1 samuel 29 - ?

a weird little chapter. If the Philistines hadn't told David to get lost, would he have gone to battle with them against Israel? Was he intending to double cross them as they suspected he might? There are more questions than answers here, but yet again we see God providing David with a way out of his own questionable decisions.

1 Samuel 28 - guidance

Why does Saul think that consulting a medium will help him to hear God's advice on the battle? It seems baffling. Saul is out of control, we have seen that clearly over the last few chapters. God has given him opportunity after opportunity to repent and he has just continued to harden his heart against God. Is it too late for him to turn back to God here? No. But his request to Samuel shows where Saul's real motives lie. Saul's biggest problem at that point is that he is separated from God. his biggest need is God. But he is not looking for a way back to God here, he is looking for God to tell him what to do. God's guidance for us is important, but not more important than God Himself. Do I go looking elsewhere for advice or guidance (or more likely, someone to agree with what I think I should do) when what I need is to repent before God and come back into His presence?

1 Samuel 27 - trust

This is a strange chapter. Despite God repeatedly protecting David, life on the run seems to be getting to him and so he runs off to live with the Philistines, carry out dodgy raids and lie about them. God is not mentioned in this chapter, does this reflect a period in David's life where he went with his own plan instead of God's. It's easy for us to think that if God did x, y or z in my life, I would be able to trust Him more easily. But then we see biblical characters, just like us, resorting to backing ourselves when things get tough, regardless of what God has done in the past.

1 samuel 26 - deja vu

Again, David refuses to take the short cut, refuses to take revenge, trusting God for justice and his own future. Why do I want to be the one dishing out justice? Why do I want the easiest or quickest way when I know that God's way is best. Sometimes God tells us to act, sometimes He tells us to wait. We don't know why, but He does, and that needs to be enough for us.

1 Samuel 25 - mine

Nabal is literally a "fool" and v11 gives a glimpse of why. He uses the words my, mine etc over and over again when referring to his possessions. He does not recognise the gifts that God has given him. I have money, a house, a car, not because I earned it - but because God gave me a job, the abilities to do that job and it's His money inside His wallet in the pocket of His trousers. This is very similar to the story Jesus tells of the rich man who builds bigger barns so that he can horde his wealth while God calls him a fool and killed him that night.

This chapter also shows how God gives us an opportunity out of our sin. David reacts in anger and God sends Abigail as a way out for David. David still has the choice, he could have taken what Abigail offered and then went on to kill Nabal anyway, but he recognises God's intervention.

1 samuel 24 - I did it my way

Another opportunity to kill Saul and become king? Would David do it his way or God's way? His humility (which comes from his respect for God, not from an idea that he is a "dead dog or a flea") allows him to submit to God's plans. Doing things the way you want to do them is the ultimate aim in our society, but why? when things so often go wrong, why do we still think we're the best person to decide which way to go? Arrogance. Submit to God and follow His plan for my life - it's the best one.

1 Samuel 23 - guidance

It would be mint if God always guided us as clearly and directly as he does with David in this chapter. Should I do this? Yes. Should I do that? No. God guides us in a variety of different ways but I think a lot of the time the problem is the fact that we are not even asking. We make our own mind up what we're going to do and then ask God to bless our plans. We can learn from David here, who doesn't want to do anything other than God's plans.

When Jonathan meets up with David, he "helps him find strength in God" (v16). He does this by reminding David of God's promise that he will become king. Firstly, when I'm talking to people, how often is my motive to help them find strength in God? That should always be my motivation and my aim in contact with other people. That doesn't mean I've got to turn every conversation back around to Jesus, but it does mean that I am actively trying to encourage that person in God rather than passively waffling. Secondly, the way to help somebody in a desperate situation is not to say "don't worry, it'll be alright", because it might not be. That is not what they need, what they need is a fresh revelation of who God is and what He has done.

1 Samuel 22 - in need?

David is on the run, living in a cave and "All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader"(v2). A good picture of Jesus. Anyone who is in distress, in debt or discontented needs Jesus as their leader. Anyone who isn't any of those is kidding themselves. Saul is in distress and discontented but still does not turn back to God, instead he goes on a killing spree of the preists. We end up out of control when we don't face up to our need for God.

1 samuel 21 - desperation

The stories in this chapter and the next are written in a very matter-of-fact way but David must have been under immense pressure. On the run for his life, having to bend the truth to get the holy bread for something to eat, having nowhere else to go other than Goliath's home town, being so terrified for your life that he only way you can think of getting out of it is to pretend to be mad! That incident may conjure up images of Blackadder with two pencils up his nose, but to actually pretend to be mad to escape must mean that the situation is totally desperate.

David wrote Psalms 34 & 56 about these incidents and knowing the background behind them adds even more weight to what he says there. verses like "the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit" (psalm 34:18) are always an encouragement, but we need to recognise that David was not just writing some generic truth there - he is writing that because he is brokenhearted, crushed in spirit, desperate but he knows God will draw near to him.

1 samuel 20 - prosperity?

When David first came on the scene, everything seemed to go very well for him. He was successful in everything he did as God blessed him. Everything seemed to be working nicely towards him becoming king. But now we start to enter a (long) time when David is running for his life, a long way from being the next king and looking as if it's all gone wrong. What would the believers of the prosperity gospel do here? Say that David didn't have enough faith? God is with David during period of difficulty he is about to enter just as much as he was when he was killing Goliath or collecting Philistine foreskins! And God uses this time to continue to develop David's character in preparation for being King. What can we learn from this? Things that God has promised us may not be about to happen immediately - he may need to shape us first. Following Jesus does not mean everything will be nice and easy for the rest of your life, it might turn out to be the opposite - but God is with you. This chapter finishes with Jonathan telling David to "go in peace". How can he be peaceful in this sort of situation? Because the peace that God gives us is not based on our external circumstances but on what Jesus being with us.

1 Samuel 19 - protection

In this chapter, God protects David three different times in three completely different ways. Firstly, through Jonathan talking to Saul, secondly through a plan involving an idol covered in goats hair and thirdly by ambushing Saul and his men with a worship service! Why does God do it like this? Who knows? Sometimes He uses people (Jonathan and Michal) , sometimes He bypasses them completely. Hopefully I'll never be running for my life and need this variety of God's help, but I can be secure in the fact that God is in charge and He will protect me. In a situation that may seem impossible to me, and I can't work out a way out of it, God's probably choosing from a long list of options!

For more on the interesting worship service, see an earlier post on this chapter here.

1 samuel 18 - jealousy

David is now seemingly successful in everything he does while Saul's plans result in increasing frustration, jealousy and fear. The difference is God. David is not successful because he is the man, he is successful because God's favour is on Him. It's all God's grace.

We start to see David and Jonathan's friendship develop in this chapter and where as Saul is envious of David, Jonathan is an example in humility. We see a good example of what it means to put others ahead of yourself in humility. When I see God blessing someone like David do I get jealous like Saul? Or do a rejoice with them, like Jonathan?

1 samuel 17 - strength?

The story of David and Goliath is well known, but the popular, commonly known version seems to miss a few things out. For example, kids in Sunday school never hear about the bit when David hacks Goliaths head off! More importantly, God is rarely mentioned when people retell this story, even though, as far as David is concerned, God is the main focus.

David vs Goliath gets used as an underdog tale - "David took what skills he had and conquered the giant, If you believe in the abilities you've got then you can conquer the giant obstacles in your life" It's like a motivational pep-talk to get you to believe in yourself. The reality of what happened is very different. David sums up the point when he says to Goliath...

"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." (v45-47)

As far as David was concerned, this was not an example of his abilities or strength, or strength of character. This is an example of God's strength in David's weakness. David was not a match for Goliath. David didn't not win because he had self belief, he won because he believed in the strength of God. The answer for my problems is not to believe harder that I can overcome them, it's to believe in the God that can.

1 Samuel 16 - nothing to hide?

God tells Samuel something in verse 7 that he needed to here, Saul needed to hear, the Pharisees needed to hear, I need to hear. Man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. In this case, physical appearance was unimportant for the next king (David was also good looking, but that wasn't the important thing), in our case we are obsessed with our image and reputation - what other people see and think about us, trying desperately to show everyone the good stuff about ourselves while hiding the things we're ashamed of. God looks at our heart. There's no hiding place. He sees all the stuff that we work so hard to keep people from knowing. And He still came to earth and died for us. That's the beauty of the gospel.

God's spirit leaves Saul, the only time in the bible when the Holy Spirit is specifically said to have left someone, and is replaced by an evil spirit "from the Lord". This seems strange, but is this just God's next attempt to get Saul's attention so that he repents? Time after time, Saul has turned his back on God, is God allowing an evil spirit to torment him (and soothing him throught the Holy Sirit filled David) just another act of mercy from God, to potentially push Saul towards repentance? Similarly, God sends a locust plague in Joel to drive the people to repentance and back to Him. The short term effects of the locust plague were devastating, but the long term result of reconcilliation with God is far better.

1 Samuel 15 - obedience

This chapter starts with God's command for Saul to wipe out a group of people. Because this seems so shocking, it can sometimes obscure the main point of this story, which comes out later in the passage. However, that's not to say it's unimportant. Firstly, these were not innocent people being wiped out by a cruel God, this was a group of people who had turned their back on God (despite 300 years of him being "slow to anger") and were getting justice. Even so, we are not supposed to look at this and think "nice one God, give them what they deserve", because we deserve the same! This story should be shocking to us, but no more shocking than the fact that thousands of people will die today without knowing God. This is sin and death close up and whether it takes place with a sword or in your sleep, an eternity of separation from God is terrifying stuff.

Moving on, Saul does not fully obey and gives a load of excuses to Samuel while not seeming to get the point that God will not delight in an offering that resulted from disobeying His command. So Samuel spells it out for him in v22-23. This is what Saul hasn't understood since very early in his reign, that obedience is better than sacrifice. Does Saul really repent in the little exchange that follows? Or are his true motives revealed in v30 when he pleads with Samuel to honour him in front of the elders? Is he just looking after his reputation?

God isn't impressed with my "sacrifices", with the amount of hours I've put in of prayer, or at church. He wants my heart. And where is my heart? Is it broken before him, repenting of sin and experiencing his forgiveness, or is it too concerned with my own reputation?

1 Samuel 14 - if you want something enough...

At the start of this chapter, Jonathan gives us a good example of faith in God. While Saul (the king who God has rejected) sits under a pomegranate tree with Ahijah (the priest from the line rejected by God) taking it easy, Jonathan and his armour bearer are pro-active and put themselves in a position where God might do something. The common understanding of faith seems to be that it's just believing something really hard so that it comes true or God does it. It's like the people on the X factor who have "faith" that they can be the next big thing when what they mean is that they just want it really badly. In Christian circles this can end up in believing that the healing didn't happen because we didn't have enough faith etc. Jonathan shows us solid faith in God in v6 - God can do it, perhaps he will. Faith is not presuming that God will do something, it's knowing that He can do it and asking Him to, because perhaps He will. We pray about our needs with faith in the one who we are praying to, but we also pray "your will be done".

Saul's superstitious religion shows up again later in the chapter - surely making the army fast all day will guarantee a victory! Fasting is good, but it doesn't force God's hand, in the same way that the ark didn't (ch4) or the sacrifice didn't (ch13) or prayer doesn't or church attendance doesn't or leading a good life doesn't. Those things are all good, but they are not bargaining chips with God, and Saul's reliance on them puts the men in a position when they end up sinning as a result. Who is responsible for their sin? They are responsible for their own sin, of course, but it's clear that Saul is also responsible. Pride also comes in again, with Saul's refusal to admit he was wrong almost leading to the execution of his son.

So how does this apply to me. Do I pray with faith in the prayer or faith in the one I'm praying to? What does it take to get me to admit I was wrong?

1 Samuel 13 - under pressure

When you are under pressure, aspects of your character that you may normally be able to keep hidden come out. Saul is under pressure here, the people are panicking, Samuel doesn't seem to be coming, what is he going to do? In this pressurised situation two aspect of Saul's character come out - pride and religion. The pride that he shows is not arrogance, but taking matters into his own hands rather than do what God has asked. He took matters into his own hands - possibly to protect his reputation (he was the king, does he really need to wait around for Samuel), possibly because he couldn't wait for god's timing (despite specific instructions from Samuel in ch10). The pride also shows up when he is confronted about his sin by Samuel and gives his excuse - I saw, I thought, I forced myself. It was all evaluated by himself, rather than humble reliance on God.

Secondly, in doing the sacrifice himself, he is demonstrating a religious attitude that places the religious routines ahead of God Himself. In the same way that the Israelites in ch4 thought that the ark would save them instead of looking to the God of the ark, Saul thinks the sacrifice is what they need when actually it is God that they need. And God, as Saul will be told in a few chapters time, desires obedience more than sacrifice.

Where do I show pride by backing myself to sort a situation out or by justifying my actions? When do I rely on routines and rituals to "buy" me favour with God?

1 Samuel 12 - the gospel according to idols

At the end of Samuels speech reminding the people of what God has done for them in the past and how they rejected Him in demanding a human king, the people recognise their sin and cry out for Samuel to pray for them. He responds with an interesting little bit of information about idols: "Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless." (v22). That's the thing with idols, they don't confront you with your sin, they don't ask for repentance, but when you recognise how broken you are, they also can't offer any help. Samuel tells the people not to be afraid, not because they haven't done anything wrong (he reaffirms the fact they have done evil in the same sentence!) but because God is good. We have sinned, but god is good. That's the gospel, and if we miss half of it, we've missed the full thing.

1 Samuel 11 - angry?

"the spirit of God rushed upon Saul and he burned with anger (v6)"

Of all the things that the Holy Spirit does, anger is not one of the first things people tend to think of. This is probably because when i get angry it tends to be selfish - something hasn't gone the way I wanted it to. That kind of anger is sinful, but not all anger is - Jesus got angry but never sinned. The anger that the Holy Spirit produces in Saul is not selfish - it is a response to oppression of God's people and results in action. My anger is in response to myself and results in self pity - that is not the work of the Holy Spirit! Too often i am totally unmoved by injustice. Those are the times that I need righteous anger stirred up in me producing action.

Towards the end of the chapter we see (possibly for the last time) humility in Saul. He's just won an important battle, his supporters are lapping him up, it looks like a good time to punish the people who doubted him or at least say "i told you so". Saul doesn't. he focuses the attention back on God. When things are seemingly going well for me, am I trying to put the attention onto God?

1 Samuel 10 - a changed heart

God gave Saul a new heart (v9). This is what happens to us in the exchange of our sin for Jesus' righteousness. God changes our heart. When we look at sins we continue to commit, or sinful attitudes we continue to have, the answer isn't to try harder, it is to ask God to continue to regenerate our heart. everything we do, say and think flows from what is in our heart and that is where we need God to work on us.

It's interesting to note that when Saul is proclaimed king, that some people were not happy with it, even though at this point Saul appeared to be a good candidate. There is still that attitude towards Jesus, even though He is the perfect King, some people still say "how can he save us?", "how can He rule over us?". This displays an arrogance in us that thinks we know best, that thinks we are the best person for the job of king in our lives. What is the solution? We need God to change our heart!