We are tracing the theme of the wilderness through the story of the Bible.

The wilderness, as a biblical setting, tells us something fundamental about life.

Existence itself is fragile and dependent and contingent.

It doesn't sustain itself, and it only exists because of the will

and generosity of the one who is, that is Yahweh. God plants a garden in the wilderness, and he

invites humanity to enjoy it. But this requires that they learn to live by God's life.

If they are refusing to fear God and live by His wisdom,

it will actually be the worst possible thing for the humans to be in the garden

and live forever in this state.

And so, God and His mercy sends them out of the garden into the wilderness. And God follows

them there to create life in the wilderness as an opportunity to teach them how to live by his wisdom.

Today, we're going to look at the life of David as a story of someone who shows us how to succeed

in the wilderness.

David's name is spelled with the same letters as the word beloved one,

and where he leads sheep regularly is out in the wilderness.

Now, at this point of the story, Israel wants a king to lead them.

They get a king named Saul, who doesn't fear God and live by his wisdom.

And so God chooses this

young shepherd boy named David. And Saul's not happy about this. And so before David can become

king, he has to flee from Saul out into the wilderness. The wilderness is kind of shaped David

to form David's faith and trust that God can rescue and provide.

Today we'll look at 1 Samuel and we'll find three tests. In two of them, David succeeds.

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