1 Sam 20:31, "For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die." 
	We are deep into the story of the growing hatred and anger and jealousy and inherent fear that was possessing Saul in the every consideration of David, the son of Jesse, the shepherd boy who had killed Goliath. There was that within this first king of Israel which caused him to despise David and try to kill him before David became too great a threat to the power and the prestige and the fame and the renown of King Saul. He was utterly consumed with the need to eliminate the one whom Saul knew would take the throne and thus tarnish or even eliminate any legacy that Saul might have built.
	There was something greater at stake in this entire and detailed story of the anger and jealousy of Saul aimed against the newly anointed one of God’s choice. It is easy to just put everything in terms of the fallen nature of humanity exerting every effort to maintain selfish ambition and power and prestige. However, at the very core of this horrible example of humanity’s hatred and anger and despising that which another has, there is the under working power of this age against anything that God was putting into place. 
	This world would have delighted in the seemingly lopsided slaughter of that shepherd boy at the hands of Goliath. There was that within the very fabric of the atmosphere of this age which saw that anyone anointed by the prophet of God would be a threat to this age’s utmost desire to derail the advent of the working mission of God in His plan of salvation. If God was for someone, the world power was brutally striving to destroy that witness to the Holiness and the Righteousness of God from being established. 
	Therefore, when Goliath failed so miserably, the forces of this age sought any other means to try to put this one, whom God had chosen as the next king of Israel, to death. There may not have been the foresight by the enemy as to what was fully at the heart of God’s choice in this shepherd from Bethlehem. However, if God was in favor and giving this anointed youth growing acclaim and honor, then this world wanted to put an immediate and vicious end to it. 
	Nothing but good could proceed from the hand of God upon such a chosen person. Therefore this age tried earnestly to immediately stifle it, in its feeble and miserable and doomed efforts to try to derail the perfect work of God from coming into its glorious and victorious exaltation. 
	Accordingly, after the failure to kill David through the overwhelming might of Goliath, the enemy set upon the heart and the mind of Saul. This was in order to use this monarch as the next means of the elimination of the one whom God had chosen. Consider how this was instigated in the mind of Saul through the singing and the dancing of celebration amidst the joyous recounting of David’s miraculous victory. Recognize how all this was working in the mind of Saul as detailed in 1 Sam 18:6-8.
	1 Sam 18:6-8, And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. And the women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands." Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" 
	There was a prophetic detail inherent in this down spiraling musing of Saul. He recognized, precisely, as was also evident in our morning’s text, the very throne of Israel was at stake. 
While the earlier passage in 1 Sam showed that Saul was making such an assumption, the text of today details very specifically how all this was working itself into a demented scheme that if David were to take the throne, all the family of Saul would be killed to prevent any later threats of usurpation against the throne of David. 
	As Saul pointed out very maliciously to Jonathan, no matter what David may have promised, the throne of Jonathan, the son of Saul would be forfeit if David were not killed. "For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die."
	While Jonathan did everything he could to be honorable to the anointed, next king of Israel, Saul was fuming and utterly frustrated. He was foiled at every level of his anger and hatred and wicked persistence to rid himself of this blessed one from the sheepfolds of Bethlehem. It was even to the point that Saul tried to kill Jonathan because he thought there was betrayal in the heart of his son. This highlights exactly how perverted we can twist things in our minds and hearts when we feel that raging jealous indignation toward another. 
	First, Saul detailed to Jonathan that he was going to lose the kingdom if David continued to live. He tried to cajole Jonathan to Saul’s side of the conflict. Then, when that tactic, for the benefit of Jonathan’s kingship failed, Saul tried to kill his very own son with that hurled spear. There was no real conviction of trying to make his son king, just whatever it took to try to use Jonathan to help kill David, even if it meant that Jonathan died in the fallout. 
	We see this rage and fury further detailed in 1 Sam 22:13-19, if you would please turn to it. Here, the anger and the loathing and the suspicion of Saul was to the zenith that he had the very priests of Jehovah and their families slaughtered. This was just because Saul was disbelieving of their loyalties. These were the priests of the most High Lord God Almighty, and yet they were but fodder on the road to the annihilation of the chosen one of God. This again, further indicates just how vile and cruel and vicious was that attack from the power of this age against the plan and the purpose of God. 
	1 Sam 22:13-19, Saul then said to him, "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day?" Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, "And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king's son-in-law, who is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house? "Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair." But the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's household!" And the king said to the guards who were attending him, "Turn around and put the priests of the Lord to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me." But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the Lord. Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn around and attack the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep, he struck with the edge of the sword. 
	In the midst of all this mayhem and slaughter by the world power through this depraved and jealously enslaved king of Israel, the light of the power of God shown through, even in the one who would have been next in line according to the birthright of the first born. Please witness how, as recounted in 1 Sam 23:15-17, despite the ranting and raving of his father, Jonathan was as set upon the plan and the purpose of God in His anointed, although it would cost him the throne. 
1 Sam 23:15-17, Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. Thus he said to him, "Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father shall not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also." 
	Even Saul had his moments of clarity in the course of his seeking to kill David. David fully spared the life of the king. This was at the point that Saul had become an easy target for David and his men as Saul entered alone into the exact cave in which his quarry was hiding. Yet David would not lift his hand against the king that God had set into place. 
This honorableness in David caused Saul, when he realized how close to death he had been, to cry out to David, as recorded in 1 Sam 24:17-21, in the knowledge that there would be a change in the governance of the nation. With the lucidity that what God had planned was going to be accomplished, Saul sought for David to be as honorable with the family of the king as David had been with the king, himself.
	1 Sam 24:17-21, And he said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. And you have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. So now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's household." 
	Once more, the plotting of this age against the fulfillment of the plan of Jehovah was thwarted by loving-kindness and righteousness on the part of the man whose heart was after the Lord, as David is so often described in scripture. The Lord protected and guided and triumphed within the limitless scope of His Sovereignty in the placement of David on the throne of the kingdom. This was without the premeditated slaughter of heirs and heirs apparent that often accompany the displacement of one king by another, who desires the power and the prestige and the dominion and will eliminate any real or perceived threats to that chokehold on power. 
	Afer every failure to kill David, the power of this age then tried to undo the work of God in this man even as he was seated on the throne. There was the allurement of Bathsheba which caused such a despicably devastating result in the death of her husband, Uriah, at the specific and deliberate orders of King David. Such shows the fact that every man, no matter how determined to follow the Lord, is still beset by the human nature of sin that was born from disobedience in the Garden. 
However, praise the Lord God Almighty, by the power of God, Himself, we are enabled to overcome all our sins and trespasses and disobedience, through His grace and mercy and forgiveness. We are brought into humble submission and obedience through complete repentance and agreement with God as we turn from our sin and unto His glorious honor in our hearts and minds and spirits.
We could spend years discussing how the enemy of God has tried to break apart and destroy all that God has put into place. Yet we will limit ourselves to this train of thought as was shown in David. 
Even though he had vilely and despicably failed before the Holiness of God, David was still so after the Lord that it mattered to him. He craved that living relationship and fellowship with Jehovah. David did not try to justify his awful actions and abuse of power. He faced the sin and the resulting consequences with that heart which desired to be forgiven. He was prostrate before Yahweh with the urgent desire to still bring honor to the name of Jehovah. He did so through absolute repentance and with the humble agreement that he had sinned and caused grief to God.
Even as the Prophet Nathan, in 2 Sam 12:5-7 detailed the sin and pointed to David, there was that in David which was horrified by his sin and turned unto the seeking of forgiveness from God. 2 Sam 12:5-7, Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. And he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion." Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 
Once again, this world was utterly frustrated in that which it tried to use to destroy, as David man turned his heart and being unto righteousness in the arms of the forgiving Lord God Almighty. The plan of God was triumphant, as it will always be; no matter how invasive and vile may be the attacks of this age.
This was the case, once again, when the nation of the Lord split apart after the death of Solomon, the son of David. There was that working of anger and frustration and disappointment and selfishness and corruption and power and prestige that was so evidenced in the heart of Rehoboam and the counsel that tickled his ear. Such was the angered response by this brash king, that the country divided into Israel to the north and Judah to the south, as recounted in 2 Chron 10:16+17.
2 Chron 10:16+17, And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel; Now look after your own house, David." So all Israel departed to their tents. But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 
	Yet, here again, despite all the battles and devastation and destruction and enslavement and captivity that was brought upon this divided nation, there was that remnant within the heart of the lineage of David which was wholly unto the Lord. The plan of God, while seemingly smothered, was merely smoldering until the day that was heralded by the angelic hosts. 
There was born, unto the salvation of all those who would turn to Him and believe in Him, the only Begotten Son of God from the human lineage of David, as detailed in the family tree of Jesus. As we read in Matt 1:6, no matter how much this age tried to rid itself of that which God was doing in the line of David, Jehovah put an heir of David upon the eternal throne. Jesus, the Christ, could trace that established heritage, through the birthright of David, as the Son of Man and the Son of God. 
	Matt 1:6, and to Jesse was born David the king. And to David was born Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah;
	Again, this age tried to cast away and destroy all that God had intended. There was that throng of the nation of God which called for the crucifixion of this only perfect man to ever walk the face of the earth. The very nation of God put to death the only One by Whom they could find true freedom and release from the bondage of this age’s sin and death. Listen to the fevered cry from this world to the question that Pilate put before them, as detailed in Matt 27:22+23.
	Matt 27:22+23, Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let Him be crucified!" And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
	Even the religious leaders were part of this effort by the enemy to silence the voice of God and to end the Dominion of the Creator. Please open once again to John 11:49-53, as we read together the echo of Saul’s deceitful justification to Jonathon to kill David. It is the same justification used to kill the Son of David, the Son of God.
	John 11:49-53, But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish." Now this he did not say on his own initiative; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 
	However, again and again and forever, the plans of man, the plots and schemes of the enemy are always foiled by the Omnipotence, the Omniscience, and the Omnipresence of God. Despite the fact that Jesus was crucified, this age was powerless against the miraculous work of God to raise Jesus from the grave! That omnipotent resurrection eternally established the glorious and triumphant and unqualified defeat of the enemy of this age. Jesus is now the exalted King of kings and Lord of lords! His kingdom is everlasting and His dominion will never end. So be it.
"For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die." Amen.

This morning’s benediction is Rev 5:9+10. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. "And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." Amen.