David spares Saul a 2nd time.
-Who can stretch out his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?
Q. Who are those in my life that God has anointed? => Christ as head of my family; Church leaders; civic authorities; supervisor @ work --
C. I need to know who these are so I can, like David, not stretch out my hand against those the Lord has anointed in/over my life.
-The Lord delivered you into my hand today but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed.
-"... as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation."
- Note how he looks to the Lord for value and deliverance.
CHAPTER 27
Knowing that Saul is after him, David now feels completely worthless...like he's going to die...and begins to give up...and decides to escape to someplace else...even though he has just prayed and asked God to deliver him out of all tribulation....apparently his deliverance involves him escaping himself...
-Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines.
Now David had 600 men in his little army in Achish.
He was given the city of Ziklag.
He began to make raids against all the southern towns of Judah....killing all.
CHAPTER 28
Samuel had died. (end of Chap 25)
Saul put the mediums and spiritists out of the land--a good thing
Now the Philistines set up to war against him.
Saul was afraid...his heart trembled greatly
Saul inquired of the Lord.
Lord did not answer him --- SAD
So Saul looked for a woman medium??? Wow (there is so much of a need to communicate with "Someone bigger than man" built into mankind that they will even stoop to communication with demonic spirits...Wow!!
(Lord thank you that you have made it possible for me to communicate with you directly at any moment, at any time, at any place. Help me never to take that lightly. Help me to appreciate how you have met the basic human need for communication with You...by making yourself available to communicate with You as often as You stir my heart to do it.)
- So Saul does in fact disguise himself...seek out a medium and asks her to bring up Samuel...which she does...and upon doing that becomes immediately aware that this person is Saul...and she becomes afraid.
- After assuring the woman he would not harm her, he talks to Samuel:
- God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore....so I have called you to reveal to me what I should do?
- Samuel's response: Why do you ask me seeing the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy?
- The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to David.
- Why? Because you did not OBEY the voice of the Lord NOR execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek.
- Even more, the Lord will deliver Israel into the hands of the Philistines and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.
Obeying God would have involved "executing His fierce wrath upon Amalek"
Observe that:
- God has fierce wrath
- His wrath was going to be executed upon Amalek
- He wanted to use a leader (Saul) and a nation (Israel) to accomplish his will of wrath.
A. Allah never shows any mercy or love...Jehovah only executes His wrath after His mercy and love have been rejected ... usually over and over. But in Allah...you don't even find mercy or love to reject...FAR DIFFERENT.
CHAPTER 29
Philistines reject David...
It's remarkable to see how God was at work moving David out of the picture so he was no where around when the Philistines attacked Israel and defeated them and killed Saul and his sons....David was moved out of the picture by God before that so that he was in no way a part of it.
Note that this happens even though the Philistines (especially Acish) had found no fault in him while he was living among them...yet they did know he was the one who killed Goliath...and they were afraid he would redeem himself to Israel by turning on them.
Note how Achish says of David:
I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God
Nevertheless, the rest of the princes of the Philistines prevented David from going up to battle with them
CHAPTER 30
Meanwhile, while David and his men were gone, the Amalekites came and burnt his city (Ziklag) and took all the women and children.
For a moment the people wanted to turn on David.
BUT DAVID STRENGTHEND HIMSELF IN THE LORD HIS GOD.
Then David went to Abiathar the priest and asked of God...shall I pursue these?
God's answer back...Yes...and you will overtake them and recover all.
David then took his men and pursued the Amalekites.
Coming to the Brook Besor, they found a sick and weak Egyptian....whom they feed and nourished. When he revived...they found out he was among those who had burned Ziklag...but his master had left him when he got sick three days earlier.
He ended up leading them to the Amalekites...but David had to leave 200 of his 600 men behind at the Brook Besor because they were so weary they could not keep up.
Meanwhile David came on the Amalekites and killed them and captured all there booty wives and children untouched.
The warriors wanted to split the bounty among themselves (the 400 remaining) and not share with the other 200 who remained behind...
David said no because
God has preserved us and given us great deliverance today...and we will all share alike. For as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.
So that has become a statute and an ordinance to this day...
C. note...this is reflected much the same way in our American army today.
CHAPTER 31
Saul and his sons, including Jonathan, are killed in battle.
The valiant men of Jabesh buried Saul and his sons in Jabesh.
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