Psalm 44:9-11 Trusting When It Looks Hopeless
Ps 44:9 (8 In God we have made our boast all day long, we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah.) 9 But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies. 10 You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take spoil for themselves. 11 You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations. 12 You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale. 13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us. 14 You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. 15 All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face, 16 At the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you, Neither have we been false to your covenant. 18 Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path, 19 Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death. 20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god; 21 won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart. 22 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter. 23 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever. 24 Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth. 26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your hesed/loyal covenantal love's sake."
Observations: 44:1-8 See this post for vv 1-8, where the psalmist boasts in God all day long for His victorious help, in contrast to this section.
44:9-26 In these verses the psalmist laments that God is no longer helping them like He did in the first part of the psalm. Instead of going out to fight their battles, God is letting them lose. The psalmist asserts that in spite of not receiving God's benefits/blessing, they have been loyal to Him, keeping His covenant, and not wavering in their faith (like Job). Therefore the psalmist has confidence to trust in God's hesed/loyal covenantal love's and continues to pray.
Application: If you have been loyal to God, He will be loyal to you; continue to pray and trust Him, and He will act according to His promises; He can't do otherwise.
Prayer: Faithful God, I trust that You will protect and bless me according to Your promises, for which I am believing You and waiting; I will not abandon my confidence in You and Your word. Amen.
Proverbs 12:13-14 Good Fruit
Observations: 12:13-14 An evil person usually speaks lies, and gets tangled in them. A righteous person, on the other hand, not only gets delivered from the trouble that the wicked try to cause him (with their lies), but winds up with good, as a result of his words. Not only do we receive payback from our words, but also our works.
Prayer: Father, set a guard on my lips so my lips only bear delicious fruit. Amen.
1 Samuel 26-28 Once again the choice servant of God is persecuted by the enemies of God. However God protects David and has him blessed by both Saul and the Philistines, so David can continue to do God's will. As David prospers taking the high road, Saul declines, descending to and through the earth as a result of seeking his own will rather than God's.
1 Samuel 26 Guiltless and Blessed
26:1 The Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn’t David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?" 2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David 5 David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and saw the place where Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped around him 7 with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered up your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke" 9 David said to Abishai, "Don’t destroy him; for who can put forth his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and be guiltless?" 10 David said, "As Yahweh lives, Yahweh will strike him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish. 11 Yahweh forbid that I should put forth my hand against Yahweh’s anointed; 12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head; and they went away: and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Yahweh was fallen on them.
17 Saul knew David’s voice, and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king." 18 He said, "Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? 19 Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is so that Yahweh has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, they are cursed before Yahweh; for they have driven me out this day that I shouldn’t cling to Yahweh’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods!’ 20 Now therefore, don’t let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Yahweh; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
21 Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly." 22 David answered, "Behold the spear, O king! Then let one of the young men come over and get it. 23 Yahweh will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because Yahweh delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn’t put forth my hand against Yahweh’s anointed. 24 Behold, as your life was respected this day in my eyes, so let my life be respected in the eyes of Yahweh, and let him deliver me out of all oppression." 25 Then Saul said to David, "You are blessed, my son David. You shall both do mightily, and shall surely prevail." So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
Observations: 26:1-12 The Ziphites again betray David, and Saul again reneges on his promies, and seeks to kill David. God again delivers Saul into David's hand (by causing a deep sleep on the camp), and David again refrains from taking vengeance. Yawn. The interesting piece that's new is the desire David has to be guiltless, which explains his refusal to kill Saul. He is trusting that God will strike Saul, or he will die of old age, or be destroyed in battle.
26:13-17 Making sure that there is a good space between them, David taunts Abner, Saul's uncle and commander in chief for failing to protect Yahweh's anointed (which David was).
26:17-20 David again persuades Saul of his innocence, indicating that the treatment David is receiving is tantamount to encouraging him to leave Israel and serve another god in another land.
26:21-25 Saul again acknowledges his sin, great error, and folly, then blesses David, who reminds him of God's just judgment (which Saul never seems to have in mind).
Application: If we embrace God's just judgment of our actions, we will deal righteously with others; otherwise we sin.
Prayer: God may I always do the things that will fare well at Your judgment seat, trusting You to protect and bless me as I obey You. Amen.
1 Samuel 27 Defection and Deception
8 David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. 9 David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the cattle, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned, and came to Achish. 10 Achish said, "Against whom have you made a raid today?" David said, "Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites." 11 David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell of us, saying, ‘David this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’" 12 Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant forever."
Observations: 27:1-7 To escape Saul's insanity, David “defects” to Gath, Goliath's hometown, and the place where David did his madman imitation. There is no indication that David sought the Lord's counsel in this decision, but the same can be said of the previous interaction with Saul. Proverbs 22:3 “A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.” King Achish, probably happy to have David not fighting for Saul, gives him the city of Ziklag.
27:8-12 The places where David resides and raids are in the territory Yahweh gave to Judah (see map). David is actually fulfilling the Israelite responsibility to drive out and destroy the pagans (15:5), something the rest of the nation was disobeying. His “deception” about where he raided could be viewed as a military tactic or deliberate vagueness. His answer is literally “Negev” which can mean “south of.” David was raiding the “area” south of Judah, not necessarily southern Judah. This fits the other two areas descriptions as well. Achish took it to mean David was attacking Judah, making it impossible to go back to them. David didn't correct the misperception.
Application: When a man’s ways please Yahweh, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. - Proverbs 16:7
Prayer: Lord, may my ways be pleasing in Your sight, and may You give me peace, so I may continue to do Your will. Amen.
1 Samuel 28 Rare Medium Prophesies “You're Done”
7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her, and inquire of her." His servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at Endor." 8 Saul disguised himself, and put on other clothing, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, "Please divine to me by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomever I shall name to you." 9 The woman said to him, "Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?" 10 Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, "As Yahweh lives, no punishment shall happen to you for this thing." 11 Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up to you?" He said, "Bring Samuel up for me." 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!" 13 The king said to her, "Don’t be afraid. For what do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth." 14 He said to her, "What does he look like?" She said, "An old man comes up. He is covered with a robe." Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and showed respect.
15 Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up?" Saul answered, "I am very distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do." 16 Samuel said, "Why then do you ask of me, since Yahweh has departed from you and has become your adversary? 17 Yahweh has done to you as he spoke by me. Yahweh has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David. 18 Because you didn’t obey the voice of Yahweh, and didn’t execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore Yahweh has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover Yahweh will deliver Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Yahweh will deliver the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines."
20 Then Saul fell immediately his full length on the earth, and was terrified, because of the words of Samuel. There was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. 21 The woman came to Saul, and saw that he was very troubled, and said to him, "Behold, your handmaid has listened to your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. 22 Now therefore, please listen also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way." 23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed. 24 The woman had a fattened calf in the house. She hurried and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread of it. 25 She brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they ate. Then they rose up, and went away that night.
Observations: 28:1-2 In the upcoming war against Israel, Achish makes David his bodyguard. More about this in the next chapter. The two previous times Saul encountered the Philistines like this (chapters 13 and 17), neither time went well.
28:3-6 Samuel was dead; Saul had killed the priests at Nob, and had previously removed the mediums and wizards from the land. Saul had turned his back on God, so God wasn't answering his prayers for guidance. Consequently, when faced with an invading army, Saul was left on his own, without any supernatural insight, which was just the way he had wanted it, except now he was panicking.
28:7-11 Saul sends his servants seeking a medium who could conjure up dead spirits so he can get advice. Most people who turn to the dead for guidance are spiritually dead, and don't have a relationship with God. Sin causes the separation, so He can't hear them (Isa 59:2). God forbade consulting spirits and the dark side (Dt 18) because He communicated to His people all they needed to know through His revelation (and prophets). Words from the dark side aren't likely to lead to life either.
28:12-14 The witch of Endor cried in surprise at seeing Samuel, perhaps expecting her normal demon/spirit to appear. She also saw that her inquirer was Saul.
28:15-19 Samuel was a little cranky from being awakened and reiterated the previous message of judgment that Saul had failed to obey Yahweh, so He had become his adversary. He adds that the impending attack was Yahweh's work of retribution, and that Saul and his sons would be in the grave with Samuel that day (to await future resurrection and permanent judgment -Dan 12:2-3).
28:20-25 The condemned man gets his last meal and the curtain falls.
Application: If we work on doing God's objectively revealed will every day, we will be in a position to have Him guide us in the subjective aspects of His will when we need to know them.
Prayer: My Good Shepherd, may I always keep the lines of communication open between us and never hang up on You because of my sin, or put You on hold because of my slowness to obey. Amen.
Digging Deeper:
God in a nutshell: God delivers from their enemies those who do His will, and delivers those who don't do His will into the hands of their enemies for destruction. The determining factor is our decision/choice to obey or disobey. He always follows through on His promises, which is great if we're being good, but devastating if we're not.
1Sam 26:23 Yahweh will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because Yahweh delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn’t put forth my hand against Yahweh’s anointed. 24 Behold, as your life was respected this day in my eyes, so let my life be respected in the eyes of Yahweh, and let him deliver me out of all oppression."
Us in a nutshell: When our ways are pleasing to God, He goes out of His way to bless us, making even our enemies bless us. 26:25 Then Saul said to David, "You are blessed, my son David. You shall both do mightily, and shall surely prevail." When we are disobedient and displeasing, we cut ourselves off from His help and communication, and are left to our own devices to face situations that will overwhelm our own resources. It's too bad when we abandon God, because He will stand by our choice and His sovereign will in abandoning us.
Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net
1 Samuel 2-28 complete text
1 Samuel 26
26:1 The Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn’t David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?" 2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. 4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had certainly come. 5 David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army: and Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped around him.
6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" Abishai said, "I will go down with you." 7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered up your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time." 9 David said to Abishai, "Don’t destroy him; for who can put forth his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and be guiltless?" 10 David said, "As Yahweh lives, Yahweh will strike him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish. 11 Yahweh forbid that I should put forth my hand against Yahweh’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head, and the jar of water, and let us go." 12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head; and they went away: and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Yahweh was fallen on them.
13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them; 14 and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Don’t you answer, Abner?" Then Abner answered, "Who are you who cries to the king?" 15 David said to Abner, "Aren’t you a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord, the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. 16 This thing isn’t good that you have done. As Yahweh lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, Yahweh’s anointed. Now see where the king’s spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head." 17 Saul knew David’s voice, and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king." 18 He said, "Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? 19 Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is so that Yahweh has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, they are cursed before Yahweh; for they have driven me out this day that I shouldn’t cling to Yahweh’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods!’ 20 Now therefore, don’t let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Yahweh; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
21 Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly." 22 David answered, "Behold the spear, O king! Then let one of the young men come over and get it. 23 Yahweh will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because Yahweh delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn’t put forth my hand against Yahweh’s anointed. 24 Behold, as your life was respected this day in my eyes, so let my life be respected in the eyes of Yahweh, and let him deliver me out of all oppression." 25 Then Saul said to David, "You are blessed, my son David. You shall both do mightily, and shall surely prevail." So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
1 Samuel 27
27:1 David said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand." 2 David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. 4 It was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. 5 David said to Achish, "If now I have found favour in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: why Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
8 David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. 9 David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the cattle, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned, and came to Achish. 10 Achish said, "Against whom have you made a raid today?" David said, "Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites." 11 David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell of us, saying, ‘David this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’" 12 Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant forever."
1 Samuel 28
26:1 It happened in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. Achish said to David, "Know assuredly that you shall go out with me in the army, you and your men." 2 David said to Achish, "Therefore you shall know what your servant will do." Achish said to David, "Therefore will I make you my bodyguard for ever." 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Saul had put away those who had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. 4 The Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 When Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn’t answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her." His servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at Endor." 8 Saul disguised himself, and put on other clothing, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, "Please divine to me by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomever I shall name to you." 9 The woman said to him, "Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?" 10 Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, "As Yahweh lives, no punishment shall happen to you for this thing." 11 Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up to you?" He said, "Bring Samuel up for me." 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!" 13 The king said to her, "Don’t be afraid. For what do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth." 14 He said to her, "What does he look like?" She said, "An old man comes up. He is covered with a robe." Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and showed respect.
15 Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up?" Saul answered, "I am very distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do." 16 Samuel said, "Why then do you ask of me, since Yahweh has departed from you and has become your adversary? 17 Yahweh has done to you as he spoke by me. Yahweh has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbour, even to David. 18 Because you didn’t obey the voice of Yahweh, and didn’t execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore Yahweh has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover Yahweh will deliver Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Yahweh will deliver the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines."
20 Then Saul fell immediately his full length on the earth, and was terrified, because of the words of Samuel. There was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. 21 The woman came to Saul, and saw that he was very troubled, and said to him, "Behold, your handmaid has listened to your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. 22 Now therefore, please listen also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way." 23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed. 24 The woman had a fattened calf in the house. She hurried and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread of it. 25 She brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they ate. Then they rose up, and went away that night.
