From The Archives

Download or listen to 5 sermons by Alistair Begg from the Bible on false teachers.

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David’s lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan invited Israel to feel their grief and provided direction for their sorrow. As Alistair Begg explains, David buried Saul’s past offenses, choosing instead to focus on the good that had been lost. His poem highlighted the bravery Saul and Jonathan displayed, the unity they enjoyed, and the prosperity Saul created. At the same time, his deep anguish over Jonathan’s death points us to Jesus as the friend who sticks closer than a brother.

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Following Saul and Jonathan’s death, David cried out for silence in the streets and for a curse to descend on the mountain where the mighty of Israel had fallen. Although David’s lament was personal, he led all of Israel in mourning the nation’s calamity. As Alistair Begg explains, his sorrowful grief was a biblical response to death. When we take time to mourn, we show a watching world that death is indeed the last great enemy, even as we look forward to the return of Christ, who alone conquered death.

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David learned of Saul’s death from a young man who inserted himself into the story of the king’s defeat. His grave miscalculation quickly became apparent, however, as David questioned him. Instead of celebrating, David and his men mourned—and instead of receiving commendation, the young man was executed. He had failed to reckon with the anointed king’s character, explains Alistair Begg. To enjoy the rewards of God’s kingdom, we must, like David, fear, love, and obey the Lord’s Anointed.

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Saul’s defeat and death paved the way for David’s reign—which also eventually crumbled. So why should we spend time considering Israel’s Old Testament kings in the first place? Alistair Begg pauses to answer this question at the outset of a new study in 2 Samuel. Since David’s story points forward to Christ, it’s an essential part of the whole Bible, which in turn contains the great story at the very center of world history: that of Christ and His eternal kingship.

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King Saul, who began his reign with great promise and potential, was brutally and disgracefully defeated by the Philistines. His tragic story is a warning to all of us, cautions Alistair Begg. The Bible teaches that death is not the end of existence; therefore, placing hope in human power is folly. Confronted by political chaos, social disintegration, and our own mortality, we are reminded that our hope and refuge is Jesus, the only King who triumphed over death and hell.

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For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:20 ESV)

Everyone experiences anger. How can we deal with this emotion in a biblical way? In this selection of sermons, Alistair Begg reminds us that we have a new identity in Christ, who calls us to a different response when we are tempted to become angry.

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David’s deceptive activity among the Philistines created a dilemma when he was conscripted to join the army assembled against Israel. But God did not abandon him to his sin. As Alistair Begg explains, David’s unforeseen deliverance by way of the Philistine commanders reveals the depths of God’s mercy and the mystery of His purposes. While David had been saved many times before, he ultimately needed to be saved from himself—and so do we.

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As the Philistines gathered their forces, King Saul was alone and desperate. Afraid for his life, he inquired of the Lord, but after years of ignoring God’s word, Saul received no answer. He then disguised himself and consulted a medium, only for an apparition of Samuel to tell him of his impending death. As Alistair Begg explains, Saul’s hopeless situation reflects our natural condition apart from Christ. If we hear God’s voice today, we must not harden our hearts.

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After sparing Saul’s life a second time, David allowed fear to overturn his confidence in God’s protection. Rather than seeking refuge in the Lord, he escaped into enemy territory and out of Saul’s reach. His success was short-lived, however, as his lies to Achish, king of Gath, soon led to trouble. As Alistair Begg notes, David’s duplicitous activity reminds us that all men are fallible. We must keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, the one true King, in whom there is no deceit.

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