READINGS FOR 4/3-4/9

APRIL 3

A common theme emerges from today's reading - Taking the High Ground. Bad guy Doeg, on orders from King Saul kills 85 priests and the entire town of Nob. The people blamed David for the deaths of the 85 priests. However, it was because of a lie that David told that Saul ordered the  deaths of the priests. (see 1 Samuel 21:1-6) None of Saul's accusations against David are true.  At this point Saul is being influenced by an evil spirit.  Nevertheless, David takes the high ground and accepts responsibility.

David compares himself to an olive tree, flourishing in the House of God. An olive tree is one of the longest living trees, but one that is flourishing lives even longer. Something that is flourishing is healthy, robust, strong, and growing. If we compare that to our lives as Believers, can we say that we are spiritually healthy, robust, strong, and growing in faith?

In Psalm 52 when David says that he will flourish and sing praises in the House of God we are reminded that in the Millennium David will indeed be singing praises to God in the presence of the saints. (Read Ezekiel chapters 45 and 46.)

Throughout the reading today, we learn of David inquiring of the Lord for his decisions.  Could that be why David was able to take the high ground?

David took refuge in the Desert of En Gedi in a cave near the Crags of the Wild Goats.  We were there in June of 2005 and saw a multitude of wild goats.  David has an opportunity to kill King Saul in the cave yet he doesn’t, calling Saul the Lord’s anointed. Again David takes the high ground.

Saul knows that David will be king and pleads for the safety of his family. It was customary for a new king to  destroy the family of the former king. David gives his oath that he will not destroy Saul's descendants. And again, David takes the high ground.

Read Psalm 57 in light of current political and economic unrest and take heart with these words of David:

Psalm 57:7a
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;

Do we as Believers take the high ground? Is our heart steadfast as we trust in Him?

APRIL 4

There is a reference in today's reading of a place called Carmel. This can be confusing. There were two places named Carmel. One was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in northern Israel and the other was in the mountains on the western side of the Dead Sea in the southern part of Israel. It was here in the south that the following takes place.

Abigail's husband, Nabal, was an ill-tempered, drunken man. When David was hiding from the jealous King Saul, he asked Nabal for food for himself and his men. Nabal blatantly refused. Angered, David threatened to plunder Nabal's possessions and kill Nabal himself.  Abigail (Nabal's wife), in her wisdom, gathered enough food for David's men, rode out to meet David, and bowed before him to show her respect. By agreeing with David that Nabal had acted with great disrespect, she stemmed David's anger. To Abigail's credit, she did not leave her godless husband. 

Why was David reacting so severely against Nabal?  On the surface it appears as if David was impulsively overreacting. However, there are clues that may give us additional insight. This is our opinion based on facts not in evidence. Could it be that David and Nabal had an arrangement that David's men would protect Nabal and his flocks in return for supplies?  Was Nabal unwilling to honor his part of that arrangement?  We are told earlier that Nabal was "surly and mean in his dealings". Another clue is God's reaction to the situation "About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died."   Based on this reaction from God it appears that there was a previous arrangement between David and Nabal because He honored what David threatened to do. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal..." and "has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head."  This leads one to believe that there was a protection agreement.  David honored his part of the agreement, Nabal did not. After the death of Nabal, David married Abigail, even though he already was married to Ahinoam. who by the way had earlier been married to Saul.  Just because David took multiple wives doesn't mean God condoned it. 

David is given yet another opportunity to kill Saul. All the men in Saul’s camp were sleeping “because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.” Was this a test for David? God, of course already knew what David would do.  The test was an internal test for David in honoring his pledge not to harm the Lord's anointed. 

David knew he would be king at the death of Saul. He still did the Lord’s will and still insists that the Lord’s anointed is not to be murdered. David's kingship was in God's hands and in God's time.

Our lives are in God's hands and He operates according to His time. Not so easy for us to accept at times, is it?

Many times we read about David inquiring of the Lord before he made any decisions. But in today's reading, right before David becomes part of the Philistine army, he did not inquire of the Lord. Scripture says, "But David thought to himself." Great lesson for us to learn from David here, always inquire of the Lord!

Later on, after the Amalekites had taken David's people captive, David asked for the ephod from the priest, in order to inquire of the Lord. Guess he learned his lesson.

APRIL 5

Oh boy! What was Saul thinking??? Consulting a medium…how does God feel about that?  What does He say about that?

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.

If the above mentioned things are detestable to God, how does He feel about some of the things we as Christians are doing? (TV shows, movies, books, celebrations of the occult, video games, etc. that glorify what God has called detestable.)  Sacrificing children can be compared to abortion today, sacrificing innocent babies for the sake of "sex on demand", any time with any one with no consequences except for the life of the baby.

Notice when the medium calls up Samuel, she is the only one who “sees” him. Saul only hears his voice. The medium has to describe him to Saul. Calling up spirits and consulting the dead is called necromancy.  It can be done, but God forbids it. In fact He calls it detestable. However, Jesus has the authority from God the Father to raise anyone from the dead for any purpose He wants.

John 5:21
For as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, even so the Son of Man makes alive whomever He wills. 

Saul and his sons were killed and their bodies were displayed on the walls of a place called Beth Shean. We were there also.

When the Philistines pinned their headless bodies to the wall at Beth Shean, they made a strategic choice. Situated at the junction of the Jezreel and Jordan Valleys, Beth Shean controlled the crossroads of major highways. With Galilee and Damascus to the north, the Mediterranean to the west, and Jerusalem to the south, travelers from many nations passed through this prominent city. Here in this public place, Saul’s fallen form was a silent witness to the triumph of the pagan powers.

Beth Shean was a great crossroad.  We face crossroads every day.  We make decisions every day.  What choice will we make?  Will we choose to be obedient, even in small matters?

There are so many references in Scripture to the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience.  "Heroic spiritual lives are built by stacking days of obedience one on top of the other.  Like a brick each obedient act is small in itself, but in time the acts will pile up and a wall of character will be built - a great defense against temptation.  Strive for consistent obedience each day."
(commentary from NIV Study Bible)

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. What does Romans 6:23 say about the wages of sin?

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But praise God...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

APRIL 6

David's sins were mostly against his fellow man (commandments 5-10).  His sins (at least those that are recorded in the Bible) are not sins against God specifically (commandments 1-4).

Through David's reaction to the deaths of Saul, his sons, and even the commander of Saul's son's army, it is evident that David honored his agreement with King Saul to not bring harm to Saul's family.  David even showed respect for Saul's people in their burials.

Finally we read about David actually taking the throne as king. For the first seven years he is king over only Judah and the remaining time over all Israel. The civil war between the tribes to establish David's kingdom was a long, hard process. There was a great show of force and support for David when the tribes send multiple thousands of armed fighting men. The people had already seen the sincerity of David as he honored his earlier promise to Saul to spare the lives of Saul's sons.  This is one of the reasons the tribes became united after being split between Israel and Judah. Solomon, David’s son will also rule over all Israel. After that, Israel and Judah split again and are split still today. They won’t come back together until the millennium.

We read a lot about a place called Hebron. It’s located in the hills of Judea about 20 miles southwest of Bethlehem. At the present time, Hebron is a hotbed of anti-Jew, anti-Israel, and pro Arab/Muslim sentiments.  Seems as if Satan has a stronghold there. Hebron was one of the cities of refuge. Not even the avenger of blood could slay a killer without a trial. Hebron is also the burial site of many of the patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah.

Interesting thing in 2 Samuel 3:22-27. Abner was killed by Joab to avenge his brother Asahel’s death…but Hebron was a city of refuge. Oops.

Oh my…David had – count them – seven wives at this time. This is not God's plan for marriage.  That plan was established between Adam and Eve - one man, one woman, becoming one flesh.  We can think of marriage as being a triangle.  God is at the top, husband and wife at the other two points of the triangle.  As husband and wife move up the sides of the triangle and become closer to God, they naturally come closer together to each other.  Great lesson for all of us.  If we get closer to God, all our other relationships will be better!

APRIL 7

David captures the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, people who lived in Jebus.  Some historical documentation relates that Jebus was an earlier name for Jerusalem.

David arranges for the ark to be returned to the City of David. However, it didn't make it there. They moved the ark on an oxen cart with two men guiding it, Uzzah and Ahio. Because the lid of the ark of the covenant was pure gold (Exodus 25:17) it may have made the ark top heavy and difficult to manage without using the poles to carry it.  Uzzah reaches up to steady the ark. Uzzah is killed. Sounds like pretty stiff punishment, doesn't it?
Well....we, humans always want to rationalize with statements such as this. "Uzzah was only trying to help. The oxen had stumbled. He was only trying to steady the ark. After all, it was top heavy.  He only touched the ark. Why was he killed?" Well....Suppose it has anything to do with God's commandments about who was to carry the ark, how they were to carry the ark, etc.???

Numbers 4:15
And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set forward, then after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it. But they shall not touch any holy thing lest they die. These are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

David became angry when God's wrath was directed against Uzzah.  But David had no reason to become angry at God.  God explained specifically exactly how things were to be and the consequences of disobedience. The ark was supposed to be transported only by carrying it with the poles and only by certain men.

Quite often in the readings lately, David inquires of the Lord. Things go much better for David when he does this.   There is no mention of whether or not David inquired of God about moving the ark, only that he inquired of his officers and the whole assembly of Israel.

We can learn from David how to fight our "battles" too.
1. Ask God's will
2. Ask advice from other godly people
3. Search God's word
4. Give God the glory

The Philistines abandoned their false gods when David and his army defeated them, "and David gave orders to burn them in the fire."  This is just another example of David's obedience to the first two commandments and another "jewel" in David's crown, part of what made David "a man after God's heart".

When the Philistines raided again, David once more inquired of the Lord.  This time instead of giving direct answers of yes and no to David's questions, God responded with some rather specific details, seemingly not something that was determined by the urim and thummim. Did David meet face to face with God?  Or did God audibly speak to David?

Was the "sound of marching in the tops of balsam trees" the sound of angels assembling for battle? Did David even have to do the fighting?  It says that God struck down the Philistine army.  Did He use an army of angels to strike the Philistines?  In 1 Samuel 25 the word struck is used in reference to Nabal, the surly husband of Abigal.  This word struck means to make ill unto death. These Hebrew words are both translated as struck in English but come from two different Hebrew words.

Anytime we feel depressed, we should contemplate this verse.
2 Samuel 22:17
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he rescued me out of deep waters. 
No matter what our "deep waters" may be, He will rescue us!  Why?  Well, we find out the answer to that question in the following verse.  
2 Samuel 22:20
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

He rescues us and brings us into a spacious place.  Interesting word, spacious...the Hebrew word means "a wide and open space" but figuratively, the word means "liberty"!  When we put verses 17 and 20 together we get a beautiful picture of being brought out of the deep waters of trouble, affliction, despair, depression, etc into freedom... freedom that can only be found in Jesus!  And why does He do this?  Because he delights in us! And why does He delight in us?

And then in today's reading, we find this most wonderful of verses!
Psalm 18:35b
you stoop down to make me great.

Think about the significance of that verse. You (God) stoop down to make me (put your name there) great. God certainly did stoop down when He came to earth to die for our sins so that we could be made great. Wow!

APRIL 8

The Lord blessed the household of Obed-Edom, the Gittite, and everything he had. Why?  Is it because they treated with respect the Ark of the covenant? Obed-Edom was a Levite, an inhabitant of Gath, home of Goliath and his family. Obed-Edom will be blessed immensely as we will read about later on. Contrast this blessing of Obed-Edom with the curses of the Philistines who captured the ark during Samuel's day. (1 Samuel 5 - page 390).  They were cursed because they honored Dagon and other false gods. What lessons can we learn from this?

David prepared a place for the Ark of God and then summoned the priests and the heads of the Levitical families to bring the ark back. They brought the ark back in the right way, according to God's way, not the way they did it earlier when Uzzah was killed. Think they learned a lesson?

Scripture says that David "pitched a tent" for the Ark of God.  Was this the original tabernacle?  Mention is made later of the tabernacle located at Gibeon.

Jeremiah 7:12:
"For go to My place at Shiloh, where I first caused My Name to dwell, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel". 

1 Samuel 4:10-11: recounts how the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant, which was housed in the tabernacle, and destroyed Shiloh, where the tabernacle was located. So did they destroy the tabernacle too? The tabernacle was in Gilgal, then Shiloh, then Nob (Gibeah), then Gibeon. Did the tabernacle remain at Gibeon and David pitched a tent for the Ark where he was? Later Solomon brought the Tabernacle (or was this the tent that David pitched?) and furnishings to Jerusalem. The tabernacle stayed at Gibeon after the destruction of Shiloh and Nob until Solomon took it to Jerusalem.

1 Kings 8:4 pg 602
"Then the king and all the people who were with him went up to the city of Gibeon, where there was the tent of meeting, which God had set up in the wilderness, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the tent, for it had been moved from Gibeon to Jerusalem."

The Levites were appointed to serve as singers and musicians.  They were given these responsibilities because they were skillful at those particular tasks.  God gives us talents that work well with our spiritual gifts.

David’s first wife, Michal, daughter of Saul despised David when she saw him dancing and celebrating at the return of the Ark. Why? Could it be because she was jealous? She later accuses David of disrobing in front of the slave girls. (2 Samuel 6:20)

In this story of David bringing up the ark and sacrificing bulls and rams, the chronological Bible quoted from 1 Chronicles 15:25-28.  However, if you read 2 Samuel 6:12b-15 (where the same account is recorded) there is some additional information in verse 13 concerning six steps.  

When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

Now, this may not seem to be a significant detail, but it is when we refer back to an earlier decree from God in Exodus 20:26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed.

Is this why Michal was so upset?   Were David's private parts exposed?  Was David showing off in front of the servant girls? Was David even supposed to be wearing the linen ephod?  Those were for the Levites. 

In David’s Songs of Praise, Psalm 105 and 96, he reviews and summarizes the story from Joseph to Moses. This keeps a remembrance before the people of all that God had done for them. How are we doing? Do we review and summarize things God has done for us? Do we proclaim “his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

“…worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness…” When we gather before the Lord as a congregation, as a church, as a group of Believers, do we truly worship Him as He deserves? How would it look to worship Him in the splendor of His holiness?

APRIL 9

David puts everything in place in anticipation of establishing regular worship once again, complete with music, singing, and presenting offerings before the Lord.  At this time the tabernacle of the Lord was located at a place called Gibeon.  Gibeon was one of the cities within the territory of Benjamin that was given to the Levites.  It is about five miles northwest of Jerusalem and the seat of an ancient sanctuary, called in 1Kings 3:4 “the great high place.”

We have another example of David honoring the promise he made to Saul of showing kindness to Saul's family when he sends for Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, and gives him a prominent place.

David wants to build a proper temple for the Lord and speaks to Nathan the prophet. The Lord tells Nathan that David will NOT build a temple, but his son will.  God did not want a warrior to build His temple.

1 Chronicles 28:3
But God said to me, You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.

David is told that his throne and kingdom will endure forever. Interesting word - forever.  Eternity and forever are not the same.  Forever is relative to time.  Time and forever began on Day 4 of creation when the sun, moon, and stars were created. (Genesis 1:14-15) Time and forever end when the heavens are no more. (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 20:11, Revelation 21:23, Revelation 22:5, Revelation 21:1) Then time and forever cease to exist.  There is only eternity.  Eternity never begins and never ends.  The sun, moon, and stars were created to establish time and forever. In eternity there is no need of the sun, moon, and stars nor is there need for time and forever.  God says that David's kingdom will last forever and His commanded feast days will be observed forever.  It means that there will be an end to both because forever and eternity are not the same.

Fascinating story about Zadok the priest…the descendants of Zadok will serve in the Millennial Kingdom temple. Check out this prophecy from the prophet Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 40:46
and the room facing north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who are the only Levites who may draw near to the LORD to minister before him."

Out of all the Levites, it will be the descendants of Zadok who will be chosen to minister before the Lord in the Millennial Temple. What was so special that God would single them out specifically for this honored task? Is it because they were faithful to carry out God's instructions?

Ezekiel 44:15-16
"'But the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok and who faithfully carried out the duties of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign LORD.

What kind of job may the Lord have set aside for us in eternity because we were faithful in carrying out our duties here on earth?