David was comfortable with God’s Plan (vv. 37b–40). God has a plan. It may not be our plan. But God’s plan is always the better option.
•    David Conquers the Enemy with God (vv. 41-49). He does not win the victory in his own strength, but through God’s Spirit who empowers him. It should be no different for us.

May God help us to bring down the giants that threaten our spiritual life. And to God be all glory. Amen.

The Reverend Adrian J Pratt B.D.

June 9 2024 "Confirmation Address 2024"

 Readings:  Psalm 130, Genesis 3:8-15, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1, Mark 1:16-22
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church on June 9, 2024

I shared a story with the Confirmation class, about my own confirmation. I had gone back to church as a teenager, after being absent for many years. Most of my friends that attended church had already been confirmed. But not me.

In the church that we attended one of the things you were not allowed to do… unless you were confirmed… was take communion. So, whenever there was a communion service, I always felt a little bit left out. That was not, however, my reason for wanting to be confirmed. I really wanted to say “Yes” to the promises made on my behalf when I was baptized as an infant in the Methodist church my mum attended.

I had become a follower of Jesus for myself, started going to the Presbyterian Church and  I wanted to witness to that fact that, like Simon and his brother Andrew, who all those years ago by Galilee’s shore heard Jesus saying, “Follow Me” I wanted to be a disciple. And in that particular church, that meant taking on the confirmation journey.

I went to see the minister, the late Rev. Barrie Redmore. Turned out that year I was the only young person wanting to be confirmed, so I was in a class of “ONE.” He gave me a folder (still got it) of pamphlets to read… and if I had any questions, well we could talk about it. So, no classes. No meetings. Just a lot of reading.

I know some of the youth might have found the classes I offered a little dull, but honestly if you had had to read those leaflets, they redefined the idea of dullness. I gave it my best shot, went to see him one more time. Then on Easter Sunday, 1976, (yes, that long ago) I was accepted into full membership of the church. They gave me a hymnbook which I still treasure it as a reminder.

I guess, considering the way my life has turned out, the process worked just about as well as it possibly could have. But everybody’s journey, is not my journey.

I do not know each of these confirmand’s reason for traveling through the classes. Maybe they were told to take the classes by parents or grandparents. Maybe, just something they had always thought to do as part of growing up in a Christian family. Maybe, just curiosity and a desire to do the right thing. Or maybe, like me, it just felt like the next thing to do in their discipleship journey.

As well as classes, like my home minister, I’ve given them a whole load of leaflets and stuff to read. I truly pray that it has been of value to them in their spiritual journeys. Because that’s what confirmation is, another of those milestones in our spiritual growth. And it does not matter if we don’t understand it all or believe it all or find it all works with where we are or who we are right now. I’ve sown seeds that only God can bring to fruition.

Our reading from Corinthians had Paul telling his readers “We look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen.” And he speaks about our lives as a “building from God, a house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens.”

Again, I pray that here has been with each you, something going on with God’s Spirit, and that you will commit to carry on growing and building, that you will allow God to help you be the ‘you’ that only God can see right now.

There is so much pressure on youth in every age, to live up to everybody else’s expectations of what they should be and are allowed to do. If I’d listened to the expectations and ideas of those around me, rather than seeking God’s direction for my life, then I would not be standing here today. I hope you come to understand that it is your relationship with God that can determine your life’s paths in ways that nothing else can and nobody else can.

Your church may not live up to your expectations. Your family may not always be supportive. Your friends will let you down. But God is a rock. Sometimes when relationships with church, family or friends don’t work out, people blame God for that. 

My experience has been that God remains rock solid and can always be trusted. While others have let me down, God never has. One songwriter described his relationship to God, with these words. “He’s good for the body and great for the soul, He’s the Rock that doesn’t roll.”

Today, you have made your promises and given your statements of faith and we have been witnesses.  From here on, it’s in your hands as we commit you into God’s hands. I’ve witnessed some folks stay true to their confirmation commitments. I’ve seen others walk away as if their words didn’t mean a thing. Sad to say, but sadly true. So, I hope you understand… it’s all up to you now.

I hope I see you often in worship. I hope you fulfill all the leadership potential that I have seen in you over the last few months. I pray you discover the reality of a God who invites you to dance throughout your life with love and desires that this awesome grace filled  dance will continue on into eternity.  

I hope you’ll discover how the words of life in Scripture can be words for your life. I hope you’ll find, that among all the self-help and suggested ways of coping with life, that the best ways of all are the great privileges of prayer and service.

Confirmation class of 2024, Eli, Ami, Evie, Fallon, Dylan, Hudson, Poppy, Lila, Meadow and Sebastian, Jesus calls you by name, and like those very first disciples by the Sea of Galilee, is saying to your hearts… "Follow Me!” By the grace of the Holy Spirit may you be enabled to answer that holy summons, to the glory of God. Amen.

The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.