PSA Bible Reading Challenge 2023-2024

We come to the end of the chapter and we come to the end of the life of Saul.  He does go into battle against the Philistines and he loses that battle handily, to the point where he and his sons are all killed.  Israel was conquered and Saul was able to see that he did not have a chance so instead of being taken alive he asked his trusty armor bearer to kill him.  That didn’t go over well, he said no, so Paul killed himself and the armor bearer also killed himself.  

Notice when the Philistines realized that they had killed King Saul.  It wasn’t until the next day in vs. 8.  They took his body and cut off his head and used it as a trophy to display for whoever would see that they were able to do this.  They also attributed their victory to one of their gods, Astarte, who happened to be the goddess of war and sexual love.  They put  Saul’s body in her temple.

There were some Israelites, we assume, from Jabesh-gilead who saw the atrocities the Philistines were committing and they took down Paul’s body and those of his sons and gave them the proper cremation burial and fasted as they were supposed to.  So ends the life of Saul, but also of his son Jonathan which, as we will see later, really bothers David.

David gets back after being rejected by the Philistines, for whom he worked for a number of years now, and finds that his village, Ziklag, had been raided and burned to the ground.  All of his wives and children were taken off by the Amalekites and there was nothing left.  There was almost  a mutiny, as it says in vs.6 that David was in great danger.  He wasn’t sure what to do so he did what most people ought to do, he asked his pastor.  His pastor told him to pursue those who were taken and he would surely bring them back safe and sound.

He does that, on the way 200 of the 600 stayed behind at a river along the way, for they were too tired to go any further.  They find the camp of the Amalekites and slaughter them and get back all that which had been taken from them.  There is an interesting coda to the story which is often overlooked.  As they were making their way back to their home, Ziklag, they stopped at the stream where they had left the 200 who simply were not able to go any further.  In vs.22 it tells us that all those who were worthless and corrupt out of the 400 thought it would be a good idea not to give those 200 who stayed at  the stream any of the spoil.  They should only get what was originally theirs, their wives and children.

You can tell by the fact that the idea was attributed to those who were worthless and corrupt that it was not a good idea.  David says: “For the share of the one who goes down into the battle shall be the same as the share of the one who stays by the baggage, they shall share alike.”  What a great  example of equity and further proof that David is going to make a good ruler. 

David is well  ensconced with the Philistines and has shown his loyalty to them with all the battles on their behalf which we went over in earlier chapters.  But now a problem arises.  King Achish under whom David is serving and for whom he is now the chief bodyguard, is not, apparently, as highly placed as we thought.  As the Philistines are getting ready to battle Israel, David is marching in with Achish and the others of David’s troops.  There are thousands of troops getting ready to go up against Saul when the Philistines who were actually in charge object to David being among them.  They probably remember getting whopped by him a few years before that.

They demand that David not be allowed to go into battle with them because who knows, he just might turn sides in the middle of the battle.  I’m with them, especially when we saw that twice David had a hard time hurting the one whom God had anointed to rule over Israel.  Remember both those vents with Saul where David did not hurt him, but let him know that he could have taken him  down.  But Achish had  to tell David and David didn’t really understand why and he ends up obeying and doing what he was told to do.  So ends the story.  But, this events sparks a turn in David especially once we see what happens at the beginning of the next chapter.  I know, you can’t wait can you?

So, this is  where the pastor better have some ‘splaining to do.  Saul calls up Samuel from the dead and asks advice from him?  First of all I thought that wasn’t possible, and secondly, if it were possible, it can’t be a good thing.  On the second statement first.  You are absolutely right, if it is possible, it is not a good thing.  As Protestants we do not have a veneration of the saints where we believe that we can communicate with the dead or ask favors or help from those who are dead no matter how important they were when they were living.  The primary reason for this is because we are in direct communion with Almighty God who is omnipresent and omniscient so why would we need to go to anyone but God for help and direction?  Trying to interact with the dead is a dead end (see  what I did there)?  

Now, the Bible is filled with examples where the dead interact with the living but we never see this either as a positive thing or as something that we ought to emulate.  Moving within that realm is not only confusing to me but there is also an element of fear simply because I know that it is not something that God would approve.  I would very easily call it sin, so it is best to stay away from it and not even try to enter into that territory.  

Saul is in trouble because he cast out not only all the mediums and sorcerers, which is something he should have done anyway according to Leviticus 19:31 and 20:6, 27, but he has also cast out all the priests so he very simply on his own.  Keep in mind that while Saul is trying to figure out if God is on his side, which He is not, David has become the head bodyguard for the Philistine ruler.  Things are not going in Saul’s direction at this time.

This is a different side of David from what we have seen before.  This is the warrior that looks to ensure that his kingdom is solidified and that those who serve him are well treated and given what they need.  It is also the soldier who doesn’t hesitate, as the Scripture states, to “strike the land, leaving neither man nor woman alive.”  

David didn’t trust Saul any longer so decides to take up his habitation with the sworn enemies of the Israelites, the Philistines.  Remember Goliath, you know the one that David killed, well he was a Philistine.   What is that saying, politics makes stranger bedfellows.  This is a perfect example of that.  David residing with the Philistines, living in their land and getting the blessing of their king is where we find ourselves.  

The king of the Philistines in fact thinks to himself that because David has done this: “he has made himself utterly abhorrent to the his people of Israel.”  He thinks that they will never welcome David back.  Well, that doesn’t really work out in his favor as we will see later on.

This story may sound vaguely familiar to you, although instead of a cave this story takes place on the battle field.  David once again hears that Saul is pursuing him.  David in the dead of night sees where Saul is, sneaks in and steals his spear and water jug, and then taunts the person who was supposed to protect Saul by saying that he was pretty much worthless as bodyguard.  

Saul hear’s David voice and says how sorry he is and says how much better of a person David is and that great things will happen to David.  Does that sound at all familiar?  It should, and if it doesn’t then go ahead to chapter 24 and you will find the identical story, except for one pretty key component.  

At the end of chapter 24 David and Saul meet together and it is a really important kum ba ya moment.  They depart in peace and I said something like, finally, this whole adversarial thing is over.  David and Saul get together, they embrace, things are back on track.  Well, here things seem to get back on track but David doesn’t go back down to greet Saul but rather has Saul send someone up to get his spear and water back.  David’s trust of Saul, if at all present before, is completely gone.  

I don’t want to spoil anything but… the words of the next chapter are the following:  “David said in his heart ‘I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.'”  He knew that Saul would never give up on pursuing him and trying to take his life by stealth.  It is time to make plans on his own and figure out how to embrace the future while Saul is trying to take his future away. 

Isn’t it the truth that sometimes we try to rely upon things that are super tenuous and don’t really hold up real well, but somehow we trick ourselves into thinking that they will work, or at least this one time it will work even if every other time it didn’t work at all.  Don’t rely upon what you hope will happen, you must rely upon God’s guidance and your hard work to make things happen.

We find a very elaborate story which is pretty much set up to give us David’s next wife.  We find out in verse 44 that  Saul had given David’s wife to a neighbor which meant that  David  was out a wife.  I guess it was the easiest thing to do for Saul especially when he was seeking out David’s life to kill him.  But here in this chapter we see him meet Abigail.  

Abigail was the wife of a very, very rich man.  This rich man was approached by David’s men who asked basically a hand out in return for the protection that they gave his shepherds.  It does remind me of a bit of an extortion.  The guy, Nabal which means fool in Hebrew, was not going to have it and so sent them away empty handed.  The servants of Nabal tell his wife, Abigail, that these soldiers of David had come and Nabal had yelled at them and insulted them.  She panics.

Without her husband knowing she loads up her donkeys and goes out to meet David whom she knew must be coming in to destroy Nabal and his family, including her.  David receives her gifts and agrees not to destroy Nabal and his family.  Ten days later Nabal dies of natural causes and David sees it as a sign that the words of Abigail were righteous and wise.  He calls for her to be his wife and she agrees.  This is how David and Abigail get together.  We will see she comes into play later on.

We finally come to the scene that we hope will end this fighting and will end what can only be described as a one sided civil war with the king pursuing David and David not fighting back.  Take note that David was surrounded by people who told him that he should kill Saul who very clearly was his enemy.  But David had too much respect for the office of king in order to do that.  In fact, he even felt guilty for cutting off a piece of the robe and scolded his men for talking him into doing even that.  But would it not be fairly obvious to make the argument that the Lord has placed into your hands your enemy, take him out for it is God’s will.  But David fights that impulse.

I had forgotten that David approaches  Saul immediately after the king leaves the cave, and in this way was able to show him directly that he had an opportunity to kill him, but chose not to.  In fact, the king says: “Who has ever heard of a person letting his enemy go free without harming them?  You have given me good and I am only seeking your evil.  You are more righteous than I am.”  That last part isn’t a quote.

But I think we come to an end of the animosity and Saul asks David to promise him that he would not bring an end to his family, which was pretty common back then.  When a new king took over who was not in the family of the last king, then that former family tended to be decimated.  It also happens that within the family people are wiped out to pave the way for the new king.  Do you notice that David calls Saul: my father.  David’s approach to Saul is a great example of humility embodied.

As we read about the pursuit of David by Saul it just becomes more and more sad.  Not only is he facing servants and soldiers who refuse to obey his commandments (remember they didn’t kill the priests like he ordered them), but he is also facing a son who his perfectly content with being second fiddle to David.  He even tells David that his father, King Saul, knows very well that David is going to reign.  Saul isn’t okay with that, but Jonathan is.  

As we read through these Scriptures images keep coming  to my mind of the places we went when we were in Israel.  We were in Ein-Gedi where much of this pursuit takes place.  Saul is very close to David when he gets word that the Philistines were attacking the home country.  I’m surprised that Saul wasn’t as obsessed with killing David that he was willing to let his home town burn to the ground.  I guess his obsession only went so far.

Let’s talk a little about this ephod that we find in vs.6 to which David refers in order to understand the will of the Lord.  An ephod is the most prominent of the priestly garments and plays a significant role in discerning the will of the Lord in Exodus 28, 39, Hosea 3:4, Isaiah 30:22.  We don’t feel comfortable thinking of things that bring us closer to God, but what about the Bible.  Don’t we feel that we are closer to God when we read the Bible?  Okay, that is different simply because those are words that we feel are inspired by God.  It is not an inanimate object that somehow has power unto itself.  But God uses a fleece, and uses other objects to clarify His  will.  It is a bit tricky, though.  I guess the best example is the robe that I wear on Sunday.  Now, for the priests the ephod was much, much more elaborate, as many robes can also be much more elaborate.  I’m not really into elaborate.

When things go bad, they really go bad.  Saul is completely isolated now.  Even though he is surrounded,  the Scripture says, with all of his servants and with his soldiers, still he was completely alone.  David has settled in the cave of Adullam which is found in the wilderness of Judah.  This wilderness was long considered a hideout for those cast out by society. In fact, notice whom David gathers around him: those who were in distress, in debt, discontented and he ruled over them.  They turned into his army.

When Saul hears that David has settled down he is furious and wants to know how this has happened.  The story is told how David sought refuge from the priests in Nob and so the high priest and all of his family and all of the priests were summoned to see Saul.  There, Saul is furious and orders his soldiers to kill the priests.  All of his soldiers refuse.  Who in their right mind is going to kill a servant of God.

So, Saul has to look outside of his nation to allies in order to kill the priests.  He talks to Doeg the Edomite who would be more  than happy to kill priests who worshiped the Lord especially because they worshiped other gods and this would be seen as a huge bonus for them.  Their own gods would be so pleased that they killed priests of a competing god.  It is carried out and none of the priests or their families are spared.  Guess who reaches out to those who survived this attack?  David, he reaches out and tells them to join his gang of misfits.  I’m pretty sure if I were around when David  were around I would have asked him if I could join his gang of misfits.

It reminds me a bit of Robin Hood.  I remember growing up with this song.