Bible in one year 5/29/2022 1 Samuel Chapter 25-31
By Rev.Katherine Liu
Bruce
Christian Arts
Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
Counseling
1 Samuel Chapter 25
David and Abigail
Now Samuel died,
and David moved down into the Desert of Maon. A desert area eight miles S. of
Hebron. Nabal’s place of business was in Carmel (not the Mt. Carmel near
Galilee, but a place seven miles S. of Hebron), though his home was actually in
Maon, a mile farther S. Nabal means “ fool” and his manner of conducting
himself indicates that the name was appropriate. A festive time, a day of
prosperity and celebration at shearing time. David and his men had been
protecting the flocks and possessions of Nabal (25:15-16,21) in return for
provisions and payday had finally arrived. Nabal not only refused to pay, but
pretended not to know of David or of their agreement.(v.11). One of the
servants told Nabal’s wife Abigail: “ David sent messengers from the desert to
give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them.” (v.14). Nabal
perhas, yelled or screamed at them. So Abigail immediately took two hundred
loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted
grain…and told her servants, “go on
ahead, I will follow,” but she didn’t tell her husband Nabal. (vv.18-19).
Abigail argued that the needless shedding of blood at this time would not be in
David’s best interests. The figure is taken from the custom of binding
valuables in a bundle to protect them from injury. God cares of His own as a
man does his treasure.(vv.29-13). David accepted the provisions. Nabal
apparently suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. After Nabal died, David took
Abigail as wife.
1 Samuel 26 In the
desert of Ziph, David spares Saul again
The incidents related in Chapers24 and 26 are similar, but the
differences are sufficient to establish that the events are in fact separate. David
hided on the hill of Hakilah, Desert of Ziph. Saul went with his three thousand
chosen men of Israel to search there for David. Saul made his camp beside the
road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert.
When he saw that Saul had followed him there, he sent out scouts and learned
that Saul had definitely arrived. Then David set out and went to the place
where Saul had camped. (vv.1-5).David and Abishai went to the army by night,
and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with hie spear stuck in the
ground near his head. David said to Abishai, “ Don’t destroy him! Who can
lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? The Lord himself will strike him; either his time will come go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid
that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed, now get the spear and water jug
that are near his head, and let’s go.”(vv.9-10). David
recognized God’s sovereignty over the life of Saul and believed that God would
remove him from office in His own perfect time. David would be willing to offer
an atoning sacrifice to God if there were any offense on his own part. But if
other men were the cause of Saul’s hostility toward him, they should be judged.
Go, serve other gods. David believed that his exile from the land, the
inheritance from God, was equivalent to forcing him to abandon the worship of
the Lord, for there were no sanctuaries of the Lord outside Israelite
territory. David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hills
some distance away, and said to Saul, “ Why my lord pursuing his
servant? What have I done and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the
kng listen to his servant’s words. If the lord has incited you against me, then
may he accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed
before the Lord! they have now driven me from my share in the Lord’s
inheritance and have said,” Go, serve other gods.” Now do not let my blood fall
to the g round far from the presence of the Lord. ..:(vv.19-20). Saul repented, “ I have sinned. Come back,
David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to
harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly.” David replied, “ The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness
and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not
lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so
may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.” (vv.23-24) Finally, Saul blessed David, “ May you be blessed, my son
David; you will do great things and surely triumph. So David went his way, and
Saul returned home. (v.25).
1 Samuel Chapter 27 The refuge of
David in Philistine Territory; David become a Philistine
David, placing no confidence in
Saul’s blessing (26:25), sought refuge from Saul outside Israelite territory.
David returned to Achish, king of Gath (21:10-15), who welcomed him, no doubt
having heard of the split between David and Saul and desirous of strengthening
his army with David’s six hundred fighting men. Ziklag (v.6). A city located
about twelve miles N. of Beersheba. The move was probably motivated by David’s
desire to be free from Philistine surveillance and to avoid pagan influence.
David used Ziklag as a base for his raids on the northern Sinai desert tribes,
which were enemies of Judah, while he pretended to serve the interests of
Achish. (vv.8-10). Negev. The geographical region S. of the hill country of
Judah, the center of which is Beersheba.(v.10).
1 Samuel 28 Saul consults the medium
at Endor
David’s response to Achish’s summons
to join in war against the Israelites was ambiguous. He dared not refuse; yet to
accede would have pitted him against his own people. This aspect of the story
resumes in 29:1. In obedience to the law, Saul
had removed those who practiced spiritism (Deut.18:10-11). Saul was in
panic because the Philistines were poised at Shunem (seven miles E. of
Megiddo), ready to battle the Israelites in the plain of Jezreel, where their
sophisticated weapons could be used more advantageously to crush the
Israelites. (vv.4-5). Urim(v.6). Saul may have set up under Zadok a rival priesthood
to Abiathar’s and so could get no guidance from God. A
woman who is a medium (v.7), one who practices necromancy, consulting the dead
to determine the future, strictly forbidden by the law (Lev.19:31). At
Endor(v.7), between Mount Tabor and the Hill of Moreh, lived a medium who had
escaped Saul’s purge. The medium shrieked with fear when Samuel himself
actually appeared, rather than some spirit that would impersonate him. On this
occasion God miraculously permitted the actual spirit of Samuel to speak and
announce Saul’s imminent death(v.19). A spirit (v.13), a superhuman figure or
spirit of the dead (Samuel). The spirit of Samuel came up to announce Saul’s
death and The Lord will hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.
Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of
Samuel’s words. (vv.16-20).
1
Samuel Chapter 29 David dismissed by the Philistines
The Philistine rulers (v.2)
Civil rulers of the Philistine cities (of whom Achish was one). The Lord used
the suspicion of the Philistines to deliver David from the distressing
predicament of fighting Israel or being killed by Achish for disloyalty.
1 Samuel Chapter 30 David destroys the
Amalekites
The
Amalekites, whom Saul failed to destroy completely (15:2-3,10-19), continued to
be a curse to the Israelites. They intended to make their captives slaves. The
brook Besor is the major wade (a usually dry river bed) that drains the Negev
and empties into the Mediterranean just S. of Gaza.(v.9). David used his
plunder as presents for his friends in Judah.(vv.26-31). David reestablished
contact with the citizens of Judah who were later to name him king(2Sam.2:1-4).
All the cities mentioned were in the territory of Judah and Simeon. Bethel
(v.27).
1Samuel
31 The Philistines and the death of Saul
Mount
Gilboa is 1,696 feet high, located in the Valley of Jezreel. This “Waterloo”
(v.2) of Saul and his sons fulfilled Samuel’s prophecy (28:19). The Philistines pressed
hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and
malkishua. Uncircumcised…abuse me(v.4). Remembering how the Philistines abused
and tormented Samson, Saul wished to prevent such from happening to him,
especially since he was the Lord’s anointed. Saul took his own sword and fell
on it. (vv.2-5). They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths
and feastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. The house of the
Ashtoreths was the temple of Ashtarte, the Canaanite fertility goddess and
counterpart of Baal, and was located in the strategic city of Beth Shan (at the
junction of the Jezreel an Jordan valleys). The bodies of the fallen warriors
were hung on the wall along the open square of the city (2Sam.21:12). The
bodies were recovered and buried by the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had not forgotten
how Saul had once rescued them (11:1-11). Cremation was not the general Hebrew
practice except in the case of criminals (Josh.7:25). The bodies may have been
burned because they had been badly rutilated; even so, the bones were preserved
and buried. The week of fasting (v.13) was a sign of public mourning for the
king of Israel. Saul’s great failure as king was his disobedience, which eventually
disqualified him for holding the office. Had Saul been obedient to God, perhaps
his life would have ended in great glory rather than in darkm tragic defeat.
(John14:15).
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago,
IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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