Day 90: 2 Samuel 7-9

(The previous post covered David's formal anointing as King of Israel and David bringing the Ark back to Israel.)

2 Samuel 7

(This chapter introduced the Davidic Covenant.)

¹ And it came to pass, when the king dwelt in his house, and Jehovah had given him rest from all his enemies round about,
² that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

(David wanted to build a house for God because David had rest from all his enemies. Notice, David was not at war. David took counsel from Nathan the prophet. This was the third prophet from whom David took direction.)

³ And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thy heart; for Jehovah is with thee.

(Nathan knew God was with David but did Nathan ask God first? Nathan stated his will.)

⁴ And it came to pass the same night, that the word of Jehovah came unto Nathan, saying,
⁵ Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?

(God responded to Nathan stating his will. God gave Nathan a question for David.)

⁶ for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
⁷ In all places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built me a house of cedar?

(God had never asked for a house to be built. David had the wrong reason: boredom. What would God do to "punish" David?)

⁸ Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince over my people, over Israel;
⁹ and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a great name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth.

(God reminded David of what He had done for him.)

¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first,
¹¹ and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will cause thee to rest from all thine enemies. Moreover Jehovah telleth thee that Jehovah will make thee a house.

(God promised David two things:
1) "I will appoint a place for my people Israel," and
2) I "will make thee a house.")

¹² When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

(Peter referenced this verse in Acts 2:30 during his sermon at Pentecost.)

¹³ He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

(Notice, God said that He would build David a house. God said David’s seed would build His house. God said the one who rules forever (Messiah) would come from David. This was known as "The Davidic Covenant." Jesus (Messiah) would come from the line of David, who was of the line of Judah. In the New Testament, when people referred to Jesus as "son of David." this was the same as saying, "Messiah.")

¹⁴ I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

(Paul referenced this verse in 2 Corinthians 6:18.)

¹⁵ but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

(God’s lovingkindness (mercy) would not depart from David’s seed who built God’s house. This part of the Covenant eventually referred to Solomon. We will see that God would not punish Solomon during Solomon's time on earth.)

¹⁶ And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
¹⁷ According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

(Nathan relayed all of God’s Words to David.)

¹⁸ Then David the king went in, and sat before Jehovah; and he said, Who am I, O Lord Jehovah, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?

(David responded humbly. It was clear that David believed God's plan for this kingdom and house for David was better than David's plan. David sat before God and began to pray…)

¹⁹ And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O Lord Jehovah; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come; and this too after the manner of men, O Lord Jehovah!
²⁰ And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord Jehovah.
²¹ For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it.
²² Wherefore thou art great, O Jehovah God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

(David recognized God and His greatness and built his faith.)

²³ And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem unto himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and terrible things for thy land, before thy people, whom thou redeemest to thee out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
²⁴ And thou didst establish to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever; and thou, Jehovah, becamest their God.
²⁵ And now, O Jehovah God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm thou it for ever, and do as thou hast spoken.

(David referenced Justice regarding Israel: "what one nation in the earth is like thy people." David stated that his will was God’s Will.)

²⁶ And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, Jehovah of hosts is God over Israel; and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee.
²⁷ For thou, O Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
²⁸ And now, O Lord Jehovah, thou art God, and thy words are truth, and thou hast promised this good thing unto thy servant:

(God’s Words are truth: a right what with a right how/why. The word "words" in this verse meant God’s spoken words. When God speaks, it is truth.)

²⁹ now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee; for thou, O Lord Jehovah, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

(David's request was for God's Will to happen and for Israel and his house to be blessed forever.)




2 Samuel 8
¹ And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.

(David's rest from war was over. David "took the bridle," or authority, of the mother city of the Philistines. The "mother city" was also translated as "Methegammah.")

² And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.

(David defeated Moab (from Lot by his eldest daughter), half of which were put to death and half became his servants.)

(Verses 3-8: David conquered the Syrians.)

³ David smote also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River.
⁴ And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.

("Hocking" a horse meant the horses were damaged (hamstrung) and no longer useful for war.)

⁵ And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succor Hadadezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.
⁶ Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. And Jehovah gave victory to David whithersoever he went.

(David defeated everyone he fought with, continuing to increase his military power and number of servants.)

⁷ And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
⁸ And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
⁹ And when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,
¹⁰ then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:

(King Toi sent gifts to David because David defeated a common enemy.)

¹¹ These also did king David dedicate unto Jehovah, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued;
¹² of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
¹³ And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, even eighteen thousand men.
¹⁴ And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And Jehovah gave victory to David whithersoever he went.

(This passage mentioned all four tribes that we have been following from Esau (Edom and Amalek) and from Lot (Ammon and Moab). The point to realize was that David was more successful at war after he was prevented from building God's house than he was before that time. David immediately responded to God's correction through Nathan.)

¹⁵ And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people.

(David’s actions were Right and Just.)

¹⁶ And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

(Joab was David's General. Joab's role within David's kingdom continues to be interesting moving forward.)

¹⁷ and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was scribe;

(Zadok and Ahimelech were the priests. These two men also played important roles among David's leadership.)

¹⁸ and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief ministers.




2 Samuel 9
¹ And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

(David looked for a way to be kind to Saul’s family because of his second Covenant (1 Samuel 20) with Jonathan.)

² And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
³ And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, who is lame of his feet.

(David heard about Jonathan’s son who was lame from a servant of Saul named Ziba.)

⁴ And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
⁵ Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

(David called for Mephibosheth.)

⁶ And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold, thy servant!
⁷ And David said unto him, Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

(David restored all of Saul’s land to Mephibosheth. He had been living in the "house of Machir" which showed he did not have land of his own before David restored it to him. Also he was to eat at David’s table which was an honor that far surpassed returning his families land to him. Mephibosheth was being treated like family, like a son.)

⁸ And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
⁹ Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son.

(Ziba was informed about the restoration of Mephibosheth.)

¹⁰ And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
¹¹ Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

(Ziba was now responsible for the care of Mephibosheth's land.)

¹² And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.

(David ruled over all of Israel, which totally dominated every other nation. The Ark was back and David had kept his second Covenant with Jonathan. God said David's line would build His house, always have lovingkindness from God, and eventually, the Christ would come from David's line. It looked like everything was perfect.)

(This post covered the Davidic Covenant and Israel's domination over every other nation.)

Day 91

Day 89: 2 Samuel 4-6

(The previous post covered David's first actions as king: having the Amalekite killed that claimed to have killed Saul and David becoming king over a united Israel.)

2 Samuel 4
¹ And when Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
² And Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is reckoned to Benjamin:
³ and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there until this day).

(Abner was Saul's/Israel's General. It caused Ish-bosheth, acting king of Israel, a lot of stress when his General left him for David and was subsequently killed.)

⁴ Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel; and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

(Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, was "lame of his feet." Mephibosheth will be an important piece to the second Covenant David made with Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20 when:
1) Jonathan promised to tell David any negative response from Saul and,
2) David promised to take care of Jonathan's family.)

⁵ And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, as he took his rest at noon.
⁶ And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him in the body: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
⁷ Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.
⁸ And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

(Rechab and Baanah brought Ish-bosheth's head to David. David was avenged of Saul's son. Verse 2 above stated that Rechab and Baanah were "of the children of Benjamin." These men were from the same tribe as Saul. Was this God’s vengeance or man’s?)

⁹ And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
¹⁰ when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his tidings.
¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
¹² And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

(It was man's vengeance. David compared this killing to the Amalekite who told him that he killed Saul. David stated these people thought that David was going to reward them good for the evil they had done just like the Amalekite thought he would be rewarded. David commanded his men to kill the two men who killed Saul's son Ish-bosheth. David recognized Ish-bosheth as a righteous man. Clearly these two men, Rechab and Baanah, did not understand the man that David was.)




2 Samuel 5

(This chapter covered David being made king over a unified Israel.)

¹ Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
² In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and Jehovah said to thee, Thou shalt be shepherd of my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.
³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah: and they anointed David king over Israel.

(The elders of Israel recognized that even while Saul was king, David was a leader to them. David was anointed King of Israel.)

⁴ David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

(If David was anointed king by Samuel at about 15-20 years old, it took him 10-15 years for that anointing to be official. Along the way, David never sought out the throne as a cause. David sought out God, and his faith in God was proven every time David waited on the Lord for this position of authority.)

⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.
⁶ And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither; thinking, David cannot come in hither.

(Jerusalem was still inhabited by Jebusites who were Canaanites. The Jebusites mocked David and his troops, essentially saying, "even the blind and the lame could defeat you.")

⁷ Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.

("Zion" and "the city of David" were other names for Jerusalem.)

⁸ And David said on that day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and smite the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul. Wherefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house.

(David encouraged his men to defeat the Jebusites who David called "lame" and "blind.")

⁹ And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
¹⁰ And David waxed greater and greater; for Jehovah, the God of hosts, was with him.

(The defeat of the Jebusites in Jerusalem was complete. So much so that David called the name of the city: the city of David.)

¹¹ And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.
¹² And David perceived that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

(David perceived that God had established him King of Israel because he grew greater and greater because God was with him. Notice, another king from another nation was sending gifts to David, trying to gain his favor.)

¹³ And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.
¹⁴ And these are the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

(David took even more concubines and wives. Notice, Solomon was mentioned. He was born in Jerusalem, but we have not covered the circumstances of his birth.)

¹⁵ and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
¹⁶ and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.

(Verses 17-25: David has another conflict with the Philistines, this time as King of Israel.)

¹⁷ And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.
¹⁸ Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
¹⁹ And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said unto David, Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

(Now that David was King of Israel, he would fight against the Philistines. He took counsel from God before doing this. The counsel was for the benefit of Israel.)

²⁰ And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said, Jehovah hath broken mine enemies before me, like the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.

(Baal-perazim meant "lord of the breaks." The defeat was so overwhelming, it was like a breakthrough of water.)

²¹ And they left their images there; and David and his men took them away.
²² And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
²³ And when David inquired of Jehovah, he said, Thou shalt not go up: make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.

(God is a master of strategy. This time, God directed David to go behind the Philistines.)

²⁴ And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is Jehovah gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.

(God gave David a sign for when to attack: when David heard the Philistines marching on the mulberry-trees. "Mulberry-trees," also called balsam-trees, were a type of shrub which dripped sap when cut and would have been easy for soldiers to trample with their feet.)

²⁵ And David did so, as Jehovah commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.




2 Samuel 6

(Psalm 132 is often associated with the events of this chapter.)

¹ And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
² And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him, from Baale-judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the name of Jehovah of hosts that sitteth above the cherubim.

(David and all the chosen men (30,000) went to fetch the Ark of the Covenant.)

(Similar to the term "select" or "elect" in the New Testament, the term "chosen" referred to the quality of these men. They weren't excellent men because they were chosen, they were chosen because they were excellent men. It is easy for people to abuse the Principle of Causality here and it damages the correct interpretation of scripture:
-Cause: "choice" men
-Effect: were "chosen." )

³ And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
⁴ And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.
⁵ And David and all the house of Israel played before Jehovah with all manner of instruments made of fir-wood, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with castanets, and with cymbals.

(David and the house of Israel played music to God. Remember, David was an amazing musician. Also, David was not allowed to go into the house of God because he was the tenth generation from a bastard (Ruth 4:18-22). So, this would be the closest he would ever get to the Ark of the Covenant.)

⁶ And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled.
⁷ And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

(Uzzah touched the Ark in an attempt to prevent the Ark from falling and God killed him.)

⁸ And David was displeased, because Jehovah had broken forth upon Uzzah; and he called that place Perez-uzzah, unto this day.

(David was "displeased" because God had killed someone who was trying to help however, this was done in response to Justice. Perez-uzzah meant "breach of Uzza.")

⁹ And David was afraid of Jehovah that day; and he said, How shall the ark of Jehovah come unto me?
¹⁰ So David would not remove the ark of Jehovah unto him into the city of David; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
¹¹ And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and Jehovah blessed Obed-edom, and all his house.

(David was afraid to take the Ark to the city of David so he left it at the house of Obed-edom. Just the presence of the Ark in his home caused Obed-edom and his house to be blessed by God.)

¹² And it was told king David, saying, Jehovah hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy.

(Obed-edom being blessed must have caused David to not be afraid of the Ark and/or intensely desire the Ark so all of his kingdom would be blessed.)

¹³ And it was so, that, when they that bare the ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

(David commanded an excessive amount of sacrifices to ensure the how/why of transporting the Ark was right. 1 Chronicles 15:11-15 recorded David's command for the priests to carry the Ark the right way.)

¹⁴ And David danced before Jehovah with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

(David danced before God. Once again, he was wearing priestly garments.)

¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
¹⁶ And it was so, as the ark of Jehovah came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart.

(David’s wife, Michal, despised David because he was dancing. It may not have appeared to be the "kingly" way to act but David cared more about worshipping the Lord than he did about how he looked.)

¹⁷ And they brought in the ark of Jehovah, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah.
¹⁸ And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah of hosts.
¹⁹ And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a portion of flesh, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed every one to his house.

(David facilitated everyone present into a worship experience, fellowship, and breaking of bread.)

²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
²¹ And David said unto Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Jehovah, over Israel: therefore will I play before Jehovah.

(David responded well to Michal's emotional attacks. David was not focused on appearance while he danced and he said he will play before God.)

²² And I will be yet more vile than this, and will be base in mine own sight: but of the handmaids of whom thou hast spoken, of them shall I be had in honor.
²³ And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

(Michal did not have any children. Was she barren? Did despising David cause this? Did God close up her womb?)

(This post covered David's formal anointing as King of Israel and David bringing the Ark back to Israel.)

Day 90

Day 88: 2 Samuel 1-3

(While 2 Samuel was the fifth of the twelve books that made up the portion of the Old Testament known as the historical section, it really ought to be treated as the same book as 1 Samuel. It was believed Isaiah compiled this book (around 700 BC) from records kept by Samuel, David, Nathan, and Gad. This book was not separated out into two books until around 289-294 BC during the Septuagint translation. The previous half of this book documented the transition from God leading Israel through Judges to Saul (the first Israelite king) leading Israel. This book documented David's rule (second king) over Israel.)

2 Samuel 1
¹ And it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;

(While Saul and Israel was fighting the Philistines, David was dealing with his own conflict with the Amalekites.)

² it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
³ And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.
⁴ And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.

(Three days after Saul and Jonathan were killed, a man went to David and gave him the news.)

⁵ And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?
⁶ And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and the horsemen followed hard after him.
⁷ And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
⁸ And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
⁹ And he said unto me, Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me; for anguish hath taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me.
¹⁰ So I stood beside him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

(This man told a story of Saul’s death. The correct version was documented in 1 Samuel 31:4. This man  was not Saul’s armorbearer but an Amalekite, and he told a different version of the story. This man lied. Remember, the Amalekites and Philistines celebrated Saul's death and desecrated his body. From the Amalekites' perspective, the death of Saul was something to brag about and even, perhaps, claim a role in accomplishing. Regardless, the Amalekite did have the crown and bracelet from Saul.  The Amalekite, as well as others, recognized David as King of Israel. Was this an attempt at gaining favor from David?)

¹¹ Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
¹² and they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Jehovah, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
¹³ And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.

(David asked him who he was. He did not hide the fact that he was an Amalekite. This man must have thought it would make David happy that he killed Saul since in reality, Saul actually killed himself. He must have also thought he alone could claim to have killed Saul because he had the crown and bracelet. The Amalekite attempted to personally profit from delivering the crown and bracelet. This man proved he didn't really know David by thinking that David would be grateful. History has shown that David had always shown reverence to Saul, who David referred to as "Jehovah's anointed.")

¹⁴ And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed?
¹⁵ And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him, so that he died.
¹⁶ And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.

(David still saw Saul as one anointed by God. David had the Amalekite killed. David, a master with his words, stated he only responded to what the Amalekite testified with his own mouth.)

(Verses 17-27:  David mourned the death of Saul and Jonathan with what has been referred to as "The Song of the Bow.")

(Verses 17-18: the introduction.)

¹⁷ And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
¹⁸ (and he bade them teach the children of Judah the song of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jashar):

("The book of Jashar" was also referenced in Joshua 10:13.)

(Verses 19-27: the song.)

¹⁹ Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places! How are the mighty fallen!
²⁰ Tell it not in Gath, Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
²¹ Ye mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of offerings: For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
²² From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan turned not back, And the sword of Saul returned not empty.
²³ Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided: They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.
²⁴ Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you in scarlet delicately, Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
²⁵ How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain upon thy high places.
²⁶ I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: Very pleasant hast thou been unto me: Thy love to me was wonderful, Passing the love of women.

(David used the word "I" only one time in this song, in a personal expression of distress for the loss of his "brother Jonathan.")

²⁷ How are the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!




2 Samuel 2
¹ And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

(David inquired of the Lord, twice. God sent David to Hebron which was located in the south of Judah. At this time, David was still in Ziklag, a territory of the Philistines.)

² So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
³ And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
⁴ And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, The men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.

(David was anointed King of Judah. David still didn't seize the throne. He was approached by men of Judah. Who was king over the rest of Israel?)

⁵ And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of Jehovah, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.
⁶ And now Jehovah show lovingkindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
⁷ Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

(David blessed the men of Jabesh-gilead for taking down the displayed bodies of Saul and his sons and for burying them (1 Samuel 31:11-13).)

⁸ Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
⁹ and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

(Abner, Saul's General and cousin (1 Samuel 14:50), made Saul's son Ish-bosheth King of Israel, which included Ephraim and Benjamin. Abner had been humiliated by David during a run-in that David had with Saul (1 Samuel 26) when David accused Abner of not protecting his king well. It makes sense that Abner would have wanted someone other than David set up as king. Also, it would have been tradition in the surrounding nations to promote from within the bloodline.)

¹⁰ Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
¹¹ And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
¹² And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
¹³ And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

(A confrontation happened between Joab and Abner, two great military men. Joab was David’s nephew (1 Samuel 26:6). Joab was a complex man. Pay attention to the events that surrounded him.)

¹⁴ And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
¹⁵ Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

(A contest was set up that was initiated by Abner which would ultimately begin a civil war. Twelve men from Benjamin were on Ish-bosheth’s side. Remember, Saul was a Benjamite. Joab's twelve men were from Judah.)

¹⁶ And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

(All twenty-four men died during this contest. Helkath-hazzurim meant "field of swords" or more specifically "the field of sharp swords.")

¹⁷ And the battle was very sore that day: and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

(Verse 17 spoke of "the battle" between the armies, this was after the "contest" that was recorded in verse 16. The battle between the armies was great that day. Abner (from Israel/Saul) was beaten by Joab (from Judah/David).)

¹⁸ And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

(Zeruiah was David's sister (1 Chronicles 2:16). Asahel was so fast they compared him to a wild roe/gazelle.)

¹⁹ And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it thou, Asahel? And he answered, It is I.
²¹ And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

(It seemed that Asahel was pursuing Abner partially for the glory he'd receive for killing the General of the Israelite army and taking his armor as a trophy.)

²² And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

(Asahel chased down Abner relentlessly. Abner warned Asahel but it did nothing to stop him...)

²³ Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

(Abner killed Asahel, Joab’s brother.)

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

(Regardless of Abner killing Asahel in self-defense, Joab and Abishai still chased him down.

²⁵ And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.
²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?
²⁷ And Joab said, As God liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed every one his brother.
²⁸ So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

(Abner attempted to negotiate peace. Joab accepted. Joab was in charge. The men with him took direction from him.)

²⁹ And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.
³⁰ And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.
³¹ But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

(Joab, who led David’s servants, lost twenty men. The Benjamites and Abner’s men lost three hundred and sixty men. The contest and this battle was over, Joab beat Abner 360-20.)

³² And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and the day brake upon them at Hebron.




2 Samuel 3
¹ Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: and David waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

(There was a family feud between Saul’s and David’s house. While David's house grew stronger, Saul's grew weaker. Unfortunately for the nation, this family feud resulted in a long civil war.)

² And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his first-born was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
³ and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
⁴ and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
⁵ and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

(The mothers of David's sons were: Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, Abigal the Carmelite, Maacah the Geshur, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah. David aquired more wives/concubines. This chapter did begin with: "Now there was long war...")

⁶ And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul.

(Was it Abner's plan to side with a "weak" man from the house of Saul in order to gain more power for himself?)

⁷ Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?
⁸ Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head that belongeth to Judah? This day do I show kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David; and yet thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman.

(Abner was accused of "going in unto" one of Saul’s concubines and was very offended by the accusation.)

⁹ God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Jehovah hath sworn to David, I do not even so to him;
¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba.
¹¹ And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

(Abner told Ish-bosheth that he would now support David and help David fulfill what God had promised him.)

¹² And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.
¹³ And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee; but one thing I require of thee: that is, thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.
¹⁴ And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

(Abner wanted to make a league (covenant) with David which came with the condition that Abner would "bring about all Israel" to David. David said only if he got his wife Michal back.)

¹⁵ And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Laish.
¹⁶ And her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return: and he returned.

(Michal's husband followed after her but Abner told him to go back to his home. Abner must have been a man of "reputation." In just this chapter, he put great amounts of fear into the king of Israel and into a man whose wife was taken from him, neither of the men fighting back.)

¹⁷ And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, In times past ye sought for David to be king over you:
¹⁸ now then do it; for Jehovah hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.
¹⁹ And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to the whole house of Benjamin.

(Abner made his endorsement of David as king of Israel known to the elders of Israel.)

²⁰ So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
²¹ And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy soul desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

(David received Abner and his men with a feast. Next, Abner would bring all of Israel to David so they could all come into agreement (covenant) with David being king.)

²² And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.

(By the time Joab had returned, Abner was gone "campaigning" for David. Remember, Abner killed Joab's brother (in self-defense).)

²³ When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
²⁴ Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?
²⁵ Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.

(Joab told David that Abner was deceiving him. Joab seemed upset that Abner was in David's presence and then was sent away "in peace." Joab still wanted to equal out Justice.)

²⁶ And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.
²⁷ And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

(Joab killed Abner because he killed his brother Ashael. Joab deceived and killed Abner without David knowing about it. If this was the right move on Joab's part, why would he hide it from David?)

²⁸ And afterward, when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before Jehovah for ever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
²⁹ let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.

(David stated he and the kingdom were innocent for the blood of Abner. David stated the guilt would be on Joab and his family and "cursed" them. The phrase, "let there not fail from the house of Joab..." actually meant, "May the family of Joab be cursed in every generation...")

(As king, David stated the will for the nation that Joab acted apart from the nation. Joab and David would continue to have some complex situations between the two of them.)

³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
³¹ And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.

(When David "followed the bier" it was similar to someone today walking behind the procession to the grave.)

³² And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
³³ And the king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth?

(Why was David so sad about Abner’s death? Abner was Saul’s cousin and David covenanted with Jonathan regarding taking care of Saul’s family. Did David feel responsible for Abner’s death?)

³⁴ Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: As a man falleth before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall. And all the people wept again over him.
³⁵ And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David sware, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or aught else, till the sun be down.
³⁶ And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.

(David's actions pleased the people, their purpose and progress was facilitated by their king.)

³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.
³⁸ And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?
³⁹ And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.

(David's mourning of Abner caused the people to feel confident that their king was righteous. The people were able to confidently support David as king.)

(This post covered David's first actions as king: having the Amalekite killed that claimed to have killed Saul and David becoming king over a united Israel.)

Day 89

Day 87: 1 Samuel 28-31

(The previous post began with Samuel's death and covered David's and Saul's continued warring against each other.)

1 Samuel 28
¹ And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me in the host, thou and thy men.

(Achish told David he would have to fight against the Israelites. This would be a true test as to whether or not David was Achish's servant.)

² And David said to Achish, Therefore thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever.

(Achish must have trusted David to refer to him as the keeper of his head. Was this another example of David deceiving someone?)

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

(Samuel died and was buried in Ramah. Ramah was a town in Benjamin on the border of Ephraim. This was the city where Samuel lived.)

⁴ And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa.
⁵ And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
⁶ And when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

(Urim, which meant "lights," were stones kept in a pouch on the high priest's breastplate, used in determining God's decisions in certain issues and questions.)

⁷ Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.

(Saul enquired of God but God did not answer, so Saul sought a woman with a familiar spirit. The woman with a familiar spirit was at En-dor, a place in the territory of Issachar yet possessed by Manasseh. It must not have taken long for those with familiar spirits and wizards to come back in the land after Samuel’s death.)

⁸ And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, Divine unto me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee.
⁹ And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
¹⁰ And Saul sware to her by Jehovah, saying, As Jehovah liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

(It seemed this woman was in hiding. Saul, who was wearing a disguise, assured her that no punishment would fall on her. Seems ironic that Saul would convince a woman with a familiar spirit that he meant her no harm by swearing to her by Jehovah.)

¹¹ Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
¹² And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

(After the woman asked who Saul wanted to be brought up, he answered "Samuel." The woman saw "Samuel" and screamed! Was she surprised or frightened? Then she asked Saul why he was deceiving her. This must have been the point where she recognized Saul.)

¹³ And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what seest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth.

(The woman saw "Samuel" as a "god.")

¹⁴ And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.

(A familiar spirit was a spirit that would know the information of a person that had lived because that spirit observed the person, the spirit was familiar with the person. Saul bowed down to a figure that he perceived was Samuel. Was this actually Samuel or was it a familiar spirit disguised as Samuel?)

¹⁵ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
¹⁶ And Samuel said, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing Jehovah is departed from thee, and is become thine adversary?
¹⁷ And Jehovah hath done unto thee, as he spake by me: and Jehovah hath rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David.
¹⁸ Because thou obeyedst not the voice of Jehovah, and didst not execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath Jehovah done this thing unto thee this day.
¹⁹ Moreover Jehovah will deliver Israel also with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: Jehovah will deliver the host of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.

(The narrator referred to this person as "Samuel." This could be a case for this actually being Samuel. "Samuel" asked Saul why he "disquieted" him. Then "Samuel" restated the fact that God took the kingdom from Saul because Saul did not wipe out the Amalekites. "Samuel" told Saul that Saul and Saul's sons would die the next day.)

²⁰ Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

(Saul was completely drained of strength.)

²¹ And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thy handmaid hath hearkened unto thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
²² Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thy handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

(The woman offered him food, so he would be strong and that he would leave.)

²³ But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

(Saul's men constrained him, meaning "compelled" him.)

²⁴ And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
²⁵ and she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.




1 Samuel 29
¹ Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the fountain which is in Jezreel.
² And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.

(David was going to fight with the Philistines against Israel.)

³ Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who hath been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away unto me unto this day?

(King Achish vouched for David.)

⁴ But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: for wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?
⁵ Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?

(The princes of the Philistines did not allow David and his men to fight. They were afraid David would betray them and join the Israelites. They knew the songs that were sung about David's victories, specifically victories over the Philistines.)

⁶ Then Achish called David, and said unto him, As Jehovah liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favor thee not.
⁷ Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.

(Achish affirmed David but still sent him away because of the other Philistines. Achish did not want harm to come to David.)

⁸ And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
⁹ And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

(Achish could not give David an example of what he did wrong. Achish was taking direction from his princes. Was David trying to convince Achish to keep him there or was this all part of a deceptive approach from David?)

¹⁰ Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of thy lord that are come with thee; and as soon as ye are up early in the morning, and have light, depart.
¹¹ So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

(David left and the Philistine army prepared for battle.)




1 Samuel 30
¹ And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the South, and upon Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire,
² and had taken captive the women and all that were therein, both small and great: they slew not any, but carried them off, and went their way.

(The Amalekites made a raid on the south (of Judah) and upon David's city of Ziklag. David and his men returned to the people of their city having been taken captive. The Amalekites came from Esau and were supposed to have been wiped out by Saul.)

³ And when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive.
⁴ Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
⁵ And David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
⁶ And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God.

(David was sad and stressed because of the destruction of Ziklag and the captivity of his two wives. It seemed the people were blaming David for this affliction to the point of wanting to stone him. However, David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Notice, Michal was not listed as a wife.)

⁷ And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
⁸ And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and shalt without fail recover all.

(Here we see David inquire of the Lord. Once again, David put on the priestly garment of Abiathar (as he did in 1 Samuel 23:9). Here, David asked God if he should pursue and God said yes.)

⁹ So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
¹⁰ But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
¹¹ And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink.
¹² And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

(David and his men found an Egyptian man in the field.)

¹³ And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.
¹⁴ We made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites, and upon that which belongeth to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
¹⁵ And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.

(The Egyptian, whose master was an Amalekite, was left for dead. David fed the Egyptian and asked him to bring him to the Amalekites.)

¹⁶ And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
¹⁷ And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, who rode upon camels and fled.
¹⁸ And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives.
¹⁹ And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them: David brought back all.

(David rescued his wives and all the spoil. The Amalekites were celebrating with what they had taken from Ziklag. They were not expecting a fight. Four hundred of these Amalekites escaped.)

²⁰ And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
²¹ And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.

(David "saluted" the men that he left behind.)

²² Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.
²³ Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which Jehovah hath given unto us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.
²⁴ And who will hearken unto you in this matter? for as his share is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his share be that tarrieth by the baggage: they shall share alike.
²⁵ And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

(The wicked men and base fellows did not want the 200 men who stayed behind to get any spoil. Would the 400 Amalekites had been able to escape if these 200 men had fought? David made a statute that day: some men were called to stay with supplies, some men were called to battle, they all got a portion of the spoil.)

²⁶ And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah:
²⁷ To them that were in Beth-el, and to them that were in Ramoth of the South, and to them that were in Jattir,
²⁸ and to them that were in Aroer, and to them that were in Siphmoth, and to them that were in Eshtemoa,
²⁹ and to them that were in Racal, and to them that were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them that were in the cities of the Kenites,
³⁰ and to them that were in Hormah, and to them that were in Bor-ashan, and to them that were in Athach,
³¹ and to them that were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

(David sent spoil to other regions of Judah probably in an attempt to repair some fractured relationships from his time with the Philistines.)




1 Samuel 31

(While David and his men were dealing with a destroyed city of Ziklag, Saul and the Israelite army were at war with the Philistines.)

¹ Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
² And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

(The Israelites tried running from the Philistines but were not successful. Jonathan was killed.)

³ And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
⁴ Then said Saul to his armorbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it.

(Saul was shot with multiple arrows. He told his armorbearer to kill him but he would not. Saul killed himself. Remember this account of Saul's death. The anonymous narrator of God's Word was always accurate. The narrator was presenting the facts.)

⁵ And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.
⁶ So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armorbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

(Saul's armorbearer not only did not kill Saul, Saul killed himself. Everything that "Samuel" told Saul (1 Samuel 28:19) came to pass.)

⁷ And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
⁸ And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
⁹ And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols, and to the people.

(The Philistines desecrated Saul's and his sons' dead bodies.)

¹⁰ And they put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

(Saul’s dead body was set up like a trophy in the Philistines’ Ashtaroth temple.)

¹¹ And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul,
¹² all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
¹³ And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk-tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

(The men of Jabesh-gilead recovered the bodies and buried the bones.)

(1 Samuel was the fourth of the twelve books that made up the portion of the Old Testament known as the historical section. It was believed this book was compiled by Isaiah (around 700 BC) from notes made by Samuel, David, Nathan, and Gad. Also, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel were originally considered to be one book. These books were not separated into two books until around 289-294 BC during the Septuagint translation. 1 Samuel documented the transition from God leading Israel through Judges to kings leading Israel. This book picked up the narrative where the Book of Judges left off and concluded with the death of Israel's first king: Saul. We now see the Book of Ruth gave background to events that occurred during this book, specifically David's lineage.)

Day 88

Day 86: 1 Samuel 25-27

(The previous post covered David's third Covenant with Jonathan, Saul's attempts to kill David and David's confession and repentance for cutting the corner of Saul's robe.)

1 Samuel 25
¹ And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

(Samuel died and all of Israel mourned him. Saul did not see Samuel, in physical form, since his encounter in 1 Samuel 15. David was still living in the wilderness.)

² And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
³ Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

(Abigail was a woman of good understanding. Abigail’s husband, Nabal, was churlish (hard, cruel, severe, obstinate) and evil in his actions. He was of the house of Caleb, which was an Ephraimite. David was from Judah.)

⁴ And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
⁵ And David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:

(David sent ten men to greet Nabal in order to make a request.)

⁶ and thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
⁷ And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: thy shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
⁸ Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee: wherefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.

(David wanted compensation for the protection he and his men provided for Nabal's sheep shearers. Philistine raids were common so this was a great service provided by David. It would have been Just of Nabal to pay David.)

⁹ And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
¹⁰ And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.
¹¹ Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are?

(Nabal answered their request for supplies negatively. Asking the questions, "Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse?" was an insult to David. Nabal, like everyone in Israel at this time, would have known who David was. This was more like saying, "Who does he think he is?"

Furthermore, the statement, "there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master," was an accusation against David that he was a rebellious servant.)

¹² So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.
¹³ And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage.

(David prepared to fight because of Nabal's unjust response. Although this may seem like a rash decision, it was in response to an injustice.)

¹⁴ But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed at them.
¹⁵ But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields:
¹⁶ they were a wall unto us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
¹⁷ Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house: for he is such a worthless fellow, that one cannot speak to him.

(Abigail was informed about Nabal's unjust response to David. Notice, one of Nabal's own young men referred to him as a "worthless fellow" and saw clearly that this situation was Nabal's fault.)

¹⁸ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

(After Abigail was told about what had happened and she had supplies/food brought to David and his men. Remember, she was an excellent woman. Was she trying to repair this injustice caused by her husband?)

¹⁹ And she said unto her young men, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

(Nabal was unaware Abigail helped David. It seemed even Abagail knew that Nabal was at fault, to the point that she didn't even want him knowing about what she was doing.)

²⁰ And it was so, as she rode on her ass, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down toward her; and she met them.
²¹ Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath returned me evil for good.
²² God do so unto the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light so much as one man-child.

(David was now seeing that it was vain (unprofitable) for him and his men to protect Nabal's land and people.)

²³ And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and alighted from her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.
²⁴ And she fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity; and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy handmaid.

(Abigail began to intercede for Nabal. She was trying to bear the pain caused by her husband.)

²⁵ Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

(Nabal meant "fool." Abigail was saying that this situation would have turned out differently had she been the one to interact with David's messengers.)

²⁶ Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing Jehovah hath withholden thee from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now therefore let thine enemies, and them that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
²⁷ And now this present which thy servant hath brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
²⁸ Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy handmaid: for Jehovah will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of Jehovah; and evil shall not be found in thee all thy days.
²⁹ And though men be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.
³⁰ And it shall come to pass, when Jehovah shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee prince over Israel,
³¹ that this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood without cause, or that my lord hath avenged himself. And when Jehovah shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thy handmaid.

(Abigail finished interceding. She even spoke David's language by saying "without cause." She obviously knew who David was before this situation occurred. It may have been one of the reasons that she handled it the way she did. Abigail did not want David to waste his time on Nabal.)

³² And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me:
³³ and blessed be thy discretion, and blessed be thou, that hast kept me this day from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
³⁴ For in very deed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, liveth, who hath withholden me from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light so much as one man-child.
³⁵ So David received of her hand that which she had brought him: and he said unto her, Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

(Abigail was sent by God and David recognized this. She helped him forgive Nabal: David did not take Justice out with his own hands.)

³⁶ And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
³⁷ And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
³⁸ And it came to pass about ten days after, that Jehovah smote Nabal, so that he died.

(God avenged David, Nabal was killed in response to Justice. Notice, his heart died within him.)

³⁹ And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be Jehovah, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept back his servant from evil: and the evil-doing of Nabal hath Jehovah returned upon his own head. And David sent and spake concerning Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

(David recognized that God judged Nabal as an effect of Nabal's "evil-doing.")

(David wanted Abigail for his wife.)

⁴⁰ And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David hath sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.
⁴¹ And she arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, Behold, thy handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
⁴² And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
⁴³ David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they became both of them his wives.

(David married Abigail and Ahinoam.)

⁴⁴ Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

(Michal was given to another man. Was David in agreement with this? David may not have ever consummated the Marriage because he had barely spent any time with her. Also, Michal apparently agreed to this arrangement.)




1 Samuel 26

(This chapter covered yet another conflict between David and Saul.)

¹ And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?
² Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

(The Ziphites betrayed David again (1 Samuel 23:19-23). Saul took 3,000 men to find David in Ziph again. The encounter with David by the cave must not have meant much to Saul.)

³ And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
⁴ David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come of a certainty.
⁵ And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped round about him.

(David knew where Saul was and went to that place. Saul was lying within the camp, surrounded by wagons and his men, which included the "captain of his host," General Abner.)

⁶ Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him.
⁸ Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.

(Abishai (**Joab's brother) offered to kill Saul believing that God had delivered Saul to David.)

(**Joab was an interesting person. Follow Joab during the rest of David's life...)

⁹ And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless?

(David forbade the killing of Saul. David still recognized Saul as God’s anointed. How hard must it have been for David to let Saul live knowing that Saul was trying to kill him and in the face of his own men convincing him to let Saul die? David wouldn't have even had to kill Saul himself, Abishai offered to do it.)

¹⁰ And David said, As Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish.
¹¹ Jehovah forbid that I should put forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed: but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
¹² So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head; and they gat them away: and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Jehovah was fallen upon them.

(David recognized God would equal out Justice against Saul. This was another thing that separated David from other kings: he never set himself up as king, he let God give him the crown.)

(This time, David took Saul's spear and water while he slept.)

¹³ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them;
¹⁴ and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?
¹⁵ And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
¹⁶ This thing is not good that thou hast done. As Jehovah liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept watch over your lord, Jehovah's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.
¹⁷ And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

(David stated that Abner had not done a good job protecting Saul. This would have been very insulting to Saul's General. Saul recognized David’s voice.)

¹⁸ And he said, Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
¹⁹ Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be Jehovah that hath stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before Jehovah: for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.
²⁰ Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Jehovah: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.
²¹ Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David; for I will no more do thee harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

(Again, David referenced Justice and used his words to ask questions focused on Saul's causes. David remained humble about himself and reverent towards Saul. Again, Saul confessed his sin towards David. He stated he would no longer do David harm. Would Saul repent? Or would Saul continue to harden his heart like Pharaoh?)

²² And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! let then one of the young men come over and fetch it.
²³ And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; forasmuch as Jehovah delivered thee into my hand to-day, and I would not put forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed.
²⁴ And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of Jehovah, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

(David gave Saul his spear back. David continued to build the case that he was not Saul’s enemy and asked that he be treated the way he was treating Saul: Justly.)

²⁵ Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do mightily, and shalt surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.




1 Samuel 27
¹ And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

(The first line in this chapter sets the context for many forthcoming events: "David said in his heart." David seemed to be in fear again and was making some bold statements that did not seem rooted in faith: "I shall now perish" - "there is nothing better for me" - "Saul will despair of me.")

(Was David about to make decisions in his "own strength" or would he inquire of God?)

² And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
³ And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.
⁴ And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

(David went to Gath in the land of the Philistines (Goliath's home town) and when Saul heard of this, he did not pursue David again. Saul did not want to deal with the Philistines.)

⁵ And David said unto Achish, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

(David appeared humble to King Achish.)

⁶ Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
⁷ And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

(David lived with the Philistines for one year and four months. Remember, David had killed Goliath and caused the Philistines to be defeated that day. Here, he was living with them!)

⁸ And David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.
⁹ And David smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel; and he returned, and came to Achish.

(David seemed to have taken on a new occupation: a raider.)

¹⁰ And Achish said, Against whom have ye made a raid to-day? And David said, Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.

(David lied to Achish. The Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites were not of the South of Judah. This lie was an attempt at gaining favor with Achish.)

¹¹ And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so hath been his manner all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

(David killed all the men and women so they wouldn't be able to expose David's lie to Achish.)

¹² And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

(David convinced Achish that David would be Achish's servant forever.)

(This post began with Samuel's death and covered David's and Saul's continued warring against each other.)

Day 87