In the Book of Per Samuel, we see King Saul's pride, his jealousy, his

fear, his anger, all escalating as he desperately seeks to hang on to his

kingdom, keeping it from God's anointed King from David. Today on Truth for Life

we'll find out how God can even use in enemies evil intentions to accomplish

his plans and purposes. Alistair Begg is teaching from 1 Samuel chapter 18

we're starting at verse 17.

Now notice what he says here. He says I want you to show yourself strong fight, fight

the Lord's battles. Remember the law? You shall not take the name of the Lord

your God in vain. For the Lord will not hold them guiltless who take his name in

vain. What he's suggesting here, inferentially, is that his mind and his heart are

actually set on the defense and the advance of the kingdom of God. And so

under the disguise of piety he seeks to advance his own evil agenda.

Wrap the dirty business up in a concern that is ostensibly for the vastness in

the greatness of God. This is beyond crafty. This is actually cruel because he is

prepared to use his daughter, actually his daughters as we will see, to fulfill his

own selfish ends. You say well how do you get that? Well you get it from reading your

Bible. This is what he said. Here's my daughter. I'll give her to you as a wife. You

advance the kingdom of God and we'll take it from there. But or for is the

conjunction in the ESV? For so thought, let not my hand be against him against David,

but let a hand of the Philistines be against him. You see what happens when jealousy

grips a mind, when jealousy takes hold, his words said we're planning a

celebration. His heart was thinking in terms of elimination. Twist it. I'll leave it up

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