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MAY 14
1 Samuel 15-16
Just a note here on the passage
of time. We don't have a lot of detail as to how old Saul was when certain
things happened to him. We're not sure how old he was when he began to reign nor
do we know when the following events happened. Here is a suggestion, working
backwards from the beginning of David's rule as
king of Judah in Hebron. David was 30 years old when he became king of Judah,
also meaning that Saul had just died after 40 years of service. If Saul began
to rule when he was 30 or 40, he died when he was 80. So at that point David
was 30 and Saul was 80.
When David killed Goliath he was
not in the army, meaning he was younger than 20. He had three brothers in the
army and four brothers who were not in the army (younger than 20) who were
still older than David. If that oldest brother not in the army was 19 and if David's
mother had had one child a year, David would have been about 15 when he killed
Goliath. David was probably anointed when he was 12 or 13 years old. At this
point then, if Saul was 50 years older than David, Saul would have been about 62
years old and this would have been the 22nd year of his reign.
1 Samuel 15
Vs. 1-2 These words should have been ringing in Saul's ears, listen to the words of the Lord.
Vs. 3-9 Admittedly, this would have been hard for us too, not to get
caught up with an easy victory, feeling good and listening to the wishes of the
people.
V. 6 The Kenites have links to the family of Moses and Judah, and are
good people. Just don't hide in their tents or you're likely to get a tent
stake in the head like in the book of Judges.
Vs. 10-11 This was not a good night. It is interesting to me that
Samuel cried out to the Lord. Remember Moses crying out like this in the
wilderness. It was never good for the people when God was moved to anger.
Samuel, like Moses before him, knew that this would cause Israel to suffer.
It should be noted
that God's regret is not like our regret. God saw this coming, therefore the
test. At this point when Saul did what God knew he would do, God was saddened
because of Saul's disobedience. This makes me think about the verse in Romans
9:22, What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to
make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared
for destruction. Knowing that people will only scorn Him in their lives on
earth is not easy for God.
In Saul making this monument to/for himself, it also shows why he kept
Agag alive and saved the best stuff. It was for his self esteem and popularity.
This stuff would have been a kind of victory parade. It should be noted that
Saul was probably imitating Samuel from 1 Samuel 7:12 when Samuel made a
monument and called it Ebenezer. It is clear from what follows that Saul was
more concerned with his glory than with God's glory. This Carmel is not the one
up by the Mediterranean Sea where Elijah had it out with the priests of Baal.
This Carmel is in Judah.
Vs. 12-23 There is a lot in this section. Notice how Saul tries to
schmooze Samuel in v. 15, your God.
Notice how Saul keeps putting blame on the people and trying to spin
all this as obedience. In v. 20, Saul tried to twist reality into some kind of
obedience.
Vs. 22-23 These are amazing verses and the force of them really slammed
Saul. The issue is always our relationship first and then it is seen in a
heartfelt obedience to His Word.
Vs. 24-35 Saul was finally honest, and yet in v. 25 he was only
thinking about himself and how to save face with the people. He needed them to
see Samuel return with him. What a powerful image of confused spirituality. I
have seen this and it is something you can't fight. Its irrationality defies
logic and argument. When a person's ego is placed before honesty with the Lord,
everything becomes stained and confused.
Samuel relented and went with Saul, but this also seems like the
beginning of Saul becoming dangerous and seriously defensive of his kingship.
1 Samuel 16
Vs. 1-5 I don't think that the Lord waited a long time before He spoke
to Samuel. We know that God doesn't change His mind, but works according to His
foreknowledge, election and purpose. Therefore, choosing a king, and
particularly David as king, was not a new plan. If there had been no Saul, and
if the people had patiently waited and sought God, David would have been king
anyway.
It is another lesson in waiting. The people didn't wait, and God gave
them what they wanted. Saul didn't wait at Gilgal, and the people stayed; but
had he waited, God would have blessed him. As disciples, we don't want God to
work in and around us in spite of ourselves. We want to follow Him, and that
often means seeking Him continually over time and waiting for His clear
leading.
V. 2 Notice that God took Samuel's concern seriously and gave Samuel a
plan. Saul had become a dangerously insecure man.
V. 4 Who were they afraid of? Samuel or Saul? If it was Samuel, his
judgeship must have been a very "Obey God and no fooling around" kind
of ministry to the people. After all, he had just recently slashed Agag to
pieces in 1 Samuel 15:33. On the other hand, you wonder if the people
understood how deeply dangerous and insecure Saul was and that Saul was keeping
his eye on Samuel.
Vs. 6-13 Even Samuel looked at the outward appearance when thinking
about a king. Verse 7 is the great global equalizer. It may be that right now,
the greatest disciple of Christ, following Him in the harvest, reaching the
lost and making disciples, works in the shadows of oppression and will die in
obscurity, poverty and injustice. The Lord looks upon the heart and Jesus told
His Twelve in Matthew 10:26, So have no
fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that
will not be known.
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro
throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is
blameless toward him.
V. 13 Notice again that the Spirit rushed
upon David. It was probably after this that David had his run-in with the
lion and bear. In a way, it is weird to think that if the Spirit in us wanted
to show His stuff, we could do almost anything. I think we see more of the
Spirit when we are abiding in Christ and following Him in the harvest. And to
think, our work in the harvest hardly ever involves hand-to-hand combat with
wild animals.
Vs. 14-23 This was in fact an
evil spirit sent to afflict Saul. To be fair, Saul still had recourse to go
to God and ask for healing. The problem was that Saul had departed from God. We
can't see yet how deeply dark Saul's heart was, but when we see it, it will be
shocking.
Apparently God does this to all of His servants named Saul. The outcome
depends on the heart of that particular Saul. The following Saul was in love
with the Lord and had the burning heart of a disciple.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 So to keep me from becoming conceited
because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in
the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming
conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave
me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of
Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions,
and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
V. 23 I have to
admit that this is confusing, unless Saul had some sort of dementia. When David
comes to fight Goliath, Saul seems to have forgotten who David is. It could be
that some of this is a summary editorial note, referring to David's entire
service to Saul. Still, it makes sense to me that Saul was so brooding about
his life and insecurity that he didn't take much notice of the young teen
playing the music, upon whom the Spirit and the kingship rested. Interestingly,
the Spirit working in David was soothing Saul.
A possible timeline is that David is about 12-13 here. Saul will
reign for about another 17 years. David served Saul off and on, returning to
his home. Saul will get better and not need David as much. There will be some
years of calm. The situation with Goliath will happen when David is about 15.
By the time David is 20 he will begin running from Saul. David will become king
over Judah in Hebron when he is 30, and it is another 7.5 years before he
becomes king of the entire nation. This means that David will have 10 years of
running from Saul and living in Ziklag (16 months) to cry out to God, learn of
God's constant faithfulness and steadfast love, and see God deliver him many,
many times. And he'll write some great psalms.
For us as disciples we learn from Saul to obey the Word and love the
Lord. Once the mission or a church or an outreach becomes about us, we begin to
become like Saul. Loving the Lord keeps us safe and balanced.
As we see the story move on to David, we learn, as we have before, that
God often trains His chosen servants through hardship and waiting as they
follow.
John 7:53-8:20
Now you probably see the note in your Bible that this well beloved
story of Jesus is not included in the oldest and best manuscripts.
There is a time in seminary when you realize that there is another
level of maturity that has to be reached in order not to lose your mind,
because you understand, begrudgingly, that knowing the Greek and Hebrew doesn't
really answer all the questions. In fact, studying the Bible, sometimes,
creates more questions and contradicts some of a person's long held beliefs.
This is an example thereof.
According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary-NT, pp. 346-347, and
everyone else, these verses (7:53-8:11, the story of the woman caught in adultery)
are an interruption in the text from John 7:52 to John 8:12. They differ in the
quality of the Greek, meaning John didn't write these verses, and the oldest
and most reliable manuscripts don't have this story. Apparently it was a story
that John told, but never included in his writing. It means that as this story
circulated among churches, some copyist, years later, decided to insert this
story here. What does this mean for us?
First, it means that we have very reliable documents. Why? Because we
have so many manuscripts and so many parts of the New Testament (many more than
any other book from those times) that we can compare and know what the original
Bible looked like. It isn't that we have 87% and have to guess what that
missing 13% is. Rather, we have 120%, and with that, we can compare manuscripts
and figure out not only when, but also where, an error might have come into the
lineage of a text family.
Second, forgeries, even by the "well-meaning," were never
tolerated because the men of old knew what was at risk in the copying and
transmission of the Bible. The guy who wrote 3rd Corinthians was high up the
food chain, but when he was discovered, he lost his job and pension.
Third, without getting too wishy-washy, it might be that God did allow
the story to be included for a reason. The story is true to Jesus' character
and doesn't contradict anything. I wouldn't base the gospel on this story, and
knowing there is doubt about the story, I wouldn't base a lot of argument upon
it. I would recognize in a mature fashion that godly men, and some of the
brightest and best Greek scholars, say that it doesn't fit here. Yet, no one
denies that it fits to Jesus and the conflict He was having in Jerusalem. I
would still use it, but carefully.
Vs. 1-11 Notice that they brought the woman, but not the man. This
suggests it was a trap for the woman so that this situation would become a trap
for Jesus. According to the law, in the case of adultery, there were always two
deaths. The Jews were forbidden by Rome to put anyone to death.
No one knows what Jesus wrote, but whatever happened here, the older
and more mature responded first.
Vs. 12-20 After the morning session of teaching, Jesus came into the
Treasury or the Court of Women. Jesus' first outburst had come as a procession
brought water for cleansing into the temple. Then, He had screamed out that He
was the living water. The outburst that takes place here was during the
lighting of the giant lamps that hung in this court. Appropriately, Jesus
presents Himself to Israel as the light
of the world. Jesus was very direct. I'll bet His disciples were very
embarrassed.
Vs. 13-18 This argument with the Pharisees sounds like what happened
back in John 5. The leaders were still stuck on the same petty arguments. But
Jesus' testimony was based on both His words and on the signs the Father had
given Him to do. Both His word and His signs were clearly from God.
V. 19 You get the feeling here that the leaders were grasping at any
irrational straw that appeared. Jesus' Father could only be God, but they were
in denial.
V. 20 Notice, that even though Jesus was in close quarters where even a
ninja would have had a hard time escaping, no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
As disciples, we can take courage at Jesus' courage. He risked this to
present the truth to save any who would come to Him.
Psalm 110
This is a prophetic psalm pointing to Jesus and it is quoted in
Hebrews. Can you see the verses that are quoted by Paul (or whoever wrote
Hebrews)? David was very likely the king of the entire nation, having received
the promise of his offspring leading Israel. David may have understood that
God's promise meant that the Messiah, and therefore, the fulfillment of the
promise to Abraham and the promise to Adam and Eve, would come through him. And
then, the Holy Spirit rushed upon David and he wrote.
Vs. 1-3 This king will be the King of kings. You see that v. 1 is
quoted of Jesus and that all of these verses refer to Him.
Notice here that Jesus was commanded to sit at the right hand of the
Father. This had to happen to fulfill prophecy. Jesus, the human king, the Son
of Man, was to take this position of victory and authority. I think it was then,
and only then, that He could "give gifts to men," that is, send the
Holy Spirit.
V. 4 This is the Spirit speaking through David. David had shown
enthusiasm and power in leading the people in coming to worship God. When David
brought the ark to Jerusalem, it wasn't just smart politics, but David
passionately loved God. David knew the nation had to be focused and unified in
their worship of God. David had to, and did, lead them to worship, but David
couldn't sacrifice. David did foresee that this "Son," would lead
Israel in being both a king and a priest. This verse is mentioned in Hebrews.
Vs. 5-7 As both king and priest, the Messiah will execute judgment on
the earth.
Proverbs 15:8-10
This sounds like
it was written to King Saul, but it eventually also applied to Solomon. As
disciples, we cut to the very core of the matter when we remember that we have
been saved and now are alive only in Christ. Now as His servants, we serve Him
as we pray and pursue Him, following in this harvest.
Galatians 2:20 I
have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who
lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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, as disciples, 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, 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 (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only note
where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these and
find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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