Gath and Ashkelon

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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Gath and Ashkelon

2 Samuel 1:17-27 (JDV)

2 Samuel 1:17 David chanted this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan,
2 Samuel 1:18 and he commanded that the Judahites be taught The Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar:
2 Samuel 1:19 The glory of Israel lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!
2 Samuel 1:20 Do not report it in Gath, don’t announce it in the marketplaces of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, and the daughters of the uncircumcised will celebrate.
2 Samuel 1:21 Mountains of Gilboa, let no dew or rain be on you, or fields of offerings, for there the shield of the mighty was defiled — the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil.
2 Samuel 1:22 Jonathan’s bow never retreated, Saul’s sword never returned unstained, from the blood of the slain, from the flesh of the mighty.
2 Samuel 1:23 Saul and Jonathan, loved and delightful, they were not parted in life or in death. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
2 Samuel 1:24 Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with luxurious things, who decked your garments with gold ornaments.
2 Samuel 1:25 How the mighty have fallen in the thick of battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
2 Samuel 1:26 I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were such a friend to me. Your love for me was more wondrous than the love of women.
2 Samuel 1:27 How the mighty have fallen and the weapons of war have been destroyed!

Gath and Ashkelon

Carter writes “These two cities are chosen to represent the whole land of the Philistines; Gath, because it was a royal residence, and Askelon, because it was the chief seat of the Philistine worship.” {Carter, George. The Reigns of David and Solomon, Comprising Notes on Samuel II. and Kings I., Chapters I-XII., Etc. [With a Map.]. 1903. p. 2}.

David did not want the Philistines to learn of the victory of the Amalekites. The Philistines would gloat over the death of Saul and Jonathan. Indeed, the demons gloat as well when God’s people lose their battles.

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souvenirs

Posted on May 4, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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souvenirs

2 Samuel 1:1-16 (JDV)

2 Samuel 1:1 After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed at Ziklag two days.
2 Samuel 1:2 On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head came from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage.
2 Samuel 1:3 David asked him, “Where have you come from?” He replied to him, “I’ve escaped from the Israelite camp.”
2 Samuel 1:4 “What was the outcome? Tell me,” David asked him. “The troops fled from the battle,” he answered. “Many of the troops have fallen and are dead. Also, Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
2 Samuel 1:5 David asked the young man who had brought him the report, “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
2 Samuel 1:6 “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear. At that very moment, the chariots and the cavalry were closing in on him.
2 Samuel 1:7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, so I answered: I’m at your service.
2 Samuel 1:8 He asked me, ‘Who are you? ‘ I told him: I’m an Amalekite.
2 Samuel 1:9 Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for I’m mortally wounded, but my life still lingers.’
2 Samuel 1:10 So I stood over him and killed him because I knew that after he had fallen he couldn’t survive. I took the crown that was on his head and the armband that was on his arm, and I’ve brought them here to my lord.”
2 Samuel 1:11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and all the men with him did the same.
2 Samuel 1:12 They mourned, wept, and fasted until the evening for those who died by the sword — for Saul, his son Jonathan, Yahveh’s people, and the house of Israel.
2 Samuel 1:13 David asked the young man who had brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I’m the son of a resident alien,” he said. “I’m an Amalekite.”
2 Samuel 1:14 David questioned him, “How is it that you were not afraid to lift your hand to destroy Yahveh’s anointed?”
2 Samuel 1:15 Then David summoned one of his servants and said, “Come here and kill him!” The servant struck him, and he died.
2 Samuel 1:16 For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood is on your own head because your own mouth testified against you by saying, ‘I killed Yahveh’s anointed.'”

souvenirs

The Amalekite thought that David might reward him for the crown and armband of King Saul. Surely David would be pleased at the proof of the death of his enemy. But David mourned. wept and fasted instead. Perhaps it was during this time of fasting that the LORD told David these souvenirs were not to be rewarded. By spending time with God, David was able to see things from God’s perspective.

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they will find you out

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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they will find you out

1 Samuel 31:1-13 (JDV)

1 Samuel 31:1 The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them and fell dead on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:2 The Philistines chased Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
1 Samuel 31:3 When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him.
1 Samuel 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it.
1 Samuel 31:5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.
1 Samuel 31:6 So on that day, Saul died together with his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men.
1 Samuel 31:7 When the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and on the other side of the Jordan saw that Israel’s men had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. So, the Philistines came and settled in them.
1 Samuel 31:8 The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:9 They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news in the temples of their idols and among the people.
1 Samuel 31:10 Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
1 Samuel 31:11 When the residents of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
1 Samuel 31:12 all their efficient men set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.
1 Samuel 31:13 Afterward, they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.

they will find you out

The leader chosen by the Israelite people dies a shameful death and loses all his fighting men, his sons, his armor bearer, and his base camps. The body of one who was expected to rescue the people from the Philistines had to be rescued. The anger and envy that had destroyed his family finally destroyed him – and put his country in danger. It is a serious thing to presume to lead others while not dealing with your own sins. They will find you out.

Oh LORD, forgive us our sins. Purify us, so that we might serve and lead with integrity. May such a dismal day of sin’s consequences never come to us.

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policy of generosity

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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policy of generosity

1 Samuel 30:18-31 (JDV)

1 Samuel 30:18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives.
1 Samuel 30:19 Nothing of theirs was missing from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, and all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back.
1 Samuel 30:20 He took all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, “This is David’s plunder!”
1 Samuel 30:21 When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had been left at the Wadi Besor, they came out to meet him and to meet the troops with him. When David approached the men, he greeted them,
1 Samuel 30:22 but all the corrupt and worthless men among those who had gone with David argued, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”
1 Samuel 30:23 But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what Yahveh has given us. He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us.
1 Samuel 30:24 Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally.”
1 Samuel 30:25 And it has been so from that day forward. David established this policy as a law and an ordinance for Israel and it continues today.
1 Samuel 30:26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Notice a gift for you from the plunder of Yahveh’s enemies.”
1 Samuel 30:27 He sent gifts to those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negev, and in Jattir;
1 Samuel 30:28 to those in Aroer, in Siphmoth, and in Eshtemoa;
1 Samuel 30:29 to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, and in the towns of the Kenites;
1 Samuel 30:30 to those in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, and in Athach;
1 Samuel 30:31 to those in Hebron, and to those in all the places where David and his men had roamed.

policy of generosity

David’s decision to share the proceeds of his victory against the Amalekites turned into a policy of generosity. We should try to adopt a similar policy. When we are blessed beyond our need, we should try to share the blessing with others.

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when we need answers

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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when we need answers

1 Samuel 30:1-17 (JDV)

1 Samuel 30:1 David and his men arrived in Ziklag on the third day. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and attacked and burned Ziklag.
1 Samuel 30:2 They also had kidnapped the women and everyone in it from youngest to oldest. They had killed no one but had abducted them as they went on their way.
1 Samuel 30:3 When David and his men arrived at the town, they noticed that it had burned by fire. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped.
1 Samuel 30:4 David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep.
1 Samuel 30:5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped.
1 Samuel 30:6 David was in an extremely difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, since they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in Yahveh his God.
1 Samuel 30:7 David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,
1 Samuel 30:8 and David asked Yahveh: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” Yahveh replied to him, “Pursue them, because you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.”
1 Samuel 30:9 So David and the six hundred men with him went. They came to the Wadi Besor, where some stayed behind.
1 Samuel 30:10 David and four hundred of the men continued the pursuit, while two hundred stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor.
1 Samuel 30:11 David’s men found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink.
1 Samuel 30:12 Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate his breath returned, for he hadn’t eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.
1 Samuel 30:13 Then David said to him, “Who do you belong to? Where are you from?” “I’m an Egyptian, the boy of an Amalekite man,” he said. “My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago.
1 Samuel 30:14 We raided the south country of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag.”
1 Samuel 30:15 David then asked him, “Will you lead me to these raiders?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or turn me over to my master, and I will lead you to them.”
1 Samuel 30:16 So he led him, and noticed the Amalekites, spread out over the entire area, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.
1 Samuel 30:17 David slaughtered them from twilight until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred boys who got on camels and fled.

when we need answers

There are times of change in our lives that force us to make decisions when we have little past experience upon which to base those decisions. David finds himself in one of those times. His time among the Philistines is over, and he can only pack up and leave. Then, his base camp is raided and the families and property are all taken. David enquires of the LORD.

LORD, when we need answers, we will bring our prayers to you.

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disappointments

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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disappointments

1 Samuel 29:1-11 (JDV)

1 Samuel 29:1 The Philistines gathered all their camps to Aphek while Israel was camped by the spring in Jezreel.
1 Samuel 29:2 As the Philistine leaders were passing in review with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were passing in review behind them with Achish.
1 Samuel 29:3 Then the Philistine commanders asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish answered the Philistine commanders, “That is David, servant of King Saul of Israel. He has been with me for a considerable time. From the day he defected until today, I’ve found no fault with him.”
1 Samuel 29:4 The Philistine commanders, however, were enraged with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our opponent during the battle. What better way could he ingratiate himself with his master than with the heads of our men?
1 Samuel 29:5 Isn’t this the David they sing about during their dances: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands?”
1 Samuel 29:6 So Achish summoned David and told him, “As Yahveh lives, you are an honorable man. I think it is good to have you fighting in this unit with me because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until today. But the leaders don’t think you are reliable.
1 Samuel 29:7 Now go back peacefully and you won’t be doing anything the Philistine leaders think is wrong.”
1 Samuel 29:8 “But what have I done?” David replied to Achish. “From the first day I entered your service until today, what have you found against your servant to keep me from going to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
1 Samuel 29:9 Achish answered David, “I’m convinced that you are as reliable as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’
1 Samuel 29:10 So get up early in the morning, you and your masters’ servants who came with you. When you’ve all gotten up early, go as soon as it’s light.”
1 Samuel 29:11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

disappointments

Changes are beginning to happen in David’s life, and it is a good thing that they are. He has been with the Philistines so long that he feels hurt when their commanders reject him. God has a plan for him, and it is time for him to move on in order to fit into that plan. Disappointments for us can be equally hard to take, but we need to leave room for the sovereignty of God to work out his plan. Our disappointments might just set us up for God’s appointments.

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point of no return

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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point of no return

1 Samuel 28:15-25 (JDV)

1 Samuel 28:15 “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Samuel asked Saul. “I’m in serious trouble,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He doesn’t answer me anymore, either through the prophets or in dreams. So, I’ve called on you to tell me what I should do.”
1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel answered, “Since Yahveh has turned away from you and has become your enemy, why are you asking me?
1 Samuel 28:17 Yahveh has done exactly what he said through me: Yahveh has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David.
1 Samuel 28:18 You did not obey Yahveh and did not execute his burning anger against Amalek; therefore, Yahveh has done this to you today.
1 Samuel 28:19 Yahveh will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Also, Yahveh will hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”
1 Samuel 28:20 Immediately, Saul fell flat on the ground. He was terrified by Samuel’s words and was also weak because he had not eaten anything all day and all night.
1 Samuel 28:21 The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, “Notice, your servant has obeyed you. I took my throat in my hand and did what you told me to do.
1 Samuel 28:22 Now please listen to your servant. Let me set some food in front of you. Eat and it will give you strength so you can go on your way.”
1 Samuel 28:23 He refused, saying, “I won’t eat,” but when his servants and the woman urged him, he listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed.
1 Samuel 28:24 The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.
1 Samuel 28:25 She served it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Afterward, they got up and left that night.

point of no return

Saul had decided on a last-minute appeal to Samuel, but his ploy did not work. He discovered that God had already condemned him for his rebellion. He had reached the point of no return. Our God is a gracious God, but he will not be played with. Today he offers us forgiveness and restoration, but if we continue in rebellion, we may reach a point where the offer is rescinded. Do not delay!

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encounter at En-dor

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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encounter at En-dor

1 Samuel 28:1-14 (JDV)

1 Samuel 28:1 At that time, the Philistines gathered their camps into one army to fight against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You know, of course, that you and your men must march out in the army with me.”
1 Samuel 28:2 David replied to Achish, “Good, you will find out what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will appoint you as my permanent bodyguard.”
1 Samuel 28:3 By this time Samuel had died, all of Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his city, and Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
1 Samuel 28:4 The Philistines gathered and camped at Shunem. So, Saul gathered all of Israel, and they camped at Gilboa.
1 Samuel 28:5 When Saul saw the Philistine camp, he was afraid, and his heart pounded.
1 Samuel 28:6 He inquired of Yahveh, but Yahveh did not answer him in dreams or by the Lights or by the prophets.
1 Samuel 28:7 Saul then said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” His servants replied, “Notice, there is a woman at En-dor who is a medium.”
1 Samuel 28:8 Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes and set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I tell you.”
1 Samuel 28:9 But the woman said to him, “I notice that you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you setting a trap for my throat to kill me?”
1 Samuel 28:10 Then Saul swore to her by Yahveh: “As surely as Yahveh lives, no punishment will come to you from this.”
1 Samuel 28:11 “Who is it that you want me to bring up for you?” the woman asked. “Bring up Samuel for me,” he answered.
1 Samuel 28:12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, and then she asked Saul, “Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!”
1 Samuel 28:13 But the king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” “I see a spirit form coming up out of the ground,” the woman answered.
1 Samuel 28:14 Then Saul asked her, “What does he look like?” “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “He’s wearing a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.

encounter at En-dor

The Bible consistently describes the intermediate state between death and resurrection as an unconscious sleep, from which good and evil must be awakened before beginning to experience their eternal destiny. This story seems to contradict that theology, but it really does not.

If this was really a revival of Samuel, it was a miracle of God. The medium herself was surprised to see him (12). She probably expected a demon pretending to be him.

Note that she did not see Samuel descend from heaven. She said she saw him “coming up out of the earth” (13).

Death is not the reward for which the believer seeks. We seek that reward in resurrection life. We wait for the Lord to come, not our deaths. He is our rescuer and redeemer. We long to put on our heavenly dwellings, our immortal bodies. That does not happen at death.

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while waiting

Posted on April 27, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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while waiting

1 Samuel 27:1-12 (JDV)

1 Samuel 27:1 David said to himself, “One of these days I’ll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him.”
1 Samuel 27:2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went over to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
1 Samuel 27:3 David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow.
1 Samuel 27:4 When it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
1 Samuel 27:5 Now David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”
1 Samuel 27:6 That day Achish gave Ziklag to him, and it still belongs to the kings of Judah today.
1 Samuel 27:7 The number of days that David stayed in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
1 Samuel 27:8 David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. From ancient times they had been the inhabitants of the region through Shur as far as the land of Egypt.
1 Samuel 27:9 Whenever David attacked the land, he did not leave a single person alive, either man or woman, but he took flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he came back to Achish,
1 Samuel 27:10 who inquired, “Where did you raid today?” David replied, “The south country of Judah,” “The south country of the Jerahmeelites,” or “The south country of the Kenites.”
1 Samuel 27:11 David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Or they will inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.'” This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory.
1 Samuel 27:12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself repulsive to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”

while waiting

David escapes to Gath, putting himself out of reach of Saul. This allows for Saul to be the means of his own destruction. Meanwhile, David and his six hundred men continue to raid the towns of the Philistines, and in so doing are actually completing the judgment that God commanded Joshua. In time, the king will return. For now the nation must wait.

LORD, while we wait, keep us faithful to your commands.

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never harm you again

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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never harm you again

1 Samuel 26:17-25 (JDV)

1 Samuel 26:17 Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, my son David?” “It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said.
1 Samuel 26:18 Then he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed?
1 Samuel 26:19 Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is Yahveh who has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. But if it is people, may they be cursed in the presence of Yahveh, for today they have banished me from sharing in the inheritance of Yahveh saying, ‘Go and worship other gods.’
1 Samuel 26:20 So don’t let my blood fall to the ground far from Yahveh’s presence, for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea, like one who pursues a partridge in the mountains.”
1 Samuel 26:21 Saul responded, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my throat precious. Notice, I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”
1 Samuel 26:22 David answered, “Notice the king’s spear; have one of the boys come over and get it.
1 Samuel 26:23 Yahveh will repay every man for his righteousness and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against Yahveh’s anointed, even though Yahveh handed you over to me today.
1 Samuel 26:24 Notice, just as I considered your throat valuable today, so may Yahveh consider my throat valuable and rescue me from all trouble.”
1 Samuel 26:25 Saul said to him, “You are blessed, my son David. You will certainly do great things and will also prevail.” Then David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

never harm you again

I want to concentrate on Saul’s promise to David here. It was a promise he never intended to keep, and David would have been foolish to accept it. David was right not to harm Saul — to leave it to God to give him justice. But David was also right to put distance between himself and this madman who kept trying to kill him.

If you are in an abusive situation and fear for your life, you will have thoughts urging you to stay loyal to your abuser. You will feel embarrassed, and perhaps others will insist that you stay because you made a commitment. But that kind of loyalty is not wise or righteous. Anyone who has to promise never to harm you AGAIN has a problem, and you will probably not be able to fix it. Do the wise thing.

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