April 17 - 1 Samuel 23:13-29 | Psalm 54 | 1 Samuel 24:1-25:44

Good morning everyone,

As we begin reading today, God has just revealed to David that the people of Keilah, the same people he and his men had just rescued from the Philistines, were going to betray him and give him up to Saul, so David and his six hundred men get the heck out of Dodge (well actually Keilah) and went to stay in the Desert of Ziph. While there, David’s good friend Jonathan, finds him and we’re told “helps him find strength in the Lord”. I think that is super cool. Lot’s of people are very happy to join in on a “pity party”, help us wallow in our sorrow and Jonathan could have approached David with an “Oh, poor David, I am so sorry my dad is being such an idiot to you and you have to be on the run” type attitude, but Jonathan doesn’t, instead he reminds David that God’s plan is perfect and encourages him to be strong, and to stay strong, in the Lord. I love that! This will be the last time that David ever sees his dear friend alive, and that was a great memory to carry with him.

So now David is on the run with his six hundred men and Saul is on his tail with his three thousand men closing in on David, and just about ready to capture him when Saul gets word that the Philistines were invading his home and they needed to get back to protect it … NOW! So Saul and his men broke off the pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. Coincidence? I think not! God heard David’s prayer and came to the rescue. Our God is so good.

Once Saul has the Philistines under control he receives word that David is in En Gedi and resumes his quest to capture him. It gets pretty hot in that part of the country and so it was that one afternoon Saul sought the coolness of a cave to take a nap. Now in all the caves he had to choose from in that desert, Saul picked THE one cave David and his men were holding up in. Coincidentally? Again, I think not. David’s men encouraged him to kill Saul right then and there but instead David only cuts off a corner of his robe. When Saul wakes up, he walks out of the cave to carry on with his day never realizing that his life had just been spared. Though, David feeling guilty for his act follows Saul out and in a most humble way, bowing to and praising Saul, asks why he is so bent on killing him. Saul hears David and his heart, at least for the time being, is touched and reconciles. He asks David to give an oath that when king he will not wipe out Saul’s family. David does so and they part company. 

Now, David traveling with his company of men in wilderness are once again without supplies. They have been, though unsolicited, protecting Nabal’s shepherds and floc from bandits and David sends ten of his guys to ask for some food from Nabal which he believes is a reasonable request. Wouldn’t you? However,  Nabal, as his name indicates, is a fool and not about to give them anything but an ear full of rude words. When they reported this back to David, he too acts without thinking or talking to God and sets out in a huff to kill them. Ahh, but on the way he meets Abigail, Nabal’s wife. A beautiful and smart woman who knew of David reputation, perhaps had even heard the songs women had written about him, knew of the injustice Saul was showing him and that he would be the next king. She had learned of her husband’s stupidity toward David’s men and their request and quickly put together supplies for them and was in the process of delivering them herself when she and David crossed paths. She humbly fell at his feet, taking total blame and responsibility for her husband’s stinky behavior, begging forgiveness. David indicates “no harm, no foul” takes the food she brought for them and sends her home. The next day when Abigail tells her husband what she did he has a cardiac arrest and ten days later dies. When David heard this news he sent word to Abigail, asking her to be his wife and of course she said yes and went to him. We are told that Saul had given Michal, you remember her, David’s wife who helped him escape, to another man, however, David was also married to Ahinoam and so he will have two wives. Though having more than one wife was customary at the time, we have seen before that never ended well, and it won’t here either, but that’s another story that we’ll save for another time :-)

Awesome reading today. I hope you are loving as much as I am reading about David. He is an amazing guy who we’re allowed to see as being just like you and me. True he was anointed to be king but he went through the very same feelings, experiences, actions and reactions that we do. He was just as human as you or I and only Jesus is written about more in the Bible than David. We can certainly learn a lot from him. 2Timothy 2:7 says “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” Amen?

I pray you have a super day, to God almighty be the glory.

God bless you all ….