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And Jehovah answered me,
and said, Write the vision,
and make it plain upon tablets,
that he may run that readeth it.
(Habakkuk 2:2 - ASV)



Last Updated

  7 February
2025

MARKSWATSON.COM

Watson's Web

Biblical and Prophetic Perspective For Our Times

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words,
of him shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he cometh in his own glory,
and the glory of the Father,
and of the holy angels.
(Luke 9:26 - ASV)


I have set Jehovah always before me:
Because he is at my right hand,
I shall not be moved.
(Psalms 16:8 - ASV)

Contents On This Page

- 2 Samuel Part 4
- 2 Samuel Part 3
- 2 Samuel Part 2
- 2 Samuel Part 1
- 1 Samuel Transition
- 1 Samuel Part 80
- 1 Samuel Part 79
- 1 Samuel Part 78
- 1 Samuel Part 77
- 1 Samuel Part 76
- 1 Samuel Part 75
- 1 Samuel Part 74
- Quick Jump to Misc. Links (ToS/Privacy Policy/Email/Who Am I)
______________________________

7 Feb

We continue this commentary on the Book of 2 Samuel...

2 Samuel Part 4


Now there was long war
 between the house of Saul
and the house of David:
and David waxed stronger and stronger,
 but the house of Saul waxed
weaker and weaker.
(2 Samuel 3:1 - ASV)
In the last section we saw how one battle turned out. But that was hardly the end of the affair. This was a civil war and one that lasted for some time. As I have said before, civil wars are the very worst and can often be the most brutal. Private quarrels and feud's between people and families can often be created or exacerbated in such wars. The author here, not wanting to dwell on all of the various effects of civil war reduces much of it to a few passages.

This was probably mostly 'low intensity' conflict/warfare rather than an all out war. But the long and short of it was, David was winning.
And unto David
were sons born in Hebron:
and his first-born was Amnon,
of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
and his second, Chileab, of Abigail
the wife of Nabal the Carmelite;
and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah
the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
 and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife.
These were born to David
in Hebron.
(2 Samuel 3:2-5 - ASV)
In these passages, we get a look at David's wives, perhaps 'harem' would be a better word for it. He had at this point in time, six of them and listed above are the male children born of them. David's actions here were in clear contravention to the Mosaic law. Polygamy was forbidden for Israel's kings (see Deuteronomy 17:17). David's marital escapades will one day cause a lot of trouble in Israel and for himself, personally.

Of note here is that Absalom was the son of Maacah, who was the daughter of a King who was not an Israelite, but was of Geshur. Marrying foreign wives was frowned upon under the Old Covenant (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; 23:3-4), though the specific prohibition may not have applied to Geshur. Yet we shall see much later in this book, her offspring will cause one of the biggest problems for David later in his reign.

Yet David here may have only been doing what Kings have done throughout the ages, using marriage as a bond between nations and/or key power centers to cement positive relations and bolster their authority. All of these things took place in David's first capital, Hebron.

And it came to pass,
while there was war between
the house of Saul and the
house of David, that Abner
made himself strong
in the house of Saul.
Now Saul had a concubine,
whose name was Rizpah,
the daughter of Aiah:
and Ish-bosheth said to Abner,
Wherefore hast thou gone
in unto my father's concubine?
(2 Samuel 3:6-7 - ASV)

The war continues, but during it we see a serious controversy is arising between David's rival nominal 'king' and his military commander who seems to be the real 'prop' holding up his kingdom.

Ishbosheth accuses Abner of sleeping with Saul's concubine, Rizpah. We don't know if there was any truth to this or if someone had just whispered a rumor in the King's ear. But true or not, this was a very impolitic thing to do. It was like kicking a leg out from under a three-legged stool. Clearly Ishboseth was not 'king' material; one has to have strong sense of political survival and this, he clearly lacked.

Then was Abner very wroth
for the words of Ish-bosheth,
and said, Am I a dog's head
that belongeth to Judah?
This day do I show kindness
unto the house of Saul thy father,
to his brethren, and to his friends,
and have not delivered thee
into the hand of David;
and yet thou chargest me this day
with a fault concerning this woman.
God do so to Abner, and more also,
if, as Jehovah hath sworn to David,
I do not even so to him; to transfer
the kingdom from the house of Saul,
and to set up the throne of David
over Israel and over Judah,
from Dan even to Beer-sheba.
(2 Samuel 3:8-10 - ASV)


Abner is absolutely livid with this accusation and his words here and following actions I think mean that the charge was probably a false one. If it were true, his position within the kingdom would have probably withstood the accusation, but once this thing was charged at him I suspect he just kind of said (colorful paraphrasing)... You know what? I was doing all of this for your father sake, whom I served faithfully and wanted to see his bloodline keep the throne. I have worked tirelessly for you and your throne and now you going to accuse me and make an issue of this? Enough! I protected you from David and now, I am going over to his side and help make him King. King Ishboseth... you can take this job and put it with the part of the body that gets very little sunlight!

Yet some commentators think he may have been guilty because he did not deny the charge, but rather the idea was that this was a trivial matter, they were at war - it was not at time to concern oneself with such matters. I tend to disagree with this because Abner's retort about being a dog's head seems to indicate that only such a person would do that and that was not the kind of person he was. The charge was very offensive to him. My own view is that I think what really got him angry was the kings ingratitude.

In any event, Ishboseth had just committed political suicide and probably didn't realize it yet.

And he could not answer
Abner another word,
because he feared him.
(2 Samuel 3:11 - ASV)

The King was afraid of Abner and was speechless at Abner's words and anger. Abner had the military on his side and while he probably could remove him by force, that would almost certainly mean another war within the Saul faction, whose elders would probably not accept Abner as King after deposing Ishboseth.

And Abner sent messengers
to David on his behalf, saying
Whose is the land? saying also,
Make thy league with me,
and, behold, my hand shall be with thee,
to bring about all Israel unto thee.
And he said, Well; I will
make a league with thee;
but one thing I require of thee:
that is, thou shalt not see my face,
except thou first bring Michal,
Saul's daughter,
when thou comest
to see my face.
(2 Samuel 3:12-13 - ASV)


Abner was not just talking when he said he was going to switch sides to the king. He meant business and right away sets out to do exactly what his oath before the King entailed. Making a pact with David was a key part of that.

So he sends messengers to David, a kind of 'peace commission' to see how David reacts to an overture. Whose is the land? This phrase is not 100% clear as to its meaning. Some think it is Abner's confession that David is the rightful king, others seem to think it indicates that Abner was putting himself in the position of Kingmaker basically insinuating that he had the power to decide who would be King.

The two do make a league (an agreement) but David has one condition, that he brings his first wife Michal with him. David I think remembered his wife with real affection, for she had saved him once before, over the deep anger of her father, King Saul. That kind of loyalty is not always easy to find, particularly in Royal circles.

But David probably had other reasons as well. I think one key one was to put one of Saul's line as his wife and this might help bolster his claim to the throne and probably assuage some of the reservations those in Ishboseth's camp would have in accepting David. Moreover, being Saul's daughter, someone else might try and marry her and try to make a rival claim to the throne. Without Michal, there would be no pact.

I also suspect that David, while missing Michal, was also thinking ahead. Being King is not easy task. One has to always stay one step ahead of your enemies...

...and your friends.

We will continue our look at 2 Samuel soon, God willing.

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27 Jan

2 Samuel Part 3


And the three sons of Zeruiah were there,
 Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel:
and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
And Asahel pursued after Abner;
and in going he turned not to the
right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
Then Abner looked behind him, and said,
Is it thou, Asahel? And he answered,
It is I. And Abner said to him,
Turn thee aside to thy right hand or
to thy left, and lay thee hold on one
of the young men, and take thee his armor.
But Asahel would not turn aside
from following him.
(2 Samuel 2:18-21 - ASV)

We left off last time as Abner's attempt to set up a new King was going badly as did the 'games' that had been set up apparently to influence/determine the outcome of the succession.

The above passage describes three men who were related to David. Asahel here is noted as being exceptionally fast on foot. This was a very important trait for a warrior in those times. Asahel was chasing Abner and was doing it rather relentlessly. The passage seems to indicate that others who were with Abner could have been captured by him, but he was focusing in on Abner. They exchange words and clearly Asahel isn't going to give up the chase.

The passage about the armor? Abner may have been asking him to settle for some other 'war trophy' than seeking his life. My read of this passage was that Abner was genuinely concerned that if the two really came face to face, Abner knew that Asahel was no match for him and that his death was certain.

And Abner said again to Asahel,
Turn thee aside from following me:
wherefore should I smite thee to the ground?
how then should I hold up
my face to Joab thy brother?
Howbeit he refused to turn aside:
wherefore Abner with the hinder end of
the spear smote him in the body, so that
the spear came out behind him;
 and he fell down there,
and died in the same place:
and it came to pass,
that as many as came to the place
where Asahel fell down
and died stood still.
(2 Samuel 2:22-23 - ASV)

Abner warns Asahel about continuing and as we can see in continuing the pursuit, Abner kills him.

But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner:
and the sun went down when they were
come to the hill of Ammah,
that lieth before Giah
by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
And the children of Benjamin
gathered themselves together after Abner,
and became one band,
and stood on the top of a hill.
Then Abner called to Joab, and said,
Shall the sword devour for ever?
knowest thou not that it will be
bitterness in the latter end?
how long shall it be then, ere thou bid
the people return from
following their brethren?
And Joab said, As God liveth,
if thou hadst not spoken, surely then
in the morning the people had gone away,
nor followed every one his brother.
So Joab blew the trumpet;
and all the people stood still,
and pursued after Israel no more,
neither fought they any more. And Abner
and his men went all that night
through the Arabah;
and they passed over the Jordan,
and went through
all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.
And Joab returned from following Abner:
and when he had gathered
all the people together,
there lacked of David's servants
nineteen men and Asahel.
But the servants of David had smitten
of Benjamin, and of Abner's men,
so that three hundred and threescore men died.
And they took up Asahel, and buried him
in the sepulchre of his father,
which was in Beth-lehem.
And Joab and his men went all night,
 and the day brake upon them at Hebron.
(2 Samuel 2:24-32 - ASV)


This passage, like pretty much this whole chapter, is pretty self explanatory. Joab comes within communication distance of Abner and Abner basically says there has been enough bloodshed and any more of it and everyone will regret it.

This is so very true of civil wars, the people whose blood one must shed is often ones friends, former allies and even family. Joab in essence agrees to a kind of 'truce'. So Abner and his men withdraw. All told, David lost 20 men; Asahel included, whereas Abner lost many more, 360. The city that Abner retreated to Mahanaim, is known as Two Camps and was known from Patriarchal times (Genesis 32:1-2).

Civil wars are the worst. They really are. I am a bit of an American Civil War buff and the stories I have read really makes me shudder at the loss of life, destruction and suffering that civil conflict engendered. I believe that our tragedy today in this country, is that our nation seems to have forgotten that war and its causes; the obvious as well as other underlying, but that were just as important ones. We had two opposing visions for the future, one slave based and the other one based on freedom and it led to the greatest conflagration on this hemisphere, even to this day.

Many of the themes are different, but the hazy battle lines between freedom and a kind of technological control (some call it slavery) are already looming upon us today. You may wish to do a cursory internet search on the terms - technology social control and see what you find.

I hope and pray that we never see violence used as the method for settling these and other troubling and increasingly divisive visions for the future.

I really, really do. But looking around the nation and the things that have been going on in it, such a tragic potentiality is not outside of the realm of possibility.

We will continue our look at the book of 2 Samuel soon, God willing!


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17 Jan

2 Samuel Part 2


And it came to pass after this,
that David inquired of Jehovah, saying,
Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?
And Jehovah said unto him, Go up.
And David said, Whither shall I go up?
And he said, Unto Hebron.
2 Samuel 2:1 - ASV)

We left off last time with the death of Saul and Jonathan, with David's song remembering them.

After their tears and genuine sorrow where over, there was work to do. David seeks the Lord's council. What saith the Lord? This should always be what a saint says before he makes key decisions. David wants to know if he should go and to where. He gets positive answers in both instances. He was to go to Hebron. This was a city that was friendly disposed to David
(1Samuel 30:31).

So David went up thither,
and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,
and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
And his men that were with him did David bring up,
every man with his household:
and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
And the men of Judah came,
and there they anointed David king
over the house of Judah. And they told David,
saying, The men of Jabesh-gilead
were they that buried Saul.
(2 Samuel 2:2-4 - ASV)


So he gathered up his wives and his men and they went and lived in Hebron and this is key - according to the direction of the Lord. While there, he is anointed King. This is probably better seen as his crowning, not anointing because Samuel already anointed him back in
1Samuel 16:13. After his crowning/anointing he is informed of those who buried Saul.

And David sent messengers
unto the men of Jabesh-gilead,
and said unto them, Blessed be ye of Jehovah,
that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord,
even unto Saul, and have buried him.
And now Jehovah show lovingkindness
and truth unto you: and I also will requite
you this kindness, because ye have
done this thing. Now therefore let your
hands be strong, and be ye valiant;
for Saul your lord is dead,
and also the house of Judah
have anointed me king over them.
(2 Samuel 2:5-7 - ASV)


David is now acting like a king, he thanks those who buried Saul and does so in the name of the Lord but also reminds them of the facts. As they said in the olden days when the King died, 'The King is dead, long live the King!'. This is pretty much the gist of what David's message is, the old King is gone, I am king now... of Judah. But there is a problem and the following passages outline it.

Now Abner the son of Ner,
captain of Saul's host,
had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul,
and brought him over to Mahanaim;
and he made him king over Gilead,
and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel,
and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin,
and over all Israel. Ish-bosheth, Saul's son,
was forty years old when he began
to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years.
But the house of Judah followed David.
(2 Samuel 2:8-10 - ASV)


Abner was Saul's kin and thus it seems to me that what is happening is that Abner wanted to keep the royal line 'in the family', so to speak, so he chooses one of Saul's son to reign. His name gives us a hint as to where he was to take the nation.

The name bosheth (shame) was often used in place of the name Baal, which as you all know was an idol worshiped by many. His name as listed in Chronicles is Eshbaal
(1Chronicles 8:33). That is right, his name means man of Baal or man of shame. How could a man name his son after such an idol? Let us never forget who it was who slaughtered all of the Lord's prophets.

Abner had considerable stature in the country and this looks like it was a kind of power grab in favor of Saul's house. Abner is going to be trouble. But power or the promise of it and wealth often reveals the true character of a person; that and the driving demons of personal ambition. Basically we have two kings, one ordained by God; the other, by Abner. Though it does seem clear that Judah was firmly behind David. Whenever God sets a person on high, the devil will always stir up opposition to him.

And the time that David
was king in Hebron over the
house of Judah was
seven years and six months.
And Abner the son of Ner,
and the servants of Ish-bosheth
the son of Saul, went out
from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
(2 Samuel 2:11-12 - ASV)


The dating here is a matter of some scholastic debate. I won't get into it here (see Adam Clarke's
[1762-1832] Commentary on the Bible for comments on this). In verse 12 we see that Abner took Ish-bosheth's servants to Gibeon. This was seems to be a preparation for war and part of a struggle for the crown and to consolidate power under one king, Isbosheth.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah,
 and the servants of David,
went out, and met them
by the pool of Gibeon;

 and they sat down, the one
on the one side of the pool,
and the other
on the other side of the pool.
And Abner said to Joab,
Let the young men,
I pray thee, arise and play before us.
And Joab said, Let them arise.
Then they arose and went over by number:
twelve for Benjamin,
and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul,
and twelve of the servants of David.
And they caught every one
his fellow by the head,
and thrust his sword
in his fellow's side;
so they fell down together:
wherefore that place was
called Helkath-hazzurim,
which is in Gibeon.
(2 Samuel 2:13-16 - ASV)


Joab is basically David's war chief and he goes out to meet this host. They sit down by some pool at Gibeon and have a chat. The idea here seems to be that the contest between the two armies will be 'fought' by this tournament. It is not clear to me if this was meant for harmless fun or if this was to be a contest of champions and the winning team of the contest wins the battle. This is hardly unheard of in ancient times. This view makes some sense as each side probably were not really ready to do the whole 'civil war' thing.

Israel had already had wars and lost their first king. Starting another one was probably not on either side's 'list of things to do today'. But this also just may have been some kind of treachery using 'games' that turned out badly during what should have been merely competitive games; or perhaps some kind of blood sport (ie, gladiatorial).

And the battle was very sore that day:
and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel,
before the servants of David.
(2 Samuel 2:17 - ASV)


It is hard to get a real sense of what all of this, but perhaps since the 'games' did not decide anything substantive, it appears that a general battle ensued and as we see, it did not go well for Abner and his men.

Abner's power grab is going badly.

I think the lesson here for all of us is that even when we think we have 'arrived' at where God wants us to be, there are still going to be more 'dragons to slay', as the saying goes. Opposition does not mean we are outside of God's will, it can often mean were are right in the middle of it. This was God's will, David being king, but it was not a bed or roses for David. There were many problems that had to be dealt with and this rival claimant was one of them.


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8 Jan

2 Samuel Part 1


We begin this commentary on the Book of 2 Samuel...
And it came to pass after the death of Saul,
when David was returned
from the slaughter of the Amalekites,
and David had abode two days in Ziklag;
it came to pass on the third day, that,
behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul,
with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head:
and so it was, when he came to David,
that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
(2 Samuel 1:1-2 - ASV)


On to the book of 2 Samuel.

This book according to some commentators is not separated from the first book of Samuel in some copies of the Hebrew Bible. In other words, there was just one book of Samuel, not the first and second as it was passed down to us in our Bibles, so this is why I will just pretty much continue on and treat this as one book.

In the above passage we find David at the 'hangout' that the ruler of the Philistines, Achish gave him. I say hangout because the Amalekites had previously burned the place down and they probably had little more than makeshift and very rudimentary accommodations there.

While there, on the third day after their return from getting their families back, a man comes into the camp with news or perhaps better said, a story.  He comes before David and does him homage.

And David said unto him,
From whence comest thou?
And he said unto him,
Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped
 And David said unto him, How went the matter?

 I pray thee, tell me. And he answered,
The people are fled from the battle,
and many of the people also are fallen and dead;
and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
(2 Samuel 1:3-4 - ASV)


David wants to know who this person is who comes into his camp, or more specifically, where he comes from. Given the general situation - Israel at war and all, David having just rescued his wives and the families of his men, David has every right to be somewhat suspicious. So this man relays his version of events and starts off with what appears to be the at least in part, the basic facts. The key was that Saul and his sons were dead.

And David said unto the young man
that told him, How knowest thou
that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?
And the young man that told him said,
As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa,
behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear; and, lo,
the chariots and the horsemen followed hard after him.
And when he looked behind him,
he saw me, and called unto me.
And I answered, Here am I.
And he said unto me,
Who art thou? And I answered him,
I am an Amalekite.
And he said unto me, Stand,
I pray thee, beside me, and slay me;
for anguish hath taken hold of me,
because my life is yet whole in me.
So I stood beside him, and slew him,
because I was sure that he could not live
after that he was fallen:
 and I took the crown that was upon his head,
and the bracelet that was on his arm,
and have brought them hither unto my lord.
(2 Samuel 1:5-10 - ASV)


Here is where this Amalekite's story appears to veer off track. Saul took his own life (1 Sam 31:5).

These passages seems to indicate that this man who reports of Saul's death was fully aware that David was set to be King thereafter. This man was an Amalekite and his story, while having some elements of truth to it, does have some serious problems with it. But we will get to that in a minute.


Then David took hold on his clothes,
and rent them; and likewise
all the men that were with him:
and they mourned, and wept,
and fasted until even,
for Saul, and for Jonathan his son,
and for the people of Jehovah,
and for the house of Israel;
because they were fallen by the sword.
(2 Samuel 1:11-12 - ASV)


There appears to be genuine mourning here over the death of Saul. Outlaws and vagabonds some of them may have been, but they clearly had considerable 'patriotic' feelings for their fallen King and their nation. But there were others who were dead as well from the battle. Certainly brothers, fathers, other kin and friends as well had also fallen, for the battle appears to have been a rout.

And David said unto the young man that told him,
Whence art thou? And he answered,
I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.
And David said unto him,
How wast thou not afraid
to put forth thy hand
to destroy Jehovah's anointed?
And David called one of the young men,
and said, Go near, and fall upon him.
And he smote him, so that he died.
 And David said unto him,
Thy blood be upon thy head;
for thy mouth hath testified against thee,
saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.
(2 Samuel 1:13-16 - ASV)


So he hears the story from this man and now wants to know more about who he is. A wise man always considers the source of any news and information he hears. As a future King, David is wise to interrogate this man who brought him this news (in our times of fake news, propaganda and false narratives - let the wise man beware). 'Who are you and where do you come from?', is the basic question and David once again, I think behaves with unnecessary rashness and violence. In his state of outrage, he slays this news bearer for bringing him this news.

Now granted, he testified against himself that he slew Saul the King, but it was hardly murder since according to his story, Saul asked for it - it was an 'assisted suicide' according to his version of events. But as we know, his story does not line up with what really happened. Saul's armor-bearer was asked by Saul to end his life and refused, so Saul took his own life.


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Why did this Amalekite tell David such a tale? Who knows, but I suspect that he probably wanted to ingratiate himself with David, knowing he would be king (he did homage to him when he arrived), he probably figured that such a story would win him a reward with David in that he slew the obstacle to David's rise to the throne. David could not allow such a tale to gain weight with others, lest it be suspected that David had hired this man to do the deed and he was merely coming to David to get his blood money.

He would not want anyone thinking it was anything but the move of the God of Israel who put him on the throne. David as well had to ensure that others knew just what a serious matter it was to kill God's anointed. But David was clearly quite angry when this Amalekite did this deed or rather, told this tale.

His lie cost him his life. A lie or false report, particularly in a time of crisis or war can often have just that high a price tag.


And David lamented with this lamentation
over Saul and over Jonathan his son
(and he bade them teach the
children of Judah the song of the bow:
behold, it is written in the book of Jashar):
Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places!
How are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath,
Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon;
Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
Ye mountains of Gilboa,
Let there be no dew nor rain upon you,
neither fields of offerings: For there the shield
of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul,
not anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jonathan turned not back,
And the sword of Saul returned not empty.
Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided:
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.
Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet delicately,
Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan is slain upon thy high places.
I am distressed for thee,
my brother Jonathan: Very pleasant
hast thou been unto me:
Thy love to me was wonderful,
Passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen,
And the weapons of war perished!
(2 Samuel 1:17-27 - ASV)

David sings his Psalm to the fallen king and his son Jonathan, with whom David was the best of friends. Albert Barnes (1798-1870) notes in his commentary that the name of the song is 'The Bow' as in bow and arrow. The reference to the Book of Jasher may not be about a particular song, but may be regarding a request that the people of Israel learn the bow (Jasher 56:9). Those of you interested can easily find a copy of the book on the net.

This is a kind of war song, set to music for which we only have the poetry/lyrics. This is one that he does not want sung in Gath or Ashkelon for both of these were Philistine cities. Israel was lamenting the loss of her king, the Philistines were certainly rejoicing. Saul and Johnathan were both clearly well renowned warriors and respected for their abilities in battle, so this song praises those attributes. Then the song goes on to lament the fall of these two hero's of Israel's wars. David in particular is deeply moved by Johnathan's passing as the two were great friends.

Some believe this may have become a kind of national war song. Moses as well had commanded that a song be learned by Israel (Deuteronomy 31:19) and at the death of Israel's first King, David is now doing essentially the same thing.

We'll continue on with our look at 2 Samuel, soon, God willing!

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***2024***
16 Dec

1 Samuel - Transition

We continue this commentary on the Book of Samuel...

In the first book of Samuel we see how David became what he was, ready to be King. We saw how Samuel, the prophet/judge was basically rejected by the people because of the behavior of his sons and then we saw the anointing of Saul - over Samuel's objections and God's specific warnings to the people about what they could expect with this king they so earnestly desired. We saw how Saul who had a lot of promise turned out to be a disaster.

This can happen. People can get called and then get rejected. Rebellion, sin, dishonoring God... these are just some of the things that can get a man rejected of the Lord. Saul, soon after he became king ceased to listen to good advice. Then he and Samuel, God's prophet went separate ways. Then Saul went and killed a mass of God's servants. In short, Saul had gone off the rails. There comes a time when God stops listening to the rebellious when they pray and this is what happened to Saul. He had not only forsaken the Lord, but became his enemy, this after having been raised by God to the throne. In the end, he was a suicide.

Saul's life and death should be a warning to each of us. To never forsake the Lord, to do what he commands and to never take his forgiveness for granted.

Let it never, ever be said that God has not experienced betrayal. He has. We get betrayed and don't think God doesn't know exactly how we feel. He does. He has felt it many times before. So when you come to God and tell him of how someone betrayed your trust, sold you down the river, ripped you off, don't think for a second he does not fully and completely understand. Was not Christ betrayed by one of the disciples whom he trusted?

Saul betrayed his God and his calling. Samuel, I think however who was a great prophet and deeply beloved of God, nearly fell into the same trap as Eli, whose sons brought great dishonor on the House of the Lord. But Samuel was faithful to God all the days of his life and was well respected by God's people. When the people rebelled against Samuel, it was not because of him or his ways, but because of his sons.

One thing I take away from this book after many years since I took a serious study of it, is that David had to be tempered before he could rule effectively for the Lord. So he had to go through many trials and tribulations. He had to learn 'court politics' the hard way. Here was his first lesson - do right, be faithful to the King and you get rewarded with a spear thrown at you. Lesson? Politics is a treacherous and vicious business. Be it a monarchy, democracy or dictatorship. You walk into the corridors of real power and too often, you have just entered into a combination vipers nest, lions den and an asylum for the criminally insane.

David saw this first hand and with some of his experiences, he would never ever forget just what politics was really all about - the crazy, verses the greedy, versus the incompetent, versus those infected with the lust for more power; with the noble, honorable and good man framed, arrested and doing time for a crime that never even entered his mind.

Then the lust, when it hath conceived,
beareth sin: and the sin,
when it is fullgrown,
bringeth forth death.
(James 1:15 - ASV)


Many folks thought I should have gone into politics. Even when I was young they thought so. I never even considered it and now that I am older, I am glad I never did.

And politics does enter into this book and all the books of the Kings and Chronicles. These are stories of rebellions, murders, royal marriages, good kings and horrible ones and God's judgment of wicked rulers

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David remained faithful to God and God kept his word. He was about to become King and we will get to that as we start 2 Samuel, God willing. This book is key for the scriptures and the life of Israel because it tells us of a very important transition from the age of the Judges to the age of the Kings.

I hope you all got something out of that book. I think the key takeaway for me was that God did make a promise to David, but like Abraham, he had a long way to go, many battles to fight and many a trial to undergo before the promise was fulfilled.

We too have been given a promise and I know each of you here (referring to insiders at this site) knows that the road to eternal life is not strewn with lilies on a golden path with beautiful angels strumming harps as we traverse the rose fragranced highway. It's a hard life and for some of us, it may get a lot harder. Let us toughen up and listen most very carefully to what God (not some wannabe prophet or fake pastor or sold-out minister) has to say to each of us in these difficult times. We don't know what the future holds. But I suspect whatever it is in this twisted world, it's not going to be good.

Let us remember men like Samuel and David and their faithfulness. Let us remember how they too were tried and had a hard time of it but God still looked out for them, through the thick of it.

But let us also never forget the failures of men like Saul and Eli either. All of these are examples we need to heed in our walk with Christ.

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6 Dec

1 Samuel Part 80


Now the Philistines fought against Israel:
and the men of Israel fled
from before the Philistines,

and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
(1 Samuel 31:1 - ASV)
We left off last time and David was sharing the spoils of his raid on the Amalekites with those who helped him in the past.

The following passages are also in 1Chronicles (Chapter 10:1ff).

Here is clearly a continuation of the battle whose preparations were talked about in Chapter 29 where Israel had encamped at Jezreel. The battle did not go well for Israel and they suffered a big defeat. For Saul an important day has arrived. It's called...

Payday

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul
and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan,
and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
And the battle went sore against Saul,
and the archers overtook him;
and he was greatly distressed
 by reason of the archers.
(1 Samuel 31:2-3 - ASV)


Saul is losing the battle and now is on the run. Saul's sons are dead having been killed by the Philistines in the battle. The Philistine archers are about to catch up to him and it looks like the end is near.

But Saul had a lot to answer for. God had, for his own purposes, extended the reign of Saul, but he was nevertheless, a reject. Things turned out even as Samuel the prophet spoke, that God had torn the Kingdom from his hand. But Saul was very hard headed. Moreover he was seriously oppressed by some kind of evil spirit that pushed him to murder; the attempted murder of David and the slaughter of God's priests.

I see Saul as kind of a symbol of what power can do to people. In Saul's case, I think it twisted his mind up to such a degree that he was often simply not rational. But that is just my view. Power can do strange things to people and when one gives power to a small minded person, or one with a grudge or who is full of bitterness and hatred, you are simply going to have all kinds of trouble. But Saul's main problem was that he disobeyed the Lord on several occasions. After he disobeyed, he made a careful display of repentance. But it was not enough. His 'repentance theater'? Neither the Lord nor Samuel were buying it.

Saul did great evil in God's sight, this after having been greatly favored by the Lord. His rebellions continued right on towards the end... even having gone to a witch to contact the dead. 

God does not forget and he will repay. Let those who hold power now who like to prance and dance when they do some evil to others out of political spite or personal hatred, plain old viciousness or as is the case today, often out of willful ignorance or just plain stupidity. Such men and women... they need to know that God see's the deeds of men. He will get around to dealing with those who do evil and I note that Saul's end was one of the worst fates that can befall a person. He watched his son's die just before he did. This is not all that dissimilar to what happened to King Zedekiah. The last thing he saw was his sons being slain just before his eyes were plucked out (Jeremiah 52:10-11).

Rebellion has a high price tag and can put one in the spiritual debtors prison... forever. So let the religious and political leaders of the day think on this. You may do your victory dance today over some evil you did or some wicked policy you implement or some court ruling that persecutes others, but you will do a very different dance later, when payday arrives... and arrive it surely will.


Then said Saul to his armorbearer,
Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith,
lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through,
and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not;
for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword,
and fell upon it. And when his armorbearer
saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword,
and died with him. So Saul died, and his three sons,
and his armorbearer, and all his men,
that same day together.
(1 Samuel 31:4-6 - ASV)


All hope is lost. The day belongs to the Philistines. Saul decides to do himself in and asks his armorbearer to do it for him. I note that this was a job that David had before. But I also notice this day coincides with David's readiness to assume power. David finally inquired of the Lord before he went off and took his men to fight and recover his wives and goods from the Amalekites - he learned to inquire and obey.

Before that he seemed to be in a kind of spiritual wilderness and while God did protect him to large degree, he had many problems and 'conflicts of interest' as he wandered. But David was now ready and it was time for Saul to go. I note this too - that the passage said that all men who went with Saul also died. It looks like his army and or perhaps just his 'royal court' and the men who were in his company all died that day, leaving a substantial power vacuum.

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I feel led to say this too. Serving evil kings, governments and/or leaders can lead us to share in their punishment. I just don't think that we Christians should be partakers in organizations that are evil and hostile to God. Could a Christian... a real one, be loyal to a man like Hitler, and implement his wicked policies? Could a Christian have been an SS guard and shoot and gas innocent men, women and children in cold blood? We are what we do and we do what we believe. You could not put on that SS uniform in Nazi Germany without taking the oath. My point is an important one. Be careful what you join and whom you serve.

And when the men of Israel
that were on the other side of the valley,
and they that were beyond the Jordan,
saw that the men of Israel fled,
and that Saul and his sons were dead,
they forsook the cities, and fled;
and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
And it came to pass on the morrow,
when the Philistines came to strip slain,
that they found Saul and his three sons
fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head,
and stripped off his armor, and sent into
the land of the Philistines round about,
to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols,
and to the people. And they put his armor
in the house of the Ashtaroth;
and they fastened his body
to the wall of Beth-shan.
(1 Samuel 31:7-10 - ASV)


The passage is self explanatory. Israel was in confusion and had to leave. So they had to leave their cities and homes for the Philistines, who had won the day. Their victory seems to have been total. They were probably now all lifted up with pride and war glory and now needed a symbol of their victory. What better than Saul, whose body they pinned to a wall at Beth-shan. This they did, after they cut off his head and sent it to the house of their god Dagon
(1 Chronicles 10:10). Beth-shan by the way, is a city known today as Beit She'an located in the Northern part of Israel near both the West Bank and Jordan.

And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead
heard concerning him that which the Philistines
had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose,
and went all night, and took the body of Saul
and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan;
and they came to Jabesh,
and burnt them there.
And they took their bones,
and buried them under
the tamarisk-tree in Jabesh,
and fasted seven days.
(1 Samuel 31:11-13 - ASV)


Again, this passage is self explanatory. They buried him under a Tamarisk tree. He seemed to like this kind of tree and was once before sitting under one (22:6).

The fate of a man like Saul? The book of Job sums it up...

This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors,
which they receive from the Almighty:
If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword;
And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
(Job 27:13-14 - ASV)


There was genuine morning for Saul or so it appears. But one cannot help but wonder how much of it was also for the situation that Israel now faced, with the Philistines now occupying some of the cities.

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26 Nov


1 Samuel Part 79


So David went,
he and the six hundred men that were with him,
and came to the brook Besor,
where those that were left behind stayed.
But David pursued, he and four hundred men;
for two hundred stayed behind,
who were so faint that they could not go over
the brook Besor.
(1 Samuel 30:9-10 - ASV)

We left off last time with David asking of the Lord if he should go after those who kidnapped the women and children and burned down Ziklag. David gets the divine go ahead and now they are on the move and arrive at the brook Besor. We have to keep in mind that they traveled a long time to get home (Ziklag) and only found it in ruins and now they were on the move again so they were very tired and hungry. So tired that some just could not make it. So those who could not, stayed behind at the river.

And they found an Egyptian in the field,
and brought him to David, and gave him bread,
and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink;
and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs,
and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten,
his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread,
nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou?
and whence art thou? And he said,
I am a young man of Egypt,
servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me,
because three days ago I fell sick.
We made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites,
and upon that which belongeth to Judah,
and upon the South of Caleb;
and we burned Ziklag with fire.
(1 Samuel 30:11-14 - ASV)


David and his men came across a stroke of good fortune or rather God's providence. It could easily have been missed if David and his men decided to ignore this man who was alone in the desert, famished. They could have just rode on and forgot about him, but instead they show him kindness. In so doing, they gathered a gold mine of actionable information.

It turns out he was with the Amalekites when they were on their raids, which included Ziklag. But he got sick and they left him behind. Household and long-held slaves were often not treated so badly sometimes being treated kind of like members of the extended family. But if this was a man who was recently captured and then fell ill, this treatment of him makes more sense. Since he was not an Amalekite but was an Egyptian, this seems lend some credence to this idea.

David, now under divine guidance now finds the things he needs to accomplish his task. When God gives us a task to perform  - Jehovah jireh - the Lord will provide. But if you want his best provisions, you have to be in his will and do your best for God.

And David said to him,
Wilt thou bring me down to this troop?
And he said, Swear unto me by God,
that thou wilt neither kill me,
nor deliver me up into the hands of my master,
and I will bring thee down to this troop.
(1 Samuel 30:15 - ASV)


David realizing he has a powerful source of information in his hands asks the Egyptian, 'will you take us there?'. Yes, he'll do it under two conditions. One that after he does this thing, David won't kill him and second he won't deliver him over to his former master. If David meets these two conditions, then he'll take them there.

And when he had brought him down,
behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground,
eating and drinking, and dancing,
because of all the great spoil
that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines,
and out of the land of Judah.
And David smote them from the twilight
even unto the evening of the next day:
and there escaped not a man of them,
save four hundred young men,
who rode upon camels and fled.
And David recovered all that the Amalekites
 had taken; and David rescued his two wives.
(1 Samuel 30:16-18 - ASV)


This passage is pretty self-explanatory. The Egyptian led them to where they were. When they got there they were partying down. They had the bottles open, they had been music blaring (proverbially) had been celebrating their victory and the spoils they captured. Seeing this, it was clear they were probably in no condition to fight with any real skill... fumbling and stumbling around for their swords and shields with whiskey spilling on their garments. David took them all. But the battle appears to have not been so easily won as it took a good while to win. But remember, David and his men were tired and hungry. When the smoke cleared, David recovered all that was lost, including his two wives. The triumph of the Amalekites was short lived as is the victory of the wicked man over the just. They may raise their glasses in a toast for a minute or two, but God see's all and will repay.

And there was nothing lacking to them,
neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters,
neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them:
David brought back all. And David took
all the flocks and the herds, which they drove
before those other cattle,
and said, This is David's spoil.
(1 Samuel 30:19-20 - ASV)


David here took back what was his.

And David came to the two hundred men,
who were so faint that they could not follow David,
whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor;
and they went forth to meet David,
and to meet the people that were with him:
and when David came near to the people,
he saluted them. Then answered all the wicked men
and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said,
Because they went not with us,
we will not give them aught of the spoil
that we have recovered, save to every man his wife
and his children, that he may lead them away,
and depart. Then said David, Ye shall not do so,
my brethren, with that which Jehovah hath given unto us,
who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop
that came against us into our hand.
And who will hearken unto you in this matter?
for as his share is that goeth down to the battle,
so shall his share be that tarrieth by the baggage:
they shall share alike. And it was so from
that day forward, that he made it a statute
and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
(1 Samuel 30:21-25 - ASV)


Now we come to those who were too faint to continue the journey all the way to recover their families and goods. There were some of the men who went to fight who wanted to keep the spoil to themselves. They did not want to share with those who were left behind with the baggage. This is an age old problem. Those who go and fight and those who have to stay behind with the supplies. Those who go tend to whine against those who are often ordered to stay behind. The problem is that most of the time the baggage is safe, but what happens when an attack happens at the rear and the baggage is attacked? It is not unheard of, especially after a long campaign and there is much booty and spoils in the baggage.

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David's solution was a wise one - we all get the same, those who went and those who stayed behind. But there was clearly a faction within the group who did not like that idea at all. This may have been the same lot who wanted to stone David earlier.

No, this was the best decision for the overall moral of the the army. Otherwise you wind up with bad feelings, enmity and jealousy. Get the spoils in one place and divide them up equally, that way no one can complain about not getting his fair share, or whining about this or bellyaching about that. The author here notes that this became a new law or military regulation from here on. The same principle applies in God's kingdom.

He that receiveth a prophet
in the name of a prophet
shall receive a prophet's reward:
and he that receiveth a righteous man
in the name of a righteous man
shall receive a righteous man's reward.
(Matthew 10:41 - ASV)


David here is starting to think like a leader and not like some robber-marauder as some of these men would certainly have led him on that path if he listened to them. David had to start thinking and acting like a king - a godly king. The following passage shows that he is.

 And when David came to Ziklag,
he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah,
even to his friends, saying,
Behold, a present for you of the spoil
of the enemies of Jehovah:
to them that were in Beth-el,
and to them that were in Ramoth of the South,
and to them that were in Jattir,
and to them that were in Aroer,
and to them that were in Siphmoth,
and to them that were in Eshtemoa,
and to them that were in Racal,
and to them that were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites,
and to them that were in the cities of the Kenites,
and to them that were in Hormah,
and to them that were in Bor-ashan,
and to them that were in Athach,
and to them that were in Hebron,
and to all the places where David himself
and his men were wont to haunt.
(1 Samuel 30:26-31 - ASV)


David here remembers those who did him and his men right. He does not forget their kindness. Wherever his men had gone and got help, he gave them some of the spoils. It must have been quite a bit. It should be noted that some of these places listed above may have been raided by the Amalekites and this clearly would be a feather in David's cap with the leaders and people when it was time for him to claim the throne.

David now it appears is on the right track after having had gone through some serious trials.


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14 Nov

1 Samuel Part 78


And it came to pass
when David and his men
were come to Ziklag on the third day,
that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the South,
and upon Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag,
and burned it with fire,
and had taken captive the women
and all that were therein,
both small and great:
they slew not any,
but carried them off,
and went their way.
(1 Samuel 30:1-2 - ASV)

We left off last time with David being politely asked to leave before the big battle, because many of Achish's top men were bellyaching about David's presence. David left the assembled warriors on the King's request and went back to Philistia, where he had been residing. His home if we remember was in Ziklag and when he gets home he finds that his old nemesis, the Amalekites had come and burned it up and kidnapped his wives. The good news is that none of those captured were killed.

The reason the women are mentioned is probably best explained in the fact that all the men were with David, getting ready to war. John Gill (1697-1771) in his commentary notes that this was very good news for David, for when he raided the Amalekites, he did not spare anyone (1Samuel 27:8-9). Why they did not choose to get full 'payback' is not clear, but the same commentator surmises that this may be because they could perhaps be sold off as slaves. God was indeed looking out for David.

And when David and his men came to the city,
behold, it was burned with fire;
and their wives, and their sons,
and their daughters, were taken captive.
Then David and the people that were with him
 lifted up their voice and wept,
until they had no more power to weep.
(1 Samuel 30:3-4 - ASV)

The passage is self explanatory. They were all deeply distressed over this shocking news and the state of their homes and city. David and his men probably could not be sure what happened to their families, but the fact that there were no bodies lying about was probably seen as a good sign. But given how David behaved to the Amalekites earlier, the situation could only be a cause for serious consternation.

And David's two wives were taken captive,
Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail
the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
And David was greatly distressed;
for the people spake of stoning him,
because the soul of all the people was grieved,
every man for his sons and for his daughters:
but David strengthened himself
in Jehovah his God.
(1 Samuel 30:5-6 - ASV)

David's troubles were double everyone else's. His wives were gone but clearly, the people now were starting to blame David for this calamity. I can just hear them now, 'if we hadn't listened to you, we would not be here in Philistia, on the wrong side of the war, with our homes burned down and our families gone'. They were going to stone David, not unlike Israel was going to stone Moses (Exodus 17:4; Numbers 14:10).

But this is usually the reaction when there is tragedy. Everyone is looking for someone to blame and often it turns on those least culpable, like leaders. The real enemy were the Amalekites, not David, who was doing the best he could with what he had. Certainly they had cause to be deeply distressed and perhaps on one level, David did share in some of the blame. After all, I don't ever remember the Lord telling him to flee to Philistia. So yes, I think to some degree, David could have at least some of the blame laid upon him here. But every man's soul is his own and the simple fact is, they chose to follow David and his rag-tag group of men... well many of them were not particularly welcome in Israel anyway (see 1 Samuel 22:2).

Everyone was turning against David. Did he weep and whine; go and hide in a corner? No, he encouraged himself in the Lord! Everything was turning out badly - he was a burden to Achish who liked him but was a source of division with the Philistine lords, was almost forced into battle with Israel, the people God wanted him to lead, and now they come back home and find nothing but a pile of ashes and their families kidnapped. Moreover, they had been traveling for three days and were probably hungry and tired and looking for rest and a good home-cooked meal after their journey and instead, they get this horrible shock. Things were not going the way anyone wanted. Yes David could have gotten down and depressed, but instead encouraged himself. How? The scriptures did not say exactly, he may have prayed, or as he was known to do, sing a Psalm to the Lord in such a time.


David did not forsake the Lord nor forget about him in his distress. No, instead he inquired of him.

And David said to Abiathar the priest,
the son of Ahimelech, I pray thee,
bring me hither the ephod.
And Abiathar brought thither
the ephod to David. And David inquired of Jehovah,
saying, If I pursue after this troop,
shall I overtake them?
And he answered him, Pursue;
for thou shalt surely overtake them,
and shalt without fail recover all.
(1 Samuel 30:7-8 - ASV)

So David here seeks the Lord. Just like Moses did when he was in trouble with those whom he was to lead.

Leading men is hard. It's not easy to do and mistakes - all of us make them - can cost a leader his ability to inspire and lead. The situation for David and his men did not look good, but David knew his God and was going to do what the Lord told him. How did he know what that was? In those days it was with the Urim and Thummim. So he calls the High Priest. What is not clear from the text was if the High Priest wore the Ephod or if it was David. The text seems to imply David.

David gets that positive word that brings him that powerful encouragement. He can go and pursue the Amalekites because in so doing, he can recover those things he lost.

David I think may finally be at an end to following his own judgment and is now going back to finding out what God wants him to do. He was consistently making questionable decisions. They may have seemed OK in the natural realm at the time they were made, but were not fully according to God's plans. I think it took this shock to get David thinking and acting along divine lines, rather than his own questionable judgment which had put them all in this unenviable position.

It seems he had not sought the Lord's guidance for some time and his decisions and actions at times, were not wholly in keeping with God - like the time he was going to go in and deal with those at Nabal's ranch (1 Samuel 25:34); going to Philistia, etc. No, David was walking in what I think was a kind of 'benign compromise'. Not rebellion, he just was not putting God first in his key decision and thus was having these problems.

This is not a good place for any of us to be. For many of us we just have to remember that God is not supposed to be at our beckon and calling, but we at his. We are there to serve him and to find out what he wants us to do, not expect him to bless us when we are walking in our own ways. It's a key factor in service - God is the boss, we are the servant. God was looking for a person who was after his own heart and truly wanted to be of use and of service to him.

God here I think is tempering David and teaching him the right way to go about things through the furnace of tough experiences, hard knocks and rivers of tears.

David would eventually be just the kind of man that God wants him to be as it said in the New Testament Book of Acts.

And when he had removed him,
he raised up David to be their king;
to whom also he bare witness and said,
I have found David the son of Jesse,
a man after my heart,
who shall do all my will.
(Acts 13:22 - ASV)


We will continue out look at Samuel soon, God willing!


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1 Nov


1 Samuel Part 77



Now the Philistines gathered together
all their hosts to Aphek:
and the Israelites encamped
by the fountain which is in Jezreel.
And the lords of the Philistines
passed on by hundreds, and by thousands;
and David and his men passed on
in the rearward with Achish.
(1 Samuel 29:1-2 - ASV)
We shift here from Saul and the witch of Endor and now to what is going on with David, who is dwelling with the Philistines.

In short, David is between a rock and a hard place. Here he is getting ready to go to battle, on the wrong side. The armies are forming up and David is with the King of the Philistines. David and his men look like they may be part of the rear guard or merely observing the troops march as he is with the King. It is not clear why this battle takes place so far North. Aphek is believed to be located at or near the modern Golan Heights.

Then said the princes of the Philistines,
What do these Hebrews here?
And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines,
Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel,
who hath been with me these days,
or rather these years, and I have found
no fault in him since he fell away unto me
unto this day?
(1 Samuel 29:3 - ASV)

After the movement of the troops, the various princes of the Philistines make a serious complaint to the king. They wants to know why these Hebrews are among their warriors. It's not an unreasonable concern from a military perspective. The last thing these men would want in the heat of battle would be troops from the rear turning on them and then attacking while they engage in battle from the front.

The King answers them expressing his full confidence in David and his constancy for the time he had fell away to him. Fell away here means just that, he turned towards Achish away from (and thus deserting) his own countrymen, or so Achish clearly believed. Some think that even before David went to Achish, the two may have kept up some kind of communications (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary - 1871).

But the princes of the Philistines
were wroth with him; and the princes
of the Philistines said unto him,
Make the man return,
that he may go back to his place where
thou hast appointed him, and let him not
go down with us to battle, lest in the battle
he become an adversary to us: for wherewith
should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord?
should it not be with the heads of these men?
(1 Samuel 29:4 - ASV)


This was no little argument. The Princes were quite angry with the King over David's presence and were indeed worried about David turning on them during the battle. In short they insist that the King send David back. While no ultimatum had been stated, the King was probably concerned that either they would not fight without David being gone or they might take matters into their own hands and make sure David did not go out to battle... any more forever, if you know what I mean.

Keep in mind that Philistia contained five key cities and each prince probably had some kind of voice in key decisions, though Achish was their nominal head. Here he was clearly out-voted.

So yes, they were concerned that he would betray them and be reconciled to Saul. One way they surmise that David could reconcile himself to Saul would be to deliver the heads of the top Philistines to Saul. This was their concern and if one puts ones self in their shoes, their concern was hardly without justification.

Is not this David,
of whom they sang one to another in dances,
saying, Saul hath slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands?
(1 Samuel 29:5 - ASV)


The princes continue their complaint to the King and add to their list of concerns the fame of David and his ability to kill the enemy in battle. Clearly the Israelite 'pop song' about David's battle victories was heard about in Philistia. It did not amuse these princes.

Then Achish called David, and said unto him,
 As Jehovah liveth, thou hast been upright,
and thy going out and thy coming in with me
in the host is good in my sight;
for I have not found evil in thee since
the day of thy coming unto me unto this day:
nevertheless the lords favor thee not.
Wherefore now return, and go in peace,
that thou displease not the lords
of the Philistines.
(1 Samuel 29:6-7 - ASV)


Achish had to run down the situation to David, let me paraphrase... 'David... my man... You're OK in my book, you can always be counted on to do the right thing as far as I am concerned. But these princes who are about to go to battle, they don't like you and they don't trust you. So it's better you go now so they don't get even more riled up about you than they already are'.

You now what I find of great interest here? That Achish does not swear by his gods but by the God of David, Jehovah. Was David's behavior having an effect on Achish, spiritually? I suspect so.

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But I think the suspicion of the Lords of the Philistines worked in David's favor. Now he did not have to go out and fight against his own people.

And David said unto Achish,
But what have I done?
and what hast thou found in thy servant
so long as I have been before thee unto this day,
that I may not go and fight against the enemies
of my lord the king? And Achish answered
and said to David, I know that thou art good
in my sight, as an angel of God:
notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said,
He shall not go up with us to the battle.
Wherefore now rise up early in the morning
with the servants of thy lord that are come with thee;
and as soon as ye are up early in the morning,
and have light, depart.
(1 Samuel 29:8-10 - ASV)


David protests, how deeply he actually felt this protestation well... you can draw your own conclusions. I just don't think David was wild about partaking of this war, but he is perhaps putting on a good show for the King.

Achish once again compliments David's character and makes I think a very telling comparison to an Angel of God (Malak Elohim - vs 29:9). This is interestingly, very similar to how the prophet Zechariah describes David (see Zechariah 12:8).

My suspicion is that David and Achish may have spent many a long night eating and enjoying themselves and the subject of the Hebrew God came up more than once in their conversations. He was probably most curious about this God of whom the Philistines were quite afraid (see 1 Samuel 4:8). If they did have such conversations, it looks like they had an effect on Achish.

So David rose up early,
he and his men, to depart in the morning,
 to return into the land of the Philistines.
And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
(1 Samuel 29:11 - ASV)


David here was extricated from a very difficult situation. He got up early with his men and went back to Philistia, probably to his home in Ziklag. And the Philistines head off to the Valley of Jezreel. This is a famous battlefield where Israel has often had to fight its enemies, it is in the same vicinity of Megiddo, where the battle of Armageddon will be fought.

God had David's back here. David, I think was outside of God's will, having left Judah where the prophet told him to go. Instead, he once again fled to Philistia. But God was gracious to him and protected him and gave him favor with Achish. David partaking in the battle would have exposed him to all manner of accusations of treachery in Israel whoever won the battle, making it very hard for him to be King.

God worked it out so he did not have to go. God can and often does stand with us when we wander off of his perfect path. He does not forget about us. But I strongly suspect that David should have done what the prophet told him and remained in Judah until he got instructions to do something else.

Let none of us make bad or questionable decisions. I always seek God first and ask him what he wants me to do. He will show us if we serve him fully and faithfully.

But if any of you lacketh wisdom,
let him ask of God,
who giveth to all liberally
and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him.
 But let him ask in faith,
nothing doubting: for he that doubteth
is like the surge of the sea
driven by the wind and tossed.
(James 1:5-6 - ASV)


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19 Oct

1 Samuel Part 76


And the king said unto her,
Be not afraid: for what seest thou?
And the woman said unto Saul,
I see a god coming up out of the earth.
 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said,
An old man cometh up;
and he is covered with a robe.
And Saul perceived that it was Samuel,
and he bowed with his face to the ground,
and did obeisance.
(1 Samuel 28:13-14 - ASV)


We left off last time and Saul had gone to a local occultist to get her to call up Samuel. When she saw Samuel, she was shocked and then suddenly recognized that it was Saul who was requesting the occult service.

Saul asks her what she saw that had so unnerved her. Then she describes what she saw for clearly it was something that she had never seen before and was totally unexpected. It was a 'god' coming out of the earth. This is an interesting expression. Basically she something that was 'superhuman' in her reading. The word god is the Hebrew word 430 in Strong's Hebrew Bible Dictionary (1890). It can be rendered as god, ruler, judge or even angel. Whatever she saw he was something of a high order and since Samuel was dead, and it was very different than what she expected. Here is how Keil and Delitizsch Commentary on the Old Testament (K & D - 1868) puts it,
The king quieted her fear, and then asked her what she had seen; whereupon she gave him a fuller description of the apparition: “I saw a celestial being come up from the earth.” Elohim does not signify gods here, nor yet God; still less an angel or a ghost, or even a person of superior rank, but a celestial (super-terrestrial), heavenly, or spiritual being. - K & D Commentary
This is a very interesting passage of scripture and perhaps gives us the slightest glimpse of what happens to the godly who died in the Lord before the ministry of Christ. Sheol (hell - the abode of the dead) is here and in many other places represented as being in or under the earth. But Samuel was a special 'departed one', a man who served the Lord fully, his whole life. So his form took on a god-like appearance. Is there another place in scripture where men who served God faithfully who died appear later in some glorious form? Yes.

And it came to pass
about eight days after these sayings,
that he took with him Peter and John and James,
 and went up into the mountain to pray.
And as he was praying, the fashion
of his countenance was altered,
and his raiment became white and dazzling.
And behold, there talked with him two men,
who were Moses and Elijah;

who appeared in glory,
and spake of his decease
which he was about to
accomplish at Jerusalem.
(Luke 9:28-31 - ASV)


Yes, there is and it appears that Samuel as well was clearly in God's faithful hall of fame. Even in physical death he does not forget his job as prophet of the Lord. Let's continue the passage.

And he said unto her,
What form is he of?
And she said, An old man cometh up;
and he is covered with a robe.
 And Saul perceived that it was Samuel,
and he bowed with his face
to the ground, and did obeisance.
(1 Samuel 28:14 - ASV)


Saul wants to get more information about what this woman saw and she tells him. She does not say it was Samuel, but describes him sufficiently. But Saul clearly knows who it is and when he finds out, he bows his face to the ground in a show of respect.

Now I must say here to all of you, that there are differing views on what happened here. Some think the witch had concocted some kind of deception on Saul. Others think some kind of evil spirit came to deceive Saul and the third view (which I lean very much towards) is that God allowed this to happen and Samuel did appear as a final rebuke to the rebellious King. These differing views are laid out rather well in the Preachers Complete Homelitical Commentary (actual date of its publication is unknown but probably circa 1892) in its comments on this section. You may take your own view. I would lend more credence to the other views if what Samuel had to say were not so spot on with what he had been saying to Saul for years and at the same time honors the Lord and speaks in his name. Here is what Samuel said.


And Samuel said to Saul,
Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?
And Saul answered, I am sore distressed;
for the Philistines make war against me,
and God is departed from me,
 and answereth me no more,
neither by prophets, nor by dreams:
therefore I have called thee,
that thou mayest make known
unto me what I shall do.
And Samuel said, Wherefore then
dost thou ask of me, seeing
Jehovah is departed from thee,
 and is become thine adversary?
And Jehovah hath done unto thee,
as he spake by me: and Jehovah hath
rent the kingdom out of thy hand,
and given it to thy neighbor,
even to David. Because thou obeyedst
not the voice of Jehovah,
and didst not execute his fierce
wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath
Jehovah done this thing unto
thee this day. Moreover Jehovah
will deliver Israel also with
thee into the hand of the Philistines;
and to-morrow shalt thou
and thy sons be with me:
Jehovah will deliver the host of Israel
also into the hand of the Philistines.
(1 Samuel 28:15-19 - ASV)

The long and short of it is absolutely nothing new. To paraphrase, Samuel is just saying. Why are you asking me?  I serve the Lord, if he isn't answering you what makes you think I can or will? Because of your rebellion, the God whom you seek is now your enemy and your days on the throne are numbered. David will be king hereafter. Oh and by the way, after the battle, you and your sons will be with me, among the dead.

It took a long time for Samuel's word to be fulfilled back in the day, but it was. God often takes his time, but he does not forget. Saul had done a lot of evil and this battle was going to be payday.

Let us learn a lesson here about sin, rebellion, disobedience and false repentance. A man here who was powerfully anointed by God who was given great authority and even had the gift of prophecy had come to a very bad end. Why? He disobeyed the Lord time and again... or to put it a better way - once too often.

Then Saul fell straightway
his full length upon the earth,
and was sore afraid,
 because of the words of Samuel:
and there was no strength in him;
for he had eaten no bread all the day,
nor all the night.
(1 Samuel 28:20 - ASV)


Saul gets this word and is very afraid. He fell down prostrate because of this word. This passage is I think another reason why I think that this really was Samuel and not some spirit or trick. The narrator does not say this was a trick or that the woman was lying or that it was a spirit. The author states clearly that these were the words of Samuel which by the way, we will see are to be fulfilled.


Saul goes into what probably is best described as a kind of psychological shock. He is clearly having issues trying to digest this powerful and negative word he just got from the departed prophet. Samuel clearly was under some stress before he came to the woman as he had not eaten all day.

And the woman came unto Saul,
and saw that he was sore troubled,
and said unto him, Behold,
thy handmaid hath hearkened unto thy voice,
and I have put my life in my hand,
and have hearkened unto thy words
which thou spakest unto me.
Now therefore, I pray thee,
hearken thou also unto the voice
of thy handmaid, and let me set
 a morsel of bread before thee;
and eat, that thou mayest have strength,
when thou goest on thy way.
But he refused, and said, I will not eat.
But his servants, together with the woman,
constrained him; and he hearkened
unto their voice. So he arose from the earth,
and sat upon the bed.
(1 Samuel 28:21-23 - ASV)

The passage here is pretty self explanatory. The occultist is clearly concerned for the King and offers him food. He finally arises and sits upon the bed/sofa/litter (4296 in Strong's Hebrew Bible Dictionary - 1890).

And the woman had a fatted calf in the house;
and she hasted, and killed it;
and she took flour, and kneaded it,
and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
and she brought it before Saul,
and before his servants; and they did eat.
Then they rose up, and went away that night.
(1 Samuel 28:24-25 - ASV)


For whatever reason, she showed Saul considerable respect. She killed a fatted calf for him got some bread and gave him and his men something to eat and then they left. She clearly was most piteous of this king who was just about to lose his throne and was deeply moved by his mental condition. I cannot help but wonder that after this incident she gave up her occultism and turned towards the Lord. Stranger things have happened and God can work miracles even in the strangest of situations and sometimes they are arranged just for such a purpose.

I think it needful here to say that these dark, occult arts are strictly forbidden to us real followers of the risen Jesus Christ. We must never seek after those who practice these arts. Necromancy (calling up the dead) is very much forbidden to us. We must not seek to contact the dead. As you all probably know, back in the mid part of the 19th to the early part of the 20th century there was a major craze on with spiritualism. Crystal gazing, necromancy, tarot cards, seances... they were what a lot of 'trendy' people were into. One key idea of spiritualism is the idea that the dead still exist and could contact the living.

But me? I leave those dark arts alone - I know that I am forbidden even to dabble slightly in them. Don't think for a second that my view on this passage here is in any way designed to lead you onto this path. The only thing I know I will get in the long run is the kind of word and fate that Saul got, should I choose to rebel in such a way against the God I serve.

But perhaps the commentators that I read who wrote in the late 19th century and had a different view, were dealing with a lot of people who could be tempted to go to one as it was the 'thing to do' in some quarters, even high society. So they took a line of interpretation that was befitting their times.

Today with the continuing rejection of Christianity in mainstream culture, these old 'spirits' are certain to begin their return onto the scene. I am often surprised at how much spiritualism and occultism winds its way into english speaking drama today.

My point is this. These things are probably going to make a come back. Indeed, in some quarters they already are. Moreover, you may find many false preachers and teachers who will make light of it, not discourage their use or even encourage it. Be careful. Those occult arts can be most deceptive and dangerous and they are very much forbidden to us. Samuel may have spoken to Saul, but it was only after years of rebellion, sin, the slaughter of God's prophets that he did this final act of sin and rebellion by visiting a witch. God's answer may have been as much to Saul as it was to his men and the witch herself, who all may have had a very different view of things after this episode. In this final act of rebellion, Saul has sealed his fate - he will die in the battle.

We will take get back to Samuel sometime next week God willing!

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10 Oct

1 Samuel Part 75


And it came to pass in those days,
that the Philistines gathered their
hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel.
And Achish said unto David,
Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out
with me in the host, thou and thy men.
And David said to Achish,
Therefore thou shalt know what thy servant will do.
And Achish said to David,
Therefore will I make thee keeper
of my head for ever.
(1 Samuel 28:1-2 - ASV)


David as we remember from last time, was now among the Philistines and had conducted raids on Israel's enemies, though this fact was obscured from Achish, the Philistine king. The passage above shows that there is going to be a war between Israel and Philistia. Achish here appears to want to make sure David, if he had any doubts, would indeed have to go out and fight against his own countrymen. 'Oh no my friend, you are most certainly coming along, I have given you shelter and refuge from your enemies and a base, now it's time for some payback'. This seems to be the basic thought expressed here from my reading of it. Yes, I think the king had his doubts about David and wanted to make sure that David in this war would destroy his own reputation in the eyes of the people of Israel. David here appears to be making a kind of warriors boast and letting the King know just what kind of warrior he is as he will be observed in battle. But David's interesting answer leaves room for 'interpretation' as to which side he will ultimately choose. If he goes to war, the King offers him the post of personal bodyguard. David was in a tough spot. How could he fight against his own people, whom God wanted him to rule? But my view is that he put himself in the position when he went back to Philista.

Now Samuel was dead,
and all Israel had lamented him,
and buried him in Ramah,
even in his own city.
And Saul had put away those
that had familiar spirits,
and the wizards, out of the land.
(1 Samuel 28:3 - ASV)


Samuel's death was still a major sore in the soul of the nation. He clearly still had an extraordinary reputation among Israel. Saul, probably acting on orders from Samuel in bygone days, had gotten rid of the occult influence in the country, as this was part of the Mosaic law (Leviticus 19:31). The passage is important because of what will follow.

Israel was probably concerned about this war because the great Samuel was gone and while Saul was known as a great warrior, it probably was not unknown to the citizens of the kingdom, that there was a rival claimant to the throne, one that the great Samuel had anointed king. There may have been concern here that God was going to forsake the king and the kingdom, now that their spiritual leader was dead.

And the Philistines gathered themselves together,
and came and encamped in Shunem:
and Saul gathered all Israel together,
and they encamped in Gilboa.
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines,
he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
(1 Samuel 28:4-5 - ASV)


The basic stationing of the armies is outlined. Gilboa is located along the Jordan valley, about 20 or so miles southeast from Megiddo.

But when Saul saw the forces arrayed against him, he was very afraid. We all have an expression today that refers to the loss control of certain bodily functions and this is probably what happened here in a proverbial sense. What else could have caused him to, after all this time, go do what he did next?

And when Saul inquired of Jehovah,
Jehovah answered him not,
neither by dreams, nor by Urim,
nor by prophets.
(1 Samuel 28:6 - ASV)


When in trouble, he comes to the Lord. But Saul if we remember, had turned on God and not a little. He had slaughtered the priests of the Lord when he was trying to get the Lord's anointed, David. There comes a time when men's sins separate them from God to such a point that God just stops listening to their petitions. Saul, who was once specially chosen and anointed by God is now a spiritual reject and God has now turned the 'mute' button to the 'on' position when Saul prayed. Pray and seek all he wants, his supplications were in vain.

Spiritual rejects? This is not a pleasant subject... at all to write about.


[Emphasis mine]

And Jehovah said unto Samuel,
How long wilt thou mourn for Saul,
seeing I have rejected him
from being king over Israel?
fill thy horn with oil, and go:
I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite;
for I have provided me a king among his sons.
(1 Samuel 16:1 - ASV)


For many are called,
but few chosen.
(Matthew 22:14 - ASV)

Did you know that we true believers who endure to the end, we too shall be kings and priests (Revelation 1:6)? That like David, we have to stay the course of faith in Christ Jesus through thick and thin before we get a crown under the Lordship of Christ?

The thoroughly rotten apple is not going into the basket with the good fruit.

And Jehovah said unto Samuel,
How long wilt thou mourn for Saul,
seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel?

fill thy horn with oil, and go:
I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite;
for I have provided me a king
among his sons.
(1 Samuel 16:1 - ASV)

Those kinds of 'Christians' (rejects) have made their choice and like with Saul, God has made his. I am not to pester the Lord about such people.

The key? Discernment. With many Christians (so-called) over and over again I often see they do not have nor want to develop real spiritual discernment. They want to go with the flow and be popular and successful, in a worldly way. They love the world and its ways (and rewards). God, it seems to me, is merely a tool many think they can use on their way to worldly success. Brothers, I think this is a common problem with Christians here in the prosperous west. Don't think you (or anyone) can 'use' God. But if you are humble and obedient, God may indeed use you.


Yes, there comes a time when repentance comes too late. Yes, you can go too far. Yes, God can and often does cease to hear the prayers of those who have shown such a pattern of sin and rebellion. We must never, ever take the Lord's grace and kindness towards any of us for granted or we could wind up like Saul, sinning great sins and then being sorry for it, then sinning again.

It was the wholly wicked and unholy acts of Saul that won him a special place in the hall of spiritual rejects. Murder was too often on his mind and he turned his sword against God and those whom God loved (his servants and David). In short, Saul had by his actions, showed himself to have become an enemy of the Lord. We see the same thing in ancient Israel in the time of Ezekiel regarding unheard supplications.

And the word of Jehovah came unto me,
saying, Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel,
and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah:
Is it to inquire of me that ye are come?
As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah,
I will not be inquired of by you.
(Ezekiel 20:2-3 - ASV)


Brothers, those inquires? Those prayers? They weren't going any further than the ceiling to be immediately bounced right back to the ground.

And when ye spread forth your hands,
 I will hide mine eyes from you;
yea, when ye make many prayers,
I will not hear:
your hands are full of blood.
(Isaiah 1:15 - ASV)


Saul's hands were full of blood. The blood of the Lord's servants.

So what does Saul do? He goes and seeks spiritual advice from the Lord's enemies; the witches and wizards,

Then said Saul unto his servants,
Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit,
that I may go to her, and inquire of her.
And his servants said to him,
Behold, there is a woman that
hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.
(1 Samuel 28:7 - ASV)

Yes, this is how far Saul had fallen. Pretty far down into the spiritual trash can. He was now trying to get advice from a witch. Endor is a place not far from Gilboa and it was probably no little feat for members of Saul's court to find her, knowing the edict against them that was in effect.

And Saul disguised himself,
and put on other raiment, and went,
he and two men with him,
and they came to the woman by night:
and he said, Divine unto me,
I pray thee, by the familiar spirit,
and bring me up whomsoever
I shall name unto thee.
(1 Samuel 28:8 - ASV)


After having discovered where a witch can be found, Saul then puts in a disguise to go and get a 'reading' from her. Something God and his own law specifically forbade. Like most who are caught in a whirlpool of sin and rebellion, they do what they are going to stubbornly do with little regard for such things as God, right or wrong.

And the woman said unto him,
Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done,
how he hath cut off those
that have familiar spirits,
and the wizards, out of the land:
wherefore then layest thou a snare
for my life, to cause me to die?
(1 Samuel 28:9 - ASV)


This lady, she may have been a witch, but she had not lost all of her common sense. Why should she put her neck on the line? It'll be her, hollering and twisting in the fire while tied to a stake if anyone finds out.

And Saul sware to her by Jehovah,
saying,As Jehovah liveth,
there shall no punishment happen to thee
for this thing. Then said the woman,
Whom shall I bring up unto thee?
And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
(1 Samuel 28:10-11 - ASV)


This passage needs no comment save that he has the audacity to swear by the Lord, while seeking out a witch.

And when the woman saw Samuel,
 she cried with a loud voice;
and the woman spake to Saul, saying,

 Why hast thou deceived me?
for thou art Saul.
(1 Samuel 28:12 - ASV)


As she does her 'reading', she is shocked at what she sees. And upon seeing Samuel she recognizes Saul for who he is. What happened here?

It's hard to say, but I suspect that this woman probably was used to seeing one or a few different familiar spirits that would mutter some cryptic mumbo-jumbo to those who came to her for which she would get her fee. But this time it was utterly different. Samuel came right up. What he has to say is hardly going to be a comfort to Saul. We will get to that in a minute. But I think the question here needs to be asked, how can God allow this to happen - his prophet Samuel to be called up in such a manner? As Shakespeare put it in his play MacBeth, 'Can the devil speak true?'.

I think what is happening here is that God has allowed this, perhaps even directed it in order to give a final message to this apostate king. Saul may have gone to the witch to hear what she has to say, but here God grants Saul his wish to hear what Samuel has to say to him. Now this is hardly any kind of endorsement of witchcraft, for those who go to them will get what is coming to them and Saul is about to make the final installment on the 'sin repayment plan'. No, the prophets also gave us indication that God can and will use these unholy methods to answer those who have rebelled against him.

[Emphasis mine]

Therefore speak unto them,
 and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah:
Every man of the house of Israel
that taketh his idols into his heart,
and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity
before his face, and cometh to the prophet;
I Jehovah will answer him therein
according to the multitude of his idols;
(Ezekiel 14:4 - ASV)


God is sovereign and at times, God can send a message of judgment via the idols that men love. Be it the idol of occultism, witchcraft, atheism, partisanship or name the idols of our troubled times. God knows how to get a message to folks. But if he has to use those methods, you can be sure that whatever he has to tell folks, is going to be something they have long ignored and just don't want to hear. Like this time. Ever heard someone say be careful what you ask for, you just might get it? Well Saul is about to get what he asks for but it is not what he wanted.

This is a difficult passage but not that hard to understand. How was it that Samuel put it to Saul when he was alive?

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim.
Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah,

 he hath also rejected thee from being king.
(1 Samuel 15:23 - ASV)


Saul's rebellion takes its final form in this misadventure into the realm of witchcraft and Samuel is once again, there to remind him of his wickedness.

We'll take a look at what follows next in this interesting passage of scripture next soon, God willing.


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30 Sept

1 Samuel Part 74

And David answered and said,
Behold the spear, O king!
let then one of the young men
come over and fetch it.
And Jehovah will render to every man
his righteousness and his faithfulness;
forasmuch as Jehovah delivered
thee into my hand to-day,
and I would not put forth my hand
against Jehovah's anointed.
And, behold, as thy life was much set by
this day in mine eyes,
so let my life be much set by
in the eyes of Jehovah,
and let him deliver me
out of all tribulation.
(1 Samuel 26:22-24 - ASV)

We left off last time and David had spared Saul's life once again having taken his spear while he slept. The two were in the middle of a long distance conversation (probably shouting from quite a distance - see vs 26:13). Saul had finally admitted his great error.

The above passage begins with David showing off Saul's spear to him and saying David will allow one of Saul's attendants to come and get it. Dr. John Gill (1697-1771) remarks that this spear may have been a kind of ancient scepter, a symbol of kingly power. If this is the case then what David is subtly doing here is showing Saul that he is neither going to kill him nor steal his throne, but has put the matter in the hands of the Lord.

He then calls on God to render the proper reward as he has done what is right regarding Saul when God delivered Saul into his hands and would not slay God's anointed. He does not call upon nor rely upon the King's justice, on which David had little confidence, but in the Lord's. In this pronouncement to those in hearing distance, David seeks the Lord's help in any coming tribulation he may encounter. Clearly, he knows this thing is not over yet.

Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou,
my son David: thou shalt both do mightily,
and shalt surely prevail.
So David went his way,
and Saul returned to his place.
(1 Samuel 26:25 - ASV)


Saul repents yet again and blesses David for saving him. He even acknowledges that David is going to win this whole 'war'. Saul? It's hard to get a fix on him but I think he was suffering from some kind of manic depression (bi-polar) disorder that probably was exploited by the evil spirits that were troubling him. But that is just my own non-medical opinion based on the scant evidence we have. Saul I think had some deep emotional and more importantly, spiritual 'issues' that began when he repeatedly rebelled against the Lord's commandments.


After Saul's remarks, they part company.

And David said in his heart,
I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul:

 there is nothing better for me
than that I should escape into
the land of the Philistines;
and Saul will despair of me,
to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel:
so shall I escape out of his hand.
And David arose, and passed over,
he and the six hundred men
that were with him,
unto Achish the son of Maoch,
king of Gath.
(1 Samuel 27:1-2 - ASV)


David had to have seen Saul's emotional state and realized the king may have been on shaky ground regarding his mental state and realized he simply could not rely on Saul's transitory phases of 'repentance' to protect him and his band of men. So he decides to go to Philistia and live there in the hopes that Saul will give up his fits and starts that caused him to go and try to slay David.

David here in my very humble opinion is making pretty much the same mistake he made before, running to the Philistines, the enemy of Israel; this after the Lord had delivered him time and again from Saul. John Gill (1697-1771) in his commentary notes that this may have been inadvisable because earlier on, he was told by the prophet Gad to go back to Judah while he was in exile in Moab (vs 22:5). It is in Judah where he had been protected. Why go back to the place where he had to pretend to be crazy in order to escape with this life?  Why go to the idol worshiping enemies of the Lord? This looks to me almost like a kind of retreat in the face of an important victory.

Achish is the son of Moach. Gath is one of the principle cities of the Philistines. He was probably the same one we saw in chapter 21 and he may also be the same one we find in 1Kings 2:39 and if so, he reigned a very long time. But the name may have been a common one. 

And David dwelt with Achish at Gath,
he and his men, every man with his household,
even David with his two wives,
Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,

 and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.
And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath:
and he sought no more again for him.
(1 Samuel 27:3-4 - ASV)


The passage is self explanatory. The key I think is that Saul ceased to bother about David.

And David said unto Achish,
If now I have found favor in thine eyes,
let them give me a place in one of the cities
in the country, that I may dwell there:
for why should thy servant dwell
in the royal city with thee?
Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day:
wherefore Ziklag pertaineth
unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
And the number of the days that David dwelt
in the country of the Philistines was

 a full year and four months.
(1 Samuel 27:5-7 - ASV)


This is rather remarkable and I think shows that even in David's faithlessness, he found favor in the eyes of this Philistine king. He asks for a city to go and dwell in. He does not wish to remain in the capitol and it is not clear why. Perhaps he wanted some space or perhaps he did not want to deal with court intrigue and the many who would question the king about David's presence, which if he lived in the capitol would be a constant reminder. So he asks for a city out in the country. But he may have merely wanted to be out of the King's observation so he could continue his feud with Saul and conduct raids. Zilkag, interestingly was once part of Israel in the times of Joshua (Joshua 19:5).

And David and his men went up,
and made a raid upon the Geshurites,
and the Girzites, and the Amalekites;
for those nations were the inhabitants of the land,
who were of old, as thou goest to Shur,
even unto the land of Egypt.

 And David smote the land,
and saved neither man nor woman alive,
and took away the sheep, and the oxen,
and the asses, and the camels,
and the apparel;
and he returned,
and came to Achish.
(1 Samuel 27:8-9 - ASV)


So David starts his raids. But these raids look like they were designed to eventually increase the Israel's lands and take back land that had been occupied by others and deal with Israel's enemies. For example, the Girzites you can find that this was apportioned to Joseph (Joshua 16:3 see also Deuteronomy 3:14 for the Geshurites). What David seems to be doing is hitting Israel's enemies and apparently trying to reclaim land that was part of the divine heritage.

David spared no one. If you were there, you were going down... six feet under. He took everything that was of value and then came back to the King.

And Achish said,
Against whom have ye made a raid to-day?
And David said, Against the South of Judah,
and against the South of the Jerahmeelites,
and against the South of the Kenites.
And David saved neither man nor woman alive,
to bring them to Gath, saying,
Lest they should tell of us, saying,
So did David, and so hath been his manner

 all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
And Achish believed David, saying,
He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him;

therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
(1 Samuel 27:10-12 - ASV)


So Achish wanted to know where David raided. Clearly he knew what David was up to and may have been asking because he wanted his 'cut' of the booty.  He leaves the king with the impression that David is raiding his old home country but he isn't. Did he raid south of Judah? Yes. Did he raid Judah? No. David killed everyone because he did not want anyone to know who did this deed, particularly the King. The king may also have wanted some slaves ('to bring them to Gath').

Let's face it, David didn't lie about where he was, but he did not appear to tell the whole truth either. Better to let the King live in his delusions. The King had his own agenda as we can see. The more David raided Israel, the more he would be hated by his own people and thus would never be King, he would be a slave to the Philistines instead who could give him over to Israel to be dealt with for his marauding of his own people. Better to let the King think he was raiding Israel.

This is one of those episodes in the scriptures where men of God fail God. Here, it was not a major failure, but clearly David was losing faith and confidence in God's ability to protect him from Saul. So what did he do? He ran; and not only ran, but in the wrong direction - to the enemies of Israel. It may have very well appeared to Saul and much of Israel that David was not only a coward, but a traitor, for there he was in the Philistia working with Achish. Saul and his men may have figured David ruined his reputation to the point he could never be king.

But let us not be too hard on David. He has been a kind of vagabond for months, hanging out with a bunch of outlaws, being hunted by the king and dealing with all manner of mental and physical hardships, day in and day out. David may have just been wore out. Rather than keeping with his previous successful spiritual and tactical plans, he changes things up and not for the better by heading back to Philistia.

Where did David fail? I think he ceased to put his faith fully in God and began to concentrate on his circumstances, he forgot God's goodness and protection and caved in to worry.

Let none of us make that mistake. I know that it is very easy to do. I almost threw in the towel here at the site many years ago (some of you may remember) I was sooo tired and stressed. But God reminded me how he has kept me and this site going against all odds and the sniping, threats, hatred, negative comments and later break-ins, surveillance, stalking and harassment as well as many other things I went through and made it plain to not give up and that if I take care of his business, he will take care of mine. I may not have asked for this site or this ministry but God has given it to me and I have my orders.

You and I? Let us not go to Philistia; let us not look back at Sodom (like Lot's wife); let us keep our eyes front, moving forward in the path that God has set for each of us to walk in.

We will continue our look at Samuel soon, God willing!


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Note: The Bible version usually quoted from on this site is now the American Standard Version, which according to Wikipedia, the Sword Project and various other Bible sites, was published in 1901 and is now in the Public Domain.

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