The commanders of the Philistines asked, "What about these Hebrews?" Achish replied, "Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him." – 1 Samuel 29:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 30, 2022):  1 Samuel 29

Battles can be delicate, and a war's final result is never a foregone conclusion. There is always a measure of uncertainty. Some things can be done to increase the chances of winning the battle and strategies that can be employed to give an advantage to one side over another, but there are no guarantees. And the home side always seems to have the edge over the invading forces because they know the terrain.

The Philistines and Israel had been at war ever since Israel's entrance into the Canaan. Sometimes Israel won the battle; at other times, the battle was delivered to the Philistines. But neither could win decisively; they simply won the battle at that moment rather than the war. On the part of the Philistines, their history in Canaan would continue until the Babylonians totally defeated them in 604 B.C.E. By the 5^th century B.C.E. (400s), the Philistines as a distinct group had completely disappeared. Israel's path also changed, again because of two significant invasions. It was the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E for the Northern Kingdom and the Babylonian invasion of the Southern Kingdom in 586 B.C.E that brought these nations to their demise. But in the end, neither the Philistines nor Israel could destroy the other. And of the three kingdoms, the Philistines, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Judah was the only group that ever really came back as a political entity.

But that does not mean that the Philistines and Israel didn't try to eliminate each other. And one Philistine attempt to destroy Israel took place in 1010 B.C.E. According to the story found in Samuel, the Philistines had gathered their forces at Aphek while Israel camped out by a spring in Jezreel. The problem was that the Philistine Empire existed on the Southwest coast of Canaan and Jezreel was in the North, deep inside Israelite territory. But the Philistines believed that this was their opportunity to deal a death blow to Israel.

The various Kings of the Philistine cities had gathered all of their forces to fight Israel at Jezreel. While the Philistines were at the front preparing for battle, David, who had been living in Philistine Territory, had his forces at the rear of the battle group. But the other Philistine leaders questioned David's inclusion in the battle. Achish had no reason to doubt that David would fight against his former king when the time came for the battle. But the other Philistine leaders were actually right. Neither Achish nor David saw that David had no business being here. There is no way that the savior and future King of Israel could have anything to do with a battle for Israel's demise. Not in this battle. He needed to take a step back and allow the events to happen. The man who had refused to kill Saul on at least two occasions had no business being anywhere near the battle that would end Saul's life. S.o, the question of the other Philistine kings was not just right, but it contained Godly wisdom. The Hebrews could not have anything to do with this fight. They had to be sent back.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 30

The LORD will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines." – 1 Samuel 28:19

Today's Scripture Reading (April 29, 2022):  1 Samuel 28

Maybe the most uncomfortable truth of life is that there is a time when we reach a point where it is too late to change our situation. And it doesn't matter what that situation might be. It is not that God has given up on us or that we can no longer repent, but there is a point where sin has so corrupted our lives that we now have to suffer through the consequences. We keep telling ourselves that tomorrow we will put our spiritual life in order, or may tomorrow we will begin to work on our financial health or our physical well-being. Still, there is a time when we run out of tomorrows. There is a moment when we realize that all of what could have been has been erased from our future. It is now our sin and our lack of discipline that has defined our future. And that is often a terrifying place to find ourselves.

Saul finds himself in a hard spot. And he doesn't know what to do next. So, Saul inquires of God but only receives silence as an answer to his questions. Desperate for guidance, he breaks his own rules and goes to a medium, hoping to get her to raise Samuel. Ironically, Saul wouldn't listen to Samuel when he was alive, but now that he is dead, he is the one voice that Saul feels that he needs to hear.

But Samuel's message is not one that Saul wants to hear. It is too late. There was time for Saul to repent every time before, and now he had run out of time. Samuel tells him that this is the end. Tomorrow Saul and his sons would join Samuel, not in some kind of peaceful heaven, but simply in the realm of the dead. Saul has one last chance to repent of his sins and get himself right with God, but that won't change the outcome. Not this time. Tomorrow, his reign will come to an abrupt end. And, maybe even more frighteningly, Saul would not be alone when his demise arrives. Samuel clearly says that Saul's sons will die with him. British Methodist theologian, Adam Clarke, sums up the thought with these words.

Can any person read this, properly considering the situation of this unfortunate monarch, the triumph of the enemies of God, and the speedy ruin in which the godlike Jonathan is about to be involved, without feeling the keenest anguish of heart? (Adam Clarke) 

Maybe that is the true tragedy of the end of Saul's life. Not that Saul got what he seemed to deserve, but that he took Jonathan with him. Yet, Samuel is clear that this is what has to happen.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 29

When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him. – 1 Samuel 27:4

Today's Scripture Reading (April 28, 2022):  1 Samuel 27

There is a haunting quality to Psalm 137. It is not a psalm written by David. In fact, it was one of the last psalms to be written, one written hundreds of years after David's reign had ended. Psalm 137 was written by an unknown exile living in Babylon during the days that followed the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple. It is a psalm that is filled with loneliness and pain. The Psalmist pours those emotions into his words;

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
    when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars
    we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
    our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
    they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion" (Psalm 137:1-3)!

The image of the psalm is compelling. Here, hurting people have begun to live their lives in a foreign place, far from the rivers and hills of their youth. Here, they have hung up their instruments because they no longer had a song to sing. The Psalmist continues his thought, "How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land" (Psalm 137:4)? It is a good question.

David finds himself in a bad place. In Gath, he has finally accomplished one of his aims. Saul is no longer pursuing him. But the cost that he has had to pay to achieve this goal is high. He is now living in a foreign land, and he is subject to the King of the Philistines, the very people against whom he had once fought. What is significant about this time in David's life is that we have no psalms that were written from this era, not even a lament like we find in Psalm 137. While David was in Gath, the song seems to have abandoned him. F. B. Meyer makes this observation about this era of David's life.

"The sweet singer was mute. He probably acquired a few new strains of music, or even mastered some fresh instruments, while sojourning at Gath, a memory of which is perpetuated in the term Gittith, a term which frequently occurs in the inscriptions of the psalms composed afterward. But who would barter a song for a melody, a psalm for a guitar? It was a poor exchange." (Meyer)

The God-given muse that seemed to live inside the poet King had disappeared. For a time, all he could do was sing the songs that others had written; David's songs had abandoned him. And he did not know if those songs would ever return.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 28

Personal Note: Happy fourth birthday to my Grandson, James. You are growing up so quickly, and I am lucky to be able to watch you grow into the person you will become.

Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won't strike him twice." – 1 Samuel 26:8

Today's Scripture Reading (April 27, 2022):  1 Samuel 26

In our literature, poetic justice is an important device that turns the story in the direction we want it to go. Poetic justice delivers good things to good people and bad things to those who do evil. In Charles Dickens's classic tale "Oliver Twist," poetic justice transforms the cruel Mr. Bumble from being the author of torment for the children of the orphanage into a poor pauper living an abused lifestyle in the same workhouse that he had once owned with his wife. Poetic justice makes the reader say, "well, he got what he deserved," allowing us to rejoice with the good and the bad delivered to the appropriate people in the story. But often, poetic justice is only found in the stories that we read; it never really seems to be a part of our daily lives.

David and Abishai sneak into the camp of Saul, and they stumble onto the place where the King is sleeping with his guards fast asleep around him. The King's spear, the very spear that Saul had once thrown at David, and the spear with which the King of Israel planned to kill David, was stuck in the ground beside the King's slumbering head.

For Abishai, the situation could not be more perfect. Once more, God had delivered Saul into the hands of his enemies. David had not taken advantage of the situation in the cave, but God had given them a second chance to rid the world of Saul. If David didn't want to do it, Abishai would be happy to dispatch Israel's King. Then, David could maintain his innocence in the act, and Saul would still be dead. David hadn't killed Saul; he had simply stood back and allowed it to happen.

And to add a touch of poetic justice, Abishai could accomplish the act using the same spear with which Saul had intended to kill David, the very spear that the King had carried into every battle he had fought. It was like a story spun by some of the best storytellers. God had ordained the events perfectly. And Abishai would do it quickly. Only one thrust of the spear would be needed. Saul would not suffer and would not be able to cry out. The action would be swift and quiet.

All Abishai needed was for David to say yes, which he had declined to say in the cave. David's general hoped that David would see what was so obvious to him. God had done this, and God himself had orchestrated the events so that the life of Saul could end on this very night.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 27

When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. – 1 Samuel 25:23

Today's Scripture Reading (April 26, 2022):  1 Samuel 25

Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus, teaching in the years following Jesus's ministry (c.50-135 C.E), argued that "If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, 'He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.'" It is really good advice. I have learned from experience that you will never convince people that their image of you is wrong, even if that is true. But instead of getting hurt by the words, which admittedly is usually my path, we should accept what people say about us while simultaneously reminding them that there is so much more wrong with us than the things on which they have focused. In the process, we take power away from our critics and make the act of criticizing us a little less pleasurable.

And it is not just words; it is not just a philosophical mindset. It is the truth. There are lots of things that are wrong with all of us. The one who throws the rock is just as flawed as his target. Epictetus was very careful not to teach a philosophy that was designed for the ivory tower. This was a "where the rubber hits the road" philosophy intended to be a way of life for his followers. It taught its followers to always react with humility, recognizing that what others might do is beyond their control but also reminding people that we can be responsible for our actions. What it is that we do and how we react to the efforts of others are ultimately one of the few things in life that we can control. We should walk humbly and continually examine our actions in the light that we have, and in doing so, we just might become better people.

Abigail was a woman of wealth and privilege. David was a poor soldier on the run from the king. Nabal's, Abigail's husband, reaction to David's men had been one that would have been common to those who possessed both wealth and privilege. He believed that he was better than David. But Abigail chose a different path. Rather than reacting with the pride of the privileged, she humbled herself before this poor soldier on the run. Rather than making her demands of David as a superior or even an equal, Abigail approaches David as his humble servant. She doesn't try to command but instead makes her request, placing herself in a vulnerable position in front of David. It must have been quite a sight, one that stopped David and his comrades. They saw a beautiful woman of power get off of her donkey and bow down to the ground in front of David. And that was a moment that grabbed the attention of David and all of those with him. And once she had caught their attention, David and his men were willing to stop to hear her out.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 26

Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. – 1 Samuel 24:5

Today's Scripture Reading (April 25, 2022):  1 Samuel 24

Sometimes, we seem to believe that it doesn't matter what we do if we pursue what is right. We think we are allowed to bend the rules as long as the goal is right. We lie if it gets us closer to the truth. But we are wrong. We need to understand that the path we take is as important as the goal. Or maybe more important, if God wants us to accomplish something, he will allow us to get there without doing anything that might be considered, even marginally, to be sin.

David and his men were in a cave when they came upon Saul. Israel's King was in a vulnerable position, relieving himself in the cave while his men waited outside. David's men saw this as God delivering Saul into David's hands. Soon, there would no longer be a need to run and hide. With one short battle, they could take care of Saul right here and now. And then, what God had promised to David would come true. David would be King, and his men would rise to places of importance in the Davidic kingdom. All they had to do now was kill Saul now.

And so, they suggest a course of action to David. At first, David seems to be on board with the plan. But David falters at the last minute. Wouldn't killing the God-ordained King of Israel be considered a sin? And David seems to return to an idea that he had always held. If God wanted him to be King, he would remove Saul. God wouldn't ask David to kill Saul. There had to be another way. And so, instead of killing Saul, he cuts a corner off of the King's cloak.

Biblical scholars have wondered how David could have gotten close enough to Saul to cut his robe without being noticed. And the easiest solution to the problem is that Saul took off his cloak as he entered the cave and then went further into the cave to do his business. Therefore, David did not have to be next to Saul to cut a corner off the robe. The robe and Saul were in two different places.

But later, David has another attack of conscience. He hadn't killed Saul, but maybe he had gone too far by even cutting off a corner of his robe. Saul's robe was an important symbol of Saul's authority as King, and David had defaced it. David knows that it was likely his pride that had prompted him to cut the robe; once again, David was trying to prove that he was smarter than Saul. But that could not be the basis for his reign. It was the easy path, but not the right one. David did not want to have anything to do with the demise of Saul. When the time came, he wanted Saul's demise to be completely an act of God, an act of which David had been completely innocent.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 25

Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me—people without regard for God. – Psalm 54:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 24, 2022):  Psalm 54

There is a fight taking place within the Christian Church. It is not a new argument but rather one that has been taking place since the early days of the church in the first century. In the first century, that fight took place between those who believed that the Christian message was meant only for those who were willing to keep the Jewish traditions and those who thought that the message of Christ was intended for the whole world. It was a very real fight about which Paul had much to say. Paul wrote to the Church at Galatia bluntly with these words:

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain (Galatians 3:1-4)?

You masquerade as Christians, but Christ has nothing to do with you. Rather than placing the reality of salvation on Christ's crucifixion, you put your assurance on the things you have done. You have been bewitched. You are lost, even though you don't seem to understand that.

Today the fight continues with people who believe that they are somehow better than others. Love in some sections of the church is not seen as essential. And some of these people have been able to convince themselves that the Christian message can be compatible with a theology of hate, especially hating those who are not like us. It was as if Jesus's teaching to Nicodemus was that "God so loved the Christians (or people who look and act like us) that he gave his one and only son." Of course, that was not Christ's teaching. He said, "For God so loved the world" (John 3:16), and I tend to believe that God meant "world."

In Psalm 54, David writes, "arrogant foes are attacking me." A better translation of the verse might be "strangers are attacking me." But translators have used "arrogant foes" with good reason. The explanation for their choice of wording goes back to the inscription attached to the Psalm. The caption reads, "When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, 'Is not David hiding among us?'" The Psalm is written about the Ziphites who had decided to side with Saul over David. They were actively looking for opportunities to sell out David. But the reality is that the Ziphites weren't strangers. They were Israelites. And not just Israelites; they were members of the Tribe of Judah, David's Tribe. Most of the tribe had come together to back David, but not the Ziphites. The Ziphites were acting like they were strangers, even though they were family members. Apparently, there was an argument within the tribe of Judah over David, and the Ziphites were acting the part of the arrogant foe. In reality, the Ziphites were part of the family, and this conflict was a family fight.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 24

When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." – 1 Samuel 23:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 23, 2022): 1 Samuel 23

It is hard for us to understand, but sometimes, being in the right place at the right time is a recipe for trouble. Yet, even then, those places of danger still exist within the will of God. Somehow, we have to rid ourselves of the idea that being in the center of God's will is the safest place to be. Sometimes, being in the center of God's will means being in a dangerous position. God doesn't always carry us away from the giants; sometimes, he places us in their path and asks us to battle against them. We hope that we can live out our lives in relative safety, hiding in the presence of our God. But that is fantasy, not reality. And we are called to live in the real world.

God has called David to go to Keilah to deliver the town from the Philistines. Going to Keilah was God's will, and God promised David that he would deliver the Philistine invaders into David's hands. And so, in obedience to God, David goes and fights the Philistines in Keilah. But Keilah is a walled town, which means that it is a safe place in some ways, yet it is also a dangerous place because a walled city has a limited number of avenues of escape. Word gets to Saul about David's plans, and it is something to which Saul reacts with glee. Once inside the city, all his men have to do is guard the gates to trap the one Saul believed had become his competition. With David imprisoned inside the walls of Keilah, there will finally be no avenue for escape for David. At last, David will be delivered into the hands of Saul.

David discovers Saul's plans and asks Abiathar, the priest, to bring the ephod to him. The ephod was a sleeveless garment worn by the priest to which the breastplate was attached. Inside the breastplate were the Urim and Thummim that were used to discover God's intentions. David had inquired of God before he went to Keilah, and now with Saul on his way, it was time to ask God once again.

It was an action that honored God. God's intention is often to lead us moment by moment. There was no doubt that God had instructed David to go to Keilah. But that action placed David both at the center of God's will and at the center of a very real danger. Saul would come, and David would be captured. And so, David asks God for help, and that help comes in the form of an escape plan. It was time for David to leave Keilah and return to his life on the run.

For the foreseeable future, David would continue to live in great danger. His enemies would continue to follow him, troubling him at every encounter. But just because David was in trouble did not mean that he was not at the center of God's will. This was precisely the place where God wanted David to be.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 54