365 Reflections

Saul and Jonathan are dead. David's line to the throne should be clean right? Nope. It's going to take years. There's a LOT of political allegiances in the way and many people with special interests are going to do almost anything to keep the status quo and fight back David's ascension to power. Sounds like the American government... David is a threat to everyone who followed Saul to death. He's unpredictable. What will he do with those who supported a man out to kill him all those years? Surely, it can't be good. In haste, Ish-Bosheth is MADE king by Abner, the commander of Saul's troops. Abner had been with Saul at least since the Goliath event. He brought David to Saul after Goliath was dead. He was rebuked for not protecting Saul by David when he had the opportunity to kill him. You have to know that Abner had a vested interest in Saul's lineage keeping the kingdom. So he takes the fourth son of Saul and makes him king as soon as Saul and Jona

David put a lot of men to death during his life. He killed Goliath, he raided the land of Israel constantly. He seemed to be surrounded by blood. But there's one death we kind of skim over in reading the Bible that we should pause to take notice of. At the end of 1 Samuel David has raided the Amalekites and won back his property and wives and those of his men. At the same time, the Philistines overcome Saul and he attempts suicide. Evidently, he failed. We pick up the report from the young man who was there: 2 Samuel 1:6–10 (ESV)  And the young man who told him (David) said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still

1 Samuel 31:4 (ESV)   Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. Saul is a picture for us of a man who increasingly loved only one person - Himself. He would have killed his son if it propelled his status. He sought to kill David who challenged his fame. For a man who was hiding in the baggage at his humble beginnings, he definitely overcame any self-consciousness to become completely enamored with himself. Perhaps this is the warning to us of Saul's life. We may think we are not susceptible to the appeal of fame or acclaim. It's easy to judge celebrities for their self-interested lifestyles when you aren't one. But the draw toward affirmation from our contemporaries is strong in all of us. If we aren't careful, we will follow the path of Saul. We

1 Samuel 30:23–24 (ESV) But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” This passage seems pointless to the reader longing for a resolution to David's plight in running from Saul. He has recovered his wives, children and possessions. He has secured a great victory for his men. Yet upon return from the battle, some men the Bible calls, "worthless fellows" in David's army suggested that not everyone was worthy of a share in the spoils of war. They are referring to the 200 men who are described as "too exhausted to cross the brook Besor" in verse 10 of the chapter. They stayed behind while David and his 400 men went after the Amalekite raiders. David totally rejects the suggestion

Sometimes when we are down, feeling bad about our situation, we can fall for the unrealistic expectation that someone else is going to come along and do something FOR US. After all, don't we deserve it? Aren't we powerless and in such need that people must rally around us? For sure, the Church should rally around those who are down in life. But to expect this to happen for you is a recipe for disaster. Sometimes people will not come to your aid when you most need them. Such is the case for David in 1 Samuel 30. Now we have already looked at how David "strengthened himself in God." Now he does something of great significance right after that: 1 Samuel 30:7–9 (ESV)   And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “ Bring me the ephod. ” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the Lord , “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” 9

In 1 Samuel 30, David hits an all-time low. He's been running from Saul, he's been rejected by the Philistines, and now he returns home to find his wives and children and his men's wives and children taken captive by the Amalekites. 1 Samuel 30:3 (ESV) And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. The response of David and his men is totally understandable.  1 Samuel 30:4 (ESV)   Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep . But what is worse for David is that his men begin to turn on him. And why wouldn't they? They have suffered only loss since coming to his aid. Consider that these men were the ones already beaten down by the forces of Saul's kingdom. They came to David for relief and all they experienced was rejection. Remember? 1 Samuel 22:2 (ESV) And everyone who was in distress, and everyone w

1 Samuel 29:6–7 (ESV)   Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7 So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” The end of 1 Samuel is approaching and we are like movie-goers awaiting the tension to be resolved and the resolution to come. Saul is descending further and further into moral disaster, David is living among the Philistines, war is on the horizon between Israel and Philistia. What will happen? How will it all end? This is good storytelling and we do well to pay attention to the movements here on out.  The first move toward resolve is the rejection of David by the Philistine lords. While Achish had no qualms with his apparent loyalty, the other four Philistine lords

1 Samuel 28:4–7 (ESV) The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord , the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.” Saul's life closes out in sad fashion. We see him a victim of his own devices. He wants God's help as his enemies surround him. The fact is, he has been running from God for quite some times. He has killed a whole city of priests and chased away his greatest ally, David.  Now he's desperate and he's willing to break his own law to get help from anywhere he can find it. Here he will elicit the help of a medium - a profession he banned f

Years ago when I read through the Bible once per year this was my favorite David moment. I know most people love the Goliath moment, but 1 Samuel 27 would be high up on your list after you read it. David decides the only safe place to be while Saul is bent on killing him is in the land of the Philistines. The Philistines, after all, were the people who managed to hold Saul in check. So David decides to join them. But it's not what you think. 1 Samuel 27:1 (ESV) Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 1 Samuel 27:5 (ESV) Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” Now