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When Your Motive Is Misjudged - 1 Samuel 17:17-30
When Your Motive Is Misjudged - 1 Samuel 17:17-30 [17] And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy brethren;
[18] And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
[19] Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
[20] And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
[21] For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
[22] And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
[23] And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
[24] And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
[25] And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
[26] And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
[27] And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
[28] And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
[29] And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
[30] And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
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INTRODUCTION
Israel and the Philistines were in the midst of a heated battle. David was not old enough to be in the army of Israel, but his father Jesse sent him to take some food to his brothers. When David arrived he heard the blasphemous words of Goliath and began enquiring what would happen to the man who killed him. When Eliab, David’s eldest brother, heard David, he began to accuse him of being full of pride and coming to see the battle out of the naughtiness of his heart. That was the farthest thing from the truth. David was there at the request of his father and to bring food to his brethren. In the end, David did not allow this accusation to keep him from doing what he knew to be right.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
- (For smaller children) Satan misjudged Job's motives in serving God. When Satan took Job's possessions and health, Job proved he truly loved God (Job 1:9-11 [9] Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
[10] Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
[11] But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
See All..., 20-22; Job 2:4-10 [4] And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. [5] But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. [6] And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. [7] So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. [8] And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. [9] Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. [10] But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
See All...). Jesus was misjudged for keeping bad company, but He wasn't doing it to have a good time (Luke 5:29-32 [29] And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. [30] But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? [31] And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. [32] I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
See All...; Luke 19:1-10 [1] And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. [2] And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. [3] And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. [4] And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. [5] And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. [6] And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. [7] And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. [8] And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. [9] And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
See All...). - Have you ever had someone misjudge the nature of your motives in your service to God? Did you allow that to keep you from doing right?
- What are your motives for serving God? If your motives are pure, why worry about how others judge those motives?
PRAYER NEEDS
- Ask God to help you do right regardless of false perceptions.
- Thank God for the opportunity to do something for Him.
HYMN
Who Is on the Lord’s Side?
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Proverbs 29:7
The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.