Latest / Lamp and Light Bible Reading Plan / October 17, 2026 - 1 Samuel 13 & Proverbs 18:21-24

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October 17, 2026 - 1 Samuel 13 & Proverbs 18:21-24 · Lamp and Light Bible Reading Plan

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Lamp and Light Bible Reading Plan, where we are seeking to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength with God's word lighting the way.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Tyler Sandborn, the student ministry director at Compass Bible Church South Valley.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Today is Saturday, October 17th, 2026.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Listen intently to God's written word.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel, Saul chose three thousand men of Israel, two thousand were with Saul in Mikmesh in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Gibba.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: And the Philistines heard of it, and Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear, and all Israel heard it, said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines, and the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: They came up and encamped at Mikmesh to the east of Bethaven.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble, for the people were hard pressed, the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: So Saul said, Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings, and he offered the burnt offering.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: And Saul went out to meet him and greet him.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Samuel said, What have you done?
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: And Saul said, When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Mikmesh, I said, Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, but now your kingdom shall not continue.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord had sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men, and Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them stayed at Giba of Benjamin.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: But the Philistines encamped at Mechmesh.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: And the raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: One company turned toward Ophrah to the land of Shaol, another company turned toward Beth Haran, and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plough share, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: And the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the ploughshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them, and the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Mekmesh.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Proverbs eighteen, verses twenty one through twenty four.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Chapter thirteen of first Samuel features a victory right out of the gates from Saul's son Jonathan.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: He defeats some Philistines in battle, and the news spreads.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: The king here is getting the credit.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Saul has won.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Saul has accomplished victory.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: We see that in verse three throughout all the land saying, Let the Hebrews hear, let it be known.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Victory has been accomplished.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: And Jonathan's at the uh the forefront of that battle.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um he gets the credit here.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: And after this, the the Philistines uh are displeased to say it lightly.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: They've they've they've had enough.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: They're they're they're gathering the troops.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Seems like they're doing a big push, an all-in effort here uh to squash Israel.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: And they they they roll out with thousands and thousands of chariots and and horsemen, six thousand horsemen, thirty thousand chariots.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: That is a wild number of of chariots, and and the the men that are described, the warriors here are described like sand on the seashore.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: This is this is an overwhelming military force, a presence that is putting the people of Israel uh in into fear.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: They're scared, they are hiding everywhere in tombs, in cisterns, in holes, in caves, anywhere that they can hide themselves, they're diving into a hole to get out of sight, and uh they uh they're fearful and they're they're likely forgetting the Lord, they're forgetting the power of Yahweh that can defeat any enemy uh that he pleases.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: There's there's a forgetfulness here.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: God's people are are not remembering uh the battles won of the past.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Their only focus, their only sight is the sheer mass of this army as as they see it uh approaching.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: And they go out in different uh in different troops, they get a tactical here, they they get divided into different uh different sections, uh, different camps of the Philistines, three companies go out to three different locations and helping them with a maybe a tactical advantage or a nimbleness or some kind of military strategy.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Sadly, the heart of this chapter draws our attention to some poor leadership.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Saul's sinful, his unlawful sacrifice.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: If we think back and turn a few pages to the left, first Samuel chapter 10, verse 8, the instructions to Saul from Samuel were to wait.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Wait seven days go down, go down before me to Gilgal, and behold, I'm coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: Seven days you shall wait until I come to you and show you what you shall do.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Seven days wait for further instructions, and surely the army was overwhelming in the sight of Saul, and he decides to take matters into his own hands.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: He's going to act foolishly in his own words.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: He says in verse 12, the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: This is his impulse response.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: He's doing what is right in his own eyes.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: He is scrambling, he's panicking, likely to muster up some kind of plan B that's going to please the Lord, and it's not.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: He's disobeying, he's going against God's command that was given through Samuel, and he's he's sinning.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: And because of this, uh there won't be a king after Saul uh in his line from his family.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: It'll be someone else, uh a different prince.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and we see the foreshadowing of King David here, the a man after God's own heart.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord's gonna command him to be a prince over his people.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: In verse 14, it's and it's all because uh Saul, you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: And this is this is a a judgment on Saul and his family, and this is these are words from the Lord.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: The mouthpiece Samuel here is communicating uh God's agenda and his syllabus to to Saul because of his decision making, because of his foolishness, and he's he's not going to have an heir uh take the throne after him.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's going to be King David, it's gonna be his son's best friend.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's a seemingly short, a short positive reign of influence from King Saul.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: We're in chapter 13, and and this chapter concludes with some dire straits.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: The people of Israel are swordless and spearless going against this massive army, and uh the rest of the soldiers are equipped with sharpened farm tools that were sharpened by the enemy.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: So they they're they're not made of iron, rather, they're they're likely made of bronze or maybe even wooden uh wooden weapons of sorts, different spears sharpened to a point.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: But at this point in time, the the Israelites in a couple different places that I've been reading, they they don't have the ability to smelt to uh to create iron weapons in in this time.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: The the Philistines were not surprised, surprised, not sharing this intel uh with them.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: So they are they're outgunned, outmatched, outmanned, and the the chapter concludes with Saul and Jonathan with their with their swords and spears and everyone else with their with their sharpened farm equipment, their farm tools going uh going into battle, uh, looking to chapter 14.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Recently we had another question submitted in the Lamp and Light Bible reading app.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: And this question uh reads as follows Why does Samuel judge Israel but is still blessed by God?
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm looking at this this term judge here as both a noun and a verb.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: So Samuel's role as uh one of the leaders in Israel is to judge.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: He's he's a judge appointed um back in chapter seven.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but he's he's also someone who is going to be um be the mouthpiece of God.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he is a prophet, he's speaking the words of God as he receives them from Yahweh, from God, and he's going to deliver them to the people of Israel when they're when they're acting foolishly, wickedly, he's going to pronounce judgments on them.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: This is what the Lord has said.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: This is what's going to happen as a result of your decision-making and your foolishness.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: So, on one hand, Samuel is is judging because his parents committed him to the service of the Lord.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: So his life, his upbringing has been all geared up and and and pointed towards service of the Lord.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: So, in a certain sense, Samuel is a judge because his that was his role.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: That was God's plan for him.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: His parents were were old and had not had a child, and they become pregnant and they make a vow.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, Samuel's mother makes a vow, his father approves of this vow.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: And then once he is weaned, he is committed over to Eli.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: And from there he's he's growing up in the service of the Lord.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: And when it comes to the different judgments, if we look to the book of Judges, the judges were like the heroes or the protectors, those who would go to battle and and rescue God's people from their enemies.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: So, in a certain sense, we can look at the word judge and and see Samuel is kind of a rescuer, an a mediary, one who's going to the Lord in prayer on behalf of Israel.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: So he is he's playing a critical role uh in this transition period when we were switching from the time of judges to the time of kings and king Saul.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: So uh why does Samuel judge?
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he's he's giving the words of God to God's people, he's praying for God's people, he's crying out for help, and he's also um he's also going going to battle.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we could see that in in chapter seven.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Why does Samuel judge Israel but is still blessed by God?
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm interpreting this question as Israel is just doing foolish things, they're not obeying, they're rejecting their God, they're demanding a king in the book of 1 Samuel.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: So far, they're they're rejecting God as their king, and they're they're wanting a man, they're wanting a human being, um, a created image-bearer to to take the role of uh of an infinite an eternal God.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: We want someone more temporary, more finite.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: We want someone like the other nations to lead us, to govern us, to to fight our battles for us.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: And and because of that, Samuel's gonna correct and and tell of Israel's foolishness, their sin against God, their fact that they're rejecting God and the consequences of that.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: As we look at the introduction of King Saul and how how he's going to rule, how he's going to lead.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, it's it's said that King Saul will take their their children and put them into his army.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: Saul is going to take their vineyards, uh, take uh pieces and portions of their livestock.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: He's going to employ the children of Israel and and they're going to become his his employees, his servants.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: So there's there's a judgment pronounced in a certain way, like this is what you asked for, this is going to be the result of your foolish requests.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: So he is speaking, Samuel speaking on behalf of the Lord, is speaking what will come to pass as a result of the sin, the foolish decision-making and requests and demands of Israel as a whole.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: So if we're thinking about the blessings that God chooses to pour out on a people that are rebellious, disobedient, and sinful, lawbreakers, rebels, idolaters, uh, worshiping false, false gods.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: This is the people that time and time again kind of go through these cycles of obedience and disobedience, rebellion, and then back to faithful worship of God.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: And then they kind of go back and forth and back and forth.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: And we we think about the the character of God and the steadfast character of the God of Israel who who claims Israel as his own.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: You are my people, uh, and I will be your God.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: So, more broadly speaking, why is Israel blessed by God?
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they're blessed because the Almighty creator, God, chose from before the beginning of time to select a people for his own possession, uh, to love them and to bring salvation to the world through them, uh, to show them that uh from a small from a small nation, respectively, uh, great things, unimaginable things would would come about through the offspring um of the promise that was made to Abraham all the way back in Genesis.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: In our Proverbs section today, we pick up where we left off yesterday in verse 21, speaking about about words and the power of the tongue.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: So more more sowing and reaping.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: What are you choosing to do today?
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: Are we are we choosing uh to to spew out life or death?
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: What is it going to be?
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: What will what will we taste after the harvest is brought in?
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna be accountable for the things that we say and and we're going to to experience the the outcomes, either positive or negative, God honoring or sinful, but with the words that we choose.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're either building up or or tearing down.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: There's not really an in-between area, and it all comes from the attitude of our hearts and what we are intending or hoping to accomplish uh as we uh submit to God or not.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: Are we going to be bringing life?
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: Are we bringing life especially?
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: We're thinking about the gospel, the life through the gospel as we're encouraging people to remember Christ or to consider Christ for the first time, to turn to Him uh for salvation.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: So death and life are in the power of the tongue.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Let's be careful how it is that we are thinking and speaking today.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: He who finds a good wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this is assuming that you find a good wife.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, there are such things as bad wives.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: So when a good wife, a good thing comes for the Lord, this is this is the favor that comes directly from the Lord.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: So it's uh something that that young men uh should do as they're thinking about the future, potential spouses, praying that the Lord would give you a good thing, a good wife, praying for that future, for that future woman, that future spouse, and trusting the Lord and His timing in that.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, who who that is, you might not you might not know them yet.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: You may you may know them, but uh as you're considering how how to go about finding a good wife, be be prayerful through the process.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_00: Be a man that is asking uh older men, seeking counsel, wiser men to to ask uh just insights and and for wisdom as you're going on this journey, pursuing either dating relationships or just in a season of just waiting and not dating.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: Uh all this can be done in a way that's honoring to the Lord, and and ultimately we want we want God's favor.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: So praying for God to bring uh bring a spouse that is going to be a great fit, a good thing, and ultimately a great helper in the ways that you guys are pursuing the Lord together, pursuing ministry together, uh in ways that you serve the local church.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a great opportunity to uh to trust in the Lord and his timing uh and and for his provision uh for for a good thing.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: Verse 23 the poor uses entreaties, but the rich answer roughly the contrast here with uh a rough response, or we're thinking about supplication when you're asking for something, um, something that that you need and that you that you're lacking, and you're gonna do that in a gentle way.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: You're not gonna demand help from somebody, uh, you're gonna do it in a kind way and not a harsh way.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: So these comparisons here uh are drawing our attention to maybe even the way that someone might become poor.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh are they are they in this position because they're they're foolish, they've made a lot of poor decisions time and time again, or is this just their their position that like something that God would have for them?
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: And hard to say, we're speculating here, but when you're thinking about a poor man um asking for help, asking in supplication, using entreaties, uh they're typically gonna go to people that aren't poor for help.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: They're gonna go to people that are that are wealthy, maybe, or that have uh have an abundance.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: So when you're when you are doing that, it it is good to go in a way that's not harsh, uh that is um that is kind, that's gentle, that's humble, um, and trust that the Lord is gonna work uh in the lives of of those who have excess, those who have have uh wealth or riches, that they would uh consider the poor, consider those who who need God's mercy, who who need who need help, and trusting that God would continue to take care of his people uh through a wide variety of means.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: So the poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly a man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the quality versus quantity thought comes to my mind immediately, and uh just it's especially with relationships, it's difficult to to juggle so many friendships.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's difficult to do that, uh, to do that well.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's not impossible, but uh the general wisdom of this proverb, a man of many companions comes to ruin.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: There's just um maybe not even a way to to do your due diligence and just assessing the quality, integrity, the character of of companions as they're added, uh the different friends that you're that you're coming alongside, going from one place to another.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: You don't know their intentions, you don't know uh you don't have a depth of understanding of of who they are.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and but on the other hand, a friend who sticks closer than a brother, this is a person that has gone miles and miles uh with you, a person that has a strong reputation, uh, steadfast and loyal and faithful.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: This is the kind of uh character makeup that we would want to be seeing from a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: So the challenge for us all today, think about that brother or sister or someone in your life that you are just so thankful for and just send them an encouraging text.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh let them know that you're praying for them, let them know that you are uh just what you are encouraged by in their life as they pursue Christ.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: So a challenge and a reminder for us today to consider the friends that are sticking so close and that are so faithful uh as they pursue the Lord and encourage us to do the same.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thanks so much for joining us on the Lamp and Light Bible Reading podcast.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: For more information about Compass Bible Church South Valley, visit compassbiblesv.org.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: Keep reading, keep growing.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: God's word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.