Shakespeare described this fourth stage as the professionals. The man now dresses the part, cuts his beard, and says what is expected. By this point in his life, he has achieved some success and with it a reputation, a reputation he cares more and more about protecting.
That instinct is central to the lives of both Saul and David as they struggle to live into the expectations of their throne while remaining honest and true before their God. It is a question of integrity and their ability to confess.
We'll see how this instinct is at work in men today and how we keep it from leading us to the same ruin.
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Pastor Writer: Conversations on Reading, Writing, and the Christian Life