1 SAMUEL
INTRODUCTION
The book begins in times of the Judges and describes the transitioning of Israel from Theocracy (led by God) to monarchy (led by human kings), with Samuel being the last Judge. The theme that comes clearly through the book is that when the nation and even individual leaders exalted and obeyed God there were blessings and prosperity, but when they turned away from Him, there was hurt and defeat.
1 SAMUEL 1
The story begins to unfold with the family of a certain man named Elkanah. Elkanah was a godly man who led his family to the place that God had chosen in Shiloh to appear and worship as God had instructed Israel. But his family suffered the heartaches of polygamy. Even though polygamy was culturally acceptable, it was/is still against God's plan for marriage. Even when sin becomes culturally acceptable or practiced by godly people, it still remains unacceptable before God and will sure come to bear its hurtful consequences.
Elkanah’s second wife Hannah was barren and even though she was despised by her co-wife, she opted to take her heartache and plea to God. Her prayer was sincere and committal. That Eli the priest mistook her for being drunk in the place of worship tells you how ungodly the society must have been. But Hannah was different, she was submissive and humble and pledged to lend (give back) her son to the LORD. The criticisms and negativity of those who despise and look down on us should not discourage but cause us to pray even more.
We don't see Hannah fighting or trying to get even with Peninah but she opted to pray. Hannah wanted to honour God with her best. Many times we do not get our petitions answered because we pray amiss, we pray to fulfill our own personal and selfish desires. If only we could learn to pray like Hannah. We should always ask ourselves, why are we praying to God to give us that 'thing'? How will we use what we are praying for to honour Him? Hannah dedicated and prepared her son to serve the LORD. What a mother! If only we could have more Elkanahs and Hannahs, we could have more Samuels.
1 SAMUEL 2
Hannah burst into praising God for giving her a son. She realised that God is in control of all the affairs of men. She gave God her best, Samuel, when he was the only child she had. For this, God blessed her with 5 other children and Samuel ended up becoming the greatest Judge in Israel. We can never out-give God, and even what we give Him, He expands and blesses it beyond our imagination.
On the other hand Eli's sons were abusing the LORD's sacrificial worship. They were immoral right at the temple and took advantage of God's people. Because of this the people abhorred the offering of the LORD. Eli’s sons were such a bad testimony. When we allow people who are blatantly disobedient to God to occupy places of leadership or be involved in church ministry, we make God's people to abhor or despise His worship and work. The bad testimony becomes a hindrance.
It's clear that Eli did not instruct his sons to fear God or take any stern action to oppose or stop this. How about removing them from being priests? As the man of God said, he honoured his sons before the LORD. God was displeased and pronounced such a regrettable curse upon Eli and his descendants.
I admire the courage of this man of God who had to confront Eli with this tragic news. Their disregard to God and His worship earned a curse to the entire family. What a responsibility to the fathers and church leaders! But amidst all this, the young Samuel was serving the LORD faithfully. He didn't allow his environment, leaders or circumstances to become an excuse for not serving the LORD faithfully. Before we blame others as our excuse for not being faithful to the Lord, we could first learn from the example of the young Samuel. Do we honour our children, cars, education, money, spouses and comfort more than the Lord? Do our lives help or hinder others from serving the Lord?
1 SAMUEL 3
Since the days of Moses and Joshua, Israel got farther and farther away from God during the times of the Judges. And for about three centuries, there was no direct or audible communication from God. Sin makes heavens like steel that hinders and separates us from God. The sinful lives of the sons Eli ,who were supposed to be the leaders in spiritual matters, suggests how ungodly the rest of Israel must have been. The state of our spiritual leaders indicates the state of our society.
Finally, God spoke. One would have expected Him to speak to and through Eli who had a position, status, age, experience, and fame but on the contrary, God spoke to the young inexperienced Samuel. God is not a respecter of persons. He honours obedience. Even though Samuel was young and inexperienced, he obeyed God, even in delivering such a hard message from God to Eli. Eli's judgment was severe but so was his position great. Abusing our greatest privileges turns them to be our greatest peril. To whomsoever much is given, much is required.
With all his status and position, Eli had failed in his number one ministry as a father. Unfortunately, there are many parents like Eli today, who may appear successful publicly either at work or in church, but have failed in their number one ministry, their home. It's not about the religious position, status, experience and prowess that we have or how spiritual we appear in the public but how obedient we are to God. God will shelf a famous, experienced, positioned, knowledgeable disobedient person, but He never shelves an obedient child of His.
1 SAMUEL 4
Sin begets defeat! Israel, led by weak and wicked priests, Eli and his two sons respectively went to battle with the Philistines where 4000 of their men were killed. This should have woken them up to see that God was displeased by their disobedience. Instead of forsaking their sins and returning to God, they decided to take the Ark of the Covenant with them. It was to be borne by the two wicked sons of Eli. In so doing, Israel replaced obedience with superstitions. Instead of trusting God, now they trusted the Ark which symbolized the presence of God. There is a time before when God told Israel to bear the Ark of the Covenant to battle and they had a resounding victory, but not this time. Wall hangings and bumper stickers with verses on them or a crucifix do not offer you protection in and of themselves nor grant you victory over sin and the enemy if you are disobedient to God. Replacing God with symbols and trusting them for protection and guidance as if they were God is idolatry in every sense of the word.
As it turned out, the second defeat for Israel was devastating, 30,000 soldiers were killed. Even though Israel was relentless to go to battle, they were defeated, Eli's two sons were killed and
the Ark was taken. Upon hearing this grievous news, Eli fell down and died and the glory of God disappeared. His daughter in law died as well. God is not mocked, and the price of violating His clear instructions is very costly to His children and their families. So long as we, as God's children, are disobedient to Him, no amount of courage, resolve or superstitions will yield victory, but defeat will be our fate.
Oh, dear God help me to be sincerely obedient to you!
1 SAMUEL 5
The Philistines worshipped many idol gods, with dagon who was believed to bring rain and bountiful harvest being their chief god. They felt that since the God of the Israelites gave them victory, they could add Him to the many of their gods, and that is why they took the Ark. But, our God, the God of Israel is not an idol and should not be likened or equated with one. He is not to be added to the list of our idols of money, greed, career, education, fame etc.
After they noticed that the God of Israel was powerful and that He judged their idol, dagon, the Philistines didn't act upon that fact to surrender and return the Ark to Israel. They waited until God judged them severely. God is to be worshipped exclusively and He doesn't accept a "mixed" worship. Before Him, all idols fall. Unfortunately, there are many who don't bow to God's will at the first rebuke, they wait until the Lord spanks them hard so as to get their attention. The Philistines thought that they had defeated God and His people. Soon they learned that no one defeats God and His people. Even when it seems so, such a victory is deceptive and short-lived. Many of the Philistines died and many were struck with the plague. They could have avoided all this if only they bowed to the God of Israel, surrendered to Him, and returned the Ark sooner.
Our hard-headedness when God speaks to us only makes things harder and regrettable for us. God speaks to us through various ways using His Word. As a pastor friend used to say, "God is always speaking, is anyone listening?"
Please Lord, help my heart to be tender and easily entreated when you speak.
1 SAMUEL 6
People choose to dishonour God through various ways. Eli failed to instruct his sons in the ways of the Lord, his sons Phineas and Hophni violated God's sacrificial worship and became immoral in the temple. They all died as a result of their blatant disobedience. Also, the Philistines dishonoured God by likening and equating Him to their idols for which many of them were killed. As heathens, they did not know how to handle the Ark of God and so decided to return it to Israel.
It was unfortunate that the people of God at Bethshemesh, even though they rejoiced in seeing the Ark return, they mishandled it by looking into it, something they were not supposed to do. There are many today who appear and even purport to love God's Word but then turn around and misquote, misapply and mishandle it. Such a misrepresentation of our God, whether through ignorance or arrogance of our hearts is still dishonouring to Him. It's our responsibility to bother to know what God has said because our very existence depends on it. Violating or ignoring what God has clearly said or revealed about Himself in His Word is self-defeating. It bears regrettable results as this invites God's chastening hand.
1 SAMUEL 7
It's clear that the defeat of Israel was occasioned by the idolatry, the worship of foreign gods, Ashtoreths. Unlike the men of Bethshemesh who seemed to rejoice over the Ark of God but mishandled it, the men of KirjathJearim regarded and gave good to the Ark of God. Samuel also called on people to turn away from their idolatry to worship and serve God alone. This led to national healing and revival. The same move is what we need in our dangerously ungodly society today. If only we could have "men of KirjathJearim". Men, families, churches of KirthjamJaream" who love and live the Word, people who would genuinely lead our land in honest repentance and not just pretentious and sumptuous breakfast feats in the name of national prayer day. If only there would be godly men and churches who would lead our land in sorrowing over and repenting the sins of our land, preachers who quit preaching popularistic sermons but instead call God's people to turn to Him in repentance, this would definitely invite a move of the Holy Spirit God, Who would heal and revive our land.
More than hearing their prayers, God also thundered over their enemies, discomfited them, and restored to Israel all the cities that the Philistines had taken. If we resolved to genuine repentance, God would look at us favourably, He would heal our broken homes and marriages. He would restore our husbands and wives that have been taken captives by drugs and their peers. God would make our families and churches that have for the most part experienced pain and defeat and our nation that has known falsehood, betrayal, corruption, and bloodshed know peace for once.
1 SAMUEL 8
Like every parent would desire, Samuel wanted the very best for his boys and so he made them judges over God's people. Unfortunately, his sons were not qualified for the jobs, they were corrupt! As it's always the case people are unforgiving and quick to point out the failures of the leaders, and those of their children or family. It was not any different this time. They all came and demanded for Samuel to appoint them a human leader so as to be like other nations. Needless to say, Samuel must have been hurt by the direction his sons had taken and that they were rejected but, it is important to note that Samuel's main displeasure was not because Israel rejected his son but because they rejected his God. Do we get more offended when people malign or violate our person, family, reputation, ego and rights than when they disregard or blaspheme our God? What offends us most only goes to tell what we value most.
We are told that it was Samuel who made his sons judges. Had he enquired of the LORD possibly he could have saved himself some of this agony and humiliation. It's always right to consult the Lord, even when the choice seems obvious. You may be surprised that what seems obvious may totally be against God's will. Leadership comes from God. All the same, regrettably but humbly, Samuel accepted that his sons had messed up and were therefore unqualified to lead God's people. As Samuel did, it's always good to accept the reality as it is and seek God's direction.
God told Samuel that they had rejected His rule over them. They wanted to be like the heathen nations and told Samuel to let them have their way. He however cautioned them that the king that they preferred over God would take advantage and exploit them. Anything that we choose over God turns out to be a loss and we end up bearing the yoke of its cruel servitude. Any yoke apart from that of Christ is a heavy yoke. Even after they were warned by God through His Seer Samuel, they still demanded a king. God allowed them to have their way, it was only a question of time before God and His servant were proven right. We are to be tender and easily entreated when God warns us about what we may like or envision as good. He knows what is good for us and if He closes a door that we so much desire to enter, we should not try to forge the key because a forged key may yes open the door but only to find out that the closed door was what kept us from the contamination of the rot behind it.
Oh please Lord, don't let me have my way!
1 SAMUEL 9
After Israel rejected God as their invisible King Who had led, protected, and provided for them all the way, God allowed them to have their way in having a human king. We call this God's permissive will, where He may allow something even though it may not be His perfect will. He picked them the best of the best, Saul a young man who was endowed with looks, repute and good parentage. While all these good things could be said of Saul, nothing could be said about his or his family's relationship with God. Possibly, there was nothing said about it because there was nothing to be said. Saul represented how Israel was. They looked good externally, but their hearts were turned away from God. No man, regardless of his external endowments whether beauty or brains, power or position could or should take the place of God in our lives.
Saul was not a self-seeking man at this point as we do not see him looking for Samuel to anoint him king, but nothing suggests that he was a godly man. That he had to be told about the man of God, the Seer Samuel, when and where to get him is quite telling as to what might have been his spiritual condition. God orchestrated everything to give Israel what they had asked for as Saul was about his normal duties. God picks people for the assignments He wants them to do from where they are, doing what they should be doing. You don't have to fight or manipulate for a promotion or position, you just need to continue doing what you're supposed to be doing. Saul was humble as it is evident in his subsequent demeanour, but will he stay that way? That is always the question. Many people have been destroyed by fame, power and riches than poverty and their lack thereof. Don't dance when God lets you have your way after turning a deaf ear to His caution, instead turn quickly into contrite repentance because like Israel, you soon discover that there is a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof are the ways of death. Praise God that through all Israel's hard-heartedness, there was one man who remained faithful in doing what God commanded.
Samuel, Hannah's boy, became the great Seer of Jehovah. He had seen his parents love and worship the God of Israel even when the leaders in Shiloh were evil. No wonder they raised a boy who took a stand when the whole Israel rejected their God.
1 SAMUEL 10
Samuel anointed Saul by pouring oil on his head as a symbol of how God had chosen him and poured His Spirit on him for the task. In the New Testament era, all Christians have received the divine outpouring of the blessed Holy Spirit to aid us in the task of glorifying God with our lives. As this oil was not to be imitated, so also is the work of the Holy Spirit. As he was anointed, Samuel reminded him that his task was to be a leader of God's inheritance, Israel. When God calls to lead His people, we should never forget that the people belong to Him and not to us. The moment a leader forgets that, he forgets to lead and stops being a servant and becomes a tyrant.
Samuel gave Saul some specific signs. The sign of the 3 men with 3 loaves giving 2 of those to a stranger was quite unusual but these signs were to prove the authenticity of what Samuel told him. Before this time Saul doesn't seem to have been a spiritual man and therefore for him to prophesy or speak under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit like the prophets of God in their presence was a confirmation to all that God had anointed and changed him for the task. After all this, Saul was commanded to wait for Samuel at Gilgal. This was a big test for Saul - submission to God's authority - because kings don’t wait for anyone. God had chosen and equipped Saul for the task He gave him. Saul started well but the question is whether Saul would maintain such an attitude. God has chosen us and given us the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. While it is important how we start, it is even more important how we end.
1 SAMUEL 11
After the Ammonites besieged Jabesh Gilead, Saul gathered the whole of Israel to rescue their brethren. This was Saul's first battle to lead in which God gave him great victory as a way of affirming his kingship to Israel and other nations. As the context suggests, some had doubted and even despised his kingship.
God in His goodness did not reject Israel even though they had rejected Him and He gave them victory. After Saul's great victory over the Ammonites, some Israelites became vengeful. They wanted to slay their fellow tribesmen who had not supported the new king. Good thing Saul did not lower himself to preside over that. We should never try to revenge on those who disapprove, oppose or hate us when God comes through for us because vengeance belongs to Me, says the Lord.
The Ammonites demanded that the Israelites become their slaves. They had forgotten that these were people that God had delivered and defended passionately. The mighty Egyptians could not contain them, how could the Ammonites, the sons of Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughters, again enslave the sons of the righteous Abraham to such cruelty? There was only one way that this could happen; if God's covenant people forget who they were and the victory that God had called them to, if they sold themselves out to such slavery by forsaking their God. It's also true for us today. We become slaves to the devil and his cruelty when we choose to entangle ourselves again to sin. Christ has set us free but the devil still threatens our freedom.
Also, there are many of our brethren, who like the men of Jabesh Gilead, have been cornered by the enemy. It is our responsibility to come to their rescue through prayers, care and reaching out to them. Should we sit and deafen our ears to the outcry of our brethren? The men of Jabesh Gilead will stand a witness against our excuses before the Bema seat of Christ.
When others despise or hurt you, don't dare at all seek vengeance against them even when an opportunity presents itself because such an act will turn out to be your undoing. Love those who do not love you or those who speak ill of you for such goes the law of Christ.
1 SAMUEL 12
Samuel rehearsed with Israel how God had been gracious to them despite their disobedience and how they had now made it even worse by asking for a king. Israel admitted and regretted their guilt and God accepted them even though their sin was heinous. God offers forgiveness to His people when they come to Him in genuine repentance.
Samuel called on the people as witnesses for his integrity. That he said his sons were with the people seems to indicate that he had stripped them of any leadership roles and so they were with the common as the rest of the people. All Israel testified of Samuel's integrity. What can those whom we lead say about our integrity?
God is committed to His people and the only thing that hurts this relationship is sin. Samuel took the responsibility of praying for those whom he led very seriously. He regarded it as sinful not to pray for them. If only we could take the responsibility of praying for our families and fellow Christians that seriously.
1 SAMUEL 13
Saul marshaled the first of Israel's professional army with his son Jonathan proving to be a skilled general. They defeated the Philistines and became an abomination to them. Our enemy likes it when we are under his control. When we submit to his dictates, the enemy and the world may even like us, but when we trust the Lord and take the victory that is ours, we become an abomination to the enemy. This victory was followed by Saul's biggest test yet. Saul had led the nation to win his first battle but will he be able to handle success? Many people actually end up being destroyed by success and fame because they don't know how to handle it.
Soon after, the Philistines regrouped in numbers far much greater than the Israelites. Upon learning this, Saul decided to take matters in his own hands. He made the sacrifice because Samuel had delayed coming as he had said and so doing he defied God's way. One may wonder, what else could Saul have done with the enemy advancing and people looking up to him? This I dare answer with another question, 'wasn't God aware that the enemy was closing in on His people? Wasn't there history to refer to how Moses told Israel to stand still and see the Salvation of the LORD? And didn't God defend them even when there seemed to be no way out? The Red Sea incident plus many others had been heralded throughout the subsequent generations of Israel. Saul was privy to all this; it was a question of trusting God. But before we crucify Saul on the gallery of our self-righteousness, we should remember how many times we take shortcuts and take matters in our own hands because God seems not to fit in our schedule.
It's unfortunate that only the leaders of Israel had weapons and the few they had, they had to take to the Philistines for sharpening. It's failed leadership when leaders, whether parents, pastors or governments fail to equip their subjects with necessary tools and weaponry to combat the enemies of their day. We fail when we let our children and members seek for guidance about their faith and life in general from the world. The world is our enemy; how can we dare go to the world to seek for help on how to defeat it? It is a lack of trust in God and failure on our part when we don't equip our people because they will have nothing to combat the advances of the enemy when that time comes, and that time does come many times.
1 SAMUEL 14
Jonathan trusted God to deliver the Philistines into his hands. He believed that God's deliverance is not based on numbers. God set the Philistines against each other. King Saul gave an order that nobody was to eat anything until he had completed the battle. To order people who are fighting not to eat was unreasonable. We must be careful to give instructions or orders that are reasonable to those whom we lead. It was hard for people to keep such an oath and so they violated it and in so doing they sinned. Saul had created an occasion for people to sin in eating meat with blood, something God had commanded not to done.
Saul continued in taking matters in his own hands, in that he charged people to pursue and plunder the Philistines without first consulting the Lord. How hypocritical it was for Saul that he built an altar to the Lord but then he moved on to make such a critical decision without consulting God. It took the Priest of God to remind Saul that they needed to consult God. There are many Christians who like Saul, may appear religious, attend church, give well-polished testimonies of how they love God but in actual fact are disobedient to God. They run their own lives and make decisions without caring what God thinks.
The Lord did not answer him and Saul gathered the people and continued his onslaught against them. He again made a vow to kill whoever violated his bizarre command. Little did he know it was Jonathan his son who would break his law and now, he was going to have him killed. Saul had become so hysterical and unreasonable to lead. Just like him, people of such caricature are not fit to lead. We must be careful how we lead and what we require of those who we lead. Unreasonable demands become unbearable to the people and turn out to be our own undoing.
The people disagreed with Saul's bizarre decision of killing Jonathan. It one thing and actually normal to have a few fellows of the bad intent discredit and oppose your leadership, but it is a nail to the coffin on your leadership when all those who you lead vehemently oppose and reject your leadership. These events marked the beginning of the end of Saul. He was drunk with power, he became abusive to the people that God had called him to serve. He did not know how to handle power. He forgot that God is the ultimate authority and any authority a human has is given by God. He became his own boss and forgot to be 'little in his own eyes,' and for this, he would pay the ultimate price. God rejected him.
I will not claim to know why his family tree is recorded after these bizarre events, but in a way I view it as a eulogy to the demise of his leadership. When we lead, the temptation to fall for unreasonable, selfish, and dictatorial habits come easy. May the Lord help us even when we dictate to remember to be gracious, reasonable, and benevolent with our dictatorship, and to remember that He is the ultimate authority and not us.
1 SAMUEL 15
Samuel began by calling Saul to the realization that God was the ultimate authority, the One Who put him to be king. Now, God was giving Saul very clear and express orders to exterminate the Amalekites for their cruel handling of God's people. With this, Saul had his marching orders. It was one more chance for Saul to redeem himself from the previous disobediences, but will he? Again, Saul decided to play the boss. The orders were clear but he spared king Agag, he also spared the fatlings in the name of sacrificing them to God. Didn't God know that those animals could be used for sacrifice when He ordered Saul to exterminate all of them? It's surprising how hypocritical people can get in their disobedience to the Lord. Many times we spiritualize our disobedience but like Dr. Sr Bob Jones used to say, "you don't do wrong in order to get a chance to do right”. When God gives us instructions, we are to obey them without amendments.
In his disobedience, God still gave Saul victory over the Amalekites, but he erected a monument for himself. In so doing, he was taking the credit instead of giving glory to God. Upon being confronted by Samuel about his utter disobedience to the LORD's orders, Saul lied and argued that he had actually obeyed, but, when Samuel pointed out the evidence of his disobedience, the bleating of the sheep, Saul refused to own up and blamed it on the people. Samuel equated his sin to that of witchcraft and idolatry; sins that were heinous before God and punishable by death. Those who committed such sins were to be stoned to death, and his sin was not any different. It's a serious thing to violate God's clear instructions that He has given us in His Word. With this, Saul had sealed his fate, for what more could be done to him, he was rejected by God!
After all this, Saul pretended to repent but, it's clear that he was not being genuine. He disobeyed God because he feared the people and now again he was more concerned about Samuel honouring him before the elders of Israel than he was concerned about honouring and obeying God. Saul was a man-pleaser. He cared more about what people said about him than what God said about him. He was like the Christian who would rather offend God and please his buddies. It is probable that the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul may have lied expecting favours from David (2Sam. 1:4-10), but it's very sad the Amalekite of whom Saul had refused to exterminate was there to witness and report of his death. We should be quick to own up our sins and genuinely seek forgiveness from God.
Are we excusing our sin by spiritualizing it? Are we choosing to honour our friends more than God? As Saul would find out, such choices are very costly. Any sin that we excuse and habour in our lives when God has clearly ordered us to forsake it, will be there as a mockery to our folly when God says enough. Praise God, He is a God of another chance but we are not to take His grace for granted, there is such a thing as the last chance with God.
1 SAMUEL 16
It always brings sorrow to God and it should to us also when His servants fall and turn away from following Him. Saul had wasted and abused all the opportunities that God had given him. God had rejected him and now he sent Samuel to get a replacement for Saul. That Samuel feared that Saul could actually kill him, being the Seer of God shows just how low Saul had sunk. Like Samuel, the servants of the Lord are to do what God commands even when it seems unpopular or risky. Samuel arrived at Bethlehem in search of the new king that God would show him and the elders trembled at his presence in town. Again, this shows how guilty the people were and felt courtesy of Saul's disobedience. The sin of the leaders makes people live in fear and guilt. Samuel began to look from among the sons of Jesse, one with the outward qualities like Saul but God corrected that. He looks at the inside, our hearts, not as men look. Samuel was a faithful servant of the LORD and he would not rest until he accomplished His will.
When David showed up even Samuel dismissed him. Nobody would have had the slightest idea of a young herds boy being the king of Israel. Some times people may count us out just because we may not be endowed with what this world considers important but what matters is what God thinks and knows about us. After the Spirit of the LORD left Saul and a distressing one came upon him, David became the man to comfort him with music. David was recommended to Saul as a very skilled musician. Who would have thought that some music by a little shepherd would pave a way for him to the palace? Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all excellence for you don't know where it will take you or how God would use it.
David's godly character was evident in many ways. He was willing to patiently serve Saul while God's anointing oil had been poured on him as the next king. How many presidents-elect would be willing to serve as a servant boy to a failed king who has been rejected not only by people but by God Himself? And for this, David was content to wait and be the king in God's time and God's way. You talk of humility!
Please Lord, help us to do with excellence what you put in our hands to do and to serve those whom you put above us even when they are bad and undeserving because You lift up those who humble themselves and abase those who lift themselves up.
1 SAMUEL 17
Saul and all the trained soldiers were not willing to face off Goliath when he threatened God's people. But, the little shepherd boy, the harp player, David, believed that there was a cause to fight and die for. His people Israel, but above all, the Name of the LORD was at stake. For this, he risked his very life. A Christian who is worth his salt or worth of leadership among God's people must be one who has a cause to live for, one who is ready to risk whatever he needs to for that same cause. We live in a time when many people are not committed to anything. Many Christians cannot forgo their personal comfort, fame or personal ambitions let alone their lives for the cause of Christ. A life that has no cause to live for lives just for self and it is a wasted life. Unfortunately, there are many who have no cause to live for, and even when they claim to have one, they are so non-commital that even a child would have a difficult time believing such a claim. David's commitment to God and to Israel was unquestionable. When the rest were not willing to trust God to help them slay the giant, David dared trust God. He took God at His Word and stood by that. Show me a person who by faith in our great God is ready to commit or even risk all for the sake of Christ, and I will show you a person who God will use to do exploits. Though he may be lacking in the endowments of this world, like David of old, who had no armour, no experience, no moral support, God will use him to slay dreaded giants and bring singing to the hearts of many.
All the odds were against David. There was no way humanly speaking that he could face and kill Goliath, he was untrained, young and inexperienced, belittled, despised and discouraged by his brothers, without armour for combat and unknown to Abner the general. He was so "insignificant" that even king Saul to whom he played music did not know whose son he was. But despite all this, David was willing to take a step of faith. Do you have doubters and discouragers telling you how much you cannot do this or that? Trust God to give the victory and do what God puts in your heart to do for His cause. Beware that, like it was for David, some of our best discouragers are people who are close to us, friends, and family members.
David had seen God grant him victory. We can trust God Who has come through for us before, to do it again. The same God Who helped us to slay a 'lion' and a 'bear' will again help us to slay even life-threatening giants. In fact, He will slay them for us. An opportunity for David to shine had come, actually God had worked it out and brought it to pass. A point of caution though, don't waste your time trying to create an opportunity for you to shine, don't manipulate anything, because you will spoil it all. God will create that opportunity for you as He did with David, in His time in His way.
1 SAMUEL 18
David's faith in God had brought singing of joy to Israel. God turned the hearts of Jonathan and all the people to favour him. Saul also favoured David, only that his favour was selfishly motivated. It turned to jealousy as soon as Saul noticed that David's star was shining brighter. But David behaved himself wisely. He never tried to topple Saul, but he served him faithfully. Like I have said before, many people and especially young people fail because they don't know how to handle fame and success. When they find that they are succeeding or maybe receiving more praise than their bosses, they stop being loyal to their bosses. They start turning people's loyalty to themselves in readiness for a takeover. Such a move is not only unwise but it also proves that such a person is not fit for leadership. He cannot make a good leader, he will abuse authority because he has not learned to be under authority.
Saul hated David and actually tried to kill him. He schemed for ways to get David killed but God protected him. Just remember that as God prospers you, some may hate you for that and even seek to harm you, but this is no reason for you to hate or fight them back. If you have a malicious boss, don't be tempted to undermine, outdo or fight him. Serve him faithfully and leave such matters with God. On the other hand, if God has given you a position of authority, you are not to become jealous when you see others coming up. A good leader loves to see those whom he is leading doing even better than him. It would have been easy for David topple Saul. He had the people behind him, he was everyone's darling and above all he had been picked and anointed by God for the job, but he waited for God's timing. Trust God and allow Him to defend you when you find yourself in such matters.
1 SAMUEL 19
Saul had become so consumed with getting rid of David that it was no longer a secret. He clearly instructed his servants to kill David and humanly speaking, David did not have a chance. God showed His favour to David through Saul's son Jonathan and daughter Michal. You talk of God beating the devil at his own game! When a man's ways please the Lord, He even makes his enemies to dwell at peace with him.
Even after being cautioned by Jonathan, still Saul did not relent from his venomous range against innocent David. He was committed to shedding innocent blood. He refused to listen to Samuel the servant of God, his children, and most of all he refused to listen to God. Surely, Saul was headed for self-destruction. People who are disobedient to God tend to have jealousy and hatred against those who are obedient to Him. Don't fret or fear when people of bad intent mock, hate, fight, or even seek to harm you because you are doing what is right. God knows how to deal with those and how to protect you from them. He knows how protect His own; you wonder what was the purpose of Michal's lies to her Dad? Could God have protected David against Saul without lies? It's clear from this and other subsequent instances that Michal was not a very spiritual person. She did what she knew and God spared David's life, not because of her lies, but despite them. She seemed to have gotten David into this self-protective gimmick because from there on, we see David getting involved in telling lies in order to 'protect' himself. Despite his lies, God delivered him, but David really got himself into serious problems. Am convinced that he could have lessened his heartache if only he let God handle it. All this was unnecessary because God was able to protect and deliver him without his lies. Lying or deception is never God's way of getting us out of trouble. We only complicate our situation when we resolve to lying or deception in an effort to 'help' or 'protect' ourselves. Praise God that, as He did for David He still shows us kindness despite our failures. Many are the tribulations of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
1 SAMUEL 20
David got so scared of Saul that he resolved to abandon Samuel at Naioth. One wonders whether there was any need for David to flee from Naioth where Samuel the Seer of God was. His faith was faltering that he schemed subsequent lies as a way of getting out of the many troubles he was experiencing. It was good that David was sharing his heartaches with a close and trusted friend but unfortunately, his plea for help seems to be motivated by self-pity and lack of faith in what God had said about him. Now, he seemed to have taken matters in his own hands, to protect himself against Saul. Jonathan knew that he was forfeiting the kingdom for David and David too knew his friendship with Jonathan risked his very life. There is much, no doubt, we can learn from their unselfishness but you wonder how much helpful it could have been for both of them if only they stopped scheming lies and deception in an effort to protect themselves and consulted God or prayed. When confronted with life-threatening experiences, it is all too easy to opt to trust God and also ourselves. We resort to that old-time 'verse', 'God helps those who help themselves'. Trusting God to protect us doesn't mean that we fail to take caution and become careless but it means with all that, we rest in the fact that God is in charge.
Again, I wonder how peaceful David's plight could have been if only the two buddies resolved to prayer and waited to see the Salvation of the Lord. The enemy loves when we show him the back, it makes us feel that we have lost the battle. Even when the enemy seems overpowering, be wise and take caution but don't forget to trust God and pray. Don't opt to lies or deceptive schemes because that only shows that you are actually trusting yourself and mot God anymore. David should have just sought direction from the LORD instead of resorting to all this. We create more problems for ourselves when we start trusting our schemes or cleverness more than God.
1 SAMUEL 21
After fleeing Naioth where Samuel the Seer of God was, David came to Ahimelech the Priest of God in Nob. That he had left the Seer, one would expect that David would be content to stay with the Priest, but instead he lied also to Ahimelech and fled to Achish the king of Gath. That David would lie to and abandon the Priest of God doesn't make any sense. Would it not have been better if he told the man of God the truth and consulted with him? David's deception and self-protective schemes were getting him deeper into problems.
The servant of Saul, Doeg, who was there overhead and oversaw it all. He reported to Saul how Ahimelech had fed David and given him the spear of Goliath. The act of taking a spear made Saul believe that David was actually ready to fight him. David was not consulting God, he seemed to have become wise in his own eyes and he was making many mistakes.
Ahimelech had believed David's lies when he attended to his needs and those of his men. If David had told Abimelech the truth, possibly, he could have invited him to stay with him or at least given him some godly counsel. Unfortunately, David lied to the man of God in an effort to protect himself and fled to an enemy's territory, to Achish the king of the Philistines. When a Christian opts to be deceptive as a way of protecting or helping himself, he only makes his problems worse. It was only wishful for David to think that Achish, whose champion (Goliath) he had slain would give him a warm diplomatic welcome. Therefore, David opted to come up with another deceptive mechanism to protect himself still. As it always happens to Christians who choose such, David sunk deeper into serious problems. Would it not have been easier if he stayed with Samuel the Seer or Ahimelech the Priest? Trusting self to solve problems doesn't do it, we must learn to trust God when the devil throws such attacks on us.
1 SAMUEL 22
David's plan was not working good for him. There was no asylum for him among the Philistines. How could he expect the Philistines to give him a heroic welcome after killing their champion, Goliath? So, David fled to Adullam, and his family and all who were distressed came to him. After Saul's servant Doeg told him that Ahimelech had fed David and given him the spear of Goliath, he ordered for the murdering of Ahimelech and the priests of God, eighty-five of them. Ahimelech had believed David's lies when he attended to the needs of David and his men. One wonders if all this could have happened had David stayed with Samuel or never left Naioth. Could Abimelech have dealt with the situation differently if David had told him the truth? Saul had stained his hands with the blood of innocent men of God, and his guilt cannot be shared but one wonders if David had a part in the death of these men through his self-protective lies. Schemes and lies that a child of God opts to for self-protection may turn out to bear a very great harm that wasn't intended.
The brutal murdering of the servants of God seems to have woken David up. His self-protective schemes were very costly. Saul's sins had raised to irredeemable heights and he was going to die and David had better start consulting and seeking the Lord. Gad instructed him to return to Judah. This was his home, where his tribe, family and friends were. His running away from home only brought much distress and disgrace. Really, running away from God's people just because we are hated, fought, or disliked does not make things any better. Staying around God's people when we are going through trouble helps. They can encourage, counsel, help and most of all pray for us. When the enemy attacks or you get hurt, don't run away from church because you create more problems for yourself and others.
1 SAMUEL 23
David returned to Judah as Prophet Gad instructed and he was consulting God if he should go to fight the Philistines who were attacking Keilah. Now, David had started consulting God and listening to Him and that would save him a lot of trouble. Oh, that we could learn to pray and listen to God instead of taking matters to ourselves and being wise in our own eyes. Surprising that the people of Keilah would still betray David to his enemy, Saul after he had delivered them. Don't fret if someone you helped out turns around and betrays you. Even Saul had been helped by David and now he was trying all he could to destroy him but God did not deliver him to his hands. He almost got him but God did not allow it. "The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming." (Psa. 37:13,14). You may feel like the enemy or a life-threatening situation is closing in on you; do fret but call on the Lord and trust Him to deliver you.
1 SAMUEL 24
A grand opportunity availed itself for David to avenge himself and get rid of Saul but he would not. He let God be the Avenger. David was fit to lead, he had passed a great and an important test. He was not like Saul. But, one may wonder why God allowed David to go through such testing? For David to be trusted, he needed to be tested. He needed to learn to trust and depend on the Lord and not in himself, and with this, he seemed to have learned the lesson well. A man's faith, integrity, and fitness to lead are gauged by how well he loves and forgives those who hate and seek to do him harm. David had learned to leave matters in the hands of God. We are on our way to great victory when seek no revenge on those who hate or hurt us ; when we simply learn to leave matters and our enemies in the hands of God. A child of God, many times wins by losing.
1 SAMUEL 25
Samuel had greatly been used of God to do His work. He laid the foundation for levitical service (1Chr.9:22), began collecting treasures for the Solomonic temple (1Chr. 26:27-28), kept the Passover and reminded Israel of God's great deliverance (2Chr. 35:18), interceded for Israel (Psa. 99:6, Jer. 15:1), and was a giant of faith (Heb. 11:33). He did his part and that is what we must do, our part realizing that God's work does not depend nor stop with us.
But, there was Nabal, a rich man. There are four kinds of riches. One can be rich in what he has, what he does, what he knows or what he is (character). The first is the lowest of them all and it is what Nabal had. Nabal was brutish and foolish but his wife, Abigail was kind and wise. She had stayed with her brutish husband and even pleaded for him. There are many Abigails married to Nabals today. Those who find themselves in such situations should faithfully and submissively fulfill their wifely roles trusting that God will reward them in due course. Oh 'Abigail', open your mouth with wisdom and your heart to the law of kindness because the payday will surely come. For those with a disposition like that of Nabal, wisdom teaches that you humbly regard and listen to those under your domain of leadership. But, even better is to forsake wrath and like David put your sword into its sheath for the Lord fights you.
1 SAMUEL 26
Both Saul and David had opportunities. David got a chance to strike his enemy, but he used this as an opportunity to prove that he was not bitter, vengeful or full of hate. On the other hand, Saul had repeatedly seen that David was innocent of what he accused of and this was an opportunity to learn from David's example and to repent but truly he was very hypocritical in his repentance. Now, he had brought three thousand soldiers to hunt for and kill David. God had allowed David to go through tough trials but He preserved and took care of him all the way. He never allowed Saul to touch him. God allows His children sometimes to go through the fire. However, many times He does not get us out of the fire but He goes with us through the fire. He guides our every step as we trust Him. When those circumstances come our way, we can use them as a way to prove our faith and dependence in the Lord. But like Saul, such times can reveal our hate, selfishness, envy, anger, bitterness and jealousy. By this, we allow tests and trials to become our downfall but like David, we can use them as stepping stones for climbing to greater heights. Are you through undeserved opposition or mistreatment? We can turn oppositions into opportunities by trusting God and letting Him pave the way for us. As always, the choice is yours, you can go to the school of the son of Kish or of the son of Jesse.
1 SAMUEL 27
Like we all do, David's faith lapsed again and he went to seek for protection from an enemy, Achish, the king of the Philistines in Gath. Such a move got David into lying again. Old habits die hard. David had seen God deliver him from Saul, how is it that now he retreated to the same sinful habit? Are you discouraged because you find yourself falling into the same sin repeatedly? It's human to fail but it's defeat to accept failure and to live under continual domination of sin. Christ died to deliver us from the penalty, power, and practice of sin. Better still, Christ has given us the blessed Holy Spirit to aid us to overcome sin. The holy Writ cautions us not to retreat to sin as a swine that goes back to wallow in the mire after it has been washed or a dog that returns to its vomit because Christ has set us free. A righteous man falls seven times (completely) but he rises up again, but he who is repeatedly warned and hardens his heart will break his neck and that without remedy. That was the difference between David and Saul.
1 SAMUEL 28
It's surprising how low and wicked people can become when they turn their backs on God. Saul, a choice man, anointed by God stopped listening to Him and now he had gone as low as consulting a witch. All these sins that Saul was committing were punishable by death and surely Saul would die. Even as he seeks the help of a witch he still knows that Samuel would be the right person to tell him the truth. It is unfortunate that many times people realize their real friends when it's too late. Saul had gone so low that more than visiting a witch, he was asking her to break the law he was supposed to guard. That Samuel appeared doesn't mean that the witch had anything to do with it. Actually, she was a mere spectator to how the choice man of God chatting his way to self-destruction. The Lord was going to deal with an errant servant of His, and she was scared. Saul had been endowed with many opportunities and he wasted them all. He was never genuine in his repentance. Don't be deceived, God is not mocked and to whomsoever much is given, much is required.
1 SAMUEL 29
God providentially hindered David from fighting against Israel. He wanted to prove his worth and gratitude to the king of the Philistines, Achish and therefore he offered himself to for him against the Israelites. He even pushed to be allowed to go and fight against Israel. When the princes of the Philistines, David was not satisfied, he felt that he should have been allowed. He didn't know what God was sparing him. Soon he was going to be the king in Israel, what kind of a leader could he have been to Israel if he had been allowed to murder them? But God that he would soon be the king. We must learn to take no for an answer from God because that could be our lifeline to greater blessings. Like David, many times we try to join the world to fight our fellow brethren. Such a caricature is not by our Master also.
1 SAMUEL 30
David had "lost' on all sides. Saul had been pursuing him everywhere to kill him, king Achish's men whom he had taken refuge with had disowned him, the Amalekites had taken captive wife, children and everything else, and to fill up the cup of his woes the people he was leading turned against him and wanted to stone him. Where else could he turn? He encouraged himself in the LORD. A child of God must learn to encourage himself in the LORD like David because such times do come. Times come when all may turn against you and when nothing seems to work. Instead of reacting to the problem, David sought the mind of the LORD. He not only wanted to know if he was to pursue the Philistines but if he would also defeat them and recover everything. There's never a need to get involved in a battle that you know you will lose. We can be sure of victory if we let God do it for us. But when He gives us victory, we should not be like the scoundrels who wanted to keep the spoils only for themselves. Every soldier in the Lord 's army counts and so we should value the part that each plays in the Lord's work.
1 SAMUEL 31
The book ends tragically with Saul, his three sons, his armour bearer and his men dying the same day under the hands of their archenemies, the Philistines. Now, Saul was out of the way, and guess what; David was innocent of his blood. He never even once tried to undermine, insubordinate or even topple him. David allowed God to do it all, that is called passing the test. David is indisputably the next king. The chapter is short but what more could be said, Saul had refused rebuke and correction, thus he had broken his neck and that without remedy. Such is the case of those who refuse correction or rebuke. Praise God for the opportunities He graciously gives us to trust Him. Our lives will serve as a good example or a warning to others. The choice is always ours.