1 Samuel 26-28
We are only getting a few stories from this time in David's life. I guess you could call the psalms, David's journal. In Chapter 27 we come to a point where we know some dates and how much time is passing. David will live in Ziklag 16 months and he became king in Hebron when he was 30. This means that in chapter 27, David is 28 and eight months or so. David has been running for years, since he was 20 or 21.
1 Sam. 26
Vs. 1-12 I think this is the first time we hear of Joab the son of Zeruiah and any of his brothers. During this time of running, David acquired his mighty men, amazing warriors who could really kick donkey (I think they said that back then). There were the "three," and then there was the "thirty." While the "three" refers to three actual guys, "the thirty" probably refers to a group whose members changed. Abishai is part of the thirty.
Apparently, as they observed how everyone was sleeping, David knew that it was a God induced sleep.
Notice in verse eight that Abishai is willing to do the job that he knows David doesn't have the conscience for. Abishai might have been with David in the cave when David spared Saul. David spares Saul again and tells Abishai the reasons why this shouldn't be done, even appealing to God's own judgment. Here, knowing what Joab's character is like, I find it interesting that the Lord lets us know it was Abishai who suggested this murder.
Vs. 13-25 I just have a couple of observations.
Notice how David goes after Abner; and then in verse 19 says if the Lord was doing this, good, but if it was men who were inciting the king, then they should be cursed. It seems to me that with the length of time David had been running and with the length of time David will be in a civil war with the house of Saul after Saul is dead, that there were other players and people working. Abner played a major role.
V. 21 There is nothing more uncertain and unstable than someone who says he's wrong and keeps on doing the same wrong thing. I'm sure this is what led to David's actions in chapter 27. David finally saw there will be no human solution.
Vs. 23-24 David seems to be saying that he expected the Lord to keep him safe and understood this was a kind of test that the Lord had given him. The opposite would be true of Saul, who was neither righteous nor faithful.
1 Sam. 27
This is the same Achish, king of Gath, that David did the drool thing with back in 21:10. Now, possibly seven or eight years later, the madness of Saul and the plight of David are a kind of legend. Achish has proof that David is harmless.
Vs. 6-7 With 600 men and their families, I don't think David stayed there too long. According to Joshua 15:31, Ziklag belonged to the tribe of Judah.
Vs. 8-12 What do you do if your only skill is killing and looting? Somehow when I read this, I don't think David's lying is noble or honoring to the Lord. I don't know what David should have done, but his lying will come back to haunt him, I think.
1 Sam. 28
Vs. 1-2 I think this put David into a hard situation, but he played along.
V. 3-25 I have a few observations.
In the years of David's hiding, Saul did some "god" things to show he was religious and was a "good" follower of Yahweh. One of those is that he had all those who communicated with the dead put out of the land or to death. Later in 2 Samuel 22:1, we'll find out that during this time, Saul also almost exterminated the Gibeonites from Israel. These are the people who tricked Joshua and with whom Joshua made a covenant. Saul apparently thought killing these people would make God happy. This act of Saul's will come back to haunt his family. Whereas David promised not to kill Saul's family, because of God's judgment on what Saul did to the Gibeonites, most of Saul's male heirs will die. Anyway, during this time Saul was busy doing 'god things' to get back into God's good graces. He just never changed his heart.
V. 12 I heard a Walter Martin tape on this one time and it made sense to me. The woman had a "familiar spirit," a demon she worked with that could impersonate the dead person who was "called." What freaked her out was that this wasn't her lying spirit, it was actually Samuel whom she saw. Therefore she freaked and knew that she had been tricked and was in danger.
Notice that Samuel appears in bodily form, as do Moses and Elijah later with Jesus. Texts like these help give us the "doctrine" or teaching of the intermediate body. That is, before we receive a resurrection body, we will still have a body. The resurrection body comes at the coming of Christ for the church (1Cor. 15:51-58 …the dead in Christ shall rise and we [those of the church living at that time] will be changed), and then for all other believers (pre- and post-church age) at the end of the Millennium reign of Jesus (Rev. 20:5-6), and finally for those who have rejected God from every age (Rev. 20:12-13).
I'm sure you wondered where we get all this theology and teaching from. It's from the Bible and all of this stuff you're reading. Pretty cool, huh?
Anyway, Samuel has a body.
V. 19 almost sounds like that "good news/bad news" joke where the good news is that there's baseball in heaven, and the bad news is that the guy getting this report will be pitching tomorrow. But Saul didn't think this news was funny.
At the end of the story there is a little more going on than meets the eye. Saul refused to eat…almost made a vow, but in typical fashion, Saul was talked out of it and gave in to those urging him. He was a man of no resolve, except to resist God and kill David.
But, on the part of the woman, if they received her hospitality, they couldn't kill her. That is why she did the elaborate "fatted calf" thing. I mean, how long did that take? They didn't have microwave "fatted calf." This had to have taken hours. A couple of sandwiches would have worked too. Saul must have rested during this time and talked with his men. Anyway, they couldn't receive her kindness and then kill her.
What a messed-up deal, but really, on this earth, all of us are messed up and walking encyclopedias of contradictions. That's what sin does to us.
John 11:1-53
You'll make plenty of observations here. I only have a few comments.
Jesus apparently knew from the Spirit what was happening, and therefore stayed until Lazarus was not just dead, but good and dead.
V. 16 The disciples knew that going anywhere near Jerusalem was dangerous.
V. 35 The shortest verse in the Bible.
The Jews thought that the spirit hovered over a dead person for three days. So, it is significant that Jesus waited until the fourth day to arrive.
Also, was this resurrection or recreation? If the spirit had returned to that body, it would have been a mess: rotting flesh, dead blood, yuck! In order for the body to have been made ready for the spirit of Lazarus to return, the body had to have been fully recreated: every cell and every function. Who says God needs billions of years to create? Jesus did it there and it took no time and there was no pause, no grunt of exertion.
V. 51 God can even use the mouths of evil men.
Psalm 117
Paul quotes this in Romans 15 in talking about Jesus coming to save the Gentiles. "Nations" and "Gentiles are the same word.
Romans 15:8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise thee among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name"; 10 and again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people"; 11 and again, "Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him"; 12 and further Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope."
God's faithfulness is to fulfill His promise of redemption, to save and rescue those lost in sin and darkness. We, the rescued work with Him as His disciples, following Christ in the harvest.
Proverbs 15:22-23
Amen.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
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