Category: Daily Studies

These daily studies are intended to provide insight into the various books of the Old Testament. The Pentateuch has not been forgotten. I began this endeavor after my studies of the Torah. I will return to them later.
If you have comments, suggestions, or insights, feel free to post them.

1 Samuel 21-24

For the next few chapters, until the conclusion of the book, David is fleeing from Saul. We begin with David seeking sanctuary in a sanctuary. Good place to go, but not for bread and weapons. However, he found both there. Edomites are descended from Esau and are judged by God in Obadiah.

For the next few chapters, until the conclusion of the book, David is fleeing from Saul. We begin with David seeking sanctuary in a sanctuary. Good place to go, but not for bread and weapons. However, he found both there. Edomites are descended from Esau and are judged by God in Obadiah. We see their beginnings in Genesis 26.34-35 and Genesis 36. Esau rebels against his parents and pursues Canaanite women for wives. From this, an enemy of the Israelites springs. Saul has an Edomite as one of his leading shepherds. His name was Doeg. He tells Saul that David was protected and fed by the priests in Nob. In chapter 22 Saul orders the execution of the priest Ahimelech’s family because he helped David. The only person willing to carry out the order was Doeg. We will see David’s response to this later in 1 Samuel and in Psalm 52.

David goes to Gath with a sword of Goliath who was from . . . that’s right, Gath. When David goes to the city, the people recognize him as the soon-to-be-king. He fakes insanity and is let go.

In chapter 22 David is running from Saul toward the desolate cave of Adullum where the outcasts of Israel join his army. He takes care of his family by sending them to the Moabites. Refer to Ruth for background on the Moabites. This chapter shows the insane paranoia of Saul when he slaughters the descendants of Ahimelech for giving David bread (1 Samuel 21). Ahimelech gives Saul the background of David’s commitment to Saul. Saul still rejects David and kills Ahimelech’s family by the hand of Doeg. One, as always, escapes. His name is Abiathar. He proved faithful to David until David died. He was his high priest (Abiathar was the fourth generation from Eli).

Chapter 23 provides accounts of the relentless pursuit of Saul to kill David and David’s elude him. David stays in the wilderness of En-gedi during these days (cf. En-gedi and another En-gedi). As a bit of relief, David is introduced to Abiathar and Jonathan pledges his loyalty to David. It is strange that Saul could not find David but Jonathan could. When David wants to be found, he is; when he doesn’t want to be found, he isn’t. Does this sound like God?

Saul’s relentless pursuit continues in chapter 24. This time David could have killed Saul. Instead, David shows his loyalty to Saul because of his loyalty to God. Saul was relieving himself. The Hebrew states: “he covered his feet.” In other words, he was “dumping a load.” Saul relents from his relentless pursuit for a while. He will continue it in chapter 26.  Here, however, Saul acknowledges that David will be king.

There are times we need to hide from those who pursue us, there are times we need to confront those who pursue us, and the time is always that we remain loyal to God’s Word and call in our life. Despite the circumstances, we need to remain true to His calling and purpose for us. How are you doing?

Psalm 59

Our reading for today brings us to Psalm 59. According to the title of this Psalm, these verses are describing what occurred in 1 Samuel 19.11.

Our reading for today brings us to Psalm 59. According to the title of this Psalm, these verses are describing what occurred in 1 Samuel 19.11. When reading the English, we lose the Hebrew concept that the title is part of the chapter. According to our English translation there are 17 verses. When reading the Hebrew there are 18 verses because the title in the English version is ascribed a verse. The title states that David wrote this to the chief musician, so it is a song, when he was being chased by Saul as written in 1 Samuel 19.11.

Verses 1-2 is David’s acknowledgment that there are men waiting to kill him.

Verses 3-4 David recognizes that the mighty, or the king, Saul, is behind all this. He also knows he did nothing to cause Saul to treat him this way. Can we honestly say this about ourselves? When people seek to do us harm, are we innocent?

Verse 5 shows David’s trust in the sovereign God who redeems his people from the hand of the enemy. Do you see the book of Exodus in this verse?

Selah-take a moment and consider what God has done in your life in terms of delivering you from people who sought your harm. If you can think of none, then praise Him for that and ask Him to continue protecting you.

Verses 6-7 and 14-15 describe the relentless attacks of those pursuing David.

Verses 8-10 describe God’s sovereignty, omniscience, and immanent. He knows our thoughts and those who oppose us. He meets us where we are and takes us where we should be. This is one reason Jesus is called Immanuel (God with us).

Verses 11-13 is asking God to do what will bring Him the most glory, to do what will draw people to Him.

Selah-take a moment and ponder what you are doing and for what you are praying. Do these bring others to God that they may know who He is and bring Him glory?

Verses 16-17 bring us to where God wants us to be in all circumstances. He wants us to rejoice in who He is and in what He is doing in the circumstances. Have you sang a song of praise to God lately? Try this one: Our God is an Awesome God (Michael W. Smith).

Be blessed and a blessing today as you remember that no matter where we are, God is with us. And, no matter the circumstances, He is wanting to be part of your life. And, remember, He allowed those circumstances.

Psalm 11

The book of Psalms was written by various writers such as David, and Moses even wrote a psalm. These chapters reflect life in the community of Israel. These are, at times, a reaction to the circumstances God allows in our lives. David in Psalm 11 is reacting to what Saul was doing to him in 1 Samuel 19 and 20.

The book of Psalms was written by various writers such as David, and Moses even wrote a psalm. These chapters reflect life in the community of Israel. These are, at times, a reaction to the circumstances God allows in our lives. David in Psalm 11 is reacting to what Saul was doing to him in 1 Samuel 19 and 20.

Psalm 11 reflects the situation David was in, which is Saul’s pursuit of him, and then provides a reflection on whom God is, which is the Sovereign Lord.

Psalm 11 presents David trusting that God can deliver despite what is occurring. God is sovereign. Others may flee to protection from other sources for help or protection (Isaiah 50), David remains faithful to his holy foundation. David asks the question: If we attempt to do things our own way, apart from God, how can we expect the basis for our faith and life to remain in tact? If we attempt to find protection in sources other than God, how can we expect protection by God?

He then paints a picture of God sitting sovereignly in His holiness, looking at mankind, judging the hearts of mankind, and delivering those who stay true to Him.

What have we been trusting in for our protection, for our help? Do we look to the mountains, which is symbolic of looking to idols or things, or do we look to God for our help?

Introduction to the Psalms

The book of Psalms was written by various writers such as David, and Moses even wrote a psalm. These chapters reflect life in the community of Israel. These are, at times, a reaction to the circumstances God allows in our lives.

The book of Psalms was written by various writers.  These chapters reflect life in the community of Israel. These are, at times, a reaction to the circumstances God allows in our lives.

Writers of the Psalms:

A possible division of the Psalms can be in terms of the Pentateuch. For example

  • Psalms 1-41 reflect the Sovereign God of creation in Genesis
  • Psalms 42-72 reflect the Redeeming God of Exodus
  • Psalms 73-89 reflect the holy God whom we worship in Leviticus
  • Psalms 90-106 reflect the God who is with us in our wanderings as in Numbers
  • Psalms 107-150 reflect the God of the Word whom we praise as in Deuteronomy

Each of these divisions ends with a doxology, a blessing reflecting the theme of the previous chapters.

  • Altaschith means “Do not destroy.” It occurs in Psalms 57-59 and 75 (see our study of Psalm 57, 58, 59, and 75). Although the meaning is not clear, some have conjectured that it was a tune of a popular song. Isaiah 65.8 seems to reference it.
  • Gittith may refer to a musical instrument created and used by the people of Gath.  Since David stayed with them for a time, it seems plausible.  This term is used in Psalms 8, 81, 84.
  • Higgaion may refer to a musical interlude; a grand pause like Selah (Psalm 9 and 92).  In Psalm 19 the term is translated as “meditate.”
  • Jeduthun, meaning praising, refers to a Levitical family whose duties were to organize the temple music service (1 Chronicles 15.17, 19; 1 Chronicles 16.41, 42; 1 Chronicles 25.1, 3, 6; 2 Chronicles 35.15). Jeduthun’s name is in the inscription found in Psalms 39, 62, 77, and 89.  These Psalms were written by others and were probably written specifically for his choir.
  • Lily of the Covenant (Psalm 60 and Psalm 88) might refer to a tune the psalm is to be sung to.
  • Mahalath is found in the title of Psalm 53 and Mahalath-Leannoth is found in the title of Psalm 88. The meaning of these words is uncertain as it seems with most of the superscriptions in the Psalms. The thought is that mahalath is a guitar, and that leannoth has reference to the character of the psalm. Some see it as equivalent to Maëstoso, which is a direction for performers to play the passage in a majestic manner.
  • Maskil (or Maschil) is a term used to indicate a psalm that was sung at an annual festival.  The NASB describes it as “Possibly Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful Psalm” term means skillful instruction.  It is used in thirteen psalms (Psalm 32, 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 54, 55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142).
  •  A Miktam is a Hebrew word meaning “writing” or “psalm” and could mean that it is an epigrammatic poem or atonement Psalm.  It is found in the superscriptions for Psalm 16 and  Psalms 56–60 (Psalm 16, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 60).  These are Psalms written in the form of a prayer due to persistent danger.  In Isaiah 38.9-20 it is translated as “writing.”  Because the Septuagint translates it as “inscription,” it should be understood as “writing.”  Since we do not have a clear understanding of the term, we should go with the interpretation found closest to the source itself unless the understanding contradicts other portions of Scripture.
  • Muth-Labben may refer to the death (מות) of a son of David (Absalom) or the death of Goliath or the death of a fool (a play on Laban’s name).   It is only found in Psalm 9.  It could also be a musical term indicating that soprano boys should sing this tune.
  • Neginoth means stringed instrument (Psalm 4, 6, 54, 55, 61, 67, and 76).
  • Nehiloth or flute or other wind instrument with holes in it (Psalm 5).
  • Selah is a musical term asking us to stop and pause in order to reflect on what has been said.
  • Shemeninth means “an eighth” and is unknown to us.  It could mean an octave, a tune, or a pitch.

Types of Psalms

  • Imprecatory (7, 35, 40, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 109, 137, 139, 144).  These psalms are cries to God to bring destruction on those who stand against God and God’s people.
  • Individual Lament (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 35, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 86, 88, 102, 109, 120, 130, 140, 141, 142, and 143).  These psalms are passionate pleas to God for help in personal situations.
  • National or Community Psalms of Lament (12, 44, 58, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 89, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129).  These are passionate pleas to God for national deliverance.
  • Nature Psalms (8, 19, 29, 33, 65, 104). These relate to God’s creative work, which inspires these poetic writings.
  • Song of Ascents or Pilgrimage Psalms (43, 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, and 134).  These are songs the pilgrims sung as they went to Jerusalem for the three major holy days of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Leviticus 23).
  • Royal Psalms (2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, 144).  These relate to the reign of the king.  These can also refer to the coming King, Jesus the Messiah.
  • Messianic Psalms (22, 102,…..) relate to the coming Messiah.
  • Penitential Psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143).  When seeking to confess sins, these are great psalms to read as part of confession when asking God to restore our fellowship with Him (1 John 1.9).
  • Songs (Psalm 65, 66, 67, and 68). These psalms all contain the word “Song” in their heading along with the regular word of Psalm. They begin with the phrase “Praise is due to You” and end with “Blessed be God.”
  • Historical (Psalms 78, 104, 105, 106, 136).  Reading these Psalms will provide an historical perspective on the nation of Israel.
  • The Hallelujah or Hallel Psalms, i.e. Psalms 105, 106, 107, 111–118, 135, 136, 146–150.  Most of these Psalms begin or end with the Hebrew word  הלליה, translated as “Praise the LORD”.

1 Samuel 20

First Samuel 20 presents a friendship based on the desire for the growth in another and not an advancement for the self. Do we find this in our society where everything seems to be for the benefit of the one involved? Can we find this in our society where face-to-face is replaced with a face-book?

First Samuel 20 presents a friendship based on the desire for the growth in another and not an advancement for the self. Do we find this in our society where everything seems to be for the benefit of the one involved? Can we find this in our society where face-to-face is replaced with a face-book?

The setting is the end of chapter 19. David is in Ramah. He finds Jonathan and pleads his case before him. The friendship of the two can be recalled from 1 Samuel 18 and 19. Here Jonathan pledges total devotion to David as does David for Jonathan (1 Samuel 20.17). Jonathan is willing to die in the place of his friend. He asks David, who he knows is going to replace him, to care for his family after he has died (1 Samuel 17.14). This promise is kept in 2 Samuel 9.

Saul was jealous for the throne. His anger continued to rage against David. In verse 30 we see that anger rage against his own son. Saul sees that Jonathan is not standing in the way of David taking Jonathan’s throne. He is enraged with Jonathan. Jonathan defends David. Saul desires David dead.

When we battle against the Lord’s will, we lose. We not only lose the battle, but we also lose our sanity.

1 Samuel 18-19

A review of the regression of Saul seems appropriate here. He is chosen by God as a result of the disobedience of the people (1 Samuel 10, cf. Jeremiah 2 particularly verse 13 and Isaiah 50).

A review of the regression of Saul seems appropriate here. He is chosen by God as a result of the disobedience of the people (1 Samuel 10, cf. Jeremiah 2 particularly verse 13 and Isaiah 50). He receives the Holy Spirit temporarily. Remember that this is an Old Testament phenomenon. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit permanently indwells believers. After his willful rebellion against God, God replaces him with David (1 Samuel 16.13-14). The Spirit is removed from Saul and placed on David. This sets the stage for all that is to come through the rest of 1 Samuel. Our passage today begins in this milieu. David and Jonathan become great friends. Saul seems pleased with all that is occurring. The three of them battle the Philistines and are victorious. The people proclaim God’s work in and through both Saul and David. Saul becomes enraged, jealous, and seeks to kill David from that moment. He does not see God’s work but his. This returns us to the opening verses of 1 Samuel 17 where Saul is focused on himself, not God. When we focus on what we are doing and not on what God is doing, envy, jealousy, strife, anger, rage, etc. (Galatians 5.16-26) become our “fruit.” This is what happened with Saul.

God gives us over to our desires. Since Saul desired to disobey God and not walk in the Spirit, God gave him a spirit that was likened to his desires–an evil one. It is evidence here that Saul has gone crazy. The rest of his career is characterized by vengeance and violence against one who seeks Saul’s best. The remainder of Saul’s life is in pursuit of killing the one who refuses to kill him. What primary goal do you have in life? Is it pursuing your passions or God’s will? When we pursue our desires apart from God, we live insanely (reread Galatians 5.16ff). When we follow God’s will, we are blessed with the life we desire because we are in alignment with His will for us (Matthew 6.33 and 16.24-26).

We see Saul desiring to be part of David’s life in that he admired David’s accomplishments. But his desire to be number one consumed him and he demoted the one who was able to help him. Even in this demoted state, David grew in popularity, was successful, and even Saul stood in awe of him because David was walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This motif continues throughout this chapter and the rest of the book. Saul tries to defeat David with many snares, David is victorious, and Saul gets angrier. At times, although sad, it is comical. Think about someone you know that became angry and then began to act foolishly. This is Saul.

He thinks if he can trick David into wanting to marry any daughter of his that David will die by the hand of the Philistines. His logic, “I don’t want David as a son-in-law, but if I can get him to want to marry my daughter he will have to pay a dowry. He won’t be able to afford it. So, I will make it the death of one-hundred Philistines. He will die in the battle. My daughter won’t have to marry him because he will be dead.” Foolish. If God is for us, who can be against us? No one! His planned failed, of course. David defeated the Philistines, his daughter Michal loved David, David became more famous, and Saul’s anger grew.
To make matters worse, Saul’s son Jonathan became David’s best friend. Jonathan even knew that David would take the throne from him. Jonathan was joyful about his because he knew this was God’s will. He didn’t think that because he was a prince that he had a right to the throne, it was in God’s hand. This is in line with what Christ did for us in Philippians 2.5-11.

In chapter 19 Saul’s family intercedes for David and helps him escape from the evil Saul planned for David. David flees to Ramah (just north of Jerusalem) to spend time with Samuel. This is where David begins his career fleeing for his life from the hand of Saul. The end of chapter 19 is odd and gives evidence of the Spirit coming and going while not permanently indwelling in the Old Testament.

Are we willing to stand for God no matter the cost like David, Jonathan, and Michal? Or, like Saul, do we try to sway the situation in our favor where people will like us and applaud us? What is the measure of your success?

1 Samuel 17

This chapter is not only a commentary on David’s replacing Saul as the military leader it is also a comment on the army and on Saul. Saul and his army shrink in fear before Goliath. I don’t think it is a spoiler alert but David slays the giant in God’s strength for His glory.

This chapter is not only a commentary on David’s replacing Saul as the military leader it is also a comment on the army and on Saul. Saul and his army shrink in fear before Goliath. I don’t think it is a spoiler alert but David slays the giant in God’s strength for His glory.

Map of Israel before David was king.  This map shows the place where David met Goliath.

It seems from verses 1-11 that the people of Israel forgot an important part of their existence; they are the people of God, making them the army of God, and making them invulnerable as long as they are working toward His purpose. God called them to rid the nation of Philistines. It seems they could not remember that God promised them the land and promised that He would be with them. Partly because of Saul and his rebellion against God, partly due to their preoccupying their mind with the circumstances of the day, and partly because they were listening to the taunts of their enemy and believing what he said. Goliath reminded them each day that he was a Philistine, who the Israelites were to drive out, and that statement is true. He then told them a lie. He told the Israelites that they belonged to Saul’s army, not God’s army. The lie was enveloped in the truth and the Israelites did not take every thought captive. In so doing, they believed the lie.

Our enemy does this to us as well. He will tell us truth. For example, you are a Christian. He then will tell the lie that we cannot be accepted by God because of sinful habits. The only way to get closer to God is by breaking those habits before we attempt to get closer. We believe the lie that is in the truth and are crushed in despair. The truth is you are a Christian (if you have accepted Him into your life). The truth is you sin (we all do). The truth is you have sinful habits. The lie comes when he tells you that you have to get better before God wants you to come to Him. We cannot get better outside of Him. It is He that we go to get better. This same scheme was used on Adam in the Garden and on Jesus in the Wilderness. One fell because he relied on his own word and the other overcame because He relied on God’s Word. We need to know the truth to be free. John 17 reminds us that God’s Word is Truth and John 14 informs us that Jesus is the Truth (the Word personified in John 1). Zechariah 3 presents this truth as Satan accuses Joshua, the High Priest, of not being acceptable to God. God then rebukes Satan with the truth. Are you accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2.15)?

Goliath asks for a man to do battle with him. There is no answer, merely an interlude on what David is doing. If you recall, David was anointed as king in 1 Samuel 16. This chapter is historically out of place to confirm that David, not Saul, is the true king of Israel. After this chapter, the troops and the citizenry of Israel hail David as greater than Saul, which produces the fugitive motif of the remaining chapters. David is the hero, and Saul is the zero. The latter seeks to destroy the former.

David is obedient to his father which is a godly character trait based on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). He does even the menial tasks his father asks him to do. He tends the sheep, plays for Saul, and takes lunches to three of his brothers. Where were the other four?

It is in this chapter we begin to see another character trait of David. He is full of passion that leads him to the heights of glory as he slays Goliath and the depths of corruption as he murders his best general because of his adultery. His passion for God’s glory is clear here. Each day for forty days Goliath taunts not just God’s army but God as well. David needs to do something about that. When God is being dishonored, do you step up and demand it stop, even preparing in your mind for battle? Have you already prepared your mind with words for such instances? You should. Peter commands us to be ready for times such as these (1 Peter 3.15).

A moment with Goliath. He is more than nine feet tall. His job is to battle other strongmen from other armies and to strike fear into the hearts of those who see him. He has four brothers (2 Samuel 21.18-21) which would explain the five stones and not one. He was ready to take out Goliaths’ entire family. He went ready.
We know the rest of the story. David asks permission to fight Goliath. He actually begs Saul for this privilege. He gives testimony of all God has done in and through him. David prepares to battle Goliath. Saul gives David his armor. David refuses because he does not know how to use them. He walks out with his sling and his stones. Goliath mocks not David because he is not a man and mocks God, again. David proclaims that his power is not in his sling nor in the stones. He states his power to defeat Goliath is in God; the God of Israel will defeat Goliath. This is where David did not believe the lie. He knew this was God’s army going in God’s strength, under God’s guidance, not Saul’s nor his. He killed Goliath. The Philistines did not surrender as promised. They ran away. David took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem. Legend has it that he buried it on a hill outside the city and this is where the name “Golgotha” or “Place of the Skull” came into being. This is also the place where Christ was crucified (Matthew 27.33).

A point of interest, in 2 Samuel 21.18-22 another Bethlehemite kills another Goliath of Gath. This could be one of the brothers of Goliath. The phrase states that David and his servants killed all them. I wonder if he carried the other four stones for such a time as that. After that moment, David sings a song of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance from them and other enemies (2 Samuel 22).

The Israelites chased the Philistines, killed them. David was brought before Saul. David submitted himself to Saul’s authority. This is another character trait of David that is evident in the remaining chapters of 1 Samuel.

David and Saul’s character are compared. One followed the truth, was obedient to the Word, was submissive to authority, the authority both of his father and of Saul, and was victorious. The other lived in fear of the lies he believed and was defeated. Who would you rather be like?

1 Samuel 16

From this point on the main character of 1 Samuel is David, mainly in his relationship with Saul. He is considered the greatest kings of the Israelites.

Have you ever thought of having children?  What God would say about them?  What does He say about you?
 
From this point on the main character of 1 Samuel is David, mainly in his relationship with Saul. He is considered the greatest kings of the Israelites. We see in chapter 15 that he is anointed by Samuel and begin his service before Saul as a musician. After his battle with Goliath and the Philistines in chapter 17, the remainder of the book shows his dealings with Saul as he lives his life as a fugitive from Saul.
 
David is anointed king in this chapter and enters into Saul’s court. God rejected Saul as king in chapter 15 due to his disobedience and non repentance. He then removes His Spirit from him in chapter 16. Saul’s court knew that God had rejected him and sent an evil spirit to torment him. When we are not walking by the power of God, those around us can tell something is amiss. When we refuse to repent and attempt to suppress the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, they know something is wrong. What do our words and actions show others about our lives?
 
God calls David as king, the rightful king, and gives to him His Spirit who indwells him from that day forward. David is from the tribe of Judah and of the town of Bethlehem. He is rightfully king by prophecy (Genesis 49.8-12) and king by character (1 Samuel 13.14 and 16.7). First Samuel 16.13 describes a man after God’s own heart. This is a man who allows God to live in and through him. First Samuel 16.18 displays how this manifested itself in David’s life.
 
  • I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite  (he was in line to be king; he had heritage)
  •  who is skillful in playing  (he used his gifts to bring others closer to God and people recognized it and were able to praise God because of it)
  •  a man of valor (he did not live in fear–see chapter 17–but trusted God to do what He promised much like Joshua believed what God said in Joshua 1 and Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.7)
  •  a warrior (he trained himself to become better at what was expected of him–see chapter 17)
  •  prudent in speech (he spoke wisely, without haste–James 1.19)
  •  and a man of good presence (he was respectable and respected)
  •  and the Lord is with him (this is the most important, God was with him because he joined God in His work. God wasn’t with David’s vision, but David was in alignment with God’s goal).
This chapter introduces David as king. The next chapter appears to be out of chronological order but is placed here to affirm David as king, as Saul’s replacement. More on that tomorrow.
 
How are people in your sphere of influence seeing God in you today? 

1 Samuel 15

The opening verses, as many in the Old Testament, can be misunderstood. Unless we look at the passage in terms of whom God is and what He has done, verse three seems to be overkill (literally).

The opening verses, as many in the Old Testament, can be misunderstood. Unless we look at the passage in terms of whom God is and what He has done, verse three seems to be overkill (literally). However, God is punishing them for their sins. The book of Romans reminds us that there are none who are innocent and all deserve death based on rebellion against God. This would include “child and infant.” God is also judging them, specifically, for not befriending the Israelites on their journey. The latter occurred because of the former. The key in these verses (1-3) is for Saul, as God’s anointed, to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites. When we do not obey God to the letter of what He commands, we will set up ourselves for future sorrow. We will see this later in the chapter with Agag and have already seen it through Joshua and Judges.

The command God gave to Saul was to destroy all living creatures from among the Amalekites. Saul musters more than 200,000 men to battle, which shows the entirety of Israel was under his kingship by this time. He allows the Kenites to leave. They were not under God’s judgment. He allows Agag, the king, and all the animals that were healthy to survive. These were under God’s judgment. He partially follows what God commanded. This always leads to trouble.

The next verse shows God’s displeasure with Saul. Not only does Saul disobey God but he erects a monument to himself (verse 12). He then greets Samuel as if nothing wrong had happened. Samuel calls out Saul for his disobedience. Saul blames it on the soldiers then on God. He then proclaims that he followed God’s commands to the letter.

Samuel lays down God’s judgment before Saul. Saul attempts to justify himself by his actions (works do not save us). He thinks his actions are better than what God had planned. This is the basis for all our sins. We believe our plan is better than the God of the universe’s plan. Samuel provides God’s heart. Verse 22 should be committed to memory. God rejects Saul. He informs him that his sin was as bad as seeking out a witch for advice. He does this later in the book.

Saul repents. Even in his “repentance” he is blaming the people for his sins. The kingdom is now given to the unnamed rightful first king of Israel, which we will see in the next chapter. Samuel had nothing to do with Saul after that night. Samuel grieved over what happened with Saul. We should have the same heart. When in disciplining people in our sphere of influence, we should never delight in the discipline but grieve over what has happened and be in prayer for restoration. In this case, there is no restoration. When it states that God was sorry that He made Saul king, it means He also grieved over the life and work of Saul. It does not mean that He made a mistake and wanted to do it all over again.

Samuel finished the work Saul did not complete. He killed Agag. Saul must not have killed all the people of the Amalekites. A few hundred years later, in Esther 3, a descendant of Agag is mentioned whose name is Haman.

Our lack of obedience to God will come back to us in the form of discipline. Hebrews 12 reminds us that as God’s children we should expect discipline when we go against His commands. His discipline is always for restoration to fellowship with Him and His people. The consequences of our disobedience today may not come upon us quickly but may manifest themselves later in life or in our children’s life. We need to be careful, therefore, in how we live that God’s blessing rather than discipline may be found in our life and in the future for our children and for those people in our sphere of influence.

1 Samuel 14

Have you ever been caught between a high rock and a thorny place? This is where we find Jonathan, the son of Saul, today. He is in a crag whose sides are named Bozez, “Height,” and Seneh, “Thorn.”

Have you ever been caught between a high rock and a thorny place? This is where we find Jonathan, the son of Saul, today. He is in a crag whose sides are named Bozez, “Height,” and Seneh, “Thorn.”
This map will show where he was and what happened in chapter 14.
The chapter starts out normal. Jonathan does not tell his father that he is leaving. He goes with his armor bearer toward the Philistine camp. The detailed description is given of where Saul was and where Jonathan was. Jonathan then shows theological insight. Verse six gives us his words to the armor bearer: “. . . nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” His armor bearer is obedient to Jonathan. The passage does not tell whether the armor bearer had the same faith or was being loyal to Jonathan (remember, he is a prince). As Christians, would we follow the faith of someone because we were loyal to him or her? Is it wise if we are not sure of that what they are saying is biblical? Should we search it out first?
Things get a little confusing. Jonathan places his fleece before the Lord and tells his armor bearer that if the Philistines call them to come to their camp then the Lord has given Jonathan and his armor bearer the victory; if not, stand back.
When they enter, they are told to come; the come, kill twenty. Confusion, an earthquake, and panic occur. The men under Saul see, take roll, then find out who was doing this. Then they join the battle and route the Philistines. Those who had refused to join the fighting now saw victory and ran to join the forces.
It is after this miraculous victory that Saul makes a vow, an oath, that is quite ridiculous. It goes beyond what God would ask and is beyond Saul’s control. It is like Jephthah’s vow in Judges 10-12. I wrote

The vow Jephthah made should remind us not to make rash vows. We need to take every thought captive to determine if it is alignment with God’s Word (2 Corinthians 10.4-5).

Saul’s oath is if anyone eats before the evening has come that person should be cursed. Read put to death. If you remember, Jonathan was not in the camp when Saul made the curse. He was caught between a hard high place and a thorny place. Since he did not hear the oath, he ate the honey. He was informed by other troops of what his father had said. He then turned and stated that his father was causing grief in the land and the victory would have been greater had he allowed the troops to do what was normal–eat of the spoils for physical and psychological strength. Twice the troops are described as faint (28 and 31). Due to Saul’s enlargement of God’s command by Saul, the troops ate meat with blood, which is against the ceremonial law. The troops were so hungry, and they could not wait for the food to be properly prepared. Saul saw this and built a barbecue pit to cook the meat for the troops.
Saul then desires to complete the task of defeating the Philistines. The priest tells him to ask God. We need people who remind us to slow down to ask God what His will is and what direction He is working so we might join Him instead of demanding that He join us (and we fail and get frustrated). God says not to pursue. Saul gets angry and seeks God’s will about why they should not go. It is found that Jonathan disobeyed Saul’s command, in ignorance. He was still responsible for obeying the command even though he did not know the command nor did he agree with the command. Do we hold this for ourselves too? We may not know of nor agree with a school’s policy, a traffic ordinance, a family rule, but we are still responsible for keeping it.
Jonathan admits he broke the command and is accepting of the death penalty. The troops stop Saul from killing Jonathan because Saul was in the wrong and Jonathan was in the right.
The chapter ends with Saul’s victories in battle and his family tree.