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1 Samuel 16-18
Giant Problems
Psalm 42:6-11 God is the Rock that Remembers
6.My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar.7.Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.8.Yahweh will command his hesed/loyal covenantal love in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life.9.I will ask God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"10.As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, "Where is your God?"11.Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God."Observation
42:6-11.The second half of the psalm (and the next one) follows the same pattern as 1-5. David cries for help, because God still isn't answering (6-7), then he remembers God's hesed (loyal covenantal love) and that He is his rock/fortress (8-10), and finally expresses confidence in God's help and anticipates praising Him (11). A comparison of verses 5 and 11 reveals a shift from God providing help with His presence/countenance, and God delivering David and saving his countenance/person.
Application
When God isn't delivering, don't despair; recall what He's done and promised, and focus on the praise you'll give Him for His help and salvation.
Prayer
God, thanks that I can trust that You will sustain me in any difficulty with Your presence, and deliver me according to Your perfect will, for which I will praise You. Amen.
Proverbs 12:1-5 Are You on the Path to Blessing?
1.“Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.2.A good man shall obtain favor from Yahweh, but He will condemn a man of wicked devices.3.A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.4.A worthy woman is the crown of her husband, but a disgraceful wife is as rottenness in his bones.5.The thoughts of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.”Observations
12:1.Reproof offers proof of being off the path of blessing, so you can take corrective action.
12:2.
God favors the good; why would you want to be bad?
12:3-5.
A hallmark of Hebrew poetry was the parallelism of concepts rather than the rhyming of words. Note the comparisons and contrasts.
Application
As you read Proverbs, look to see if you're on the right path.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, show me where I need to take corrective action to please You. Amen.
1Samuel 16-18 Giant Problems
David is anointed as king and defeats Goliath, but Saul seeks to destroy him.1 Samuel 16 What God Looks At
1.Yahweh said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons."2.Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." Yahweh said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.3.Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you."4.Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"5.He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.6.It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, "Surely Yahweh’s anointed is before him."7.But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for I see not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart."8.Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has Yahweh chosen this one."9.Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, "Neither has Yahweh chosen this one."10.Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, "Yahweh has not chosen these."11.Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your children here?" He said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is keeping the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."12.So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Yahweh said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."13.Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of Yahweh prospered/came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.14.Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled him.15.Saul’s servants said to him, "See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.16.Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp. It shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well."17.Saul said to his servants, "Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me."18.Then one of the young men answered, and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Yahweh is with him."19.Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep."20.Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by David his son to Saul.21.David came to Saul, and stood before him. He loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.22.Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Please let David stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight."23.It happened, when the spirit from God was on Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.Observations
16:1-5.Samuel's job was to obey Yahweh, even though it was risky and he didn't know how it would turn out. He expressed his concern that Saul would kill him, and God provided a cover story rather than supernatural protection. Our job is to trust and obey what God reveals without knowing all the details.
16:6-7.
God rejected Eliab because of his heart attitude (or lack of it) toward God, and therefore he was not chosen. God evaluates based upon our inner enduring qualities (or lack of them), not appearances, which can be deceiving (even to prophets).
16:12-14.
In almost Cinderella style, Yahweh tells Samuel that David is His choice; he is anointed and the Spirit of God came mightily upon David, and remained!!! The word “came upon” is most frequently translated “prospered,” as in Joshua 1:8. It is used in the book of Judges to describe how the Spirit came upon Samson (only one out of all the judges). It also describes the two times the Spirit came upon Saul. However, the Spirit of God departed from Saul and he gets an evil spirit to afflict him, because he had rejected God through his disobedience. Bad exchange.
16:15-23.
God uses Saul's affliction to bring David into his court for training. Note the characteristics of David.
Application
If we work on cultivating and nourishing our heart toward God, He will prosper us and use us in His service.
Prayer
God, help me see things as You see them; I pray that my heart would be pleasing in Your sight and that You would prosper me. Amen.
1 Samuel 17 Giant Problems
1.Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah3.The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.4.There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span...8.Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.9.If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you will be our servants, and serve us."10.The Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day! Give me a man, that we may fight together!"11.When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.14.David was the youngest (son of Jesse); and the three eldest followed Saul.15.Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.16.The Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.17.Jesse said to David his son, "Now take your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers;18.and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news."19.David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him22.David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.23.As he talked with them, Goliath came out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them.24.All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were terrified.25.The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. It shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free (of taxes) in Israel."26.David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"27.The people answered him in this way, saying, "So shall it be done to the man who kills him."28.Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle."29.David said, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"31.When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.32.David said to Saul, "Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."33.Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."34.David said to Saul, "Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock,35.I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him.36.Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God."37.David said, "Yahweh who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go; and Yahweh shall be with you."38.Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of brass on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.39.David strapped his sword on his clothing, and he tried to move; for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, "I can’t go with these; for I have not tested them." David took them off.40.He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his wallet. His sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.41.The Philistine came on and drew near to David; and the man who bore the shield went before him.42.When the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair face.43.The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" The Philistine cursed David by his gods.44.The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field."45.Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.46.Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you, and take your head from off you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild animals of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,47.and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn’t save with sword and spear: for the battle is Yahweh’s, and he will give you into our hand."48.It happened, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.49.David put his hand in his bag, took a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.50.So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.51.Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head therewith. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.52.The men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines53.The children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.54.David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.55.When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" Abner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I can’t tell."56.The king said, "Inquire whose son the young man is!"57.As David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.58.Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, you young man?" David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."Observations
17:1-11.Big and bad Goliath terrified the Israelites, called the servants of Saul (rather than the servants of God).
17:14-30.
David served Saul and still had to feed the sheep, and his brothers (Cinderfella). He hears Goliath's taunts; then he hears and verifies the king's promise to reward the man who kills Goliath. David sees Goliath, not as a giant problem, but an uncircumcised affront to the living God (outside the realm of blessing and thus only fit for cursing). Un-anointed big brother taunts and unjustly belittles David, projecting his wicked heart upon David.
17:31-54.
David had trusted God in past difficulties (and had experienced His faithfulness), so he could trust Him in the present danger. David accurately sees this as a spiritual battle won by trusting in the power/name of God, so that God would be glorified. Saul can only see the physical dimension, yet agrees to let David represent Israel. The Philistines don't honor the agreement to submit.
17:55-58.
Saul has deteriorated not only spiritually, but also mentally. Perhaps related??
Application
When facing giant sized problems, it's imperative to have a proven relationship with a larger than giant sized God; the battle belongs to the Lord.
Prayer
Mighty God, there is nothing that I can't face as long as You are with me. May I be zealous for Your honor and reputation, fearing only You. Amen.
1 Samuel 18 Envied and Esteemed
1.It happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.2.Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.3.Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.4.Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his clothing, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his sash.5.David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.6.It happened as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.7.The women sang one to another as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands."8.Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?"9.Saul eyed David from that day and forward.10.It happened on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;11.and Saul threw the spear; for he said, "I will pin David even to the wall!" David escaped from his presence twice.12.Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and was departed from Saul.13.Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.14.David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him.15.When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in fear of him.16.But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.17.Saul said to David, "Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh’s battles." For Saul said, "Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him."18.David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"19.But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.20.Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.21.Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David, "You shall this day be my son-in-law a second time."22.Saul commanded his servants, "Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’"23.Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, "Does it seems to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?"24.The servants of Saul told him, saying, "David spoke like this."25.Saul said, "You shall tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’" Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.26.When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. The days were not expired;27.and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.28.Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.29.Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.30.Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it happened, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely/successfully than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was highly esteemed.Observations
18:1-4.Jonathan (Saul's son 14:1) and David had a common commitment to the glory of God, expressed in their faith and courage in battling His enemies. That commonality of purpose and practice bound them together in a covenantal love and loyalty to each other, the best basis for a friendship. Saul had the opposite feelings for David.
18:5.
Wherever David went he wins honor, because he acts wisely/prospered/succeeded (mentioned four times in this chapter, and translated as “success” in Joshua 1:8).
18:6-16.
Spiritual success attracts satanic opposition, as secular success attracts envy. Saul suffering from shallow self esteem, tries to kill David for the successes God had given him. God, who afflicted Saul with an evil spirit, protects David, and Saul is the one afraid. By doing what is right, David is caught in the cross-fire of Saul's fight against God.
18:17.
Saul not only failed to honor his promise to reward the slayer of Goliath with his daughter, but plots to destroy David at the hand of the Philistines. However, God uses Saul's evil intents to further bless and prosper David, giving him success and further favor with the people (and Saul's daughter) as he destroys the Philistines.
Application
Doing what's right will attract animosity from those who don't do what God desires.
Prayer
God, You are worthy of being served, regardless of the consequences; prosper me as I do Your will, and protect me from the schemes of the evil. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God looks for hearts that are wholly devoted to Him, and prospers them in doing His will, fighting their battles in such a way that He is glorified. No problem is too big for Him; He even turns evil into blessing for His servants.
Us in a nutshell: Our worth/value is found in being rightly related to God and doing the things that please Him. Otherwise we seek to be better than others (destroying them if necessary) in order to feel good about ourselves, a futile, self-destructive endeavor. When we do what is good in God's sight, we can freely esteem others.