Psalm 45:1-7 What Do You Love?
45:1 “My heart overflows with a noble theme. I recite my verses for the king. My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer. 2 You are the most excellent of the sons of men. Grace has anointed your lips, therefore God has blessed you forever. 3 Gird your sword on your thigh, mighty one: (clothe) yourself with splendor and majesty. 4 In your majesty ride on victoriously on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your right hand display awesome deeds. 5 Your arrows are sharp. The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king's enemies. 6 Your throne, God, is forever and ever. A scepter of justice/equity is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows...
Observations: This Royal-Messianic psalm starts by praising the righteous rule of the king on his wedding day, and foreshadows the Messiah as The Righteous King in vv 6-7, in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7). The king is addressed as elohim (Mighty One, a name for both mighty men and God). These verses are quoted in Hebrews 1 in reference to why Jesus is superior to all, and therefore anointed with the oil of joy above, (yet with) His fellows (co-sharers in His rule). This is essential for understanding Jesus' motivation in Hebrews 12 “for the joy set before Him.” John also had this Psalm in mind when writing Revelations 19 about the marriage feast of the Faithful and True Lamb.
Application: Since God blesses and rewards those who love righteousness and hate wickedness, it's probably a good idea to follow this example.
Prayer: My God and King, may I have grace to pursue truth, humility, and righteousness, and consequently experience true joy. Amen.
Proverbs 12:15-16 Ways of the Fool
12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who is wise listens to counsel. 16 A fool shows his annoyance the same day, but one who overlooks an insult is prudent.“
Observations: 12:15-16 A wise person chooses the right objectives (what's right In God's sight), and the right way of attaining them. A fool does just the opposite. The wise man wants to be right, and will seek input and others' perspectives to make sure they're on the right path. The fool doesn't want to be proven wrong, particularly if it would hamper doing what they want, so they won't seek nor listen to any input or counsel. A fool's objective is just to express him/herself, without any governing objective other than vengeance; therefore they show their annoyance with sighs, glares, eyeball rolling, criticism, etc. A prudent person overlooks an insult because their objective is to win others to truth, not to win an argument.
Application: Seek what's right in God's sight, not your own, by seeking godly counsel.
Prayer: Lord, help me see things from Your perspective, embracing Your wise objectives for my aims and actions, so that I don't wind up being a fool. Amen.
1 Samuel 29-31 God brings yet another problem into David's life to prosper him. By demonstrating a submissive spirit and embracing God's will, David gets delivered and delighted. The observations under chapter 30 contain an elaboration of the PRAY acrostic applied to events in David's life, yielding the secrets of strengthening yourself in the Lord. Your heart and soul would really appreciate it if you spent some extra time ingraining them into your consciousness through the lenses of Psalms 27 and Psalms 31. What else are you going to do with the 10,080 minutes God's given you this week? :)
1 Samuel 29 David Disqualified
6 Then Achish called David, and said to him, "As Yahweh lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords don’t favor you. 7 Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines."
8 David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" 9 Achish answered David, "I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God. Notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart." 11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.
Observations: 29:1-7 The Philistine lords are concerned that they have a tiger like David in their midst who could turn on them, destroying ten thousand of them, as a possible way of getting reconciled with Saul. Achish defends David's integrity but reluctantly tells him to leave.
29:8-11 David protests his innocence but submits to Achish's counsel and the Philistine lords' demand and returns. He'll be glad he did in the next chapter. God was protecting him.
Application: God can use rejection as a means of blessing us, if we're doing what's right in His sight.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thanks that I can trust You to keep me from harm, and guide me toward good even by the rejection of others. Amen.
1 Samuel 30 David's Disaster Turns Into Blessing
30:1 It happened, when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, both small and great. They didn’t kill any, but carried them off, and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God. 7 David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Please bring me here the ephod." Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall without fail recover all." 
21 David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked men and base fellows, of those who went with David, answered and said, "Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart." 23 Then David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with that which Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. 24 Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who tarries by the baggage: they shall share alike." 25 It was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, "Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh." 27 He sent it to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir, 28 and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Borashan, and to those who were in Athach, 31 and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay.
Observations: 30:1-8 Now you see how God used David's submission to bless him. Had he insisted on his own way with Achish and the Philistines, he would have been off fighting God's people and lost his own people. In the midst of tragedy, there are always some folks to make it worse, usually those who outwardly are God's people, but lack a real relationship with Him. David's own men rebel and talk of stoning him, like it's all his fault, forgetting the sovereignty of God.
At times like this one needs to know how to strengthen oneself in the Lord. Previously Jonathan had encouraged David in the Lord (23:16), but now David, following Joshua 1:9 caused himself to be strengthened. Psalms 27 and 31 are examples of how David would strengthen himself. Here are the highlights using the PRAY acrostic from Jesus in the garden:
Pour out your heart before God. When disaster strikes we usually go into panic and denial. Getting in touch with what's going on in our heart and thinking, and then expressing it to God is key to dealing with it. You can't toss what you can't touch.
Recognize that God is able to change the situation. In Psalm 27 and Psalm 31 (and most of this type) David recalls the Person (God is in control and can do anything.), Promises (God works all things together for good to those who love Him.), and Past acts of God (God has redeemed and protected us and delivered us when we call.) to gain Perspective (God has worked in our lives answering prayer, blessing us. and has brought us to this point for a purpose, as part of His plan to glorify us and Himself; He's not about to abandon us now.)
Align your will with God's. God invites us to call out to Him so He can answer us (Psalm 27:8). David not only prayed, but sought to know God's will.
Yield yourself to do God's will. Trusting God and hoping in His best, David goes out to do God's will, regardless of the consequences.
30:9-20 It was in battling the Amalekites that Saul lost the kingship by disobeying God's will. Here David seeks and does God's will, and lays the groundwork for gaining the kingship (next post). After using the ephod to inquire of God's will and getting an answer (contrast to Saul at Endor), David goes after the enemy. God uses an Egyptian, (former enemy) to whom David shows kindness, to guide them to success. They recover everything, and a whole lot more. This is similar to Abraham rescuing Lot (Genesis 14).
30:21-25 Recognizing that it was Yahweh that gave the victory, David shares the spoil with those who were physically unable to cross the river and continue the chase. This was in accord with God's instructions in Numbers 31:27. It was not that they were cowards, and they did serve a purpose in guarding the baggage. Some of the wicked worthless fellows object, thinking victory comes through their own strength, and what they get is theirs. The righteous know that God gives us what we have so we can bless others with it. This generosity built unity among the David's men.
30:26-31 David then uses some of the spoil to thank the elders of the towns where he and his men stayed while being chased by Saul, another unity building use of God's resources.
Application: Read Psalms 27 and 31 and note aspects of the PRAY acrostic to strengthen yourself in the Lord. If you don't know how to strengthen yourself in the Lord, you are not prepared to be used by Him.
Prayer: Mighty God, You are a fountain of strength for Your servants; may I always find my encouragement in You and not in any created thing; may my trust and hope be in You alone as I do Your will, for Your glory. Amen.
1 Samuel 31 Prophesy Fulfilled
8 It happened on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. 
11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. 13 They took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Observations: 31:1-2, 7 Without God's protection and deliverer, Israel gets destroyed and flees, giving up the land God had given them. Saul's sons (except Ishbosheth who wasn't present) die as Samuel had promised after Agag (15:23) prophesied at Endor (28:19). This wipes out the major impediments to David's ascension to the throne, but God's will is never that easy (see next post).
31:3-6 So ends the sorry saga of Saul. He started in honor as the Lord's chosen, and ended in disgrace, impaling himself ingloriously on his sword in unassisted suicide. David had expected the Lord or his enemies to kill Saul, or for him to die of natural causes. But Saul, following his own will, always fearing people rather than God and defiant to the end, takes his own life. His disloyalty and lack of submission to God is mirrored in his armor-bearer's disobedience.
31:8-13 The Philistines do to Saul's body and armor as the Israelites did to Goliath. The men of Jabesh Gilead, whose city Saul had delivered in his first victory against the Ammonites, honored the body of Saul.
1 Chronicles 10 (a more white-washed review of Israel's history written after the exile to encourage the people) recounts that Saul's head was put in Dagon's temple, attributing the victory to their gods triumphing over the God of Israel. Thus Saul's disobedience brought dishonor not only upon himself, but also upon the God whom he was created to glorify. Chronicles summarizes:
1 Chronicles 10:13 So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of the word of Yahweh, which he didn’t keep; and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, 14 and didn’t inquire of Yahweh: therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.
Application: Although God's promises to bless or curse might take a while to come to fruition, God will fulfill them, despite any appearances to the contrary.
Prayer: God, You created me for Your glory, which I give You by obeying the commands You've given me to do. May my life bring You honor and never dishonor, as I daily do Your will. Amen.
Digging Deeper:
God in a nutshell: God displays His glory by rescuing His servants and rebuking those who rebel against Him in disdaining His commands. His ability to bless us is limited by our disobedience, since He has sworn to bless obedience and curse disobedience. He lets those who rebel reap the consequences of their stupidity. He sustains and blesses those who faithfully follow His revelation as they await the fulfillment of His promises. He brings difficulty into His people's lives to give them opportunities to deepen their dependence upon Him, so He can further bless them for making the right choices. He brings down the strong and exalts those submissive to His will.
Us in a nutshell: Every day we have the choice to do things God's way or some other way. That choice gets highlighted when we face difficulties. God doesn't make it easy for us to attain His promises, because He is giving us opportunities to demonstrate faithful obedience. When we respond with trust in what He's revealed, life is good, regardless of the circumstances. When we don't serve God as He's specified, life is painful, regardless of the circumstances. Sometimes it takes a while for the pain to get through thick skulls.
Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net
1 Samuel 29-31 complete text
1 Samuel 29
29:1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel. 2 The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish. 3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, "What about these Hebrews?" Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, "Isn’t this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away to this day?" 4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, "Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?’"
6 Then Achish called David, and said to him, "As Yahweh lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords don’t favour you. 7 Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines." 8 David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" 9 Achish answered David, "I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God. Notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart." 11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.
1 Samuel 30
30:1 It happened, when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, both small and great. They didn’t kill any, but carried them off, and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.
7 David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Please bring me here the ephod." Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall without fail recover all." 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn’t go over the brook Besor. 11 They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink. 12 They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. 13 David asked him, "To whom do you belong? Where are you from?" He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick. 14 We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire." 15 David said to him, "Will you bring me down to this troop?" He said, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop." 16 When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 17 David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled. 18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives. 19 There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them. David brought back all. 20 David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, "This is David’s spoil."
21 David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked men and base fellows, of those who went with David, answered and said, "Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart." 23 Then David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with that which Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. 24 Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who tarries by the baggage: they shall share alike." 25 It was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. 26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, "Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh." 27 He sent it to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir, 28 and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Borashan, and to those who were in Athach, 31 and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay.
1 Samuel 31
31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines followed hard on Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armour bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!" But his armour bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it. 5 When his armour bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour bearer, and all his men, that same day together. 7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.
8 It happened on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people. 10 They put his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. 11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. 13 They took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
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