Back to 1 Samuel

1 Sam. 16:1-13 — THIS SUNDAY (1/4/09) (Peter)
Samuel commits treason by anointing a new king while the current king is still living. Samuel is able to hear from God but lacks “vision” in that he sees as everyone else does, by externals, not by the heart. David is the forgotten/ignored son, the 8th son (as opposed to the 7th son of a 7th son), and is unnamed until the end of the story. He has all the good looks of a king, but is chosen “unseen” (while he’s not present before Samuel). The Spirit of Yahweh comes on him in power, the Spirit which makes him king, enabling him to rule the people of God.

1 Sam. 16:14-23 (Patty?)
The Spirit of the LORD departs from Saul to be replaced with an evil spirit from God. This is not the demon possession we see in the NT, but a torment of mind/heart that can be soothed by the natural means of music. David departs Jesse’s household and becomes a part of Saul’s household — from this point on Saul will be he “father” and the only time Jesse is mentioned is as a curse by Saul, reminding David that he’s actually someone else’s son. This story actually follows the next but is a pair with the first part of the chapter and explains some of the things in the next, hence the storyteller’s dischronology.

1 Sam. 17 (Sharon?)
The Philistines attack again. Israel’s mostly volunteer army includes David’s three older brothers (the ones named in the previous chapter). People are impressed with Goliath’s technology, his armor. Saul, the tallest man in Israel and champion of the people, doesn’t face the tall champion of the Philistines because he no longer is filled with the Spirit’s power and authority of kingship. Saul offers a fairy tale reward of a daughter in marriage and the hero’s family exemot from taxes. Where all were impressed with Goliath’s armor, Saul gives his away to a unknown shepherd boy who rejects it. The real battle takes place when Goliath and David call on their gods — this isn’t a story about David and Goliath, it’s a battle between the gods and the “battle belongs to the LORD.” All along, David knows what he’s going to do in combat. This is how he killed wild animals. He never wanted the armor. He never intended hand-to-hand combat. Goliath’s impressive technology is no match for David’s simple tech, except when it comes to cutting Goliath’s own head off. David carries around the head all day long — there’s no mistaking who the hero of the day is.

1 Sam. 18
David’s fame with Jonathan, the army, the people, and with Michal. Michal is the only woman in all of Scripture who is said to be in love and she’s in love with David. (Men fall in love all the time in Scriptre, not women.) Saul becomes afraid of David because of this popularity and attacks him twice. Saul also doesn’t bargain properly and reneges on his offer of his daughter Merab in marriage to David. But then he uses Michal as a trap, tricking David into agreeing to the match and then requiring 100 Philistine foreskins as the bride price. David pays double. Just what every woman wants for her wedding gift.

1 Sam. 19
Jonathan and Michal protect David from their father Saul. Saul and his men chase David to Ramah but the Spirit zaps them and they all prophesy ecstatically.

1 Sam. 20
Saul wants to kill David. Jonathan protects him, using an in-depth plan. David and Jonathan have a deep friendship and make a forever covenant.

1 Sam. 21-22
David flees to Nob and collets the sign of his hero status, Goliath’s sword. David and his men are holy warriors and are treated as such. David flees to Gath (Goliath’s city) and is recognized as Israel’s “king” but escapes by pretending to be insane. In the desert, malcontents and debtors join his rag-tag band. He arranges for protection for his parents in Moab (remember, his great-grandma Ruth came from Moab). Doeg of Edom tattles on the Nob priests and they are slaughtered by Saul’s men. Abiathan escapes the slaughter and brings the ephod to David and becomes David’s priest.

David psalms
BOOK 1 (Psalms 1-41) — 3 (Absolom), 4-6, 7 (Cush the Benjamite), 8, 9, 11-17, 18 (when delivered from Saul and all his enemies), 19-29, 30 (temple dedication), 31, 32, 34 (pretended to be insane and fled Abimelek), 35-41
BOOK 2 (Psalms 41-72) — 51 (Nathan, Bathsheba), 52 (Doeg tattles on Nob priests), 53, 54 (Ziphites tattle on David), 55, 56 (seized in Gath), 57 (fled from Saul into the cave), 58, 59 (Saul’s men watch David’s house), 60 (fought Aram Nahamraim and Aram Zobah and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt), 61, 62, 63 (in the desert), 64, 65, 68-70
OTHERS — 86, 101, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 133, 138-145

1/4/09 Peter 1 Sam 16:1-3 David anointed
1/11/09 Patty 1 Sam 16:14-23 Spirit leaves Saul; David enters Saul’s household Baptism of the Lord
1/18/09 Sharon 1 Sam 17 Goliath, Saul, and David
1/25/09 1 Sam 18
2/1/09 Seth
2/8/09 1 Sam 19
2/15/09 1 Sam 20
2/22/09 1 Sam 21-22 Transfiguration
3/1/09 1 Sam 23 1st Sunday of Lent
3/8/09 1 Sam 24 2nd Sunday of Lent/Daylight Savings
3/15/09 1 Sam 25 3rd Sunday of Lent
3/22/09 1 Sam 26 4th Sunday of Lent
3/29/09 1 Sam 27 5th Sunday of Lent
4/5/09 Palm Sunday
4/12/09 Easter