DAVID AND JONATHAN

1 Samuel 18ff

Today the headlines would scream “YOUTH SLAYS GIANT!” And about 1000 B. C. Saul's general brought David back to the king's tent still holding Goliath's severed head. Saul was stunned. “Who ARE you really?” David told him, and he told David he was no longer a shepherd but a warrior.

Scripture says Prince Jonathan and David became fast friends over night. Not surprising really, because they were two of a kind. Remember a few chapters back the prince and his squire attacked a Philistine outpost by themselves and wiped out a whole squad that turned into a rout, as did David's victory. The two young men were drawn to each other and committed themselves to a deep friendship.

Saul apparently commissioned David into his army as a leader. We don't know how much time passed, but apparently it must have been a year or more. In the meantime, after shuffling a couple of girls around, Saul gave David his daughter Michael as a wife. Note that made him part of the royal family, which Saul would later regret. Jonathan didn't care. The two men were so close they knew when the time came, whichever wore the crown, the other would be his companion.

But Saul was bugged, badly disturbed in more ways than one. David was an incredible leader as well as a capable warrior. (I've wondered whether his brothers who mocked him now followed him?) He became the subject of pop music:

Saul has slain his thousands;

David has slain ten thousands!

Hearing the gals singing drove the king up the wall! He couldn't stand it! He even took Jonathan aside and said, “Look kid. This guy is out after your kingdom. We gotta protect the dynasty here.”

Side note: the dynasty issue explains a lot in world history and in Biblical history. David had several sons by different mothers. Often goaded by their mothers, the sons were jealous of each other and sought an advantage. Incidentally, that's one answer I give when smart-alecs ask why they were allowed multiple wives in the OT. I say, “Yes, and you see what it got them!” Recognize that king's marrying was a big deal. They marry princesses from another country to bind the two nations together. They sometimes have multiple wives to make sure an heir survives to be king. Remember most families lost children early in life. Henry VIII famously broke with the Catholic Church because the Pope would not let him divorce his wife who “could not” bear him a son. He broke with Catholics and set up his own church, now called Anglican or Episcopal. Anyway, all that comes into play later when one son rebels against him to become king, and David steals Bathsheba who became the mother of King Solomon. All kinds of stuff going on backstage here!

Another discursus: Saul was losing it. We might diagnose him today as bi-polar, or manic depressive. This disease is characterized by wild mood swings, sometimes including and eruption of anger out of control. I worked in a private mental hospital unit while in seminary, and one patient we had carried this diagnosis. We were told at report one night that he had become enraged and threw a telephone at his psychiatrist! So it is not surprising that Saul would have these depressed moods that showed him as dark and brooding. David's music seemed to help him at that point. But then he would be brooding about David's popularity and the danger of his stealing the kingdom from Jonathan. That's when he erupted and hurled a spear at his giant-killer. But David was quicker and escaped.

He and Jonathan met and agreed on a plan. The king had been so volatile, he might have calmed down and would listen to reason. But it was not to be. The prince tried to persuade his father that David was loyal to him, but a characteristic of bi-polars is they are often paranoid, suspect people plotting against them. And if you're the king, you probably do have those who plot to seize the kingdom. Saul thought his son was a fool, and that David would take Jonathan's rightful place on the throne. (The question ultimately became moot, since both were killed on the battlefield, leaving a clear path for David.)

Anyway, the two young men did their secret agent bit, and the prince signaled the shepherd that his father was still angry and bent on killing him. He sent his squire back into the city, so the two could meet. David now saw he had to flee, but not before renewing their covenant to be faithful to each other. David was now going to become a sort of Robin Hood and mercenary for several years.

The lesson focus is on their friendship. I used to have a self-help book by a psychologist in Arizona or someplace. His favorite form of “therapy” was friendship. He said everyone should have at least five friends, and we should include them in every day we could: coffee breaks, drop-ins, lunch, sports, phone, whatever. One friend should become our very best friend with whom we share anything and everything. The others should be folks we are comfortable with and enjoy being around. Oh – what kind of friend are you?

DAVID AND JONATHAN

1 Samuel 18ff

Today the headlines would scream “YOUTH SLAYS GIANT!” And about 1000 B. C. Saul's general brought David back to the king's tent still holding Goliath's severed head. Saul was stunned. “Who ARE you really?” David told him, and he told David he was no longer a shepherd but a warrior.

Scripture says Prince Jonathan and David became fast friends over night. Not surprising really, because they were two of a kind. Remember a few chapters back the prince and his squire attacked a Philistine outpost by themselves and wiped out a whole squad that turned into a rout, as did David's victory. The two young men were drawn to each other and committed themselves to a deep friendship.

Saul apparently commissioned David into his army as a leader. We don't know how much time passed, but apparently it must have been a year or more. In the meantime, after shuffling a couple of girls around, Saul gave David his daughter Michael as a wife. Note that made him part of the royal family, which Saul would later regret. Jonathan didn't care. The two men were so close they knew when the time came, whichever wore the crown, the other would be his companion.

But Saul was bugged, badly disturbed in more ways than one. David was an incredible leader as well as a capable warrior. (I've wondered whether his brothers who mocked him now followed him?) He became the subject of pop music:

Saul has slain his thousands;

David has slain ten thousands!

Hearing the gals singing drove the king up the wall! He couldn't stand it! He even took Jonathan aside and said, “Look kid. This guy is out after your kingdom. We gotta protect the dynasty here.”

Side note: the dynasty issue explains a lot in world history and in Biblical history. David had several sons by different mothers. Often goaded by their mothers, the sons were jealous of each other and sought an advantage. Incidentally, that's one answer I give when smart-alecs ask why they were allowed multiple wives in the OT. I say, “Yes, and you see what it got them!” Recognize that king's marrying was a big deal. They marry princesses from another country to bind the two nations together. They sometimes have multiple wives to make sure an heir survives to be king. Remember most families lost children early in life. Henry VIII famously broke with the Catholic Church because the Pope would not let him divorce his wife who “could not” bear him a son. He broke with Catholics and set up his own church, now called Anglican or Episcopal. Anyway, all that comes into play later when one son rebels against him to become king, and David steals Bathsheba who became the mother of King Solomon. All kinds of stuff going on backstage here!

Another discursus: Saul was losing it. We might diagnose him today as bi-polar, or manic depressive. This disease is characterized by wild mood swings, sometimes including and eruption of anger out of control. I worked in a private mental hospital unit while in seminary, and one patient we had carried this diagnosis. We were told at report one night that he had become enraged and threw a telephone at his psychiatrist! So it is not surprising that Saul would have these depressed moods that showed him as dark and brooding. David's music seemed to help him at that point. But then he would be brooding about David's popularity and the danger of his stealing the kingdom from Jonathan. That's when he erupted and hurled a spear at his giant-killer. But David was quicker and escaped.

He and Jonathan met and agreed on a plan. The king had been so volatile, he might have calmed down and would listen to reason. But it was not to be. The prince tried to persuade his father that David was loyal to him, but a characteristic of bi-polars is they are often paranoid, suspect people plotting against them. And if you're the king, you probably do have those who plot to seize the kingdom. Saul thought his son was a fool, and that David would take Jonathan's rightful place on the throne. (The question ultimately became moot, since both were killed on the battlefield, leaving a clear path for David.)

Anyway, the two young men did their secret agent bit, and the prince signaled the shepherd that his father was still angry and bent on killing him. He sent his squire back into the city, so the two could meet. David now saw he had to flee, but not before renewing their covenant to be faithful to each other. David was now going to become a sort of Robin Hood and mercenary for several years.

The lesson focus is on their friendship. I used to have a self-help book by a psychologist in Arizona or someplace. His favorite form of “therapy” was friendship. He said everyone should have at least five friends, and we should include them in every day we could: coffee breaks, drop-ins, lunch, sports, phone, whatever. One friend should become our very best friend with whom we share anything and everything. The others should be folks we are comfortable with and enjoy being around. Oh – what kind of friend are you?

HOW TO KILL A GIANT
1Samuel 17

Most people run from giants, hide from giants, peek around the corner to check for giants. Indeed, the whole army of Israel ran from Goliath and trembled (1 Samuel 17:4). David, however, was made of different cloth. He sought out the giant, confronted him, and killed him.

In life we meet giants we cannot escape. There is tragedy, severe illness, and death. Challenges also present opportunities if we can muster the courage and wit to tackle and overcome them. This week's lesson deals with the old familiar story of David and Goliath. I'm going to review this in a different way and see if we can apply it to the challenges of our lives today or tomorrow.

First, let's look at a couple of things often overlooked. Most of the children's books and pictures show David as a little kid with almost a toy slingshot. But I don't think that's the way it went down. The Bible seldom mentions what anybody looked like – very seldom. But it tells us that Saul stood head and shoulders above anyone else in Israel. So tell me: why did Saul offer his huge armor to a little boy? Answer: he didn't. David was not by then a little boy. The word translated “youth” may include little boys all the way up to young adulthood. Saul offered David his armor because it was the only set big enough to fit him! David did not take it off because it didn't fit; he took it off because he wasn't used to it. Also note David said he jumped on bears and lions like Tarzan and killed them. Hardly a deed a little boy could do.

Second, David selected five smooth stones for his sling. The slingshot was a standard military weapon of that day. Elsewhere in the David story we find 40 left handed slingmen who were deadly accurate. When archaeologists have dug up sling balls, they are the size of billiard balls. Now picture a young man built like a high school linebacker whirling that loaded sling around his head at tremendous speed before letting it free on its track to Goliath's forehead.

Now let's look at several things David did and we can do when giants arise in the land.

1 – Go looking for them! Of course, some of life's giants ambush you. But from time to time the Spirit gives us assignments. (“Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is...!) Sometimes he does it by stirring our concern. We see a problem or a need and think, “Somebody ought to do something about that.” Could it be that's the Lord's way of challenging YOU to be the one to do something? William Carey in 19th century England became concerned because no one was evangelizing pagans overseas. He finally committed himself publicly with the words, “If you'll hold the rope, I will go down into the well.”

They have become cliches. Get out of your comfort zone. Less talk and more action. Aim high. We love the sound, and coaches have drummed those words and others like them into millions of America's athletes. But the heroes of our faith understood another saying by William Carey: Expect great things from God; attempt great things FOR God! David certainly did.

And you?

2 - He practiced on bears and lions! Not sure we Christians today have even gone deer hunting. Have you aimed at anything bigger than a bird or a squirrel?

I can imagine David when he WAS a little boy getting his first sling shot. His daddy or an older brother showed him how to use it. He would go out in the back yard and fling rocks at trees and maybe sherds from broken pots around the house. Then maybe he did start hunting small game. When he became big enough and mature enough to be trusted with the sheep, he probably helped his father or brothers at first. Later he could be trusted by himself. Perhaps one day he saw a bear stalking one of the sheep. “Not on my watch, you don't!” he thought and let fly a rock that stunned the animal. Jumping on its back, he cut its throat or even strangled it. Goliath wasn't his first rodeo, nor his last either!

3 – He was courageous in his faith. He stood up for himself in the trash talking and gave as good as he got! Goliath not only had more experience, he had a second warrior with him, his shield carrier. It was going to be two against one. And the giant looked down on him scornfully. He made fun of David as a little boy coming after him with a stick (the shepherd's staff). He would feed the kid to the birds and wild animals. David kept coming.

4 – He depended on the Lord. And David's response was, “You come to me with a sword and a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD God of Hosts whose army you have defied. He will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you down and cut off your head.” At that point the writer inserts a note to the effect David had no sword at the moment he talked about severing Goliath's head. He was to use the Philistines own sword after dispatching him. By the way, later in life he would recover that sword to use as his own.

Pay special attention to David's comment that the Lord would win the battle for him. One day I realized something about that: ANY MAN IN GOD'S ARMY COULD HAVE CONQUERED GOLIATH HAD HE GONE IN FAITH!  Sure, credit David for his skill with the sling and his courage in stepping out on faith, but don't miss that he gave credit ahead of time to the Lord.

So when life throws a giant in your path, remember David. The One who delivered him can deliver you. Go forward in faith, accepting the wisdom and strength that only comes from Him.

And be alert to calls from God to go fight a giant. Remember those things around us about which you remark, “someone should do something about that.” Maybe God would send you to do just that. Perhaps at least some of the people you are concerned about are among those God wants to send you to help. Look around. People are incredibly lost and needy in many ways. You can help some. God will show you who and how!

DAVID – MAN OF THE EARTH?

1 Samuel 16

I almost didn't write Bible notes this week. But last night I reviewed this chapter in Hebrew to check out verse 12. King James says David was “ruddy,” but other translations brush over this to the effect he was good looking. In reviewing this verse I tracked some other verses and discovered this was more than history. He's writing theology! So here are some Hebrew word studies:

16:12 – Ruddy – in English letters, the Hebrew word is adamuni, but pay attention to the first four letters – adam. You recognize that as the first man's name, right?

What you may not know is that adam also means “man,” one of two main Hebrew words that do. (Ish is the other one.) But let's line up several similar words to compare:

adam

dam

adamah

edom

adamuni (or possibly adamoni)

Dam means blood. Blood is red.

Edom means red.

Adamah is the word translated “dust of the ground” in Genesis 2.

The implication is that God created a man with living blood from the red earth.

Thus, when the Book says David is ruddy, it may well mean, as one OT scholar suggested, that David was a red head, with a reddist complexion! But with all of these words in the background could the Samuel writer be implying that David is a man of the earth, a sort of new Adam. Later he's described as a man after God's own heart, perhaps closer than most to what God intended in creation?

:3 – Anoint – meshach in Hebrew letters, the same word as “Messiah.” David was to be a kind of messiah for Israel, righting the nation back on obedience to the Lord.

Kingship in Israel is a fundamental concept in the Bible. The Lord (Yahweh)is King, but anoints a human king. David, from the tribe of Judah, town of Bethlehem becomes for Israel what George Washington is for America. In England there is a legend that at Britain's time of great need, Sir Francis Drake will re-appear to save his people as he did from the Spanish Armada. Israel looked back on David like that – the idealized king who would re-appear. His story became a part of the popular thinking about a Messiah that God would send to redeem Israel in time of trouble. That's one reason some were expecting Jesus to lead a rebellion to overthrow the Romans.

:4 – the elders asked if he had come “in peace,” shalom. In Hebrew, shalom means more than lack of war or belligerence. Shalom is wholeness, health, both physical and mental health. At peace with the world. A theme that pops up again and again in the Bible.

:5 – Sanctify or purify yourselves – Hebrew here is kodesh, the basic OT word for holy. The concept in OT and NT is set apart. A famous (among Ot scholars) book by Rudolf Otto concludes that the Idea of the Holy is “otherness.” The Holy One is wholly other than we are. He is infinite, we are finite. We have boundaries. He is His own boundary. To make ourselves holy, means to separate ourselves to His service and worship, or His worship and service. For Israel there were certain rituals to go through before sacrifice to “purify” themselves. They did not separate ritual from life as we do. The Law from God included sacrifice and moral living. They were the same. Oh btw, the verb form here implies strong action to bring something about. “Get with the program!”

:7 – see – roeh – tho translations use two words here, see and look, in Hebrew it is the same word. The tense is continuous, seeing or looking habitually. Instead of romping through this verse piously pointing out God's examining our insides, pause to ask how you look at people. Jesus challenged us to love others as He has loved us! Can we learn to look past those things we habitually use to evaluate people? How would the Spirit revise how you see people?

Also note that God evaluates you by the realities within you. Not by your outward appearance and actions.

:11 – David was a shepherd. Moses was a shepherd. Amos was a shepherd. If the Bible had happened in the American West, would they have been cowboys? They were definitely men of the earth, accustomed to rugged outdoor living. Strong men. Jesus was a carpenter, but He called Himself the Good Shepherd. We often call pastors shepherds. But if all Christians are to be ministers (See Romans and 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4), then we all need to learn how to shepherd.

:13 – the Spirit of the Lord came on David when he was anointed. Was this the Holy Spirit? The word is ruah, the same word that in used in Genesis 1:2, when the Spirit of God hovered over the chaos. And God breathed His ruah, breath, into man and he became a living soul (nephesh hayah). I find it striking that in both Hebrew and Greek the words for spirit also mean wind and breath. That ambiguity explains the word play in John 3 – the wind/spirit blows as it chooses...

That's all I got this week, except to note the story at the end of the chapter has David playing his harp for Saul. Today we would suspect Saul of being bi-polar or manic depressive, flashing from despondency to temper explosions in an instant. There's also a puzzle here in that when David shows up in the next chapter to fight Goliath, Saul gives no sign of recognizing him. Another part of the mental illness or just the author adding a story he didn't know where else to put?

TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN?
1 Samuel 15

In brief: The Lord had told Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely, wiping them out and all of their belongings. Instead he kept their king and some of the choicest animals under the pretext of using them for sacrifices on an Israelite altar.
Because Saul had not obeyed God fully, the Lord left him for the most part and began to make arrangements for his successor. Thus the quarterly focuses on the importance of obeying God.

This passage gives both Christians and their critics some serious problems. Why would God from His love demand the eradication of a people, men, women, and children? The first world almost unanimously opposes genocide. Isn't this the same thing? There are several answers:

The sovereignty of God. There are some things we are not supposed to know.

There used to be a common explanation I haven't heard much anymore. It was called progressive revelation. It explained much of the morality of the OT as a primitive, yet developing understanding as God deve;p[ed His people over time. Many interpreters would state that this was the people's understanding, not God's final will as revealed in Christ. This satisfied, probably still satisfies many people. Depending on your belief in inspiration, you have to insert in parentheses where it says God told them to do something “They believed that God told them...”

Another group of readers have no trouble seeing it as the judgment of God. The Amalekites had repeatedly attacked God's people, so complete destruction was their just punishment.

Here is the direction I prefer to go. Israel was to put Amalek “under the ban (harem).” You will recognze “harem” as the closed off section of a rich household where the king or other wealthy men kept their wives and mistresses. They were under the ban from other men and were dedicated to the king. When a town was placed under a ban, it was to be offered to a god as a complete sacrifice. That was what happened here.

But why? Israel was not nearly as individualistic as we are. You were a part of your family and tribe. Just as a teacher sent you off in a school bus and reminded you that you represented Podunk High, so a person was as much a part of his family and kindred as your hand is of your body. Further, since there was no police force, one family member stood up for another. If you lost a fight and the victor cut off your hand, your brother or close kin became responsible to find the enemey and do the same or worse to him. If Israel totally destroyed a nation, they didn't have to watch their back. No one was left to come after them. In this case, when they were going to a long-lasting war with the Philistines, they needed to be able to focus only on them as much as possible.

Some other notes to ponder on various verses:

Verse 10-11: The Lord tells Samuel He was disappointed in Saul because he had failed to carry out his instructions. This was the second blunder. Remember last week when Saul became impatient and usurped Samuel's place as priest. The rejection upsets Sam, and he lies awake all night fuming.

Next morning, the prophet goes looking for the king and finds he has gone first to Carmel and then to Gilgal. I have no idea what that was about. Carmel was on the coast, where one day Elijah would call down fire. Gilgal was across the Jordan valley north of Jericho. A long day's journey. The coastal visit was to dedicate a statue to himself. That may be more radical than we would think at first hand. Israel took the commandment to make no graven images seriously. They included both gods (idols) and people in that ban. Obviously Saul was feeding his ego and probably dishonoring the Lord by so doing.

Verse 14 – What is that bleating of sheep I hear? Your sins will find you out. And the world will notice if we claim to be Christians and they hear bleats from behind us!

Samuel and Saul go back and forth about God's rejecting the king. Apparently the rejection did not mean death or deposing on the spot, but rather Saul would not have a dynasty. A king from a different family would rule. Keep this in mind in coming chapters when Saul gets moody and fights David. At any rate, the Lord does not relent, but Samuel reluctantly continues to accompany the king.

Verse 32 – The prophet called for the enemy king, Agag, to be brought to him. He personally corrected Saul's error by pronouncing sentence, taking a sword, and executing the man.

Now – what lessons can you draw from the lesson?




TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN?
1 Samuel 15

In brief: The Lord had told Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely, wiping them out and all of their belongings. Instead he kept their king and some of the choicest animals under the pretext of using them for sacrifices on an Israelite altar.
Because Saul had not obeyed God fully, the Lord left him for the most part and began to make arrangements for his successor. Thus the quarterly focuses on the importance of obeying God.

This passage gives both Christians and their critics some serious problems. Why would God from His love demand the eradication of a people, men, women, and children? The first world almost unanimously opposes genocide. Isn't this the same thing? There are several answers:

The sovereignty of God. There are some things we are not supposed to know.

There used to be a common explanation I haven't heard much anymore. It was called progressive revelation. It explained much of the morality of the OT as a primitive, yet developing understanding as God deve;p[ed His people over time. Many interpreters would state that this was the people's understanding, not God's final will as revealed in Christ. This satisfied, probably still satisfies many people. Depending on your belief in inspiration, you have to insert in parentheses where it says God told them to do something “They believed that God told them...”

Another group of readers have no trouble seeing it as the judgment of God. The Amalekites had repeatedly attacked God's people, so complete destruction was their just punishment.

Here is the direction I prefer to go. Israel was to put Amalek “under the ban (harem).” You will recognze “harem” as the closed off section of a rich household where the king or other wealthy men kept their wives and mistresses. They were under the ban from other men and were dedicated to the king. When a town was placed under a ban, it was to be offered to a god as a complete sacrifice. That was what happened here.

But why? Israel was not nearly as individualistic as we are. You were a part of your family and tribe. Just as a teacher sent you off in a school bus and reminded you that you represented Podunk High, so a person was as much a part of his family and kindred as your hand is of your body. Further, since there was no police force, one family member stood up for another. If you lost a fight and the victor cut off your hand, your brother or close kin became responsible to find the enemey and do the same or worse to him. If Israel totally destroyed a nation, they didn't have to watch their back. No one was left to come after them. In this case, when they were going to a long-lasting war with the Philistines, they needed to be able to focus only on them as much as possible.

Some other notes to ponder on various verses:

Verse 10-11: The Lord tells Samuel He was disappointed in Saul because he had failed to carry out his instructions. This was the second blunder. Remember last week when Saul became impatient and usurped Samuel's place as priest. The rejection upsets Sam, and he lies awake all night fuming.

Next morning, the prophet goes looking for the king and finds he has gone first to Carmel and then to Gilgal. I have no idea what that was about. Carmel was on the coast, where one day Elijah would call down fire. Gilgal was across the Jordan valley north of Jericho. A long day's journey. The coastal visit was to dedicate a statue to himself. That may be more radical than we would think at first hand. Israel took the commandment to make no graven images seriously. They included both gods (idols) and people in that ban. Obviously Saul was feeding his ego and probably dishonoring the Lord by so doing.

Verse 14 – What is that bleating of sheep I hear? Your sins will find you out. And the world will notice if we claim to be Christians and they hear bleats from behind us!

Samuel and Saul go back and forth about God's rejecting the king. Apparently the rejection did not mean death or deposing on the spot, but rather Saul would not have a dynasty. A king from a different family would rule. Keep this in mind in coming chapters when Saul gets moody and fights David. At any rate, the Lord does not relent, but Samuel reluctantly continues to accompany the king.

Verse 32 – The prophet called for the enemy king, Agag, to be brought to him. He personally corrected Saul's error by pronouncing sentence, taking a sword, and executing the man.

Now – what lessons can you draw from the lesson?




TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN?
1 Samuel 15

In brief: The Lord had told Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely, wiping them out and all of their belongings. Instead he kept their king and some of the choicest animals under the pretext of using them for sacrifices on an Israelite altar.
Because Saul had not obeyed God fully, the Lord left him for the most part and began to make arrangements for his successor. Thus the quarterly focuses on the importance of obeying God.

This passage gives both Christians and their critics some serious problems. Why would God from His love demand the eradication of a people, men, women, and children? The first world almost unanimously opposes genocide. Isn't this the same thing? There are several answers:

The sovereignty of God. There are some things we are not supposed to know.

There used to be a common explanation I haven't heard much anymore. It was called progressive revelation. It explained much of the morality of the OT as a primitive, yet developing understanding as God deve;p[ed His people over time. Many interpreters would state that this was the people's understanding, not God's final will as revealed in Christ. This satisfied, probably still satisfies many people. Depending on your belief in inspiration, you have to insert in parentheses where it says God told them to do something “They believed that God told them...”

Another group of readers have no trouble seeing it as the judgment of God. The Amalekites had repeatedly attacked God's people, so complete destruction was their just punishment.

Here is the direction I prefer to go. Israel was to put Amalek “under the ban (harem).” You will recognze “harem” as the closed off section of a rich household where the king or other wealthy men kept their wives and mistresses. They were under the ban from other men and were dedicated to the king. When a town was placed under a ban, it was to be offered to a god as a complete sacrifice. That was what happened here.

But why? Israel was not nearly as individualistic as we are. You were a part of your family and tribe. Just as a teacher sent you off in a school bus and reminded you that you represented Podunk High, so a person was as much a part of his family and kindred as your hand is of your body. Further, since there was no police force, one family member stood up for another. If you lost a fight and the victor cut off your hand, your brother or close kin became responsible to find the enemey and do the same or worse to him. If Israel totally destroyed a nation, they didn't have to watch their back. No one was left to come after them. In this case, when they were going to a long-lasting war with the Philistines, they needed to be able to focus only on them as much as possible.

Some other notes to ponder on various verses:

Verse 10-11: The Lord tells Samuel He was disappointed in Saul because he had failed to carry out his instructions. This was the second blunder. Remember last week when Saul became impatient and usurped Samuel's place as priest. The rejection upsets Sam, and he lies awake all night fuming.

Next morning, the prophet goes looking for the king and finds he has gone first to Carmel and then to Gilgal. I have no idea what that was about. Carmel was on the coast, where one day Elijah would call down fire. Gilgal was across the Jordan valley north of Jericho. A long day's journey. The coastal visit was to dedicate a statue to himself. That may be more radical than we would think at first hand. Israel took the commandment to make no graven images seriously. They included both gods (idols) and people in that ban. Obviously Saul was feeding his ego and probably dishonoring the Lord by so doing.

Verse 14 – What is that bleating of sheep I hear? Your sins will find you out. And the world will notice if we claim to be Christians and they hear bleats from behind us!

Samuel and Saul go back and forth about God's rejecting the king. Apparently the rejection did not mean death or deposing on the spot, but rather Saul would not have a dynasty. A king from a different family would rule. Keep this in mind in coming chapters when Saul gets moody and fights David. At any rate, the Lord does not relent, but Samuel reluctantly continues to accompany the king.

Verse 32 – The prophet called for the enemy king, Agag, to be brought to him. He personally corrected Saul's error by pronouncing sentence, taking a sword, and executing the man.

Now – what lessons can you draw from the lesson?

WAIT ON THE LORD

1 Samuel 12-14

Remember in Judges how one threat after another came to Israel from neighboring tribes or countries? Each time He would raise up a judge to defend and save them. Now soon after their first king was anointed and installed, the Philistines arose as a challenge. The nation waited to see how the leadership of a king would turn out.

Samuel addressed the people to remind them they were God's chosen people. God had been their king (origin of the phrase Kingdom of God?) and would continue to be their ruler. As long as the king obeyed God and was faithful, Israel would prosper. If their king was unfaithful to the Lord, however, the nation would get in trouble. In other words, the same pattern we saw in judges would continue: Israel sinned, God sent judgment in the form of war, Israel repented and called for help, God raised a judge who delivered them.

Remember this was an early example of the struggle between religion and states, which continued until America produced the First Amendment. Even today there is tension over the role of the state and the majority religion. Samuel had his feelings hurt and also his honest understanding of what was best for the country when Israel demanded a king, like the other nations. The Lord allowed it, and Samuel set it up, albeit reluctantly.

Question: America is not Israel, nor are we specifically God's chosen people. How much do the national promises of God the He made to Israel apply to the US?

Note in chapter 12 Samuel recounts the history of God's dealings with Israel. This is a major thing that makes Judeo-Christianity different from other faiths. The founders of our country included men who believed in God, but leaned toward a deist position, that is that God does not intervene in the world. As some have said, He wound it up like a watch and let it play out. On the contrary, the Bible is packed with history. The Lord is the God who acts in His world. This book gives salvation history or holy history. That is the story of Israel's dealkings with God in the context of the world. And in Jesus Christ that same God Himself entered history (see John 1).

Now Saul went out to do battle with the Philistines and won the first skirmish. That was enough to stir up a hornets nest, and the enemy divided its army into three sections and sent them to attack. Remember they had the secret weapon of iron that enabled chariot wheels and stronger weapons than the bronze of Israel. The Philistines had deliberately kept the secret of iron from other peoples.

When the army heard of their enemy coming they began to panic. Saul sent word to Samuel, who told him to keep the army there until he, the priest, came to offer sacrifice. But Sam delayed, for whatever reason, and the troops began deserting. Saul thought he had to do something, so he “forced himself” and took the role of a priest to offer sacrifice.

Samuel showed up almost immediately then and jumped all over Saul for what he had done. He told the king that had he been faithful the Lord would have established his descendants as a dynasty, but no more. God would now seek after a “man of his own heart.”

Perhaps not many hours later Prince Jonathan and his armor bearer were reconnoitering and came on a Philistine outpost. Jon said to his squire, “Let's show ourselves and play it as we can.” They did, and the enemy invited them to come up. When they entered the outpost, the two men ran off about 20 of the Philistines. That triggered the whole army's involvement, and the enemy was routed. Later David and Jonathan became fast friends. Can you see why? David killed Goliath and always had a strong warlike attitude as did Jonathan. As time passed, neither cared which one became king after Saul.