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The Book of 1 Samuel Like You_ve Never Seen Before · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: There was a man named Elcanna who had two wives.
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  Speaker 1: Paninna had children, but Hannah was unable to have any.
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  Speaker 1: Every year, the whole family would go up to the
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  Speaker 1: city of Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: In vers Samuel one four to five, we see how
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  Speaker 1: the family dynamic worked. Whenever the day came for Elcana
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  Speaker 1: to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to
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  Speaker 1: his wife Paninna and to all her sons and daughters.
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  Speaker 1: But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he
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  Speaker 1: loved her and the Lord had closed her womb. Year
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  Speaker 1: after year it was the same. The family would go
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  Speaker 1: to Shiloh, and Paninna never missed an opportunity to provoke
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  Speaker 1: Hannah for not having children. In Verse Samuel one to six,
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  Speaker 1: we see how deeply this affected Hannah. Because the Lord
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  Speaker 1: had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in
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  Speaker 1: order to irritate her. Hannah would weep so much that
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  Speaker 1: she couldn't even eat. Elcana tried to comfort her, and
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  Speaker 1: in first Samuel one eight, he asked, Hannah, why are
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  Speaker 1: you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted?
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  Speaker 1: Don't I mean more to you than ten sons. On
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  Speaker 1: one of those trips to Shiloh, after the meal, Hannah
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  Speaker 1: got up. Her heart was broken. She entered the tabernacle
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  Speaker 1: and began to pray. But this wasn't just any prayer.
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  Speaker 1: It was a desperate plea, a silent cry, a solemn vow.
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  Speaker 1: In verse Samuel one eleven, we read her words, Lord Almighty,
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  Speaker 1: if you will only look on your servants misery and
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  Speaker 1: remember me, and not forget your servant, but give her
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  Speaker 1: a son, then I will give him to the Lord
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  Speaker 1: for all the days of his life, and no razor
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  Speaker 1: will ever be used on his head. Hannah prayed in silence,
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  Speaker 1: only her lips were moving. That's when Eli, the priest
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  Speaker 1: saw her. In first Samuel one thirteen to fourteen, we
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  Speaker 1: see how he misunderstood what was happening. Hannah was praying
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  Speaker 1: in her heart and her lips were moving, but her
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  Speaker 1: voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and
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  Speaker 1: said to her, how long are you going to stay drunk?
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  Speaker 1: Put away your wine? But Hannah responded with dignity. In
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  Speaker 1: verse Samuel one fifteen sixteen, she explains, not so, my Lord.
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  Speaker 1: I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have
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  Speaker 1: not been drinking wine or beer. I was pouring out
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  Speaker 1: my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant
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  Speaker 1: for a wicked woman. I have been praying here out
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  Speaker 1: of my great anguish and grief. Eli then completely changed
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  Speaker 1: his approach. In verse Samuel one seventeen, we read his blessing,
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  Speaker 1: Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant
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  Speaker 1: you what you have asked of him. Hannah left that
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  Speaker 1: place changed in verse Samuel one eighteen, we noticed the difference.
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  Speaker 1: May your servant find favor in your eyes. Then she
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  Speaker 1: went her way and ate something, and her face was
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  Speaker 1: no longer downcast. Elkana and Hannah returned to their home
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  Speaker 1: in Ramah, and what happened was exactly what Hannah had
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  Speaker 1: prayed for. In first Samuel one nineteen twenty, we see
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  Speaker 1: the result of her faith. Early the next morning, they
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  Speaker 1: arose and worshiped before the Lord, and then went back
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  Speaker 1: to their home at Ramah. Elcana made love to his
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  Speaker 1: wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the
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  Speaker 1: course of time, Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to
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  Speaker 1: a son. She named him Samuel, saying, because I asked
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  Speaker 1: the Lord for him. The name Samuel is directly tied
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  Speaker 1: to the request Hannah made. It means heard by God
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  Speaker 1: or asked of God. It was the perfect reminder of
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  Speaker 1: the miracle that had taken place. When the time came
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  Speaker 1: for the next annual trip to the tabernacle, Hannah chose
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  Speaker 1: to stay behind. In verse Samuel one twenty two, she
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  Speaker 1: explains to her husband, after the boy is weaned, I
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  Speaker 1: will take him and present him before the Lord, and
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  Speaker 1: he will live there always. Elcana agreed, as we see
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  Speaker 1: in first Samuel one twenty three, do what seems best
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  Speaker 1: to you, stay here until you have weaned him. Only
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  Speaker 1: may the Lord make good his word. Eventually the day came.
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  Speaker 1: Samuel was probably around three to five years old. When
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  Speaker 1: he was weaned. Hannah brought him to the tabernacle in
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  Speaker 1: Shiloh along with a generous offering. In verse Samuel one
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  Speaker 1: twenty four twenty five, we see what she brought After
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  Speaker 1: he was weaned. She took the boy with her, young
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  Speaker 1: as he was, along with a three year old bull,
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  Speaker 1: an effort of flour, and a skin of wine, and
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  Speaker 1: brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.
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  Speaker 1: When the bull had been sacrificed. They brought the boy
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  Speaker 1: to Eli. Once there, Hannah approached Eli and reminded him
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  Speaker 1: of that moment years earlier. In First Samuel one twenty
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  Speaker 1: six to twenty seven, she says, pardon me, my Lord,
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  Speaker 1: as surely as you live, I am the woman who
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  Speaker 1: stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed
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  Speaker 1: for this child, and the Lord has granted me what
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  Speaker 1: I asked of him. Then came the time to fulfill
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  Speaker 1: her vow. Hannah loved her son deeply. She had waited
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  Speaker 1: so long for him, but she loved God and his
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  Speaker 1: word even more. In First Samuel one twenty eighth, she declares,
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  Speaker 1: so now I give him to the Lord for his
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  Speaker 1: whole life. He will be given over to the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: The Bible then simply states, and he worshiped the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: There After this, Hannah expressed her gratitude in a beautiful
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  Speaker 1: song now known as Hannah's prayer. It's a poetic and
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  Speaker 1: powerful expression of praise. In verse Samuel two one to two,
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  Speaker 1: she begins, my heart rejoices in the Lord. In the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: My horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies,
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  Speaker 1: for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one
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  Speaker 1: wholly like the Lord. There is no one besides you.
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  Speaker 1: There is no rock like our God. Her song continues
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  Speaker 1: describing how God reverses the fortunes of the humble and
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  Speaker 1: the proud. In Firse Samuel two seven eight, she proclaims,
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  Speaker 1: the Lord sends poverty and wealth. He humbles and he exalts.
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  Speaker 1: He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the
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  Speaker 1: needy from the ash heap. He seats them with princes
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  Speaker 1: and has them inherit a throne of honor. Hannah finishes
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  Speaker 1: her song with words that sound prophetic. In First Samuel
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  Speaker 1: two ten, those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
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  Speaker 1: The most high will thunder from heaven. The Lord will
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  Speaker 1: judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength
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  Speaker 1: to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.
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  Speaker 1: After that, Elcana and Hannah went back home, but the
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  Speaker 1: boy Samuel, stayed behind to serve the Lord under the
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  Speaker 1: care of the priest Eli. In First Samuel two eleven
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  Speaker 1: we see this difficult separation. Then Elkana went home to Ramah,
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  Speaker 1: but the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli. The
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  Speaker 1: priest life away from his parents wasn't easy for such
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  Speaker 1: a young boy, but Hannah never forgot him. In First
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  Speaker 1: Samuel two nineteen, we see her ongoing care. Each year,
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  Speaker 1: his mother made him a little robe and took it
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  Speaker 1: to him when she went up with her husband to
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  Speaker 1: offer the annual sacrifice. It was a gesture of love
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  Speaker 1: that kept their bond alive despite the distance, and God
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  Speaker 1: blessed Hannah for her faithfulness. In Fir Samuel two twenty one,
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  Speaker 1: we read how her family grew, and the Lord was
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  Speaker 1: gracious to Hannah. She gave birth to three sons and
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  Speaker 1: two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the
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  Speaker 1: presence of the Lord. As Samuel grew up in the tabernacle,
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  Speaker 1: he developed in an extraordinary way. In First Samuel two
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  Speaker 1: twenty six, we read and the boy Samuel continued to
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  Speaker 1: grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and
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  Speaker 1: with people. His conduct stood in stark contrast to the
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  Speaker 1: corrupt behavior of Eli's sons. As the young Samuel grew
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  Speaker 1: in grace, Eli's sons, Hofni and Finihus, became the very
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  Speaker 1: image of corruption. In Muel two twelve, the Bible describes
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  Speaker 1: them bluntly. Eli's sons were scoundrels. They had no regard
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  Speaker 1: for the Lord. The issue wasn't just a matter of faith,
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  Speaker 1: it was also a matter of conduct. They abused their
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  Speaker 1: priestly power. In First Samuel two thirteen to fourteen we
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  Speaker 1: read about their behavior. Now, it was the practice of
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  Speaker 1: the priests that whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice,
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  Speaker 1: the priest's servant would come with a three pronged fork
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  Speaker 1: in his hand. While the meat was being boiled, he
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  Speaker 1: would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or
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  Speaker 1: cauldron or pot, and whatever the fork brought up, the
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  Speaker 1: priest would take for himself. But they didn't stop there.
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  Speaker 1: In First Samuel two fifteen to sixteen we learned they
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  Speaker 1: didn't even wait for the ritual to be completed, but
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  Speaker 1: even before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would
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  Speaker 1: come and say to the man who was sacrificing, give
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  Speaker 1: the priests some meat to roast. He won't accept boiled
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  Speaker 1: meat from you, only raw. If the man said to him,
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  Speaker 1: let the fat be burned first and then take whatever
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  Speaker 1: you want, the servant would answer, no, hand it over now.
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  Speaker 1: If you don't, I'll take it by force. This was
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  Speaker 1: a serious offense. The fat was meant to be burned
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  Speaker 1: first as part of the sacrifice to God. By demanding
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  Speaker 1: the meet before that, Eli's sons were effectively stealing from
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  Speaker 1: God what was due to him. In Verse Samuel two seventeen,
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  Speaker 1: we see how God viewed their actions. This sin of
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  Speaker 1: the young men was very great in the Lord's sight,
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  Speaker 1: for they were treating the Lord's offering with contempt. But
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  Speaker 1: their disrespect for the sacrifices wasn't the only issue. Eli's
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  Speaker 1: sons also behaved immorally. In verse Samuel two twenty two,
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  Speaker 1: we're told now Eli, who was very old, heard about
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  Speaker 1: everything his sons were doing to all Israel, and how
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  Speaker 1: they slept with the women who served at the entrance
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  Speaker 1: to the tent of meeting. Eli did not remain silent
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  Speaker 1: about his son's action. In verse Samuel two twenty three
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  Speaker 1: twenty four, he rebuked them, why do you do such things?
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  Speaker 1: I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds
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  Speaker 1: of yours. No, my sons, the report I hear spreading
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  Speaker 1: among the Lord's people is not good. But his rebuke
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  Speaker 1: was far too weak for the gravity of the situation.
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  Speaker 1: In first Samuel two twenty five, we read that his
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  Speaker 1: words had no effect but they would not listen to
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  Speaker 1: their father's rebuke, for it was the Lord's will to
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  Speaker 1: put them to death. Eli's passivity in the face of
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  Speaker 1: his son's abuse of power did not go unnoticed by God.
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  Speaker 1: A man of God was sent to confront him. In
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  Speaker 1: First Samuel two twenty nine, the prophet asked, why do
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  Speaker 1: you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for
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  Speaker 1: my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than
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  Speaker 1: me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every
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  Speaker 1: offering made by my people Israel. The prophet's message was
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  Speaker 1: clear there would be consequences. In First Samue u Will
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  Speaker 1: two thirty four, he prophesied, and what happens to your
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  Speaker 1: two sons, Hofni and Finehas will be a sign to you.
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  Speaker 1: They will both die on the same day. While Eli's
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  Speaker 1: household was marked for judgment, God was preparing a new leader.
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  Speaker 1: In Firse Samuel three one, we read about the times
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  Speaker 1: the boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In
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  Speaker 1: those days, the word of the Lord was rare. There
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  Speaker 1: were not many visions. One night, something extraordinary happened. Samuel
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  Speaker 1: was lying down in the tabernacle near the ark of God.
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  Speaker 1: In first Samuel three three four, we read the lamp
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  Speaker 1: of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was
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  Speaker 1: lying down in the house of the Lord where the
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  Speaker 1: ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel, still
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  Speaker 1: a boy, Samuel didn't recognize God's voice. In verse Samuel
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  Speaker 1: three five, we see his response. Samuel answered, here I am,
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  Speaker 1: and he ran to Eli and said, here, I am
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  Speaker 1: you called me. Eli told him he hadn't called and
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  Speaker 1: sent him back to lie down. But the voice came again.
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  Speaker 1: In firse Samuel three six, we read again the Lord
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  Speaker 1: called Samuel, and Samuel got up and went to Eli
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  Speaker 1: and said, here, I am you called me once again.
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  Speaker 1: Eli told him he hadn't called. The third time this happened,
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  Speaker 1: Eli realized what was going on. In verse Samuel three
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  Speaker 1: eight nine, we read the Lord called Samuel a third time,
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  Speaker 1: and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, here,
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  Speaker 1: I am you called me. Then Eli realized that the
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  Speaker 1: Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel go
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  Speaker 1: and lie down, and if he calls you, say speak Lord,
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  Speaker 1: for your servant is listening. Samuel went back to lie down,
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  Speaker 1: and in verse Samuel three ten, we see the Lord
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  Speaker 1: came and stood there calling us at the other times
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  Speaker 1: Samuel Samuel. Then Samuel said, speak, for your servant is listening.
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  Speaker 1: It was then that God gave Samuel his first prophetic message.
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  Speaker 1: It was a difficult message about the judgment to come
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  Speaker 1: upon Eli's house. In verse Samuel three eleven twelve, God says, see,
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  Speaker 1: I am about to do something in Israel that will
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  Speaker 1: make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.
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  Speaker 1: At that time, I will carry out against Eli everything
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  Speaker 1: I spoke against his family from beginning to end. The
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  Speaker 1: message went on to explain the reason for the judgment.
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  Speaker 1: In First Samuel three thirteen, God explains, for I told
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  Speaker 1: him that I would judge his family forever because of
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  Speaker 1: the sin he knew about his sons blasphemed God, and
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  Speaker 1: he failed to restrain them. The next morning, Samuel was
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  Speaker 1: afraid to tell Eli the vision, but in First Samuel
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  Speaker 1: three fifteen sixteen we see that Eli insisted Samuel lay
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  Speaker 1: down until morning and then opened the yours of the
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  Speaker 1: House of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli
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  Speaker 1: the vision, but Eli called him and said, Samuel my son.
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  Speaker 1: Samuel answered, here I am. Eli then asked Samuel to
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  Speaker 1: tell him everything withholding nothing. In first Samuel three seventeen
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  Speaker 1: to eighteen, we read what was it he said to you?
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  Speaker 1: Eli asked, do not hide it from me? May God
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  Speaker 1: deal with you be it ever so severely if you
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  Speaker 1: hide from me anything he told you. So Samuel told
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  Speaker 1: him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, he
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  Speaker 1: is the Lord. Let him do what is good in
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  Speaker 1: his eyes. This marked the beginning of Samuel's prophetic ministry.
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  Speaker 1: In Verse Samuel three nineteen to twenty, we see how
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  Speaker 1: he grew into his calling. The Lord was with Samuel
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  Speaker 1: as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel's
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  Speaker 1: words fall to the ground, and all Israel from Dan
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  Speaker 1: to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord. Time passed, and the word of the
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  Speaker 1: Lord continued to come to Samuel. Meanwhile, the nation of
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  Speaker 1: Israel was once again facing an old enemy, the Philistines.
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  Speaker 1: In verse Samuel four one two, we see the beginning
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  Speaker 1: of the conflict, and Samuel's word came to all Israel.
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  Speaker 1: Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines.
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  Speaker 1: The Israelites camped at Ebenezer and the Philistines at Affek.
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  Speaker 1: The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as
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  Speaker 1: the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who
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  Speaker 1: killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. After
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  Speaker 1: this initial defeat, Israel's elders came up with an idea
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  Speaker 1: that seemed wise at the time. In verse Samuel four
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  Speaker 1: to three, they suggested, when the soldiers returned to camp,
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  Speaker 1: the elders of Israel asked, why did the Lord bring
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  Speaker 1: defeat on us today before the Philistines, let us bring
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  Speaker 1: the Ark of the Lord's Covenant from Shiloh, so that
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  Speaker 1: he may go with us and save us from the
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  Speaker 1: hand of our enemies. It was a hasty decision, treating
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  Speaker 1: the ark like a war charm instead of what it
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  Speaker 1: truly was, a sacred symbol of God's presence. In Verse
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  Speaker 1: Samuel four forty five, we see how they carried out
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  Speaker 1: the plan. So the people sent men to Shiloh, and
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  Speaker 1: they brought back the Ark of the Covenant of the
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  Speaker 1: Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the Cherubim and Eli's
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  Speaker 1: two sons, Hofni and Finihas were there with the Ark
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  Speaker 1: of the Covenant of God. When the Ark of the
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  Speaker 1: Lord's Covenant came into the camp. All Israel raised such
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  Speaker 1: a great shout that the ground shook. The Philistines heard
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  Speaker 1: the uproar and were terrified when they found out the
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  Speaker 1: Ark had arrived. In First Samuel four seven to eight,
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  Speaker 1: we read of their fear. The Philistines were afraid a
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  Speaker 1: god has come into the camp. They said, oh, no,
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  Speaker 1: nothing like this has happened before. We're doomed. Who will
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  Speaker 1: deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They
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  Speaker 1: are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds
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  Speaker 1: of plagues in the wilderness. But rather than retreat, the
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  Speaker 1: Philistines chose to fight with even more determination. In verse
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  Speaker 1: Samuel four nine to ten, they rallied themselves, be strong, Philistines,
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  Speaker 1: be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews
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  Speaker 1: as they have been to you. Be men and fight.
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  Speaker 1: So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated, and
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  Speaker 1: every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great.
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  Speaker 1: Israel lost thirty thousand if foot soldiers. It was a
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  Speaker 1: crushing defeat, and worse was still to come. In First
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  Speaker 1: Samuel four eleven, it says the Ark of God was captured,
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  Speaker 1: and Eli's two sons, Hofni and Phineas died. News traveled
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  Speaker 1: quickly to Shiloh. A man from the tribe of Benjamin
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  Speaker 1: ran from the battlefield, his clothes torn and duskust on
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  Speaker 1: his head signs of deep grief. In First Samuel four
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  Speaker 1: thirteen we find when he arrived there was Eli sitting
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  Speaker 1: on his chair by the side of the road, watching
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  Speaker 1: because his heart feared for the Ark of God. When
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  Speaker 1: the messenger shared the news with the city, the people
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  Speaker 1: cried out in anguish. Eli, now ninety eight years old
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  Speaker 1: and almost blind, asked what had happened. In First Samuel
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  Speaker 1: four sixteen seventeen, the messenger replied, I have just come
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  Speaker 1: from the battle line. I fled from it this very day.
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  Speaker 1: Eli asked, what happened, my son Uddun? The man who
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  Speaker 1: brought the news replied, Israel fled before the Philistines and
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  Speaker 1: the army has suffered heavy losses. Also, your two sons,
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  Speaker 1: Hofni and Finehas are dead, and the Ark of God
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  Speaker 1: has been captured. Upon hearing about the ark, Eli fell
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  Speaker 1: backward off his chair. In First Samuel four eighteen, the
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  Speaker 1: tragic end of the priest is described when he mentioned
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  Speaker 1: the Ark of God. Eli fell backward off his chair
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  Speaker 1: by the side of the gate. His neck was broken,
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  Speaker 1: and he died, for he was an old man and heavy.
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  Speaker 1: He had led Israel forty years. But the tragedy didn't
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  Speaker 1: stop there. Eli's daughter in law, the wife of Finihas,
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  Speaker 1: was pregnant and near delivery. In First Samuel four nineteen
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  Speaker 1: to twenty we read the wife of Finihas, who was
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  Speaker 1: pregnant and near the time of delivery, heard the news
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: that the Ark of God had been captured and that
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: her father in law and her husband were dead. She
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: her labor pains. With her last breath, she named the
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: child with a name full of meaning. In First Samuel
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: fourth twenty one twenty two, she named the boy Ichabod,
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: saying the glory has departed from ill Israel because the
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: Ark of God had been captured and because of the
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: deaths of her father in law and her husband. She said,
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: the glory has departed from Israel for the Ark of
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: God has been captured. Ikabod means no glory, a painful
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: witness to the fact that God's presence symbolized by the
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: ark had departed from Israel. While Israel mourned, the Philistines
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: celebrated their victory. They brought the ark to Ashdod, one
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: of their major cities, and placed it as a trophy
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: in the temple of their god Dagon. In First Samuel
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: five two to three, we read they carried the Ark
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: of God into the temple of Dagon and set it
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: next day, there was Dagon fallen on his face on
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: the ground before the Ark of the Lord. They took
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: Dagon and put him back in his place, but it
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: wasn't just a fluke. The next day, something even more
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: dramatic happened in verse Samuel five four. But the following morning,
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: when they rose, there was Dagon fallen on his face
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. His
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: head and hands had been broken off and were lying
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: on the threshold. Only his body remained. This was a
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: clear sign that the God of Israel was greater than
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: the Philistine Idol. But divine judgment didn't stop at the statue.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel five six, the Lord's hand was heavy
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity. He brought
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. The people
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: of Ashdod quickly realized the connection between their suffering and
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: the Ark. In First Samuel five seven to eight, when
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said,
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: the Ark of the God of Israel must not stay
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: here with us, because his hand is heavy on us
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: and on Dagon, our God. So they called together all
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, what shall
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: we do with the Ark of the God of Israel.
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: They answered, have the Ark of the God of Israel
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: moved to Gath. So they moved the Ark of the
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: God of Israel, but the problem only followed them. In
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: First Samuel five nine, but after they had moved it,
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: the Lord's hand was against that city, throwing it into
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city,
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. So
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: they sent the Ark to Ekron, another Philistine city, but
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: even there terror spread. In verse Samuel five eleven to twelve,
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: we see their reaction. So they called together all the
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: rulers of the Philistines and said, send the Ark of
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: the God of Israel away. Let it go back to
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: its own place, so it won't kill us and our people.
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: For death had filled the city with panic. God's hand
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: was very heavy on it. Those who did not die
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: were afflicted with tumors and the outcry of the city
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: when up to heaven. After seven months of suffering, the
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: Philistines decided it was time to send the arkback. In
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: verse Samuel six two to three, they sought advice. The
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: what shall we do with the ark of the Lord?
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: Tell us how we should send it back to its place.
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: They answered, if you return the ark of the God
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: of Israel, do not send it back to him without
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: a guilt offering. By all means, Send a guilt offering
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: to him. Then you will be healed, and you will
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: know why his hand has not been lifted from you.
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: The Philistines then asked what kind of guilt offering they
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: should send. In first Samuel six four five, the answer
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: is given. The Philistines asked what guilt offering should we
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: send to him? Until they replied five gold tumors and
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: five gold rats. According to the number of the philistine rulers,
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: Make models of the tumors and of the rats that
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: are destroying the land, and give glory to the God
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: of Israel. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: and your gods and your land. This was an acknowledgment
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: that the God of Israel was behind the plagues they
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: had endured. They also decided to return the ark in
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: a very specific way. In First Samuel six seven to nine,
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: their plan is outlined. Now, then get a new cart
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: ready with two cows that have carved and have never
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: their calves away and pen them up. Take the ark
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: of the Lord and put it on the cart, and
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: in a chest beside it, put the gold objects you
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: it on its way, but keep watching it. If it
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: goes up to its own territory, toward beth Chemesh, then
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: the Lord has brought this great disaster on us. But
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: if it does not, then we will know that it
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: was not his hand that struck us, and that it
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: happened to us by chance. It was an interesting test. Naturally,
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: the cows would want to return to their calves. If
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: they headed toward Israel's territory, it would be a clear
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: sign that God was directing them. In first Samuel six
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: ten twelve, we see what happened. So they did this.
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: They took two such cows and hitched them to the
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: cart and penned up their calves. They placed the Ark
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: of the Lord on the cart, and along with it
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: the chest containing the gold rats and the models of
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: the tumors. Then the cows went straight up toward beth Chemesh,
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: keeping on the road and lowing all the way. They
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: did not turn to the right or the left. The
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: border of beth Chemesh. That was the final confirmation that
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: everything had truly been the work of the God of Israel.
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: The people of beth Chemesh were harvesting wheat in the
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: valley when they saw the ark returning. In verse Samuel
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: six thirteen, we read their reaction. Now, the people of
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: beth Chemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: at the sight. The cart came to the field of
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: Joshua of beth Chemesh and stopped there. In First Samuel
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: six fourteen to fifteen, we see what happened next. The
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: cart came to the field of Joshua of beth Chemesh,
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. The Levites
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: took down the Ark of the Lord, together with the
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: large rock. It was a moment of great joy. The
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: Ark had returned to Israel, but something terrible was about
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: to happen. Driven by curiosity, some men decide I did
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: to look inside the Ark. In First Samuel six nineteen
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: we read the consequences. But God struck down some of
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: the inhabitants of beth Chemesh, putting seventy of them to
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: death because they looked into the Ark of the Lord.
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: had dealt them. It was a devastating blow for the community.
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: The Ark, which should have been a source of joy,
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: brought death because of a lack of reverence. In verse
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: Samuel six twenty we see the people's reaction, and the
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: people of beth Chemesh asked, who can stand in the
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: presence of the Lord, this holy God? To whom will
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: the ark go up from here? So they decided to
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: send messengers to Kirioth Jerim, asking them to come and
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: take the ark. In First Samuel six twenty one, we
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: read then they sent messengers to the people of Kirioth Jerim, saying,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: the Philistines have returned the Ark of the Lord. Come
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: down and take it up to your town. The men
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: of Kiriath Jeim came and took the ark. In First
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: Samuel seven to one, we read where they brought it.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: So the men of Kiriath Jeriam came and took up
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: the Ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab's
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: house on the hill and consecrated Elizar, his son to
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: guard the Ark of the Lord. It was a temporary solution,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: but one that lasted a long time. In First Samuel
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: seven to two we learned just how long the ark
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: remained at Kiriath Jerim, a long time, twenty years in all.
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord.
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: The story of the Ark reveals an important truth. God's
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: presence is powerful and holy. It cannot be treated lightly,
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: neither by enemies who see it as a trophy, nor
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: by God's own people who forget his holiness. During those
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: twenty years that the Ark stayed in Abinadab's house, Samuel
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: grew up and became Israel's recognized leader. He saw that
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: the people needed spiritual renewal. In verse Samuel seventy three,
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: we read his call to repentance. So Samuel said to
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: all the Israelites, if you are returning to the Lord
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: gods and the ashtreths, and commit yourselves to the Lord
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: and serve him only, and he will deliver you out
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: of the hand of the Philistines. The people responded positively.
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: In verse Samuel seventy four, we read, so the Israelites
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: put away their bales and ashteriths and served the Lord only.
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: Samuel then organized a large national assembly to confess sins
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: and renew their covenant with God. In Firse Samuel seven
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: five six, the details are given. Then Samuel said, assemble
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: all Israel at Mispah, and I will intercede with the
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: Lord for you. When they had assembled at Mispah, they
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: drew war and poured it out before the Lord. On
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: that day they fasted, and there they confessed, we have
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: sinned against the Lord. Now Samuel was serving as leader
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: of Israel at Mispah. It was a powerful moment of
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: national renewal. But when the Philistines heard about the gathering,
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: they saw it as an opportunity to attack. In verse
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: Samuel seven to seven, we read Israel's reaction. When the
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: Philistines heard that the Israelites had assembled at Mispa, the
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: This time, instead of relying on an external symbol like
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: the Ark, they asked for Samuel's intercession. In first Samuel
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: seven eight, they pleaded. They said to Samuel, do not
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: stop crying out to the Lord, our God for us,
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: Samuel responded with a sacrifice and fervent prayer. In verse
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: Samuel severn nine we read of his action. Then Samuel
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: Lord on Israel's behalf, and the Lord answered him. God's
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: response was dramatic. In First Samuel seven ten, we read
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: while Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: them into such a panic that they were routed before
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: the Israelites. It was a spectacular victory, completely different from
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: their earlier defeat. In First Samuel seven eleven we see
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: the outcome. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: a point below beth Khar. To commemorate this significant victory,
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: Samuel set up a memorial. In First Samuel seven twelve,
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: we read of his act and his words. Then Samuel
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen.
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: He named it Ebenezer, saying, thus far the Lord has
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: helped us. Ebenezer means stone of help. It was a
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: lasting reminder that the victory came from the Lord, not
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: from human strength or sacred objects. As a result of
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: this triumph, a long period of peace followed. In Verne
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: Samuel seven to thirteen to fourteen we read about that time.
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the Lord
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: was against the Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel,
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: the Philistines. Samuel continued to lead Israel as a judge,
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: traveling each year to settle disputes. In First Samuel seven
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: fifteen to seventeen, we read about his routine. Samuel continued
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: as Israel's leader all the days of his life. From
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: year to year, he went on a circuit from Bethel
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: to Gilgal to Misbah, judging Israel in all those places.
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was,
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: and there he also held court for Israel, and he
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: built an altar there to the Lord. Years went by,
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: and Samuel grew old, his hair turned white, his steps slowed,
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: and he realized he couldn't lead Israel forever. So he
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: decided to appoint his sons as judges. In First Samuel
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: eight one two, we read of this transition. When Samuel
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel's leaders. The
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: name of his first born was Joel, and the name
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: of his second was Abija, and they served at Biersheba
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: aimed like a good idea, who better to continue his
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: work than his own sons. But something went wrong. Samuel's
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: sons didn't follow his example. Instead, they saw their position
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: as a way to enrich themselves. In verse Samuel eight three,
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: we see what happened. But his sons did not follow
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: bribes and perverted justice. The people quickly noticed the problem.
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: Israel's leaders gathered and went to speak with Samuel in Ramah.
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel eight four to five, we read their request.
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: to Samuel at Rama. They said to him, you are old,
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: and your sons do not follow your ways. Now appoint
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: a king to lead us. Such as all the other
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: nations have. It seemed like a reasonable request. After all,
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: every other nation had a king, why should Israel be
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: any different. But Samuel was troubled by it. To him,
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: it felt like thee people were rejecting the system of
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: judges that God had established. He took it as a
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: personal rejection. In verse Samuel eight six, we see his reaction.
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: But when they said give us a king to lead us,
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: this displeased Samuel, so he prayed to the Lord. Samuel
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: didn't respond right away. He took the matter to God
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: in prayer, seeking guidance. God's answer was surprising. In verse
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: Samuel eight seven to eight, the Lord said, listen to
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: all that the people are saying to you. It is
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: not you they have rejected, But they have rejected me
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: as their king, as they have done from the day
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: I brought them up out of Egypt until this day,
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: forsaking Me and serving other gods. So they are doing
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: to you. God saw this request as something deeper than
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: just a political shift. It was a rejection of the theocracy,
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: God's dife direct rule over his people. Still, he instructed
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: Samuel to grant their request with one condition. In first
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: Samuel eight nine, God continued, Now listen to them, but
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: warn them solemnly, and let them know what the king
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: who will reign over them will claim as his rights.
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: Samuel returned to the people and relayed God's message. He
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: warned them about what it would mean to have a king.
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: It wouldn't just be glory and military victories. There would
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: be a heavy cost. In Verse Samuel eight eleven thirteen,
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: he began to describe it. This is what the king
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: who will reign over you will claim as his rights.
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: He will take your sons and make them serve with
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: his chariots and horses, and they will run in front
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: of thousands, and commanders of fifties, and others to plow
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: And that wasn't all. There would be taxes and loss
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: of property. In first Samuel eight fourteen seventeen, Samuel continued,
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: he will take the best of your fields and vineyards
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage,
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: and female servants, and the best of your cattle and
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: donkeys he will take for his own use. He will
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: take a tenth of your flocks, and you, yourselves, will
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: become his slaves. Samuel ended with a somber warning. In
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: First Samuel eight eighteen, he cautioned, when that day comes,
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: you will cry out for relief from the king you
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: that day. It was a clear warning. Having a king
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: would mean losing freedoms, paying taxes, sending sons to the army,
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: giving up land. It would be a one way road.
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: But the people were determined. In First Samuel eight nineteen
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: to twenty we see their reply. But the people refused
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: to listen to Samuel. No. They said, we want a
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: king over us. Then we will be like all the
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: other nations, with a king to lead us and to
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: go out before us and fight our battles. Samuel heard
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: everything the people said and took their words back to
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: the Lord. In First Samuel ate twenty one twenty two,
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: we read the final decision. When Samuel heard all that
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: Lord answered, listen to them and give them a king.
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: Then Samuel said to the Israelites, everyone, go back to
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: your own town. It was official. Israel would have a
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: king now. They just needed to find the right man
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: for the job. As the people returned to their towns,
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: God was already preparing Israel's first king. In a small
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: town within the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, there
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: lived a man named Kish. He was wealthy and respected,
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: and he had a remarkable son. In First Samuel nine
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: one to two, we meet this young man. There was
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: a Benjamite, a man of standing whose name was Kish,
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: son of Abiel, the son of Ziro, the son of Beccarath,
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: the son of Afia. Of Benjamin. Kish had a son
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: named Saul, as handsome, a young man as could be
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: than any one else. Saul was an impressive young man, tall, handsome, strong.
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: He looked exactly like what people imagined a king should
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: look like, but at the time he was simply doing
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: chores on his father's farm. One day, some of Kish's
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: donkeys went missing. That was a serious problem, since these
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: animals were valuable. In First Samuel nine three, we read
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: now the donkeys of Kish Saul's far were lost, and
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: Kish said to his son Saul, take one of the
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: Saul obeyed. He and a servant set out to find
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: the animals. They searched through hills and valleys, traveled across
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: different regions, but found nothing. When they were far from home,
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: the servant made a suggestion. In First Samuel nine six,
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: he said, look, in this town there is a man
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: of God. He is highly respected, and everything he says
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: us what way to take. He was talking about Samuel,
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: who often traveled to different towns to judge the people.
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: Saul liked the idea, but he had a practical concern.
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel nine seven, he asked, but if we go,
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: what can we give the man? The food in our
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: the man of God. What do we have. It was
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: customary to bring a gift when seeking a vice from
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: a prophet, but the servant had a solution in Vers
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: Samuel nine eight. He replied, look, I have a quarter
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: of a shekel of silver. I will give it to
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: the man of God, so that he will tell us
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: what way to take. It was a small amount, but
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: enough to show respect. As they entered the town, they
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: came across some young women who were going out to
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: draw water. Saul asked them about the seer, as prophets
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: were called in those days. The girls told him that
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: Samuel had just arrived for a special ceremony on the
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: high place, where people would gather for sacrifice and a feast.
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: What Saul didn't know was that his search for lost
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: donkeys was about to change his life forever. The day before,
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: God had already spoken to Samuel. In Vers Samuel nine
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: fifteen to sixteen, we read now the day before Saul came,
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: the Lord had revealed this to Samuel, about this time tomorrow,
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: I will send you a man from the land and
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: of Benjamin, anoint him ruler over my people Israel. He
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: When Samuel saw Saul, he immediately knew he was the
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: one in First Samuel nine seventeen. When Samuel caught sight
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: of Saul, the Lord said to him, this is the
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: man I spoke to you about. He will govern my people.
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: Saul approached Samuel, having no idea who he was or
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: what was about to happen. In First Samuel nine eighteen,
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: he asked, innocently, please tell me where the Seer's house is.
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: Samuel answered, I am the Seer. Go up ahead of
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: me to the high place. For today you are to
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: eat with me, and in the morning I will send
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: you on your way and will tell you all that
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: is in your heart. As for the donkeys you lost
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: three days ago, do not worry about them. They have
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: been found. When Samuel said something that left Saul completely
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: bewildered in First Samuel nine twenty to twenty one, we read,
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: and to whom is all the desire of Israel turned?
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: If not to you and your whole family line. Saul replied,
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: but am I not a Benjamine from the smallest tribe
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: of Israel, and is not my clan the least of
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Why do
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: you say such a thing to me? But Samuel was
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: just getting started He brought Saul and his servant to
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: the banquet and gave them the place of honor and
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: the finest portion of meat. Afterward, he took them to
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: his home for a private conversation. The next morning, as
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: Saul and his servant were leaving town, something extraordinary happened.
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel nine twenty seven to ten one, we
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: see the moment Samuel anoints Saul. As they were going
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: down to the edge of the town. Samuel said to Saul,
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: tell the servant to go ahead of us, and the
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: servant did so. But you stay here for a while,
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: so that I may give you a message from God.
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, has not
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance. It was
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: a simple ceremony, but one of tremendous significance. Samuel was
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: anointing Israel's first king, the man who would lead the
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: people in battle and establish the monarchy. For now, it
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: was a secret between Saul, Samuel and God. The people
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: still didn't know who their king would be. After anointing Saul,
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: Samuel gave him three signs to confirm his anointing as king.
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: These signs would help Saul realize that what was happening
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: was truly the work of God and not just a
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: man's idea. In First Samuel ten two to six, we
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: read the signs Samuel foretold, when you leave me to day,
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelza,
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you,
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: the donkeys you set out to look for have been found,
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: and now your father has stopped thinking about them and
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: is worried about you. He is asking what shall I
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: do about my son. Then you will go on from
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: there until you reach the Great Tree of Tabor. Three
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: men going up to worship God at Bethel will meet
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine.
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread,
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: which you will accept from them. After that you will
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost.
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: As you approach the town, you will meet a procession
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: of prophets coming down from the high place, with liars, tambourines, flutes,
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: The spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you,
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: and you will prophesy with them, and you will be
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: changed into a different person. Samuel added one final instruction
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: in First Samuel ten seven to eight. He says, once
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do,
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: for God is with you. Go down ahead of me
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. But you must wait
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: seven days until I come to you and tell you
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: what you are to do. Saul left his meeting with
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: Samuel and began the journey back home, and just as
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: Samuel had said, the signs started to unfold one by one.
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: First he met two men who told him the donkeys
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: had been found. Then he encountered three men on their
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: way to Bethel, who offered him two loaves of bread.
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: Finally he arrived at gibeea where something truly extraordinary happened.
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel ten ten eleven, we read what occurred
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: when he and his servant arrived at Gibea, a procession
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: of prophets met him. The spirit of God came powerfully
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. When all
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: the prophets, they asked each other, what is this that
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: has happened to the son of kish is Saul also
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: among the prophets. It was a dramatic transformation. Saul wasn't
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: known for being religious or spiritually inclined. He was just
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: a young farmer concerned about some lost donkeys. Seeing him
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: prophesy among the prophets was so unexpected that people could
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: hardly believe it. The moment was so striking that it
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: gave rise to a popular saying. In First Samuel ten
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: twelve we read a man who lived there answered, and
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: who is their father? So it became a saying, is
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: Saul also among the prophets. After this extraordinary event, Saul
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: returned home. There his uncle asked where he had been.
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: In Samuel ten fourteen sixteen, we see their exchange. Saul's
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: uncle asked him and his servant, where have you been
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: looking for the donkeys? He said, But when we saw
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: Saul's uncle said, tell me what Samuel said to you.
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: Saul replied, he assured us that the donkeys had been found,
• 48:24
  Speaker 1: but he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: said about the kingship. Saul kept the most important part
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: of his encounter with Samuel to himself. He didn't even
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: tell his own uncle that he had been anointed as
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: the king of Israel. It was a secret he kept
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: until the right time. Now it was time to make
• 48:43
  Speaker 1: public what had been private. Samuel called the people together
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: for an assembly at Mispa. In First Samuel ten seventeen
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: to nineteen, we read how he began his speech. Samuel
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mispa
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: and said to them, this is what the Lord, the
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: God of Israel, says. I brought Israel up out of Egypt,
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: all the kingdoms that oppressed you. But you have now
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: rejected your God, who saves you out of all your
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: disasters and calamities, and you have said, no appoint a
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: king over us. So now present yourselves before the Lord
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: by your tribes and clans. Samuel made it clear that
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: in his view, their request for a king was a
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: rejection of God as Israel's true leader. Even so, he
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: was ready to give them what they had asked for.
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: It was time to reveal who the king would be.
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: The method chosen was casting lots by tribe, allowing God
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: to indicate his choice. In First Samuel ten twenty to
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: twenty one, we read when Samuel had all Israel come
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: Then he brought forward the tribe of bed Benjamin clan
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: by clan, and Matris clan was taken. Finally, Saul, son
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: of Kish was taken, but when they looked for him,
• 50:08
  Speaker 1: he was not to be found. It was an odd moment.
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: The king had been chosen, but no one could find him.
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: People began to wonder where he was, so they sought
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: the Lord again. In First Samuel ten twenty two we read,
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: so they inquired further of the Lord, has the man
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: come here yet? And the Lord said, yes, he has
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: hidden himself among the supplies. This response revealed Saul's initial insecurity.
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: The tall, strong young man who looked like the perfect
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: king was hiding among the baggage. Whether it was humility
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: or fear of responsibility, he had to be brought out
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: to face his new role. In First Samuel ten twenty
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: three twenty four, we read what happened when he finally appeared.
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: They ran and brought him out, And as he stood
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: among the people, he was a head taller than any
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: of the others. Samuel said to all the people, do
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: no one like him among all the people. Then the
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: people shouted, long live the King. Samuel then explained to
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: the people the rights and duties of kingship, writing them
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: down in a book and placing it before the Lord.
• 51:20
  Speaker 1: He dismissed the people to return home. Saul also returned
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: to Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: touched to support him. However, not everyone accepted the new king.
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel ten twenty seven, we read, but some
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: scoundrels said, how can this fellow save us? They despised
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: him and brought him no gifts, but Saul kept silent.
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: Saul would still have to prove himself as king, and
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: that opportunity would come sooner than he expected. It didn't
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: take long for Saul to face his first challenge as king. Nahush,
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: the king of the Ammonites, marched up and laid siege
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: to the city of Jabesh, Gilead, east of the Jordan River.
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: The siege was so intense that the men of the
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: city were desperate. In First Samuel eleven one, we read
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: what they did. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash,
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: make a treaty with us, and we will be subject
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: to you. But Nahash didn't just want to conquer them.
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: He wanted to humiliate them in a cruel way. In
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: Rose Samuel eleven two we see his reply. Nahash the
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: Ammonite answered, I will make a treaty with you only
• 52:35
  Speaker 1: on the condition that I gouge out the right eye
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: of every one of you, and so bring disgrace on
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: all Israel. It was a horrific demand. Gouging out the
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: right eye wasn't just physical mutilation. It would render the
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: men useless in battle, since the right eye was the
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: one exposed outside the shield during combat. The leaders of
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: Jabesh asked for seven days to consider the offer, and
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: Nahash agreed. They immediately sent messengers throughout Israel pleading for help.
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: When the news reached Gibea, where Saul lived, the people
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: wept aloud. In First Samuel eleven five six, we see
• 53:15
  Speaker 1: Saul's reaction. Just then, Saul was returning from the fields
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: behind his oxen, and he asked, what is wrong with
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: the people, Why are they weeping? Then they repeated to
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: him what the men of Jabesh had said. When Saul
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: heard their words, the spirit of God came powerfully upon him,
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: and he burned with anger. This was Saul's moment to
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: prove himself worthy of being king. Moved by the spirit
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: of God, he took dramatic action. In first Samuel eleven seven,
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: we read he took a pair of oxen, cut them
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming,
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: this is what will be done to the oxen of
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: any one who does not follow Saul and Samuel. Then
• 54:05
  Speaker 1: the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and
• 54:08
  Speaker 1: they came out together as one. It was a dramatic
• 54:11
  Speaker 1: and effective message. No one dared stay home while their
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: oxen could be slaughtered like Saul's. The result was a
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: massive army. In verse Samuel eleven eight, we read the
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: size of the force when Saul mustered them at Bezek
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: There were three hundred thousand men from Israel and thirty
• 54:30
  Speaker 1: thousand from Judah. With this great army. Saul sent a
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: message to the men of Jabesh Gilead. By the time
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued. The
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: news brought joy to the people, and they sent a
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: deceptive reply to Nahash. Tomorrow we will surrender to you,
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: and you can do to us whatever you like. The
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: next day, before dawn, Saul divided his troops into three companies.
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel eleven eleven, we see his strategy. They
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: entered the Ammonite camp during the last watch of the
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: night and slaughtered them until the heat of the day.
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: Those who survived were scattered so that no two of
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: them were left together. It was a crushing victory. The
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: people of Jabesh Gilead were saved, and Saul had proven
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: his worth as king. Some wanted to execute the men
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: who had previously doubted Saul, but he responded with mercy.
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel eleven thirteen, Saul said, no one will
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: be put to death to day, for this day the
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: Lord has rescued Israel. This victory solidified Saul's authority as king.
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: It was time to formally confirm his kingship in a
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: public ceremony. After the stunning victory over the Ammonites. The
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: people were thrilled with their new king. Samuel seized the
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: moment and called everyone together for a special ceremony. In
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: First Samuel eleven fourteen fifteen, we read his call. Then
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: Samuel said to the people, come, let us go to
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: Gilgal and there renew the kingship. So all the people
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: Lord and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: It was a solemn and joyful occasion. The people were
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: pleased with their new king, and the recent victory seemed
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: to confirm they had made the right choice. But for
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: Samuel it was also a moment of transition. He was
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: handing over the political leadership of the nation to Saul,
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: though he would remain Israel's spiritual leader and prophet. Samuel
• 56:42
  Speaker 1: used the occasion to deliver a farewell speech as judge
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: of Israel. It was a chance to reflect on the
• 56:48
  Speaker 1: past and give guidance for the future. In First Samuel
• 56:52
  Speaker 1: twelve one to three, he began Samuel said, to all Israel,
• 56:57
  Speaker 1: I have listened to everything you said to me, and
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: have set a king over you. Now you have a
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: king as your leader. As for me, I am old
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: and gray, and my sons are here with you. I
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: have been your leader from my youth until this day.
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: Here I stand testify against me in the presence of
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken?
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: have I oppressed? From Whose hand have I accepted a
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: bribe to shut my eyes? If I have done any
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: of these things, I will make it right. The people
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: acknowledged Samuel's integrity. Despite the failures of his sons, he
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: himself had been an honest and just leader. Samuel then
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: reminded them of how God had rescued them from Egypt
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: and cared for them throughout the years. He mentioned the
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: judges God had raised up to deliver them from enemies
• 57:52
  Speaker 1: whenever they repented of their sins. Then Samuel gave a
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: serious warning in First Samuel twelve fourteen fifteen, He said,
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: if you fear the Lord and serve and obey him,
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: and do not rebel against his commands, and if both
• 58:07
  Speaker 1: you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord,
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: your God good. But if you do not obey the Lord,
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: be against you, as it was against your ancestors. To
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: emphasize his message, Samuel asked God for a sign in
• 58:26
  Speaker 1: Firs Samuel twelve sixteen to eighteen. We see what happened. Now,
• 58:31
  Speaker 1: then stand still and see this great thing the Lord
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: is about to do before your eyes. Is it not
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: wheat harvest? Now I will call on the Lord to
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: send thunder and rain, and you will realize what an
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: when you asked for a king. Then Samuel called on
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: and rain. So all the people stood in awe of
• 58:56
  Speaker 1: the Lord and of Samuel. It was a powerful sign.
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: Reign during the wheat harvest was rare and could damage
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: the crops. Thunder symbolized God's power. It was a reminder
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: that even though they now had a human king, Israel's
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: true king was still God. The people were frightened and
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: asked Samuel to pray for them. Samuel reassured them, but
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: he emphasized the importance of serving God with all their hearts.
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: In first Samuel twelve twenty four twenty five. He concludes,
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: your heart. Consider what great things he has done for you.
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: your king will be swept away. With that, a new
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: model of leadership began in Israel. The King, the prophet,
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: and the people all under the Divine Covenant. All was
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: the king responsible for political and military leadership. Samuel was
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: the prophet representing the voice of God, and the people
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: were responsible for a bed, paying God and following their
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: leaders as long as those leaders followed the Lord. In
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: the third year of his reign, Saul began forming a
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: standing army. In Verse Samuel thirteen one to two we
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 1: see his initial strategy. Saul was thirty years old when
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty two years.
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: Saul chose three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand were
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: with him at micmash and in the hill country of Bethel,
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibea in Benjamin.
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 1: The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: Saul was preparing to face Israel's greatest enemy, the Philistines.
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: They dominated the Mediterranean coast and had garrisons throughout Israelite territory.
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: The Philistine occupation was so extensive that they even controlled
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: weapon production. In First Samuel thirteenth, nineteen twenty we see
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: this situation. Not a blacksmith could be found the whole
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: land of Israel, because the Philistines had said otherwise, the
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: Hebrews will make swords or spears. So all Israel went
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 1: down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes,
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: and sickles sharpened. In a bold move, Jonathan, Saul's son,
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: attacked the Philistine garrison at Kibir. In verse Samuel thirteen
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: three to four, we see how that escalated things. Jonathan
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 1: attacked the Philistine outpost at Gibeah, and the Philistines heard
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: land and said, let the Hebrews hear. So all Israel
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: heard the news. Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines, and the
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. The Philistines
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 1: responded swiftly and with overwhelming force. In First Samuel thirteen five,
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: we read the scale of their army. The Philistines assembled
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 1: to fight Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers,
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 1: and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the sea shore.
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Bethaven.
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: When the Israelites saw the vast Philistine army, they panicked.
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel thirteen sixty seven, we see their reaction.
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: that their army was hard pressed. They hid in caves
• 1:02:30
  Speaker 1: and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: Gad and Gilead. The mass desertion put Saul in a
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: difficult position. Samuel had arranged to meet him at Gilgal,
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: where he would offer sacrifices before the battle. In First
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: Samuel thirteen eight, we read he waited seven days, the
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 1: time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal,
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: and Saul's men began to scatter. Saul was desperate. His
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: troops were deserting, the enemy was ready to strike, and
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 1: the prophet hadn't arrived, so he made a rash decision.
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel thirteen nine ten we read what he did.
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: So he said, bring me the burnt offering and the
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: fellowship offerings, and Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived and Saul
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: went out to greet him. This was a serious mistake.
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 1: Only priests were authorized to offer sacrifices. As king, Saul
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: had overstepped his bounds. When Samuel asked what he had done,
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 1: Saul tried to justify himself. In First Samuel thirteen eleven twelve,
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: he explains, when I saw that the men were scattering,
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: and that you did not come at the set time,
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought,
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal,
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: and I have not sought the Lord's favor, so I
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 1: felt compelled to offer the burnt offering. But Samuel did
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: not accept his excuses. In Verse to Samuel thirteen thirteen
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 1: to fourteen, we see his stern response, you have done
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: a foolish thing, Samuel said, you have not kept the
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: command the Lord, your god, gave you. If you had,
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 1: he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: But now your kingdom will not endure. The Lord has
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: sought out a man after his own heart and appointed
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 1: him ruler of his people, because you have not kept
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 1: the Lord's command. This was the first prophetic warning against Saul.
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: His reign would not last. God had already chosen another,
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: a man after his own heart, to replace him. Samuel left,
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: and Saul counted his remaining men only six hundred. Despite
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: this disastrous beginning, the battle ended well for Israel. Jonathan
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: and his armor bearer launched a surprise attack on the
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: Philistine camp, throwing them into panic. God sent an earthquake,
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: adding to the confusion, and the Philistines began fighting each other.
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 1: Saul and his troops pursued them and won an unexpected victory.
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: But Saul's mistake at Gilgal had revealed a flaw in
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 1: his character, a tendency to act impulsively and not wait
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: for divine direction. It was a flaw that would resurface
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: with even more serious consequences. Years passed and Saul consolidated
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: his reign, winning battles against many of Israel's enemies, Then
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 1: one day Samuel came to him with a specific mission
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: from God. In First Samuel fifteen one three, we read
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 1: the divine command. Samuel said to Saul, I am the
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 1: people Israel. So listen now to the message from the Lord.
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: This is what the Lord Almighty says, I will punish
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 1: the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them.
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: Do not spare them. Put to death, men and women,
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 1: children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys. It
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: was a severe command, an example of herem, the complete
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 1: destruction devoted to God. The Amalekites had attacked the Israelites
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: during their exodus from Egypt, when they were weak and weary.
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: God had promised that one day he would avenge that cruelty,
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: and that day had now come. Saul gathered his army
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 1: and attacked the Amalekites. In First Samuel fifteen seventy nine
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: we see the outcome of the battle. Then Saul attacked
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 1: the Amalekites. All the way from Havila to Shur, near
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: the eastern border of Egypt. He took agog king of
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 1: with the sword. But Saul and the army spared a
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: gag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat,
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: calves and lambs, everything that was good. These they were
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: unwilling to destroy completely. But everything that was despised and
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 1: weak they totally destroyed. Once again, Saul had disobeyed. Instead
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: of destroying everything as God had commanded, he preserved the
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 1: enemy king and kept the best animals. It was partial obedience,
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: driven by self interest. Saul wanted the prestige of parading
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: a defeated king as a captive, and the wealth of
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 1: the finest animals for himself and his army. God saw
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 1: this disobedience and spoke to Samuel. In verse Samuel fifteen
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 1: ten Tis eleven we read. Then the word of the
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 1: Lord came to Samuel. I regret that I have made
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 1: Saul king, because he has turned away from me and
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 1: has not carried out my instructions. Samuel was angry, and
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 1: he cried out to the Lord all that night. The
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: next morning Samuel went to meet Sul, who had just
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: finished setting up a monument in his own honor. When
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 1: Samuel arrived, Saul greeted him cheerfully, the Lord bless you.
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: I have carried out the Lord's instructions. But Samuel wasn't convinced.
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: In first Samuel fifteen fourteen, he asked, what then is
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 1: this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: lowing of cattle that I hear? Saul tried to explain
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: that the best animals had been spared to be sacrificed
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: to the Lord, but Samuel rejected the excuse. In verse
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: Samuel fifteen twenty two to twenty three, he made a
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: prophetic declaration that would become well known. But Samuel replied,
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 1: does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 1: much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 1: than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: and arrogance, like the evil of idolatry. Because you have
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you
• 1:09:17
  Speaker 1: as king. Finally, Saul admitted his wrong doing into purse
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: Samuel fifteen twenty four, he confessed. Then Saul said to Samuel,
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions.
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 1: I was afraid of the men, and so I gave
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 1: in to them, but it was too late. Samuel announced
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: that God had rejected Saul as king. When Samuel turned
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: to leave, Saul grabbed his robe and it tore. In
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 1: First Samuel fifteen twenty seven to twenty eight, we see
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: the symbolism of that moment. As Samuel turned to leave,
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe and
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: it tour. Samuel said to him, the Lord has torn
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 1: the kingdom of Israel from you to day and has
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: given it to one of your neighbors, to one better
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 1: than you. Samuel then carried out the task that Saul
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: had refused to complete. He killed Agag, king of the Amalekites.
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 1: After that, he returned to his home town Ramah, while
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 1: Saul went back to Gibeeah. In First Samuel fifteen thirty five,
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: we see the somber end to their relationship until the
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again.
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: Though Samuel mourned for him, and the Lord regretted that
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: he had made Saul king over Israel. Saul's reign would
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: continue for many years, but spiritually it was already over.
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: God had rejected him and was already preparing his replacement.
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: A young shepherd from Bethlehem named David. Samuel was heart broken.
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 1: His heart grew heavy thinking about Saul, the king who
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: had failed. Day after day he wept for the man
• 1:11:05
  Speaker 1: whom God had rejected. But in Firs Samuel sixteen one,
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: God interrupts this cycle of mourning. How long will you
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: mourn for Saul since I have rejected him as king
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem.
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: I have chosen one of his sons to be king.
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: Samuel was afraid if Saul found out he was anointing
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: a new king, his life would be in danger. In
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 1: verse Samuel sixteen two three, we see both his concern
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: and God's solution. But Samuel said, how can I go?
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: If Saul hears about it, he will kill me. The
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: Lord said, take a heifer with you and say I
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to
• 1:11:50
  Speaker 1: the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do.
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.
• 1:11:57
  Speaker 1: The prophet obeyed. When he arrived in Bethlehem, the city
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: elders trembled at his appearance. In First Samuel sixteen four
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: we read their reaction. The elders of the town trembled
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: when they met him. They asked, do you come in peace?
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 1: Samuel replied, yes, in peace, I have come to sacrifice
• 1:12:17
  Speaker 1: to the Lord. Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and
• 1:12:21
  Speaker 1: invited them to the sacrifice. Then he asked to see
• 1:12:25
  Speaker 1: Jesse's sons one by one. The verse to appear was Eliab,
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: tall and handsome. Samuel thought, surely this is the one
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 1: the Lord has chosen. But in First Samuel sixteen to seven,
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: God corrected Samuel's human judgment. But the Lord said to Samuel,
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: do not consider his appearance or his height, for I
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 1: have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the
• 1:12:51
  Speaker 1: things people look at. People look at the outward appearance,
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: But the Lord looks at the heart. Jesse had said,
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: even of his sons pass before Samuel, and for each one,
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: Samuel said, the Lord has not chosen this one. Confused,
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 1: Samuel asked Jesse in first Samuel sixteen eleven. Are these
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 1: all the sons you have? There is still the youngest,
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: Jesse answered, but he is tending the sheep. Send for him.
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: Samuel said, we will not sit down until he arrives.
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: So they sent for the boy who had been forgotten
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: in the fields in verse Samuel sixteen twelve thirteen. We
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 1: witness his arrival. So Jesse sent for him and had
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: him brought in. He was glowing with health and had
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said,
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: rise and anoint him. This is the one. So Samuel
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 1: took the horn of oil and anointed him in the
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: presence of his brothers, and from that day on the
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 1: spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. It was
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 1: a simple ceremony, no drums or trumpets, just an old
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: pit pouring oil on the head of a young shepherd.
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: But in that moment, the fate of an empire was sealed.
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: The shepherd of sheep would become the shepherd of a nation,
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 1: though the path to the throne would be long and
• 1:14:13
  Speaker 1: full of danger. While God was preparing David to become king,
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: something was happening to Saul, the man who had once
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: been touched by the spirit of God, was now tormented
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: by another kind of spirit. In First Samuel sixteen fourteen
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 1: we see this sad change. Now the spirit of the
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 1: Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 1: the Lord tormented him. Saul's servants noticed the problem their
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: king was suffering, swinging between deep melancholy and sudden outbursts
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 1: of rage. They suggested a solution. In First Samuel sixteen
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: fifteen sixteen, Saul's attendants said to him, see an evil
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 1: spirit from God is torn meanting you. Let our Lord
• 1:15:01
  Speaker 1: command his servants here to search for someone who can
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: from God comes on you, and you will feel better.
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 1: Saul agreed, and one of his servants mentioned a young
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 1: man he knew. In First Samuel sixteen to eighteen we
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 1: see the first description of David at court. One of
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: the servants answered, I have seen a son of Jesse
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well
• 1:15:31
  Speaker 1: and is a fine looking man, and the Lord is
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 1: with him. Saul then sent messengers to Jesse, asking him
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 1: to send his son. In First Samuel sixteen nineteen to twenty,
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: so Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, send me
• 1:15:46
  Speaker 1: your son David, who is with the sheep. So Jesse
• 1:15:50
  Speaker 1: took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine,
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: and a young goat and sent them with his son
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: David to Saul. David arrived and began serving in the
• 1:15:59
  Speaker 1: royal court. Whenever the evil spirit came upon Saul, the
• 1:16:04
  Speaker 1: young man would play his harp and the king would
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 1: find relief. In First Samuel ze twenty three, we see
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: the power of music. Whenever the spirit from God came
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 1: on Saul, David would take up his harp and play.
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 1: Then relief would come to Saul. He would feel better,
• 1:16:21
  Speaker 1: and the evil spirit would leave him. This marked the
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 1: beginning of a strange period in David's life. He was
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 1: the Lord's anointed, the future king of Israel, yet he
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 1: served the very man who sat on the throne that
• 1:16:35
  Speaker 1: would one day be his. He lived a double life,
• 1:16:39
  Speaker 1: sometimes returning to Bethlehem to tend his father's sheep, and
• 1:16:43
  Speaker 1: other times playing music at court to calm a tormented king.
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 1: David told no one about his anointing. He would wait
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 1: for God's timing, the war with the bee Philistines was
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: still raging. The two armies faced off in the Valley
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 1: of Elah. In First Samuel seventeen three to four we
• 1:17:03
  Speaker 1: get the scene. The Philistines occupied one hill and the
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: Israelites another, with the valley between them. A champion named Goliath,
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 1: who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp.
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 1: He was over nine feet tall. Goliath was a giant,
• 1:17:18
  Speaker 1: not just in size, but in armor and weaponry. In
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 1: First Samuel seventeen and five to seven, he wore a
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: bronze helmet and a coat of scale armor of bronze
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 1: weighing five thousand shekels on his legs. He wore bronze greeves,
• 1:17:34
  Speaker 1: and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His
• 1:17:37
  Speaker 1: spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron
• 1:17:40
  Speaker 1: point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead
• 1:17:45
  Speaker 1: of him for forty days, every morning and evening, Goliath
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: taunted the army of Israel. In First Samuel seventeen eight
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 1: to ten we hear his challenge. Goliath stood and shouted
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: to the ranks of Israel, why do you come out
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: and line up for battle. Am I not a philistine?
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 1: And are you not the servants of Saul. Choose a
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 1: man and have him come down to me. If he
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 1: is able to fight and kill me, we will become
• 1:18:12
  Speaker 1: your subjects. But if I overcome him and kill him,
• 1:18:15
  Speaker 1: you will become our subjects and serve us. Then the
• 1:18:20
  Speaker 1: philistine said, this day I defy the armies of Israel.
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 1: Give me a man, and let us fight each other.
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 1: When Saul and all the Israelites heard this, they were terrified.
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 1: No one dared to face the giant. Meanwhile, far away,
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: David was still tending his father's sheep. His three oldest
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: brothers had joined Saul's army. One day, Jesse called David
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 1: in first Samuel seventeen seventeen to eighteen. We see his request.
• 1:18:52
  Speaker 1: Jesse said to his son, David, take this effort of
• 1:18:56
  Speaker 1: roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers,
• 1:18:59
  Speaker 1: and h to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses
• 1:19:03
  Speaker 1: to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are,
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: and bring back some assurance from them. David rose early
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: the next morning and left the sheep with another shepherd.
• 1:19:16
  Speaker 1: He reached the camp just as the army was going
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 1: out to their battle positions, shouting the war cry in
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: verse Samuel seventeen to twenty two to twenty three. David
• 1:19:26
  Speaker 1: left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to
• 1:19:29
  Speaker 1: the battle lines, and asked his brothers how they were.
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 1: As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 1: from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw Goliath,
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 1: they fled in fear. David asked what would be given
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: to the man who defeated the Philistine and removed this
• 1:19:53
  Speaker 1: disgrace from Israel. The soldiers explained that the king had
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: promised great wealth his daughter in marriage, and tax exemption
• 1:20:01
  Speaker 1: for the winner's family. David's oldest brother, Eliab, overheard the
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 1: conversation and became angry. In vers Samuel seventeen twenty eight.
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 1: He rebuked David, why have you come down here? And
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 1: with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness.
• 1:20:18
  Speaker 1: I know how conceited you are and how wicked your
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 1: heart is. You came down only to watch the battle.
• 1:20:25
  Speaker 1: But David wasn't intimidated. He kept asking about the reward
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 1: until word reached Saul, who sent for him. In verse
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 1: Samuel seventeen thirty two, David shows his courage. David said
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: to Saul, let no one lose heart on account of
• 1:20:41
  Speaker 1: this philistine. Your servant will go and fight him. Saul
• 1:20:45
  Speaker 1: tried to talk him out of it. You are not
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 1: able to go out against this philistine and fight him.
• 1:20:51
  Speaker 1: You are only a young man, and he has been
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: a warrior from his youth. But David told the king
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: how he had defended his father's flock from lions and bears.
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel seventeen thirty six thirty seven, he declares
• 1:21:05
  Speaker 1: his faith, your servant has killed both the lion and
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 1: the bear. This uncircumcised philistine will be like one of them,
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 1: because he has defied the armies of the living God.
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 1: The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: lion and the paw of the bear, will rescue me
• 1:21:23
  Speaker 1: from the hand of this philistine. Convinced, Saul said, go
• 1:21:27
  Speaker 1: and the Lord be with you. Saul offered David his
• 1:21:30
  Speaker 1: own armor, but after trying it on, David realized he
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: couldn't move in it. In First Samuel seventeen thirty nine
• 1:21:37
  Speaker 1: forty we see his weapon of choice. David said, I
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 1: cannot go in these because I am not used to them,
• 1:21:45
  Speaker 1: so he took them off. Then he took his staff
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream,
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 1: put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag, and
• 1:21:54
  Speaker 1: with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. And
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 1: so David stepped forward to face the giant, armed with
• 1:22:02
  Speaker 1: nothing but a staff, a sling, and five smooth stones.
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 1: The contrast couldn't have been more striking. On one side
• 1:22:10
  Speaker 1: stood Goliath, nearly three meters tall, clad in armor, wielding
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 1: heavy weapons, and with a shield bearer before him. On
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 1: the other side, a young shepherd in simple clothes, carrying
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 1: a staff, a sling, and five stones in a pouch. David,
• 1:22:27
  Speaker 1: the youngest and smallest of Jesse's eight sons, facing off
• 1:22:31
  Speaker 1: against the philistines champion. When Goliath saw David approaching, he
• 1:22:36
  Speaker 1: was outraged. In verse Samuel seventeen forty two forty four,
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: we read of his contempt. When the Philistine looked and
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 1: saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy,
• 1:22:48
  Speaker 1: ruddy and handsome, And he said, am I a dog
• 1:22:51
  Speaker 1: that you come at me with sticks? And the Philistine
• 1:22:54
  Speaker 1: cursed David by his gods. Come here, he said, and
• 1:22:59
  Speaker 1: I'll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals.
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 1: But David wasn't intimidated. His response made it clear that
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 1: this wasn't just a duel between two men. It was
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 1: a clash of world views, a battle between two kinds
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: of faith. In Verse Samuel seventeen forty five forty seven,
• 1:23:18
  Speaker 1: David boldly declared, you come against me with sword and
• 1:23:21
  Speaker 1: spear and javelin, But I come against you in the
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 1: name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the
• 1:23:27
  Speaker 1: armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day, the
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 1: Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 1: you down and cut off your head. To day I
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 1: will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 1: birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will
• 1:23:45
  Speaker 1: know that there is a God in Israel, and all
• 1:23:48
  Speaker 1: those gathered here will know that it is not by
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 1: sword or spear that the Lord saves, for the battle
• 1:23:53
  Speaker 1: is the Lord's, and he will give all of you
• 1:23:56
  Speaker 1: into our hands. As Goliath moved into attack, David ran
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 1: quickly toward the battle line to meet him. In verse
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: Samuel seventeen forty eight forty nine, we see the decisive action.
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: As the Philistine came closer to attack him, David ran
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 1: quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 1: his bag, he took out a stone, slung it and
• 1:24:19
  Speaker 1: struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 1: his forehead and he fell face down on the ground.
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 1: And so David defeated the Philistine with a sling and
• 1:24:29
  Speaker 1: a single stone. He didn't even need the other four
• 1:24:33
  Speaker 1: he had picked up. But the battle wasn't quite over yet.
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: In Worse Samuel seventeen fifty fifty one we read how
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 1: it ended. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a
• 1:24:44
  Speaker 1: sling and a stone, without a sword in his hand.
• 1:24:48
  Speaker 1: He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 1: and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword,
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 1: drew it from the sheath, and after he killed him,
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 1: he cut off his head with the sword. When the
• 1:25:01
  Speaker 1: Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they panicked and fled.
• 1:25:06
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel seventeen fifty two, the Israelites' response is recorded. Then,
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 1: the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath
• 1:25:17
  Speaker 1: and to the gates of Ekron. That dead were strewn
• 1:25:20
  Speaker 1: along the Shahraim road to Gath and Ekron. It was
• 1:25:24
  Speaker 1: a stunning, unexpected victory. A young shepherd had defeated the
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: mightiest warrior of the enemy army, triggering a total route.
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 1: When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they looted
• 1:25:37
  Speaker 1: the enemy camp. David took Goliath's head and brought it
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 1: to Jerusalem, and he kept the giant's weapons in his
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 1: own tent, a trophy of victory, a reminder of what
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: God had done through him. After his triumph over Goliath,
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 1: David was brought before Saul. In First Samuel eighteen one three,
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: we see the beginning of an extraordinary friendship. After David
• 1:26:02
  Speaker 1: had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit
• 1:26:06
  Speaker 1: with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day,
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: Saul kept David with him and did not let him
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: return to his father's house, and Jonathan made a covenant
• 1:26:15
  Speaker 1: with David because he loved him as himself. This friendship
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 1: between the king's son and the future king would last
• 1:26:22
  Speaker 1: a lifetime. As a sign of their bond, Jonathan gave
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: David meaningful gifts. In Verse Samuel eighteen four, it says
• 1:26:30
  Speaker 1: Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave
• 1:26:33
  Speaker 1: it to David, along with his tunic and even his sword,
• 1:26:37
  Speaker 1: his bow, and his belt. David succeeded in everything Saul
• 1:26:42
  Speaker 1: asked him to do, so the king placed him in
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 1: command of the army, a decision that pleased the people
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 1: and Saul's officers alike. But trouble was just around the corner.
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: When the army returned home after the victory over the Philistines,
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 1: women came out from every town in Israel to greet
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 1: King Saul. In First Samuel eighteen six seven, we read
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 1: what happened next. When the men were returning home after
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: David had killed the Philistine the women came out from
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with
• 1:27:16
  Speaker 1: singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and lutes.
• 1:27:21
  Speaker 1: As they danced, they sang, Saul has slain his thousands
• 1:27:25
  Speaker 1: and David his tens of thousands. This song infuriated Saul.
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel eighteen eight to nine, Saul was very angry.
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 1: This refrain displeased him greatly. They have credited David with
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 1: tens of thousands, he thought, but me with only thousands,
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 1: What more can he get but the kingdom? And from
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 1: that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
• 1:27:49
  Speaker 1: The next day, an evil spirit came upon Saul and
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 1: he began to rave inside his house. David, as usual,
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 1: played the harp to soothe him, but this time was different.
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel eighteen ten eleven, the next day, an
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 1: evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 1: prophesying in his house while David was playing the harp
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 1: as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his
• 1:28:17
  Speaker 1: hand and hurled it, saying to himself, I'll pin David
• 1:28:19
  Speaker 1: to the wall, but David eluded him twice. Saul feared
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: David because he knew the Lord had left him and
• 1:28:27
  Speaker 1: was now with David. So he removed David from his
• 1:28:30
  Speaker 1: presence and made him commander over a thousand troops, hoping
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 1: he'd die in battle. In First Samuel eighteen thirteen to fourteen,
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 1: so he sent David away from him and gave him
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: command over a thousand men, and David led the troops
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 1: in their campaigns. In everything he did, he had great
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 1: success because the Lord was with him. When Saul saw
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: how successful David was, he became even more afraid. But
• 1:28:57
  Speaker 1: all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 1: so well in battle. Then Saul came up with another plan.
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 1: He offered his daughter Merab to David in marriage, thinking
• 1:29:09
  Speaker 1: I'll give her to him so she can be a
• 1:29:11
  Speaker 1: snare to him, and so the Philistines will strike him down.
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 1: But when the time came for David to marry Merab,
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: she was given to another man. Saul found out that
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: his youngest daughter, Michal, was in love with David. This
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: pleased the king, who thought, I'll give her to him
• 1:29:30
  Speaker 1: so she can be a snare to him, and the
• 1:29:32
  Speaker 1: Philistines will kill him. When David heard that Saul wanted
• 1:29:37
  Speaker 1: him to become his son in law, he said, do
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 1: you think it's a small thing to become the king's
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: son in law. I'm just a poor man and of
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 1: little significance. When this was reported to Saul, he instructed
• 1:29:51
  Speaker 1: his servants to tell David that the king did not
• 1:29:54
  Speaker 1: want any dowry, only a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge
• 1:30:00
  Speaker 1: against his enemies. Saul's plan was to have David killed
• 1:30:03
  Speaker 1: by the hands of the Philistines, but David accepted the challenge.
• 1:30:08
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel eighteen twenty seven, it says David and
• 1:30:12
  Speaker 1: his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He
• 1:30:16
  Speaker 1: brought there horskins and presented the full number to the
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 1: king so that he might become the king's son in law.
• 1:30:24
  Speaker 1: Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. The
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 1: king realized that the lord was with David and that
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: his daughter Michal loved him, so Saul became even more
• 1:30:34
  Speaker 1: afraid of David and remained his enemy for the rest
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 1: of his life. Saul spoke to Jonathan and all his
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 1: officials about his plan to kill David, but Jonathan, who
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 1: was very fond of David, warned him, my father, Saul
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 1: is trying to kill you. Be careful. Tomorrow morning, go
• 1:30:52
  Speaker 1: into hiding and stay there. I'll go out with my
• 1:30:55
  Speaker 1: father in the field where you'll be, and I'll talk
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 1: to him about you. Then i'll let you know what
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: I find out. Jonathan spoke well of David too, his father,
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 1: reminding him of how David had helped Israel by defeating Goliath.
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: In Verse Samuel nineteen five. He said, he risked his
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 1: life to kill the Philistine, and the Lord brought about
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 1: a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and
• 1:31:19
  Speaker 1: were glad. Why then, would you sin against innocent blood
• 1:31:23
  Speaker 1: by killing David without cause. Saul listened to Jonathan and
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 1: took an oath. As surely as the Lord lives, David
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: will not be put to death. Jonathan called David and
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 1: told him everything. He brought David to Saul, and David
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 1: served the king as before. But war soon broke out again,
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: and David fought the Philistines and defeated them decisively, so
• 1:31:46
  Speaker 1: they fled before him. During this time, an evil spirit
• 1:31:51
  Speaker 1: came over Saul as he was sitting in his house
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 1: with his spear in hand. David was playing the harp
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: and Saul tried to pin him to the wall with
• 1:31:59
  Speaker 1: the spe but David dodged it and the spear stuck
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 1: into the wall. That night, David fled. Saul sent men
• 1:32:09
  Speaker 1: to David's house to watch it and kill him in
• 1:32:11
  Speaker 1: the morning, but Mihal, David's wife, warned him, if you
• 1:32:15
  Speaker 1: don't escape to night. You'll be dead by morning. So
• 1:32:18
  Speaker 1: Mikhal help David escape through a window, and he fled.
• 1:32:22
  Speaker 1: In Firs Samuel nineteen thirteen to fourteen, we see Mikhal's strategy.
• 1:32:27
  Speaker 1: Then Mikhal took a household idol, laid it on the bed,
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 1: put a pillow of goat's hair at the head, and
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: covered it with a blanket. When Saul sent men to
• 1:32:36
  Speaker 1: capture David, Mikhal said he is sick. Saul sent the
• 1:32:41
  Speaker 1: men back to see David, saying, bring him to me
• 1:32:44
  Speaker 1: in his bed so I may kill him. But when
• 1:32:46
  Speaker 1: the men entered, all they found in the bed was
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: the idol with the pillow of goat's hair at its head.
• 1:32:53
  Speaker 1: Saul said to Mikhal, why did you deceive me like
• 1:32:57
  Speaker 1: this and let my enemy escape. Mikhail replied he said
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: to me, help me get away or I'll kill you. Meanwhile,
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: David fled to Rama, where Samuel was, and told him
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 1: everything Saul had done. Then he and Samuel went to
• 1:33:11
  Speaker 1: Nioth and stayed there. When Saul found out, he sent
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 1: men to capture David. But something strange happened. In First
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: Samuel nineteen twenty twenty one, when they saw a group
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them. The spirit of
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 1: God came upon Saul's messengers and they also prophesied. When
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 1: Saul was told about this, he sent more men and
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: they too prophesied. Saul sent messengers a third time, and
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 1: they also prophesied. Finally, Saul himself went to Rama. On
• 1:33:44
  Speaker 1: the way, he asked where Samuel and David were, and
• 1:33:47
  Speaker 1: he continued on to Nioth in Rama in First Samuel
• 1:33:51
  Speaker 1: nineteen twenty three, twenty four, but the spirit of God
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 1: he came to Nioth. He stripped off his clothes and
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 1: also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: day and night. That's why people say is Saul also
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: among the prophets. David fled from Naioth in Ramah and
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: went to speak with Jonathan. In Worse Samuel twenty one two,
• 1:34:19
  Speaker 1: we see his desperation. David asked, what have I done?
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 1: What is my crime? What sin have I committed against
• 1:34:26
  Speaker 1: your father that he is trying to kill me. Jonathan replied, never,
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: you won't die. Look, my father doesn't do anything great
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: or small without telling me. Why would he hide this
• 1:34:37
  Speaker 1: from me? It's not true. David explained that Saul knew
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: about their friendship and was keeping his plans from Jonathan
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 1: for that reason. So the two friends devised a plan
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 1: to uncover Saul's true intentions. The next day would be
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 1: the New Moon feast, and David was expected at the
• 1:34:57
  Speaker 1: king's table. Instead would hide for three days. Jonathan would
• 1:35:03
  Speaker 1: tell Saul that David had asked permission to go to
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 1: Bethlehem for a family sacrifice. If Saul didn't mind, then
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: all was well, but if he got angry, that would
• 1:35:14
  Speaker 1: be the sign that he intended to kill David. Jonathan
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 1: and David renewed their covenant of friendship in First Samuel
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: twenty seventeen. Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of
• 1:35:27
  Speaker 1: love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: They arranged a secret code using arrows. Jonathan would shoot
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 1: three arrows as if practicing. If he told the servant
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: that the arrows were beyond him, David would know he
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 1: had to flee, but if he said they were closer,
• 1:35:45
  Speaker 1: it would be safe to return. On the second day
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: of the feast, Saul asked Jonathan where David was. Jonathan
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: explained that he had gone to Bethlehem for the sacrifice.
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 1: Saul became furious. Inverse Samuel twenty thirty to thirty one,
• 1:36:04
  Speaker 1: Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan, and he said, you,
• 1:36:08
  Speaker 1: son of a perverse and rebellious woman, don't I know
• 1:36:11
  Speaker 1: you have sided with the son of Jesse to your
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 1: own shame and the shame of your mother's nakedness. As
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 1: long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth,
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 1: someone to bring him to me, for he must die.
• 1:36:28
  Speaker 1: Jonathan defended David, asking why should he be put to death?
• 1:36:32
  Speaker 1: What has he done? In response, Saul hurled his spear
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 1: at his own son. That's when Jonathan finally realized his
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 1: father was determined to kill David. The next morning, Jonathan
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: went out to the field with a young servant and
• 1:36:46
  Speaker 1: shot an arrow beyond him, giving David their pre arranged signal.
• 1:36:51
  Speaker 1: After sending the boy back to the city, Jonathan and
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 1: David had a deeply emotional farewell. In First Samuel twenty
• 1:37:01
  Speaker 1: forty one forty two, we read after the boy had gone,
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 1: David got up from the south side of the stone,
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 1: bowed down three times with his face to the ground.
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 1: Then they kissed each other and wept together, but David
• 1:37:13
  Speaker 1: wept the most. Jonathan said to David, go in peace,
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 1: for we have sworn friendship with each other in the
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: name of the Lord, saying, the Lord is witness between
• 1:37:23
  Speaker 1: you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.
• 1:37:28
  Speaker 1: And so David left and Jonathan returned to the city.
• 1:37:33
  Speaker 1: A great friendship was torn apart by the jealousy of
• 1:37:36
  Speaker 1: a stubborn king. David fled, but where could he go.
• 1:37:40
  Speaker 1: He needed food and weapons for his journey. In verse
• 1:37:44
  Speaker 1: Samuel twenty one one to two we see his first stop.
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 1: David went to nob to Ahimelecht. The priest a Himelect,
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 1: trembled when he met him and asked, why are you alone?
• 1:37:55
  Speaker 1: Why is no one with you? David answered to Himmelect,
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 1: the priest the king said, ent me on a mission,
• 1:38:01
  Speaker 1: and said to me, no one must know anything about
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: the mission I am sending you on. As for my men,
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: I have told them to meet me at a certain place.
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 1: It was a lie. David wasn't on a mission from
• 1:38:13
  Speaker 1: the King. He was fleeing from him, but he feared
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: telling the truth, as it might put the priest in danger. Hungry,
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 1: David asked for food. In First Samuel twenty one three four,
• 1:38:25
  Speaker 1: we see the exchange. Now, then, what do you have
• 1:38:29
  Speaker 1: on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever
• 1:38:32
  Speaker 1: you can find. But the priest answered David, I don't
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 1: have any ordinary bread on hand. However, there is some
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: consecrated bread, provided the men have kept themselves from women.
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: The only bread available was the consecrated bread from the tabernacle,
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 1: reserved only for priests. David assured the priest that he
• 1:38:53
  Speaker 1: and his men were ceremonially pure. In First Samuel twenty
• 1:38:57
  Speaker 1: one six, we read so the priest gave him the
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 1: consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 1: bread of the presents that had been removed from before
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 1: the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day
• 1:39:11
  Speaker 1: it was taken away. Years later, Jesus would refer to
• 1:39:15
  Speaker 1: this moment to illustrate how ritual laws could be set
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: aside in cases of necessity. But that day another problem arose.
• 1:39:25
  Speaker 1: In verse Samuel twenty one seven, we meet a dangerous witness. Now,
• 1:39:29
  Speaker 1: one of Saul's servants was there that day detained before
• 1:39:33
  Speaker 1: the lord. He was Doeg, the Edomite. Saul's chief shepherd.
• 1:39:37
  Speaker 1: Doeeg saw everything, and later he would report it to Saul.
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 1: But at that moment, David had another request. In First
• 1:39:46
  Speaker 1: Samuel twenty one eight to nine, we read, David asked
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 1: a himelech, don't you have a spear or sword here?
• 1:39:52
  Speaker 1: I didn't bring my sword or any other weapon because
• 1:39:55
  Speaker 1: the king's mission was urgent. The priest replied, the sword
• 1:40:00
  Speaker 1: of Goliath, the Philistine whom you killed in the valley
• 1:40:04
  Speaker 1: of Elah, is here. It is wrapped in a cloth
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: behind the ephod. If you want it, take it. There
• 1:40:10
  Speaker 1: is no sword here but that one, David said, there
• 1:40:14
  Speaker 1: is none like it. Give it to me. How ironic. David,
• 1:40:18
  Speaker 1: now on the run for his life, was handed the
• 1:40:21
  Speaker 1: very sword he had used to cut off the giant's head,
• 1:40:24
  Speaker 1: a powerful reminder of how God had delivered him before
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: and could do so again. With food and a weapon
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: in hand, David left quickly, knowing he couldn't stay and
• 1:40:35
  Speaker 1: knob for long. But where would he go next? His
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 1: next move would surprise everyone. David, once Israel's hero, was
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 1: now alone without allies and hunted by the king, Where
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 1: do you go when your own homeland isn't safe any more?
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel twenty one ten, we see his unexpected decision.
• 1:40:56
  Speaker 1: That day, David fled from Saul and went to Akish,
• 1:40:59
  Speaker 1: king of gasth Gath was one of the key cities
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 1: of the Philistines, the same people who had sent Goliath
• 1:41:06
  Speaker 1: to fight Israel. It was like walking into the lion's den.
• 1:41:11
  Speaker 1: Akish's officials quickly recognized him. In First Samuel twenty one eleven,
• 1:41:16
  Speaker 1: they said, isn't this David the king of the land.
• 1:41:20
  Speaker 1: Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances?
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 1: Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands.
• 1:41:29
  Speaker 1: Realizing the danger, David became afraid if the Philistines saw
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 1: him as the killer of their champion and a celebrated
• 1:41:38
  Speaker 1: Israelite warrior, they'd likely execute him. So, in desperation, he
• 1:41:42
  Speaker 1: pulled an unexpected move. In First Samuel twenty one thirteen,
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 1: we read so he pretended to be insane in their presence,
• 1:41:52
  Speaker 1: and while he was in their hands, he acted like
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 1: a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate
• 1:41:57
  Speaker 1: and letting saliva run down his beak. The plan worked
• 1:42:03
  Speaker 1: Achish didn't want a madman around. In First Samuel twenty one,
• 1:42:08
  Speaker 1: fourteen to fifteen, he says, look at the man, he's insane.
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 1: Why bring him to me? Am? I so short of
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 1: mad men that you bring this fellow here to carry
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 1: on like this in front of me? Must this man
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: come into my house? David used that moment to escape
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 1: from Gath and fled to the cave of a Dullam.
• 1:42:29
  Speaker 1: This would become his first base as a fugitive. In
• 1:42:32
  Speaker 1: First Samuel twenty two one to two, we see how
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: he began to gather followers. David left Gath and escaped
• 1:42:40
  Speaker 1: to the cave of a Dullam. When his brothers and
• 1:42:43
  Speaker 1: his father's household heard about it, they went down to him.
• 1:42:47
  Speaker 1: There all those who were in distress, or in debt
• 1:42:50
  Speaker 1: or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander.
• 1:42:54
  Speaker 1: About four hundred men were with him, an unlikely group.
• 1:42:58
  Speaker 1: They weren't trained soldiers, but desperate people running from debt, trouble,
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 1: or bitterness, the outcasts, the overlooked. Yet from them David
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 1: would form an army that would later become known for
• 1:43:10
  Speaker 1: its bravery and loyalty. Concerned for his parents' safety. Fearing
• 1:43:15
  Speaker 1: Saul might take revenge on them, David sought a safe
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 1: place for them. In First Samuel twenty two three to
• 1:43:21
  Speaker 1: four we read his solution. From there, David went to
• 1:43:25
  Speaker 1: Mispar in Moab and said to the King of Moab,
• 1:43:28
  Speaker 1: would you let my father and mother come and stay
• 1:43:31
  Speaker 1: with you until I learn what God will do for me.
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 1: So he left them with the King of Moab, and
• 1:43:36
  Speaker 1: they stayed with him as long as David was in
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 1: the stronghold. Moab was a natural choice. David's great grandmother, Ruth,
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 1: was a Moabite, so there was a family connection. Moreover,
• 1:43:49
  Speaker 1: Moab was an enemy of Saul, making it a safe
• 1:43:53
  Speaker 1: haven for David's parents. While David was in that refuge,
• 1:43:57
  Speaker 1: he received a visit from a prophet. In First set
• 1:44:00
  Speaker 1: Amuel twenty two five we see his advice. But the
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: prophet God said to David, do not stay in the stronghold,
• 1:44:08
  Speaker 1: go into the land of Judah. So David left and
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 1: went to the forest of Herith. God's council was crucial.
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 1: David needed to remain in his own land Judah, even
• 1:44:19
  Speaker 1: as a fugitive. There he would be known and could
• 1:44:22
  Speaker 1: receive support also by staying in Israel, he would maintain
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: his connection with the people he would one day lead
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 1: as king. Thus began David's life on the run. For
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 1: the next several years, he would live in caves and forests,
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 1: always one step ahead of Saul, developing the leadership skills
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 1: and trust in God that would later define his reign.
• 1:44:46
  Speaker 1: The Wilderness School was just beginning, and its lessons would
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 1: shape the character of Israel's future king. Saul never gave
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 1: up chasing David. Each day, his obsession grew stronger. When
• 1:44:58
  Speaker 1: he heard that David was high in the deserts of Engeddi,
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 1: he gathered three thousand of Israel's best soldiers and went
• 1:45:05
  Speaker 1: to hunt him among the rocky cliffs where wild goats lived. Then,
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 1: something totally unexpected happened in first Samuel twenty four to three.
• 1:45:16
  Speaker 1: Their paths cross in a surprising way. He came to
• 1:45:19
  Speaker 1: the sheep pens. Along the way. A cave was there,
• 1:45:22
  Speaker 1: and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his
• 1:45:25
  Speaker 1: men were far back in the cave. It was a
• 1:45:29
  Speaker 1: moment of perfect irony. The hunter unknowingly had walked right
• 1:45:33
  Speaker 1: into the lair of his prey, with no guards, no army,
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 1: Saul was completely exposed. David's men saw it as the
• 1:45:42
  Speaker 1: hand of God. In First Samuel twenty four to four,
• 1:45:45
  Speaker 1: they whispered, this is the day the Lord spoke of
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 1: when he said to you, I will give your enemy
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 1: into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.
• 1:45:55
  Speaker 1: The temptation was immense. With a single blow, David could
• 1:45:59
  Speaker 1: eat the pursuit, kill his enemy, and clear the path
• 1:46:03
  Speaker 1: to the throne. But something deeper stirred in his heart. Quietly,
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: David crept up and cut off just a corner of
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 1: Saul's robe. Even that small act triggered his conscience. In
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 1: verse Samuel twenty four five to seven, we see David's
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 1: inner conflict. Afterward, David was conscience stricken for having cut
• 1:46:23
  Speaker 1: off a corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men,
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 1: the Lord forbid that I should do such a thing
• 1:46:30
  Speaker 1: to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand
• 1:46:33
  Speaker 1: against him, for he is the anointed of the Lord.
• 1:46:37
  Speaker 1: With these words, David sharply rebuked his men and did
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 1: not allow them to attack Saul. David let Saul leave
• 1:46:44
  Speaker 1: the cave safely, unaware of how close he had come
• 1:46:47
  Speaker 1: to death. Only then did David step out and call
• 1:46:50
  Speaker 1: after him, my Lord the King. When Saul looked back,
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 1: David bowed down with his face to the ground. In
• 1:46:59
  Speaker 1: First Samuel twenty four, nine to eleven, David speaks words
• 1:47:03
  Speaker 1: of unexpected loyalty. Why do you listen when men say
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: David is bent on harming you? This day? You have
• 1:47:10
  Speaker 1: seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you
• 1:47:12
  Speaker 1: into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to
• 1:47:15
  Speaker 1: kill you, but I spared you. I said, I will
• 1:47:19
  Speaker 1: not lay my hand on my lord because he is
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 1: the Lord's anointed. To prove his sincerity, David showed the
• 1:47:27
  Speaker 1: peace of Saul's robe. In verses eleven to twelve, he continues, see,
• 1:47:32
  Speaker 1: my father, look at this piece of your robe in
• 1:47:35
  Speaker 1: my hand. I cut off the corner of your robe,
• 1:47:38
  Speaker 1: but did not kill you. See that there is nothing
• 1:47:42
  Speaker 1: in my hand two indicate that I am guilty of
• 1:47:45
  Speaker 1: wrong doing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, yet
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 1: you are hunting me down to take my life. David
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 1: appealed to God to judge between them, but firmly declared
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: he would never raise his hand against the king. Compared
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 1: himself to a dead dog, a flea too insignificant to
• 1:48:05
  Speaker 1: be worth such relentless pursuit. Saul's reaction was unexpected. In
• 1:48:10
  Speaker 1: Verse Samuel twenty four, sixteen to seventeen, we read when
• 1:48:13
  Speaker 1: David finished saying this, Saul asked, is that your voice?
• 1:48:17
  Speaker 1: David my son? And he wept aloud. You are more
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 1: righteous than I. He said, you have treated me well,
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 1: but I have treated you badly. Saul acknowledged David's mercy
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 1: in sparing him, even though God had delivered him into
• 1:48:34
  Speaker 1: David's hands. He even admitted that he knew David would
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 1: become king and that Israel's kingdom would be established under
• 1:48:41
  Speaker 1: his rule. In verses twenty twenty one, Saul makes a
• 1:48:45
  Speaker 1: remarkable request. Now I know that you will surely be king,
• 1:48:50
  Speaker 1: and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in
• 1:48:53
  Speaker 1: your hands. Swear to me by the Lord that you
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 1: will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my
• 1:48:59
  Speaker 1: name from my father's family. David made the oath and
• 1:49:02
  Speaker 1: Saul returned home, but David and his men went back
• 1:49:06
  Speaker 1: to their hideout. Despite Saul's emotional words and tears, David
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 1: knew he couldn't rely on the king's unstable nature. This
• 1:49:15
  Speaker 1: was only a temporary peace, a fleeting moment of clarity
• 1:49:19
  Speaker 1: in a mind clouded by paranoia. The chase would soon
• 1:49:24
  Speaker 1: begin again. Meanwhile, a major chapter in Israel's history came
• 1:49:28
  Speaker 1: to a close. In First Samuel twenty five one we
• 1:49:32
  Speaker 1: read now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned
• 1:49:37
  Speaker 1: for him, and they buried him at his home in Rama.
• 1:49:41
  Speaker 1: It was a moment of national sorrow. Samuel had been
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 1: Israel's last great judge, the man who guided the transition
• 1:49:50
  Speaker 1: from the time of the Judges to the monarchy. For decades,
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 1: he had been God's voice to the people, the spiritual
• 1:49:57
  Speaker 1: leader whose integrity had never been questioned. To the common people,
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 1: Samuel's death meant the loss of an intercessor, someone who
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 1: prayed for them and led them in God's ways. For
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 1: the leaders, it marked the end of an era, the
• 1:50:13
  Speaker 1: passing of the last judge who had known the Age
• 1:50:16
  Speaker 1: of Moses and ancient times. But for David and Saul,
• 1:50:20
  Speaker 1: the loss was even more personal. Samuel had been the
• 1:50:24
  Speaker 1: mediator between them, the voice of divine wisdom amid the conflict.
• 1:50:28
  Speaker 1: He had anointed both Saul and David, and his authority
• 1:50:32
  Speaker 1: was respected by both, even when he disagreed with their actions.
• 1:50:37
  Speaker 1: Samuel had always been a moral compass for them. With
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 1: his death, the final thread linking Saul and David was severed.
• 1:50:44
  Speaker 1: There was no one left with the authority to call
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 1: the king back to reason when his paranoia surged, no
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: more profit to guide David through moments of hard decision.
• 1:50:56
  Speaker 1: David's immediate response to Samuel's death was to move to
• 1:50:59
  Speaker 1: a more remote area. In Verse Samuel twenty five one,
• 1:51:03
  Speaker 1: we read then David moved down into the desert of Paran.
• 1:51:07
  Speaker 1: This was a southern region, far from Israel's population centres,
• 1:51:11
  Speaker 1: where it would be harder for Saul to track him down.
• 1:51:14
  Speaker 1: This move showed David's growing awareness of his vulnerability. Without
• 1:51:19
  Speaker 1: Samuel to intercede for him before the king, and without
• 1:51:23
  Speaker 1: the prophetic voice to guide him, David had to be
• 1:51:26
  Speaker 1: more cautious than ever for Israel as a nation. Samuel's
• 1:51:31
  Speaker 1: death created a vacuum in spiritual leadership. Saul had long
• 1:51:36
  Speaker 1: since lost divine favour, and David, though anointed by God,
• 1:51:40
  Speaker 1: was not yet king. The priests had been scattered after
• 1:51:44
  Speaker 1: the massacre at Knob, and there was no profit of
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 1: Samuel's stature to step into his place. In a time
• 1:51:51
  Speaker 1: of political and spiritual uncertainty, the people became more vulnerable
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 1: to pagan influences from surrounding nation and to their own
• 1:52:01
  Speaker 1: impulses toward disobedience. Samuel's death marked the beginning of a
• 1:52:06
  Speaker 1: period of testing for Israel, a time when each individual's
• 1:52:10
  Speaker 1: faithfulness would be tried without the strong spiritual leadership they
• 1:52:14
  Speaker 1: were accustomed to. While wandering through the desert of Paran,
• 1:52:18
  Speaker 1: David and his men offered protection to the shepherds of
• 1:52:21
  Speaker 1: the region. In verse Samuel twenty five seven eight, David
• 1:52:25
  Speaker 1: explains this service. I hear that it is sheep shearing time.
• 1:52:29
  Speaker 1: When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them,
• 1:52:33
  Speaker 1: and the whole time they were at Carmel, nothing of
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 1: theirs was missing. Ask your own servants and they will
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 1: tell you. Therefore, be favorable toward my men. Since we
• 1:52:43
  Speaker 1: come at a festive time, Please give your servants and
• 1:52:46
  Speaker 1: your son David, whatever you can find for them. One
• 1:52:49
  Speaker 1: of the landowners was Nabel, a wealthy man from Mayon
• 1:52:53
  Speaker 1: who owned property in Carmel. He had three thousand sheep
• 1:52:58
  Speaker 1: and a thousand goats, and was shearing his sheep in Carmel,
• 1:53:02
  Speaker 1: an event typically marked by celebration. David sent ten young
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 1: men to greet Nabel and request provisions in return for
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: the protection his men had provided to nabel shepherds. This
• 1:53:14
  Speaker 1: was a fair and culturally appropriate request, but Nabel was
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 1: a harsh and ill natured man. His very name meant fool,
• 1:53:23
  Speaker 1: and he lived up to it. In First Samuel twenty
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 1: five ten eleven we see his harsh reply. Nabel answered
• 1:53:30
  Speaker 1: David's servants, who is this David? Who is this son
• 1:53:35
  Speaker 1: of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters
• 1:53:38
  Speaker 1: these days. Why should I take my bread and water
• 1:53:41
  Speaker 1: and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers and
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 1: give it to men coming from who knows where. His
• 1:53:48
  Speaker 1: response was not only a refusal, it was an insult.
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 1: He treated David like a runaway slave, disregarding the help
• 1:53:56
  Speaker 1: David and his men had given. When David heard the
• 1:53:59
  Speaker 1: respet once, he was enraged. In Bruce Samuel twenty five
• 1:54:03
  Speaker 1: thirteen we see his reaction. David said to his men,
• 1:54:07
  Speaker 1: put on your swords. So they did, and David put
• 1:54:11
  Speaker 1: on his as well. About four hundred men went up
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies. David's
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 1: intent was clear. He meant to avenge the insult with bloodshed.
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 1: This was an overreaction out of character for him. In
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 1: this moment of anger, David was ready to kill not
• 1:54:30
  Speaker 1: only Nabel but all the men in his household. But
• 1:54:34
  Speaker 1: God had other plans. One of Nabel's servants ran to
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 1: inform his wife, Abigail, who was as wise as her
• 1:54:41
  Speaker 1: husband was foolish. In First Samuel twenty five eighteen to nineteen,
• 1:54:46
  Speaker 1: we see her swift response. Abigail acted quickly. She took
• 1:54:51
  Speaker 1: two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five
• 1:54:55
  Speaker 1: dressed sheep, five seas of roasted grain, a hundred cakes
• 1:54:59
  Speaker 1: of raisin, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and
• 1:55:02
  Speaker 1: loaded them on donkeys. Then she told her servants, go
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 1: on ahead, I'll follow you. But she did not tell
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 1: her husband Nabel. Abigail went to meet David, and as
• 1:55:12
  Speaker 1: soon as she saw him, she bowed low before him.
• 1:55:15
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel twenty five twenty four, she took the
• 1:55:18
  Speaker 1: blame upon herself. She fell at his feet and said,
• 1:55:22
  Speaker 1: pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you.
• 1:55:25
  Speaker 1: Hear what your servant has to say. Abigail then gave
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 1: a remarkable speech full of wisdom and discernment. She acknowledged
• 1:55:33
  Speaker 1: her husband's foolishness, presented generous gifts to appease David's anger,
• 1:55:39
  Speaker 1: and most importantly, appealed to his conscience. In First Samuel
• 1:55:44
  Speaker 1: twenty five twenty eight thirty one, she demonstrated a prophetic
• 1:55:48
  Speaker 1: insight into David's future. Please forgive your servant's presumption. The
• 1:55:53
  Speaker 1: Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for
• 1:55:57
  Speaker 1: my Lord, because you fight the Lord's battles, and no
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 1: wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live,
• 1:56:04
  Speaker 1: even though someone is pursuing you to take your life.
• 1:56:07
  Speaker 1: The life of my Lord will be bound securely in
• 1:56:11
  Speaker 1: the bundle of the living by the Lord your God.
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 1: But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away
• 1:56:18
  Speaker 1: as from the pocket of a sling. When the Lord
• 1:56:21
  Speaker 1: has fulfilled for my Lord every good thing he promised
• 1:56:25
  Speaker 1: concerning him, and has appointed him ruler over Israel, my
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 1: Lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden
• 1:56:32
  Speaker 1: of needless bloodshed, or of having avenged himself. David recognized
• 1:56:37
  Speaker 1: thee wisdom in Abigail's words and called off his plan
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 1: for vengeance. In verse Samuel twenty five thirty two thirty three,
• 1:56:45
  Speaker 1: he replied. David said to Abigail, praise be to the Lord,
• 1:56:50
  Speaker 1: the God of Israel, who has sent you to day
• 1:56:53
  Speaker 1: to meet me. May you be blessed for your good
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 1: judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and
• 1:56:59
  Speaker 1: from a avenging myself with my own hands. Abigail returned
• 1:57:03
  Speaker 1: home and found Mabel holding a feast fit for a king.
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 1: He was so drunk that she waited until the next
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 1: morning to tell him what had happened. In verse Samuel
• 1:57:12
  Speaker 1: twenty five thirty seven thirty eight, we read then in
• 1:57:16
  Speaker 1: the morning, when Mabel was sober, his wife told him
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 1: all these things, and his heart failed him, and he
• 1:57:21
  Speaker 1: became like a stone. About ten days later, the Lord
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 1: struck Mabel, and he died. When David heard of Nabel's death,
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 1: he saw it as divine justice. In first Samuel twenty
• 1:57:33
  Speaker 1: five thirty nine, he declared, praise be to the Lord
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 1: who has upheld my cause against Mabel for treating me
• 1:57:41
  Speaker 1: with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong,
• 1:57:44
  Speaker 1: and has brought Nabel's wrong doing down on his own head.
• 1:57:48
  Speaker 1: Impressed by Abigail's wisdom and beauty, David sent messengers to
• 1:57:52
  Speaker 1: ask for her hand in marriage. In First Samuel twenty
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 1: five forty one to forty two, we read her reply.
• 1:58:00
  Speaker 1: She bowed down with her face to the ground, and said,
• 1:58:03
  Speaker 1: I am your servant and am ready to serve you
• 1:58:07
  Speaker 1: and wash the feet of my lord's servants. Abigail quickly
• 1:58:11
  Speaker 1: got on a donkey, and, attended by her five female servants,
• 1:58:15
  Speaker 1: went with David's messengers and became his wife. David had
• 1:58:18
  Speaker 1: found a wife who was not only beautiful, but also wise, discreet,
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 1: and courageous, qualities that would prove invaluable for the wife
• 1:58:27
  Speaker 1: of a future king. The reconciliation between Saul and David
• 1:58:31
  Speaker 1: didn't last long. Soon the king was once again pursuing
• 1:58:36
  Speaker 1: David with three thousand chosen men in the wilderness of Zif.
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 1: David sent out spies and learned exactly where Saul was encamped. Then,
• 1:58:45
  Speaker 1: in First Samuel twenty six five seven we see a
• 1:58:49
  Speaker 1: bold decision. Then David set out and went to the
• 1:58:52
  Speaker 1: place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner,
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 1: son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down.
• 1:59:01
  Speaker 1: Saul was lying inside the camp with the army encamped
• 1:59:04
  Speaker 1: around him. David asked a Himelech, the Hittite, and Abishai,
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 1: son of Zaroya, Joab's brother, who will go down with
• 1:59:12
  Speaker 1: me into the camp to Saul. I'll go with you,
• 1:59:15
  Speaker 1: said Abishai. So David and Abishi went to the army
• 1:59:19
  Speaker 1: by night, and there was Saul lying asleep inside the camp,
• 1:59:23
  Speaker 1: with his spear stuck in the ground near his head.
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 1: It was an extremely dangerous mission. If they were discovered,
• 1:59:30
  Speaker 1: they wouldn't stand a chance against the entire army, but
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 1: David wanted to prove once again that he had no
• 1:59:37
  Speaker 1: desire to harm Saul. When they reached the place where
• 1:59:41
  Speaker 1: the king lay asleep, Abishai saw the perfect opportunity. In
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 1: First Samuel twenty six eight, he whispered, Abishai said to David,
• 1:59:50
  Speaker 1: to day, God has delivered your enemy into your hands.
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 1: Now let me pin him to the ground with one
• 1:59:57
  Speaker 1: thrust of the spear. I won't need to strike him twice.
• 2:00:01
  Speaker 1: But David, just as he had done in the Cave
• 2:00:04
  Speaker 1: of Engedi, refused to kill Saul. In First Samuel twenty
• 2:00:09
  Speaker 1: sixth nine Tuty eleven, he explained his decision. But David
• 2:00:13
  Speaker 1: said to ABESHI don't destroy him. Who can lay a
• 2:00:17
  Speaker 1: hand on the Lord's anointed and be guiltless. As surely
• 2:00:20
  Speaker 1: as the Lord lives, he said, the Lord himself will
• 2:00:24
  Speaker 1: strike him, or his time will come and he will die,
• 2:00:27
  Speaker 1: or he will go into battle and perish. But the
• 2:00:30
  Speaker 1: Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the
• 2:00:32
  Speaker 1: Lord's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that
• 2:00:36
  Speaker 1: are near his head, and let's go. So David took
• 2:00:38
  Speaker 1: the spear and the water jug that were near Saul's head,
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 1: and they left. No one saw them, no one knew,
• 2:00:46
  Speaker 1: and no one woke up A deep sleep from the
• 2:00:50
  Speaker 1: Lord had fallen on Saul and all his men. David
• 2:00:53
  Speaker 1: then went up to a hilltop some distance away and
• 2:00:56
  Speaker 1: called out to Saul's camp, but he didn't speak directly
• 2:00:59
  Speaker 1: to the king. Instead, he addressed Abner, the commander of
• 2:01:03
  Speaker 1: the army. In Verse Samuel twenty six, fifteen sixteen, we
• 2:01:07
  Speaker 1: read David's rebuke. David said to Abner, aren't you going
• 2:01:12
  Speaker 1: to answer me? Abner? Abner replied, who are you who
• 2:01:16
  Speaker 1: calls to the king. David said, you're a man, aren't you?
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 1: And who is like you in Israel. Why didn't you
• 2:01:22
  Speaker 1: guard your lord the King? Someone came to destroy your lord,
• 2:01:26
  Speaker 1: the King. What you have done is not good. As
• 2:01:29
  Speaker 1: surely as the Lord lives, you and your men must
• 2:01:31
  Speaker 1: die because you did not guard your master, the Lord's anointed.
• 2:01:35
  Speaker 1: Look around you. Where are the King's spear and water
• 2:01:39
  Speaker 1: jug that were near his head. Saul recognized David's voice
• 2:01:43
  Speaker 1: and asked, is that your voice, David my son? David
• 2:01:47
  Speaker 1: then asked why the king was pursuing him, what wrong
• 2:01:50
  Speaker 1: he had done. In verse Samuel twenty six twenty he
• 2:01:53
  Speaker 1: uses a moving metaphor, Now do not let my blood
• 2:01:57
  Speaker 1: fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord.
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 1: The King of Israel has come out to look for
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 1: a flea as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.
• 2:02:06
  Speaker 1: For the second time, Saul acknowledged his wrongdoing. In first
• 2:02:11
  Speaker 1: Samuel twenty six twenty one, he confessed, I have sinned.
• 2:02:14
  Speaker 1: Come back, David my son, because you considered my life
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 1: precious to day. I will not try to harm you again.
• 2:02:21
  Speaker 1: Surely I have acted like a fool and have been
• 2:02:24
  Speaker 1: terribly wrong. David returned the King's spear, declaring that just
• 2:02:29
  Speaker 1: as he had valued Saul's life. He hoped the Lord
• 2:02:32
  Speaker 1: would value his own life and deliver him from all troubles.
• 2:02:36
  Speaker 1: In First Samuel twenty six twenty five, Saul blessed him.
• 2:02:40
  Speaker 1: Then Saul said to David, may you be blessed, David,
• 2:02:44
  Speaker 1: my son, you will do great things and surely triumph.
• 2:02:48
  Speaker 1: So they parted ways. Saul returned home and David went
• 2:02:52
  Speaker 1: on his way. Once again, there was reconciliation, but David
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 1: knew he couldn't trust saul words. Even after this second
• 2:03:02
  Speaker 1: act of mercy, David remained a hunted man, a fugitive
• 2:03:06
  Speaker 1: in his own land. After two encounters with Saul that
• 2:03:09
  Speaker 1: ended in temporary reconciliations, David made a drastic decision. In
• 2:03:15
  Speaker 1: First Samuel twenty seven to one, we see his thoughts.
• 2:03:19
  Speaker 1: But David thought to himself, one of these days I
• 2:03:23
  Speaker 1: will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best
• 2:03:26
  Speaker 1: thing I can do is to escape to the land
• 2:03:29
  Speaker 1: of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for
• 2:03:32
  Speaker 1: me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of
• 2:03:35
  Speaker 1: his hand. It was an extreme choice. The Philistines were
• 2:03:39
  Speaker 1: Israel's greatest enemies. David had killed their champion Goliath and
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 1: the women of Israel had sung about the tens of
• 2:03:46
  Speaker 1: thousands of Philistines he had defeated. Even so, David judged
• 2:03:51
  Speaker 1: it safer to live among the enemy than to continue
• 2:03:54
  Speaker 1: fleeing from Saul. With six hundred men and their families,
• 2:03:58
  Speaker 1: David left for Gath, seeking protection from Akish, the Philistine king.
• 2:04:04
  Speaker 1: This was very different from his first visit to Gath,
• 2:04:07
  Speaker 1: when he had pretended to be insane to escape. Now
• 2:04:11
  Speaker 1: he came as a leader with a small army, offering
• 2:04:13
  Speaker 1: his services to the Philistine king. In First Samuel twenty
• 2:04:18
  Speaker 1: seventy four we see the result of this move. When
• 2:04:22
  Speaker 1: Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he
• 2:04:25
  Speaker 1: no longer searched for him. David's plan had worked. After
• 2:04:29
  Speaker 1: a while, David asked a favor from King Akish. In
• 2:04:33
  Speaker 1: Verne Samuel twenty seven five to six, we read David
• 2:04:36
  Speaker 1: said to Akish, if I have found favor in your eyes,
• 2:04:40
  Speaker 1: let a place be assigned to me in one of
• 2:04:42
  Speaker 1: the country towns, so I can live there. Why should
• 2:04:45
  Speaker 1: your servant live in the royal city with you. So
• 2:04:48
  Speaker 1: on that de Akish gave him Ziklag, and it has
• 2:04:52
  Speaker 1: belonged to the Kings of Judah. Ever since, this arrangement
• 2:04:55
  Speaker 1: suited David perfectly. Living in Ziklag, away from Akish's de
• 2:05:00
  Speaker 1: direct oversight, gave him more freedom to act. David remained
• 2:05:03
  Speaker 1: in Philistine territory for a year and four months. During
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 1: that time, David regularly raided the peoples who had lived
• 2:05:10
  Speaker 1: in the region since ancient times, the Geshurites, the Gezites,
• 2:05:15
  Speaker 1: and the Amalekites. These were long standing enemies of Israel,
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 1: especially the Amalekites, whom God had commanded to be destroyed.
• 2:05:25
  Speaker 1: But when Akish asked about his activities, David gave a
• 2:05:29
  Speaker 1: different account. In First Samuel twenty seven ten to eleven,
• 2:05:33
  Speaker 1: we see his strategy of double allegiance. When Akish asked,
• 2:05:38
  Speaker 1: where did you go raiding today, that David would say
• 2:05:41
  Speaker 1: against the Negev of Judah, or against the Negev of
• 2:05:45
  Speaker 1: the Jeremilites, or against the Negev of the Kenites. He
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 1: did not leave a man or woman alive to be
• 2:05:51
  Speaker 1: brought to Gath, for he thought they might inform on
• 2:05:56
  Speaker 1: us and say this is what David did aacking Israel's enemies.
• 2:06:01
  Speaker 1: While reporting that he was attacking the Israelites themselves. David
• 2:06:06
  Speaker 1: was pulling off a dangerous ruse. He was protecting his
• 2:06:09
  Speaker 1: people while appearing to betray and them. To complete the deception,
• 2:06:14
  Speaker 1: he left no survivors who could reveal the truth. To Akish,
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 1: the Philistine king was completely deceived. In verse Samuel twenty
• 2:06:23
  Speaker 1: seven twelve, we read his assessment of the situation. Akish
• 2:06:27
  Speaker 1: trusted David and thought, he has become so obnoxious to
• 2:06:31
  Speaker 1: his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant
• 2:06:34
  Speaker 1: for life. This was a complex time in David's life.
• 2:06:39
  Speaker 1: On one hand, he was serving Israel by defeating its
• 2:06:42
  Speaker 1: historic enemies. On the other hand, he was living as
• 2:06:45
  Speaker 1: a vassal of the Philistines and deceiving his benefactor. It
• 2:06:50
  Speaker 1: was a morally ambiguous position born from the desperate circumstances
• 2:06:55
  Speaker 1: that Saul had forced upon him. As David lived this
• 2:06:59
  Speaker 1: double life life among the Philistines, a major crisis was
• 2:07:03
  Speaker 1: looming for Israel. The Philistines gathered their forces to fight
• 2:07:08
  Speaker 1: against Israel. Achish told David, you and your men must
• 2:07:12
  Speaker 1: accompany me in the army. The Philistines assembled their troops
• 2:07:16
  Speaker 1: at Schunem, while Saul gathered all of Israel and camped
• 2:07:20
  Speaker 1: at Gilboa. In First Samuel twenty eight five to six,
• 2:07:24
  Speaker 1: we see the fear that gripped Saul. When Saul saw
• 2:07:28
  Speaker 1: the Philistine army, he was afraid. Terror filled his heart.
• 2:07:33
  Speaker 1: He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not
• 2:07:36
  Speaker 1: answer him by dreams or urim or prophets. It was
• 2:07:40
  Speaker 1: a desperate situation. The Philistines had assembled a vast army,
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 1: and God was silent. The divine silence revealed that Saul
• 2:07:48
  Speaker 1: had truly been rejected. All legitimate channels of communication with God, dreams,
• 2:07:54
  Speaker 1: the urim used by priests, and prophets were closed. Saul
• 2:07:59
  Speaker 1: then made a decision that showed just how far he
• 2:08:02
  Speaker 1: had fallen from his original faith. In First Samuel twenty
• 2:08:05
  Speaker 1: eight seven, he commanded, find me a medium, so I
• 2:08:10
  Speaker 1: may go and inquire of her. This order was tragically ironic,
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 1: since Saul himself had expelled the mediums and spiritists from
• 2:08:19
  Speaker 1: Israel in obedience to the law of Moses, which prohibited necromancy. Now,
• 2:08:26
  Speaker 1: in desperation, he sought the very thing he had once banned.
• 2:08:30
  Speaker 1: His servants mentioned a medium living in endor. Saul disguised
• 2:08:35
  Speaker 1: himself wearing different clothes and went to visit her at
• 2:08:39
  Speaker 1: night with two men. In verse Samuel twenty eight nine
• 2:08:42
  Speaker 1: to ten. We read their initial exchange. But the woman
• 2:08:46
  Speaker 1: said to him, surely you know what Saul has done.
• 2:08:49
  Speaker 1: He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land.
• 2:08:53
  Speaker 1: Why have you set a trap for my life to
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 1: bring about my death? Saul swore to her, by the Lord,
• 2:08:58
  Speaker 1: as surely as the law lives, you will not be
• 2:09:01
  Speaker 1: punished for this. Convinced by the oath, the woman asked
• 2:09:05
  Speaker 1: whom she should summon. Saul replied, bring up Samuel. When
• 2:09:09
  Speaker 1: the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud
• 2:09:12
  Speaker 1: voice and realized that the disguised man was Saul himself.
• 2:09:15
  Speaker 1: The king calmed her and asked what she saw. In
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 1: verse Samuel twenty eight thirteen to fourteen. The woman said,
• 2:09:23
  Speaker 1: I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.
• 2:09:27
  Speaker 1: What does he look like? He asked, an old man
• 2:09:30
  Speaker 1: wearing a robe is coming up, she said. Then Saul
• 2:09:33
  Speaker 1: knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated
• 2:09:36
  Speaker 1: himself with his face to the ground. What followed was
• 2:09:41
  Speaker 1: a disturbing conversation. In Verse Samuel twenty eight fifteen to sixteen,
• 2:09:46
  Speaker 1: Samuel said to Saul, why have you disturbed me by
• 2:09:49
  Speaker 1: bringing me up? Saul replied, I am in great distress.
• 2:09:54
  Speaker 1: The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed
• 2:09:58
  Speaker 1: from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets
• 2:10:01
  Speaker 1: or by dreams. So I have called on you to
• 2:10:04
  Speaker 1: tell me what to do. Samuel said, why do you
• 2:10:07
  Speaker 1: consult me now that the Lord has departed from you
• 2:10:10
  Speaker 1: and become your enemy. Samuel reminded Saul that the Lord
• 2:10:14
  Speaker 1: had done exactly what he had foretold through him. The
• 2:10:18
  Speaker 1: kingdom was torn from Saul's hands and given to David.
• 2:10:22
  Speaker 1: This happened because Saul had disobeyed the Lord and failed
• 2:10:25
  Speaker 1: to carry out his wrath against the Amalekites. Then came
• 2:10:30
  Speaker 1: the final devastating prophecy. In First Samuel twenty eight nineteen.
• 2:10:34
  Speaker 1: Samuel declares, the Lord will deliver both Israel and you
• 2:10:38
  Speaker 1: into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and
• 2:10:42
  Speaker 1: your sons will be with me. The Lord will also
• 2:10:45
  Speaker 1: give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.
• 2:10:49
  Speaker 1: Saul immediately collapsed full length on the ground, paralyzed with
• 2:10:53
  Speaker 1: fear at Samuel's words. He had not eaten all day
• 2:10:57
  Speaker 1: or night, and was now completely without strength. Seeing his condition,
• 2:11:01
  Speaker 1: the medium prepared a meal for him. Though he initially refused,
• 2:11:05
  Speaker 1: he eventually gave in at the insistence of her and
• 2:11:08
  Speaker 1: his officials. After the meal, Saul and his men left
• 2:11:12
  Speaker 1: that same night, carrying with them the certainty of defeat
• 2:11:17
  Speaker 1: and impending death. The rejected king was now walking toward
• 2:11:21
  Speaker 1: his final destiny, marked by divine condemnation. While Saul faced
• 2:11:26
  Speaker 1: his grim fate, David was in an equally difficult position.
• 2:11:30
  Speaker 1: As a vassal of Akish, he was being called to
• 2:11:32
  Speaker 1: fight alongside the Philistines against his own people. It was
• 2:11:37
  Speaker 1: a conflict of loyalties that placed him in an impossible situation.
• 2:11:42
  Speaker 1: The Philistines gathered all their forces at Effeck, while Israel
• 2:11:46
  Speaker 1: camped beside the spring at Jezreel. As the Philistine rulers
• 2:11:50
  Speaker 1: marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and
• 2:11:54
  Speaker 1: his men followed at the rear with Akish. In First
• 2:11:57
  Speaker 1: Samuel twenty nine to three five, we see doubts quickly
• 2:12:01
  Speaker 1: arise about David's presence. The Philistine commanders asked, what about
• 2:12:06
  Speaker 1: these hebrews. Akish replied, is this not David, who was
• 2:12:11
  Speaker 1: an officer of Saul, King of Israel. He has already
• 2:12:14
  Speaker 1: been with me for over a year, and from the
• 2:12:16
  Speaker 1: day he left Saul until now I have found no
• 2:12:19
  Speaker 1: fault in him. But the Philistine commanders were angry and said,
• 2:12:24
  Speaker 1: send the man back to the place you assigned him.
• 2:12:27
  Speaker 1: He must not go with us into battle, or he
• 2:12:29
  Speaker 1: may turn against us during the fighting. How better could
• 2:12:33
  Speaker 1: he regain his master's favor than by taking the heads
• 2:12:36
  Speaker 1: of our own men. Isn't this the David they sang
• 2:12:39
  Speaker 1: about in their dances. Saul has slain his thousands, and
• 2:12:44
  Speaker 1: David his tens of thousands. The Philistine commander's suspicion was justified.
• 2:12:50
  Speaker 1: Why would David fight against his own people. Wasn't it
• 2:12:53
  Speaker 1: far more likely that he would turn against the Philistines
• 2:12:56
  Speaker 1: in the heat of battle. Still, Akish trusted David. In
• 2:13:01
  Speaker 1: First Samuel twenty nine six to seven, he explained his decision.
• 2:13:06
  Speaker 1: So Achish called David and said to him, as surely
• 2:13:09
  Speaker 1: as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I
• 2:13:12
  Speaker 1: would be pleased to have you served with me in
• 2:13:14
  Speaker 1: the army. From the day you came to me until
• 2:13:17
  Speaker 1: to day, I have found no fault in you, but
• 2:13:19
  Speaker 1: the rulers don't approve of you. Now turn back and
• 2:13:23
  Speaker 1: go in peace. Do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.
• 2:13:28
  Speaker 1: David protested, asking what he had done wrong and why
• 2:13:32
  Speaker 1: he couldn't fight against the king's enemies, but Akish stood firm,
• 2:13:36
  Speaker 1: though he spoke well of him. In First Samuel twenty
• 2:13:39
  Speaker 1: nine nine to ten, he replies, Akish answered, I know
• 2:13:44
  Speaker 1: that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as
• 2:13:47
  Speaker 1: an angel of God. Nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said
• 2:13:51
  Speaker 1: he must not go up with us into battle. Now
• 2:13:54
  Speaker 1: get up early in the morning along with your master's
• 2:13:57
  Speaker 1: servants who came with you, and leave as soon as
• 2:13:59
  Speaker 1: its life light. David's insistence might seem odd, but it
• 2:14:04
  Speaker 1: was likely just an act meant to maintain his appearance
• 2:14:08
  Speaker 1: of loyalty in Akisha's eyes. In truth, this dismissal was
• 2:14:12
  Speaker 1: a providential intervention. David was being spared from an impossible
• 2:14:17
  Speaker 1: situation either fight against his own people or betray the
• 2:14:21
  Speaker 1: trust of Akish. In First Samuel twenty nine eleven, we
• 2:14:26
  Speaker 1: read so David and his men got up early in
• 2:14:29
  Speaker 1: the morning to return to the land of the Philistines,
• 2:14:32
  Speaker 1: and the Philistines went up to Jezreel. David and his
• 2:14:35
  Speaker 1: men marched back to Ziklag, while the Philistines continued on
• 2:14:39
  Speaker 1: to battle against Israel. What seemed like a disappointment for
• 2:14:43
  Speaker 1: David was in fact a deliverance. He wouldn't have to
• 2:14:47
  Speaker 1: choose between his conflicting loyalties. He wouldn't have to fight
• 2:14:51
  Speaker 1: his own people or risk the lives of his men
• 2:14:55
  Speaker 1: in an open betrayal of the Philistines. However, a terrible
• 2:14:59
  Speaker 1: surprise waited him upon his return to Ziklag. In verse
• 2:15:02
  Speaker 1: Samuel thirty one to two, we learn what they found.
• 2:15:07
  Speaker 1: David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day.
• 2:15:10
  Speaker 1: Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They
• 2:15:14
  Speaker 1: had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive
• 2:15:17
  Speaker 1: the women and everyone else in it, both young and old.
• 2:15:21
  Speaker 1: They killed none of them, but carried them off as
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 1: they went on their way. While David was away, the Amalekites,
• 2:15:28
  Speaker 1: the very people he had regularly attacked, had taken revenge
• 2:15:32
  Speaker 1: by raiding the city and carrying off the women and children,
• 2:15:35
  Speaker 1: including David's two wives, a Hinoauman Abigail. Deliverance from one
• 2:15:41
  Speaker 1: impossible battle had led to another crisis, but at least
• 2:15:45
  Speaker 1: this time David was facing an enemy he could confront
• 2:15:48
  Speaker 1: head on with all his strength and determination. While David
• 2:15:53
  Speaker 1: faced his own crisis with the Amalekites, Saul and Israel's
• 2:15:57
  Speaker 1: fate was being sealed on the battlefield. In first Samuel
• 2:16:01
  Speaker 1: thirty one, Pon one, we see the battle begin. Now
• 2:16:05
  Speaker 1: the Philistines fought against Israel. The Israelites fled before them,
• 2:16:10
  Speaker 1: and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The location was strategic.
• 2:16:15
  Speaker 1: The Philistines had advanced into Jezreel, deep in Israelite territory,
• 2:16:21
  Speaker 1: effectively splitting the nation in two. Mount Gilboa, where the
• 2:16:25
  Speaker 1: decisive battle occurred, was situated at the eastern end of
• 2:16:29
  Speaker 1: the Jezreel Valley. Soon, the fighting focussed around the king
• 2:16:33
  Speaker 1: and his sons. In verse Samuel thirty one two, we
• 2:16:37
  Speaker 1: learn of the royal family's fate. The Philistines were in
• 2:16:40
  Speaker 1: hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed
• 2:16:44
  Speaker 1: his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua. Jonathan, David's loyal friend,
• 2:16:50
  Speaker 1: died defending his father and his nation. The prince, who
• 2:16:55
  Speaker 1: had given up his right to the throne in favor
• 2:16:57
  Speaker 1: of David, remained faithful to the end. Saul's situation became desperate.
• 2:17:03
  Speaker 1: In Firse Samuel thirty one three twinty to four, we
• 2:17:06
  Speaker 1: read his final moments. The fighting grew fierce around Saul,
• 2:17:10
  Speaker 1: and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
• 2:17:14
  Speaker 1: Saul said to his armor bearer, draw your sword and
• 2:17:18
  Speaker 1: run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and
• 2:17:22
  Speaker 1: abuse me. But his armor bearer was terrified and would
• 2:17:26
  Speaker 1: not do it. So Saul took his own sword and
• 2:17:29
  Speaker 1: fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul
• 2:17:32
  Speaker 1: was dead, he also fell on his sword and died
• 2:17:35
  Speaker 1: with him. That day, Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer,
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 1: and all his men died together. The defeat was devastating
• 2:17:44
  Speaker 1: for Israel. In Verse Samuel thirty one to seven, we
• 2:17:48
  Speaker 1: see the immediate impact. When the Israelites along the valley
• 2:17:52
  Speaker 1: and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army
• 2:17:56
  Speaker 1: had fled and that Saul and his sons had died,
• 2:17:59
  Speaker 1: they abandoned their towns and fled, and the Philistines came
• 2:18:03
  Speaker 1: and occupied them The next day. As the Philistines came
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 1: to strip the dead. They found the bodies of Saul
• 2:18:10
  Speaker 1: and his sons on Mount Gilboa. In verse Samuel thirty one,
• 2:18:13
  Speaker 1: nine to ten, we see the king's final humiliation. They
• 2:18:18
  Speaker 1: cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and
• 2:18:20
  Speaker 1: they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to
• 2:18:24
  Speaker 1: proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and
• 2:18:26
  Speaker 1: among their people. They put his armor in the temple
• 2:18:30
  Speaker 1: of the Ashtorreths and fastened his body to the wall
• 2:18:33
  Speaker 1: of beth Shahan. The desecration of Sauls and his son's
• 2:18:38
  Speaker 1: bodies was the ultimate disgrace, a tragic end for Israel's
• 2:18:42
  Speaker 1: first king. But not everyone forgot the good Saul had
• 2:18:46
  Speaker 1: done in the early days of his reign. In Verse
• 2:18:50
  Speaker 1: Samuel thirty one eleven thirteen, we see one last act
• 2:18:53
  Speaker 1: of loyalty and honor. When the people of Jabesh Gilead
• 2:18:57
  Speaker 1: heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their
• 2:19:01
  Speaker 1: valiant men journeyed through the night to beth Shahan. They
• 2:19:05
  Speaker 1: took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from
• 2:19:08
  Speaker 1: the wall of beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where
• 2:19:11
  Speaker 1: they burned them. Then they took their bones and buried
• 2:19:14
  Speaker 1: them under a tamaris tree at Jabesh, and they fasted
• 2:19:18
  Speaker 1: seven days. The men of Jabesh Giliad remembered that years
• 2:19:22
  Speaker 1: earlier Saul had been their deliverer. When Nahash the Ammonite
• 2:19:26
  Speaker 1: had threatened them, they risked their lives to recover the
• 2:19:30
  Speaker 1: bodies of the king and his sons and to give
• 2:19:33
  Speaker 1: them a proper burial. Thus ended the reign of Saul,
• 2:19:37
  Speaker 1: the first King of Israel, who began with so much promise,
• 2:19:41
  Speaker 1: ended in tragedy. His downfall had been sealed by his
• 2:19:45
  Speaker 1: own disobedience, and his fate foretold by the prophet who
• 2:19:49
  Speaker 1: had anointed him. Saul's death marked the end of an
• 2:19:52
  Speaker 1: era for Israel. The path was now open for David
• 2:19:57
  Speaker 1: to take the throne that God had promised him. But
• 2:19:59
  Speaker 1: the the new king would face many challenges before uniting
• 2:20:03
  Speaker 1: a nation broken by war and defeat. And so we
• 2:20:08
  Speaker 1: come to the end of our journey. Through the Book
• 2:20:10
  Speaker 1: of First Samuel. We've witnessed the rise and fall of
• 2:20:14
  Speaker 1: Israel's first king, the secret anointing of David, and the
• 2:20:18
  Speaker 1: many trials he endured while fleeing Saul's persecution. This story
• 2:20:23
  Speaker 1: shows us how God works even through the hardest moments
• 2:20:26
  Speaker 1: to fulfill his purposes. If you enjoyed this deep dive
• 2:20:30
  Speaker 1: into First Samuel, don't forget to subscribe to the channel
• 2:20:33
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• 2:20:36
  Speaker 1: of the Bible. We've got much more content planned to
• 2:20:40
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• 2:20:44
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• 2:20:47
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• 2:20:51
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• 2:20:55
  Speaker 1: much for watching. We'll see you in the next video
• 2:20:58
  Speaker 1: as we continue our jo jarnly through the powerful stories
• 2:21:01
  Speaker 1: of the Bible.