Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 17:48-58

Helpful thoughts:

• The battle was over faster than it seemed to take for it to get started.
  • Both Dagon and Goliath fell face forward before the Lord and lost their heads (5:4).
• Saul needed to know who this young man was.  He had to follow through with his promises from verse 25.
• Saul had enjoyed David’s service for a while now, and yet did not recognize him.  He wouldn’t forget about David anymore.  His aloofness was about to turn into jealousy.

Questions to consider:

1. Why did David win against Goliath?  Why did Israel’s army transition from fearful men to mighty warriors?
2. It would not be right to use this narrative as an “I am David and God’s gonna knock down all my giants.”  What is the point of this narrative? What can we learn from it about God?
3. How does this passage encourage us to obey, to fight against sin, to trust God’s Word?

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 17:28-47

Helpful thoughts:

• Eliab, the son who “looked” like a king (16:6-7), is now not a fan of David.  This kindled anger could perhaps be a little foreshadowing of the jealous anger Saul was about to harbor against David as well.
• David and Saul had different perspectives of the occasion.
  • In Saul’s eyes, David was a boy and Goliath was a giant man of war.
  • In David’s eyes, Goliath was a brutish animal and God was his deliverer.
• Saul attempted to clothe David in his royal armor.
  • This would have served to show David’s pending right to the throne.
  • It also illustrated David’s different approach to his reign.  Saul trusted in armor.  David was to trust in God.

Questions to consider:

1. Why would Goliath have been angry to see this shepherd boy come to fight?  What kind of solider would he have been hoping for?  What did Goliath continue to bring on himself by cursing David? (Genesis 12:3)
2. What did David contrast with Goliath’s weapons in verse 45?  Did David even need his staff or the smooth stones to defeat Goliath?
3. What was David’s goal in fighting the battle (Verses 46-47)?  Was the death of Goliath the best thing that happened to Israel that day?  What things were better?

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 17:1-27

Helpful thoughts:

• Goliath was bigger than all the Israelites.  God is bigger than Goliath.  Perspective.
• All Israel was filled with fear because they were thinking of themselves.  Their problem was not self-esteem.  Their problem was that they did not esteem God.
• Goliath certainly did not struggle with self-esteem either, and he certainly did not esteem God.

Questions to consider:

1. Who at this point in the story is vulnerable to defeat?  Why are they vulnerable?  What battles are taking place above and beyond Israel vs. the Philistines?
2. How has this battle already begun? How has David begun to set the stage for what was to come? (Verse 26)  Who is the “Champion” of Israel, David or the living God?
3. Who had Israel selected as their champion (1 Samuel 8:19-20)?  What is Saul about to invite David to become?  How would David’s and Saul’s views of this situation be contrasted?

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Helpful thoughts:

• As soon as we read of the Spirit of the LORD rushing upon David in verse 13, we see He has left Saul in verse 14.
  • In place of the Spirit of the LORD, God sent Saul a spirit (An angel?) to torment him.
  • Saul was suffering judgment, but also being used by God to bring David to a place of prominence in Israel.
• Saul’s servant believed that music was the key to removing God’s judgment.  And, when introducing David, thought of five characteristics that were of first importance to mention before, “the Lord is with him.”
• By God’s divine plan, David became the only person who could help Saul in his distress.  And Saul greatly enjoyed David, as long as David made him feel better.

Questions to consider:

1. Why was David’s playing so effective for Saul?  Was it really just because David was musically gifted?  What do you think was happening here?
2. Why did Saul like David so much…for now?  In what way did Saul’s effort to find immediate relief avoid the actual problem he was having?  What was Saul’s greatest problem?  What was the solution?
3. How did God take care of our greatest problem?  How can the gospel message help us during times of other lesser difficulties?

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
  • Samuel may have been looking at the outward appearance in this passage by:
    • Grieving extensively over Saul without moving forward.
    • Fearing for his life when considering obeying the Lord’s direct command.
    • Thinking that Eliab, the bigger, older brother would be the anointed king.
  • The elders of Bethlehem looked at outward appearance as well.  Samuel’s reputation (Perhaps on the heals of his execution of King Agag), caused them to tremble.  Their knees were knocking at Samuel’s presence.
• David’s handsome looks were therefore irrelevant.
• David’s life changed from that day forward, because of God.

Questions to consider:

1. What does it mean to “fear the Lord”?  What does it mean to “fear man”?  How is the struggle between these fears evidenced in your life?
2. How does a right fear of the Lord change the way we see other people and how we can relate to them?
3. Who is your Savior?  Is Jesus worthy of our all? (Philippians 2:9-11)

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 15:1-35

Helpful thoughts:

• Obedience is better than sacrifice.
  • Willfully ignoring instructions in order to worship “better” is open rebellion.
  • You can look spiritual, while you are actively rejecting the Lord.
    • These truths ought to give us reason for pause and inspection.
• Saul’s confession proved empty when he asked Samuel to help him save his reputation by showing his support.
  • Saul was basically saying, I sinned because I feared the people…now please make me look good in front of the people. (Verses 24-25)
  • Repentance is a change in thinking which results in a change in actions.  Saul was not repentant.
  • Therefore, Saul’s “worship” in verse 31 was empty and idolatrous.  He was bowing down to God in order to worship the praise of man.
• Verses 29 and 35 do not contradict each other.  The Hebrew word for regret can carry the idea of grieving as well.  So, in verse 29, the Lord, the “Glory of Israel”, was not going to deceive and change his mind.  But, in verse 35, He was able to grieve what had occurred.  Doing the right thing can hurt, and God is able to grieve.

Questions to consider:

1. Who is the Glory of Israel?  Who should we say is the Glory of the Church?  How does this chapter display what will occur when we forget who our Glory is?
2. How important does Psalm 119:11 become after reading this chapter?  We have been blessed to possess God’s sufficient revelation in the Bible!
3. Why do we tend to follow our feelings or instincts about spirituality and life?  How can we KNOW that we are following God?  (Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3-4)

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 14:24-52

Helpful thoughts:

• Saul’s rash, selfishly motivated (“My enemies”), emotionally charged decisions continue to plague Israel.
• Once Saul figured the Lord was no longer with him in battle, he concluded there was sin in the camp.  Jonathan was the one who broke Saul’s oath, but Saul was the one who brought trouble on Israel (Verse 29).
  • These were the same words used to describe the sin of Achan at Jericho in Joshua 7:25.
• A foolish oath could be dealt with by following the instructions of Leviticus 5:4-6.  Saul did not consider this (Or know about it) and was ready to kill Jonathan.

Questions to consider:

1. What kinds of things can happen when a person seeks to be spiritual and godly their own way, without any knowledge of God’s revealed word?  (Proverbs 19:2-3)  Who gets the blame when things don’t go the way they want?
2. What is the role of vows and oaths for Christians today?  (Matthew 5:33-37)
3. What has God done to redeem all of our foolish sinful acts?  Why can we walk forward in freedom, secure in His hands? (Hebrews 10:11-14)

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 14:1-23

Helpful thoughts:

• Jonathan’s faith is put on display when he says, “for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”  If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
• Inferior numbers and inferior weapons were no obstacle to God.  He can use the earth as a weapon and inflict fear into the hearts of men.
• Saul sought the ark and asked the priest to prepare them for blessing in battle.  In his impatience, he stopped Ahijah and went on without first turning to the Lord…
  • BUT, the Lord was the one who saved Israel on that day (Verse 23).  Saul had nothing to do with it.  The rightful King saved His people.

Questions to consider:

1. How are Jonathan and Saul being contrasted?
2. How is King Saul being contrasted with God?  Who seems to be in control?  Who seems to lack any control?
3. Israel wanted a king to fight their battles…and God was (And IS) always that King!  How do we see this to be true in Romans 8:31-39?

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 13:1-23

Helpful thoughts:

• Saul set out to remove the Philistines from the land of Israel.  Their initial success brought immediate preparation for retaliation.  Israel responded by to running and hiding.  Even the men who had joined Saul to fight were trembling.
• Saul blamed three different people (Or groups of people) for his disobedience.
  • He blamed the soldiers for scattering.
  • He blamed Samuel for taking too long to arrive.
  • He blamed the Philistines for encamping and preparing for battle.
• Saul disobeyed God in order to convince God to do something for him.
• Any weapons the Israelites brought to fight could only have been made of wood or stone.  Or, they would have to fight with their farming tools.

Questions to consider:

1. What was Saul’s mistake?  What would have been his motivation for this disobedience?
2. What did Saul need to convince himself of in order to proceed with the offerings?  What kinds of occasions might tempt us to rewrite what we know to be God’s Word?
3. What was Saul’s consequence?  Who else was impacted negatively by his consequence?  Why don’t we get to decide the extent of our consequences?  Whose commandments/laws do we violate?

Today’s passage: 1 Samuel 12:1-25

Helpful thoughts:

• After Samuel’s public proclamation of innocence and faithful service, he instructs the nation:
  • Who they are
  • Why they exist
  • Who gave them freedom
  • Who brought blessing on them…and who didn’t (False gods)
  • How they responded in disobedience
  • How God had responded in justice, and mercy and grace
  • That sinning in the past does not mean you cannot move forward in obedience, though the consequences of past choices can make things more complicated
• The people responded to these clear declarations by confessing their sin and asking for prayer.

Questions to consider:

1. How could we write our own story of God’s goodness to us in the Gospel?  Why do we have every reason to love Him with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength?
2. Why doesn’t the Lord forsake His people (Verse 22)?  Why is the Lord’s reputation so utterly important?  Who is He?  If He ceased to be trustworthy, what would be the result?
3. God’s mercies are new every morning.  What might you need to confess and turn from?  What has God’s Word instructed you to do today?