David and the Showbread – 1 Samuel 21

Centuries after David had been on the run from King Saul, Jesus taught about one aspect of his flight to His disciples and the religious leaders. 12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they saidContinue reading “David and the Showbread – 1 Samuel 21”

Numbering Our Days – 1 Samuel 20

“There is but a step between me and death.” Certainly, this was the case months earlier as David stepped towards the advancing Goliath to sling a stone towards his forehead.  But now David was running to escape another foe, King Saul, who, in defense of his throne, defied God to now seek to kill David.Continue reading “Numbering Our Days – 1 Samuel 20”

The Opposition – 1 Samuel 18-19

God’s choice to replace King Saul on the throne, the young David, quickly encountered a new enemy – King Saul himself.  2 So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. 1 Samuel 19:2 (NKJV) Saul quickly went fromContinue reading “The Opposition – 1 Samuel 18-19”

The Battle is the Lord’s – 1 Samuel 17

Young David did not mince words as he bravely confronted the Philistine’s blasphemous champion, Goliath, who had terrified Israel with his fearsome threats each morning and evening. 45 Then David said to the Philistine (Goliath), “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the nameContinue reading “The Battle is the Lord’s – 1 Samuel 17”

A Giant Threat – 1 Samuel 17

The Philistines were back, and this time they brought a secret weapon. 4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span… 8 Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am IContinue reading “A Giant Threat – 1 Samuel 17”

“This is the One” – 1 Samuel 16

Even before King Saul had failed as Israel’s first king, God had his replacement picked out. The Lord would use this next one, King David, to establish a throne that will last forever, one that we will witness and already have witnessed. The aging prophet Samuel was dejected. The man he had anointed as king,Continue reading ““This is the One” – 1 Samuel 16”

Judging Others – 1 Samuel 15

There are two hard truths we encounter in 1 Samuel 15.  One deals with judgment, the other, with those who attack His chosen people. First, God as Creator has the right, even the responsibility, to judge evil.  He decides who gets judged, who does not, and when to execute judgment. We, as humans, have noContinue reading “Judging Others – 1 Samuel 15”

A Trembling in the Camp – 1 Samuel 14

King Saul might not have had a heart for God, but his son, Jonathan, certainly did. Jonathan saw that Israel was once again under oppression from the Philistines and decided that now was the time to do something about it.  His father, the king, was apparently content with the status quo, but Jonathan was not. Continue reading “A Trembling in the Camp – 1 Samuel 14”

The End from the Beginning – 1 Samuel 13

9 Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other.  I am God, and there is none like Me,10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ Isaiah 46:9-10 (NKJV) Because of his careless attitude towards God’s ways and his later misrepresentations toContinue reading “The End from the Beginning – 1 Samuel 13”