Preliminary Thoughts on Ruth 2006 April 8^th for May 8^th

Because the Old Testament is so much longer than the New, we are now going to take larger chunks of the Old in alternation with smaller pieces of the New. The books of Ruth, I Samuel, and II Samuel are the history of the great prophet Samuel, IsraelÕs first two kings whom he personally anointed, Saul and David, and DavidÕs heritage. We

now consider these three together.

Ruth is an interesting and moving story of an alien woman living in Israel, how she came to be there, and the good that came from her good treatment at the hands of an honorable Israelite, Boaz.

Ruth has a surprise ending that you may already know. If you donÕt, I wonÕt ruin it for you now.

Ruth 1 2006 April 11^th for May 9^th

This is the story of Ruth, a woman of Moab who was not an Israelite.

A man and his wife, Elimelech and Naomi, of the tribe of Judah, lived near Bethlehem during the period of the judges. When a famine came to Israel, they and their two sons Mahlon and Kilion, moved to Moab where there was food. While there, these sons married two women from Moab, Orpah and Ruth.

Soon Elimelech died, leaving Naomi a widow. They remained on in Moab. About ten years later, the two sons died also, leaving the three women on their own. Women without men to care for them in this culture meant great distress.

After a time, Naomi heard that the famine in Israel was over and decided to go back to her people. Her two daughters in law went with her but after a short time on the road, she told them to go back to their own people. They said they would not, but Naomi insisted that she had nothing more for them. She was too old to have any more children and, even if she did remarry immediately and conceive sons tonight, would Orpah and Ruth wait for them to grow up in order to stay in the family?

On this, they wept, kissed, said farewells, and Orpah went back to her fatherÕs house and her Gods in Moab. Ruth, however, insisted on staying with Naomi. Her words of devotion to her mother in law are often quoted at weddings:

ÒWhere you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my ÒGod. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severelyÓ [an oath that we have seen before and will see again] Òif anything but death separates you and me.Ó

At that point, Naomi quit urging her to go back.

When they got back to Bethlehem, it caused a stir all around town. ÒCan this be Naomi?Ó they were all asking.

She said, however, ÒDonÕt call me Naomi. Call me Mara.Ó Mara means Ôbitter.Õ ÒI went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.Ó

I donÕt think we can underestimate the pain of this statement. God and family were all that these people had to live for and now they were all widows in a society where women were little more than disposable property.

Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Ruth 2 2006 April 12^th for May 10^th

As they got settled, Ruth asked Naomi if she could go out into the harvest and glean behind anyone who would let her.

This is the way that the poor were to be treated under the Law of Moses. If you owned and planted a field and harvested it, you werenÕt supposed to cut to close or do the corners carefully or make a second pass. You were supposed to leave it untidy so that any of the poor who wanted food could come pick some up. Ruth was doing this; it was her only option for employment, being without a husband, and even so, it was dangerous for a woman to be out alone doing such things.

It happened that she came to the field of a man of local stature named Boaz and had been working all morning when Boaz himself showed up from town to see how the harvest was going. He inquired about this stranger and was told that she had been working diligently all morning. He called her over, served her lunch (roasted grain, possibly a luxury during the harvest work season) and told her that he had heard about the good thing she had done for her mother in law Naomi, leaving her own family and people to take care of her widowed relative of choice. He then directed her not to go to any other fields, because not all landowners were as kind to strangers as Boaz was and she could be injured or rejected. He also told her to work with and stay with the servant girls who were also working his field. After she went back to work, he told his foreman to look after her, to leave extra for her to pick up, and not to chastise her for doing it.

Ruth took home a bounty of food to her mother in law who inquired how this had happened. When she learned it was Boaz, she told Ruth that he was a close relative, one of the Òkinsman redeemers.Ó She also told Ruth to continue to work BoazÕ field until the harvest was done, which she did. Ruth continued living with Naomi.

We will learn what a Òkinsman redeemerÓ is tomorrow.

Ruth 3 2006 April 13^th for May 11^th

As the successful barley harvest progressed, Naomi suggested to Ruth a way that a suitable home could be found for her. She told Ruth to go to the threshing floor while Boaz was sleeping there, uncover his feet, and lie at them. He would then tell her what to do.

Ruth, obedient to Naomi, did this. Something startled Boaz in the night and he woke up and found a woman sleeping at his feet. He asked who she was.

ÒI am your servant Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.Ó This was not just about staying warm in the night; this was an offer to join his family.

Boaz replied, ÒThis kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier. You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, donÕt be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.Ó

Ruth has not exactly set up a proposal here, but it is close. Boaz was near kin, but there was one other who was a nearer kinsman-redeemer to Ruth. Boaz tells her that he will deal with the other person and take care of the whole matter on the next day. He also put six measures of barley in RuthÕs shawl so she would not go home empty-handed to Naomi. Ruth got up and left before it was light enough for anyone to tell who was who. In this way, no one knew that there had been a woman at the threshing floor.

Ruth 4 2006 April 14^th for May 12^th

The next morning Boaz was hanging out at the city gate. This is where major business was usually transacted and witnessed. When the first in line kinsman-redeemer in the case of Ruth and Naomi came by, Boaz asked him to step aside and sit for a while. Similarly, he had about ten other prominent citizens stay as witnesses.

When all were assembled, he told them the story of Naomi and Ruth and suggested to the kinsman-redeemer that he should buy the property of their deceased relative Elimelech from Naomi. If you donÕt want it, Boaz said, I am next in line and I will take care of it. The first in line said he would buy the property. Then, Boaz declared that on the day he did this, he would also inherit Ruth, the widow of Mahlon, in order to carry on his name and insure that it would not disappear from the records.

At this, the first kinsman-redeemer blanched and said he did not want to do this as it might Òendanger my own estate.Ó He relinquished the right to Boaz who immediately exercised it, acquiring the estate of Elimelech and his descendants from Naomi and Ruth as his wife.

It is clear that Boaz understood his relatives and his community and presented the whole affair in this way knowing that this was how to make it turn out in the way he wanted.

It being the tradition at the time to finalize and legalize such transactions by removing a sandal and giving it to the other party, the kinsman redeemer gave one of his sandals to Boaz. There is no mention of a monetary transaction. Perhaps the sandal was Òin fee simple, though a good sandal would be a prized possession in this world. This proceeding brought Boaz considerable new responsibility.

The community then blessed the arrangement, ÒWe are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.Ó

You may recall the story of Tamar and Judah but I donÕt remember hearing extolled the good fortunes of Perez.

And so Boaz took Ruth as his wife and they had a son. ÒGrandma Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.Ó The women of the city said, ÒNaomi has a son.Ó

This son was Obed, father of Jesse, father of David who would become king. This is why the book of Ruth appears here in the Bible, between the Judges (Òin those days Israel had no kingÓ) and the history of the first kings.

After Judah, the lineage is: Perez (by Tamar), Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and David.

Concluding Thoughts on Ruth 2006 April 17^th for May 15^th

After Judges, Ruth has been a very nice, tame Bible-like story. No murders, dismemberments or unnatural deaths. No gross misunderstandings of GodÕs character and laws. Just decent people going above and beyond to do the right thing. One little place was just a little potentially risquŽ, but, like I said, compared to Judges, it is nothing.

The point of Ruth, doubtless the reason that it is in the Bible, is to show the reward for this fine, upstanding, hardworking, non-rebellious girl, a convert from among the neighboring pagans whom Mahlon had married (against at least the custom of Israel, if not the law). The reward was to be noticed and redeemed by a fine family, the family she had originally married into, and then to be included in the lineage of King David, and then, eventually, the Christ.

Ruth was certainly a person of high character who gave selflessly to maintain her mother in law and herself, even in a place where the system worked against women. As such, she was attractive to a man of high character who restored her to a place of prominence in her adopted culture, a place, as it turned out, beyond her most fantastic dreams.

God must be pleased and find rest in such people.

Preliminary Thoughts on I Samuel 2006 April 18^th for May 16^th

We now get into the Òmiddle ageÓ of Israeli history. There are six books of this history: I and II Samuel; I and II Kings; and I and II Chronicles. Samuel was the prophet who anointed the first two kings, Saul and David. My impression is that the Samuels are pretty exciting, the Kings are pretty interesting, and the Chronicles are getting to be pretty boring, kind of like the parts of Judges where no one was acting out. WeÕll see.

First is Samuel, the transitional figure between the Judges and the Kings.

Today we cannot imagine the loss that was experienced by people in this culture who were childless. Progeny was the main source of identity and security, particularly for women. The story of Samuel begins with his birth, another of the miraculous births to a childless but otherwise upright couple. In exchange, SamuelÕs mother Hannah devoted her son to God and the Tabernacle where he would grow up under a corrupt High Priest and go on to essentially take over the country. He became the leading prophet who named and commissioned King Saul and King David but I donÕt think he ever held the title High Priest himself. Perhaps Samuel is also a transitional figure from the priestly era toward the age of the great prophets.

All the kings of Israel are descendants of David except for Saul. Was Saul a mistake? An example of what can go wrong? My memories of the stories of Saul are that he was an unwilling and unqualified king (except for his stature) who, because he didnÕt read SamuelÕs mind at every turn, got chewed out a lot and finally displaced. Is Samuel the author of the book thereby favoring himself and emphasizing the faults of the others? My memory is that Samuel was old and cranky when this was all happening. That is my predisposition going in, but weÕll see what we can make of the text as we go along. I havenÕt taken a serious look at Samuel in decades; IÕve only heard sermons from unrepresentative snippets and very few of those.

Babies are always the most fun. They are cute, have totally good potential, and havenÕt sinned or failed yet. The story starts with the story of a baby.

I Samuel 1 2006 April 19^th for May 17^th

There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Elkanah who, like Jacob, had two wives, one who was fertile, Peninnah, and one who was not, Hannah. Elkanah knew the laws of worship and went up to Shiloh each year for sacrifices. This was during the days of the high priest Eli whose sons Phinehas and Hophni presided.

(Maybe this was the priest Phinehas who we met in Judges, rather than the son of Aaron.

When they would go up for this worship, Elkanah gave his wife Peninnah and her children meat from the celebration, but he gave his wife Hannah ten times as much because he loved her more (as Jacob loved Rachel more). This did not prevent (in fact it probably encouraged) Peninnah in ÒprovokingÓ Hannah, her fellow wife, about her childlessness, and this teasing was so cruel that Hannah would not eat any of her larger portion.

One year at the festival Hannah was at the door of the Tabernacle crying and praying because of this and made a deal with God that if he would give her a son, she would devote him to God for his whole life, Òand no razor will ever be used on his head.Ó

WeÕve seen this before too; it is the Nazirite vow that was applied by the angel to Samson. In this case, the prospective parent is making the promise.

Eli was sitting there and saw her lying there praying but could not hear what she was saying and thought she was drunk. He told her to move along and quit drinking. Hannah spoke up and corrected him. She had not been drinking! ÒDo not take your servant for a wicked woman, I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.Ó

Eli then blessed her, told her to go in peace, Òand may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.Ó

After this she felt much better and went and ate.

ÒEarly the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel (heard of God) saying, ÔBecause I asked the Lord for him.ÕÓ

So, at the time of next annual festival, Hannah had a son! She did not go up but said that she would keep him at home until he was weaned, then she would take him to the Tabernacle with sacrifices and leave him there, as had been the promise.

Good to her word, one later year she brought significant sacrifices with her very young son. At the end of the ritual, Hannah brought Samuel to Eli, saying, ÒAs surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.Ó

ÒAnd he worshiped the Lord there.Ó

I Samuel 2:1 - 26 2006 April 20^th for May 18^th

Hannah gave a prayer that is recorded as poetry. In it she acknowledges the many ways in which God inverts the way of the world. Such as,

Ò Those who were full hire themselves out or food,

but those who were hungry hunger no more.

She who was barren has borne seven children,

But she who has had many sons pines away.Ó

It ends with a warning along similar lines,

ÒIt is not by strength that one prevails;

those who oppose the Lord will be shattered.Ó

The family then went home to Ramah Òbut the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.Ó

The sons of Eli committed great evil as they served in GodÕs Tabernacle. Juxtaposed with this was young Samuel growing up on the grounds, wearing a linen ephod. Every year his mother made him a robe and brought it to him when the family came up for the annual sacrifice. Eli blessed Hannah and asked God to give her more children in place of Samuel whom she had dedicated to God. She did have more children, three sons and two daughters.

Meanwhile, the sons of Eli had no regard for the offerings. When someone would make an offering, these priests would take the meat away from the worshipper, by force if necessary, keeping the best parts for themselves and completely ignoring the ritual sacrifice procedures. They also slept with the women who served around the Tabernacle area and everyone knew about it. Eli, who was very old, warned them about this. ÒÕIf a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?Õ His sons, however, did not listen to their fatherÕs rebuke, for it was the LordÕs will to put them to death.Ó

It is interesting that these menÕs recalcitrance and callousness was accounted as GodÕs will. This also seems to foreshadow their demise at GodÕs hand. GodÕs will does not appear always to be for the peopleÕs pleasure and well being, not even the hereditary priests.

ÒAnd the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.Ó (A similar phrase was spoken about Jesus as a youth.)

I Samuel 2:27 - 3:21 2006 April 24^th for May 19^th

This section is another contrast of evil and good.

ÒA man of God came to EliÓ and prophesied in GodÕs name that, because Eli had not controlled his sons and because they had acted dishonorably towards the people of Israel that they were supposed to be serving, EliÕs house would be punished. Although they would remain the priests (in the line of Aaron), no one among them would live to be old. All of the men of the family would die Òin the prime of life.Ó The sign that this was going to happen would be that the sons Hophni and Phinehas would die on the same day and another priest would be raised up and established. All the descendants of Eli would end up begging for priestly duties so that they could have food at all.

Meanwhile, Samuel had not yet met God, but one night when he was lying down for sleep in his usual place in the Tabernacle, someone called him. He got up and went to Eli, who by now was nearly blind. Eli had not called him and so sent him back to bed.

A second time Samuel heard his name called and got up and went to Eli. Eli had not called and sent him back to bed a second time.

This happened a third time and when Samuel came to Eli, Eli realized that it was God calling him. He instructed Samuel to go back to bed but, if he heard the voice again to respond saying, ÒSpeak, Lord, for your servant is listening.Ó

ÒThe Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ÒSamuel! Samuel!Ó

Samuel replied as instructed.

ÒThe Lord said to Samuel: ÔSee, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family – from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ÒThe guilt of EliÕs house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.ÓÕÓ

The next morning Samuel was afraid to talk to Eli about this because the news was all bad, but Eli pressed him and insisted on hearing it all, finally threatening him. Samuel gave in and told him everything.

On hearing it, Eli said, ÒHe is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.Ó

As Samuel grew up, God was with him and Òhe let none of his words fall to the ground.Ó Everyone in Israel realized that Samuel was an up and coming prophet and ÒThe Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.Ó

I Samuel 4 – 5 2006 April 25^th for May 22^nd

There was a battle between the Israelites and Philistines and Israel lost. Four thousand troops were killed on the battlefield. They were puzzled that God had allowed this, so they decided that they would bring the Ark of the Covenant down from Shiloh to the battle so that God would give them victory.

It was a mistake to think that the Ark itself was magical in this way.

Phinehas and Hophni came with the Ark as it was brought to the battle at Ebenezer and there was a great uproar of rejoicing in the Israeli camp so much so that the Philistines heard it and were afraid for their lives. They perceived that a god had entered the camp of their enemy and said, ÒBe strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!Ó

So the battle was engaged and Israel was slaughtered. There was a huge route in which 30,000 died and the rest Òfled to their tentsÓ. Hophni and Phinehas were killed and the Philistines took the Ark captive. This was the first time the Ark had ever been away from home.

One of those in flight was a Benjamite who came to the Tabernacle at Shiloh where Eli was sitting on his chair. He was 98 years old, overweight, and blind. The report from the battle was that Israel was routed, his two sons were dead, and the Ark was taken. On the news of the Ark, Eli fell over, broke his neck, and died. The wife of Phinehas was pregnant and on the news of the death of her father-in-law and husband, she went into labor and died giving birth. Although she had a son she paid no attention except to name him Ichabod (no glory) saying, ÒThe glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.Ó

Meanwhile, the Ark was taken to Ashdod and put in the temple of their god Dagon. Next morning when they got up, Dagon was laying on his face next to the Ark. They set him back up. The morning after that, DagonÕs head and hands had been broken off and were lying at the threshold of the temple. (For this reason, priests to Dagon do not walk on the threshold of their temple.)

The presence of the Ark brought devastation to the land and tumors to the people. They begged to have the Ark removed so it was taken to another city called Gath. In Gath the people went into a great panic and contracted tumors in the groin so the Ark was moved again to Ekron. They too were similarly afflicted and decided to send the Ark back to Israel, ÒÉ the outcry of the city went up to heaven.Ó

I Samuel 6 – 7:1 2006 April 26^th for May 23^rd

The Return of the Ark.

The Philistines were suffering greatly due to possession of the Ark so they called out their Òpriests and divinersÓ to ask what they should do. Their advice was not to be so stubborn as the Egyptians had been but to send the Ark back home with gifts in it. Five cities were afflicted, so the gifts would be five golden rats and five golden tumors modeled after the rats and tumors of the affliction. The five cities were Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. Each had its own Philistine ruler.

The golden gifts were made and placed in the Ark. The problem then was how to send it home. They decided to proceed in this way. They took two cows who had calves but had never been yoked. They penned up the calves and yoked the cows together and attached them to a new cart with the Ark and gifts on it. They said that if these cows went up towards the ArkÕs home, that is, towards Beth Shemesh, they would know that it was a real God who had afflicted them. If the cows went somewhere else (like, for instance, to their penned up calves) they would know that the affliction had not been supernatural.

Lowing all the way, the cows went straight to Beth Shemesh without so much as turning anywhere along the road. This was all the more remarkable since they had no yoke training and no leading but did have reason to go pretty much anywhere else.

An Israelite named Joshua had a field on the road into Beth Shemesh and people were working in it when this cart with the Ark on it pulled up and stopped at a rock. Rejoicing, they put the Ark on the rock, chopped up the new cart for firewood, and sacrificed the cows as offerings. The five Philistine rulers saw all this, went back, and made a report to their people.

God struck down seventy Israelites from Beth Shemesh for looking inside the Ark. They despaired and sent messengers into the rest of Israel to ask what to do with the Ark. Ultimately it was moved to the house of a man named Abinadab that was on a hill near Kiriath Jearim. AbinadabÕs son Eleazar was consecrated to guard the Ark. As we will see, it stayed there for quite some time.

I Samuel 7: 2 - 17 2006 April 27^th for May 24^th

The Ark was at Kiriath Jearim for twenty years. The people mourned about this and Òsought the Lord.Ó Samuel, in a very judge-like role, led and interceded for them. He had them all assemble at Mizpah where they prayed and fasted and he offered sacrifices.

While they were there doing this, the Philistines found out about it and came to attack them. When they attacked, however, ÒThe Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.Ó The Israelites pursued and slaughtered them. For SamuelÕs lifetime, God was set against the Philistines. They had peace with their other neighbors.

Samuel judged Israel for his entire life. Annually he made a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal and Mizpah, judging in each place. He always returned to the town of his birth, Ramah, and he judged from there too, and also built an altar there.

(Note that building an altar in Ramah does not follow the letter of the Mosaic Law.)

I Samuel 8 2006 April 28^th for May 25^th

At a time when Samuel was old, he appointed his sons to help serve in his place, but they were not upright like Samuel was. They took bribes and Òperverted justice.Ó The people noted this and sent their leaders to Samuel to ask for a king. They were basically saying that it was already clear that Samuel becoming a dynasty unto himself was not going to work.

No one wanted to repeat the debacle of Eli. Everyone has trouble with their children, it seems.

Samuel prayed and God told him to listen to the people and give them a king. God reassured Samuel that it was not Samuel they had rejected but God himself, as they had always rejected him going all the way back to the adventures in Egypt. God also told Samuel to do something interesting. He told him to warn them of the price of having a king. This is what God said through Samuel to the people:

ÒThis is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and to still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.Ó

This all amounts to taxation and conscription, the prerogative of all governments in all times. Ten percent isnÕt that bad either but the draft of this king was worse than what we have in America, at least right now.

It is not clear what model of behavior God has in mind for his people, but to date we have seen several versions of government that have not achieve GodÕs desire. In fact, all of the social compacts have been unsatisfying to God.

Anyway, the people could see only the positives. The king would be a leader who would fight their battles for them and keep things straight. They insisted on having a king like all the neighbors did. The Judge system had not worked well. Samuel prayed again. God told him again to do as they wished. Samuel sent them all home.

I Samuel 9 2006 April 29^th for May 26^th

In this episode we get a glimpse into the life and ministry of Samuel and we meet a young man named Saul.

Saul was a son of a man of standing named Kish, a Benjamite. He was, Òan impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others.Ó

Kish had some donkeys that had gotten lost and sent his son Saul out to look for them. This search led to extensive travels through Israel. Saul and a servant went through Ephraim and around Shalisha and on to the district of Shaalim and further into the district of Zuph but found no donkeys. At this point, Saul suggested that they go home since by now his father would be more worried about them than the animals.

The servant suggested that they go to one more town because the prophet Samuel (then known as a ÒseerÓ) would be there for a festival that day and they could ask him how to proceed in their search. Saul wondered what they had to offer this seer; they were out of food and had nothing else with them. The servant, however, had a quarter shekel of silver (about 3 grams, probably about a dimeÕs worth!), so Saul agreed and they started for this town.

Samuel meanwhile, was present in town that day for a local sacrifice on their Òhigh placeÓ. The people were waiting on him and wouldnÕt eat until he arrived to bless their sacrifice. God had told him the day before that on this day, about this time, he would meet a man on the road who would be the chosen king for Israel.

(For the religious purists, we recall that the Law of Moses prohibited any sacrifices on local Òhigh placesÓ and note that the ministry of Samuel must be a superceding circumstance or at least a case worth overlooking.)

So Saul and his servant were coming up the road into town and, encountering some girls along the way, asked about the seer. The girls said, yes, to hurry into town because he would be arriving about now to bless the sacrifice and they could see him then.

They hurried up to the gate where they met Samuel and inquired where the seerÕs house was. Samuel said, ÒI am the seer, Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your fatherÕs family?Ó

This last phrase must have been cryptic to Saul. SamuelÕs knowledge of the donkeys could have been a surprise.

Samuel brought Saul in to the feast. He had had special food prepared for him in advance. After the meal they came down and talked on the roof of SamuelÕs house. About daybreak they got up. ÒGet ready, and I will send you on your way,Ó Samuel said. On the way into town they sent the servant ahead, Òbut you stay here a while, so that I may give you a message from God,Ó Samuel said to SaulÉ.

I Samuel 10 2006 May 1^st for 29^th

Samuel took oil and poured it on SaulÕs head and anointed him king of Israel. He then prophesied several events that would happen to him that day. He would meet men who would tell him that the donkeys had been found but that now Kish was instead worried about Saul (as Saul had suspected). He would meet three men going up to Bethel who would feed him. He would meet a procession of prophets near the high place of Gibeah.

All of this happened, and when the prophets prophesied, the Spirit of God came on Saul and he prophesied too such that a saying arose in Israel, ÒIs Saul also among the prophets?Ó

He then met his uncle and they discussed the donkeys, but Saul did not tell his uncle about being king.

Samuel held a great assembly at Mizpah and announced that there would be a king. Lots were cast and Benjamin was taken, then the house of Matri, and so forth all the way down to Saul himself. Saul was not found in the crowd (É need not be present to win) so people went looking for him and found him Òhidden among the baggage.Ó

He was brought out and instructed. Samuel wrote down the regulations for the kingship and Òdeposited it before the LordÓ then all were dismissed and they went home.

Some brought Saul gifts and rejoiced. Others, Òtroublemakers,Ó said, ÒHow can this fellow save us?Ó They did not bring gifts, but Saul did nothing about it.

I Samuel 11 2006 May 2^nd for 30^th

When Saul Òdid nothing aboutÓ the naysayers early in his reign, it occurs to me that this fact may be reported because it was unusual in the cultures of the time. It might have been more common for a new ruler to simply destroy any dissenters. This might be seen as a first step towards democracy, where people of varied views and loyalties, are still valued within society rather than just eliminated in the interest of homogeneity. It might be reported as a sign of weakness. It might be both.

Whatever the case, Saul now consolidates his position and is reaffirmed as king.

An Ammonite king besieged Jabesh-Gilead. The men there asked for terms and were told by the enemy king, ÒI will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.Ó The elders asked for seven days to send for help. The deal was that if no one came to assist them, they would surrender on those terms.

They then sent messengers to King Saul and found him at home plowing his field. Apparently the king, when he had nothing else to do, returned to manual labor.

But, on this news, Saul stopped right where he was in the middle of the field, cut up the oxen he was plowing with, and sent pieces all over Israel with the message, ÒThis is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.Ó

Note that Saul invokes the more renown and respected Samuel in this directive.

Note that the threat is to oxen, not the people themselves.

Nonetheless, the people were terrified and responded in one motion. Three hundred thousand fighting men appeared, thirty thousand from Judah alone.

Messengers then went back to Jabesh-Gilead to tell them that help was on the way. They, in turn, notified the Ammonites, ÒTomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.Ó

In the last watch of the night (presumably before dawn) Saul came in with three divisions and slaughtered the Ammonites until around noon. Some survived and were scattered in all directions, Òno two of them were left together.Ó

At this point, SaulÕs polls were at their peak. The people then asked Samuel, ÒWho was it that asked, ÔShall Saul reign over us?Õ Bring these men to us and we will put them to death.ÕÓ But Saul insisted that no one would be put to death. Rather, Samuel called a big convocation at Gilgal and reconfirmed Saul as their king. This was followed by a Ògreat celebration.Ó

The dissenters are given mercy again and the people of Jabesh-Gilead will be seen, throughout SaulÕs reign and beyond, as unswervingly loyal to him.

I Samuel 12 2006 May 3^rd for 31^st

A king was now in place and Samuel was ready to retire. He had ruled or ÒjudgedÓ Israel since his youth and was now old and gray with grown sons.

Samuel addressed the people about this. He challenged them to name anything he had ever done wrong, anything he had ever taken from anyone. They testified, with God as witness, that he was blameless in such ways.

Samuel then told the story of Israel beginning with Jacob and the salvation from Egypt under Moses and Aaron. (This much is in one paragraph.) Then things turned bad. They forgot about and strayed from God and were given into the hands of several enemies serially, then ultimately rescued from each one.

In the present day, when it looked like Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against them, they had sinned by asking for a king. They asked for a king even though God was already their king. But, God gave them a human king, who was there now, and if the Israelites and their king would follow God things would be good, but if they did not, Òhis hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.Ó

The way Samuel said this you get the idea that he didnÕt expect them to be good. Maybe this was experience. Maybe this was bias.

Samuel then called out a sign from the heavens. Although it was the wheat harvest, he called on God to bring a thunderstorm and, sure enough, a thunderstorm came that very day. ÒThe people all said to Samuel, ÔPray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.ÕÓ

And, even though they had indeed done evil, Samuel stated this, God, for his own sake, would not reject his people. At SamuelÕs prayer, the storm ended. He vowed that he would continue always to pray for the people, to do otherwise would be his own sin. And, he said that he would continue to teach them right and wrong.

ÒBut be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.Ó

The covenant of God with Israel, though unilateral, has developed significant conditions.

I Samuel 13 2006 May 4^th for June 1^st

Immediately, we encounter SaulÕs first two tactical errors. The first was alienation of Samuel and the second was dependence on the enemy for weapons.

Saul became king at age 30 and reigned for 42 years. He had a son named Jonathan. Together they had a cadre of 3000 fighting men. Everyone else was sent home.

Saul raided a Philistine outpost at Geba and it was like whacking a hornetÕs nest. The Philistines gathered against him. They had three thousand chariots and fighting men like the sand of the ocean. Saul was worried.

Samuel was supposed to come in seven days and offer sacrifices that would bring GodÕs blessing on their operation. Samuel was late and the men were scattering. Saul took the initiative and offered the sacrifices himself. Just as he finished, Samuel arrived.

Saul explained himself. The troops were scattering, they were under threat of attack and GodÕs favor had not been sought. Samuel said, ÒYou have acted foolishly. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LordÕs command.Ó

This foreshadows King David.

We know that Samuel spent considerable time talking with Saul. None of the details of these commands are given here in the text, so we are left to take SamuelÕs word for it that Saul was in honest violation. Although SamuelÕs word is doubtless good, we have already noted that Samuel himself offered sacrifices on high places, which was against GodÕs command to Moses.

But, Samuel was the judge and it was Òone strike and youÕre outÓ for Saul.

At this point, Saul had about six hundred men left with him and none of them had weapons. The reason none of them had weapons was because they had no blacksmiths. The reason they had no blacksmiths was because the Philistines did all their iron work and tool sharpening for them, for nominal fees. This left them in a condition where only Saul himself and his son Jonathan had a sword or a spear.

I Samuel 14:1 - 23 2006 May 6^th for June 2^nd

Today we focus on an un-authorized raid of Jonathan. Saul was camped there with his six hundred men near Gibeah and a relative of Eli, Ahijah son of IchabodÕs brother was wearing the ephod, symbolizing GodÕs presence with them.

Jonathan decided to go over to the Philistines himself, with only his young armor-bearer, and see what trouble he could stir up. Without telling anyone where he was going or what he was doing, he went down into the pass between the two armies. The lookouts on the Philistine side saw him coming and said, ÒLook! The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.Ó

Jonathan told his armor bearer that they would wait and see what the Philistines said to them. They might say something like, ÔWait, we will come down to you,Õ or they might say, ÔCome up to us,Õ which would be in invitation for them to scale the cliffs up to the lookout posts, a dangerous proposition not counting the fighting that might follow. Jonathan said that it would be a sign from God that he had given the Philistines into their hands if the said, ÒCome up.Ó (It doesnÕt say that God said this or that Ahijah with the ephod was even involved, it just says that Jonathan said that it would be a sign from God and that no one except the armor bearer had any idea what Jonathan was up to.)

Kids!

The Philistines said, ÒCome up to us and weÕll teach you a lesson.Ó

ÒJonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him.Ó

When they got to the top they killed twenty Philistines in about half an acreÕs worth of land.

The rest of the Philistines then panicked. ÒIt was a panic sent by God.Ó

SaulÕs lookout saw the confusion. They Òsaw the army melting away in all directions.Ó Quickly Saul had the army of six hundred mustered to find out who was missing. It was his son Jonathan and his armor bearer who were missing. Saul had Ahijah and the ephod come out and as the confusion in the Philistine camp increased, told the priest, ÒWithdraw your hand.Ó I donÕt know if this means to retract the LordÕs opposition or just what the symbol means.

In any case, Saul led the men down into the battle and found the Philistines striking each other down. When the Israelite deserters heard the commotion, they did in fact crawl out of the holes they were hiding in to rejoin the battle and the route. That day the battlefront between the Israelites and the Philistines was moved out beyond Beth Aven.

I Samuel 14:24 – 52 2006 May 8^th for June 5^th

We now see Saul leading with foolish oaths.

As we saw, Jonathan started the current action against the Philistines without authorization. It was, nonetheless, highly successful. He had been out of touch with his father Saul and the rest of the army for the entire time.

Saul, meanwhile, put his men under oath not to eat until evening or until his enemies were avenged so, even though they were chasing the Philistines through country where honey was oozing out of the ground, none of them could eat anything because of the oath and they were all faint and tired. Jonathan knew nothing of this and ate some honey off the end of his staff and revived as he continued with his personal slaughter. When one of the other men told Jonathan about his fatherÕs oath Jonathan replied, ÒMy father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?Ó

Jonathan is being quite the upstart here, not disloyal but certainly insubordinate, not respectful of his elders or commanders, foolish though they were.

At evening, the men were pouncing on the plunder and slaughtered some of the cattle to eat, eating the meat with the blood still in it, an act prohibited by God. This sin was reported to Saul and he had a stone set up where people could slaughter and drain their plundered animals so as not to eat them with the blood in them. This was the first time Saul had built an altar to God.

Saul then ordered that they go down and plunder the Philistines all night, leaving no people alive but the priest pointed out that they had not inquired of God about this. They inquired but God did not answer. After a day of this silence they decided to find out where the sin was. Saul said that the sinner would be put to death even if it was Jonathan. Saul and Jonathan stood on one side and the men on the other. Saul and Jonathan were taken by lot; then between the two of them Jonathan was taken by lot. He then confessed the ÒsinÓ of eating the honey to his father. SaulÕs answer, ÒMay God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.Ó

Note that this was a sin against Saul, not against God, who gave no such command.

But the men all rallied to JonathanÕs defense. WasnÕt the whole victory on his account? WasnÕt it because God had been with Jonathan in his exploits?

So Jonathan was spared and Saul stopped the campaign. The remaining Philistines fled to their homes.

ÒAfter Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side. Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Where he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. He fought valiantly and defeated the Amakelites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.Ó

Saul had sons Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. He had daughters Merab and Michal. His wife was Ahinoam. The commander of the army was Abner, son of SaulÕs uncle Ner. Ner and SaulÕs father Kish were sons of Abiel. We will hear from Abner again.

ÒAll the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.Ó

I Samuel 15 2006 May 9^th for June 6^th

SaulÕs inability to follow directions exactly, or perhaps to understand them, or perhaps to understand them as Samuel intended, is now his downfall.

Samuel came to Saul with a message from God. The Amalekites had been bad to the Israelites when they were coming up from Egypt so now God wanted them destroyed, totally. Everything in the country was to be destroyed, men, women, children, infants, cattle, everything that breathed.

Saul gathered two hundred thousand soldiers (including ten thousand from Judah) and went down to face the Amalekites. He first went to the neighboring Kenites and told them to move away from the Amalekites lest they be destroyed too.

Then Saul attacked and demolished the Amalekites, but he took their King Agag alive and some of their choice sheep and cattle. They were unwilling to destroy the good stuff, but went ahead and trashed all the weak and ÒdespisedÓ beings.

Then God told Samuel that he was grieved that he had made Saul king. Samuel cried all night about this, then went to meet Saul with the message. When Saul reported on his obedience and success in battle, SamuelÕs first words were, ÒWhat then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?Ó He was referring to the breathing livestock that had not been totally destroyed as commanded.

Saul claimed that these plunder had been kept to make sacrifices to the Lord. We cannot tell from context whether he is being duplicitous or not. He could have just been na•ve. He might have picked the parts of the commands he wanted to follow and ignored the rest, or might have been weak and done this under pressure from others. None of this is spelled out, we know only that he had not done what Samuel thought he should have.

Samuel proceeded to chew them out. Saul had come from nothing and he had never thought much of himself, yet he was put over all of Israel. Now, because he had not followed instructions, that would be the end of it.

ÒDoes the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.Ó

SamuelÕs expectation was that Saul, the king, would do everything that Samuel told him that God had said to do, as Samuel imagined that it should be done. This is a form of micromanagement, which never works well in any form.

Saul confessed his sin and asked for forgiveness. He asked Samuel to come worship with him but Samuel declined. As Samuel tried to leave, Saul caught his robe and it tore. Samuel said, ÒThe Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors – to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.Ó

ÒChange his mindÓ must refer to the current issue, not that of putting Saul over Israel to begin with.

But, on further pleading, Samuel did relent and go to worship with Saul. He ordered Saul to bring out Agag the king and when he was there, Samuel said, ÒAs your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.Ó Then he killed him, right there in Gilgal.

Samuel then went home to Ramah while Saul went home to Gibeah. Samuel never went to see Saul again, but Òmourned for him.Ó

ÒAnd the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.Ó

I Samuel 16 2006 May 10^th for June 7^th

God said to Samuel, ÒHow long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.Ó

Samuel was worried that Saul would find out and kill him. God told him to take a heifer and conduct a sacrifice. While there he would be shown what to do.

Samuel did this and as he approached Bethlehem, the people there were afraid. They asked if he had come in peace. ÒYes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.Ó He specifically invited Jesse and his sons and consecrated them personally.

As they arrived for the ceremony, Samuel was looking over the sons of Jesse. He inspected each in turn from the oldest, Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah. Before he was done, seven sons had passed by Samuel but God has said things like, ÒDo not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.Ó

All these sons had gone by and God had not pointed out any of them. Samuel asked if there were any more. There was one, the youngest, David, who was out tending the flocks. Samuel ordered him brought and said that they wouldnÕt start without him.

When David arrived, he did in fact have pleasing outward appearance. ÒHe was ruddy, and with a fine appearance and handsome features.Ó God told Samuel to anoint this one. ÒSamuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.Ó

Samuel went home to Ramah.

Meanwhile, GodÕs Spirit left Saul and an injurious spirit tormented him instead. His servants said that they should hire someone who could play some music for him when he had these spells as it might help. Someone remembered David, son of Jesse, could play the harp so he was sent for and came into SaulÕs service. David became one of SaulÕs favorite servants and whenever the injurious spirit came on Saul, David would play the harp and Saul would feel better. ÒThe evil spirit would leave him.Ó

I Samuel 17 2006 May 11^th for June 8^th

This is the famous story of David versus Goliath.

When Jesse was an old man in his eighties the Philistines decided to go to war with the Israelites. The place where they camped is identified more precisely than any other battleground we have encountered so far. Saul took his troops out to form the battlefront. The Philistines were on one hill; Saul and the Israelites were on the other.

The Philistines had a weapon of mass destruction, a nine-foot giant named Goliath. Not only was Goliath big, so were his armaments. ÒHis spear shaft was like a weaverÕs rod, and its iron point weighed [125 pounds].Ó

Every morning Goliath came out and taunted them. Rather than everyone fighting a battle, he suggested, letÕs make it a battle of champions. The Israelites were invited to send out one man to spar with Goliath. The people of the winner of this fight to the death would subjugate the loser. The Israelites were dismayed; they had no one who they thought had any chance against this behemoth.

The taunting went on for forty days.

JesseÕs three oldest sons, Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah, were all in the army with Saul. David had been relegated to carrying messages back and forth between the battle valley and his aged father back home. One day when he was home, Jesse sent his son David with supplies for his brothers and to find out how they were doing. Early in the morning David went off on this mission with a loaded donkey.

When he arrived at the battlefield, the two armies were drawing up into their staring-at-each-other-across-the-valley positions for the day. Just then Goliath came out with his usual taunt.

Inasmuch as the Israelites had a living God and the Philistines had only false gods, David could not believe that no one would stand up to this bully. He assessed the situation by asking what the prize was for disposing of Goliath. The bounty, he learned, was threefold: great wealth from the king, marriage to the kingÕs daughter, and lifetime exemption from taxes for the winner and his family. This was indeed a valuable prize.

David went and talked to his brothers about this, to their enormous annoyance. ÒWhy have you come down here?Ó Eliab said, ÒAnd with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.Ó

ÒNow what have I done?Ó said David, ÒCanÕt I even speak?Ó But he got the same sort of response with every soldier with whom he talked about this. Kids giving advice, sibling rivalry, nothing is new under the sun.

So David went to Saul and said that he, David, would take on Goliath. How could the champion of the living God fail? Saul ruled that David was unqualified for such a fight. David insisted, however. He related stories from shepherding where he had fought lions and bears off of the flock and saved himself with just his shepherdÕs tools. Saul agreed to let him go to certain death like this, but outfitted him with his own armor and armaments. David couldnÕt even walk in all this equipment so he took it off and went forward with just his shepherdÕs sling. On the way to the front, he stopped in the stream and picked out Òfive smooth stonesÓ and put them in his sack.

At the confrontation, Goliath was unimpressed with the youth David. ÔÒAm I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?Ó And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ÒCome here,Ó he said, Òand IÕll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!ÓÕ

DavidÕs reply: ÒYou come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and IÕll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the LordÕs, and he will give all of you into our hands.Ó

He did not curse in the name of his God, he merely promised death. He upped the anti from the champion to the entire army.

Goliath moved towards David and David came running at him, reaching for one of the stones in the bag. He slung and Òthe stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.Ó

ÒSo David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.Ó

Then David ran to the corpse and took out the huge sword and cut off GoliathÕs head as a dripping bloody trophy.

On this, the army behind David charged and routed the Philistines. Their dead lined the road all the way back to Ekron. On return, they plundered the Philistine camp. David himself brought the head of Goliath back to Jerusalem and brought the weapons of Goliath back to his own tent as a prize.

Saul was watching all this and asked his commander Abner who the young man was. Abner did not know. Upon his return from the battlefield, Abner brought David up to Saul where he identified himself, ÒI am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.Ó

I Samuel 18 2006 May 13^th for June 9^th

The relationship between David, son of Jesse, and King Saul now begins to develop.

First, SaulÕs son Jonathan Òbecame one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.Ó Jonathan gave him significant gifts such as his robe and sword, bow and belt and swore a covenant to him. From this day forward, David stayed in the kingÕs house and did not return to his home with Jesse.

David was so successful that Saul gave him high rank in the army. All the people, and the army officers, were very pleased. As the troops returned home from the slaughter of Philistines, the women sang in the streets:

ÒSaul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands.Ó

Saul was very angry at this. The next day the injurious spirit came on him and while David was playing the harp as was his custom in these incidents, Saul twice threw a spear at him, thinking he would pin David to the wall. David escaped in both cases.

He decided to put David in charge of a thousand men and send him off on campaigns against the Philistines. He was thinking that the Philistines would take care of his problem for him by killing David, but David was highly successful and as a result became very popular in Israel and well respected in the army.

Saul hatched another plan to trip David up, he offered his daughter Merab in marriage. David demurred, ÒWho am I, and what is my familiy or my fatherÕs clan in Israel, that I should become the kingÕs son-in-law?Ó Merab was married off to someone else.

Saul had another daughter, Michal, who loved David. Saul saw another opportunity. Privately, he made another offer for David to become his son-in-law. David demurred again, so Saul stated a price, ÒThe king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.Ó

This was nothing but another, more aggressive attempt to have the Philistines take care of the David problem for Saul, but the price pleased David. He took it seriously and found in it a way of becoming personally worthy of becoming the kingÕs son-in-law.

Before the deadline, David and his men delivered not one hundred, but two hundred Philistine foreskins and so David was given Michal as promised.

When Saul realized that Michal actually loved David and the David was utterly successful and popular in every way, he was even more alarmed and fearful. The Philistines continued their campaigns against Israel and this gave David even more opportunity to build status and visibility with the commanders of the army.

I Samuel 19 2006 May 15^th for June 12^th

DavidÕs relationship with Saul deteriorates.

Saul ordered Jonathan and all the servants to kill David, but Jonathan liked David and warned him. He then spoke to his father, asking him not to kill the person who has been so valuable against the enemies of Israel and of Saul. Saul swore not to kill David.

Another war broke out with the Philistines. David went and Òstruck them with such force that they fled before him.Ó

The injurious spirit came on Saul while David was playing the harp in the house, as had been his custom, and he tried again to pin him to the wall with a spear. David escaped and that night got away from the house.

Saul then sent some men to DavidÕs house to look for him and kill him, but his wife Michal warned him they were there and helped him escape through a window. Then, she took a teraphim and put it in his place in the bed with goatÕs hair on it. She told the men that David was sick and they went away.

Saul sent the men back again and told them to Òbring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.Ó When the men found the teraphim in the bed, Saul was angry that he had been deceived. Michal told him that David has said to her, ÒLet me get away. Why should I kill you?Ó In other words, she claimed that he had threatened her in order to get away from the king, a serious elaboration on the actual facts.

David, meanwhile, went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything. When Saul found out where David was he sent men to the region to get him Òbut when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God cam upon SaulÕs men and they also prophesied.Ó

When Saul learned about this, he sent more men and, when they arrived at the group of prophets, they prophesied also. When Saul learned about this, he sent yet a third group and they also prophesied. Finally, Saul went himself and when he arrived at the group, ÒHe stripped off his robes and also prophesied in SamuelÕs presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is [another reason why] people say, ÔIs Saul also among the prophets?ÕÓ

This ÒprophesyÓ that they speak of seems to be ecstatic utterance similar to ÒtonguesÓ in the New Testament, though this connection is not drawn and some versions translate the term as Òprayer.Ó

I Samuel 20 2006 May 19^th for June 13^th

David fled from Naioth, the site of all the prophesying prophets that included King Saul. He found Jonathan and asked him what he had done wrong that his father should want him dead. Jonathan swore that there was nothing and that his father Saul didnÕt want him dead. ÒLook, my father doesnÕt do anything, great or small without confiding in me.Ó

But David insisted, using an oath, that Saul was out to kill him. So Jonathan promised to do whatever David wanted. There was a new moon festival coming up and David said that he would be absent and they would see what Saul said about it. If Saul inquired about David, Jonathan was to say that he had begged off to go to a big sacrifice back in his hometown of Bethlehem, a big deal for his whole clan. If Saul said, ÒOh, OK,Ó then all was well, but if he got mad then Jonathan would know SaulÕs intentions.

They then swore everlasting friendship in GodÕs name and made a signaling plan. David would hide out in the field behind a rock and Jonathan would come out with the bow as if for target practice. He would have a squire with him and he would shoot the arrows off to the side of where David was hiding. He would then send the squire off to get the arrows and when the kid was standing out in the field, Jonathan would say either, ÒArenÕt they beyond you,Ó meaning that Saul meant to kill David and he should flee, or ÒArenÕt they on this side,Ó meaning that it was safe for David to come back to court.

Since David was officially part of SaulÕs court, he was expected to be present.

The day of the feast came and everyone was in place, Saul, Jonathan, and Abner among the courtiers, but DavidÕs place was empty. Saul just thought to himself that David must be somehow ceremonially unclean to be absent and so said nothing.

On the second day, David was absent again and Saul asked about him. When Jonathan gave the Òbig sacrifice in BethlehemÓ story, Saul flew into a rage and accused Jonathan of treason for hiding his enemy David. ÒYou son of a perverse and rebellious woman!Ó Saul said, (this is English translation of the Bible language for Ôson of a bitchÕ), DonÕt I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!Ó

Saul understood the rules of succession.

When Jonathan inquired what DavidÕs crime was that he should be put to death, ÒSaul hurled his spear at him to kill him.Ó

ÒThen Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.Ó

So Jonathan stormed out of the feast in Ògreat angerÓ and didnÕt eat at all on the second day of the feast.

The next morning he went out to the field to play the arrows game that he and David had agreed on. He had a young boy with him to go after the arrows. He shot them as far as he could then sent the boy after them. The message he shouted was highly elaborated from the agreed choices, ÒIsnÕt the arrow beyond you? Hurry! Go quickly! DonÕt stop!Ó

The boy brought back the arrows, not knowing what was going on. Jonathan sent him back to town with the equipment.

Then Jonathan went to David who bowed down to him three times. They wept at their parting; David wept most. ÒThe Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.Ó

Then David fled and Jonathan went back to town.

I Samuel 21 – 22 2006 May 19^th for June 14^th

David is now in flight, in exile. Saul pursues and the situation gets ugly.

First, David went to Nob where Ahimelech was priest. The priest was frightened to see David there by himself so David made up a story. He had been sent by the king on urgent business, so urgent that he didnÕt pack anything, not even his weapons.

David wondered if there was anything to eat for himself and his men. There was nothing there except the ritual Òbread of the presence.Ó The priest would let him have it if all the men were ceremonially clean, that is, Òprovided the men have kept themselves from women,Ó which they had.

So Ahimelech gave David the bread. Jesus would cite this instance in his discussion that people were more important than the regulation of the Sabbath. This instance in which David had made up a story about why he was in Nob in the first place.

David then asked if there were any weapons there. There was only one, the sword of Goliath that David had won from the Philistine champion. It was wrapped up and in storage behind the ephod.Ó David said, ÒThere is none like it, give it to me.Ó

So now David and his men were fed and armed with one sword, but it was a big sword.

Saul had member of his staff there in Nob, Doeg his chief shepherd. Doeg saw all this happen.

Then David moved on to Gath where Achish was king. (We recall that Goliath was from Gath.) David had a huge reputation with these people and was afraid for his life, so he came up with another ruse; he feigned insanity. He made scratches and marks on the doorposts and let spit run down his beard, acting wild. This was convincing to Achish who said, ÒLook at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?Ó

One thing we donÕt see David, whose heart is as GodÕs heart, being here is what we think of today as squeaky clean honest. Maybe this is another case of Òbefore God was a Christian.Ó Maybe the commandment about bearing false witness has to do with formal, sober, sworn proceedings, not feigning insanity to save oneÕs life.

From there David moved on to a cave at Adullam where his father and mother joined him. Also, any Israelite who had a problem with the status quo (was in debt or otherwise discontented) joined him there. David became the leader of these semi-bandits.

Next he went to a stronghold in Moab and asked the king if his parents could stay with him while he was there. A prophet told him not to stay, however, so he moved on.

Meanwhile, Saul got news of DavidÕs whereabouts. He called in his men and complained to them, ÒListen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.Ó

At this, Doeg spoke up with the news about Nob and Abimelech. Saul called for Abimelech and his family of priests to appear, which they did. He then accused them of conspiring with the rebellion and of knowing what David was up to. Abimelech stood up for David though, ÒWho of all your servants is as loyal as David, the kingÕs son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his fatherÕs family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.Ó

Saul then sentenced him to death and ordered his guards to kill them all, but none of them would lift a hand against GodÕs priests so Saul told Doeg to do it and Doeg slaughtered all eighty five of the priests. (Doeg was an Edomite, after all.) Doeg then went down to Nob and killed everyone who lived there, Òwith its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.Ó Ahimelech had a son Abiathar, who escaped, however, and he fled to David and reported on the massacre.

(Recall that, years ago a, Òman of GodÓ had prophesied to Eli that all of his descendants would die in the Òprime of life.Ó)

David then took responsibility and replied, ÒThat day when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your fatherÕs whole family. Stay with me; donÕt be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me.Ó

I Samuel 23 2006 May 20^th for June 15^th

Saul continues to pursue David.

A town named Keilah came under siege from the Philistines who had designs on the threshing floors and produce there. David asked God if he should go save them. God said yes. DavidÕs men said they were afraid of the Philistines right there in Judah, much less on the frontier where an attack was underway. David asked God again and God said again, ÒGo down to Keilah for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.Ó

(There are some people for whom this Òasking againÓ would be considered a sign of weakness or lack of faith but God was merciful to Gideon and David.)

David was able to inquire of God on such matters because Abiathar had brought the ephod with him in his flight from the massacre at Nob.

David and his men went down and liberated Keilah then Saul found out he was there and congratulated himself saying, ÒGod has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.Ó

David found out that Saul was on the way and inquired of God whether Saul would come to Keilah in pursuit. God said yes. David asked God if the people of Keilah would surrender him to Saul. God said yes. (Those ingrates!)

So David and his men kept moving and headed out into the desert of Ziph. Jonathan came to him there and swore to David that his father Saul would never lay a hand on him. Jonathan said, ÒYou will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.Ó They made another covenant before God then parted ways again.

Meanwhile, the people of Ziph contacted Saul and offered to turn David over to him. Saul instructed them to learn DavidÕs habits and he would come capture him. ÒThey tell me he is very crafty,Ó Saul said.

As the pursuit continued, SaulÕs men entered the same valley with DavidÕs men. They were as close as being on opposite sides of the valley and although DavidÕs men were rushing to get away, they were losing ground until a messenger to Saul arrived saying, ÒCome quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.Ó Saul broke off and went to face the Philistines allowing David to escape.

I Samuel 24 2006 May 20^th for June 16^th

David has a chance to kill Saul but does not.

Saul had new intelligence about the whereabouts of David and took three thousand choice men on a campaign to find him. They were at a place called the ÒCrags of the Wild Goats.Ó There was a cave there near some sheep pens and Saul went into the cave to relieve himself.

He did not know that David and his men were further back in the cave. When DavidÕs men realized what had happened they encouraged David to kill Saul. They said that God surely had given Saul into their hands for that purpose in this instance.

It would have been tempting to think that way.

David crawled up close and cut off a piece of SaulÕs robe.

After he had pulled back, he was stricken in conscience that he had done such a thing to the king. He confessed this to his men and rebuked them for suggesting that he take any advantage of Saul at that point, much less kill him.

Then he did something interesting. After Saul left the cave, David came out and shouted to him. ÒMy lord the king!Ó Saul turned around and looked, and David Òbowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.Ó He then said, ÒWhy do you listen when men say, ÔDavid is bent on harming you?Õ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ÔI will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LordÕs anointed.Õ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, ÔFrom evildoers come evil deeds,Õ so my hand will not touch you.Ó

Saul relented. He proclaimed that David was more righteous than he was and that David would one day be established as king of Israel. He asked only that David not wipe out his descendants or cut his name off from his fatherÕs family.

David gave an oath to this effect. We will see later that he kept it.

Saul went back home but David remained there at the stronghold.

Whenever David has a chance to actually speak with Saul, the jealousy is neutralized.

I Samuel 25 2006 May 23^rd for June 19^th

Samuel died. All Israel mourned. He was buried at his home in Ramah.

David moved to another desert, the Desert of Maon where he and his men went about protecting the property of a wealthy man there named Nabal. They protected his herds and herdsmen up to the shearing season without bothering or taking any of them. David, having been a shepherd himself, would know all about the needs and the protocols. When the shearing festivities arrived, David sent men down for a tribute. ÒWhatever you can find,Ó was the request. This was a pretty light handed protection racket.

Nabal refused to give him anything and replied with insults that were reported back to David. David was angry. He left two hundred men with the baggage and went with four hundred to destroy every male on under NabalÕs command. DavidÕs approach was reported to NabalÕs wife Abigail and she hurriedly put together a feast for four hundred and hurried up the road to meet David. When she encountered them she bowed down at his feet, took responsibility for the whole situation, called her husband a fool (ÒNabalÓ means ÒfoolÓ) and said to please pay no attention to him because he was mean, coarse, and stupid.

David thanked Abigail for making it possible for him to avoid needless bloodshed, accepted her gifts, and stopped the advance. Abigail went home and found her husband drunk at a party of excess. She didnÕt talk to him while he was drunk.

The next morning when she was sober she told him all about the encounter with David. His heart failed him and, ten days later, he died. There was much rejoicing. David credited God with dealing with this foolish enemy on his behalf. ÒPraise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept me from doing wrong and has brought NabalÕs wrongdoing down on his own head.Ó

He then sent servants with a message inviting Abigail to come be his wife. She gladly accepted and came directly to DavidÕs camp with her five maidservants.

David, apparently with an eye for women, had also married a woman named Ahinoam in his travels, but meanwhile, back at the palace, Saul had given DavidÕs wife Michal to a friend, Paltiel. That must have been a strained celebration.

I Samuel 26 – 27 2006 May 24^th for June 20^th

The people of Ziph reported to Saul that David was among them and Saul took the army in pursuit again. They arrived in the area and camped in the valley. David sent out scouts and learned that Saul had indeed arrived.

At night everyone in the camp of Saul was asleep. Saul, and Abner and the top commanders were in the middle of the army but everyone there was in a deep sleep brought about by God. No watches were posted. David asked for a volunteer to go down to the camp and Abishai went with him.

David and Abishai entered SaulÕs camp unhindered and went right up to Saul who was sleeping beside his water pot with his spear stuck in the ground. Abishai said, ÒToday God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I wonÕt strike him twice.Ó

David forbade this, however. Saul was GodÕs anointed and David would not have him touched. The penalty, from God, would be death.

So, they took the spear and the pot and left without being challenged or even detected.

They then crossed over and stood on a hill some ways off. David called back and woke Abner up. ÒWhy didnÕt you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die, because you did not guard your master, the LordÕs anointed. Look around you. Where are the kingÕs spear and water jug that were near his head?Ó

Abner recognized that it was David. David then repeated his plea from the prior time when he had spared SaulÕs life. What had he done to deserve this pursuit? Saul relented again and went home again.

David was still worried that Saul would eventually catch up to him and kill him, so he left Israeli territory entirely and moved in with the Philistines in the territory of Achish, king of Gath. Achish gave David and his men a settlement, Ziklag, as their home and center of operations. They lived there a year and four months and spent their time raiding the neighborhood and wiping out the other peoples nearby, the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. He took all of their property and livestock but did not leave any men or women alive in these places lest they report back to Achish what David was doing.

Achish would ask him where he had been raiding and David would give answers. Achish came to trust David and began to believe that he had become so ÒodiousÓ to his own people in Israel that he could never return to them.

I Samuel 28 – 29 2006 May 25^th for June 21^st

At this point, David and his men were on the Philistine side of the frontier. As the Philistines gathered up for battle against Israel, Achish told David to bring his men and accompany him. David said, ÔNow youÕll see what we can do!Õ Achish made David his bodyguard for life.

Saul came up with his army and was terrified of the Philistine army that he saw. ÒHe inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or the prophets.Ó More terrified, he had a servant go find him a medium. This was hard to do because Saul had had all of the mediums and spiritists removed from Israel, but there was at least one left in hiding, a woman known to us as ÒThe Witch of Endor.Ó

In disguise, Saul came down to Endor at night and asked this woman for help. She sensed a trap and accused him of deceiving her, but he swore that nothing would happen to her if she helped him.

The witch agreed and asked him whom he wanted conjured. Saul asked for Samuel and she immediately realized that it was Saul she was talking to. She started screaming. WhatÕs more, she conjured Samuel and saw a form of an old man in a robe rising out of the ground. Now everyone, the Witch of Endor and Saul included, was terrified.

The following conversation between Samuel and Saul is worth quoting verbatim.

Samuel said to Saul, ÒWhy have you disturbed me by bringing me up?Ó

ÒI am in great distress,Ó Saul said, ÒThe Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.Ó

Samuel said, ÒWhy do you consult me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.Ó

ÒÉ and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.Ó That means tomorrow Saul and Jonathan would be dead.

Saul fell on the ground in fear and the woman came to him and told him he should eat something. He said he would not, but the men with him insisted, so he agreed and she made a feast for Saul and his men.

As the Philistines mustered up, David and his men were in the rear with Achish. When the other Philistine commanders found out about this they were appalled and insisted that Achish send David back. Achish did not understand this. He thought Saul and David were enemies. The other commanders felt that David would be loyal to Israel and win favor back from his King Saul by attacking them from the rear when the fighting started.

Achish went to David with this news and they had the discussion again. David asked what he had done wrong that he should be sent back like that. It was a major insult to be excluded from a major battle. Achish assured him that they were the best friends possible and that he thought the world of David, but that he had to go back.

So, early the next morning, David and his men went back.

I Samuel 30 2006 May 26^th for June 22^nd

It was a good thing that David and his men went back. While they had been off on the campaign, the Amalekites had come to Ziklag and burned it, looting everything. They had taken all the women and children away as captives, including DavidÕs two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail (NabalÕs widow).

ÒSo David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.Ó

Then the men started turning against David for letting this happen. There was even talk of stoning him.

David called for Abiathar and the Ephod. He inquired with God as to whether he should pursue the raiders. God said, ÒPursue them. You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.Ó

So David and the six hundred started a pursuit. At one point, two hundred of them were too exhausted to go on but the four hundred others kept up the chase. They came across an Egyptian slave who had been abandoned because he had gotten sick during the campaign. In addition to being sick, he had not eaten or even had any water for three days. DavidÕs men fed him and when he revived they asked if he could lead them to the raiders. Upon a promise that they would not turn him back over to his master or to those people, he did so.

David and the four hundred men found the Amelekites spread all over a valley in a drunken victory party. They attacked and recovered everything, all of the property, all of the wives and children and all of the flocks. Only a few Amelekites, about four hundred, escaped by riding away on donkeys.

When they got back to the two hundred who had stayed behind, exhausted, some of the men (they are called ÒevilÓ and ÒtroublemakersÓ, the sort of folks you expect to have if you make up your army of discontents) were making the claim, ÒBecause they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.Ó

David overruled this, however. He gave God the credit for the victory and for their protection and the protection of their families in this incident. He ruled, ÒThe share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.Ó This was an ordinance for all of Israel from then on.

After all, if some had stayed behind in town in the first place, this whole episode might have been prevented.

Beyond that, he also made a gift of some of his plunder to several of his friends back in Judah, people in nine or ten different cities back in Israel.

I Samuel 31 2006 May 27^th for June 23^rd

The Philistines attacked Israel and the Israelites fled. Many died on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines were particularly looking for Saul and his family. They overtook and killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua, sons of Saul. ÒThe fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.Ó

ÒSaul said to his armor-bearer, ÔDraw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.Õ

ÒBut his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.Ó

This was similar to HitlerÕs death.

The army, seeing that the king was dead, fled into the hills. The Philistines took all of the cities in the valley and occupied them.

The next day, Philistines came out to strip the dead. They found the bodies of Saul and Jonathan and the other two sons, took their armor to their temple of Ashtoreths and Òfastened his body to the wall of Beth ShanÓ as trophies.

The valiant men of Jabesh-Gilead heard of this and traveled through the night to Beth Shan where they recovered the bodies from the wall, took them to Jabesh, and burned them. They buried the bones there under a tree then fasted for seven days.

Recall that Jabesh-Gilead was the beneficiary of SaulÕs first great military campaign.

This is the last word of the first book of Samuel, the end of Saul and his line. SamuelÕs prophesy from beyond death was correct. Now Samuel and Saul and Jonathan were all together.

It is hard for me to fully grasp the horror and despair of this defeat. It is difficult to fully grasp the predicament of Saul. God had abandoned him, yet he was still king in charge. He still had to fight the enemies of Israel. He was trapped in a situation where he would lose by flight and lose by fight.

A theologically disinterested student of this history might well see the back-and-forth fortunes of the Israelites against the Philistines as the expected out-play of two adjacent, roughly matched forces, like a board game that is well set up with balanced players and rules. The writers and readers of the books of Samuel, however, interpret all of these events as a three-way struggle between God, GodÕs people, and the enemies of GodÕs people. (The gods of the enemies of GodÕs people donÕt exist except in art forms and the peopleÕs imaginations. They are non-gods from this point of view.)

It is beyond our scope here to explore all of the possibilities of interpretation, the power of spirits and from whence such power is derived except to note that a multiplicity of interpretations is always possible depending on the observerÕs pre-existing knowledge, way of thinking, and belief system. This is the nature of faith. The Israelites and Philistines within this story, not having the objective luxury of circumspection on their situation that we have, viewed their fortunes as battles of their gods.

At this historic juncture, from the point of view of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, what are the Israelites to think?

Concluding Thoughts on I Samuel 2006 May 27^th for June 26^th

It appears, then, that I Samuel is the story of Samuel and the first king of Israel, Saul. II Samuel will presumably be the story of the second king, David.

My predisposition going in, with respect to Samuel and Saul, was that Samuel was old and cranky and Saul didnÕt do a very good job, at least as seen by his anointer, leading to his early death and removal of his line from the monarchy. This is roughly true, but not as bad as I had remembered.

My question going out is, ÒHow was this mess possible?Ó

Samuel, speaking for God, advised against the establishment of a king. Alternatives tried previously had not worked however and God did not make a practical alternative proposal. This might be easier to understand through the psychology of Samuel. The people should just Òfollow GodÓ (whatever that means) the God that Samuel happens to represent. There are messy realities in life, however, like the neighboring Philistines who want to wipe them out. Samuel canÕt be troubled with commanding an army or dealing with other such administrative details. What, then, does it mean to Òserve God,Ó and, does this magically or through divine action lead to peace and prosperity?

In the conversation (Chapter 8) between God, Samuel, and the people about appointing the first king, Samuel is against it, but God is for it, always encouraging Samuel to listen to the people and go ahead and do it. ÒIt is not you they have rejected as their king; but me. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.Ó This was all that God himself said on the side of the conversation against monarchy. Samuel still didnÕt like it and he outlined for the people the cost of having a centralized government: taxes, conscription, and the draft among them.

How would the people get the protection they needed without this? The implication, indeed the promise in several past lessons, is that if they would just refrain from serving other gods the real God would provide protection and sustenance for the people without the need for such man-made governance.

If something like this has ever worked at any place or time in history, involving the real God or otherwise, we are unaware of it.

Something else that is interesting is that, in the long list of things a king will do, somehow causing the people to be faithful to their one God, the one thing in which God apparently has interest, is not one of them. The only hint we have that Saul led any religious reforms was the aside, when he was going to consult the Witch of Endor, that a witch was hard to find because Saul had previously removed them all from the land, doubtless at SamuelÕs suggestion. In all of the bad blood between Samuel and Saul, this was not otherwise mentioned as a positive or negative or discussed at all.

It seems reasonable that God goes for a king, a model of government that the people understand, because that is what was practiced by all the neighbors and monarchy is intrinsically simple to understand. Samuel chews them out good and enumerates all the problems of having organized government, then goes ahead to set one up.

This leads to the next problem. Why Saul? What criteria does God use to choose a king anyway? What did he envision? What were his intentions? Saul was a kid out looking for lost donkeys, his only obvious qualification to the kingship being that he was tall. When God told Samuel that he would meet the next king coming into town that day, did Samuel even encounter the right person? Maybe it was supposed to be SaulÕs servant. Maybe it was someone else who was there at the wrong time or for some reason (the devil made him do it) didnÕt appear as he was supposed to. Of course, we arenÕt allowed within the faith to believe any of these possibilities. God canÕt make a mistake and Samuel never admits to one so even if it was a mistake on SamuelÕs part, it must have been unconscious. Samuel knew the voice of God and always believed that he was doing the right thing.

Our straight up interpretation is, then, that God canÕt make a mistake and Samuel didnÕt make a mistake, so, why Saul?

Saul nearly wasnÕt present at his own coronation; he had to be found Òamong the baggage.Ó The first thing Saul did after his appointment was to go home and plow his fields, working the farm as usual. When the first big crises of his administration arrived, thatÕs what he was doing. He sacrificed his oxen on the spot as a symbol of the coming engagement, and stayed busy being king for the rest of his life.

Saul apparently had no particular knack for being king. His interactions and commands were weak, unconfident, and indecisive. He had no grand plan or vision that was stated or evident through his actions except his desire to kill David who he perceived as his chief rival. He did not seem to have any pipeline to God.

Today we would call SaulÕs form of leadership ÒreactionaryÓ, a weak form. He had significant staff of foreigners (such as Doeg). He was not particularly knowledgeable about, versed in, or observant in the ways of God although he was sometimes found prophesying among the prophets. (We donÕt really know what this means, whether itÕs some form of praying, ecstatic glossilalia, or something else.) Not that anyone was particularly knowledgeable about GodÕs law at this time, but this lack of training led to sharp, destructive conflicts with Samuel who knew well the ways of God, at least as he understood them, and had understood them from his own well trained youth. As a result Samuel saw the ways of God as obvious and self-evident. From this perspective, Samuel saw Saul as intentionally errant and sinful when he may have been merely weak and ignorant. This led to an eventual break with Samuel and therefore with God.

Or was the break with God and therefore with the spokesman Samuel as Samuel claimed? As readers from a perspective of faith we are expected to side with God, meaning that we take Samuel as honest and honestly representing God and Saul as being sinful.

Moses had extensive leadership training in Egypt before even joining his own people and then he had several words direct from God on how to proceed. Saul had neither of these advantages, but he did have Samuel there to second guess and pronounce judgment on every act that he did take.

Samuel and history come down hard on Saul, and so, again, I wonder how God could have chosen such an unqualified person as the first king in the first place.

Is it merely that SaulÕs life was meant to serve as a bad example? Is it that simple? Does this mean that a bad example is necessary? It is not unprecedented. The actions of the Pharaoh who opposed Moses were interpreted as GodÕs hand forming a ÒbadÓ example in order to demonstrate his own strength. Does that apply here? It says nowhere in the text that Saul was set up by God to be a bad example.

Whatever the case, Saul is toast and his demise a famous low point in the story of GodÕs people, as we have just seen.

As soon as Saul is rejected, Samuel goes off to appoint another king. That story seems even more miraculous. The youngest (not oldest) son of a prominent sheepherder, Jesse (son of Boaz and Ruth, after all) is picked. This kid, unlike any of his brothers, has a fearless, nearly incredulous belief in God, as demonstrated by his early confrontation with the giant champion of the enemy, Goliath. He spends the reign of Saul, his predecessor, in flight, either from a spear hurled at him and his harp in the court, or leading a band of 600 discontents all over the desert, even allying with the Philistines themselves at (at least) one point. Much is made in the narrative, of DavidÕs respect for Saul, ÒGodÕs anointed.Ó So much is made of this that itÕs hard not to remember in all this that David knows that he himself is ÒGodÕs anointed.Ó

The next book, II Samuel, will then be the story of David. WeÕll see if God and Samuel do any better with this choice.

Preliminary Thoughts on II Samuel 2006 May 29^th for June 27^th

Saul is dead; his reign is over. Per the anointing performed by Samuel, David is now the king. As Samuel is also dead at this point in the story, the story of the reign of king David, it is unclear why this second book of Samuel is even named for him. Perhaps it is because they are the stories of the two kings he anointed.

David is the great king of Israel. David and his line are established as kings of Israel forever. It is our (Protestant) belief that this is fulfilled in Jesus, God himself, king of the universe, son of David, Son of God. Although we saw Samuel protest mightily against monarchy, God never seemed to mind it, not then and not now. It seems to be GodÕs preferred way to govern the people, who are like sheep.

We already know David pretty well, having seen his exploits against the Philistines starting with Goliath, his friendship with the heir apparent, Jonathan, and as a fugitive from King Saul. Now we will see how well he rules himself.

A question I have going in to this story is related to the question we asked yesterday, ÒWhy Saul?Ó David will be shown here (and in the Psalms, songs that he wrote, some of which we will study sometime next year) as a man Òafter GodÕs own heart.Ó This will be given among the reasons that God chose and established David. What does this mean? What, if we wanted our hearts to also be after GodÕs, would we do? What evidence would there be? What evidence do we see in David, as an example?

Before we read II Samuel, what do we know about DavidÕs heart that might teach us something about God?

He was fearless in the face of mortal challenge. The battle of a young shepherd against the champion giant Goliath is only one. It was a king-making moment, a boy who believed God so ardently and completely that he was incredulous that any mere giant champion would stand against him. As it turns out, his well honed shepherding skills, killing superior enemies to the end of protecting the flocks, was an unexpectedly effective countermeasure against a conventionally armed enemy of any stature. He survived and dominated many other battles that are related in less detail.

He inquired of God. He did not take on any battle without asking God if he would prevail. God answered him, and if the answer was in the affirmative, David would go out without hesitation. I donÕt recall anything in the written history of David where God said Òno.Ó (The ÒsecularÓ way to see this is that David, confident that the omnipotent God was with him, had supreme confidence which, coupled with his superior skills was therefore likely to lead to victory over less skillful and less confident opponents.) Perhaps David was trained better and at a younger age, by Samuel, when he was more impressionable. Perhaps David knew God directly from those long days and nights in the wilderness with the herds. We are not told.

He took responsibility for SaulÕs slaughter of AbishaiÕs priestly family (though it was a fulfillment of prophesy from before the Saul era) and took Abishai and the ephod, and therefore God himself, with him, thus his ability to inquire.

David was a natural leader of men. When he fled the court of Saul, six hundred men, mostly malcontents and outcasts of society, eventually joined up with him. He led and controlled these men though they were presumably more rebellious by nature than average. This is not unlike GodÕs leadership of all humanity. The things DavidÕs men did would be considered immoral today (genocide and so forth) but there is no record that any of them did anything against GodÕs law, or what David did if they did. It will be interesting to see what happens to DavidÕs band going forward.

David showed some compassion. After God struck foolish Nabal down, he brought the widow Abigail into his household. Compassion may not have been his only motive with Abigail (and others). We will discuss this later.

All these qualities, and doubtless others, could be taken as valid arguments that DavidÕs heart was like GodÕs. But, there is a dark side too.

In the upcoming story we will see David as the reigning king, nearly in the golden era of IsraelÕs ascendancy. (It is argued that the actual Ògolden eraÓ was under King Solomon, DavidÕs heir.) And yet, David shows some very human fallibilities. He doesnÕt seem to manage any of his family relationships very well. (It is unclear that anyone in history, God himself included, has done a very ÒgoodÓ job with their children when measured as Òhow well they turned outÓ measured against some parental objectives, however.) This hearkens to the universal problem of humanity, that of Òindependent will.Ó But, David didnÕt manage even his marriages (and extra-marriages) very well either. The death and rebellion among his children will be interpreted as penalty (although the death and rebellion of children are hardly unprecedented in the human situation).

This gets so bad that David flees the capital a few times. In these flights we will see him taking the same attitude that he did when fleeing from Saul. ÔMaybe this is GodÕs will, I wonÕt (canÕt) fight against God. Whatever God decrees, so be it.

We saw Saul and Eli saying things like this too, though they were evil (weak) and, ostensibly, not Òafter GodÕs heart.Ó

So this is what I remember of the story of the reign of David before we begin into it and these are my questions. This is a man Òafter GodÕs own heart,Ó and he receives tremendous blessings. But, things go terribly wrong too. How is this possible? Is this the lot of all flesh, that things go terribly wrong? Are these human realities related honestly as bad examples? Are they meant to lend believability to the story? Some argue that the texts we are covering are all just Òold Jewish mythsÓ, but, to me, these stories have a great ring of truth to them, great humans with great foibles, similar to the ones that we experience, at all levels and throughout all history with all peoples. To me, things going horribly wrong lends believability.

Without further speculation and pontification, let us begin the story of David, now king.

II Samuel 1 – 2:7 2006 May 30^th for June 28^th

David was in Ziklag after having defeated the Amelekites. Two days after the battle, word reached him that Saul was dead.

An Amelekite came to DavidÕs camp and gave report. He reported that the battle had been fierce and that Saul and Jonathan were both dead. David asked how this had happened and the Amelekite reported that he had been in the thick of it and that, when hope was lost and Saul had fallen, he had asked to be killed, so the Amelekite had killed him as he requested. Then he had escaped and come here. He was probably expecting a reward.

David and his men mourned and fasted until evening, then he pronounced judgment on the Amelekite for killing Òthe LordÕs anointedÓ and for testifying against himself to that effect. He then had one of his men kill the Amelekite. That was his reward.

David then gave a song of lament. It is called a Òlament of the bowÓ and it says that it is in the ÒBook of Jashar.Ó

In it he laments that the mighty one of Israel has fallen, a disastrous event not to be proclaimed to enemies, such as those in Gath. The mountains would not have dew nor the fields grain due to the mourning.

ÒSaul and Jonathan – in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.Ó

ÒHow the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights.

I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me.

Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.Ó

Later, David inquired of God if he should go to Judah and God said he should. David asked which town and God said Hebron. David and his men and his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, went up to Hebron where he was anointed king over Judah.

As his first official act, he sent a word of thanks to the men of Jabesh-Gilead for having buried Saul, which was the proper thing to do. He also extended his protection to them and informed them that he had been made King of Judah.

II Samuel 2:8 – 3:5 2006 May 31^st for June 29^th

In the absence of Saul, his commander Abner set up a king, Ish-Bosheth (son of Saul) over Israel except for Judah. This reign lasted two years. Meanwhile, David reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.

Joab was DavidÕs commander. He and his men came out and met Abner and his men at Gibeon. The opposing forces sat on opposite sides of a pool. Abner suggested that they have representatives fight and Joab agreed.

ÒSo they stood up and were counted off – twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. When the contest started, each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponentÕs side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Òfield of daggers.Ó

Joab had a brother Asahel who was Òfleet-footed as a wild gazelle.Ó He personally chased Abner without relenting. Abner asked, over his shoulder, who it was and learned that it was Asahel. He told him to break off and fight someone else but he wouldnÕt. So Abner turned and Òthrust the butt of his spear into AsahelÕs stomach, and the spear came out through his back.Ó

He died there. Everyone who arrived stopped. Joab and his other brother Abishai kept pursuing Abner with a group. At sunset they stood on a hill and Abner called to them, ÒMust the sword devour forever? DonÕt you realize that this will end in bitterness?Ó

Because of this statement, Joab called off the attack. The trumpet was blown and the men retired. Abner and his men marched through to Manahaim.

When the count was taken, David was missing nineteen men but Abner had lost 360.

The war continued. David grew stronger and the Òhouse of SaulÓ grew weaker. Establishing a new government is usually like this.

David had some new wives and had six sons in Hebron:

Amnon by Ahinoam from Jezreel;

Kileab by Abigail, widow of Nabal;

Absalom by Maacah, daughter of the king of Geshur;

Adonijah by Haggith;

Shephatiah by Abital; and

Ithream by Eglah.

II Samuel 3:6 – 39 2006 June 2^nd for 30^th

Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah and Ish-Bosheth accused Abner of sleeping with her. This made Abner very angry and he swore an oath to go over to the side of David because that had been GodÕs will all along anyway. This frightened Ish-Bosheth and he didnÕt say anything more. (We will meet Rizpah again.)

Abner then made overtures to David who invited him to come, but insisted that he bring his former wife Michal with him when he came, the one for whom he had delivered two hundred Philistine foreskins to Saul.

Ish-Bosheth ordered it and Abner left with Michal, her new husband Paltiel following behind wailing. Finally, at Bahurim, Abner got tired of this and told Paltiel, ÒGo back home!Ó And he did.

Abner held a conference with the elders of Israel and with the Benjamites, confirming with them that they should join a united Israel under David.

He was warmly welcomed by David who threw a feast for him and the twenty men with him. Abner then asked to go back to the countryside to continue to work on the compact with the people. David sent him away with peace and blessings.

As he was leaving, he met Joab who, with DavidÕs troops, was coming back from a raid with considerable bounty. Joab went straight to David and complained that he had let an enemy go like this. Joab accused Abner of spying, deceit, and subterfuge.

Joab then left David and sent people to retrieve Abner. When Abner was found Joab went to meet him and when they met, Joab called Abner aside as if to have a private conversation, then stabbed him to death.

This was to avenge his brother Abishai.

David was distraught. He did not fire Joab but did give this pronouncement: ÒI and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. May his blood fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his fatherÕs house! May JoabÕs house never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.Ó

Then a big funeral was thrown. King David followed the bier himself. He and all Israel wept for Abner and David sang a lament. He was weak from not eating and the people urged him to eat but he would not break his fast until after sundown due to the mourning. This pleased DavidÕs subjects as did everything David did.

David said to his men, ÒDo you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah [Joab, et al] are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!Ó

II Samuel 4 - 5 2006 June 6^th for July 3^rd

Jonathan, son of Saul and DavidÕs friend, had a son Mephibosheth who was five years old when his father and grandfather were killed in battle. When the news came to the palace, the nurse picked him up to hurry away but dropped him, breaking both of his ankles. Ancient medicine being what it was, Mephibosheth spent the rest of his life lame in both legs.

Ish-Bosheth, ruler of Israel and SaulÕs apparent heir, learned of the death of Abner and lost courage. Two of his leading raiders, Recab and Baanah, came to him mid day, found him napping, and murdered him in his bed. They cut off his head and took it to King David for a reward. (Recall what happened to the person who claimed to have personally killed Saul himself! What we are seeing here is a projection of business-as-usual in the Palestinian precincts into the rule of David, GodÕs anointed, where that sort of business was surprisingly unwelcome.)

David had them put to death immediately. Just as he had done with the messenger about Saul, ÒShould I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!Ó

ÒSo David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in AbnerÕs tomb at Hebron.

The methods of execution were very contemporary, even if the garnering of political favor was not.

So all the tribes of Israel came to David, announcing that he had led them in the military campaigns under Saul and that now he was their king. They anointed him.

DavidÕs total reign was forty years, seven and a half over only Judah, beginning when he was thirty followed by thirty-three over all of Israel.

David then marched on Jerusalem, a city that was well fortified. They had a saying there that it was so secure that the Òblind and lameÓ could defend it. David knew a secret, however. There was a tunnel from inside to the water source. David and his men found it and got into the city that way. It being dark in the tunnel, David made the joke that this was how the Òblind and lameÓ could defend the city.

Once this conquest was secure, a neighboring king, Hiram of Tyre, sent carpenters and stonemasons to build him a palace there in Jerusalem. This was HiramÕs acknowledgment that God had established David as king, a better way to show friendship than killing people.

The Philistines responded differently however. They went up en mass to try to conquer David. He inquired of God whether he should take them on and God said he should, so he did and routed them. In another action, the Philistines Òspread out in the Valley of Rephaim.Ó This time, God told him not to attack them frontally but to circle around and Òas soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.Ó David followed these instructions and routed the Philistines from Gibeon to Gezer.

What courage it would engender to believe that, at some sign like that, Òthe Lord ha[d] gone out in front of you.Ó It would make one feel invincible.

II Samuel 6 2006 June 8^th for July 4^th

Now that he was established with a palace in Jerusalem, David wanted the Ark of God brought into the capital. He went himself with a delegation to the house of Abinadab where the Ark had resided for many years. They put the Ark on a new cart and AbinadabÕs sons Ahio and Uzzah were walking along to steady the Ark if there was a problem. A band with musical instruments accompanied the parade and King David danced in the road himself.

At one point the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to stabilize the Ark and touched it. He was killed instantly. ÒThe LordÕs anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act.Ó David was angry and left the Ark there in the home of a man named Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. That household was blessed while the Ark was there.

After these three months of relative calm, David tried again. This time they carried the Ark, presumably as instructed in Leviticus though it does not say this explicitly. The commanded procedure was much less prone to stumbling and irreverence. No one was hurt. Again, David Òdanced before the Lord with all his mightÓ in his underwear, leading the parade.

His wife Michal, daughter of Saul, was disgusted by this behavior and when he came to the palace after the national party and feast was over, she said, ÒHow the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!Ó

David answered, ÒIt was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LordÕs people Israel – I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.Ó

Without further comment, it records that Michal never had any children.

II Samuel 7 2006 June 10^th for July 5^th

King David had a prophet of God, Nathan, living in town. He said to Nathan, ÒHere I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.Ó

Nathan told him to go ahead and do whatever it was that he had in mind to house the ark of God, but that night God spoke to Nathan and the next day, Nathan brought the entire message back to King David.

God said, ÒI have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day.Ó God would establish David and his family as rulers forever. He would give David and the Israelites peace and rest from their enemies around them. David would have a palace to live in. After David was dead, his son would become king and that son would build a house for God.

God would love that son, punishing him when he strayed and blessing him when he was good and he would not withdraw his love and favor from that son as he had from Saul.

David then went to God and prayed, ÒWhat is my family, that you have brought me this far?Ó He was awed and grateful that God had been with him, had driven out his enemies, had established him, and was to establish his house as the greatest of all ages.

ÒNow be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.Ó

II Samuel 8 2006 June 12^th for July 6^th

David conquered and spread his rule into the neighboring territories all around Israel including places like Rehob, Ammon, Moab, Edom, Amalek, and Philistia (the country of the Philistines), whose border to the south was closest to Jerusalem. He had victory everywhere he went, including some famous battles like one day when Israel Òstruck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.Ó

Other neighbors such as Tou, king of Hamath, sent a son with tribute and congratulations on DavidÕs victories, presumably to avoid being conquered themselves. The tribute and the spoils of battle led to much bronze, silver, and gold coming into DavidÕs possession.

Those who were defeated were treated in what we today would consider cruel ways. In one case, David made the defeated Moabites Òlie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live.Ó Was this to incite terror, demonstrate supremacy or hatred, or just to cut the enemy down to a size that could be managed in the indefinite occupation that would follow? In another case a thousand chariots were captured, and David had all but a hundred of the chariot horses hamstrung.

This was not a pleasant time in the near east for those who were not GodÕs chosen people.

DavidÕs court consisted of:

Joab, over the army;

Jehoshaphat, recorder;

Zadok and Ahimelech, priests;

Seraiah, secretary;

Benaiah, over the Kerethites and Pelethites (doesnÕt say who these are); and

DavidÕs sons, as royal advisors.

II Samuel 9 – 10 2006 June 13^th for July 7^th

King David asked if there was anyone left of SaulÕs family to whom he could show favor on behalf of his dead friend Jonathan, SaulÕs son. A courtier named Ziba knew of Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan who was crippled in both feet. David had Mephibosheth brought and granted the following honors: Mephibosheth would own everything that had belonged to SaulÕs family and under ZibaÕs management, the land would be worked so that Mephibosheth could make a living. (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants of his own, all of whom were put under Mephibosheth.) In addition, Mephibosheth himself would always eat at King DavidÕs table.

King Nahun of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun took over. David sent a delegation with condolences, but HanunÕs advisors suggested that they were just spies. Hanun abused the delegation by shaving off half of each of their beards and cutting their clothes off in the middle of their butts. This was humiliating and when the report came back to David he told the delegates to stay at Jericho until their beards had grown back. He then had the army mustered to go after the Ammonites.

When the Ammonites realized they were going to be attacked they hired twenty thousand Aramean mercenaries to help them. DavidÕs commander Joab faced two fronts. He divided the army, half under himself and half under his brother Abishai. They agreed to come help each other in the battle if one of the fronts started to collapse, but when the battle engaged, the Arameans got scared and ran. The Ammonites saw this and ran themselves. There was a great route in which forty thousand were killed, seven thousand chariots taken, and commander Shobach of the enemy army was struck down and killed.

After that the surviving Ammonites made peace with David and became his subjects and Òthe Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.Ó

II Samuel 11 2006 June 19^th for July 10^th

This is the account of King David and Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah.

Spring came, the time of year when kings go out to do battle with each other. David sent out Joab and the army to this task but stayed home himself. One evening he was walking on the roof of the palace and saw a beautiful woman bathing below. He sent to inquire who it was and was told it was Bathsheba, wife of Uriah. David had her brought to the palace and slept with her. When she was purified from the uncleanness of this (Mosaic Law), she went home. ThenÉ

ÒThe woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, ÔI am pregnant.ÕÓ

The obvious cover for this was Uriah, who was off fighting with the army under Joab. David sent immediately to Joab and had Uriah sent home on pretense of reporting on the battle and the condition of the troops. He came to the court of King David and made this report, then David sent him home, but rather than going home he slept out on the steps of the palace that night.

When David learned that he had done this he called him in and asked why. You couldnÕt ask for a more loyal subject. Uriah said, ÒThe ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lordÕs men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!Ó

So David had him stay another day and that night threw a feast and got him drunk but he still didnÕt go home, he slept in quarters with DavidÕs servants instead. So David sent him back to the battlefront and gave Uriah a letter to Joab to carry himself instructing Joab to put him on the front lines and then pull back so that he would be killed.

Joab engaged the battle at the worst part of the city under siege and the men came out and fought fiercely. Many of DavidÕs men were killed, including Uriah. Everyone was afraid that such poor tactics would draw the wrath of the king, a well known military tactician himself. Either David or Joab would have known better than to make this mistake. Abilemech had been killed by a woman throwing a stone off the wall when he was standing too close. When you got that close, archers could fire down on you. So when Joab sent a servant with the report he cautioned the servant that if the king got mad and started questioning why they were in this bad situation, he should just say, ÒAlso, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.Ó

Everyone in this picture was in a fix, Joab, all of the reporting servants, all of the servants who were involved in moving Bathsheba and Uriah back and forth, David himself, of course, but most of all Bathsheba, who faced stoning as an adulteress. The gossip must have been horrendous. This was not the David who delighted everyone, including God.

David did not get angry at the report. His response to the messenger was to relay this encouragement to Joab, ÒDonÕt let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.Ó

ÒWhen UriahÕs wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.Ó

II Samuel 12 2006 June 19^th for July 11^th

The prophet Nathan came to David with a story. There was a poor man who had only one sheep, but he loved the sheep and fed it by hand and slept with it and all the children played with it as a pet. There was also a rich man who had many sheep and cattle and this rich man received a visiting traveler. The rich man did not take one of his multitude of animals to prepare a meal for his guest, but took the pet ewe, the only possession of the poor man, for the meal.

ÒDavid burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ÔAs surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.ÕÓ

We wonder at this point if King DavidÕs statement is a binding oath.

ÒThen Nathan said to David, ÔYou are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ÒI anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your masterÕs house to you, and your masterÕs wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.ÓÕÓ

The sexual revolution having arrived, men close to David (like his own sons) would sleep with his wives, and not in secret, but in broad daylight, Nathan prophesied.

ÒThen David said to Nathan, ÔI have sinned against the Lord.ÕÓ

ÒNathan replied, ÔThe Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.ÕÓ

Although David had shown contempt for God, God took away his sin.

Nathan went home, and the baby born to David and Bathsheba got very sick. David prayed and fasted and lay prostrate for seven days while the boy lay there dying. He would not eat any food with his elders and he lay on the ground all night every night.

On the seventh day the boy did die.

The servants were distraught and did not know what to do. David had been in such grief and anguish that they were afraid he would do something drastic if they told him the boy was dead. He saw them whispering among themselves, however, and figured out that the child was gone. He asked the servants directly and they replied that this was correct.

At this, he got up and washed and Òput on lotionsÓ and went to his house and asked for food. He was served and ate, to the amazement of all the servants. They asked him what he was doing.

His reply is a revolutionary moment for the people of faith.

David answered, ÒWhile the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ÔWho knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.Õ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.Ó

ÒI will go to him,Ó that is, in death.

After this ÒDavid comforted his wife Bathsheba,Ó and they had a son who they named Solomon. God also loved Solomon and sent word through Nathan to call the boy Jedidiah (loved by the Lord).

Back at the battle, Joab was besieging a town called Rabbah and was about to take it. He sent word to David that he should bring the rest of the army out and finish them off, ÒOtherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me.Ó

I think this was a comradely invitation to David to get back to his job before his top commander took it over.

So David went off with the rest of the army and took Rabbah. The king there had a golden crown that weighed about 75 pounds! This was taken as part of the plunder and David set all of the conquered people to work making bricks and working with saws and pick axes. He did this to all the Ammonite towns then returned with the army to Jerusalem.

II Samuel 13 2006 June 20^th for July 12^th

The dishonor and violence within DavidÕs family, prophesied by Nathan, now begins.

DavidÕs firstborn son, Amnon, loved his half sister, Tamar, sister of Absalom. (It does not say that David was TamarÕs father, it says that she was AbsalomÕs sister, but I think David was father of all three of these people.

Amnon wasted away about this day after day, looking sullen because he wanted Tamar but didnÕt see any way to have her. He had a friend, Jonadab who suggested a ruse.

Amnon pretended to be sick and when the king came to visit him, he said he would be better if only Tamar would come and feed him. The king ordered this and Tamar came down from the palace to AmnonÕs house, cooked a meal, and prepared to feed it to him. Amnon wouldnÕt eat, however. He insisted that everyone leave and that Tamar bring the meal into his bedroom and feed it to him on his bed.

When they were alone, he grabbed her and suggested sex. In distress, Tamar protested, countering that he should propose marriage and that the king would not stop them, but not now, ÒDonÕt, my brother! DonÕt force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel!Ó She knew that she would be permanently disgraced.

But Amnon forced her and raped her.

Soon as he was done, he hated her more intensely than he had ÒlovedÓ her and had her thrown out of the house and the door bolted behind her. Tamar tore her special, decorated virginÕs robe and put ashes on her head and wailed in public.

Absalom found her and took her into his home and told her to be quiet about the affair. He hated Amnon from then on but didnÕt say anything one way or the other to him. David also found out and was furious.

Two years later when there was going to be a sheep-shearing festival at Baal-Hazor, Absalom invited the king and all his family to the party. David declined, saying that all those people would be too much for them but Absalom did ask special that Amnon should attend anyway. The king asked why but Absalom was evasive and eventually Amnon was sent down to the feast.

Absalom ordered his men that, when Amnon was drunk and when Absalom gave the word, they should kill him. They did this. All the rest of the kingÕs sons fled on their mules and the initial report came back to David that they were all dead at AbsalomÕs hand. ÒThe king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.Ó

Jonadab (remember him, the Òruse guyÓ?) told the king that it was only Amnon who was dead, that all the rest had only fled. Soon the lookout saw men on donkeys coming down the hill towards town. ÒAs he finished speaking, the kingÕs sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.Ó

Absalom himself fled to the king of Geshur, Ammihud. David got over the loss of Amnon and soon Òthe spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom.Ó

II Samuel 14 2006 June 21^th for July 13^th

Joab knew that David missed Absalom so he sent a wise woman from Tekoa, dressed as a mourner, to the king with a story.

She told the king that she was a widow and that her two sons had gotten into a fight in the field and, with no one there to intervene, one had killed the other. Now the relatives, the avengers of blood, wanted the other son to put him to death too. This would put out her last ember and erase her husbandÕs name from the face of the earth.

David told the woman that he would take care of it.

The woman protested that the king should be without guilt in the matter, that she should bear it herself. David said, ÒIf anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you again.Ó This is a fairly strong statement coming from the king.

She had the king swear by God that he would prevent the avenger of blood from doing what he intended. When this was sworn, she asked to speak again and was given permission.

ÒWhy then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.Ó

This is a pro-life statement of the forgiveness of God.

The king listened to this go on for a while then said, ÒDo not keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you. IsnÕt the hand of Joab with you in all this?Ó

David had seen through the ruse. But he did send Joab off to Geshur to bring Absalom back. He said, however, that Absalom could not see his face.

Joab went and brought Absalom home. He had three sons and a daughter who he named Tamar, doubtless after his own disgraced sister. She too was beautiful. Absalom was also highly admired and handsome. From time to time he would cut his hair and when it was weighed was five pounds!

After two years without seeing the king, Absalom sent for Joab who did not respond. He sent a second time and Joab did not come, so he had his servants set JoabÕs barley field on fire and then Joab came and asked what was going on. Absalom complained that there had been no purpose in him coming back to Jerusalem if he could never see the king his father. He said that he wanted to see the king even if it meant death.

Joab took Absalom to David and they were reconciled.

II Samuel 15 2006 June 21^st for July 14^th

Absalom set himself up with chariots, horses, and runners, then stationed himself at the city gate to intercept anyone on their way to see the king. He would get acquainted then make the claim that the king was not responsive to the needs of the subjects. ÒIf only I were appointed judge in the land!Ó

Absalom made many friends in this way, then one day he asked the king if he could go to Hebron. He claimed that back in Geshur he had made a vow that if he returned to Jerusalem he would go worship in Hebron. David told him, ÒGo in peace,Ó and Absalom went to Hebron.

He made a deal with many citizens to have himself proclaimed king in Hebron. He was very popular and even DavidÕs close advisor Ahithophel went over to Absalom.

David got wind of this and realized he was in trouble. He fled Jerusalem and those loyal to him, such as the six hundred from the original army, went with him. Abiathar and his sons set the Ark down along the route and offered sacrifices as the people passed by. David tried to send his friend Ittai back to town but Ittai proclaimed his allegiance, ÒAs surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.Ó So David kept Ittai with him, but others he sent back to keep tabs on what was going on.

He left ten of his concubines to keep the palace and he sent Abiathar and his sons and Zadok with the Ark back to be in Jerusalem. He told Abiathar that the Ark should be there. David said that if God was displeased with him and it was time to die, he was ready.

David ended up at the Mount of Olives (where Jesus spent his last hours on earth) and approached with his head covered and his feet bare. All the people mourned with him. His friend Hushai the Arkite was there with robe torn and dust on his head as well. David sent him back up to Jerusalem to accompany his other friends and spy on what was happening in the palace.

And, David prayed, ÒOh Lord, turn AhithophelÕs counsel into foolishness.Ó

(This was one of my dadÕs favorite Old Testament verses. We will see more about this tomorrow.)

II Samuel 16 2006 June 22^nd for July 17^th

As David passed the summit, he came upon Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth who had donkeys and provisions for an army waiting there for him. David accepted these offerings and asked about Mephibosheth. Ziba reported that he had stayed in Jerusalem thinking that his fatherÕs kingdom of Israel was about to be given back to him. It doesnÕt say why he thought this. Maybe he had a deal with Absalom. David ruled instantly on the matter, saying to Ziba, ÒAll that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.Ó

All the accounts we see up to here have to do with people declaring their loyalty in this civil war, either to David the king or his up and coming son Absalom.

As the fleeing king and his people approached Bahurim, a relative of Saul called Shimei came out and started cursing him. The scene is humorous. Although the king is surrounded by guards on all sides, Shimei walks along beside and pelts them all with rocks and dirt, saying, ÒGet out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!Ó

Abishai said to David, ÒWhy should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.Ó

But David told him not to. Maybe God had told him to curse the king because of his wrongdoing. ÒMy son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life,Ó David said, ÒHow much more then, this Benjamite!Ó So they left him alone and he continued walking beside them cursing and showering them with dirt and small rocks. Eventually they arrived at their destination, exhausted.

Another of DavidÕs advisors, Hushai, went over to Absalom. Absalom challenged his loyalty, but he declared that he wanted to be with the up and coming king, not the dispossessed, fleeing one. Hushai proclaimed that God and the people had chosen Absalom.

Absalom then asked Ahithophel what he should do. In those days, inquiring of Ahithophel was thought to be nearly like inquiring of God. Both David and Absalom regarded him highly. Ahithophel suggested that Absalom lie with his DavidÕs concubines, the ones who had been left to care for the palace. This would make the rift between the two administrations impossibly wide and strengthen AbsalomÕs position, he said. A tent was thrown on the roof so every one could see, and Absalom did this.

II Samuel 17 2006 June 22^nd for July 18^th

The battle lines and allegiances are now drawn. The only result can be the death of David or Absalom and the reign of the other.

Ahithophel suggested a strategy. Take twelve thousand men and immediately set out in pursuit of David. They will be found weak, in flight in the desert. Kill only the king and the rest of the people would then become to be subjects of Absalom. Although the plan Òseemed goodÓ to Absalom and the elders, Absalom asked for another opinion, from Hushai.

Hushai said that Ahithophel was wrong, that David would not let this happen, that he would be hidden away from the troops in a cave, hard to find. ÒYou know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs.Ó If he attacks first, word would spread that there had been a slaughter and AbsalomÕs cause would be lost.

His advice, then, was to muster all of Israel Òfrom Dan to BeershebaÓ and lead them all into the battle personally. Totally annihilate everyone who is with David and if they flee into a city, use ropes to pull it down until not one piece of it can be found anywhere.

Absalom chose to follow the advice of Hushai rather than Ahithophel because, Òthe Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.Ó

Hushai then went and reported the plan to Zadok and Abiathar who immediately sent informers Jonathan and Ahimaaz off to report it all to David. They were to go as fast as humanly possible and not stop for anything, not a river ford, not a rest break, not the dark of night or the heat of day, until they got there. (This was before radio or telegraph.) They had a plan that a servant girl would take the message to David since the informers themselves could not be seen doing so, but someone saw them and reported to Absalom who sent men to kill them. A family in Bahurim hid them in their water well, covering it and scattering grain on the cover so it would be invisible. When AbsalomÕs men came they did not find the spies and after a search up the road returned to Jerusalem empty handed.

Ahithophel, meanwhile, realized that his advice had not been taken and that this meant the end of his career. He got on his donkey, went to his hometown, put his affairs in order, hanged himself, and was buried.

When David received the news of the plan, he and the people with him crossed the Jordan in the middle of the night. By sunrise they were all across. Several locals came out with various foods and supplies to provision and prepare the large crowd.

II Samuel 18:1 - 18 2006 June 26^th for July 19^th

David mustered his army and divided them into three groups under the commands of Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He also said that he would march with the army, but the men insisted that he was Òworth ten thousand of usÓ and that nobody cared how many of them died but it would all be over if David died. He acquiesced to them and stayed near the city but he gave orders to all the commanders to go easy on Absalom. All the men heard these orders given.

The battle was engaged in the Òforest of EphraimÓ and there were heavy casualties, twenty thousand at least. Ò[T]he forest claimed more lives that day than the sword.Ó

Absalom was riding his donkey through the forest and got his head caught in a tree (remember all that wonderful hair he had?) while the donkey under him kept going. There he was hanging from the tree by his hair. Some of JoabÕs men came upon him and went back and reported to Joab himself. Joab chewed them out for not killing Absalom on the spot but they were all afraid to do so due to the kings explicit orders. Speaking for the men, one said, ÒEven if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lift my hand against the kingÕs son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ÔProtect the young man Absalom for my sake.Õ And if I had put my life in jeapordy – and nothing is hidden from the king – you would have kept your distance from me.ÕÓ

What they were saying was that, had they killed Absalom and the king found out, Joab would not have backed them up.

At this Joab said, ÒIÕm not going to wait like this for you.Ó He took three javelins and ran Absalom through the heart while he hung there in the tree then had his armor bearers hack him up. He blew the trumpet and called off the battle then he took the body down into the valley, threw it in a pit, and put a big heap of stones over it. The Israelites all fled to their homes. No Òmuster outÓ pay that day!

Absalom had no son to carry on his name; the insurrection was over.

II Samuel 18:19 – 19:8 2006 June 26^th for July 20^th

The rebel son Absalom was dead; the insurrection was over. Ahimaaz, son of Zadok wanted to take the news to the king. Joab told him not to, he sent a Cushite runner with the message instead.

Ahimaaz insisted that he wanted to go anyway. Joab warned him that there was no reward for this news but Ahimaaz kept pleading so Joab said, ÒRun!Ó and he did. Ahimaaz proceeded to outrun the Cushite.

The watch with the king in the city saw a man running alone. The king thought that this meant good news. They then saw another man running alone and the king thought this might be more good news. The man in front ran like Ahimaaz. The king knew Ahimaaz, said he was a Ògood manÓ and that this meant the news was good.

Ahimaaz arrived and fell down before the king. He gave the news that the battle was over and that DavidÕs side had won. David immediately inquired about Absalom and Ahimaaz demurred. He said that when he had left there was some confusion but he didnÕt know what it was about. David told him to stand aside and wait for the next messenger.

Ahimaaz had been thinking about how to play this while he ranÉ.

The Cushite arrived with the report confirming that Absalom was dead.

ÒThe king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: ÔO my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son!Ó

The entire victory was turned into mourning. The victorious soldiers snuck back into the city as those who had been defeated might. Joab was the only person who could deal with this situation. He went to the king personally with this remonstrance, ÒToday you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those you love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you donÕt go out, not a man will be with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now.Ó

At this David came back down to the gateway and took his seat. All the men assembled there with him.

II Samuel 19:9 – 43 2006 June 28^th for July 21^st

With Absalom dead and the rebellion ended, there was now the question of restoring the government to its former condition under David. Some allegiance returned to David and rumors were flying everywhere.

David sent messages to Abiathar and Zadok telling them he was returning and appointing Amasa over the army in the place of Joab. This was JoabÕs punishment for killing the kingÕs son, early retirement.

David and his rather large party returned to the Jordan. Shimei (of pelting the kingÕs party with stones and cursing him) begged forgiveness and asked the king to put his sins out of his mind. Zeruiah said Shimei should be put to death for what he had done but David ordered that no one be put to death this day.

Mephibosheth, who had not taken care of himself (his feet or his hair) since David had left the palace, approached. David asked why he had not gone with them. Mephibosheth said that he had intended to ride along on his donkey but had been betrayed by his servant Ziba (to whom David had awarded all of his property), blaming his lameness. After a flowery appeal in which Mephibosheth claimed to have no additional rights after having been at the kingÕs table for so many years, David restored him to favor and ordered he and Ziba to split his former property. Mephibosheth said Ziba could just keep it all, Ònow that my lord the king has arrived home safely.Ó

An octogenarian named Barzillai, apparently a favored elder servant of David, was invited to come back to the capital. He replied, ÒHow many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way?Ó He asked to return to his hometown to die near the tomb of his parents and suggested that an heir, Kimham, replace him in DavidÕs court. ÒDo for him whatever pleases you.Ó

The king replied, ÒKimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever pleases you.Ó Also, he would do for Barzillai whatever he wanted. These were high honors.

Then the rest of the men of Israel began accusing the men of Judah of stealing their king and taking him away. An internal dispute broke out between them as to whom was most loyal to David, both sides speaking harshly. Israel said they had ten shares in the king (being ten tribes) but the men of Judah said they were closer relatives, which they were.

What a bunch of two-faced politicians!

II Samuel 20 2006 June 29^th for July 24^th

Politicking aside, an Israelite named Sheba said that David was not their king and he led the Israelites away from David. All Judah stayed with David, however.

Back at the palace, David exiled the ten concubines (whom Absalom had defiled on the rooftop) to house arrest in another place under guard. He provided for them but never lay with any of them again. They lived and died as widows.

He then called Amasa and told him to muster Judah and come back in three days ready to go to war over the Sheba rebellion. Amasa did not return in the three days as ordered so Joab and his men and JoabÕs brother Abishai and his men marched out against Sheba.

They found Amasa out on the road and Joab, feigning a friendly greeting, buried his dagger in AmasaÕs stomach. Amasa lay there in the road dying while one of JoabÕs men stood over him shouting that everyone who was for David should follow Joab, but every man who went by stopped to look at him, so Joab drug him off under a tree and threw a garment over him. Then the men followed Joab, without stopping, in pursuit of Sheba.

This was AmasaÕs punishment for crossing Joab, a dangerous thing to do, and for being late reporting back to the king.

They came to a city Abel Beth Macaah where Sheba was and besieged him. A woman came to the wall and called out for Joab to come talk. When she found that it was Joab, she asked why he was going to destroy the city that was like Òa mother in Israel.Ó He said he didnÕt want to but for the traitor Sheba inside. She said that she would go in and see to it that his head was tossed over the wall. Inside, she called a meeting and persuaded them to rid themselves of Sheba. The cut off his head and threw it over the wall to Joab.

Joab blew the trumpet and the army returned to their homes.

Joab then returned to the king. These were the officers:

Joab: over the entire army,

Benaiah: over the Kerethites and Pelethites,

Adoniram: over the forced labor,

Jehoshaphat: recorder,

Sheva: secretary,

Zadok and Abiathar: priests,

Ira: DavidÕs personal priest.

II Samuel 21 2006 July 1^st for 25^th

There was a famine during DavidÕs reign for three years. He inquired of God as to why this was and received a detailed answer. The famine was due to SaulÕs bloody treatment of the Gibeonites.

David had the Gibeonites brought in and asked what he could do for them. They said they had no right to ask for money from anyone or to put anyone in Israel to death. David asked again what he could do for them. They asked for seven male descendants of Saul so that they could kill them and expose them in retribution. David granted this.

Due to his oath to Jonathan, he did not hand over Mephibosheth, JonathanÕs son, but he handed over Armoni and Mephibosheth (a different one), sons of AiahÕs daughter Rizpah, wife of Saul. Also he turned over the five sons of Merab, SaulÕs daughter.

The Gibeonites then killed these men at the beginning of the barley harvest and exposed them on a hillside until the fall rains started. Rizpah herself went out with sackcloth and did not let the birds touch the bodies as they lay there. (Recall that Rizpah was SaulÕs concubine over whom, ultimately, Abner lost his life to Joab.

David heard of this. He had the bones of Saul and Jonathan brought from Jabesh Gilead (recall that the men there had rescued the dead bodies that were hanging in a Philistine temple after the battle in which Saul and Jonathan were killed) and he had the seven bodies brought to the tomb of Kish, SaulÕs father.

ÒAfter that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.Ó

This presumably means that the famine ended.

There were more battles against the Philistines and although it doesnÕt say this directly, David was getting too old for hand-to-hand combat. He got exhausted at one battle and one of the Philistines was about to kill him when Abishai (JoabÕs brother) rescued him. After that, the men said that David would not go into battle with them. They did not want Òthe lamp of IsraelÓ to be Òextinguished.Ó

The heroes of the enemy and their Israelite slayers are recounted from several other battles including one in which a big man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot taunted them. This made twenty-four digits in all. Jonathan, a nephew of David, killed this remarkable and frightening man.

II Samuel 22 2006 July 1^st for 26^th

This chapter is a song of David, similar in form to the summary song of Moses. It is like one of the Psalms and has the following outline, with examples.

God is alive and immensely powerful.

ÒOut of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightening blazed forth.

The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.Ó

Because of ÒmyÓ (DavidÕs) righteousness, blamelessness, and cleanness, God supported David. He saved him and gave him success against enemies.

ÒFor I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning form my God.

All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.Ó

This success meant annihilation. It meant that David became ruler over foreigners he did not know, people who groveled to him and were obedient to his word.

ÒThey cried for help, but there was no one to save them – to the Lord, but he did not answer.

I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.Ó

Praise be to God!

ÒHe gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.Ó

I cannot comment on the juxtaposition between DavidÕs record and these claims. Is this mostly spin? Was this written while Uriah was still alive? Did forgiveness from that set of sins count as total redemption, as through Christ? As of never having turned away? Does none of the give and take with Joab count for anything? Does the mismanagement of Joab in several cases of treachery and complicity in others count for nothing? Do the alliances with Philistines (just before the death of Saul) count for nothing? Were the bloodthirsty acts against wild animals, Goliath, and all of DavidÕs enemies (save Saul) cherished and relished by God? What does it mean that JonathanÕs love for David was better than that of women? Does this say something about the women who David loved or about Jonathan and David themselves? Is GodÕs behavioral priority mostly military, not personal? Are there things about David that we are not told or would a re-arrangement of emphasis bring more alignment between DavidÕs record and these claims? What are these laws and statutes that David is following fully anyway? The Ten Commandments? True, Samuel may well have approved of David more than he disapproved of Saul, but maybe not. Samuel died just before the reign of David began. Who knows what would have happened had he seen some of this?

Who is writing this story anyway?

II Samuel 23 2006 July 5^th for 27^th

Although we are yet quite a ways from the record of DavidÕs death (in the next book, I Kings), his Òlast wordsÓ are given here. They are similar to yesterdayÕs song.

The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High,

The man anointed by the God of Jacob, IsraelÕs singer of songs:

The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.

The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me:

ÔWhen one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,

He is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning,

Like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.Õ

Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, Arranged and secured in every part?

Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?

But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,

Which are not gathered with the hand

Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;

They are burned up where they lie.

The remainder of this chapter is a list of ÒDavidÕs Mighty Men.Ó At the top are ÒThe Three.Ó The Three are Josheb-Basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah. Josheb-Basshebeth killed eight hundred men Òin one encounter.Ó Eleazar was at a battle with the Philistines at Pas Dammim. When Israel retreated, he Òstood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword.Ó At another battle, Shammah Òtook his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down.

In all these cases, the Lord brought victory to DavidÕs forces. These are Mighty Men indeed. I doubt that I have the endurance to stab eight hundred scarecrows with a dagger in one session!

Abishai (JoabÕs brother) was commander of The Three, but was not one of The Three.

There is a story about ÒThe ThreeÓ where one day David was resting between battles and said, ÒOh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!Ó The Three went off, broke through the Philistine lines, and brought David this water. When David found out what they had done, he would not drink it but poured it out on the ground as an offering to the Lord. He said, ÒFar be it from me, O Lord, to do this! Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?Ó

A lot of made of stories like this in theological circles. I think it speaks for itself. This is why David was so popular.

There was another man, Benaiah, who was as famous as The Three, but was not one of them either. Once he killed a lion in a pit. Another time, he grabbed the spear of a big Egyptian and killed him with it. Going in, he had only had a club to fight with. David put Benaiah in charge of his bodyguard. We will see Benaiah again.

After this were ÒThe Thirty.Ó There were actually thirty-seven. We donÕt split hairs on this point. I list them here in honor of the last:

Asahel (JoabÕs other brother), Elhana, Shammah, Elika, Helez, Ira, Abiezer, Mebunnai, Zalmon, Maharai, Heled, Ithai, Benaiah, Hiddai, Abi-Albon, Azmaveth, Eliahba, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan (son of Shammah), Ahiam, Eliphelet, Eliam, Hezro, Paarai, Igal, the son of Hagri, Zelek, Naharai (armor bearer of Joab), Ira, Gareb, and Uriah.

II Samuel 24 2006 July 5^th for 28^th

ÒAgain the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them saying, ÔGo and count Israel and Judah.Ó

What is happening here, I think, is that it was wrong for David to take this census. Counting the fighting men was an act preparatory to going to war. If God had not ordered a war, this would be sinful. There is a lot of contextual detail that is not given in the account that would help us understand it better. This is what I see reading between the lines. DavidÕs sin as leader of the nation was accounted to God moving on him in order to generate a reason for the punishment that would follow.

This is among the reasons why I donÕt consider a political candidate being ÒGodÕs manÓ as an obvious reason for my vote. When GodÕs hand was similarly on Pharaoh against Moses, we could easily say, ÒWell, Pharaoh, leader of the worldÕs only super power, was GodÕs enemy. God hardened him to make an example of him and to glorify himself. This could never happen to us.Ó But David, on the other hand, was a man after GodÕs own heart. There is no means by which we can exclude king David, from whose line the Messiah arose, from the community of faith.

Another hint is that Joab tried to talk him out of it. ÒMay the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?Ó Even Joab knew that the proposed census was wrong.

But David prevailed so they went off and counted the fighting men. The total was 800,000 in Israel and 500,000 in Judah.

ÒDavid was conscience-stricken after he had forced this action which he apparently also knew was wrong, and he said to the Lord, ÔI have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.Ó

We believe this is a genuine confession. We also see that the reports that make the paper, as reports do today, were of the bad news from DavidÕs rule, not so much of the good things.

By the next morning, GodÕs word had come to the prophet Gad, ÒDavidÕs seer.Ó

He had his choice of punishments for Israel. He could choose three years of famine, three months of fleeing before enemies, or three days of plague. David, who in his own words was accustomed to dealing with his enemies by Òbeat[ing] them as fine as the dust of the earth; pound[ing] and trampl[ing] them like mud in the streetsÓ did not want to be in battle without having God with him. He did not want to flee before any enemies for any length of time. He chose, rather, to put the nation into the hands of God rather than the hands of men. He chose three days of plague.

The plague started that very morning. Seventy thousand died. We note that this would change the results of the census!

ÒWhen the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, ÔEnough! Withdraw your hand.Õ The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.Ó

There is an understanding of the kingdom of God that we are not given here. There have been times when the ÒAngel of the LordÓ was the Lord himself, but here we see a dialogue between God and his angel.

David saw the angel in action and said, ÒI am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.Ó

Gad told David to build an altar there at that threshing floor so David went down to the place. When Araunah saw him coming, he asked what the king was doing there and David told him that he wanted to buy the threshing floor for an altar. Araunah offered to give it to him, along with the oxen for sacrifices, an enormous offer, even to his king, as it amounted to all the elements of his livelihood, but David said, ÒNo, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.Ó David paid about 3/5 of a kilogram of silver, made the offerings, and God answered his prayer and stopped the plague.

This business of, ÒI wonÕt offer anything that cost me nothingÓ is taught as a major object lesson among Protestants. Less so the plague.

Concluding Thoughts on II Samuel 2006 July 6^th for 29^th

It is a surprise to me that I come away from II Samuel just as puzzled, if not more so, than I did from I Samuel. While it is true that David always enjoyed GodÕs favor, many of the stories that merited being included in the account here are of sins and shortcomings, egregious ones with nationwide consequences. One point that should not be missed, however, is that the sins of David, though they had dire consequences, were forgiven. His record with God did stay clean. At any rate, IÕve already addressed my questions about DavidÕs righteousness previously.

Did God, through Samuel, make a better choice of king with David than with Saul? The way the story reads, he did. David was not weak or insensitive, or insane. He was bloodthirsty to an extent that we cannot imagine today and clearly perceived a difference between people who belonged to God and people who did not, people who were anointed in GodÕs name and people who were not. Ethnic cleansing is out of vogue today but is seen as a major component of DavidÕs strength and righteousness in this narrative.

David was a poet and musician, skills correlated with thoughtfulness and sensitivity. He was intelligent and empathetic, with those on his side.

He was highly imperfect in management of his family as is, arguably, most everyone. By being too controlling, one doesnÕt allow children to become the people they should be. By not controlling enough, they easily stray. David had some of both as we have seen and as we will see.

Most of DavidÕs sins revolved around some form of aggression, sexual or violent. These sins, though serious, were not as serious to his culture as they are to ours (well, the religious subset of ours, right wing branch, anyway).

In the case of the triangle David, Michal, and Paltiel, it doesnÕt even call this case adultery or a sin, though the arrangement is clearly wrong by other teaching in the Bible, before and after this.

In the Bathsheba incident, the murder of Uriah was more important in NathanÕs rebuke than the adultery. In the Ten Commandments, the first three interpersonal laws are murder, adultery, and theft, in that order. Perhaps, as weÕve speculated before, the order is important. On the other hand, perhaps the murder, being part of a compound sin, was more egregious because of the way it came about.

As we have said, though, these sins were forgiven upon DavidÕs quick and honest confession and admission of guilt, though it sometimes took an external confrontation to elicit it.

And, David never failed to totally annihilate an enemy, as Saul had.

In the story of Saul we saw weakness, confusion, and actions without authorization. We might wonder why a supreme king needs authorization or where they could even get it, but Samuel understood that the kingÕs authority only comes from God, with Samuel as the conduit, he thought.

In the story of David we see none of this, his failings are ÔonlyÕ personal foibles, the Òlot of all fleshÓ nearly. In the story of Saul, a livid Samuel was prominent. David had several prophets and seers all of which confronted him when needed but none of whom ultimately condemned him.

And, someone else wrote the story, some Òrecorder,Ó not the prophet or seer himself. That probably helps with the spin that David received.

Had they learned? Were they different? Did God have a different attitude in this case? Had a better choice really been made with David? I think so, though there is much about the intent of God himself that now puzzles me. The next question will be, how about the Òline of David?Ó How well will the Òdivine rightÓ monarchy beginning with King David work out? WeÕll see when we get to the books of Kings.

Here we will take a three-week break while John and I go on our trip up and down the west coast. WeÕll pick up again with II Corinthians on August 21, 2006.

© Courtney B. Duncan, 2006