Daily Bible Devotionals

“David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, ‘Or they will inform on us and say, “This is what David did.”’ This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory. So (Philistine king) Achish trusted David, thinking, ‘Since he made himself detestable to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.’” 1 Samuel 27:11-12 (HCSB)

Today’s chapter has enough drama and tension to hold our attention, but what makes the story so fascinating (and difficult) is the fact that it is God-less. That’s not to say God has not inspired the text. It’s just that the text does not mention God or say precisely or directly what the Lord is doing. It does not even inform us of the Lord’s point of view. Nor is there any indication of the writer’s position. There is no moral commentary on events that seem to demand moral commentary. We are left to wonder whether David is right or wrong. Perhaps, that is what God wants us to do: Judge these events Biblically, without His having to spell it out.

As was the case elsewhere in Scripture, the writer’s silence does not necessarily mean he approves of David’s course. It is possible to report an activity without endorsing it. For instance, one may testify about a robbery without approving theft. But how are David’s actions to be evaluated? We can only sift for clues and weigh them against God’s character, as defined by the truth of His Word.

I believe the writer is sympathetic to David’s difficulty yet presents him as in the wrong. The record of the Lord’s repeated protection should have convinced David that the Lord could keep him, even in Israel. Chapters 24 and 26 clearly show Saul’s protection was gone, and the king was exposed and helpless. Then, there seems to be a negative shadow cast on the human slaughter of David’s raids. I understand there are times when total warfare is condoned, and those times are only when the Lord commands such activity. Obviously, He knows best, and we must trust His leading. But the writer tells us David’s rationale was not God-directed. David needed to keep his “front” intact with King Achish. All that said, there is a sort of balance in the text. It understands David’s persecution and need for political sanctuary yet is not willing to justify all his conduct.

Even a “God-less” text teaches Godly truths and gives Godly direction for the Lord’s people. We are learning something about David, his moral breaking points, and his humanity. He is not perfect. After all, David is only a “type” of messiah, not the Messiah Himself. Proverbs 14:12 comes to mind.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV)

We must remember the Lord did not allow David to build the Temple because of the bloodshed he had caused. In that sense, David shares something in common with all the Lord’s people (you & me included). We must all learn the hard lessons that come when we deceive ourselves into leaning on something other than the “everlasting arms!”

“But David said to Abishai, ‘Don’t destroy him, (Saul) for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be blameless?’ David added, ‘As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him down: either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. However, because of the Lord, I will never lift up my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.’” 1 Samuel 26: 9-11 (HCSB)

The emphasis of today’s passage falls on the conversation between David and Abishai. It can be expected that Abishai assumed he was signing up for a commando raid, wherein Saul (and perhaps Abner as well) would be assassinated. In any case, in a scene reminiscent of the last time David spared Saul’s life, the soldier was convinced the Lord had led David to sleeping Saul for the express purpose of killing him. Abishai whispers theological advice to David, “Today God has shut your enemy up into your hand - and now let me nail him to the ground with my spear. I won’t need more than once.” David corrects Abishai’s theology, “Don’t destroy him, for who can put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed and remain innocent?

David must have learned something back in chapter 25 with Nabal’s death. The Lord struck down David’s enemy when David relented from acting foolishly. David learned that the Lord can handle such matters when left into His hands. David suggests the Lord may operate in the same manner with Saul, or He may not. There are numerous possibilities for how the Lord may work. What David really needed to focus on was not the Lord’s method of punishing Saul but his own faithful obedience.

We would do well to learn a lesson here! Our primary goal in life should be to seek God’s Word and obey it. We must not run ahead of God’s timing. Rather, we should wait on The Lord to accomplish His purposes in and through our lives.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

David pondered the same thing: How did they sneak past those army guards? Surely, it was the Lord!

“So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a sound sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.” 1 Sam 26:12 (NASB)

I believe David knew Who had allowed their stealth passage and that there was a high probability that God would have awoken every soldier in the camp if David and Co. had sinned by attempting to kill Saul! The practical life of a believer, complicated as it may seem at times, can be summed up into two simple components: Seek God’s Word and obey it. They are companions to the two principles of Scripture that Jesus said on which the Torah and the Prophets hang.

“He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 (HCSB)

“When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, ‘Praise the Lord who championed my cause against Nabal’s insults and restrained His servant from doing evil. The Lord brought Nabal’s evil deeds back on his own head.’ Then David sent messengers to speak to Abigail about marrying him.” 1 Samuel 25:39 (HCSB)

Nabal was rough and nasty. My Bible translation defines his name to mean “boorish.” We know he was wealthy because he had three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. Nabal’s men were busy holding a profitable (and festive) sheep-sheering time in Carmel. After all David had done to protect Nabal’s investments, his response to David’s plea was utterly disrespectful.

Of course, Nabal had never asked for David’s assistance, but it was only right to expect a wealthy man like Nabal to show generous appreciation for the services rendered. Nabal, didn’t simply say, “No.” He called David a no-account runaway slave and David’s men a bunch of nobodies who had no right to “my bread,” “my water,” and “my meat.” Such an ungrateful and selfish man deserved to be taught a lesson, but did he really deserve to die by the blade of David’s sword? Enter Abigail.

Acting as equal parts self-preservationist, Prophetess, and national adviser, Abigail intervenes on behalf of her family, her king, and her nation. The theme of today’s chapter is “restraint.” Abigail’s plea to David is truly directed by the Lord to restrain David, keeping him from doing something that would have foolishly jeopardized God’s plan for David, Israel, and ultimately the line of Messiah.

Today’s chapter teaches us how the Lord rescues His servants from their stupidity, restrains them from executing their sinful purposes, and how sometimes He graciously and firmly intercepts us on the road to foolishness. Not only does He do this for an anointed king, but His mercy extends to all His servants. We can all tell tales of how the Lord has constructed roadblocks on our journeys to foolish self-destruction!

God’s mercy sends frustration to our purposes. His kindness hinders our paths. It is essential that, like David, we respond rightly to such episodes of the Lord’s restraining us. Read chapters 24 and 25 back-to-back. Notice the contrast in David’s attitude between Saul and Nabal and how David compartmentalizes his faith. In chapter 24, he is the restrainer; he will not harm Saul or permit his soldiers to do so. In chapter 25, David must be restrained; he wants to shed Nabal’s (and all Nabal’s men’s) blood over an insult. All this because David responded in the flesh without consulting the Lord.

This is a shadow of things to come, for a Hittite named Uriah would have done well to have paid attention to this account: David refuses to take personal vengeance on “the Lord’s anointed” but is most willing to liquidate a private Israelite. I remember times when I had seen God’s way clearly in some dilemma but missed it entirely in another situation where the same principles applied. We must always rely on God’s leading.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (HCSB)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Samuel 24. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“David was in the wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.’ Then the two of them made a covenant in the Lord’s presence. Afterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.” 1 Samuel 23:15-18 (HCSB)

Isn’t it amazing how Saul couldn’t find David, but Jonathan could? What an encouragement Jonathan must have been for David, an oasis of hope, there in the desert wilderness of Zin! The text does not say how Jonathan knew where to find David. The narrative doesn’t dwell on the risks Jonathan ran; it only says he “encouraged him in his faith in God.”

How did Jonathan encourage David?

“You yourself will be king over Israel, and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.” 1 Samuel 23:17b (HCSB)

Jonathan simply reaffirms God’s promise to David, a promise which is not directly stated in 1 Samuel, yet everyone seems to know about it. (24:4, 25:28-31, 2 Samuel 3:9-10, 17-18) Of course, Jonathan’s presence would have been a great comfort for David. Yet, our temporal personal presence does not provide the “abiding” encouragement like the certainty of God’s Word. That is why daily interaction with the Bible is paramount to a believer’s life. Bible reading is worth even more than showing compassion to others, as that is the outworking of our interaction with God’s Word. But the motivation for works of compassion must come from within, from the storehouse of Scripture in the heart and mind of a committed follower of Jesus.

Our best encouragement comes not from being “cuddly” for the people of God but from the Word of God. I am not depreciating the helpfulness of personal touch or care. But in an age that wallows in “caring” and “sensitivity,” believers need to know that solid encouragement comes not from emotional closeness but from close, constant proximity to God’s promises in His Word.

We cannot help seeing here (in Jonathan’s mission) the shadow of One greater than Jonathan. Today’s chapter is about the Lord, Who sustains us. No, Saul is not gone for good; David’s distress is not over; final relief has not arrived. But 1 Samuel 23 shows what resources the Lord gives His servants in the middle of their trials to withstand the pressure. True peace is not always displayed as the absence of conflict; it is most often manifested as the presence of peace in the midst of conflict.

Yes, the darkness is still there, but at least part of it is the “shadow” of the Almighty.

“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So, when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, ‘Please let my father and mother come here with you till I know what God will do for me.’” 1 Samuel 22:1-3 (NKJV)

In 1915, San Francisco hosted the World’s Fair. In preparation for the event, the city fathers funded the construction of the Palace Of Fine Arts, with its grand entrance. To the astute art enthusiast, the 1915 World’s Fair is commonly known as the moment where American impressionists overtook the Europeans to become the most prominent artists of their day. And the California artists led the charge. At the fair’s opening, a California impressionist artist named Frank Coburn set up his easel to paint a depiction of that monumental Palace Of Fine Arts entrance.

2009 is a year that many Americans would rather forget. The housing market collapsed, and 25% of the homes in Riverside County, California, were in danger of foreclosure. I know because I lost my home in that market crash. When you suffer foreclosure, the loss of your home is just the beginning of your problems because often, people amass a great amount of debt leading up to that catastrophic event. So, when the home is gone, the debt remains. I prayed, “Lord, I have followed You here, and I believed You would never let something like this happen to me!” His response? Silence.

Eventually, we found a rental home. Shortly thereafter, my son outgrew his baby bed. One morning, my wife pulled me out of bed to haul a twin bed she’d bought at an estate sale. As I entered the sale, I noticed the estate’s former owner was an amateur painter. VERY amateur. But amid the junk paintings, from across the room, I spotted an unframed painting on an old board. Masking tape price tag: $5. Signed: Frank Coburn 1915. Inscribed on the back: Entrance, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco Fair. Misti & I quickly realized we had a “Providential” treasure in our hands. Three months later, I received a call from an art dealer in Newport Beach, California, who we had enlisted to sell the painting for us. She sold it for the exact amount we needed to pay our debts completely!

In today’s Scripture passage, in David’s case, all the unusual arrangements for his survival (along with the survival of his family and friends) had been made over a century before when a relative named Boaz married a righteous Moabite named Ruth. The Lord plans His kindness long beforehand. He directs circumstances long in advance. Refuge in Moab was not something David set in place; it was a gift. YHWH “arranged” this long before. This is not something God does only for chosen kings. A great number of us have stories to tell about our desperation and God’s providence. The unbeliever (like Saul) is a man on his own, shut up to his own schemes, without God’s direction. But gleams of God’s guidance shine on David: Five loaves of bread, the backside of the Gath city-limit sign, a Moabite ancestress, a prophet giving orders - God goes before us. Be bold!

“So the priest gave him (David) the consecrated bread, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord. When the bread was removed, it had been replaced with warm bread.” 1 Samuel 21:6 (HCSB)

David has nobody he can count on. There is no Jonathan, Michal, or Samuel now. It is simply up to David to elude Saul, who is intent on killing him. But was David truly alone? David’s methods of self-preservation seem to testify that he feels he is alone, but his continued miraculous preservation indicates God is with him, whether David perceives God’s presence or not.

We understand David’s difficulty. We can relate to his panic and desperation. Note that the Bible is not recommending David’s methods of survival, only reporting them.

We do better to ask a different question: What does God seem to be doing here? Take note that in the confusion, danger, and fear, David received daily bread. Is it too much to say this whole chapter depicts a simple truth: The Lord sustained David? It was not something frivolous that David craved but a clear need. In our culture of abundant living, where the average poor American would be rich by world standards, perhaps we have lost the idea of “daily bread.” We get too caught up in what “brand” of bread. We complain, “Is it Wonder bread or whole wheat, a baguette, or a dinner roll?” But when we are truly starving, we crave only the Lord’s Bread from His presence. Of course, I speak of spiritual hunger, as well as the physical. Consider Jesus’ words:

“But He answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word coming out of the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)

Every Sabbath, twelve loaves of this bread were piled on a table in the holy place in the Tabernacle. They were (among other things) a quiet witness that the Lord sustains His people and supplies their needs. The next day, that holy bread became David’s daily bread.

There may be a word for us in David’s provision. Perhaps, you are under a heavy load, boxed in and pressed down under various vocational, emotional, spiritual, or circumstantial pressures. But are you still eating every day? At least once? Doesn’t God’s small provision in the midst of our “big” problems tell us something? Doesn’t it assure us that God has not yet cast you off? Perhaps, now Jesus’ words have a different ring.

“Give us day by day our daily bread…” Luke 11:3 (NKJV)

“‘By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? If my father intends to bring evil on you, may the Lord punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may leave safely. May the Lord be with you, just as he was with my father. If I continue to live, show me kindness from the Lord, but if I die, don’t ever withdraw your kindness from my household—not even when the Lord cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.’ Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, ‘May the Lord hold David’s enemies accountable.’ Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.” 1 Samuel 20:12-17 (CSB)

Regarding the narrative, Verses 12-17 do not have to be in the text. In fact, we can go immediately from the end of verse 11 to the beginning of verse 18 with no loss in the flow of the story. But this entire chapter is about a covenant relationship, and the extent of these two men’s love for each other is paramount to our understanding of God’s covenant with us through Jesus. “Love” is the difference between a contract and a covenant. Love is not just committed to the DETAILS; it is committed to the PERSON!

Jonathan is formally committing himself always to act as he did in 19:2-3. People typically do not do what Jonathan does! You don’t hand over your place to your rival and promise to protect him, especially when your place is the crown prince. It’s not natural. If Jonathan were “normal,” he would dispose of David. In fact, what angers Saul is that Jonathan’s commitment to David defies all political sense. Jonathan really did “seek first” another kingdom, which didn‘t align with common sense.

Even more unusual was the commitment Jonathan urges on David in verses 14-16. The time will come when Jonathan (not David) will be in the fugitive role, the needy one. In fact, this actually happened, and David honored his covenant with Jonathan.

What does Jonathan teach us? This: True life does not consist in securing “your kingdom” but in reflecting the Lord’s faithfulness in covenant relationships. There is something liberating about that! Jonathan had acknowledged that the kingdom was the Lord’s and, therefore, David’s if the Lord so chose. This meant Jonathan understood his life did not need to be centered on his ambition (what can I get); rather, he rested in God’s wise plan (what the Lord chooses to give.)

As believers, our reigning passion should not be to make “my way,” “my living,” “my mark,” or to gain “my place” in order to get ahead. That thought may constitute the deadly blow to our prideful wills, but it is certainly liberating. Life does not consist in achieving our goals but in fulfilling our covenant responsibilities to Him, who has the power to bless or curse. We should wake up every morning with this renewed surrendered vow: THY will, THY way, and THY glory be exalted through me. Then He will disclose WHERE He wants to send you, HOW He wants to sustain, equip and protect and the EXTENT to which He will establish your influence among men.

“Saul sent agents to David’s house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. But his wife Michal warned David: ‘If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!’ So she lowered David from the window and he fled and escaped. Then Michal took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goats’ hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.” 1 Samuel 19:11-13 (HCSB)

There have been quite a few Bible stories that I have simply not understood until I began really studying the Scripture. I want to encourage you that every Biblical question I’ve had (upon first reading the Bible) has been answered (or adequately explained) upon further Biblical investigation. And I do not expect that there will be any spiritual questions that God’s Word cannot (or will not eventually) answer!

Today’s question answered pertains to why David’s wife, Michal, was so upset when he danced naked when the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem. It never made sense to me why the woman who would risk her life to protect David would be so disgusted at his humble worship. Let’s refresh our memories:

“When David returned home to bless his household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. ‘How the king of Israel honored himself today!’ she said. ‘He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.’ David replied to Michal, ‘I was dancing before the Lord who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the Lord, and I will humble myself and humiliate myself. I will be honored by the slave girls you spoke about.’ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.” 2 Samuel 6:20-23 (HCSB)

Personally, I believe Michal’s observation of David’s humility may have reminded her of the time when her father, Saul, was naked before the Lord.

“The Spirit of God came on him (Saul), and as he walked along, he prophesied until he entered Naioth in Ramah. Saul then removed his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel; he collapsed and lay naked all that day and all that night.” 1 Samuel 19:23-24a (HCSB)

This shameful recollection of Saul was mixed with the fact that Michal had inherited another nasty little habit from her father: Idolatry. We know there was at least one idol in David’s household because it was used to simulate David’s sleeping body. When Saul was rejected by the Lord, he should have humbled himself in true repentance. Instead, he most certainly turned to idols. It seems Michal inherited her father’s idol worship.

Another reason to suggest Michal’s idolatry is the fact that she was childless. Our conclusion, then, is that Michal was introduced to idolatry by her father and sought the power of an idol to make her fertile when God withheld her womb. Furthermore, having never experienced true worship (personal or corporate), Michal was critical of the authenticity of David’s humility. How do you respond when others worship the Lord?