Forged in the Fire - Shaped by the Master

Forged in the Fire is a unique combination of bible study, personal journaling and creative historical narrative built on the lives of 4 Old Testament leaders. As a reader, you will live with David as he runs from Saul, and learn how God used this time of preparation to create a tender heart.  You will come to understand God's purpose for trials and injustice in your life as you learn the personal side of Joseph.  Then you will discover the stumbling blocks that often catch your heart like a snare, and keep you from becoming all that God knows you can be from lessons out of Kings Saul and Hezekiah. 

These kings started well, but their reigns ended in defeat, and fruitlessness.  Forged in the Fire will take you into their lives, and you will then be led step by step into applying the lessons to yourself.  The results will be an intimate encounter with God's work in your life.  By the time you finish the final pages you will have created a personalized action plan that will move your life toward God's purposed for you. 

Printed below is Chapter 2.

Constructing Character Through  Faithful Friends and Unexpected Events

 False friends are like shadows, abiding near in the sunlight
but disappearing when we move through shadowy seasons of life.

 Day One: Take a Look at God’s Word

As we read through the pages of the events in David’s life, we can easily miss the timeframe on which the canvas of David’s life is stretched. The process God used to mold a desert shepherd boy into a king and military champion spanned more than two decades. First Samuel chapters 17 through 20 tell of God’s beginning this process. Take the time to imagine yourself standing with David under the desert sun. What would it be like to face Goliath, having never before been in battle? How would you respond to the personal friendship extended to you by King Saul and his son? Would you continue to trust God even as the mountaintop of victory suddenly gave way to the valley of injustice?

            Read through these chapters in a quiet, restful place, and consider how and why God would use events like these to prepare a man to be king.

 Record your thoughts below.

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Day Two: David, Saul, and Jonathan

David stood uneasily in the entry to the royal tent, Saul’s field office for the forty-day-old campaign against the Philistines. I’ve been here before, he thought. Years ago I sat over there and played for Saul when he was afflicted with his violent moods. As the swords clashed and the war cries rose from the battlefield outside, David shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He wasn’t in Saul’s presence as a servant today. He’d been summoned as a champion and a hero of the Israelite army.

            “Come, come forward, my young champion,” called Saul from the inner alcove. “Come and receive your reward for your bravery. You have wrought God’s people a mighty victory today.”

            David emptied his arms in the front corner of the tent. The blood-covered sword was almost half his height. David had dragged it from the battle along with Goliath’s shield. They smelled of the Philistine warrior, and both were a sign of David’s victory and the Philistine’s death.

            He entered slowly and bowed low before Saul. “My king, your servant is here only to wait upon you and to serve God. What I have done today is what any soldier would do, to bring victory to our land and to deliver this Philistine dog into the armies of the living God. I seek no other reward, O king.”

            As David bowed, he reflected on his first meeting with Saul. A few months after the old prophet had anointed David, a second visitor from Jerusalem had called on Jesse’s home looking for someone who was skilled on the harp. David loved to write music, and he often played to his flock on the hillside. During cool evenings, David’s melodies echoed through the trees. Neighboring shepherds could hear the young boy playing to his God, and news of David’s talents had traveled among the herdsmen.

            Word had traveled as far as Jerusalem. When the king sent to find a skilled musician to help soothe his emotions, David was summoned to the king’s courtyard. David played whenever Saul was troubled, and a bond had formed between the two—the watcher of sheep and the shepherd of God’s people. David played the sweet songs he had written, and as he did, the peace of God returned to Saul. The monarch grew to treasure his young friend and soon made David his armor bearer. Before battle, David would bring the king his bronze breastplate, shield, and sword. Later, David would greet the weary king after a long campaign, return his armor to its mountings on the wall, and then play again for the moody monarch as Saul went about his daily duties.

            David served the king for over a year, and Saul grew quite fond of the boy. When the king finally overcame his bouts with anger and dark depression, he thanked the boy for his service, blessed him, and sent him back to his father’s house.

            On this day, however, Saul didn’t immediately recognize David. David’s stature was strong and true, and today he had stood between the armies of Israel and a warrior twice his size, Goliath of Gath.

            “You can’t say that about my God!” David was the only one who answered Goliath’s taunts. “For forty days you have blasphemed the armies of the living God. He is mighty. He is true. He is alive. And today He will deliver you into my hands!” David’s words had echoed across the plains. In David’s mind, the outcome of this confrontation was as sure as the sunrise. How else would the living God defend His people and chase this Philistine from their land?

            Now, David bowed before King Saul. As Saul spoke, David stood upright and received the king’s praise. The king invited David to be a part of his court, his army, and his family. Looking David squarely in the eye, he said, “You are a man in whom I see God working mightily. The God of our fathers has chosen you to lead his people.” Saul did not realize the prophetic nature of his words. “So this day, my young warrior, you will enter my service. You may marry my daughter and lead a garrison of 1,000 men. They respect you and will remember your victory here for many years. God will work through your hands to chase the Philistines from our land.”

            At Saul’s right hand stood his young son, Jonathan. Although similar in age and stature to David, Jonathan had been raised in the king’s household. His hands had never birthed a sheep on a cold desert night. His face had never endured the harsh rays of the midday sun. David could tell by his delicate frame that he had never climbed the rocks searching for a goat that had wandered off, nor swam in a crystal-blue stream on a lazy afternoon. Yet Jonathan looked at David and saw someone whom he admired and trusted, someone with whom he would build a deep and abiding friendship.

            The prince stepped forward under Saul’s approving nod and said, “This day you have brought a mighty victory to God’s people. As a reward, I would like to give you a treasure of my own.” Jonathan removed his sword, his armor, and his outer royal robe and handed them to David. “In remembrance of this day, and as a sign of my friendship with you, please accept these gifts.”

            David stepped backward. “Who am I that I should accept such a wonderful gift from the king’s family? I’m merely a servant of God—and of you. I have done nothing of great merit today.”

            At Jonathan’s insistence, however, David relented. He reached for the gifts from the king’s young son, but then quickly retracted his arms as he realized they were still covered in the Philistine’s blood. Saul motioned for his cupbearer to come with a basin of water. As he cleansed the blood of the Philistine from his hands and arms, David realized that he was initiating a new chapter in his young life. This day his life had changed. He was no longer the youngest son in a large family, the keeper of his father’s sheep, from the small town of Bethlehem. Today, David stepped into leadership in the king’s army. This was not something he had sought for himself, but it was a blessing foreshadowed by Samuel’s visit many years ago. He gratefully accepted Jonathan’s gifts, and with them, David symbolically accepted the gift of God’s anointing to follow King Saul in succession to the throne.

            The following months were filled with praise and tribute. Saul led his army back into Jerusalem after each military triumph. Crowds on both sides of the street shouted and cheered. Women looked for their husbands, and young ladies gawked at the young, strong men fresh from the battlefields. David rode close beside Jonathan—not in the ranks with the common soldiers, but on a camel with the captains, toward the head of the column. Word of David’s bravery often traveled to Jerusalem far ahead of the returning troops, and the people shouted praises to David as well as to Saul: “Praise be to Saul, who has killed his thousands, and to David, who has killed his ten thousands.”

            At the sound of these words from the crowd, David couldn’t quite believe his ears, still uneasy with his new position. As the column neared the king’s palace, Saul glanced back and found David in the procession. His eyes met David’s with furtive displeasure. Was it jealousy that cast its shadow across the king’s face?

            David began to lead many victorious campaigns against the Philistines to the south and east and returned to many growing celebrations. While in the palace, David again played for the king, whose despondency was returning. But his friendship with the king gradually shifted. Saul watched David and Jonathan’s friendship deepen, and the green eyes of jealousy often clouded his vision. David and Jonathan spent hours talking, walking through the marbled palace halls. They met in the royal stables, cared for their animals together, and prepared for battles in days to come. The more time they spent together, the closer they became.

            David had yearned for a friend like this. Seeing Jonathan walking through the dusty stable one day, he caught up to him and asked, “Jonathan, my friend, I was raised with seven brothers, but none of them treated me with the kindness of you and your father. What have I done to deserve your favor?”

            Jonathan’s simple reply released a peace that David had known only on the day of Samuel’s visit. “David, I feel as though you are the brother I never had. You are now the leader that I was born to be, and the champion that I may yet become. You are my friend. I honor your service to my father. I see God working to deliver our people through your hands.”

            As David and Jonathan’s friendship deepened, so did Saul’s depression. He wrestled unseen demons, grappling with them for his own emotional control. David was called more frequently to play his harp, and it seemed that his duties to lead his regiment of soldiers sometimes interfered with the king’s desire to have David sit and play for hours. As David sat in Saul’s presence one afternoon, Saul’s menacing unnerved him. Saul’s armor bearer and cupbearer were asked to leave the room. When only David and the king remained, Saul lunged for the javelin that rested in a golden vase beside his throne.

            “You!” Saul cried out. “You intend to steal this throne from my son. I won’t have it!” Before David could even move, the javelin was in the air and glanced off the wall just over his left shoulder. A shower of marble fragments sprayed against David’s tunic. As Saul fumbled for another spear, David disappeared out the doorway. He dropped his harp in the hall and sprinted for the stables. Looking back over his shoulder, he expected to see the king. But no one saw David flee that day; no one had seen him escape the king’s chambers. No one knew, and hours later, even David was left wondering what exactly had occurred.

            Two days passed, and once again David was called to minister to the king’s malaise. The king was like a different man. Has he forgotten the events of just a few days ago? David wondered. Am I safe here? He looked toward heaven as he entered the king’s court. Jehovah-Jireh, my Provider, my Shield and High Tower, the One to whom I run when I am in trouble, I trusted You when I saved the lambs from the bear. And You protected me as I chased the lion through the forest to redeem the sheep he had stolen. Lord, You stood with me on the battlefield with Goliath. Yet I have never before stood in danger from someone whom I have called my friend. Lord, protect me this day! I trust in You.

            David entered Saul’s court and began playing, but the king’s countenance grew darker instead of brighter. He glared at David and again asked his servants to leave. Yet again David fled the king’s wrath and his sword, but this time David determined not to return.

            He drifted through the courtyard in a daze, then through the stables. As dusk fell, he realized that the places he was drawn to were those where he and Jonathan had spent so much of their time together. Had Jonathan also turned his friendship into hatred? Would he turn on him as well? But the next day when David was not at the king’s table, Jonathan came looking for him. He found David beneath one of their favorite trees in a field far from the palace. As they talked, David unloaded the previous day’s events on his comrade.

            David now feared for his life while in the king’s presence. As the hours of conversation passed, Jonathan realized that God had selected David as the next king of Israel. Although it should have been Jonathan’s birthright, God was instead preparing this young shepherd to lead Israel into the future. Jonathan looked at David and said solemnly, “Promise me this. When you lead our people, do not let your favor depart from my house. Promise me that you will watch over my descendants to the third and fourth generations.” They wept on each other’s shoulders as David committed his faithfulness to this true friend.

            They made a plan for the next day, and as night closed in, David found a place to curl up under their favorite tree. David thought back to the countless days and nights that he had spent in the fields with his father’s sheep. The smell of the dew on his clothes, and the tree root under his head…these images were still a part of David’s identity. But as the events of the past few years passed through his mind, they seemed discontinuous. Herding sheep, Samuel’s anointing, playing the harp for the king as a boy, the defeat of Goliath and becoming a warrior in the Israelite army. And now he was a fugitive, hiding in the fields and fearing for his life!

            The only unbroken thread woven through his adolescence and early adulthood was Jehovah, his Friend, Protector, and God. In triumph and tragedy, David knew that God was at his side. For David, this wasn’t knowledge that was simply learned in a temple on a Sabbath. David had lived these lessons as he learned them, but now this lesson was becoming painful. David finally found a shallow sleep, singing to himself in the same way that he used to sing to his sheep: “Why are you cast down, o my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Yet shall I trust in God, who is the help of my countenance.” He didn’t have any more answers, but David knew the One who did.

            The next day, Jonathan met David and confirmed his fears regarding Saul’s plot. They talked. They wept. David had no further options but to leave Jerusalem. What have I done? he wondered. What have I done to bring the king’s wrath on me? Father in heaven, why are these things happening to me? As David looked back at Jonathan, he remembered their vow one more time. Jonathan returned to the city, and David scurried into the evening dusk toward Nob. Ahimilech the priest was there, an old friend of his father. If there was any place David could find help, it would be in the house of God.

            For his years of service David had been rewarded with a powerful and psychologically unstable enemy. He was tempted to respond the same way toward Saul as the king had behaved toward him. It would be so simple, David thought, to return tonight to Jerusalem and rally the troops. They must see the inevitable demise of the king. I’ve witnessed the troops’ dissatisfaction with Saul’s leadership—and they would follow me. It would be a small thing to eliminate the king. After all, the people also took to me as their leader. But as David entertained these thoughts, the Spirit of God overwhelmed him. God’s presence seized him as if by the arm, and David stopped in his tracks. David felt the Lord’s displeasure at his ponderings.

            You will not touch my anointed, God seemed to say.

            That was enough for David, and the only sound breaking the cool desert night was the stones under his feet as he hastened to find the priest at Nob.

Does Saul’s treatment of David seem unfair to you? Why?

Place yourself in Jonathan’s shoes. How might you have responded when faced with the knowledge that God intended another person—your friend—to take your rightful place of honor?

List some of the qualities in David’s character that you see demonstrated in this story. Are any of these qualities present in your own character? Why or why not?

Day Three: The Sculptor Prepares His Clay

        Have you ever been in a situation at work or in some other relationship in which you were treated unfairly or in some other way that left you feeling somehow inferior or second-rate? Maybe you were passed over for a well-deserved promotion, or a personal relationship may have unraveled. With over half of the marriages in our country ending in divorce (both inside and outside of the church), it is very likely that you or someone close to you has been touched by this tragic situation. Our lives are not a constant dismal stream of difficulty and despair, but when injustice and suffering do come, how do we respond? Where can we find comfort? What is God up to when He allows the shadow of tragedy to fall across our paths?

            These events in David’s life that we considered yesterday took place a few years after he was initially anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel. During this time, he was first a shepherd in his father’s home, and then he became the armor bearer and personal bard for King Saul. Later, he became a military champion and a leader of the armies of Israel. And then, suddenly, David was persecuted, forced to flee for his life as an outlaw. He was forced to leave behind everything he knew in order to seek refuge in the fields and forests outside of the cities.

            Last week, we learned that David was most likely the overlooked youngest son in a large family. But now, after having tasted recognition and success, he was suddenly returned to that outcast lifestyle by events beyond his control. This time he was hunted by the one he’d called a friend, the one with whom he’d initially found acceptance. In David’s life, God moved to prevent his rising star of influence from eclipsing the God who is the Bright and Morning Star over all creation. The trials which David would face throughout the next years were not mere short-term inconveniences, but God used them to forge the foundation of character in this leader for over a decade. These events illustrated the second step in the divine character-building process.

 Step Two: God provides the opportunity for a period of initial peace, victory, or success, but then He shapes your life through circumstances, events, or other people.

             During the first part of this step, everything seems positive, and your walk with God seems to flourish unimpeded. In David’s life, change did not take place immediately after Samuel anointed him as the next king of Israel. He returned to tending his father’s herds. He still had a rotten relationship with his brothers. He still was the baby of the family with all the perks and scorn that position brought him. But something was different in David’s heart. David became fearless as he protected his father’s sheep, single-handedly rescuing one from a lion and another from a bear.

            David also found time to write psalms, poems from his heart to the living God who had become personal and very real to him. This time of growth happened prior to David’s public victory over Goliath. During this time, David also gained recognition in King Saul’s court. He was invited to play for the king as Saul’s periods of depression became more frequent. This time of “victory” in David’s life progressed relatively unimpeded, as David advanced from one positive even to another, learning to see the hand of God at work in his life.

            In your own Christian experience, this period can be compared to a time in which you personally grew in your faith and confidence in your relationship to God. Some call this period in a Christian’s life “being discipled,” or “growing in grace.”

Think about a time of victory, peace, or success in your own Christian life. Describe this period on the lines below.

 How did this particular time in your life relate to your commitment or personal experience with God?

 What are some of the events you can remember, or the Scriptures that were personally meaningful to you during this time?

 What did you learn about God, His relationship to you, and His care for you during this time?

 Day Four: Forming the Image of Christ

        During the time of peace you considered in yesterday’s lesson, God builds your trust in Him and then gradually arranges the circumstances that He will use to form your character. In David’s life, his relationship with God was already firmly established before he faced the crisis with King Saul. Some of the circumstances in your own life may involve old friends, or a new circle of friends who are on a similar path, who can provide you with encouragement and camaraderie as you learn to walk out your faith. These three tools—personal trust in God, true friends, and difficult circumstances—are used in the hands of a skillful Artist to create Christ-like character out of our selfishness. When something goes terribly wrong, plummeting us into frustration or grief, God introduces a further insight into Step 2 of the process of forging Christ-likeness. God personally moves events to purify the motives and intents of our hearts.

Step 2 (elaborated): God shapes your life through circumstances, events, or other people. Through true friends, false alliances, and suffering injustice or other hardships, He sculpts Christ-like character into our selfish hearts. This process can be painful, but the final result is that we become more like Jesus.

What friends, mentors, or new comrades did God bring into your life during the early years of your Christian faith?

Did any of your friends or family members not understand the new direction in your life? Were there people who did not share your new priorities?

Events such as these rarely are as drastic as what we have seen take place in David’s life, yet your character will be shaped by the difficulties you face that draw you closer to God, and that distance you from a life outside of His influence.

Were there events like these in your life? If so, what happened, and how did you react?

Did any of your friends, new or old, create situations that seemed unfair or unjust?

Looking back at these events, how did you respond, and what lessons did you learn? What did you learn about yourself, and about God?

 Did these events increase your faith and your trust in God? Do you still struggle with bitterness or unforgiveness regarding what took place? Are there any remnants of negative thoughts or feelings from these experiences that you are still clinging to, things that God may now want you to reconsider, grow from, and release to Him? Write your final thoughts on the lines below.

 Day Five: In the Hands of God

In many maturing Christians’ lives, there comes a time when God allows everything they hold dear to drift away, leaving them with only His Presence on which to rely. If this occurs in your life, you’re not alone! During the times when God seems far away, not only is he nearer than you can imagine, but He is specifically working on your life to create a treasure beyond measure. 

Do you know the difference between a diamond, and a lump o coal?  Other than what you would pay for each, the only difference between these two pieces of stone is time, and pressure.  Diamonds are formed out of everyday coal over a long period of high pressure deep in the earth.  Every pearl was once a piece of sand.  Over years of creating irritation to an unsuspecting oyster, the grain of sand becomes a beautiful pearl. 

So when unexplained or unjust difficulty finds it’s way into your life, cling to the Rock that will remain steadfast during the storm. The choices you make during such times are those that will change you forever.

            A physical fitness trainer tells us that muscles are built up by the process of overcoming progressive resistance. Our muscles attain greater strength after they are used to lift, move, run, or otherwise undergo active use. In the process, the muscle is actually broken down, and damaged by the use. As muscle tissue re-grows to repair the area which suffered high usage, nature overcompensates, and builds more muscle in order to prepare for the next expected use.  

In order to take on the image of Christ, your character must also endure a process of pressing on against difficulties. By overcoming opposition and choosing to remain faithful in the face of temptation or injustice, we burn off added pounds of selfishness and take on the fitness profile of heaven itself: a Christ-like character.

            Looking back over the responses you have given this week, is there a major theme, or central thought, that runs through your entries? In what way has this lesson applied to your personal Christian walk? How will you apply this lesson to your life?

 Write your thoughts below.

             This final step may be the most difficult. The process you will employ throughout this book is one application toward personal change, and this process has three distinct steps.

1.      Learning

2.      Reflection

3.      Application

Learning is the information-gathering stage. You are exposed to facts, and information to engage your mind and heart, and thereby discover the fuel which can power personal change. 

The journaling you have done helps you to reflect and begin to understand the new information in the light of your own personal history. Journaling is a reflective approach to begin to apply the knowledge you your own habits and beliefs. 

In order for the lesson to have lasting influence on your life, there must also be application.  Application is a change of personal actions that affects permanent change in your life. Through application you build hew habits based on the information and reflection.  And changing a life is not an easy course of action.

            Throughout this lesson, you have been slowly led toward applying God’s truth in order to participate with God’s will in your life.  Personal change is not an easy course of action, and it also can be a bit frightening to consider striking out in a new direction after years of old, comfortable habits.  So, let’s take this difficult process one small step at a time.

Looking back at the personal insights you have identified in your journaling, identify in the lines below one specific facet of your life that ‘sticks out’ in you’re your mind more that any other.  What one idea or personal revelation has made the most impact on your study this week?  Write that one idea on the lines below.

Based on this one idea, what specific action you can take during this next week to apply this lesson to your life. You may want to write these thoughts in the form of a to-do list, if that fits your style, or in the form of a prayer to God.

 What action will you take?

 Father in heaven,

I desire to take on Your character and become a person whom You can use and through whom Your Holy Spirit can flow. In David’s life, You used his friends, both true and feigned, as well as difficulties and triumphs, to mold his heart into Your own character.

            Father, sculpt my own heart, forge my character, and polish my being so that I can reflect Your image to everyone I encounter.

            In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Week Two: Summary

Truly light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: but if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many.

--Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 kjv