Day 101-11

VII The Reign of Saul - 1065-1025 B.C. ~ cont.

B. Decline of Saul and rise of David (5 years)

1. Enmity between Saul and David

a. David to be king of Judah

(1) Chosen - 1 Samuel 16:1-11; Psalm 39:1-13

(2) Anointed - 1 Samuel 16:12-13; Psalm 19:1-14, 8:1-9

b. David's music calms Saul - 1 Samuel 16:14-23

c. Second war with Philistines, David and Goliath - 1 Samuel 17:1-4, (possible location of Psalm 9), 1 Samuel 17:5-41, 55-56, 42-51, 57-58, 52-54

{pages 444 - 450}

And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.  (1 Samuel 16:5)

How did they sanctify?  Did David if he was out with the sheep?

I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.  (Psalm 39:1-4)

The underlined passage is the portion which captured my attention today.  There is a time to be silent and there is a time to speak.  Lord, help me to have the wisdom to know the difference.

But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. (1 Samuel 16:14)

God sends evil spirits?  Gill's commentary:

But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul,.... As a spirit of prophecy as at first, as a spirit of wisdom and prudence in civil government, and as a spirit of fortitude and courage, as the Targum: 


and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him; the reverse of the former, which by the permission of God, and as a punishment to him for his sins, came upon him; he seemed to be a demoniac, as Josephus represents (i) him, as if possessed with the devil; by whom he was almost suffocated and strangled, as well as was distracted in his counsels, and became weak and foolish; lost all courage and greatness of mind, was timorous and fearful, and alarmed by everything, and was full of envy, suspicion, rage, and despair.

Interestingly even Saul's servants knew it was an evil spirit from the Lord:

And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.  (1 Samuel 16:15)

Their solution?

Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.  (1 Samuel 16:16)

Saul agrees and the servants offer up...David.  I had read or heard somewhere previously that Father allowed David to be in the King's court which allowed him to observe and gain understanding and wisdom in how the office operated.

I thought this verse interesting, as Eliab (David's oldest brother) accuses him of being naughty.  Such a quaint word.  :-D

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.  (1 Samuel 17:28)

Not only naughty, but proud too!

naughtiness - H7455 - From H7489; badness (as marring), physically or morally.

• H7489 - A primitive root; properly to spoil (literally by breaking to pieces); figuratively to make (or be) good for nothing, that is, bad (physically, socially or morally). (associate selves and show self friendly are by mistake for H7462.).

pride - H2087 - From H2102; arrogance.

• H2102 - A primitive root; to seethe; figuratively to be insolent.

And God calls him a man after His own heart?  I was just pondering upon how both Joseph and David suffered extreme situations in order to prepare them for the future exalted positions they would hold.  Joseph knew by the dreams he had and shared that God was going to place him in a position of authority.  So too, with Moses, now that I think about it.  Eliab would have been witness to David's anointing and then being called out to minister to the king.  Yet he feared not to boldly speak to the future king?

Samuel's prophetic utterance to Saul:

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.   (1 Samuel 13:14)

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.  (Acts 13:22)

O Father, give us, Your people that You have chosen from the foundation of the world a heart that desires to please You.  A heart that longs to please You in all areas of our lives.