My father used to say, “Failure doesn’t have to be final.” It certainly wasn’t for Jabesh Gilead. “Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day” (1 Sam 31:6). This caused such panic that local Israelites abandoned their towns “and the Philistines came and dwelt in them” (v 7). […]
Ever heard the phrase, “He’s caput”? Caput is Latin for “head” and refers to capital beheading. Losing one’s head is a rather startling motif in the book of 1 Samuel. Without going into much detail for discretion’s sake, beheading was a common form of execution in ancient cultures, a stark way of proclaiming total victory. […]
Jezreel means “God sows.” But man also sows, and here he finds that whatever he sows he reaps. Israel’s first attempt at kingship had been a debacle. Although the Lord had anticipated Israel becoming a monarchy (Deut 17:14-20), leading to its climax in the eternal reign of the King of kings (Gen 49:10; 2 Sam […]
Read More… from November 28, 2023 — Saul & Sons: A Tragic End
Look who’s leading David’s army now—the same One ministering to those too tired to fight. As we noted in our last episode, when David and his 400 men suddenly swooped down on the Amalekite encampment, they “recovered all” (1 Sam 30:19). But don’t you think more was recovered through this heartbreaking tragedy than family and […]
David’s temporary hometown of Ziklag is about 50 miles south of Aphek, a three-day walk. Rejected from the Philistine vanguard, David and his men couldn’t help but be dispirited on their way home. But when they arrive, what a distressing sight meets them! “The Amalekites had invaded…attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had […]
Read More… from November 24, 2023 — Hitting Bottom At Ziklag
Who would ever imagine that David, the giant-slayer, would try to fit in with the Philistines? Turning to 1 Samuel 29, we can see the chess pieces making their final moves to checkmate the king. “The Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped…in Jezreel” (v 1). A troop review is […]
Saul’s chickens have come home to roost—in Armageddon! Napoleon called it the cockpit of the world. “It happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel” (1 Sam 28:1). Now what will David do? Where does his loyalty lie? But Achish didn’t see a problem. Of course, […]
Me, myself, and I—three desperados that were David’s companions on his trip to Gath. Where was God? This chapter opens with David having a talk with himself. We actually hear what he’s saying in his heart! The problem with such soliloquies is that they limit a person to what is already known. When it sounds […]