Burunche’s Blog

1 Samuel 22:1-2 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam, where his brothers and other relatives soon joined him. Then others began coming—those who were in any kind of trouble, such as being in debt, or merely discontented—until David was the leader of about four hundred men.

3-6 (Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab to ask permission of the king for his father and mother to live there under royal protection until David knew what God was going to do for him. They stayed in Moab during the entire period when David was living in the cave. Remember that David was descended from Ruth, who was from Moab. David’s father was Ruth’s grandson.)

One day the prophet Gad told David to leave the cave and return to the land of Judah. So David went to the forest of Hereth. The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. He was in Gibeah at the time, sitting beneath an oak tree playing with his spear, surrounded by his officers.

7-8 “Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul exclaimed when he heard the news. “Has David promised you fields and vineyards and commissions in his army? Is that why you are against me? For not one of you has ever told me that my own son is on David’s side. You’re not even sorry for me. Think of it! My own son—encouraging David to come and kill me!”

9-10 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw David talking to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech consulted the Lord to find out what David should do, and then gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

Remember Doeg, the Edomite herdsman, who was in the temple at Nob when David conferred with Ahimelech? While this guy was allegedly undergoing ritual purification, it’s far more likely that he was using that ceremony as an excuse to hang around in hopes of hearing something he could take to King Saul to gain Saul’s favor. Slimy slithery Doeg! And worse is yet to come.

11-12 King Saul immediately summoned Ahimelech and all his family and all the other priests at Nob. When they arrived Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!”

“What is it?” quavered Ahimelech.

13 “Why have you and David conspired against me?” Saul demanded. “Why did you give him food and a sword and talk to God for him? Why did you encourage him to revolt against me and to come here and attack me?”

14 -20 “But sir,” Ahimelech replied, “is there anyone among all your servants who is as faithful as David your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your own household! This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! It’s unfair for you to accuse me and my family in this matter, for we knew nothing of any plot against you.”

Poor Ahimelech! How was he to know there was anything wrong? Only now is Ahimelech realizing that Saul is truly crazy and vindictive.

“You shall die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted. He ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests, for they are allies and conspirators with David; they knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!”

But the soldiers refused to harm the clergy.

Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.”

So Doeg turned on them and killed them, eighty-five priests in all, all wearing their priestly robes. Then he went to Nob, the city of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men, women, children, and babies, and also all the oxen, donkeys, and sheep. Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.

Evidently, eighty-five priests have all presented themselves to Saul in their priestly robes to do Saul honor. Now these innocent men are about to be murdered. But why don’t some of these men flee? How is it that one man can slaughter eighty-five priests, only to proceed to their town and annihilate everybody and everything? The bodyguards might refuse to do the killing themselves but obviously, somebody is restraining these priests to keep them from running; otherwise, they would take off for town and warn their families. And when Doeg reaches town, why do all those people allow themselves to be killed? Only the bodyguards are available, so they are also guilty, even if Doeg is wielding the sword.

What’s also interesting is that the writer of this account fails to indicate what Doeg receives as his reward for acting as Saul’s assassin. This is significant because of all the other details included in the story. Had Saul rewarded Doeg in some fashion, the writer of 1 Samuel would certainly have included those facts. Perhaps within a few days, someone quietly eliminates Doeg for these terrible acts. Saul wouldn’t care, for he would simply view Doeg as a tool to be used and discarded. If someone makes Doeg disappear, it’s so much easier for Saul, for now he can blame Doeg for everything, even though the men in the bodyguard are witnesses to Saul’s depravity.

21-23 When he told him what Saul had done, David exclaimed, “I knew it! When I saw Doeg there, I knew he would tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all of your father’s family. Stay here with me, and I’ll protect you with my own life. Any harm to you will be over my dead body.”

What a tragedy! Only Ahimelech’s son Abiathar is left out of the entire family. While it’s fine that David promises to protect Abiathar, if David saw Doeg and knew Doeg would report to Saul, why didn’t David warn Ahimelech so Ahimelech and his family could flee and leave quickly? Surely David realized that he had put Ahimelech in danger…or did he? Perhaps, David did try to warn Ahimelech but Ahimelech refused to believe that Saul was truly evil and was trusting in his status as a priest to save him. So far, Saul had confined his acts of insanity to a few people, so Ahimelech wanted to trust in Saul’s anointing as king. David knew that Doeg would run straight to Saul; however, perhaps David wanted to believe that Saul was not really as evil as he appeared and that Saul might confine his anger to rebuking Ahimelech. David might also have thought that Saul’s anger rested solely on him and that others would merely be shouted at.

One of the problems righteous people face is understanding the depth of depravity embodied in true evil. Underestimating the evil intents of those bound on destruction can be disastrous. Many of Saul’s subjects saw Saul and assumed that because he LOOKED like a king and because Samuel had anointed him, Saul must be a good man. But appearances are deceiving.

Saul is a tragic figure for several reasons: God has chosen Saul and has had Samuel the prophet anoint him as king. But Saul has never developed his own faith, trying to cope by relying on faithful people around him to do the spiritual heavy lifting. God has given Saul all kinds of opportunities to serve Him faithfully; however, Saul has repeatedly failed. Worse, when Saul has failed, he has never actually repented but has only been sorry that he has been caught in his failures. Nature abhors a vacuum, and this is just as true in the spiritual world as in the natural world. Since Saul has repeatedly rejected God and His perfect Will, Satan is now controlling Saul.

God warns us in 1 John 3:7-8 “Oh, dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: if you are constantly doing what is good, it is because you are good, even as he is. But if you keep on sinning, it shows that you belong to Satan, who since he first began to sin has kept steadily at it. But the Son of God came to destroy these works of the devil.”

One of the most difficult workplace challenges is facing the reality of evil. Years of dedicated service and hard work, sacrifices of time, energy, and even opportunities for wealth-none of these things make any difference to someone bent on evil. It’s one thing not to hold grudges; however, when evil appears, we cannot deny its existence.

How are we to deal with evil? 1 Peter 2:21-23 tells us, “This suffering is all part of the work God has given you. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps: He never sinned, never told a lie, never answered back when insulted; when he suffered he did not threaten to get even; he left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly.”

There’s little to be gained by confiding in fellow workers, for you might be putting an unfair burden on them or trusting someone who will twist your words and run to witness against you. The best confidant is God, for God already knows all our circumstances and God also knows the intents of the hearts of all those around you. If you are certain that God has called you to the work you are doing, hold onto God’s hand and keep moving forward in faithfulness. God can sort things out better than any authority to whom you might appeal.

May God help us, so that we will continue to trust in Him and Him alone!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You are our shield and our protector. You are the One who knows all the details of our problems. And only You can bring a perfect solution. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 21:1-7 David went to the city of Nob to see Ahimelech, the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him.

“Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”

“The king has sent me on a private matter,” David lied. “He told me not to tell anybody why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you can.”

“We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied, “but there is the holy bread, which I guess you can have if only your young men have not slept with any women for a while.”

“Rest assured,” David replied. “I never let my men run wild when they are on an expedition, and since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more so on this one!”

So, since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.

(Incidentally, Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there at that time for ceremonial purification.)

8 David asked Ahimelech if he had a spear or sword he could use. “The king’s business required such haste, and I left in such a rush that I came away without a weapon!” David explained.

9 “Well,” the priest replied, “I have the sword of Goliath, the Philistine—the fellow you killed in the valley of Elah. It is wrapped in a cloth in the clothes closet.[b] Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.”

“Just the thing!” David replied. “Give it to me!”

David is on the run from Saul, hoping to find a safe place to hide. But he has no food for himself or for his men. David stops in Nob to see Ahimelech, the priest, who has consulted God for him on other occasions. Ahimelech releases the show bread that has already been removed from the side altar, assured that David’s men have not engaged in sex recently. And Ahimelech also gives David Goliath’s sword, that has been kept in the temple at Nob since Goliath’s death.

In the outer court, Doeg, an Edomite and Saul’s chief herdsman, is going through ritual purification. Considering Doeg’s subsequent acts, we must wonder why Doeg is bothering, for he is also spying on behalf of Saul and will subsequently commit atrocities.

David leaves Nob and heads to Gath, where he hopes to hide among the Philistines. But when that plan fails, David and his men return to Israel and hide in the Cave of Adullam.

I have always wondered if things would have been different had David told Ahimelech the truth. David is desperate; however, does that excuse his failing to confide in Ahimelech? Perhaps Ahimelech would have given David the show bread anyway; after all, King Saul has already garnered a bad reputation while David has become quite popular. Perhaps Ahimelech might have refused to give David anything, but God might have provided for David and his men in a different manner. This is one of the few times documented where David lies, and his reputation for honesty falsely assures Ahimelech that everything is all right.

And then there’s the matter of Doeg. David has probably already begun conferring with Ahimelech when he sees Doeg in the outer courtyard. As an Edomite, Doeg is allowed to enter the temple; however, is he going through purification as a means of gaining favor with Saul? In the light of later activities, Doeg is obviously not a true believer. Doeg is the ultimate snitch. As David collects the bread and Goliath’s sword, Doeg is already headed off to see Saul, certain that this tidbit of information will gain him a rich reward. Who knows? Perhaps Saul will even promote Doeg to be a commander rather than a herdsman. Doeg is certain this is his lucky day!

As we will study tomorrow, Ahimelech and all the other residents of Nob will pay with their lives for Ahimelech’s innocent assistance to David. Work situations can become quite complicated. It’s sad but true that we will run from one person to the next, seeking validation, help, and advice while we refuse to ask God, the only One who knows all the details of our situation. What’s even worse, God is the only One who is really safe because confiding in others might put them at risk as well as our receiving bad advice. Here David manipulates an innocent priest and then runs, leaving him to a terrible fate. Nothing suggests that David has prayed about this situation before approaching Ahimelech. God does not force Himself on anyone; if we want His counsel, we must ask.

When a superior chooses to be vindictive toward some workers, those workers are then faced with another difficult challenge: to confide or not confide? How much information is too much? While our natural inclination is to seek like-minded people for comfort, we must consider if we are putting our friends at risk for punishment or persecution. Many times, it’s best to keep confidences between God and you. That way, when queried, friends can truthfully say that you have not shared any details with them. This protects your friends and also discourages harmful gossip.

May God help us, so that we always trust Him first!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to confide in You and trust in You, rather than burdening and perhaps endangering friends and family. You are the Source of all knowledge and comfort and You are the One who can handle all our problems. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Samuel 20:1-4 David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan.

“What have I done?” he exclaimed. “Why is your father so determined to kill me?”

“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “I’m sure he’s not planning any such thing, for he always tells me everything he’s going to do, even little things, and I know he wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so.”

“Of course you don’t know about it!” David fumed. “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I’ll not tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But the truth is that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”

“Tell me what I can do,” Jonathan begged.

Nobody wants to believe that their father has gone mad, and Jonathan is no exception. Being so close to Saul and seeing him every day, Jonathan doesn’t realize the extent of Saul’s descent into paranoia. But David has undeniable proof that Saul wants to eliminate him permanently. Now David must find a way to convince Jonathan.

5-9 And David replied, “Tomorrow is the beginning of the celebration of the new moon. Always before, I’ve been with your father for this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. If your father asks where I am, tell him that I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family reunion. If he says, ‘Fine!’ then I’ll know that all is well. But if he is angry, then I’ll know that he is planning to kill me. Do this for me as my sworn brother. Or else kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father, but don’t betray me to him!”

“Of course not!” Jonathan exclaimed. “Look, wouldn’t I say so if I knew that my father was planning to kill you?”

Jonathan still doesn’t want to believe David is telling the truth. David, on the other hand, knows that he can never be safe around Saul again.

10-15 Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”

“Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together.

Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord God of Israel that about this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father about you and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he is angry and wants you killed, then may the Lord kill me if I don’t tell you, so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. And remember, you must demonstrate the love and kindness of the Lord not only to me during my own lifetime, but also to my children after the Lord has destroyed all of your enemies.”

16-17 So Jonathan made a covenant with the family of David, and David swore to it with a terrible curse against himself and his descendants, should he be unfaithful to his promise. But Jonathan made David swear to it again, this time by his love for him, for he loved him as much as he loved himself.

For centuries, the friendship between David and Jonathan has been used as a model for the highest form of friendship. Both men pledge their honor and that of their families. Each man also vows to protect the other’s family members. Eventually David will fulfill that vow after he becomes king. Sadly, Jonathan will die in battle along with his father.

18-23 Then Jonathan said, “Yes, they will miss you tomorrow when your place at the table is empty. By the day after tomorrow, everyone will be asking about you, so be at the hideout where you were before, over by the stone pile. I will come out and shoot three arrows in front of the pile as though I were shooting at a target. Then I’ll send a lad to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know that all is well and that there is no trouble. But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately. And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”

24-27 So David hid himself in the field.

When the new moon celebration began, the king sat down to eat at his usual place against the wall. Jonathan sat opposite him and Abner was sitting beside Saul, but David’s place was empty. Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he supposed that something had happened so that David was ceremonially impure. Yes, surely that must be it! But when his place was still empty the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t David been here for dinner either yesterday or today?”

28-34“He asked me if he could go to Bethlehem to take part in a family celebration,” Jonathan replied. “His brother demanded that he be there, so I told him to go ahead.”

Saul boiled with rage. “You fool!” he yelled at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want this son of a nobody to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? As long as that fellow is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

“But what has he done?” Jonathan demanded. “Why should he be put to death?”

Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him; so at last Jonathan realized that his father really meant it when he said David must die. Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat all that day, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

All this time, Jonathan has steadfastly refused to believe that his father really hates David and has been struggling to find any tiny indications that Saul isn’t really as bad as David has been saying. But it’s tough to argue when Saul suddenly curses him (the footnote in one translation says verse 30 translates to “You son of a bitch!”) and throws his spear at him, trying to kill him. In shock, Jonathan refuses to eat and leaves the room, horrified and confused by the reality of his father’s wrath.

35-42 The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows.

“Start running,” he told the boy, “so that you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you. Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. He, of course, didn’t understand what Jonathan meant; only Jonathan and David knew. Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to the city.

As soon as he was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the south edge of the field. Both of them were crying as they said good-bye, especially David. At last Jonathan said to David, “Cheer up, for we have entrusted each other and each other’s children into God’s hands forever.” So they parted, David going away and Jonathan returning to the city.

Throughout David’s short life, he has endured great emotional stress, including being neglected by his family, who have treated him as expendable, and rejection by the very ruler who originally demanded his services as a musician and a warrior. But now David is entering into a new form of suffering: he has become a danger to those closest to him, particularly Jonathan. David is entering on a life of isolation, pursued by Saul and spied upon by those hoping for favors from Saul.

When David and Jonathan part company in that field, they both know that this farewell is final. Jonathan must return to his father, crazy though he might be, and David must flee before Saul sends troops out after him. Saul has troops while David is alone. Jonathan has reluctantly returned to his father, even though his sentiments are with David. At this point, David’s only friend, his only hope and consolation, is God.

One day as Jesus was teaching, a series of men came to him, each one making extravagant promises of all the service they would render to him….some day! Luke 9:57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” (It was likely the father was still alive and this man wanted to hang around so he would gain an inheritance!)

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” (And how long would that take?)

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Come now or don’t delude yourself that you eventually will come.)

Much of the work of the kingdom of God goes on in isolation. Here Jesus is warning these would-be disciples that they must give up security, the chance for a rich inheritance, and even family relationships. Being a missionary-or a pastor in a small village-can be a lonely business. While friends pursue advanced degrees and higher salaries, these people continue to be faithful, even as they struggle to cope. Forging friendships can be difficult, for sometimes trusted confidants can change into informers if sufficiently tempted.

In 1901 Lettie B. Cowman and her husband Charles, plus Juji Nakada, and Ernest Kilbourne, founded the Oriental Mission Society, now One Mission Society, originally evangelizing extensively in Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. From its inception, OMS was a faith mission, depending solely on donations, rather than denominational affiliations. Lettie’s biography of her husband details the overwhelming challenges of faith this couple endured. (Missionary Warrior: Charles Cowman-available in Kindle format on Amazon) Charles developed a crippling heart condition from which he eventually died. This was an age when inspirational poems and observations appeared frequently in newspapers, and their friends passed these items on to encourage them. Although the Cowmans achieved amazing things, perhaps Lettie’s biggest legacy lives on in her two books Streams in the Desert and Springs in the Valley, plus her husband’s biography. Both books are compilations of the inspirational items from friends, plus Lettie’s incisive comments.

The phrase “plowing my lonely furrow” appears frequently in missionary stories. If anyone knew about plowing a lonely furrow, Lettie B. Cowman would know. An internet search yields the following:

• Lettie B. Cowman wrote about God’s “plowing” of the soul, stating: “Let us never forget that the Husbandman is never so near the land as when he is plowing it, the very time when we are tempted to think He hath forsaken us”.
• The metaphor of plowing a “lonely furrow” is often used to describe the isolating experience of pioneering missionary work, which fits the tone of Streams in the Desert.
• The phrase “In a furrow cut by pain” is directly attributed to her in a devotional context. 

The concept refers to the painful, yet productive, process of doing God’s work in a difficult place, often with little immediate reward, which she describes as preparing the soil for a future harvest. 

Perhaps you can identify with David. Political circumstances have forced long-time friends to distance themselves from you, and you have agreed and even encouraged them to do so. Now you are forced to rely on God and confide in Him because there is nobody else. Take heart! God will never abandon you.

God tells us in Isaiah 43:1-3 “But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we praise You that no matter what happens, You are always there and You will always remain with us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 19:1-8 Saul now urged his aides and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his close friendship with David, told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you; then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”

The next morning as Jonathan and his father were talking together, he spoke well of David and begged him not to be against David.

“He’s never done anything to harm you,” Jonathan pleaded. “He has always helped you in any way he could. Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill Goliath, and how the Lord brought a great victory to Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you now murder an innocent man? There is no reason for it at all!”

Finally, Saul agreed and vowed, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.”

Afterwards Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he took David to Saul and everything was as it had been before. War broke out shortly after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines and slaughtered many of them, and put to flight their entire army.

Well, Saul’s son Jonathan has become close friends with David, realizing what a godly man David is. Jonathan is trying to be the voice of reason in his family; however, Saul remains demonically controlled, meaning that he is totally unpredictable and can suddenly change his mind. Jonathan HOPES that he has smoothed things over; unfortunately, he’s wrong.

9-17 But one day as Saul was sitting at home, listening to David playing the harp, suddenly the tormenting spirit from the Lord attacked him. He had his spear in his hand and hurled it at David in an attempt to kill him. But David dodged out of the way and fled into the night, leaving the spear imbedded in the timber of the wall. Saul sent troops to watch David’s house and kill him when he came out in the morning.

“If you don’t get away tonight,” Michal (David’s wife and Saul’s daughter) warned him, “you’ll be dead by morning.”

So she helped him get down to the ground through a window. Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, and covered it with blankets, with its head on a pillow of goat’s hair. When the soldiers came to arrest David and take him to Saul, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed. Saul said to bring him in his bed, then, so that he could kill him. But when they came to carry him out, they discovered that it was only an idol!

“Why have you deceived me and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal.

“I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”

You have to pity Saul’s kids! First, Jonathan tries to reason with Saul and gets a specious promise. Now Michal, David’s wife and Saul’s daughter, helps David escape while an armed guard waits outside their house. What are these poor people to do? Their father is power-drunk and emotionally unbalanced. Will they be the next victims?

18-24 In that way David got away and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and told him all that Saul had done to him. So Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, he sent soldiers to capture him; but when they arrived and saw Samuel and the other prophets prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon them and they also began to prophesy. When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other soldiers, but they too prophesied! The same thing happened a third time! Then Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu.

“Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded.

Someone told him they were at Naioth. But on the way to Naioth the Spirit of God came upon Saul, and he too began to prophesy! He tore off his clothes and lay naked all day and all night, prophesying with Samuel’s prophets. Saul’s men were incredulous!

“What!” they exclaimed. “Is Saul a prophet too?”

When David escapes to stay with Samuel in the village of Naioth under Ramah, Saul sends soldiers to arrest David, but each time these men approach Samuel, they begin prophesying. Saul decides that if he wants something done right, he should do it himself. Too bad Saul and God are on opposing sides. When Saul approaches Naioth, the Holy Spirit comes upon him, causing him to tear off his clothes, lying naked for 24 hours as he spews forth prophesies. If ever a king was forced to do something embarrassing, this is it!

All this time, David is simply sitting at Samuel’s home in Naioth, the location indicated by the accompanying map. Notice something: All David does in this chapter is to repeatedly escape from Saul, first with the help of Jonathan and Michal, and then Samuel. David’s only “sin” is that he has been godly and successful. But those two qualities are enough for Saul to feel David is a threat.

Sometimes, you might attract the wrath of a supervisor, even though you have done nothing wrong. While honesty and competence would seem to be admirable qualities in an employee, a supervisor bent on any kind of wrong-doing might view you as a threat. The question then is this: Whom are you trying to please? Are you working to please the God who has called you to a particular job, or are you pandering to someone’s ego? The problem with trying to please people is that the more you try to compromise, the more they demand. God never changes, but people do.

Psalm 34:8-10 tells us, “Oh, put God to the test and see how kind he is! See for yourself the way his mercies shower down on all who trust in him. If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing.

David had Samuel to run to. Sometimes, we find ourselves isolated; however, God is always there and He never changes. You might have to face difficult times, but you can take comfort in the knowledge that God is always with you. Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”

God doesn’t promise us easy lives, but He promises to lead us, to guide us, and to help us. Why not trust in the One who never changes or fails?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You are our Helper, our Keeper, our Shelter, our Protector. You are the One who can comfort us. Please reach down and comfort all those reading these words, reassuring them that You will never leave them or forsake them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 16:14-23 But the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and instead, the Lord had sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. Some of Saul’s aides suggested a cure.

“We’ll find a good harpist to play for you whenever the tormenting spirit is bothering you,” they said. “The harp music will quiet you and you’ll soon be well again.”

“All right,” Saul said. “Find me a harpist.”

One of them said he knew a young fellow in Bethlehem, the son of a man named Jesse, who was not only a talented harp player, but was handsome, brave, and strong, and had good, solid judgment. “What’s more,” he added, “the Lord is with him.”

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, asking that he send his son David the shepherd. 20 Jesse responded by sending not only David but a young goat and a donkey carrying a load of food and wine. From the instant he saw David, Saul admired and loved him; and David became his bodyguard.

Then Saul wrote to Jesse, “Please let David join my staff, for I am very fond of him.”

And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp and Saul would feel better, and the evil spirit would go away.

Saul had it all, and he blew it! God chose Saul to be the first king over Israel and even put His Holy Spirit on Saul so that Saul prophesied at one point. Had Saul faithfully followed all God’s orders, God would have established Saul’s family as the ruling dynasty for Israel. But Saul never truly believed; instead, Saul tried to use God, and that never works. The Sovereign Lord of the Universe is not a fetish to be used and manipulated. After Saul’s final act of disobedience in refusing to follow God’s specific instructions on wiping out the Amalekites, God finally rejected Saul. Had Saul truly repented, God might have relented in his judgment; however, repentance never entered Saul’s mind. Nature abhors a vacuum, including a spiritual one. Once the Holy Spirit left Saul, demons entered. Only praise music played by a true believer could drive away the demons, so David became Saul’s harp player and his bodyguard. But now David was working for a man who had rejected God’s guidance.

1 Samuel 18:4-6 King Saul now kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home anymore. He was Saul’s special assistant, and he always carried out his assignments successfully. So Saul made him commander of his troops, an appointment that was applauded by the army and general public alike. But something had happened when the victorious Israeli army was returning home after David had killed Goliath. Women came out from all the towns along the way to celebrate and to cheer for King Saul, and were singing and dancing for joy with tambourines and cymbals.

So far, so good. David has defeated Goliath and Saul has promoted him to commander of the Israelite troops. But now there’s a new problem: David is becoming more popular than Saul. To make things worse, the prophet Samuel has already informed Saul that God has rejected him as king and is choosing someone else to succeed him. Saul is furious and resentful, on the watch for any upstart. And more trouble is on the way.

7-16 However, this was their song: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands!”

Of course, Saul was very angry. “What’s this?” he said to himself. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!”

So from that time on King Saul kept a jealous watch on David. The very next day, in fact, a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave like a madman. David began to soothe him by playing the harp, as he did whenever this happened. But Saul, who was fiddling with his spear, suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David jumped aside and escaped. This happened another time, too, for Saul was afraid of him and jealous because the Lord had left him and was now with David. Finally, Saul banned him from his presence and demoted him to the rank of captain. But the controversy put David more than ever in the public eye.

David continued to succeed in everything he undertook, for the Lord was with him. When King Saul saw this, he became even more afraid of him; but all Israel and Judah loved him, for he was as one of them.

Saul is angry, anxious, and suspicious. While Saul has rejected God and His ways, David continues to serve God and God is with him. Saul is becoming increasingly paranoid, with demons crowding into his heart and mind. Eventually, Saul makes two different attempts to pin David to the wall with his spear, hoping to kill him. But each time Saul attempts something, David escapes. Saul even demotes David to the rank of captain in hopes of removing him from the public eye, but David becomes increasingly popular anyway. And the stories about Saul trying to spear David are circulating throughout Israel while its citizens wonder why Saul is trying to kill the hero who has delivered them from Goliath and the Philistines.

Paranoid schizophrenia and demon possession share many traits in common. I served my rotation in Psychiatry at a VA hospital shortly after the end of the Vietnam War. We had many young veterans who had gotten into drugs, particularly LSD, while they were in Nam, only to develop paranoid schizophrenia. At the time, I knew nothing about spiritual warfare or the demonic; however, looking back, I wonder how many of these poor souls had opened themselves to demons under the influence of drugs. Please do not misunderstand! I am not trying to over-simplify a highly complicated diagnosis, nor am I suggesting that if someone prays for you, you should throw away your drugs. But spiritual conditions are inevitably tied to physical and emotional ones; we cannot separate people’s natures into neat little boxes. And demons will take advantage of any weakness available.

David’s dilemma is also complicated. David has joined Saul’s staff at Saul’s written request and has become extremely popular. Now the very man who invited David to come in the first place has tried to kill him twice. What should David do? God has obviously opened this opportunity, but should David return to herding sheep? Lions and bears might be safer to deal with than a demon-possessed ruler. Where is God’s comfort in all of this?

One or two generations ago in America, a worker might join a company and work there his or her entire career, moving steadily up the ranks. These days, most companies have no loyalty to their workers, and the workers reflect that attitude. But what if you are a worker who has been specifically recruited for a position, only to have the boss who recruited you suddenly change? This is David’s dilemma.

In such a situation, there are two questions you must ask yourself:

1. Has God brought you to this place?
2. If God has brought you to this place, has He changed your assignment or should you remain?

If you firmly believe that God has brought you and that He has not changed your assignment, HOLD ON! God wants to do something wonderful and Satan is trying to oppose Him. You are simply caught in the middle.

Later, when David is fleeing from Saul, he expresses his fears and hopes in Psalm 34:1-9 I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of his glories and grace. I will boast of all his kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name. For I cried to him and he answered me! He freed me from all my fears. Others too were radiant at what he did for them. Theirs was no downcast look of rejection! This poor man cried to the Lord—and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles. For the Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him.

Oh, put God to the test and see how kind he is! See for yourself the way his mercies shower down on all who trust in him. If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs.

Ultimately, God delivers David, making him king instead of Saul. But God is the One who does that; David refuses to kill Saul, even when he might. You too can take comfort in the knowledge that “The Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust in You, even when things appear bleak. You are the One who calls us, who saves us, and who leads us into the bright future You have for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 17:1-3 The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah in Ephes-dammim. Saul countered with a buildup of forces at Elah Valley. So the Philistines and Israelis faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them.

4-7 Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet, a two-hundred-pound coat of mail, bronze leggings, and carried a bronze javelin several inches thick, tipped with a twenty-five-pound iron spearhead, and his armor bearer walked ahead of him with a huge shield.

8-10 He stood and shouted across to the Israelis, “Do you need a whole army to settle this? I will represent the Philistines, and you choose someone to represent you, and we will settle this in single combat! If your man is able to kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, then you must be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel! Send me a man who will fight with me!”

King Saul has faced opposing forces before, but he’s never encountered anything like this! The Philistines have one of the giants on their side, and he’s challenging the Israelites to send forth a champion for a mano-a-mano duel. But this guy is ginormous, and nobody wants to face him.

David has joined Saul’s staff on a part-time basis because Saul has learned David’s songs of praise can drive away the demons that have been attacking him. Now David has returned from home and is asking about this giant. Everybody takes one look at this teen-ager and figures this kid is just satisfying his morbid curiosity. But David knows better and claims he can handle this giant.

1 Samuel 17:32-37 “Don’t worry about a thing,” David told him. “I’ll take care of this Philistine!”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “How can a kid like you fight with a man like him? You are only a boy, and he has been in the army since he was a boy!”

But David persisted. “When I am taking care of my father’s sheep,” he said, “and a lion or a bear comes and grabs a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and take the lamb from its mouth. If it turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this heathen Philistine too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who saved me from the claws and teeth of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!”

Saul finally consented, “All right, go ahead,” he said, “and may the Lord be with you!”

As a small boy, David has had to learn to fight smarter, not wasting force. Repeatedly, God has delivered David from vicious animals several times his size. David’s confidence is not in himself, but in the God who has preserved his life all these years. And David has a secret weapon, one Goliath has never previously encountered.

38-42 Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can hardly move!” he exclaimed, and took them off again. Then he picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his shepherd’s bag and, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, started across to Goliath. Goliath walked out toward David with his shield-bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this nice little red-cheeked boy!

As a conventional soldier, Saul can’t imagine facing this giant without armor; however, David rapidly realizes that Saul’s armor is only a hindrance. All the years that David has been facing huge powerful wild animals, he has never used armor and he doesn’t need it today either.

43-47“Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. “Come over here and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals,” Goliath yelled.

David shouted in reply, “You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel—the very God whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head; and then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And Israel will learn that the Lord does not depend on weapons to fulfill his plans—he works without regard to human means! He will give you to us!”

If all David has going for him is force, he would have died a long time ago. But David trusts in the One True Living God, and David has a secret weapon: his sling and five smooth stones. Remember that those operating slings are the snipers of this day. Why Saul hasn’t already deployed sling operators against Goliath is a mystery. It’s likely nobody has considered anything of the sort, cowed as they have been by Goliath’s size and his noise.

48-51 As Goliath approached, David ran out to meet him and, reaching into his shepherd’s bag, took out a stone, hurled it from his sling, and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and the man fell on his face to the ground. So David conquered the Philistine giant with a sling and a stone. Since he had no sword, he ran over and pulled Goliath’s from its sheath and killed him with it, and then cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.

David fully realizes that Goliath might just be stunned. Far safer for David to behead Goliath, removing all doubt, as well as conclusively demonstrating that Goliath has been defeated. But that first rock might actually have done the trick. How lethal is David’s rock to Goliath’s forehead? What does medical evidence suggest? An internet search provides the following information:

Based on the account in 1 Samuel 17, one blow to the head with a stone was sufficient to disable, stun, and cause a fatal injury to Goliath, but David followed up with a second action to ensure death. 

Here are the details regarding the death of Goliath:

• The Initial Blow: David used a sling and a stone, which struck Goliath in the forehead, sinking into his skull. This caused immediate collapse, with the giant falling face-down to the ground.
• Medical Perspective: The blow likely caused a penetrating craniocerebral injury (traumatic brain injury), rendering Goliath unconscious and likely causing immediate or rapid fatal brain injury.
• The Final Act: Although the blow rendered Goliath unable to defend himself, David ran to the fallen giant, took Goliath’s own sword, and cut off his head to ensure he was completely dead.
• Biblical Interpretation: While verse 50 says David killed him with the stone and sling, verse 51 clarifies that David finished him off and cut off his head. Scholars often interpret this as the stone causing the fatal trauma, while the decapitation served as the ultimate proof of death and a display of total victory. 

Therefore, the blow to the head was mortal, but the decapitation was the final action that confirmed his demise. 

Frequently, we focus on David’s faith and God’s provision, and those are certainly great teaching points. But look at David’s situation. For the sake of time, I have omitted large parts of 1 Samuel 17, for when David appears in Saul’s camp, three of his big strong older brothers who are already in Saul’s army mock him, accusing him of mere sensationalism. And when David vows that he will kill Goliath, the mocking simply intensifies.

David’ older brothers have never paid much attention; after all, David was simply the little guy watching the sheep. These men have no inkling of the dangers David has faced or the wild animals David has killed. It’s likely that the first time David came back to the house claiming to have killed a lion, these guys treated it as an enormous joke, accusing David of spinning tall tales. There’s also another major difference between David and his brothers: David is a man of faith and his brothers trust in their own prowess. Each time David’s family has ignored or mocked his efforts, God has comforted him.

Perhaps you have grown up in a family where your best efforts have been derided by your siblings. Perhaps even your parents have refused to believe you are competent and capable. But God knows the human heart, and God sees your efforts. God knows your talents and your potential far better than anyone else does. The same God who empowered David to kill giants can empower you to deal with the problems you are facing. Just give God the glory and trust Him; He will see you through.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You are the One who empowers us and inspires us. You are the One who can give us the strength to face all our challenges, even if that means taking out giants with a slingshot. Help us to find our comfort in You and our rest in You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 8:1-5 In his old age, Samuel retired and appointed his sons as judges in his place. Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba; but they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and were very corrupt in the administration of justice. Finally the leaders of Israel met in Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. They told him that since his retirement things hadn’t been the same, for his sons were not good men.

For centuries, the Israelites have been governed by a succession of judges, of whom Samuel is the most recent. As long as Samuel continues to judge Israel, all is well; however, Samuel’s sons are a different matter. Not only are Samuel’s sons corrupt, but they are so corrupt that if one party to a dispute has already bribed them, they will side with the other party, assuming that side can pay them even more. This problem gives the Israelites the opportunity to push for a king, something they have wanted for a long time. Even though God has been king of Israel, these men want a tall strong brave inspiring man to lead them. Samuel is horrified; however, God orders Samuel to anoint Saul, the son of Kish, an important man from the tribe of Benjamin.

Saul LOOKS like the perfect king-tall, strong, and forceful. But morally, Saul proves weak and faithless, bowing to public pressure and failing the tests God sets for him. Samuel grieves, for he has assumed his work is done. But God has already chosen Saul’s successor, and before He’s through, everybody is going to be shocked.

1 Samuel 16:1-4 Finally the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul, for I have rejected him as king of Israel. Now take a vial of olive oil and go to Bethlehem and find a man named Jesse, for I have selected one of his sons to be the new king.”

But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

“Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Then call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint.”

So Samuel did as the Lord had told him to. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him.

“What is wrong?” they asked. “Why have you come?”

5-9 But he replied, “All is well. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.”

And he performed the purification rite on Jesse and his sons, and invited them too. When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the man the Lord has chosen!”

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by a man’s face or height, for this is not the one. I don’t make decisions the way you do! Men judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions.”

Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But the Lord said, “This is not the right man either.”

Next Jesse summoned Shammah, but the Lord said, “No, this is not the one.” In the same way all seven of his sons presented themselves to Samuel and were rejected.

10-13 “The Lord has not chosen any of them,” Samuel told Jesse. “Are these all there are?”

“Well, there is the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep.”

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said, “for we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

So Jesse sent for him. He was a fine looking boy, ruddy-faced, and with pleasant eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”

So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the olive oil he had brought and poured it upon David’s head; and the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him and gave him great power from that day onward. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

 When Samuel anointed Saul as king, he really hoped that Saul would prove to be everything Israel needed. But Saul’s character does not match his physique. Given direct orders to wipe out the Amalekites and everything belonging to them, Saul tries to compromise-after all, some of that livestock is really prime, and perhaps the enemy king will be willing to buy his life with hidden wealth. Both God and Samuel grieve over Saul; however, Saul is obviously not fit. Now Israel needs a king who will truly obey God, and God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint the next king from the house of Jesse.

Samuel calls Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice and then begins examining Jesse’s boys. All seven of the boys are tall, strong, and good-looking; surely one of these men will be the next king. But God keeps rejecting these men. By now, Samuel is really confused! What’s going on here?

“Jesse, do you have any more sons?” Samuel asks in confusion.

“Well, yes, there’s the youngest one, David. But you probably don’t want him. Besides, he’s out in the fields watching sheep.”

Meanwhile, David has gotten wind of Samuel’s coming, but he isn’t concerned. As the youngest and smallest, David has become used to being ignored and taken for granted. As far as the rest of the family thinks, sheep herding is all David is good for anyway. But God has a different idea. All the time that David has been herding sheep, he has been praying, playing his harp, writing music, and practicing his marksmanship with a sling. Many people in countries with modern high-powered rifles fail to appreciate that in Samuel’s time, soldiers with slings were the snipers of their day. Those slings were not simply children’s toys! At one point, the Bible describes soldiers who were experts with slings, either right-handed or left-handed, and who could hit a hair with their missiles. And all those encounters with lions and bears, all those nights spent living rough and watching the sheep, have made David one tough teen-ager. By contrast, David’s older brothers have remained in the house with Jesse, where things are easy and undemanding.

David has spent long hard years with God as his only source of comfort. Obviously, Jesse doesn’t care much about David, for when Samuel announces that he wants Jesse and all his sons to come for a sacrifice, Jesse doesn’t even consider calling David. After all, someone has to watch those sheep, and Jesse has seven big strong sons. Surely, this youngest one is expendable.

It’s God who has comforted David all these years, and that same God chooses David to rule over Israel. One of the key points in this chapter comes in verse 7 when God says,“Don’t judge by a man’s face or height, for this is not the one. I don’t make decisions the way you do! Men judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions.”

We don’t know which of David’s psalms is the earliest; however, many scholars feel that Psalm 23 might qualify. “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honors him the most. Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.

You provide delicious food for me in the presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings overflow!  Your goodness and unfailing kindness shall be with me all of my life, and afterwards I will live with you forever in your home.”  (The Living Bible)

Although this psalm is perhaps the best-known and best-loved of all the psalms, many of us fail to realize it was written by a man whose own father thought so little of him that when the major prophet of Israel invited the family to worship with him, that same father initially left him out in the sheep pasture, essentially rejecting him from being his son.

Family dynamics can be scary and difficult. Sometimes, one or more children will be designated as “hero children,” who are given tasks far above their age level. Many times, those same children may be taken for granted, as if they don’t have the same emotional needs as their siblings. That’s what has happened to David. You might be that hero child, denied some of the emotional support from your family. But consider David; when God is selecting the next king, He ignores all seven of Jesse’s older sons, choosing David instead. The very challenges David has faced and his responses to them have developed the qualities needed for the next king of Israel.

In a book entitled Don’t Waste Your Sorrows, Paul E. Bilheimer graphically describes how suffering shapes us to fulfill God’s plans for our lives. David’s father has neglected him, sending him to the sheep pasture. But God has met David in that sheep pasture, comforting him and teaching him lessons he will need to govern wisely, for leading people is not dissimilar from herding wayward sheep.

God does not play favorites! The same God who plucked David from the sheep pasture to ultimately become king is watching over you today. God is all-knowing and all-powerful, and He can redeem every horrible experience you have ever had and use it for His glory. Drug addiction, PTSD, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse-God is greater than all of these problems. My first marriage ended in divorce and I was thoroughly ashamed and devastated by this failure. But I learned God could redeem those years when I found myself counseling another woman whose life had been shattered by marital problems. When this lady told me that I couldn’t possibly understand her situation, I found myself saying, “Well, let me try.” In the next few moments, I perfectly described her emotional struggles and her feelings of worthlessness. When I finished, there was stunned silence at the other end of the phone, and then this lady asked in a shaking voice, “How do you KNOW these things?” And I answered, “BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN THERE!”

God is the Ultimate Comforter, who comforts us so that we might comfort others. But first, we must open ourselves to allow God to comfort us. This means we must let go of our hatreds, our resentments, our disgust, and our despair. Some people feed on emotional negativity, but that only leads to hellish despair. We must release all those things so that God can clean us up and give us His Holy Spirit. Let’s pray.

PRAYER:Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You chose David, even when his family had rejected him. Jesus, You were “despised and rejected,” so you know how many of us have felt. Lord, please help all who read these words to let go of the negative things that are dragging them down, give those things to You, and let You replace them with Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

When we read the story of a wife for Isaac in Genesis, Isaac never gets very much attention. We focus on Eliezer the servant and his successful trip to Haran. We marvel at Rebekah’s willingness to travel hundreds of miles into an unknown land to marry a man whom she has never met. But Isaac and his grief are the reasons for that story, so let’s look at Isaac.

Genesis 24:61-67 So Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and went with him.

Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negeb, had returned to Beer-lahai-roi. One evening as he was taking a walk out in the fields, meditating, he looked up and saw the camels coming. Rebekah noticed him and quickly dismounted.

“Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” she asked the servant.

And he replied, “It is my master’s son!” So she covered her face with her veil. Then the servant told Isaac the whole story.

And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her very much, and she was a special comfort to him after the loss of his mother.

Sarah was 90 when she gave birth to Isaac, so by the time Sarah died at age 127, Isaac was 37. Isaac thought his mother was a hoot! Right up until the last day or two of Sarah’s life, she was always the one with wry comments, spicy opinions on every subject imaginable, and the heart of Abraham’s camp. While Abraham presided over the major questions such as moving for better grazing and relationships with local chiefs, Sarah was the one who kept everything moving. It was Sarah who assigned tasks to the serving girls, Sarah who arranged marriages among the servants, Sarah who was always there to give pithy advice and encouragement.

Sarah had a wicked sense of humor, one she carefully disguised whenever it was necessary for her to play the grande dame. One day a visiting merchant vainly schemed to get the better of Abraham in a major deal. Abraham sententiously announced to the man that he needed to pray about it and the man should return on the morrow. But as soon as the man and his camels had disappeared over the nearest hill, Abraham called Sarah to him. Sarah had been sitting quietly in a corner during the negotiations, playing the part of a perfectly submissive wife with no business acumen.

“Well, Sarah, my love,” Abraham said, “what do you think of our friend Abdul?”

“Hmm,” Sarah mused, “as for that man, he talks out of both sides of his mouth. And Abraham, if you shake hands with him, be sure to count your fingers before and afterwards!”

“I see,” said Abraham. “So tomorrow, what should my answer be?”

“Oh, my love,” replied Sarah, “I suggest that you inform him that you have prayed and that you feel tomorrow is not an auspicious day for such a major endeavor. Tell him that you must continue to pray and that you will send a messenger, should the signs become more auspicious in the future.”

“And when do you anticipate the signs becoming more auspicious?” questioned Abraham, thoroughly enjoying the joke.

“Well,” mused Sarah, “perhaps if the Negeb desert suddenly begins blossoming with all kinds of crops and fruit trees. Or perhaps if our camels, who are notoriously ill-tempered, suddenly choose to become completely docile and come to our tents and sing to us.”

“Or perhaps,” Abraham added, “if you become pregnant at the age of 120?”

“Well, yes,” Sarah chuckled. “I praise Jehovah for allowing me to become a mother at age 90, but I don’t think Isaac needs another miracle sibling.”

Throughout Sarah’s entire life, she was the one who kept things humming in Abraham’s camp. Everyone realized that Sarah was dying when she stopped giving orders and simply lay in her bed, weakly requesting for Abraham and Isaac to come to her. For both men, it was unthinkable that this indomitable woman on whom they had both depended for so many years might leave them. Isaac particularly had no idea how he would go on. Seeing Isaac’s despair, Abraham realized that he had done everything for Isaac he could; now only a wife could console Isaac. Calling Eliezer to him, Abraham gave Eliezer detailed instructions and then personally selected the treasures Eliezer should carry to Haran to entice a young woman to return with him. But as Eliezer set off to the northeast on the road toward Haran, both Abraham and Isaac wondered if he would be successful, or indeed, if he would even return.

Three months had passed without any word from Eliezer or any of the relatives in Haran. Each evening, Isaac would walk out into the fields around his camp, searching for any sign of a caravan on the horizon. As Isaac walked, he continued to remember his mother, her wisdom, her sense of humor, her encouragement, and her love. Frankly, Isaac never knew it was possible to miss anyone as much as he missed his mother; the longing for her was a physical ache that refused to dissipate.

Finally, that last evening, Isaac walked out once more. Honestly, Isaac nearly remained in his tent that night; however, the evening breeze was fresh, the sunset was painting the evening sky with glowing colors, and Isaac figured, “Why not?” Looking northward, Isaac thought he saw something cresting a distant hill. On closer inspection, Isaac realized it was a caravan with Eliezer riding the lead camel. Forgetting tiredness and despair, Isaac began walking swiftly, but the walk increased to a jog and then the jog to a headlong run. It WAS Eliezer, and there were two ladies riding the spare camels! Now Isaac was pelting full-tilt. Meanwhile, Rebecca saw this handsome man running toward the caravan.

“Who is that man?” asked Rebecca.

“Oh, that is Isaac, my master Abraham’s son, your future husband,” replied Eliezer.

Rebekah and her nurse had been enjoying the evening breeze; however, now both ladies swiftly veiled themselves as custom demanded.

“Eliezer, welcome! A thousand welcomes!” cried Isaac.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” replied Eliezer. “We are thrilled to be here, and I think some introductions are in order. Isaac Ben Abraham, meet Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel, your father’s nephew, and granddaughter of Nahor, your father’s brother. Accompanying Rebekah is Amina, her faithful nurse, and a delightful lady in her own right.”

“Welcome, Rebekah! Welcome, Amina!” Isaac said. Isaac closely inspected Rebekah. While Rebecca was wrapped in traveling robes, her dark eyes were sparkling; in fact, her eyes reminded Isaac of his mother’s eyes. And Rebecca’s movements were lithe and graceful, hinting of the beauty hidden under those robes.

As Isaac was greeting Eliezer, Abraham was watching at a distance as he sat at the camp. Abraham had stood up when he heard Isaac’s cries of greeting and had seen the caravan approaching. Heaving an enormous sigh of relief, Abraham returned to the place where he had been resting and looked heavenward.

“Jehovah,” Abraham murmured, “no amount of thanks or praise or blessing is sufficient for what You have done. Not only have You given me Isaac as an heir, but You have also preserved Eliezer during his travels and have provided the perfect bride for Isaac. I am happy and relieved. Great is Your faithfulness!”

As I write these words, I am remembering all the bereavements we have endured during our lifetimes. We have lost parents, step-parents, siblings, close friends, and beloved pets. Grief can ambush us at any moment. Losses we have suffered decades ago may suddenly seem fresh if we see or hear something reminding us of the lost loved one.

I was seven years out from the loss of my mother when grief savagely attacked me. In the age before television became common, people in rural communities took entertainment where they could find it, including PTA meetings at grade schools. My mother was an excellent singer and actress; at one PTA meeting in our small Illinois town in the 1950’s she performed a comic song from the musical Guys and Dolls entitled “Adelaide’s Lament.” Seven years after my mother’s death and at least thirty years after that performance, I was in the audience for a community production of that musical in a town in Oklahoma. I was thoroughly enjoying things when “Adelaide’s Lament” started, and suddenly I was sobbing.

For my husband, one trigger for his grief is the final scene of the movie A River Runs Through It, based on a semi-autobiographical story by Norman Maclean. The movie depicts the true lives of a Montana family headed by a strict Presbyterian minister who was also a fly-fishing afficionado, and the tragedy of his brilliant younger son who was addicted to gambling and alcohol. The story is narrated by Norman, the older son, also a fly fisherman, who becomes a professor of Literature at the University of Chicago. In the final scene, the author, now an old man, is seen flyfishing on a river in Montana as the sinking sun gleams on the water. That scene always reminds my husband of his late father, who loved fishing. The movie is one of our favorites, but that last scene always leaves my husband in tears.

Can God comfort us in our grief? Yes! We can bear witness that God has repeatedly comforted us and has given us the strength to go forward. We returned to Ghana in November 2021, leaving one of my beloved brothers dying from COVID pneumonia. But we did so with my brother’s blessing because our hospital desperately needed my services and we knew we would see my brother in heaven. it’s tempting to get stuck in the grief; however, grief is an energy-suck that can pull us into a bottomless whirlpool of regret. Some of the best advice I ever heard about grief came from one of my father’s friends as they were burying my mother. A local farmer whose wife had died the year before advised Dad to grieve for awhile, then to put his grief away and open it at intervals. This practice would allow Dad to continue to function while still honoring my mother’s memory.

May God help those of us who are grieving so that we find our rest and comfort in Him. ‘

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, for many of us, 2025 was a horrible year full of grief and loss. Lord, please comfort all those who mourn and give them the hope that only You can give. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 24:28-33 The girl ran home to tell her folks, and when her brother Laban saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and heard her story, he rushed out to the spring where the man was still standing beside his camels, and said to him, “Come and stay with us, friend; why stand here outside the city when we have a room all ready for you, and a place prepared for the camels!”

So the man went home with Laban, and Laban gave him straw to bed down the camels, and feed for them, and water for the camel drivers to wash their feet. Then supper was served. But the old man said, “I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I am here.”

“All right,” Laban said, “tell us your errand.”

Well! Of all the things that have happened recently, having Rebecca come running home from the spring wearing a gold nose ring and heavy bracelets is the last thing Bethuel, Nahor, Milcah, and Laban are expecting. And when Rebecca begins her story about a stranger who has traveled all the way from their relative Abraham in Canaan, they are shocked. Frankly, Abraham’s relatives in Haran haven’t heard from him in so long that they have assumed he was dead. Now suddenly here’s this distinguished-looking gentleman claiming to be Abraham’s steward, leading a caravan with several camels obviously loaded with precious gifts.

34-35 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained. “And Jehovah has overwhelmed my master with blessings so that he is a great man among the people of his land. God has given him flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, and a fortune in silver and gold, and many slaves and camels and donkeys.

36-41 “Now when Sarah, my master’s wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master’s son, and my master has given him everything he owns. And my master made me promise not to let Isaac marry one of the local girls, but to come to his relatives here in this far-off land, to his brother’s family, and to bring back a girl from here to marry his son. ‘But suppose I can’t find a girl who will come?’ I asked him. ‘She will,’ he told me—‘for my Lord, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your mission successful. Yes, find a girl from among my relatives, from my brother’s family. You are under oath to go and ask. If they won’t send anyone, then you are freed from your promise.’

By now, Rebekah’s family is looking at this stranger skeptically. They think this man is telling the truth, but how will Rebekah react? Rebekah has never traveled outside the fields belonging to Haran. Now Abraham’s representative is putting forth a proposition: Abraham desires a wife for his son. If Rebekah agrees, it’s likely that her family will never see her again. After all, the trip took Abraham’s steward nearly three weeks of hard travel.

42-49 “Well, this afternoon when I came to the spring I prayed this prayer: ‘O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in this way: Here I am, standing beside this spring. I will say to some girl who comes out to draw water, “Please give me a drink of water!” And she will reply, “Certainly! And I’ll water your camels too!” Let that girl be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.’

“Well, while I was still speaking these words, Rebekah was coming along with her water jug upon her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew water and filled the jug. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ She quickly lifted the jug down from her shoulder so that I could drink, and told me, ‘Certainly, sir, and I will water your camels too!’ So she did! Then I asked her, ‘Whose family are you from?’ And she told me, ‘Nahor’s. My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and his wife Milcah.’ So I gave her the ring and the bracelets. Then I bowed my head and worshiped and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, because he had led me along just the right path to find a girl from the family of my master’s brother. So tell me, yes or no. Will you or won’t you be kind to my master and do what is right? When you tell me, then I’ll know what my next step should be, whether to move this way or that.”

For some of us, this story might seem incredible; however, this family lives in an era when people put a great deal of weight on dreams and prayers. As far as these people are concerned, God has been speaking to Abraham and his servant has obeyed all Abraham’s orders. Now the whole matter comes down to Rebekah and her choices.

50-51 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so what can we say? Take her and go! Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as Jehovah has directed.”

At this reply, Abraham’s servant fell to his knees before Jehovah. Then he brought out jewels set in solid gold and silver for Rebekah, and lovely clothing; and he gave many valuable presents to her mother and brother. Then they had supper, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight. But early the next morning he said, “Send me back to my master!”

55-60 “But we want Rebekah here at least another ten days or so!” her mother and brother exclaimed. “Then she can go.”

But he pleaded, “Don’t hinder my return; the Lord has made my mission successful, and I want to report back to my master.”

“Well,” they said, “we’ll call the girl and ask her what she thinks.”

So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.

And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”

So they told her good-bye, sending along the woman who had been her childhood nurse, and blessed her with this blessing as they parted: “Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants overcome all your enemies.”

WOW! How much can one woman’s life change in 24 hours? Yesterday, Rebekah was simply going to the spring to fetch water. Today, Rebekah is climbing onto a camel, leaving for a new home and a new husband 500 miles and 3 weeks away. Rebekah will probably never see her family again. What if the man she is to marry turns out to be abusive or domineering? While Abraham’s servant might be trusting Jehovah, Rebekah has never heard of Him. Why is Rebekah willing to take such a bold step? Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, has spoken with conviction and God has moved in Rebekah’s heart. God is comforting Rebekah, even as she mounts that camel.

61-67 So Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and went with him.

Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negeb, had returned to Beer-lahai-roi. One evening as he was taking a walk out in the fields, meditating, he looked up and saw the camels coming. Rebekah noticed him and quickly dismounted.

“Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” she asked the servant.

And he replied, “It is my master’s son!” So she covered her face with her veil. Then the servant told Isaac the whole story.

And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her very much, and she was a special comfort to him after the loss of his mother.

It’s been months since Eliezer left for Haran, and frankly, Isaac has nearly given up hope. But Isaac finds walking in the fields at dusk particularly calming. As Isaac climbs a hill near his home camp, he sees a small caravan approaching. Isaac recognizes Eliezer; but how many more people are riding those camels? Suddenly, Isaac realizes that there are two women in the party and begins running. Eliezer has returned, bringing Rebekah and her nurse with him. It’s tough to know who is more thrilled, Isaac, Rebekah, or Eliezer. As Rebekah meets Isaac, she realizes that she has made the best decision of her life. And both Rebekah and Isaac are comforted.

The story of Eliezer, Isaac, and Rebekah demonstrates what a Comforter God really is. Isaac has lost his mother at the age of 37 and is grieving. Rebekah has left her home, her family, her friends, and everything familiar. Only Rebekah’s nurse has accompanied her. Now Rebekah has to find her way into a new relationship as a married woman. And what about Eliezer, the faithful steward who has now traveled at least 1000 miles to satisfy his master’s orders? Eliezer can rest, comforted that he has pleased Abraham and fulfilled everything Jehovah has called him to do.

Do you believe God is calling you to do something radical, something you have never done before? Take heart, for the same God who guided Eliezer safely to and from Haran, the same God who selected Rebekah as Isaac’s wife and comforted Rebekah and Isaac-that same God will guide you and comfort you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You in all things, even when You are calling us to go in new directions. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.