The Rest of the Old, Old Story

This Week’s Readings

Monday, May 21: 1 Samuel 25-31
Tuesday, May 22: 2 Samuel 1-6
Wednesday, May 23: 2 Samuel 7-10
Thursday, May 24: 2 Samuel 11-15
Friday, May 25: 2 Samuel 16-20

Monday, May 28, we’ll finish the last four chapters of 2 Samuel and finish the week with some Psalms and Proverbs. That will cause some change to the overall year’s plan. Sorry about that. I miscounted the number of chapters in 1 Samuel when I did the original plan. I made the changes on the year plan page, and I filled it out into August.

The overall year’s plan is here.

2 Samuel 7:10-16

This passage is a dual prophecy. It concerns Solomon, David’s son, who gave Israel peace and who built a house (temple) for God. But it also concerns Jesus, the promised Anointed One [Messiah and Christ both mean "anointed one"], who is building a spiritual house for God to dwell in. That house is built of living stones, which are us, the saints of God (1 Pet. 2:4-5).

The writer of Hebrews even quotes verse 14 as a statement about Christ (1:5).

2 Samuel 8

In verse 1, the city or area that David took is translated many different ways. The Hebrew word means "bridle of one cubit." The NASB renders it "control of the chief city" and adds a note saying it is literally "bridle of the mother city."

Other commentaries suggest that the bridle has to do with collecting tribute, and so this is saying that David took control of the tribute from the Philistines.

1 Chronicles 18:1 says it was Gath and the surrounding towns which were taken.

2 Samuel 9

Chapter 8 is somewhat gruesome, but in chapter 9 we see another side of David.

Later, when Absalom temporarily overthrows David, Ziba will turn out to be a traitor to Mephibosheth.

2 Samuel 10

Honor is a big thing in eastern cultures. Hanan dishonored David’s servants, which turned out to be a big mistake.

This Week’s Readings

Monday, May 21: 1 Samuel 25-31
Tuesday, May 22: 2 Samuel 1-6
Wednesday, May 23: 2 Samuel 7-10
Thursday, May 24: 2 Samuel 11-15
Friday, May 25: 2 Samuel 16-20

Monday, May 28, we’ll finish the last four chapters of 2 Samuel and finish the week with some Psalms and Proverbs. That will cause some change to the overall year’s plan. Sorry about that. I miscounted the number of chapters in 1 Samuel when I did the original plan. I made the changes on the year plan page, and I filled it out into August.

The overall year’s plan is here.

1 Samuel 27

When David was with Achish at Ziklag in Philistine territory, he was raiding the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites. These were on the way to Shur, "even as far as the land of Egypt" (v. 8). This is all south of Philistine territory, away from Israel.

If he had turned east at the southern border of Philistia, he would indeed have come to the Negev, where he told King Achish he was doing his raids.

1 Samuel 28

In verse 6 we are told the usual means through which God speaks to a king: dreams, by the Urim and Thummim, or by prophets.

Since those weren’t working, we wind up with another very strange Bible story. King Saul actually goes to a medium and calls up the spirit of Samuel the prophet and judge!

Since most Christians don’t believe you can call up the spirits of the dead, many suggest that this was a demon that appeared to Saul and the medium. I don’t think so. I think this was really Samuel. Why God let that happen, I don’t know. In fact, I suspect that the reason that the medium cried out with a loud voice when she saw Samuel is because she wasn’t used to getting real responses to her seances. It was God who sent Samuel from the realm of the dead, not the medium who called him up.

Samuel sure talks like Samuel, and he gives exactly the message we would expect him to give to Saul.

1 Samuel 29-31

There’s no commentary needed on these stories. I want to remind you again not to be thrown by chapter breaks. Each book was written without chapter breaks. Those were added later, and often the decision about where to add them was not well made.

In the case of 1 and 2 Samuel, this applies even to the books themselves. 1 Samuel ends right in the middle of the story of David’s ascension to the throne. Taking a break between 1 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 1 is not really the greatest stopping point.

We’re going to do it for a day, though. Don’t think that we’re starting another book. Think that we are getting ready to read the second half of Samuel, which begins with David hearing about Israel’s defeat and the death of Saul.

This Week’s Readings

Monday, May 14: 1 Samuel 1-5
Tuesday, May 15: 1 Samuel 6-10
Wednesday, May 16: 1 Samuel 11-15
Thursday, May 17: 1 Samuel 16-20
Friday, May 18: 1 Samuel 21-25

Monday, May 21, we’ll finish 1 Samuel by reading chapters 26 through 31.

The overall year’s plan is here.

1 Samuel 21

David lies to Ahimelech the priest about his mission, not telling him that he’s fleeing from Saul. Ahimelech gives him yesterday’s (v.6) showbread from the table that is before the Lord, which indicates that the tabernacle must have been there in Nob.

The exact location of Nob has not been found, and it may never be, because it may have just been a camp of priests. It was, however, within eyesight of Jerusalem (Isa. 10:32) and near Anathoth, which is just 2-1/2 miles north of Jerusalem.

I’ve mentioned repeatedly the flexibility with which God treats his favored ones, emphasizing the importance of faith and relationship with God. This incident, where David and those with him eat of the showbread, which is normally only allowed to the priest, is cited by Jesus himself as evidence of the same thing. The Pharisees complained that Jesus’ disciples were picking heads of grain on the Sabbath and eating them, and Jesus appeals to this story, then accuses the Pharisees of condemning the guiltless (Matt. 12:1-8).

1 Samuel 22

The cave of Adullam was a cave or caves near the city of Adullam, which was west of Jerusalem toward the land of the Philistines.

Note the people that joined David there:

Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. (v. 2a, NASB)

David is not just a prophet, but often a type [a figurative representation] of Christ. We sometimes wonder if it is okay to come to Christ out of our desperation, and this passage signifies for us that fleeing to Christ is a perfectly acceptable way to come to him.

We don’t clean ourselves up for Christ. We repent of our ways, whether out of wisdom or despair, and flee to him so that he can clean us up.

Verse 4 mentions that David was in a stronghold. The story doesn’t tell us where. Some commentators seem to assume that was Mizpeh in Moab, which was a fortified city. Others think that the stronghold might be the cave of Adullam. Others think that he may have moved from stronghold to stronghold (ref).

The story of Doeg the Edomite and the slaying of Abiathar’s family is dreadful. David wrote a Psalm about it, which is Psalm 52.

1 Samuel 23

The ephod was a priestly garment, and the priest’s breastplate hung on it. On the breastplate was the Urim and Thummim (Ex. 28:30), which the Israelites used to obtain answers from God, similar to casting lots, though no one knows exactly how that was done.

The breastplate is not specifically mentioned with the ephod, but the ephod is often tied to obtaining answers from God and to the Urim and Thummim. Thus, because the breastplate was hung on the ephod, anyway, it’s probably safe to assume all such references to the ephod include the breastplate as part of it.

The Wilderness of Ziph was about 20 miles south of Jerusalem. The Wilderness of Maon was south of Ziph. After escaping Saul in Maon, David goes to En-gedi, which is to the east on the shores of the Dead Sea.

1 Samuel 24

It’s probably important to remember as we read this story that Saul may have been going insane by this time, and he was still plagued by the evil spirit that the Lord had sent him as judgment. The switch back and forth from rage to repentance to rage to repentance that we have been reading about, and will continue to read about, is a symptom of his insanity. I’m very curious about what it would have been like to see the king at that time.

1 Samuel 25

The Wilderness of Paran is even further south than the Wilderness of Maon. It’s almost down to the Sea of Arabia at the top of the Sinai peninsula.

The story of Nabal is obviously set in a very different culture than ours. Gift giving, care for travelers and the displaced, polygamy … these are all addressed here in a cultural setting that is not ours.

The name Nabal means fool. Was that really his name? Some set of parents really named their child "Fool"? Or was a name assigned to him as the story was told because the ones who told the historian the story couldn’t remember his name? We have no way of answering such questions, but I think it’s important to remember that these stories were told word of mouth for years before someone wrote them down.

This Week’s Readings

Monday, May 14: 1 Samuel 1-5
Tuesday, May 15: 1 Samuel 6-10
Wednesday, May 16: 1 Samuel 11-15
Thursday, May 17: 1 Samuel 16-20
Friday, May 18: 1 Samuel 21-25

The overall year’s plan is here.

1 Samuel 16

Things had gone really downhill for Saul. His attitude had become awful. Before being rejected as king by God, he had built a monument for himself (15:12). Now, when Samuel is called by God to appoint a replacement for Saul, Samuel actually fears for his life.

The end of it all is that the LORD himself sends an evil spirit to "terrorize" (16:14, NASB) Saul.

1 Samuel 17

A cubit is the distance from a man’s elbow to his fingertips. Typically, a cubit is considered to be about 18 inches (1.5 feet or 45.7 centimeters). A span was the distance from the thumb to the middle finger or pinky, when stretched out as much as possible. That is generally treated as being a half a cubit or 9 inches. This would make Goliath 9 feet 9 inches tall (2.97 m).

Goliath was from Gath, where the Anakim, a race of giants, were said to be left, though they were driven out of almost all the rest of the land of Canaan (Josh. 11:22).

David was not a part of the Israelite army. He was simply bringing bread to his brothers when Goliath showed up for his daily challenge.

Saul had promised to give great riches to the man who killed Goliath. He had also promised to let him marry his daughter and to make his family free in Israel. The general agreement of commentaries (and the note in the NAS Bible I’m using) is that "free"meant that his family would not have to pay taxes nor, possibly, provide sons for public service.

1 Samuel 17:55-58

This passage seems like a problem. David had been playing the harp whenever Saul was terrorized by the evil spirit. Saul had sent for David by sending a message to Jesse, David’s father. The harp playing had gone so well that Saul "loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer" (16:21). Because of that, Saul sent a second message to Jesse, asking for David to be able "stand before" him (16:22).

So why did Saul not know who David’s father was?

I have three possible explanations. Two of them can be found in commentaries here, and the other is purely mine.

1. Saul forgot David’s father. Saul was a king, David only played before Saul occasionally and only when Saul was terrorized by an evil spirit, and Saul had lots of servants. It may also have been a long time since he had last called for David because David was back attending sheep again.
2. The Keil-Delitzch commentary, which is highly respected, thinks the theory that Saul forgot has "but little probability." They insist that Saul was not actually asking the name of David’s father, but asking more information about David’s father and their family’s social status. In other words, "Why is this shepherd boy from an obscure family such a warrior that he kills lions, bears, and is not afraid of the giant from Philistia?"
3. Finally, my theory is that 1 Samuel, covering the history of Samuel, Saul and David, was not written day by day or month by month as the events happened. 1 Samuel was written in one or several sittings after David became king so that his story would be on paper. That meant that the historian who wrote it had a collection of stories and memories to work with. The stories are in somewhat chronological order, and their details match, but not exactly. Notice that David is introduced all over again in 17:12, as though we had not already been introduced to him. Also, both 16:22 and 18:2 give reasons that David stayed at Saul’s palace rather than returning to the sheep.
      In my opinion, that is because the historian had both the story of David as Saul’s musician and the story of David killing Goliath in front of him. He set them both down, one right after the other, in the order that made the most sense. However, since both stories involve David’s introduction to Saul, we are left not knowing whether Saul really didn’t love David as much as 16:21 suggests or whether the killing of Goliath was really David’s formal introduction to Saul.

I realize, of course, that my theory is considered "liberal," but I just don’t see that "inspired" means "gets every detail correct of all stories, math, and science, even if the author had no way of knowing such things."

I pointed out when we began reading the Gospel of Luke that Luke says that his Gospel is the product of research, not an eyewitness report. Just because some detail of some story or parable does not exactly match the details as given by Matthew, who was an eyewitness (but who probably didn’t write until at least 20 years after Jesus died and rose), should not surprise us, distress us, or cause us to wonder about God’s inspiration.

We are followers of the Spirit, not of the letter (2 Cor. 3:6). We do not violate the Scriptures, but we follow God by the Spirit, not by our interpretations of Scripture.

That may sound strange, but the Pharisees considered themselves followers of Scripture. In fact, they adhered so diligently to Scripture that they angered God, crucified his Son, and had the kingdom of God taken away from them and given to another (spiritual) nation (Matt. 21:43). Jesus rebuked them for the stand they took on Scripture. He said that Scripture should have driven them to him, but they couldn’t see it (Jn. 5:39-40).

As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. (Rom. 8:14)

1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 18 merges the two stories of David as Saul’s harpist and David as Saul’s leading warrior.

Even by my theory, given above, I believe both stories are true. However, the historian, writing years, or perhaps decades, after the actual events, was unable to harmonize the details of Saul meeting David and assigning him to the king’s staff on a permanent basis. Once both stories are introduced, it was easy to continue the story, for David was both the king’s harpist and a soldier.

Having said all that, don’t miss this great history of David. The rise of David from shepherd boy to king is possibly even more complicated than the quite similar route Joseph took.

David put himself in incredible danger out of trust in God. He faced Goliath, and he fell from leading the king’s soldiers to being chased through the wilderness by the king’s armies, unwilling to defend himself if the Lord did not defend him (coming in the next chapters).

1 Samuel 19

Strange things in this chapter!

First, why did Michal have a household idol to use to put in David’s bed(v. 13)?

I liked Keil & Delitzch’s comment that Michal probably kept the household idol in secret because she was barren, which may have been the reason that Rachel, Jacob’s wife, stole her father’s household idols as well (Gen. 31:19).

Other commentaries said such household idols were popular among Israelite women, which would be a very sad commentary on their spiritual state.

Second, the way that God defended David while he was with Samuel is strange, too!

1 Samuel 20

This chapter describes the beginning of David’s time of flight from Saul.

It is not just David’s trust in God that led to the writing of so many Psalms. It is also the hardships he endured during this time of flight that helped shape him into the king and psalmist that he was.

Joseph, Moses, David … they all had their "wilderness" time. Do not despise yours, nor let your faith falter, for risk and suffering is the only route to spiritual depth.

This Week’s Readings

Monday, May 14: 1 Samuel 1-5
Tuesday, May 15: 1 Samuel 6-10
Wednesday, May 16: 1 Samuel 11-15
Thursday, May 17: 1 Samuel 16-20
Friday, May 18: 1 Samuel 21-25

The overall year’s plan is here.

1 Samuel 12:12-18

Proverbs 26:1 says:

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

Rain in harvest was very uncommon in Palestine, so Samuel’s prayer for rain during the harvest was miraculous.

Also, a thunderstorm during harvest could be devastating to the crops, so it was not just a sign, but a punishment as well.

1 Samuel 13:2-4

This attack on the Philistines was not in Philistine territory, but on a Philistine garrison ["a body of troops stationed in a fortified place" or "the place where such troops are stationed" (ref)]. The garrison was at Geba, which was between Jericho and Jerusalem, far from the Philistine land on the Mediterranean coast.

Thus, this was an overthrow of invaders, not an attempt to take Philistine land.

1 Samuel 13:5-23

The location of Gilgal is not certain, but it was close to Jericho, and it was on the west side of the Jordan. It was there that the Israelites made their first camp before attacking Jericho, and Joshua circumcised all the men there.

Michmash, where the Philistines were camped, was miles away, near Geba, which had been attacked by Jonathon. From there they sent raiders north towards Ophrah, which was east of Bethel, west towards Beth-horon, and east to overlook the valley of Zeboim (probable location). Saul was stationed to the south at Gilgal.

Saul and his army were in terrible straits. They were up against 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen without any real weapons.

Worse, he must have been sure that God had abandoned him because Samuel had abandoned him. Exactly why Saul’s sacrifice was such a great offense to Samuel and to God is not told to us. We could speculate that it was a violation of the Law of Moses, but every sacrifice performed by Samuel was a violation of the Law of Moses. None of them were done at the tabernacle.

Further, once David becomes king, he will make sacrifices in almost exactly the same way that Saul did, but without reproof.

It is relationship with God that matters even more than the Law and even under the Old Covenant.

Further, it is important to understand that sacrifice is not a way to obtain the favor of God. Sacrifice is for those who already have the favor of God because of repentance. In other words, the heart of the offerer sanctifies the offering, not the other way around.

David explains this after his sin with Bathsheba in Psalm 51:

You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would offer it. You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and contrite heart, oh God. … Then you shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then shall they offer bulls upon your altar. (vv. 16-17,19).

1 Samuel 14

Saul had moved from Gilgal to Gibea, which was west and put him due south of the Philistines at Michmash. Perhaps he was fleeing the raiders who were headed toward the wilderness of Zeboim. Perhaps he was just in despair, not certain what to do.

Deliverance ends up being brought about by Jonathan, who, as we shall see as we go along, was clearly one of the Lord’s favored ones. His name has become synonymous with friendship, and it is clear that he was a man of great faith and power.

1 Samuel 15

The land of the Amalekites was south and east of Philistine land. We read in chapter 14 that Saul had battled the Philistines. The attack on the Amalekites was probably progress in his conquering. However, his disobedience becomes his downfall despite a great victory.

Saul tries to blame the disobedience on the people, but Samuel will have none of it. When he pronounces judgment on Saul, Saul repents and admits he "feared the people and listened to their voice" (v. 24, NASB).

How many of us have found ourselves in the same boat, being a part of something that we were not comfortable with because we "feared the people." God has high regard for courage (Josh 1:9), and he has extremely harsh words for cowardice (Rev. 21:8).

The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Prov. 28:1)

I know from experience how seriously we need to take this. By nature, I’m a follower, letting others make decisions. Overcoming that tendency to just let things go is terribly difficult for me, but we who are Christians have to be followers of God, not men. I continually remind myself that concerning courage, I have to make progress, not excuses.

I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man that shall die and of the son of man, who shall become like grass? You forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and you have been afraid continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy. Where is the fury of the oppressor? … I am the LORD your God, who divides the sea, whose waves roared. The LORD of armies is his name. I have put my words in your mouth, I have covered you in the shadow of my hand, so that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and I say to Zion, "You are my people." (Isa. 51:12-13,15-16)

Saul didn’t take the Lord’s words seriously enough, and the results were disastrous for him.

This Week’s Readings

Monday, May 14: 1 Samuel 1-5
Tuesday, May 15: 1 Samuel 6-10
Wednesday, May 16: 1 Samuel 11-15
Thursday, May 17: 1 Samuel 16-20
Friday, May 18: 1 Samuel 21-25

The overall year’s plan is here.

1 Samuel 6-7

The major cities of the Philistines were along the Mediterranean coast south of Israel. You can see Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza on this map. We are told that Bethshemeth was north along the coast from these cities. Kirjathjearim and Mizpeh were each a step further inland from the coast. Mizpeh was most likely due north of Bethlehem (and thus Jerusalem), near Bethel.

God struck the inhabitants of Bethshemeth for looking in the ark. Apparently, the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim only handled it; they didn’t look in it. They even were wise enough to consecrate one individual to be in charge of it.

1 Samuel 8

I said yesterday that Samuel was the last judge of Israel, but as you can see, that’s not really true. Samuel’s sons, Joel and Abiah, were the last judges of Israel. Of course, they really didn’t get any chance to have the authority earlier judges, including their father, had. When the people were fed up and demanded a king, they went to Samuel, not his sons.

1 Samuel 9

The story of the coronation of Saul as the first king of Israel is a great story, but I never cease to marvel at the liberty that God gave to Samuel. When Saul and his servant went looking for the man of God, they found him sacrificing on a high place in his home town, where he had built an altar (7:17), and not at the tabernacle of God.

There was never any judgment or a rebuke to Samuel for doing this.

It tells me that our primary duty is to believe God, as we’ve been learning in Romans and Galatians. Samuel’s faith, like Abraham’s and David’s, was not a faith that did not work, but a faith that worked diligently in relationship with God. Sometimes, however, that involved complete ignorance of or indifference to at least parts of the Law of Moses.

"To obey is better than sacrifice," Samuel will eventually tell Saul. Obedience and faith go hand in hand. Sacrifice, law, and religion go hand in hand. There is a place for sacrifice and religious activities, but when they become an excuse for "sanctification" without obedience to God’s voice, God hates them.

1 Samuel 10

The difference between a judge and a king is that a king rules. A judge only judges, which means he only deals with those who come to him. He is not a ruler, just a person who makes the final call when one is needed. Leave him alone, and generally he will leave you alone.

A judge also doesn’t require taxes. He has no army. He has no palace. He needs no servants.

A king, on the other hand, rules. He raises taxes to support an army and to conduct all the affairs of state. He checks on the populace, ensuring their obedience to his laws, rather than merely making himself available as a judge does.

Thus, during the time of judges, God considered himself to be in charge. He was the King. When the people demanded a different king, God lets them know what it will be like. They are ready to be a kingdom, however, and God’s warnings do no good.

It is of interest to me that the people clamored for a king while Samuel’s sons were judges because they were corrupt. Having a corrupt judge means that you don’t have a safe court of appeal. That’s bad, but that’s not nearly as bad as having a corrupt king who is going to come to you and take your money and possibly your children!

This Week’s Readings

Monday, May 14: 1 Samuel 1-5
Tuesday, May 15: 1 Samuel 6-10
Wednesday, May 16: 1 Samuel 11-15
Thursday, May 17: 1 Samuel 16-20
Friday, May 18: 1 Samuel 21-25

The overall year’s plan is here.

1 Samuel 1-5

If there was any time for me to be moving in and without reliable internet, this is a good time. 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel are the stories of Samuel, Saul, and then David. There’s a little commentary needed to clear up some questions of chronology with Saul and David, but otherwise these are all interesting, easy-to-follow stories.

If everything goes right, I’ll have good internet tomorrow, though I’ll still be moving in, pressed for time, and tired a lot.

For today, enjoy the story of Samuel. He’s the last of the judges.

I do want to point out one thing, and then give you a link that will help you guess at what plague was striking the Philistines in chapter 5.

1 Samuel 3:19

Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

This verse has always been very important to me. Samuel as a prophet was not necessarily always right in his prophecies, as I read the wording of the verse. God did not simply make sure that Samuel had the right words, but God did not let any of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

This implies to me that Samuel had such favor with God that God was going to back him up even when Samuel was wrong. God didn’t let his words fall to the ground. In other words, Samuel was so trustworthy that God wouldn’t let him be wrong. Even when he was wrong, God would make him right.

At least, that’s how I read it.

1 Samuel 5: The Plague on the Philistines

The Hebrew word describing the affliction of the Philistines most likely means hemorrhoids or tumors. EnduringWord.com has a list of commentators (including Keil and Delitszch, perhaps the most respected commentators available as far as the definition of words) speculating on the meaning of the Hebrew word here. Keil and Delitszch—perhaps the most respected commentators as far as word definitions are concerned—reference the rabbis, who consider it a hemorrhoid. Others argue that this was beubonic plague.

You can read their arguments yourself at EnduringWord.com.