I Samuel 22; Psalm 52; I Samuel 23; Psalm 63

Saul lives in an imaginary world. He imagines that no one cares about him. He imagines that [Jonathan] has stirred up [David] against [him], to lie in wait. (I Sam. 22:8) He imagines that David is actively seeking the throne. He imagines that David wants to kill him. He imagines that Ahimelech, the High Priest, all the other priests, and indeed the entire city of Nob are guilty of conspiring with David to overthrow the king. But his imagination is wrong.

Unfortunately, Saul’s imaginary world carries with it horrendous real-world consequences. Real-world priests are killed. The real-world city of Nob is wiped out. Real-world resources are diverted from protecting Israel and instead devoted to hunting David.

Saul is not alone, of course. We all live in imaginary worlds. We can’t help it. That’s just the way we are wired — and rightly so, for without imagination, we could never advance our knowledge: we could never learn anything; or invent anything; or develop language; or create art; or, well, use your imagination to fill in the blank! But we always need to hold our imaginations in check, to bring them back to reality, especially when our imaginations bring fear and anxiety. How much energy do we expend worrying about imagined possible futures that never actually happen? (By the way, there are an infinite number of possible futures, but only one ever materializes.) Do you really know the motives behind your co-worker’s actions? Do you really know that that other driver is an idiot? (Or maybe he’s racing to the hospital to save his child…) How much first-hand knowledge do you really have about all those things you fret about? And how much is just imagined?

The LORD God is the ultimate Reality. Yet He is the One we most often overlook in our imaginations, the Critical Factor that we ignore in all our anxieties. He certainly seems to be absent from Saul’s imaginary world. Is there room for Him in yours?

See also:

• June 1 (2022) / Psalm 52
• June 12 (2022) / Psalm 63

I Samuel 20-21; Psalms 56, 34

Jonathan demonstrates that he is far more worthy of the crown than Saul, his father. Jonathan is a man of honor, integrity, virtue. He is selfless and faithful. He is a true friend and brother to David. And in all of that, he remains a true son, honoring his father and remaining loyal to his king without betraying his friend.

Right from the outset of today’s reading we see Jonathan honoring his father by refusing to believe that Saul would seek David’s life. (I Sam. 20:2) After the previous incident of Saul’s rash vow wherein Jonathan himself could well have been killed, this perspective is remarkable. One might expect Jonathan to quickly believe the worst of his father, but he doesn’t. He does just the opposite and honors him in accordance with the LORD’s commandment.

When Saul verbally abuses Jonathan for defending David, and then hurls his spear at him, Jonathan does not turn and conspire against his father. He does not attempt an assassination, nor does he flee with David. Instead, he sticks by his father. Even in warning David — in apparent defiance of his father — Jonathan ultimately honors Saul by preventing him from humiliating himself, either by murdering David or by being killed in the attempt. Contrary to Saul’s rantings, Jonathan is an exemplary son.

Jonathan is also an exemplary friend. Risking his own life, he protects David, knowing full well that he is also giving up his own prospects for the throne. He puts David ahead of himself. He seeks justice and pleads David’s cause. In wisdom he follows the truth and proves himself to be true.

Selflessness. Courage. Honor. Faithfulness. Humility. Loyalty. Friendship. Kindness. Wisdom. Self-control. Love. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from Jonathan.

See also:

• June 5 (2022) / Psalm 56
• March 29 (2022) / Psalm 34:1-10
• March 30 (2022) / Psalm 34:11-22

I Samuel 18-19; Psalm 59

Before we move forward with David, let’s take a closer look at Saul. He provides an excellent example — of what not to do.

Saul initially welcomes David very positively, recognizing what an asset he is, both as a musician to soothe Saul’s own inner turmoil and as a warrior to fight Saul’s enemies. But then Saul catches wind of what the ladies are singing:

“Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”

I Samuel 18:7

Hearing that David is praised more highly than himself, Saul sinks into jealousy and paranoia. He no longer sees David for who he actually is but instead through deceptive, distorted lenses: And Saul eyed David from that day on. (I Sam. 18:9)

All of this goes back to the LORD’s rejection of Saul as king and Saul’s failure to fully repent in the face of that rejection. He continues in pride as the king of Israel, forgetting Who made him king to begin with. He continues to seek the approval of others, not the approval of the LORD. He continues to seek what seems best for himself, not what is best for the nation. One sin begets another, and another, and another.

Saul could, presumably, make better choices. He could pursue a path of humility, confessing his disobedience to the LORD, falling down on his face before the people in repentance. He could fully accept God’s rejection and abdicate the throne. He could selflessly honor David for his great heroism, heedless of any comparison to himself. He could strive to build David up, rather than seeking to destroy him. He could trust in the LORD, secure in God’s goodness and love, rather than living in fear and insecurity.

But he doesn’t. He no longer has the Spirit of God upon him, and he operates in the strength of his own flesh instead.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: … enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, … and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21

Having turned from the LORD, Saul exhibits the works of the flesh and is consumed by them. What a tragic figure he is! And so he remains for the rest of his life.

Let’s learn from Saul’s example. Let’s make better choices. The first such choice is to surrender to the Lord, because the Lord Himself provides the only escape from the works of the flesh:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:22-26

I Samuel 16; Psalm 23; I Samuel 17

David, the man after God’s own heart (I Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22), the shepherd king, the sweet psalmist of Israel (II Sam. 23:1), the giant killer. This is the man we meet today.

I expect that we all have at least a passing familiarity with David. He is hard to miss. After all “David and Goliath” is now a cliché for any conflict featuring some (usually “good”) underdog up against some much larger (and usually “evil”) opponent. And who has not heard Psalm 23? It’s quoted in movies. It’s common at funerals. It is probably the best known of all the Psalms. It is, properly, very familiar.

The danger for us in such familiarity is that we grow lazy. We think we know the stories. We think we know the characters. We think we know all there is to know, so we sit back and relax and don’t look anymore. But do we really know what we think we know? How much of what we “know” is actually biblical? And how much is Hollywood? Or how much of our understanding is shaped by what we learned from a children’s storybook, which — while probably well-intentioned — fictionalized the story, making Goliath the size of a skyscraper or David a child? Our so-called “knowledge” may thus be wildly mistaken and far from the truth. So as we read what is “familiar” we need to pay that much closer attention in order to separate fact from fiction.

So I challenge you to go back and read today’s passages one more time. Slowly. Chew on them. Notice what you notice. Do you see anything new, something you may not have noticed before? Does anything strike you as different from what you have always thought? Are you reminded of something that you may have once known, but that has faded from your memory? You may well come away not seeing anything particularly new, which is fine. Regardless, I invite you to share whatever you see — whether thoroughly familiar or surprisingly fresh — with the rest of us.

As for me, here are a few points that stand out fresh to me:

• I Sam. 16:2 — Samuel fears for his life, that Saul would kill him for anointing someone else (which says a lot about Saul).
• I Sam. 16:4-5 — The elders of Bethlehem are present when Samuel anoints David. It is not just David’s family. (Nevertheless, the anointing of David is much less public than the proclamation of Saul as king in I Sam. 10:17-24.)
• I Sam. 16:13 — After anointing David, Samuel immediately leaves (apparently, at least), giving no real explanation of his actions and no instructions for David.
• I Sam. 16:14 — A harmful spirit from the LORD tormented Saul. We can try to explain that statement away as an ill-worded explanation for mental illness, or we can accept what the Word of God actually says (as uncomfortable as that might be) and then wrestle with that truth.
• I Sam. 17:54 — Jerusalem? Huh? As far as I can tell, Jerusalem is not in the immediate neighborhood, and it is still owned and occupied by the Jebusites. So does this mean that David actually keeps Goliath’s head as a trophy for a very long time, until he eventually captures Jerusalem? (That sounds pretty nasty to me…) Is there some other explanation?

So, how about you? What strikes you this time around?

I Samuel 14-15

Saul is such a mixed bag! On the one hand, he leads Israel in battle against their enemies with a good amount of success. On the other hand, he demonstrates a lack of wisdom along with far more regard for looking good than for real obedience.

When Jonathan courageously initiates a rout of the Philistines, Saul issues a rash and foolish curse on anyone who eats before evening. Though presumably intended to motivate his troops to action (while making Saul seem “pious” in proclaiming a fast), this curse has two thoroughly negative consequences. First, it deprives his entire army of physical sustenance as they weary themselves in battle, thus severely hampering their fighting ability and limiting their victory over the Philistines. Second, the curse falls on Jonathan, who is ignorant of his father’s words, which is reminiscent of Jephthah and his daughter. We then see Saul’s self-absorption and hard-heartedness when he is willing to kill Jonathan to fulfil his vow. Fortunately, the people have better sense and intervene to rescue Jonathan.

Then Saul is even more blatantly disobedient. Given an explicit command to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all their livestock, Saul instead deliberately spares Agag, their king, and the best of the livestock, saying he intends to offer them as sacrifices. But Samuel calls him out with these famous words:

Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has also rejected you from being king.

I Samuel 15:22-23

To obey is better than sacrifice. Those are words we probably all need to hear — and heed. How often do we think we can out-maneuver God? How often do we think we can ignore His prompting in one way, sure that we can “make up for it” some other way, perhaps putting a little extra in the plate on Sunday? Do we indulge in debauched Carnival, thinking a little extra discipline during Lent cancels it out and purchases the Lord’s renewed favor? Do we convince ourselves that our public sacrifices, of whatever form, allow us to rebel privately? Do we engage in activities that look religious to elevate our status in the eyes of others, all the while ignoring God’s commands?

Looking good in the eyes of others is at the core of Saul’s problem, and even though he confesses that fact (I Sam. 15:24), he clings to it, seeking to be honored before the people. (I Sam. 15:30) Indeed, concern over his own reputation continues to plague Saul for the rest of his life. May we not follow suit. May we instead seek to please the LORD, not people. May we recognize that to obey is better than sacrifice.

I Samuel 11-13

Do you ever think that the God of the Old Testament is somehow different from the God of the New Testament? Are you quick to see His anger and wrath in the Old, but all (and only) forgiveness and mercy in the New? It’s a common idea, one that I hear voiced rather frequently. And it is not a new idea. In fact, it is an idea that has been around since the second century. It’s part of Marcionism. And it’s a heresy. (So stop believing it!)

Our reading today should help dispel any notion that the God of the Old Testament is any less loving than the God of the New Testament. He is exactly the same God. Just look at this:

And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for Himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

I Samuel 12:19-25

Consider the fact that the people of Israel exist at all at this point. If the “God of the Old Testament” were the malevolent, wrathful “God” that some suggest (either from a shallow reading of the Old Testament, or from a complete disregard of it), then God surely would have stamped Israel out of existence during the period of the Judges for Israel’s utter unfaithfulness. But He didn’t. And now, in response to Israel’s rejection of Him and in their asking for a king instead, what does God do? Does He obliterate Israel in wrath? No. He assures them that He will not forsake His people. This is the message throughout the Old Testament (and the New). Over and over and over again, the LORD demonstrates that He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psalm 103:8) God loves His people. Yes, He is wrathful against sin — always has been and always will be — because sin is what separates us from Him. Sin is what kills us. Sin is what destroys us. Sin is what corrupts everything God has made. And God hates it. He therefore continuously calls His people to repentance — and holds the impenitent to account (even in the New Testament!). In all of it He loves His people — always has, and always will.

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One more thing…

Today we see the beginning of Saul’s downfall and the first hint of another, better king:

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has 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.”

I Samuel 13:13-14

What is Saul’s offence? That’s a bit ambiguous. It may be that Saul himself offers sacrifices without a priest, contrary to Torah, but that is not explicitly stated. Or it may be his impatience, not waiting for Samuel in accordance with Samuel’s instructions of I Samuel 10:8, to which I Samuel 13:8 seems to refer — but those instructions seem wildly disconnected from this story, with everything that has transpired in between (though it may be that our narrative here is simply not chronological). It may be his lack of faith and his over-regard for public opinion. I don’t think we can nail the problem down precisely other than to say that — in some way — Saul is disobedient and is not a man after God’s own heart. So, out of His love for His people, God desires someone better. Stay tuned.

I Samuel 8-10

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

I Samuel 8:4-9

And so we again see democracy at work. Yes, we are getting a monarchy, but it is because that is what the people want. Although God accedes to Israel’s request, and grants them a king, He knows that their desire for a king is really a rejection of Him as King. They would rather seek security in a fallible human than in the LORD God Almighty. (What fools we are!) Samuel is clear-eyed and warns the people of all the negative consequences of how kings operate (I Sam. 8:10-18), but the people put fingers in their ears and insist that they want to be like all the nations, dreaming that, somehow, this king will single-handedly fight their battles for them. (I Sam. 8:20)

Clearly, the better choice would be for all the people to repent, to reject foreign gods, to put their full faith and trust in the LORD, and to walk in His ways, loving Him with their whole heart and loving their neighbors as themselves. But Israel has shown, time and again throughout the yo-yo years of the Judges, that they are not so inclined, and God is unwilling to force compliance, so He grants their wish and gives them the king they desire. In so doing, the LORD in His sovereignty accomplishes three things (among many others, I’m sure):

• He unifies the nation under a single leader, thereby enabling them to fight their enemies — particularly the Philistines — more effectively than they could under the fractured tribalism they have seen thus far. (I Sam. 9:16)
• He lets the people taste the consequences of their own poor decision. (I Sam. 8:18)
• He sets up a pathway through which He Himself can one day again be acknowledged as King: the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

In other words, God uses even Israel’s rejection of Him to work out His own purposes.

But all of that goes well beyond our reading today. For now, we see Samuel anointing a young man named Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, to be the first king of Israel. For now, this Saul is the one chosen by the LORD to lead His people. He is God’s chosen instrument for fighting Israel’s battles. He is the LORD’s anointed.

As for us, I think it is worth asking ourselves a few questions. Where might we be looking for a king other than God? How might we be rejecting God, wanting to conform to the world around us, to fit in with our culture? How might we disregard God’s warnings and with rose-colored glasses accept ideas that run contrary to Scripture? Are we looking to politics or politicians (of either party) to solve problems only God can solve? Do we, again, want a king other than Christ?

I Samuel 4-7

And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”

I Samuel 4:3

Do you believe in magic? The people of Israel apparently do. They treat the Ark of the Covenant as some kind of talisman, a good luck charm that they can just place in the midst of the army so that it (not the LORD) can save them. Even if they have some recognition that the power really lies with the LORD, they still see the Ark as a means by which they can direct His power, without regard to the deplorable condition of their relationship with Him.

But the LORD does not deal in magic. He is not some “cosmic force” that can be so manipulated by a magical token. Neither is He yet another territorial god, just one of many in the pantheon, represented by an idol. He is a living Person Who desires a real relationship with His people.

In judgment upon Israel and upon Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, even though the Ark is indeed special and holy, the very place where the LORD is enthroned on the cherubim (I Sam. 4:4), the LORD gives the victory to the Philistines, allowing the Ark to be captured and Hophni and Phinehas killed. (I Sam. 4:11) When Eli hears the news, he also dies, falling backward and breaking his neck. (I Sam. 4:18) And so God begins to bring upon the house of Eli all that He declared against him through the man of God (I Sam. 2:27-36) and through Samuel. (I Sam. 3:10-14)

The Philistines soon discover that possession of the Ark does not mean control of the God to Whom it belongs. Instead they find the image of their god Dagon fallen down before the Ark of the LORD, and the LORD brings plagues of tumors and mice upon them until they send the Ark back to Israel.

In all of this the LORD clearly affirms the holiness of the Ark. He affirms it as His earthly throne. It is not just an ordinary box covered in gold. It is not to be trifled with, as the men of Beth-shemesh could attest! (I Sam. 6:19) It is the LORD’s. But it is not magic. Neither the Israelites nor the Philistines can channel God’s power for their own purposes by wielding the Ark.

So what about us? We no longer have the Ark as a focal point, but do we substitute something else as a “charm”? Perhaps it’s not some physical object we endow with special power. No, we laugh at superstitions and scoff at good luck charms. We know better than that. But perhaps it’s instead a way of doing things so that if we “do it right” then it will “work”. If we just pray a certain way, or use the right words, or raise our hands just so, or go to church often enough, then God will give us what we want — never mind that our hearts are far from Him. Take a good look. Is there some formula you expect to “work”? Do you believe in magic?

I Samuel 1-3

Today we meet a tremendously important figure: Samuel. He is the last — and I daresay, best — of the Judges. Though this book and the next are named for him, Samuel is not really the central character, David is (aside from the LORD, of course). But I’m getting ahead of myself…

First, I’d like to offer a few clarifications:

• Reading I Samuel 1:1, one might easily conclude that Samuel is of the tribe of Ephraim, but he is not. He is a Levite, of the clan of Kohath. (See I Chronicles 6:16-28.) The reference to Ephraim is not one of genealogy, but of geography, telling us the place where Samuel is from, not his ancestry. Remember, the Levites live throughout Israel.
• Later it may seem that Samuel acts as a priest, but he is not a priest. He may be a Levite, but he is not a descendant of Aaron, and thus not eligible for the priesthood. Whenever it sounds like Samuel is doing priestly things, you can bet that there is another person there — a descendent of Aaron — performing those functions at Samuel’s direction. (Similarly, we may say that Eisenhower stormed the beaches of Normandy, but we all know thousands of other men did the actual storming.)
• Although not explicitly called a Nazirite like Samson, Samuel may well be one, as his mother, Hannah, swears that no razor shall touch his head. (I Sam. 1:11)
• Phinehas, the son of Eli, is not the same person as Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron. They may share the same name, but they are radically different characters.

Samuel enters full-time service in the Tabernacle in Shiloh as a young boy, just weaned, in fulfillment of his mother’s vow that she would give him to the LORD all the days of his life. (I Sam. 1:11) Samuel thus grows up in and around the Tabernacle, watching the daily sacrifices and rites of worship, and watching Eli and his sons. The LORD evidently has His hand on Samuel from the beginning, for Samuel escapes following the pattern of Hophni and Phinehas, who are thoroughly corrupt. Whereas they are worthless men who do not know the LORD (I Sam. 2:12), Samuel hears from the LORD directly and becomes established as a prophet.

The first message that Samuel hears from the LORD is a condemnation of Eli and his sons — the sons for blasphemy, and Eli for not doing anything about it. (I Sam. 3:10-14) It is a serious business when someone treats the LORD with contempt, and it is especially serious when that someone is in a position of spiritual leadership. It generally means abuse of the flock that the leaders are supposed to be shepherding. Unfortunately, Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas are not isolated cases. History is replete with examples of people in positions of spiritual authority — pastors, deacons, priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, popes — who are worthless men (and women) that do not know the LORD and who cause a great deal of harm.

Just as Eli should have corrected his sons long before they got out of control, we should do what we can to ensure that such positions of trust are filled by godly people who do indeed know the LORD. We need to fight against such abuses. But we must also trust that God Himself sees the abuse, and God Himself will bring things right, just as He declares regarding Eli’s house, first through the man of God that visits Eli (I Samuel 2:27-36) and then through the message given to Samuel. God’s judgments may be exceptionally swift (as with Nadab and Abihu earlier – Lev. 10:1-2) or not quite so fast but still with some fairly immediate consequences, as we shall soon see, or it may be that the LORD seems slow. (It is not until Solomon’s time that Eli’s descendants are fully removed from serving as priests. 1 Kings 2:27) In all cases, we must trust that God sees, God knows, He is more offended by abuses than we are, and He will bring justice.

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One more thing…

I do not want to jump too far forward yet, but when we read Luke later in the year, we may want to look back at Hannah’s story a bit and compare her prayer in I Samuel 2:1-11 with both Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and the Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79). For now, I think it is well worth noting that the last verse of Hannah’s prayer (I Sam. 2:11) speaks of the LORD’s “king” and “His anointed”, even though as of yet there is no anointed king. (And, by the way, “anointed” is the English translation of the Hebrew word that we render as “Messiah” or the Greek equivalent, “Christ”.)

Ruth 1-4

After the turmoil of the Book of Judges, it is nice to bask in the sweetness of the story of Ruth — if only for one day! Set in the period of the Judges (Ruth 1:1) this story gives us a portrayal of decency and justice, of love and redemption. The story opens with tragedy and hardship, yet following on that tragedy we see the devotion of Ruth to her mother-in-law, Naomi. We also see her conversion from Moabite idolatry to worship of the LORD. (Ruth 1:16-18) We see Boaz generously caring for Ruth as she gleans in his fields, and we watch as their relationship develops. Ultimately Boaz buys Naomi’s field and in the process redeems Ruth to be his wife as part of the bargain.

Once more the Old Testament presents us with a type of Christ, as Boaz gives us a picture of Jesus’ redemption of His Church. There is much to be gleaned in this picture. (See what I did there?) But I’m not going to do that gleaning. I’d like to hear from you. So what are your thoughts? Besides the fact that this story points us forward through Obed and Jesse to the coming David (Ruth 4:17) — and ultimately through David to Christ Jesus — what do you see? Do you see a picture of Christ in Boaz? How? What about Ruth? Or Naomi? What speaks to you?