Bible Food Day 22 - 1 Samuel

Good morning; we are embarking on day 22 of our 90 day goal of reading the bible with understanding.  Today we will begin reading in 1 Samuel 29.  Here we see David still in Gath of the Philistines and they are going to war against Israel and David was going with them and his men.  The princes of the Philistines begged and demanded the king, who was friends with David, not to let David fight because he might switch sides and it be deadly to them.

1 Samuel 30  So David and his men stayed back; but when they got back to their dwelling they saw the Amalekites of Edom take their possessions and kidnap their wives and children.  Many of the men were so upset and sadden that they wanted to stone David.  But David went to his bread and butter and inquired at the Lord what he should do and the Lord answered him and he did it.  Because they even took David's two wives and he was grieved greatly.

But they found the Amalekites having a ball drinking and dancing over all they stole; and David and his men jumped them and smote them and gathered all their belongings full.

 ¹⁸And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

1 Samuel chapter 31

 ¹Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
 ²And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
Now in this battle; the Philistines were clobbering Israel and it got to the point, as the familiar spirit had told Saul that he would be dead; and Saul and his sons were killed in battle.  Saul was struck real bad and asked his Armour bearer to finish him because he was badly wombed.  The man would not; so Saul fell on his own sword.
 ⁶So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
The Philistines cut off Saul's head and took his body and put it in the temple of their god Ashtaroth.

We move into the second book of Samuel at chapter 1

A man came up from Saul's camp into Davids and meets David to tell what happened to Saul.  And he reported that Saul was dead and his sons.  David asked him how did he know and the man proceeded to lie to make himself appear better in the eyes of David and instead of telling the story as he saw it; he said he did Saul the favor and killed him at his request.  So David responded in verse fourteen:

 ¹⁴And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?
 ¹⁵And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.  

David had the man killed for killing Saul, although he did not do it.  This let's me know to tell the truth at all times, especially if you don't know the shot.  David avoided killing Saul all these years; he was not going to be please with another person killing Saul; particularly not if you are a non-Israelite.
Then David, still a music and psalmist wrote these for Saul and Jonathan.

¹⁹The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
 ²⁵How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
 ²⁶I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
 ²⁷How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

2 Samuel 2

David went to ask the Lord if he should go up to Judah now that Saul is dead because David knew he would be king after Saul passed because Samuel had anointed him.  And the Lord told him to go up even to Hebron.  One thing about David; he asked the Lord about something before he made a move all the time. 

And the men of Judah made David king over them and anointed him; but Abner, Saul's general, made Ishbosheth, Saul's son who survived, king of the rest of Israel.

 ¹⁰Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
 ¹¹And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Now Abner and Joab went to play fighting with their men to see who was the toughest and it got serious and it ended up with Joab's brother being killed by Abner because they were trying to kill Abner.  What we would call today; a senseless killing.

2 Samuel 3

 ¹Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.
⁶And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.  Now David's kingdom was becoming stronger while Saul's house was growing weaker; and Abner and Saul's son Ishbosheth fell out over Abner taking one of Saul's concubines.  Abner was very upset over this, he probably felt like family, so he resigned and even decided to go help campaign Israel to join David.

Ishbosheth wasn't a valiant man and he fear Abner so he had no response to this as Abner was his force in even  setting him up as king over Israel.  So Abner went to the house of David and made a league with them all he had to do was bring Michal, David's wife, to David who was given to someone else.  Howbeit, David worked very hard for her.  She probably wasn't happy about this; but that is how it had to be done.

In verse 19 we Abner campaigning for David in the ears of the people of Israel
¹⁹And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.
²³When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.  Joab still had that issue with Abner and even though David and his administration made peace with Abner; Joab took it upon himself to go around that league and killed Abner.

 ²⁸And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
 ²⁹Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.

David knew a great man had fallen in Israel that day because Abner was Saul's enforcer and general, and a good man at his job for Saul.  And David required a fast in Israel for Abner.

2 Samuel 4

Saul's son was not scared that Abner was dead because that was his protection and two men of Benjamin seeing this decided be heroes and kill Saul's son and turn it into David for rewards (jobs in his administration).  David said if the men who brought the news that Saul and Jonathan were killed; how much more these.  And he killed the men.

In 2 Samuel 5

All the tribes of Israel came to make David their captain and David was 30 years of age when he began to reign; doing 7 years in Hebron and 33 in Jerusalem.

David saw the Lord was really working for him in establishing the kingdom and he took more wives and had more sons and daughters.

2 Samuel 6

 ¹Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
 ²And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

David wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem.  Now if you remember back when were reading in Leviticus; you'd remember there was a way that the people had to deal with the Ark of God.  But David's men went and set the Ark on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.

⁷And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

God killed Uzza for not doing it correctly.  If we learn anything, we learn we cannot serve God any way we want.  So they left it and went back for it; and did it correctly.  And David danced and rejoice, he and all Israel.

2 Samuel 7

 ¹And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
 ²That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
 ³And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.  David decided to make a temple for the Lord since David had a palace; but the Lord had a tent.  

Nathan the prophet told David to do what he wanted because the Lord is with him.  This is not always the case.  David was told not to build a house for God because his hands were too bloody.

The Lord would have David's son build the temple and establish it forever, which is a two-fold statement because Solomon is not alive; but Jesus is.

2 Samuel 8

 ¹And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
David went about conquering enemies and further establishing the kingdom of Israel.

 ¹³And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.
 ¹⁴And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
 ¹⁵And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. 

2 Samuel 9

David keeping to his promise to Saul search out in all the kingdom if any of his descendants were left in which David can show kindness towards.

 ⁶Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!

David found Mephibosheth; the son of Jonathan and further allowed him to sit at the kings table continually.

2 Samuel 10 David found himself warring against Syria and Ammon because of the king's son (of Ammon) who did foolishly when David sent messengers of comfort to his father who passed.  It caused a war and Syria decided to help the children of Ammon, in which Israel took.   

¹⁸And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

 ¹⁹And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

In Samuel the second book and the 11th chapter we get the infamous story about David and his lust and adultery of Bathsheba.

David commits adultery and is punished; he even committed murder just to successfully commit adultery.

 ²And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
 ³And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
 ⁴And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

David should have went to war with his army first off; and secondly he should have heeded to his men who told him Bathsheba was a married woman.  Now I will spare putting all the scripture here but David sent her home and she let him know she was pregnant and then David attempted to get her husband to come home from war and sleep with his wife.

After that did not work, he sent the man into the hottest battle and there he was killed and now David can move on in with no one knowing he committed adultery.  But doesn't God know all things?  Does God not keep track of all our secret things?

Now let us see what the Lord weighed in on this whole event.

2 Samuel 12

 ⁷And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 

The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to check David and boy did he.  He gave a great parable that angered David to hear someone would do such a thing; but then he found out it was him.  Sometimes we can't see we do the things that other people do; but since we do those things we can't see it as bad.

The Lord hammered David sentencing him to the sword in his household, his wives will be slept with in front of the entire nation, and that David will see much affliction because of his sin but he won't die.  The Lord had given David much; so much is required. 

David confessed his sin; but even two thousand  years later David's act has given a great occasion to non believers (enemies of the Lord) to blaspheme the Lord.  This is our reading today; I really love reading about king David; I hope you enjoyed the reading today.  See you tomorrow for more Bible food.

--
God bless

DD

Thanks*Check out Fire Your Boss for a step-by-step methods to begin earning money hourly online and off. This guy's program was on CNN and CNBC and has lots of credibility.  Get free DVD today!

Day 20 of Vitamin Filled Bible Food

Good morning and happy Sabbath Day to you.

Today we are in 1 Samuel chapter 3 and will read through chapter 15.  This chapter begins with the Lord calling Samuel to give a vision of prophecy against Eli the priest.  ¹¹And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
 ¹²In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 
This Lord makes His prophets known by putting fear in the people
²⁰And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
 ²¹And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

This is how the Lord establishes His leaders and the people fear who the Lord puts in charge.  This is the first time in a long while that the Lord God showed men visions or communicated with them.

In chapter 4 the children of Israel went to battle against the Philistines and the Philistines smote the children of Israel up to 30,000 men and the Philistines also took the Ark of the Covenant with their victory.  And the news came to Eli; and it was told what happen to the children of Israel in war; also that his two sons had died.  Eli then fell off his chair breaking his neck and died; fulfilling the prophecy God showed to Samuel.

Eli's son's wife summed it all when she heard the news...especially since the Ark of the Covenant represented God in their midst.

²⁰And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
 ²¹And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
 ²²And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

In chapter 5 the Philistines attempted to put the Ark of the Covenant into their temple but the Lord wouldn't allow it.  The Lord even smote them with boils in their privates, so the Philistines gathered together and decided to get rid of Ark (I guess they would); and the Lord still destroyed a lot of Philistines.

The reading in chapter 6, the Philistines consult on how to give the Ark back; and they were told to make a sacrifice.  Then Samuel spoke to the people in chapter 7:  ³And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
 ⁴Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

The Philistines came up to war against Israel and now since the people repented and were under the leadership of Samuel the Lord was with them; and the Lord discomfited the Philistines.  And Samuel judged Israel all his days.

In Chapter 8, Samuel has kids and they are like Eli's children, not serving God.  ³And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

This let's us know that kids do not necessarily do all that their parents do.  It is good to know today so when you see your kids rebel you can be comforted knowing that even Samuel's kids rebelled.

This caused the people to do what was in their mind already and get a king like the rest of the pagan nations around them.  They did not know they were asking the Lord to move over or step down, who brought them out of Egypt and has taken cared of them all throughout their generations.  Samuel didn't like the request; but God told him to listen to them.  However, the Lord told them to listen to what the king they appoint over them will demand of them.

¹¹And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
¹³And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.


Perhaps the roles women and men have today is what the other nations implemented and since Israel wanted to be like the other nations this is what we have today; since they did not want the Lord to be their King.  Maybe women could join the army and didn't have to be cooks and bakers while the man brings how the meat (bacon is unclean)!

1 Samuel chapter 9 is the appointing of the 1st king of Israel.  ¹⁶To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
 ¹⁷And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

A man named Saul was a Benjamite whom the Lord selected to rule His people; a guy who was chasing his daddy's donkeys a few days prior.
And Saul asked Samuel, ²¹And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?  You see, Saul was not thinking about doing this at all.  And you notice that the Lord picks leaders who are humble (if they remain humble, I don't know), and God picks them from the least likely family or part of the country.  It's like a skinny kid from the south side of Chicago (by way of Hawaii) with a funny name becoming president over the entire US.

In chapter 10 Samuel tells Saul a prophecy of what will happen to show him that the Lord indeed chose him to reign over His people.  ⁶And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
 ⁷And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
And it came to pass and Saul had a new mindset; that is what it meant to be another man.  

Then Samuel begins to make the announcement to the people:

¹⁷And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;
 ¹⁸And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:
 ¹⁹And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

The people rejected God as their King; and wanted a flesh and blood man.  Israel is continuing to make bad mistakes before the Lord.  And still with this, you will have some evil men always not believe.  ²⁷But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought no presents. But he held his peace.

In chapter 11 Saul shows his leadership in strength; he had a better first 100 days than President Obama:

 ¹¹And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
 ¹²And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.
 ¹³And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

Those same men who didn't bring gifts were to be put to death; but Saul pardoned them

In 1 Samuel chapter 12 Samuel is getting old and ask a question; but I want to point out something...
³Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed:

Samuel told the people to witness against him before the LORD and before His anointed.  Anointed means the anointed one, and that translated is Messiah, in Greek, it's Christ.  We just learned that Samuel knew about the Godhead back here.  Amazing.  Samuel also let's the people know they did wickedly by asking for a physical king instead of trusting the Lord.

Chapter 13, Saul begins to make mistakes and make excuses for them.  Israel was fighting the Philistines and they were waiting for Samuel to come down because he was taking to long; and Saul went ahead and sacrificed a burnt offering; something only Levites were to do only.  And Samuel tells him bad news...

¹³And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
 ¹⁴But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

Whoever the Lord picks next, it is a man after His own heart to command His people since Saul had a tough time obeying commandments of the Lord.
Jonathan decides to go and fight the Philistines with his infantry and makes a powerful statement in chapter 14.  ⁶And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

It does not matter the number you have when you fight if you fight with the Lord; all that matters is if the Lord is with you.  And the Lord had the Philistines fighting against themselves.  ⁵²And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

1 Samuel 15

Samuel goes to Saul to destroy the Amalek people who troubled Israel in days past.  And Saul was given detailed instructions by Samuel from the Lord.
²Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
 ³Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

However Saul spared a few people: ⁹But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

He left the king alive and the best animals for sacrifice and other things he thought was good.  Did he listen to the Lord?  

NO!

Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel in what to tell Saul because he failed in obeying the commandments of God.  If you're going to be a king or a pastor for the Lord or any kind of official for God; you MUST follow instructions to a tee.  The reason is because you are a leader and if you can't follow God's instructions to the letter; how will the people follow you or God?


The Lord knew this that is why He was sorry for His decision to select Saul as king over His people; man's free will attempts to make God look bad as it did with Adam, and picking Israel as the leading nation, and selecting Saul.  We make God look bad because we are His children.  You know when your kids or close friends make crazy choices; it reflects on you.

 ¹¹It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
All this time Saul believed he did the right thing and obeyed the commandments of God saying, "Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD."

¹⁴And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
But he did not obey; in fact he did evil in the sight of the LORD?

 ²⁰And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  

This is where we get this famous quote from; it is better to listen to God than to offer sacrifices.  God needs absolutely nothing from us except we listen to Him clearly.  Nothing else.  I mean what can you really give a Being that lives forever and that created the world you live in?

 ²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.  Now Saul is being totally rejected from being the Lord's captain forever.  Saul could have been God's vice president forever, even in New Jerusalem; but he failed to listen well.

Saul finally confesses; and even tells why he sinned against the Lord; because he feared the people.  I wonder how many people fear man before they fear God?  It is because you don't believe in God if this ever happens to you.  Man can only torture and kill you; I'm sure God can do much more.  Fear Him!

 ²⁸And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
 ²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.  The Strength of Israel is God, God is not a man that He should lie or take back something He said.

Then Samuel brought Agag the king of the Amaelekites and he thought they would free him; but instead Samuel had the commandment of God in his mind.  Keep in mind; this is a priest and prophet of God.

 ³³And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.  He chopped this king into pieces!  Men of God were very tough back then.

³⁵And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel knew that God was no longer with Saul; so he saw no point in coming around unless he become as Saul; but he felt very sorry for Saul as I'm sure they'd become good associates.  However, when you see your pal not able to listen to the Lord; you must keep a bit of distance so you don't find yourself following your pal instead of God.

That is our reading today.  Thank and we will commence again tomorrow.
DD


-- 

Thanks*Check out Instant Money Method for a step-by-step methods to begin earning money hourly online and off. This guy's program was on CNN and CNBC and has lots of credibility.  Get free DVD today!