2 Samuel 3:1-21 - Joining Forces for God’s Rule

2 Samuel 3:1-21

1 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

Sons of David

2 Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; 4 the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Joins Forces with David

6 Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul.

7 And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”

8 Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman? 9 May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the LORD has sworn to him— 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” 11 And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, “Whose is the land?” saying also, “Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you.”

13 And David said, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14 So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 Then her husband went along with her to Bahurim, weeping behind her. So Abner said to him, “Go, return!” And he returned.

17 Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, “In time past you were seeking for David to be king over you. 18 Now then, do it! For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David, I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’” 19 And Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin. Then Abner also went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and the whole house of Benjamin.

20 So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 Then Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

After the demise of king Saul and the coronation of David over Judah and consequent rebellion of Israel against him, the long war raged on between the house of Saul and the house of David.  David as God’s anointed chosen king grew ever stronger over time as those remnants of Saul grew weaker and lesser.  Abner, the old general of Saul, was offended by Ishbosheth the son of Saul who chastised him for being intimate with one of Saul’s concubines.  This tipped him over the edge after supporting king Ishbosheth who took over the place of Saul and he defected to Judah to serve king David.  Abner vowed to help David become ruler over all the people of both Israel and Judah as he reminded Ishbosheth that the LORD had promised.  Abner would help “transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah” as the LORD had said and he would help come to pass.   He got away with saying these things to Saul’s son because he was overpoweringly fearful to Ishbosheth.  Abner then made a covenant with David that day to lend his hand to help bring all Israel to David’s rule.  David agreed with one stipulated condition, that the king bring David’s wife Michal who had been promised but given to another by treacherous Saul.  He brought her to Abner who sent her on to David as agreed.  Then Abner went further to speak to the elders of Israel urging them to all make David their king as they had previously said with the reminder of the promise of the LORD to use David to subdue their enemies and set them free.  This is a foreshadowing of the seed of David, the Anointed King Jesus, who would set His people free (Luke 4:18, Romans 6:17-18, 22-23, 2 Timothy 2:26) from the adversary of their immortal souls in bondage to sin (Luke 4:18, John 8:31-32, Romans 6:6, Hebrews 2:14-15, Galatians 5:1) because of his deception in Eden’s Garden.  We likewise join our forces in allegiance with the Anointed King for God’s rule over we the people of the Lord, and testify to the gospel of peace with God (Romans 5:1) under His lordship of our lives as citizens of the kingdom (Mark 1:15, Acts 20:21) of God. 

2 Samuel 2:1-32 - Wars and Fighting Within

2 Samuel 2:1-32

David Anointed King of Judah

1 It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”

And the LORD said to him, “Go up.”
David said, “Where shall I go up?”
And He said, “To Hebron.”

2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4 Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” 5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the LORD, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. 6 And now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ishbosheth Made King of Israel

8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 and he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Israel and Judah at War

12 Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now arise and compete before us.”

And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

15 So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. 16 And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Swords, which is in Gibeon. 17 So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

18 Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Are you Asahel?”
He answered, “I am.”

21 And Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 So Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?” 23 However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

24 Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon. 25 Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?”

27 And Joab said, “As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren.” 28 So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore. 29 Then Abner and his men went on all that night through the plain, crossed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.

30 So Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner’s men, three hundred and sixty men who died. 32 Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.

David sought direction from the LORD where to set down roots, asking if it was to be somewhere in Judah.  God told him to go to Hebron there.  It was about 20 miles south of Jerusalem and 20 miles (30 km) north of Beersheba where Abraham built an altar to the LORD (Genesis 13:18, 21:33, 35:27) in his journey to the promised land.  There the men of Hebron crowned David, the man who would be king as Saul’s replacement by God’s will and word of promise, as their king at last over the house of Judah.  David’s first official act was to reward the men of Jabesh Gilead who buried Saul in honor as the anointed leader before he went astray from the LORD.  He told them to find strength and be valiant for their honorable service in this matter for God’s people as the successor anointed by Gods to rule in Judah, where he continued to reign for seven and a half years.  Peace was short lived as Abner and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, met with Joab and the servants of David, and violence ensued between them in an attempt to put Saul’s heir back on the throne in opposition to God’s command for David to reign instead.  This skirmish began a long war between the split kingdoms of Israel and Judah as the rebellion against God’s king and command incited further bloodshed.  This conflict of wars and fighting within the people of the Lord is still seen by the pursuit of personal power and control in the church still among God’s people as doctrine divides into personal attacks instead of seeking to all fall as one body (Ephesians 4:12-13, 15-16) under the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only head of the Church and King of all kings ruling us all (1 Timothy 6:15-16).  No political or denominational power or national authority is higher than Him.  Whose rule do we submit to?  Do we divide the people of our Lord against God’s authority for territorial control of our own desires (James 4:1-2) like Israel and Judah of old, or do we seek to unite (Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:3) under His rule in spirit and truth as our Lord and Savior-King? 

2 Samuel 1:17-27 - How the Mighty have Fallen!

2 Samuel 1:17-27

The Song of the Bow

17 Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18 and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jasher:

19 “The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!

20 Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon—
Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

21 “O mountains of Gilboa,
Let there be no dew nor rain upon you,
Nor fields of offerings.
For the shield of the mighty is cast away there!
The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

22 From the blood of the slain,
From the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return empty.

23 “Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.

24 “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury;
Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan was slain in your high places.

26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been very pleasant to me;
Your love to me was wonderful,
Surpassing the love of women.

27 “How the mighty have fallen,
And the weapons of war perished!”

David mourned the death of Jonathan his best friend and Saul the chosen but fallen king of the king by composing this song, The Song of the Bow (1 Samuel 31:3) in remembrance of the king’s demise by an enemy archer.  He taught Israel to sing this song to recall the calling of God and the end brought to the mighty who had fallen in battle and had it written in the Book of Jasher (Joshua 10:13) for posterity.  This non-canonical Hebrew book was not part of scripture, but a historical collection of poems and accounts of Israel's formation and heroes to remember that is long since lost.  This poem is also preserved here in scripture for us to see and read for ourselves.  It begins with an epitaph to these beautiful lost leaders as, “How the mighty have fallen!”  It was to be told and sung only among God’s people, not to the enemy who had slaughtered Saul and Jonathan to keep the enemy from gloating over their victory as if a lasting triumph.  It praised the bravery of these two who fought for God’s people to the death describing their efforts as the bow that did not relent and the sword that did not miss its mark on the enemy.  It praised their strength and unity in the fight as swift and mighty.  It called for God’s people to mourn their loss of the one who ruled over them to provide good things.  David lamented the loss of his best friend whose friendship was deeper than even a woman’s affection as a united concern for God’s people and rule as only such best friends of camaraderie experience in battle.  They were a pair and band of brothers and David missed Jonathan terribly because they were to rule Israel together with David as king and Jonathan as his right hand man.  The lament ends with the lingering thought of the mighty who had fallen and the weapons of war that led to their loss destroyed in the end.  How the mighty fall in fighting the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11, Revelation 14:13) even now for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the seed and branch of David who is our Messiah and King!  Those tortured, drowned, and burned at the stake for their testimony fought this fight well for us to remember and honor them also who fell as mighty in faith and faithfulness to the end with the reward (Hebrews 11:13, 37-38) in sight as many before them did in anticipation of the heavenly kingdom (Hebrews 11:16) to come through the Christ seen to come as the chosen and Anointed King of kings after the example of David. 

2 Samuel 1:1-16 - Guilty of Killing God’s Anointed

2 Samuel 1:1-16

The Report of Saul’s Death

1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, 2 on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

3 And David said to him, “Where have you come from?”
So he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

4 Then David said to him, “How did the matter go? Please tell me.”
And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”

5 So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

6 Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7 Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ 10 So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

13 Then David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?”
And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”

14 So David said to him, “How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. 16 So David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

This aftermath of the defeat of Israel under Saul by the Amalekites left David in Ziklag for a few days.  There an Amalekite man came to them from the battle from Saul’s camp, disheveled and exhausted to report on what he saw.  This surviving messenger told David of the massive defeat with men running away for their lives, as well as the death of Saul and Jonathan.  David asked how he knew the king and his son were dead in the midst of such chaos and the man gave the account of his meeting them on the battlefield with Saul pierced with his own spear but still barely alive.  Saul had begged him to finish him off in his mortal wound and suffering and the man did so.  He then took the crown and arm band of the king and came to David with them.  David and his men mourned Saul’s and Jonathan’s deaths and then David asked the man who he was and where he was from.  When he heard that he was a foreigner, of the enemy, David asked how he dared to kill the LORD’s anointed.  Then he had him executed for this, telling him that his blood was on his own head for this presumptuous act.  Imagine how much more the religious leaders of the Jews must have felt as they killed the Lord’s Anointed, Jesus the Christ!   Yet God showed mercy and forgiveness to those who crucified our Lord and those who stood by when they repented (Acts 2:38-39) and turned to believe and receive the Anointed by faith as they were cut to the heart (Zechariah 12:10, Acts 2:36-37) by the sword of the truth piercing them.  Those who rejected this word of truth (Acts 7:51-52, 54, 60) suffered the eternal consequences of remaining under the wrath of God (John 3:18, 36) on their sins, however, unless they later were convicted (Romans 5:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:10) of their sin, God’s righteousness in Christ, and the judgment to come (John 16:8) for all still rejecting Him before dying (Hebrews 9:27-28) and facing the Lord on that final day.  Like the Amalekite messenger who took matters into his own hands to kill the anointed of God, so will we all answer for the sin of Adam demonstrated in the murder of the Anointed on the cross of our curse along with those who were there, unless we likewise repent (Mark 1:15, Romans 6:23, Acts 2:38, 3:19) and find reconciliation with His forgiveness of mercy in this gospel of grace in which we stand (Romans 5:2) for eternity.  We are all guilty of killing the Anointed as children of the first Adam like the Jews who justified their actions while standing at the foot of the cross, yet we can find reconciliation in the second Adam (Romans 5:14, 15, 17, 18-19) who is our Lord of grace.  This is the gospel bringing peace with God in His Anointed One, His Son. 

1 Samuel 31:1-13 - The True and False King

1 Samuel 31:1-13

The Tragic End of Saul and His Sons (1 Chronicles 10:1–14)

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. 3 The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.

4 Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.”

But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. 5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.

7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. 8 So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people. 10 Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

11 Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and traveled 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 burned them there. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

The end of a regime marked with disobedience and rejection of God came as king Saul died in a battle lost by Israel under his reign.  His disobedience had led the LORD to leave him and became His enemy as he fought against the anointed of God, the real king David given by the divine hand for having a heart after God.  This final battle was of defeat under Saul’s rule as the Philistines had routed Israel and had them on the run, killing Saul’s sons to include Jonathan who was David’s closest friend, and left Saul dying on the battlefield.  He tried getting his own armorbearer to finish him off, but that man wisely refused to do that to the one in rule over the nation and so Saul fell on his own sword as we say.  The enemy then cut off the king’s head and hung it in victory for all to see in the idol temple.  The bodies of Saul and his sons were recovered by the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead and cremated, burying their bones in Jabesh and fasting for a week afterwards in memorial.  The end of Saul was the result of his turning away from God and His will to do things his own way instead, a stark warning to us all not to turn from the Lord, but from sin and towards Him, the definition of real repentance leading to redemption in Christ of the lineage of David as the promised Branch (Isaiah 11:1-2, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15, 16) of righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30, Philippians 3:9, 2 Peter 1:1) who is the Anointed Son of God Himself.  Certain victory over the adversary is in Christ alone by grace and faith alone through repentance and following the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 19:16) who rules forever in the heavens as the one chosen by the Father to rule in righteousness and not picked by men according to earthly reasons such as appearance like Saul was.  The Lord puts kings in place and removes them (Daniel 2:21, 4:17, Romans 13:1) at His command and not our own.  There are true and false kings.  The Son of God, the earthly branch of God’s chosen and anointed David and the heavenly Branch of God’s righteousness is out true Anointed and victorious king, not a faulty one of our own choosing like Saul destined to fall and fail. 

1 Samuel 30:1-31 - Sharing in the Good Fight

1 Samuel 30:1-31

David’s Conflict with the Amalekites

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now 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 his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”

And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and 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 stayed who were left behind. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.

11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?”

And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. 14 We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

15 And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?”

So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”

16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. 18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 19 And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. 20 Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

21 Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.”

23 But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. 24 For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” 25 So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD”— 27 to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir, 28 those who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 those who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach, 31 those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove.

David left the gathering army of the Philistines to return to his temporary home in Ziklag, only to discover that the Amalekites had raided and razed it, taking prisoners to include David’s family and those of the men in his band of brothers.  He found strength in the LORD to ask if he should pursue the attackers and recover them and was given the divine go-ahead with “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”  He went and received a tip from an Egyptian man along the way as to their whereabouts.  David and his army attacked the looters in their ease and fought for twenty four hours until he defeated them and recovered everything and everyone.  Only a small number escaped destruction.  Then he instituted a statute that provided equal amounts of spoil to those engaged in battle with those who stayed behind to guard the supplies, since some had complained it was not fair to give anything to the ones not fighting.  He also shared the spoils with his friends, the elders of Judah and in other cities.  He demonstrated fairness to all involved in any part of the battle, not just those on the frontlines.  He also demonstrated generosity to others of the gain he had from the enemy.  It is an example to us that not just the missionary or evangelist is worthy of his wages, but sharing (Acts 4:32, 1 Timothy 6:17, Hebrews 13:15-16) is for all involved in serving the Lord in the gospel battles.  This is godly sharing in fighting the good fight of faith.

1 Samuel 29:1-11 - Protected from Destruction

1 Samuel 29:1-11

The Philistines Reject David

1 Then the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And the lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. 3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”

And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me.”

4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these men? 5 Is this not David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying:

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. 7 Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

8 So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

9 Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”

11 So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David and his men escaped the confrontation with his own people under Saul who were doomed to defeat because of the king’s rejection by the LORD.  They escaped not due to David being found out as the one killing Philistines while living among them, but due to God’s intercession of sovereign grace in providential protection to stir up the other enemies against Achish who was still deceived by David’s ruse.  The Philistines went off to battle while David and company were kept safe behind enemy lines.  God’s plan against Saul might have gone differently if David went and turned to assist him against the Philistines in battle, but the LORD had pronounced defeat on Israel (1 Samuel 28:18-19) because of Saul’s disobedience and rejection of His word that led to his own rejection by God.  Some consequences are irrevocable.  Such are for those also who reject Christ and His gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Peter 4:17, Hebrews 10:29, 30-31) even now.  We who have repented of sin and turned in faith to trust Him and His work on the cross (that is the gospel of our own eternal deliverance) are as David and his men who were kept from destruction in the battle against those who have rejected the LORD and not kept His word to believe and (John 1:12, 5:24, 17:3) receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  We rest in assurance of absolute hope as a certainty of our deliverance (John 3:36, 1 John 5:11-12, 13, 20) in Him who keeps us forever safe in the final battle of everlasting destruction (Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, 2 Peter 3:7) against those rejecting Him.  The believing are protected from eternal destruction; the ones rejecting the gospel find themselves rejected in the end.  This account of acceptance and deliverance through God’s providential protection echoes through the corridors of time to the fullness of time in the appearance of Christ to redeem and rescue His chosen ones who He has written in the Book of Life and proven through His life, death, burial, and resurrection to life. 

Samuel 28:1-25 - Rebellion of Divination Against the Divine

1 Samuel 28:1-25

1 Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.”

2 So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.”
And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”

Saul Consults a Medium (Deuteronomy 18:9–14)

3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.

4 Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”

And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”

8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”

9 Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”

10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”

13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?”
And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.”

14 So he said to her, “What is his form?”

And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.

15 Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”

16 Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy? 17 And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.

21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me. 22 Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece 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.”

So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. 25 So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

David was with the Philistines as they gathered their armies against Israel and King Achish told him that this time they would fight together.  Meanwhile, Saul had lost his spiritual adviser Samuel the prophet.  He found that the LORD did not answer him by dreams, or by the Urim, or even by the prophets.  Instead of seeking another man of God who knew His word, the king found a spiritual medium against God’s word and will (Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:27) to call up dead Samuel for advice!  Because God and even he himself had outlawed this, he disguised himself and asked a medium to conduct a séance for him.  The gig was up as the dead man came up to the medium and Saul was revealed.  Samuel told Saul clearly that the LORD had departed from Saul and became his enemy for his rejection and rebellion.  The kingdom was cut from Saul’s grasp and given to David who was a man after God’s own heart.  Because Saul did not kill Amalek (1 Samuel 15:3, 9, 11, 19) as commanded, the end would come on Saul and his army (1 Samuel 15:22,23) with him for this kind of divination and rejection of His word that had already cost him the throne.  God sought obedience over outward sacrifice and did not receive it from Saul.  The dethroned ruler left after sharing a meal with one who was an abomination to the LORD and went to die in battle.  How this should warn us to the core of our being to avoid what the world considers acceptable, things like mediums and séances and tarot and horoscopes, all which deny God’s word and substitute other gods that have no power but that to corrupt our minds and souls from true faith and obedience to His word?  This is an abomination that is rebellion of divination against the divine.  May we instead have hearts after God’s in devotion and fidelity to His word as living sacrifices and well-pleasing children to reign with Him in victory.