April 13th
1 Samuel, 26
David spares Saul again
1: And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide
himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? 2: Then Saul arose, and went down to
the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with
him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3: And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before
Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul
came after him into the wilderness. 4:
David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.
5: And David arose, and came to
the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay,
and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench,
and the people pitched round about him. 6:
Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son
of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the
camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. 7: So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold,
Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his
bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. 8: Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy
into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the
spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 9: And David said to Abishai, Destroy
him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be
guiltless? 10: David said
furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall
come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. 11: The LORD forbid that I should
stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed: but, I pray thee, take
thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us
go. 12: So David took the spear
and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man
saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep
sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them. 13: Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top
of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: 14: And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner,
saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou
that criest to the king? 15:
And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in
Israel?
wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the
people in to destroy the king thy lord. 16:
This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy
to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD's anointed. And now see
where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. 17: And Saul knew David's voice, and
said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord,
O king. 18: And he said,
Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or
what evil is in mine hand? 19:
Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant.
If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if
they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have
driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go,
serve other gods. 20: Now
therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for
the king of Israel
is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.
21: Then said Saul, I have
sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul
was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have
erred exceedingly. 22: And
David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men
come over and fetch it. 23: The
LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD
delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand
against the LORD's anointed. 24:
And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life
be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all
tribulation. 25: Then Saul said
to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and
also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his
place.
1 Samuel, 27
David returns to Gath
1: And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of
Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into
the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more
in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. 2: And David arose, and he passed
over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch,
king of Gath. 3: And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men,
every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. 4: And it was told Saul that David
was fled to Gath:
and he sought no more again for him. 5:
And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them
give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why
should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? 6: Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag
pertaineth unto the kings of Judah
unto this day. 7: And the time
that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four
months. 8: And David and his
men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites:
for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to
Shur, even unto the land
of Egypt. 9: And David smote the land, and left
neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the
asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. 10: And Achish said, Whither have ye
made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the
Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. 11: And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring
tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and
so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the
Philistines. 12: And Achish
believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him;
therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
1 Samuel, 28
1: And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their
armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David,
Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy
men. 2: And David said to
Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to
David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.
Saul and the Witch of Endor
3: Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried
him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had
familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. 4: And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came
and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched
in Gilboa. 5: And when Saul saw
the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. 6: And when Saul inquired of the
LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim, nor by
prophets. 7: Then said Saul
unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go
to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a
woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. 8: And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he
went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I
pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I
shall name unto thee. 9: And
the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath
cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land:
wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? 10: And Saul sware to her by the
LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for
this thing. 11: Then said the
woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. 12: And when the woman saw Samuel,
she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou
deceived me? for thou art Saul. 13:
And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman
said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. 14: And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An
old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it
was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. 15: And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast
thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed;
for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and
answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have
called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. 16: Then said Samuel, Wherefore then
dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine
enemy? 17: And the LORD hath
done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine
hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: 18: Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor
executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this
thing unto thee this day. 19:
Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel
with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy
sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the
hand of the Philistines. 20:
Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because
of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no
bread all the day, nor all the night. 21:
And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto
him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my
hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. 22: Now therefore, I pray thee,
hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of
bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on
thy way. 23: But he refused,
and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled
him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat
upon the bed. 24: And the woman
had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and
kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof: 25: And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and
they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.
In
today's Bible reading we see David sparing the life of Saul all over again and
then David goes to Gath
where the Philistines are. Then we read of the disgraceful event of Saul going
to a witch who was also a medium and he gets her to summon the spirit of Samuel
to get his advice. First Saul finds out where David might be and he goes with
3,000 men to find him. David sent out trusted men to find out what Saul was
planning. David asks who will go with him and Abishai volunteers to go with
him. They find all of Saul’s men asleep and Saul in a trench with his spear and
a pillow. Abishai asks for Davids
permission to kill Davids enemy but David says never we must never hurt the
Lords anointed. And he said the Lord will deal with him but not us. So they
left taking his spear and water bottle. Then David stood a long way off and
cried to Abner can you hear me Abner? Abner said who are you? David answered
who is like you a courageous man of war. There is none like you in Israel. Yet you
did not keep the king safe! Because a man came to you last night to kill your
master. You have not done well Abner! You should be executed for not keeping
your lord safe. Now then where is your masters spear and his water bottle? Saul
heard everything and said is this the voice of my son David.? And David said
yes it is my my lord. Why are you chasing after me? What evil have l done? Saul
was smitten in guilt and said l have done wrong to you David. I have been
acting like a fool and made a very great mistake. (A terrible thing for a king
to have to say!) Then David said let a young man come and get your spear. David
said the Lord will render to every man for his deeds but l would not touch you
Saul – you are the Lords anointed. Then Saul blessed David and told him that
God would prosper everything he did. And they parted company. Then David
thought one day Saul will catch up with me so l will find a home with the
Philistines. So David passed into enemy territory with his 600 men and his
family and two wives. David lived there for a year and 4 months and Saul left
off seeking him. Then David went and conquered the Geshurites, Gezrites, and
the Amalekites. He killed all people but took all the flocks home. David kept
the conquest secret. When the Philistines set themselves at war with Israel they
asked if David would go with them. David replied l will tell you later what l
will do. After the death of Samuel all Israel
mourned for him and because Saul had put all mediums out of the Land of Israel and because he wanted guidance
from the Lord and he had received nothing from the Lord, that he went to Endor
to a medium there. He thought he might be able to speak to Samuel. Saul was
very afraid of the Philistines when they invaded the land. Endor was south west
of Galilee. Saul disguised himself and went at
night and asked her to bring up the spirit of Samuel. But she protested saying
that it had been forbidden by Saul to do this. Saul promised that she would
have no punishment for this great evil thing. When she saw Samuel she cried out
and realised that Saul had deceived her. She said l saw gods coming up out of
the earth. Saul asked her what he looked like and she described Samuel exactly
as he was when alive. Samuel asked Saul why he had disturbed him. Then Saul
said l am greatly upset and troubled because the Philistines want to battle with
me and the Lord refuses to listen to me or answer me. Samuel said God had taken
the kingdom from you and given it to David and tomorrow you and your sons will
loose the battle with the Philistines. Saul now was even more afraid. He was
exhausted and weak in strength, because he had fasted. Then the woman insisted
on giving him food and he was strengthened and left her.
No comments:
Post a Comment