2021 Week Eighteen — May 9 through 15

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Tanakh (Old Testament) Reading
1 Samuel 18 – 19; 1 Chronicles 3; Psalm 59
1 Samuel 20; 1 Chronicles 4; Psalms 56, 57, and 142
1 Samuel 21 – 22; 1 Chronicles 5; Psalm 52
1 Samuel 23 – 24; 1 Chronicles 6; Psalm 54
1 Samuel 25; 1 Chronicles 7

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B’rit Hadashah (New Covenant, or New Testament) Reading
Acts 13
Acts 14
Acts 15
Acts 16
Acts 17

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Warning! An earlier version of the “Following Jesus” booklet had an incorrect reading list for the Old Testament for this week. The online version is correct.

Thoughts about 1 Samuel 18 thru 25, and 1 Chronicles 3 thru 7
Did I mention that we’re in my favorite part of the Tanakh? Yes, I did: last week, and the week before. I really enjoy the life of David.
Last week was a wonderful high point: before Little David killed Giant Warrior Goliath, the Israeli soldiers cowered in fear from the Philistines. After David chopped his head off, he and his fellow Israelites chased and conquered the Philistines.
Chapter 18 starts off great. Jonathan—rather than being jealous of David’s success—becomes his best friend. But by verse eight, Saul hears the women singing David’s praises (and minimizing his accomplishments) and becomes insanely jealous. That’s a major theme for the rest of the book of 1 Samuel: Saul chases David. But it’s not insanity as we think of it:
Now the Spirit of Adonai had left Sha’ul; instead, an evil spirit from Adonai would suddenly come over him. 1 Samuel 16:14 CJB
There’s SO MUCH interesting stuff in these chapters. I could write several pages about:
• Saul’s decline, which is painful to observe.
• Mikhal, Saul’s daughter, who fell in love with David and married him. Yet when her very-intimidating father asked why she let him escape, she lied and said David had threatened her. That probably just made Saul crazier.
• The beautiful friendship between Jonathan and David. When Saul couldn’t find David, Jonathan did.
• The first time David fled from Saul, he went to Ramah and spent time with Samuel. I wonder what they talked about.
• When David left Saul’s service permanently, he went to Nob, where there was a large family of priests, led by Achimelech. He was given consecrated bread there, and Goliath’s sword. (Jesus mentioned this episode in David’s life in Matthew 12.)
• David fled to King Akhish in Gath (the same Philistine city that Goliath was from!) He had to act like a crazy man to escape the danger there, since they knew him as a killer of Philistines.
• David gathered a ragtag bunch of about four hundred men who were “…in distress, in debt, or embittered …” 1 Samuel 22:2 That’s a recipe for disaster that could easily have become a destructive, marauding horde without excellent leadership.
• David left his parents with the king of Moab for safekeeping while he was running from Saul. Why Moab?
• Saul orders the killing of Priest Achimelech—and every person in Nob, along with all the animals—because he had helped David. He was completely innocent, since David hadn’t admitted that he was fleeing from Saul. THE SOLDIERS REFUSED A DIRECT ORDER FROM THEIR KING, but Doeg, from the country of Edom, killed 100% of the town of Nob…
• … except for one young priest who escaped: Abiathar. God always had his remnant. Abiathar will work with David for decades to come.
• David and his men save the city of Keilah from a Philistine attack. Saul comes after him there. David inquires of God: “will they hand me over to Saul?” God replies: “yep.” After what happened to the priestly family in Nob, the people of Keilah were more afraid of Saul than they were grateful to David for being rescued. It’s stressful living under a crazy king.
• David and company hide in the Zif Desert. The locals tell Saul; they don’t want to be the next City of Nob.
• David flees to the Maon Desert. Saul chases him there, too. Only an attack by the Philistines causes Saul to stop the pursuit. Another close call!
• David and associates head for En Gedi. Saul chases him there, too. (Didn’t he have ANY OTHER KINGLY DUTIES to take care of?!) David spares his life in the cave, but cuts off a corner of his cloak. When David proves that he could have killed him, Saul repents with tears, admits that he knows David will become king, and wisely asks him to not kill off all his descendants.
• Samuel died. Before he got to see David actually serving as king. So sad.
• Abigail is described as intelligent and attractive. The way she saved her household from David’s wrath (after her foolish husband treated David’s men with contempt) shows that she was wise and godly, too. I have loved that story since I was a little boy. I hope to meet her in heaven, and hear the detailed version of that story.
But just summarizing those events is enough. I’d love to read about what you saw and learned and pondered.

Thoughts about Psalms 59, 56, 57, 142, 52, and 54
Finally! These psalms fit nicely with the life of David. I’m happy!
Do you have a favorite?

Thoughts about Acts 13 through 17
We’re now caught up to where our pastors have been teaching. I’d love to discuss these chapters, too, but I already failed at my goal of being concise in the 1 Samuel summary. What did you see in these passages that you’d like to discuss?