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,
probably since he was 20.
1 Samuel
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 were the "thirty." While
the "three" refers to three actual guys, "the thirty"
probably refers to a group whose members changed. Abishai was part of the
thirty.
Apparently,
as they observed how everyone was sleeping, David knew that it was a
God-induced sleep.
Notice in
v. 8 that Abishai was willing to do the job that he knew David didn't have the
conscience for. Abishai might have been with David in the cave when David
spared Saul. David spared Saul again and told 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
Notice how David went after Abner; and then in v. 19 said 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 to keep
Saul on the throne and to kill David. I'll bet Abner played a major role in
keeping the political intrigue and misinformation alive. In many of his psalms,
David talks about lying and treachery. Saul had powerful men around him who
knew that if David came to power, they would lose their jobs and their income.
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 would 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 Samuel
27
Vs. 1-4
This is the same Achish, king of Gath, that David did the drool thing with back
in 1 Samuel 21:13. Now, possibly seven or eight years later, the madness of
Saul and the plight of David were a kind of legend. Achish had proof that David
was hated by Saul and alienated from his people.
For some
undisclosed period of time, David lived at Gath with his small army and their
families. This must have been crowded, but it did achieve a purpose. In v. 4 it
shows that Saul was still actively pursuing and trying to kill David, but there
was no way Saul would go to the gates of Gath to do it. Saul stopped.
Vs. 5-7
This is ironic. In return for David's loyalty, Achish gave David Ziklag.
According to Joshua 15:31, Ziklag belonged to the tribe of Judah. This would be
David's home, with his 600 men and their families, for the next 16 months.
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 and deception will come back to
haunt him, I think.
On a
positive note, in v. 8 I finally noticed that the people David preyed upon were
the "old" inhabitants of Canaan, who Israel, in disobedience, did not
drive out. Some of these people were preying upon Israel. In effect, David was
acting as a judge in Israel and fulfilling some of what God had told Joshua and
Israel to do.
Apparently
the times were so lawless that you almost expected some nomadic group to swoop
in and destroy a town. That must have added to David's deception and have kept
him safe.
V. 12
Achish definitely got the wrong idea. David was a thoroughly true-blue Jew and
follower of Yahweh.
1 Samuel
28
Vs. 1-2 I
think this put David into a hard situation, but he played along. The words, you shall know what your servant can do,
would have been an amazement to Achish, if David had gone into battle with him.
David would have fought to defend Israel, and Achish would have been toast.
Vs. 3-7 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 put to
death. Apparently Saul did this out of some emotional response to Samuel's
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. God never rejects true
repentance.
Vs. 8-14 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 appeared 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. For the church, the resurrection body comes at the coming of
Christ for the church (1 Cor. 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) they will be given a resurrection
body at the second coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation. Finally, for
those who have rejected God from every age, they will receive a resurrection
body, albeit, without a sinless nature, at the end of the Millennium (Rev.
20:12-13) and be thrown into eternal judgment.
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 had 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.
Vs. 20-25
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 fattened
calf thing. I mean, how long did that take? They didn't have microwave fattened 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. It looks too, that she wanted Saul healthy enough
to get up and get out of there.
What a
messed-up deal, but really, on this earth, all of us are messed-up, walking
encyclopedias of contradictions. That's what sin does to us.
John 11:1-53
This is
another great chapter in John with great disclosures about Jesus' identity, and
it shows us how Jesus abided in the Father.
Vs. 1-4
When Jesus heard this, He understood from the Spirit that this situation was
for the glory of God, and would be a testimony to His identity. I think that in
abiding in Christ, this is how we also are to understand the situations the
Lord brings into our lives. We are here to serve Him in the harvest and He
designs every intersection. Our job is to remain alert and ready for what He
has for us.
V. 2 is an
editorial note. Apparently this event was known throughout the church. Mary
anointed Jesus' feet weeks after this event.
Vs. 5-6
Under the Spirit's direction Jesus knew what was happening, and therefore
stayed until Lazarus was not just dead, but good and dead.
Vs. 7-16
It is interesting to see that the disciples were very concerned with their
lives. They knew the danger of going anywhere near Jerusalem, and Bethany was
only two miles away from Jerusalem. Jesus' comment for them to walk in the day
either meant to follow Him while He was still there, or to follow when God's
will is clearly laid out before us. In any case, following the Lord, we can
have absolute confidence that nothing can happen to us that is not allowed by
the Father.
I don't
know that they understood Jesus would raise Lazarus, but Thomas spoke for all
of the disciples by his willingness to follow to the death. He wasn't being
funny. He meant that.
Vs. 17-19
This is all very interesting information. That Lazarus had already been in the
tomb for four days is important. 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, it says that many Jews, leading people from
Jerusalem, were present with Martha and Mary.
Vs. 20-27
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went into action and met Him.
Apparently as a result of Jesus' teaching, she had a good idea of the coming
judgment and resurrection. Her remark that Jesus could ask anything of the
Father and receive it could have been her hoping against hope that Jesus might
raise Lazarus, but when she raised a stink at the tomb, it appears that she
didn't believe Jesus would raise her brother. She must have only understood
that Lazarus would be raised on the last day.
V. 25
Jesus told her that the resurrection wasn't focused on a time, but on a person,
Him.
V. 27 This
is a great confession of faith.
Vs. 28-37
It is interesting to see how the Father set up this situation. The Jewish
leaders all followed Mary, and when Jesus was faced with all this sorrow, He
too was overcome. Verse 35 is the shortest verse in the Bible.
When it
says Jesus was deeply moved, that can
be translated as "angry." I've heard a lot of spiritual explanations
of why Jesus was angry, but I think Jesus looked angry because He was simply
fighting back tears. I think His face was contorting, because he was trying to
keep from crying, and this is what John expressed.
Vs. 36-37
Now the Jewish leaders were also caught in the emotion, wishing Jesus had been
there.
Vs. 38-44
There isn't a lot of build up here. Martha objected to the stone being removed,
but Jesus told her that faith was necessary in order for the glory of God to be seen. Jesus prayed very briefly, shouted,
and out popped Lazarus. The expression in Greek is, "Loose him and let him
go." I like that.
So, was
this resurrection or recreation? If the spirit had returned to that body, it
would have been a mess. After four days the body was just rotting flesh and
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. It took no time, and there was no pause, or grunt of exertion.
Vs. 45-53
Many Jews believed but some were snitches. The entire discussion of the leaders
was a profound lesson in irrationality. Jesus did mighty signs. Everyone might believe in Him. The Romans would come
and destroy Jerusalem. But if Jesus was the Christ, the signs were from the
Father, and believing in Him was right. If the nation had turned to Him, the
Romans would not have been a problem.
V. 51 God
can even use the mouths of evil men.
V. 52 This
is John showing that this was for the plan of redemption.
Psalm 117
V. 1 Paul
quotes this in Romans 15 when talking about Jesus coming to save the Gentiles. Nations and Gentiles are the same word.
Romans 15:8-12 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, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify
God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the
Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10And
again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11And again, “Praise the Lord, all you
Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12And
again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the
Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”
V. 2 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.
In so doing, He continues to show His steadfast
love and faithfulness to those
who need Him.
Proverbs 15:22-23
Amen.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/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 complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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