Devotional comment on 1 Samuel for Aug 3- Aug 9.
These free devotions from a Reformed Presbyterian understanding of the Word of God may be used for personal or family devotions. I suggest you read verses around the daily verse as well, to get the wider context; and also choose another passage of Scripture to read. Any feedback on the way in which this attempt to serve the church can be improved please let me know by emailing covenanter@covenantedreformation.com. These devotions are of course not copyrighted and can be freely given to others.
1 Samuel
Lord’s Day 3rd August
Be Careful Choosing Friends1 Sam. 20:24-42, ‘So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day? 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem: 29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table. 30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. 35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. 36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? 38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. 42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city’.
Saul really displays his own evil in using his own wife as a tool in this. It is really Saul who is the one who should be reviled. So Saul commands Jonathan to bring David to him so that he can be killed. Again we see Jonathan sticking up for David by asking Saul for a good reason for his murderous hatred of his friend.
Jonathan now discovers that David was right after all as Saul tries to kill Jonathan his own son. And so Jonathan himself is enraged at the injustice of what he is witnessing and refuses to eat because of his grief over David and because of his father’s dishonour towards his own son.
Jonathan now puts the rest of the plan into action and through the shooting of the arrow warns David of the danger. The youth who is unaware of the real circumstances is sent away and this enables Jonathan and David to meet briefly to share their grief and pain.
David bows three times as an act of submission of an inferior towards a superior, and Jonathan advises to ‘Go in peace’ – a blessing usually given by a superior. Jonathan reaffirms their covenant that covers not only their relationship, but that of their descendants as well.
We should reflect upon the friendship of David and Jonathan. Young people tend to drift into friendships. But we should take care even as children to choose our friends carefully. Our friends, like Jonathan and David, should be Christians. But not Christians in name only. They should be people who we can see love God and want to do what is right. If on the other hand we make friends with wicked people who want to break the rules and mock those in authority over them and do other bad things, then we may find ourselves influenced by their badness. We can learn too that we are to stick by friends even when it costs us as it did Jonathan — very nearly his life.
Monday 4th August
The Greatness Of The Love Of Christ1 Sam. 20:40 to 21:6, ‘ 40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. 42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city. 1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.’
Perhaps Solomon had in mind his father’s friendship with Jonathan when he wrote the proverb (18:24) ‘A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’
This was a particularly poignant moment because this was to be the last time that they would meet apart from a very brief meeting mentioned in chapter 23. But in this friendship we should be reminded by this mutual love that it is only a shadow of the love that our Lord Jesus has for us.
When David loved Jonathan, it was the love of one sinful man for another. Neither could claim the moral high ground and suggest the other wasn’t good enough to be a friend. But Jesus in contrast is the sinless friend of sinners. Whereas quite properly our Lord should be repelled by us, instead He shows his love for us by coming not just to walk with us but to die for us. ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (Jn. 15:13).’ And when you consider the unworthiness of the friends, then you begin to understand how great that love must be for us. Dear believer, today meditate on God’s great love for you in Jesus Christ.
Tuesday 5th August
Try Not To Worry1 Sam. 21:1-6, ‘1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.’
David’s plan has worked well, but now as the future darkens for David, his weakness is exposed. And this is our second and final point.Do you think David feels alone at this point? David is fleeing from Saul again and it seems that he had some young men or servants with him that he had picked up somewhere along the way. Yet in a real sense he feels very much alone.
Notice that he goes to enquire of God. The Tabernacle seems to be here at Nob, at this point, although we know the Ark of the Covenant was still in Kiriath Jearim. Though it does not say so here, this is most likely what David was doing - seeking guidance from the Lord. The reason that this is likely is because in Chapter 22:10 we see Doeg reporting to Saul that he had seen David enquiring of the Lord. What does verse Ch. 21: 2 tell us about David’s state of mind at this point?
David should have behaved differently even though he knew Saul was after him and he had to take appropriate measures of common sense his faith should have been stronger. After all it had been promised by God to him that he would be king.
If we are anxious what it the remedy for that anxiety? We can meditate and memorise on the promises of God in the Scripture that we need not fear because God watches over us: Eg. Luke 12:32, ‘And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.’; or Is. 54:14 ‘In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee’; or Isa 26:3 ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.’
Spend more time in prayer seeking God’s peace and the defeat of needless fear or anxiety in your life.
Wednesday 6th August
The Folly Of Deceitfulness1 Sam. 21:1-6, ‘1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.’
It may be that now David has no fellowship with Jonathan his faith becomes weaker. And evidence of this is his use of deceit which seems to have become a habit with him, but really just shows his lack of faith. Ahimelech the priest, in trembling at David, seems to recognize his authority and power.
Ahimelech asks two questions and David answers that a king has commissioned him with a secret mission, and that his men have been directed to a certain place. Some suggests that this king is not Saul, but God Himself. But it seems likely that David is continuing with his policy of deceit.
There was a terrible outcome to these circumstances. He could have trusted himself to Ahimelech as he had done to Saul, knowing what he did about the promises of God. Instead his actions lead to the death of these priests of the Lord. We read in Chapter 22:22 of David’s sorrow for this. Here in this place he should have been reminded of the protection of God and the need to resort to Him in faith, but instead he seeks to use deceit before God’s priest.
Be reminded today that one cannot expect God’s blessing if one engages in deceit. Your deceit can have disastrous consequences. Honesty is always the best policy.
Thursday 7th August
God Graciously Provides For Our Needs1 Sam. 21:1-6, ‘1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.’
David seeks bread for nourishment, but is told that there is only the consecrated bread which only celibate men may eat. Actually this was not a requirement under the law at all and it appears that Ahimelech has added rules to God’s worship that were not ordained by God. David responds to Ahimelech by claiming that indeed his men have been celibate and therefore qualify to eat the bread.
We are told that this bread was the bread of presence which was placed in the presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle. After it had served its purpose it could only be eaten by the priests who were to eat in a holy place.
In Matthew 12:1-8 our Lord uses this example to teach a lesson that human need takes precedence over ceremonial law. Even though it was really only the priests who could eat this shew bread (another name for the bread of presence), it is quite likely that these events took place on a Sabbath day as this was the day to change the bread.
And really David was a priest of God by virtue of being a believer, and we too are priests of God, those who have access to God through Christ our Great High Priest.
Our God is a gracious God and even when we have acted like David, when we look back we see that even though we had no right to it, God sustained us even in the valley of doubt and fear.
May God give us courage and strength to face each day this week, trusting in His provision and most of all because He had provided for us the friend who embraced us in His love even while we were still sinners — the blessed Lord Jesus Christ.Friday 8th August
Be Not Discouraged1. Sam. 21:7-15 7 ‘Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. 8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste. 9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me 10 ¶ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. 14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? 15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?’
We now see David in the Tabernacle at Nob in his flight from Saul. And one of Saul’s servants is there also. God seems to give David no place to hide from his enemy. Yet he discovers that there is a way of escape a way out of immediate danger and suffering.
Doeg was an Edomite and it was possible for the Edomites to enter the assembly of the Lord (Deut 23:8).
Even so it is hard to say why Doeg was said to be detained before the Lord. The phraseology may just indicate that he was also seeking guidance from God or it may mean he was forced to pay a vow for some misdemeanour.
Perhaps David senses danger and so asks for a weapon. The priest replies that Goliath’s sword was behind the priest’s garment known as an ephod and urges David to take it.The Church today does not possess the power of the sword. Her weapons are not carnal but spiritual. And we cannot inflict physical punishments on people for their sins or even what are considered crimes. That is the prerogative and duty of the State.
We can also notice that David is reminded, when he looks upon the sword, of God’s goodness to him when he enabled him to defeat the Philistine enemy — an enemy which had seemed invincible to others.
David had devoted himself to The Lord and now the Lord returns what David has given.What we commit to the Lord is not useless or worthless. There may seem times in our life that our past devotion is not acknowledged by God. The giant waves, the unexpected tsunami resulting from a cataclysmic personal earthquake suddenly overwhelms you. Who will be better equipped to find and break the surface and inhale the oxygen of hope? Not the careless and indifferent person, but the one who has established godly habits of devotion.
Saturday 9th August
Be Patient And Rest In Him1. Sam. 21:7-15 7 ‘Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. 8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste. 9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me 10 ¶ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. 14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? 15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?’
Ironically David now flees with Goliath’s sword to the city of Gath which had been Goliath’s home town. It is quite likely that he intends to offer himself as a mercenary to the King of Gath.
David has the promise that he will be king of all Israel. And yet here he is an exile, a hunted outlaw or refugee. But still David finds no place to hide. His reputation is not forgotten in Gath and he realizes that he will be seen to be a danger or threat to Achish because of this reputation. And yet a plan comes to David that he can escape the wrath of the Philistines which exists in spite of the fact that Achish himself is kindly disposed toward him.
This should remind us that even though God has chosen us, and made us many wonderful and precious promises, we will sometimes be in positions of uncertainty and even danger. We will be called upon to exercise patience, but must continue to rest upon those wonderful and precious promises.
Garnet Milne
