1 Samuel 20: BFF

BFF is one of those acronyms that originated from the internet. It means “best friends forever.” Best friends are commonly talked about on the internet. There’s even a bunch of best friend jokes. One such example is “A friend will bail you out of jail, but your best friend will be standing next to you saying ‘Dude that was awesome!’” 1 Samuel has already established David and Jonathan as best friends. 1 Samuel 20 will show how close the two best friends are.

Even though Saul is in the presence of the Spirit of the Lord, prophesying, David knows he can’t stay there too long until Saul catches up with him. So he takes the time to go back to Jonathan and meet up with him. David expresses in rhetorical questions the same proofs Jonathan gave to his father Saul when persuading Saul not to kill David. David has done nothing sinful, evil or wrong, so why is Saul trying to punish like he is guilty of some crime? Jonathan insists that his father is planning no such thing because he claims that his father tells him everything. So if Saul were trying to kill David, Jonathan claims that Saul would have told him. In verse 3, the NIV Bible says “David took an oath…” In this context, it doesn’t mean making a promise or a covenant. It’s just a statement saying that what he is saying is true. In other words, it’s like David is saying in our language, “I swear you father knows…” What does David swear Saul knows? David swears Saul knows how close David and Jonathan are, and that Saul won’t tell Jonathan any thoughts he has about David, in fear Jonathan will rat out Saul to David. So now Jonathan wants a way to prove his loyalty to David.

David concocts a plan to expose Saul. First, David won’t show up for the New Moon festival; he’ll be in hiding. If Saul to were to ask for his whereabouts, Jonathan would simply answer that David went home to celebrate the festival with his family. If Saul was OK with it, then David is safe. But if Saul got angry about it, then David is in danger. It’s pure genius, if you think about it. David keeps a safe distance from Saul. Jonathan does not have to confront or accuse his father; all he has to do is simply answer about David’s whereabouts when his father asks. Jonathan is about to agree to it when David throws in another clause. David tells Jonathan that Jonathan does indeed find out about guilty wrongdoing David has committed, then Jonathan should at least do the executing himself. On one hand, I think that David asked that simply because he didn’t want to give Saul the pleasure of killing. On another hand, since David mentioned Jonathan’s kindness, David probably believes that if Jonathan were to kill him, Jonathan would be more merciful, while as Saul would torture him. Jonathan cannot agree to that term. But they come across another problem: how will David find out the answer?

Jonathan has a plan for that, but first, he wants more assurance and security about the friendship. Something is about to happen to their friendship. Through David and Jonathan’s plan, Jonathan will expose Saul’s heart toward David. Both David and Jonathan are expecting the worst, and rightfully so. Saul’s hostility towards David will make Saul and David rivals and enemies. As we’ll see, it will put great strain and hostility between not only these men, but their families as a whole. Jonathan wants to make sure that David and his family will always see Jonathan and his family as friends, and never see them as enemies. Both David and Jonathan make covenant, agreeing to do so, and it will be shown in their kindness toward each other.

Now Jonathan explains his plan on how to reveal the answer to David. David is to come out of hiding and go to the rock Ezel (Ezel in Hebrew means “the way” or “the departure”). Jonathan will go out and make it look like he’s practicing shooting his bow and arrow. Jonathan will shoot 3 arrows. If the arrows fall nearby, then David is safe and he can return back. But if the arrows fall far away, then David must leave immediately. Jonathan adds more genius to this plan. In this way, Jonathan can communicate to David the message without talking directly to David and risking David’s life by exposing him. In verse 23, Jonathan closes by once again reminding David that no matter the outcome, their families will always show love and kindness to each other. This promise is very important to Jonathan!

The plan goes into effect in 1 Samuel 20:24. The New Moon Festival begins. The New Moon festival was both a religious and social festival and it is outlined in Numbers 28:11-16. On the day of the full moon, also known as the first day of the month, a burnt offering, a grain offering, a drink offering and a sin offering were to be presented. If anyone wanted to present a peace/fellowship offering, this would be the time to do it. In the following evening, the Israelites would “celebrate” by holding a feast (this tradition was added later. Later on, the Israelites would also get the work day off). Being a religious festival, when Saul sees that David isn’t there the first day, Saul naturally assumes that David made himself unclean because those who are unclean cannot participate in religious festivals (see Leviticus 7:20-21). But then comes the next day, just a plain, old, regular day, where it doesn’t matter whether you’re clean or not. So now Saul is really curious to why David isn’t there. Saul asks Jonathan about David’s whereabouts, knowing that David and Jonathan are good friends. Notice in verse 27 that Saul calls his own son-in-law not by his name, but “the son of Jesse.” Saul is already distancing himself from David emotionally and socially. Jonathan answers verbatim to what he rehearsed: David is celebrating the New Moon still back with his family.

The Bible tells us that not didn’t get just anger. The Bible says Saul’s anger flared up. His anger is like a fire! Saul calls Jonathan, his own son, a “son of a perverse and rebellious woman.” It’s a derogatory insult that attacks the person’s mother and in turn attacks the person. Once again, excuse me for the language, but Saul calls his own son a son of bitch! And as Proverbs 15:1 says, Saul’s harsh word led to Jonathan giving a harsh word to his father. In chapter 19, the reader hears Jonathan calmingly and gently persuading his father. Now Jonathan angrily asks his father to bring forth at least one true accusation against Saul. This harsh word leads to a harsh action. Saul now tries to kill his own son the same way he tries to kill David! Jonathan storms off in anger, but his anger quickly turns to grief. He is so sad, he can’t eat.

Now David’s part of the plan is finished, it’s up to Jonathan’s part of the plan. David place himself exactly where Jonathan told him. Jonathan brings a small boy with him to fetch the arrows he shoots. As the boy is running, Jonathan shoots an arrow beyond him. Pay close attention to what Jonathan says in verses 37 and 38. “Isn’t the arrow beyond you? Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” Jonathan may be saying this to both his arrow boy and David. Saying such words would send the message to David without David having to speak directly to Jonathan. The best part is the message is even conveyed without the boy even knowing what Jonathan is saying and who he’s really saying it too.

Despite the success in communicating the message, Jonathan isn’t satisfied with it. He has to see David one last time because this might be the last time Jonathan sees David, and indeed it is. Jonathan sends the boy away so he can meet up with David. They kiss and cry. Jonathan one more time reminds David of the covenant promise, as this will be the last time Jonathan can remind David.

Now notice that since verse 10. That’s about 30 verses of David not talking. The author did that on purpose. The author is trying to display how vulnerable David is. David has to go in hiding and patiently wait. David has to depend on Jonathan to go through with the plan and bring him valuable information. Most importantly, David has to rely on David to stick to his hand and not turn to his father’s side. David is helpless, and he has to depend on God and his best friend Jonathan to help him.

I hate to do this, but once again, I have to remind you that this in no way means that David and Jonathan are a gay couple. The actions seen in the end 1 Samuel 20 may not be socially acceptable acts for two friends in 21^st century America, but indeed they were in ancient Israel. It is sad that in this time two men can’t be good friends without being gay. David and Jonathan aren’t gay. They are two men who sincerely care for each other and want to see the best happen to each other. This is a sad moment at the end of the chapter because these two best friends are being torn apart, and by the one’s father! Yet as they depart in sadness, both of them cling to the covenant that they made. When this is over, they hope to see each other again with their families. And if they don’t, the one can be certain that the other one will take care of the family. As we all know, how much will Jonathan need that in the future!

One more thing I notice. If you look closely at the covenant David and Jonathan make, Jonathan seems to very certain of David’s future,  but not certain of Jonathan’s own future. Jonathan blesses David left and right, but seems to ask very little of David, just to remember his family. I believe what Jonathan is doing is acknowledging David as the legitimate king of Israel. Don’t believe me? It’s in the covenant blessings Jonathan gives David! Still don’t believe me? Look at  verses 30 and 31. Saul himself announces that Jonathan will never be king as long as David is there, for David will be king. Jonathan’s angry response demonstrates that Jonathan is really OK with it. If Jonathan outlived David, Jonathan would willingly give David the throne. If we’re still looking for proof that David is indeed the legitimate king of Israel, we have another proof: the covenant and testimony of Jonathan.

For anyone looking for an application, I think the best application is that Jonathan models for the reader what a best friend truly is like. A best friend sticks for his/her friend when he/she is right, even when everyone else says he/she is wrong. A best friend helps his/her friend in times of need. A best friend protects his/her friend from harm. Best friends keep promises with each other. Best friends are happy when good things happen to one of the friends. Lastly, best friends stay best friends, even when they are not together. If you ever find yourself struggling with friendships, take a look at the friendship between David and Jonathan. One of the phrases that sticks out to me is that Jonathan “loved David as he loved himself.” Do you love your friends as you love yourself? If you’re not, there’s a good start. I bet if you apply these, you’ll find your friend to be a true BFF.

1 Samuel 19: Brother And Sister Against Father

Discourse Analysis is the act of linking the text at hand with the previous text and the post text. It can be done with verses, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, even whole books. We’re already done a little discourse analysis between 1 Samuel 16 and 1 Samuel 17; now we’re going to do it again between 1 Samuel 18 and 1 Samuel 19. There’s 3 fact you’ll need to remember from 1 Samuel 18. First, Jonathan, Saul’s son, and David are best friends. Second, Michal, Saul’s daughter, is madly in love with David and marries him. Third, Saul has made David his enemy. All 3 of these will add up to conflict, and 1 Samuel 19 shows the reader how the conflict plays out.

By the beginning of chapter 19, Saul is getting impatient with his previous plans. Michal is not a snare to David. The Philistines aren’t harming David. So Saul is done waiting and decides to make a more affirmative action to kill David. In verse 1, Saul commands Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. Now this puts Jonathan at a terrible crossroads. He has 2 choices: either he sides with his father and pursues to kill David, or he sides with his best friend by trying to convince his father to act differently towards David. Clearly, he chose the latter, but don’t think Jonathan is totally turning on his father. Jonathan chooses the second option merely because he does not see David to be a threat, and Jonathan wants to communicate that to his father Saul. But before Jonathan does that, Jonathan first goes to David. He warns David of the immanent danger and he even provides a safe haven for David to hide until Jonathan is done persuading his father.

Then Jonathan goes to persuade his father. His persuasive argument is short and to the point. First, Jonathan points out that David has committed no crime or wrongdoing of any sort, so Saul has no basis to kill him. Second, Jonathan makes Saul aware about how much David has done for both the king and the kingdom. To kill David would be detrimental to both the king the kingdom. Why should Saul kill someone who has done nothing wrong and has done everything right?

The Bible tells the reader in verse 6 that Saul legitimately listened to Jonathan. After hearing Jonathan’s persuasive speech, Saul couldn’t argue with it. Saul had to agree with all of Jonathan’s points. Saul promises on oath that as surely as the Lord lives, so too David will live. Saul seems ready to repentant and ready to reconcile with David, if even for a second. Jonathan gets this feeling, too, so he reports back to David what Saul said and then brings David to Saul. And for a while, it seems like everyone is back where they started. But it only lasts for a short while. 1 Samuel 19:9,10 parallels 1 Samuel 18:10,11 very nicely. Once again, an evil spirit comes upon Saul, and Saul tries to kill David. But this time David isn’t sticking around. He’s leaving.

Up to this point, the first 10 verses of 1 Samuel 19, Jonathan is the main character saving David’s. Now, for the rest of the chapter, it will be Michal.

David flees Saul and heads for his own house. Saul is smart enough to realize this and he sends his own men to lie in wait until morning to kill. Michal, David’s wife, sees the men lying in wait and plans accordingly. During the night, Michal helps David down a window so he can flee. But Michal has to make it look like David is still there. So Michal takes a teraphim, an idol that looks like a human, and puts in the bed to look like David is sleeping there. She even takes goat hair and puts it on the teraphim to make it look like real hair. This does buy David more time, as Saul’s men seem to be fooled the first time around. It would seem that the men went back and reported to Saul that David was sick, and Saul had to say back to them, “Well then bring him in his bed!” When they return, they discover that David is missing. Interesting enough, when Michal is thrown into Saul’s presence to explain her action, she claims that David threatened to kill her if she didn’t let him escape. It is interesting that Michal results to lying and deception in order to save David. Notice that the author of Samuel does not seem to approve or disapprove. The author seems more focused on David’s rough situation and God’s protection of David. What I find interesting is we find Michal going down the same slippery slope as her father David. It also serves to foreshadow what her personality will be like and what her relationship with David will be like.

Where does David go when he escapes? David probably figured he couldn’t go back home, for King Saul would be expecting it and his men might be lying in wait. So he goes to Ramah to seek counsel from Samuel. After all, Samuel is the one who anointed him king. It’s possible that David went to Samuel for any spiritual advice, as any prophet of the day would. So Samuel takes David to Naioth. Some Hebrew scholars believe the name Naioth comes from the same root as the Hebrew word navi, which means “prophet.” This leads those scholars to believe Naioth was a school campus where Samuel trained prophets. Perhaps Samuel and David considered that Saul would figure out that David went to Samuel in Ramah, so both of them moved on to hide David somewhere else. Or maybe Samuel moved David onto Naioth because he knew what would happen next.

Before fully diving into the rest of 1 Samuel 19, once again, we have to take at a look to the word “prophesying.” First off, we need to look at the word in Hebrew, not in English. The Hebrew root word [transliterated] is navi. In this verse tense, it’s niveim. In the simplest term, the definition means “to prophesy.”  Yet depending on verb tense and context, it has a big range. Of course, as you may suspect, the word could mean “prophesy” as “foretelling the future.” It could mean “prophesy” as in “speak the word of God.” It could even mean simply “to be in a prophetic trance” or “to behave like a prophet.” There’s also non-prophesy definitions. It can mean “to rave.” For my translation and interpretation, I’m going to stick with something between the second-to-last and the third-to last answer. The Spirit of God is so strong in this area that anyone who stepped in the area could only praise, worship and glorify God; they can do no evil. That’s the problem Saul and his men have. When they enter the town, they cannot perform the mission they’ve been sent to do, for it’s evil. Saul even tries a second and third time, but it leads to the same result.

Saul must have said to himself, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself,” for Saul himself embarks to find David. In Naioth, Saul gets the same result, but even more. The last verse says that Saul “stripped off his robes.” Now there’s some disagreement among the scholars among what this means. Some scholars suggests the phrase means that Saul stripped himself naked. Other scholars suggest that the robes simply refer to royal robes, so Saul’s not naked, but down to his undergarments. Either way, it has a deep meaning. Once again in the presence of God, Saul’s still not at the great kingly state he used to be at. Instead, the Spirit of God has him strip off his royal garments (and maybe more!). In the Spirit, Saul himself symbolically admits he is no longer the king by removing his kingly robes. Yet when the people see him prophesying, they doubt their doubts. At this point there’s probably some people already leaving Saul’s side for David’s side because the people have seen God work more through David and less through Saul. But now they see Saul prophesying, they might be second guessing themselves and asking, “Is Saul among the prophets?”

Do you see the family conflict now? First, Jonathan had to choose between helping his father hunt down David and saving David from Saul, and he chose to save David. Then Michal helped David escape from her father’s men, and when Saul confronts her, she lies about it. When Saul’s family has to decide between Saul and David, and both choose Saul. But it’s not just family, it’s also Saul’s “co-worker” and “friend” Samuel. Samuel has the Holy Spirit working so hard in Naioth that Saul can’t even do anything himself. God continues to protect David from Saul, and he does it by using those closest to Saul: his family and friends. It just goes to show more that God has left Saul and joined David’s side himself. God is using those closest to Saul to protect those against him. Let me close this entry with quote from Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel. Because sometimes being a follower of God means turning against your family.

Luke 12:53,14:26-

“They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law… If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.”

1 Samuel 18: Keeping Your Enemies Clsoer

Back in ancient most kings kept some kind of journal, memoirs or annals (a record of historical events), written by either king himself or dictated by a scribe. Imagine King Saul wrote on these. Imagine he wrote an entry right after the events of 1 Samuel 16 & 17. It might sound something like this…

Dear Journal,

Remember how I got a little worked up about Samuel telling me that both God and himself were leaving my presence? Well I am happy to tell you that I believe there’s nothing to worry about because I got a new man to help me with all my problems! His name is David. He’s already done so much for me now. His harp playing helps me get rid of the anxiety and depression, as well as those chronic headaches. And when I was faced with a giant enemy that I thought I could not defeat in battle, he steps up and wins the battle for me. What a great guy! Everyone loves this guy and so do I. With David around, I don’t need Samuel. Things can only get better
Saul

An entry like this would accurately represent King Saul’s feelings for David at this point. King Saul loves him, and David makes him happy. But we’re going to see that quickly change.

Shortly after meeting up with King Saul, David meets up with Jonathan. At that point, the NIV says that David and Jonathan becomes “one in spirit.” More literal Bible translations say the two were “knit at the soul.” More paraphrased Bible translations simply say there had an instant bond between the two. What I want to make clear is they were not gay and did not see each other as gay lovers. It’s sad that in today’s world a man cannot show love to another man without being accused of being gay (just go to any Lord of the Rings fan fiction website and you’ll see how many fanfics tell stories a gay Frodo and a gay Samwise in love with each other). Both of these men were God-fearing men and neither of them would even think of such a thing. What we do see hear is best friends, best friend so close they are almost like brothers. In fact, that might be a very accurate description. The only other time the Hebrew phrase the literal translations translate “knit at the soul” is in Genesis 44:30, where Jacob is described as being “knit at the soul” with Benjamin. 1 Samuel 18:2 further supports this idea because at this point Saul has taken David into his own household. So Jonathan makes him feel welcomed at his home by treating him like family, like a brother. Jonathan loved David so much that Jonathan gave David his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt. This is more than just best friends swapping clothes, like girls do. These articles of clothes most likely are royal clothing given from the king to the prince. It’s not clear whether or not David has yet confided to Jonathan that David has been anointed to be king, but the symbolism remains the same: it’s another sign David is the next king.

After Saul saw David slay the Philistine champion, Goliath, Saul must have figured that if David could defeat the Philistine champion, he can defeat any Philistine soldier. So King Saul gives David a high rank in the army to fight more Philistines. Everyone is pleased with this move, including the king’s officers. In return, David continues giving Saul more wins and victories.

After killing the Philistine champion and chasing the rest of the Philistines back to their home, the Israelites begin the march to their homes. As they approach their home, the women came out to form a make-shift parade. Following the customs of the day, the women would greet their men back from battle, and they would sing and dance to instruments in songs reflecting the winning army’s success. Saul was probably very use to this from his previous successful battles, and he looked forward to another success song. But to his dismay, he hears a song he’s not use to. The women sing, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands.” Now if you take a good look at this song, this song technically is not meant to insult Saul, or anyone for that matter. The song is probably meant to point out that Saul and David make a great team, and together they accomplish great things. But Saul, buried in his selfishness, cannot get passed the fact David has a higher kill rate than he does. In the Hebrew Bible, the best translation of Saul’s reaction is probably “displeasing in his eyes” (although some commentaries say “was evil in his eyes). Most literal Bible translations follow suit, translating it “displeased him.” I like word the 1984 edition of the NIV chose: galled. Merriam-Webster says that “galled” is just a really fancy way of saying “irritated” or “vexed.” A lot of paraphrases drop the phrase altogether, assuming the phrase parallel each other synonymously. But galled brings Saul’s anger up to the next level. Saul is angry, troubled, distressed and irritated. Saul rhetorically and ironically asks, “What more can he get but the kingdom?” Saul already sees the people are behind him, like he is the king. It’s another sign foreshadowing what it yet to come.

The Bible tells us from that point on, Saul became jealous of David. And jealousy is never a good thing. We all know what happened when Cain got jealous in Genesis 4. The same process is going to flow through Saul. Saul’s jealousy leads to anger. His anger leads to hate, his hate will lead to pain, suffering, and a few attempts to kill.

In 1 Samuel 18:10, the reader reads a situation very similar to the second half of 1 Samuel 16, but it’s slightly different. Once again, Saul is being tormented by an evil spirit and David is in to play his harp. What’s the difference? Before, in 1 Samuel 16, the only reason the evil spirit goes to Saul is because the Holy Spirit left open a gap for it to invade. Saul does not want the evil spirit; hence why David plays the harp for Saul. Now, in 1 Samuel 18, things changed. Saul’s jealousy, anger and hatred is now feeding this evil spirit and welcoming it in. Thus, it is able to take Saul more forcibly this time, take complete control, and even taking a shot at David’s life twice. But David has a bigger and stronger spirit, the Holy Spirit, guarding him from all danger. So don’t dare think that the evil spirit won this spiritual war. If the spirit had, it would have killed David. The only reason the spirit comes on so strong is because Saul invites it to. (Oh yeah, and if you’re wondering how a demon-possessed man can prophesy, a better translation for the word “prophesying” would be “raving,” as in “raving mad.”)

Now you would think that David would be afraid of Saul at this point, but the Bible tells us quite the opposite. Instead, Saul is afraid of David. So he makes David a commander of a thousand troops and sends them off to battle. Perhaps Saul thought it was a fluke that David won all those previous battles. Maybe Saul was hoping that David would lose a battle or a lot of men, proving he wasn’t that great of a guy. But that’s not what happens. David has the same success in the battlefield as he does in pasture tending sheep or in the royal court playing the harp. He has win after win, victory after victory. How does David do this? As 1 Samuel 17 put, the battle is the Lord’s, and the Lord gives David victory. All this winning makes the people of Israel and Judah fall more in love with David. The only one who isn’t falling in love is Saul.

Saul’s still banking on David losing in battle, so he sets up a scenario. As Saul promised in 1 Samuel 17, he will give David one of his daughters in marriage. But there’s a catch. David has to continue to serve as the leader over a thousand troops. Saul has a reason behind this. His plan is to keep putting David in battle with the Philistines. Eventually, he’ll get tired, slip up, and the Philistines will kill David, so Saul won’t have to. But this doesn’t work out. David refuses the marriage. It’s not really clear why. It may be Merab wasn’t in love with David (compare with verse 20), and David did not want a loveless marriage. Maybe it was because David did not believe he could pay the marriage price for Merab, which will talk about in the next paragraph. In ancient times, nobility only married nobility. Perhaps David did not feel noble enough or upper class enough to marry a princess. Or perhaps Saul simply married Merab to someone else on an impulse while David was taking his good time. Any option works, but I like the second and third option because they appear in the next paragraph.

Saul gets another chance to execute his plan. He discovers that his second daughter, Michal is madly in love with David. So Saul makes sure David feels comfortable marring Michal. Saul sends his house attendants to David to coax him into marrying Michal, convincing him that everyone is Saul’s house, including Saul, like David so much they would be more than happy to see David and Michal wed. It almost works, but David reminds himself about the one thing that gets in the way: the dowry. The dowry was a price the husband had to pay for the bride, in either goods or services. Before you get in a fit about how sexist this is, let me make a comparison. In today’s culture, before marriage, there is engagement, and the engagement is marked as started with an engagement ring. These rings can cost anywhere from the hundreds to thousands, depending on the stones. Now a lot of women want these to be expensive for two reasons. First, they want it to be the most expensive thing they ever wear because of the significance. But second, and most important, is signifies that the husband-to-be has invested a lot of money into this relationship and into the future. The dowry was to signify the same thing. When a man paid a dowry to the woman’s family, he was making a statement to the father and mother that the daughter would not be taken lightly, but be taken care of with the greatest care.

Going back to the story, David pretty much says to Saul’s attendants, “I’d love to marry Michal, but I’m poor, and there’s no way I can pay the dowry price for a princess.” Saul sends back word to David that all he needs to pay for Michal was 100 Philistine foreskins. As disgusting as this might sound, it does have significance. Saul was forcing David to engage in another battle. The foreskins served as mere proof that these men were dead. Now courting Michal, Saul was really hoping Michal was becoming a snare to David, taking his head mentally out of the battle. It does no such thing. David doubles up Saul’s offer. In the same amount of time David had to kill 100 Philistines and get their foreskins, David kill 200 Philistines and retrieves 200 foreskins. Now Saul really has to fulfill his promise and he hands over Michal to David. The plan that Saul constructed to make him feel better is only making things worse. Saul is now more afraid of David, so afraid that Saul makes David his enemy for the rest of his life.

The chapter ends with a generic statement, yet an important one. It simply mentions the Philistines continued to challenge David in battle, and every time David had success and won. The important word here is success. Now that we’re at the end of the chapter, go back over the entire chapter and count every time the word “success” or a form of the word appears. I counted 4 times: “successfully” in verse 5, “success” in verse 14, “successful” in verse 15, and “success” in verse 30. The chapter is definitely trying to get a message across to us. David is successful man. Verse 14 explains why: “Because the Lord was with him.” All this talk about success reminds me of the patriarchal fathers: Abraham, Isaach, Jacob, and even Joseph, all found in Genesis. No matter what did these guys did, they always did whatever they were doing successfully, and it brought them blessing. This success is part of the blessings God gives Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant. When God renews that covenant with Isaac and Jacob, they get the same blessings, which mean the same success. I believe the author is trying to draw on that. David is getting the same success and the patriarchal fathers is getting. It foreshadows that God will make a covenant with David similar to the one God made with Abraham, another successful and blessed man. What made both Abraham and David successful men was that they trusted in God and followed. The author invites the reader to do the same. If we want success, we must follow God. These days any person can walk into a library or a bookstore and find an array of books to make you successful and whatever you want, from cooking to sports to business. Yet not everyone will find the success the book sells. The book of 1 Samuel has only one tip to find success: obey God. God knows what He’s doing and He knows the right path to get you there. So trust in God, let him show you the way, and you too might find success. And if you don’t find success in a certain area, maybe that’s not where God wants to be successful. He might want to be successful somewhere else, so pay close attention for it!

While David is successful in life, Saul is not so much. He seems to be deteriorating every day. Now that we’ve come to the close of 1 Samuel 18, let’s see what Saul has to say now.

Dear Journal,
I hate David! At first, I was happy to work with him because he made my life so much better. But now all he does is bring me misery. First, he takes my firstborn by becoming best friends with him. Next, he takes my daughter’s hand marriage and she becomes his wife. Then, he wins over all the people of Israel with all these victories fighting the Philistines. It’s like he’s already got the picture adoring him. I fear it’s only days, if not hours, until they force the crown off of my head and onto his. I’ve tried many things to get rid of him. I’ve tried making my daughters a snare to him. I’ve tried putting him in deadly battles. Yet none of them work. So as the saying goes, if I want something done right, I have to do it myself! David, today you become my enemy, and I will hunt you down!
Saul

1 Samuel 17: A Giant Win

The story found in 1 Samuel 17 isn’t a new one for anyone who has grown up in church. It’s the story of David and Goliath. If you grew up in church and Sunday school, you probably learned this story early in your childhood. As a child, the Sunday school teacher kept moral of the story pretty simple: little guys can do big things too (thank you Veggie Tales). As you grow up, the Sunday achool teacher uses more adult language, but if you think about it, the message virtually stays the same: You are like David, facing the “giants,” which are the stressors and problems in your life, both internally and externally. David becomes the example that Christians should follow when facing such “giants.” When facing the problems and stressors of life, we need to step up to them, act courageously and use whatever skills, talents and resources we’re good at manipulating (like David was a slingshot expert). The main character in the story is David and so the main character in the application is the self. I’m not satisfied with this interpretation. As a Cristocentric reader of the Bible, for the Bible to be Christ-centered, or at least God-centered, God needs to be the main character, not David or one’s self. So let’s re-examine the story of David and Goliath again, this time putting the Lord as the main character, and let’s see what kind of interpretation we will get.*

1 Samuel 17:1 begins with a very familiar scene. The Israelites are at war with the Philistines… again. This has been a war that’s been on and off from the time of the Judges through the reign of King Saul. But the author wants this battle to stand out as more important than any old battle, so he specifically describes this battle, beginning with the location. This is the Israelite vs. Philistine battle that happened in the Valley of Elah, between Socoh and Azekah.

 

This setting is the perfect setting for a battle. The Valley of Elah is the border of the Israelite territory and Philestine territory. Philistine camp, in Ephes Dammin, is the Philistine territory side and the Israelite camp, in Socoh, is the Israelite territory side. The two hills, with a valley in between, allows the camps to stay a safe distance from one another, while providing a field below to engage in battle. It’s the perfect place to draw lines for a battle.

The author has already described in detail the location of battle, now the author will describe in-depth the description of the Philistine champion Goliath. First off, let me define “champion.” We may think of champion as the winner of a competition, but it’s not the case in Hebrew. In Hebrew, the word literally means “man between the two,” as in, “man between two armies.” In ancient warfare, the army would choose a man to lead the rest of the army out into battle. He was the “man between the two [armies]” because he would run out ahead, and for a split second, he seemed be out there, between two armies. That’s what the “champion” is. Now, similar to our term champion, this leading man was usually the strongest man in the army. So in that sense, both meanings mean “the strongest man” but the meanings are still far apart.

The first thing to know about Goliath’s appearance is that Goliath is tall, very tall. The Bible, in its original Hebrew, records Goliath’s height to be “six cubits and a span.” “Spans” were roughly between ¼ to ½ cubit. A cubit is roughly 18 inches, or 1 ½ feet. Do the math, and you find out  that Goliath is about 9 to 9 ¾ feet tall. Now of course you have your skeptics who will tell you that the average height of males  from that region and that time were about 5 ½ feet tall, so Goliath was most likely only 6 ½ feet tall, and to 5 ½ feet tall Israelites, Goliath seemed like a 9 ½ foot giant. I think the author saw that coming, for he provided that proof that Goliath was 9 ¾ feet tall in the description of his armor. Most soldiers during this time simply wore regular clothes, or at the most, pads. This giant is covered in bronze. His biggest and heaviest piece, the coat of scale armor, weighs about 125 pounds! For the normal man, this armor would be too heavy to move around in, and thus would be a detriment to his fighting ability in battle. Goliath, on the other hand, is big and strong, and it’s only another advantage that makes him seem invincible. Furthermore, Goliath’s iron spear, his weapon of choice, weighs in at 15 pounds. Most soldiers would struggle to wield a 15 pound melee weapon. It further goes to show Goliath’s great strength that goes along with his great height.

Goliath calls upon an ancient warfare tradition. A battle will ensue between the champion, or strongest man, of the Philistine army and the champion of the Israelite army. A wager is made. The losing champion’s people will serve the winning champion’s people. Like I said, nothing new to ancient warfare. In essence, it does make sense. If their strongest man can beat our strongest man, he’s going to beat everyone else, you might as well just forfeit. This option is perfect for people tired of war, for it quickly decides a victor. Also, the method plummets the death rate of a battle. Goliath quickly volunteers himself to be the Philistine representative. How do the Israelites respond? 1 Samuel 17:11 tells us, “Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.”

I believe there’s a reason that 1 Samuel 17:11 says “Saul and the Israelites.” It’s separating Saul from the rest of the Israelites. Believe it or not, the champion from Israel should be a no brainer. Saul’s the champion! Remember that 1 Samuel earlier pointed out that Saul was a head taller than everyone else. If everyone is 5 ½ feet tall, then Saul is at least 5 ¾, if not more. In this chapter, we see height is associated with strength. If Saul is the tallest, he’s most likely the strongest (although I know it’s not necessarily true). Even if he’s not the strongest, remember that Saul is supposed to be the leader and the example. Both the leader and the example the people look up to. Saul should have said, “God has anointed me king over Israel, and with God’s help, I will fight you and I will win!” Instead, Saul cowers in fear and dismay. When the men of Israel see Saul, their leader and example, dismayed and terrified, they too become dismayed and terrified. Even Goliath recognizes this. Goliath rhetorically asks, “Are you not the subjects of Saul?” What he means is, “Where is your king, King Saul? My team sends out the MVP, and all your team sends out is the third string?!” So Goliath heaps insult after insult on them.

The story is going to shift away from Saul and back towards David. So first, the author has to explain why David’s not there form day 1. The text seems to say that Eliab, Abinadab and Shammah, Jesse’s 3 oldest sons, are the only full time soldiers in Saul’s army (perhaps that’s are why those 3 sons are mentioned in 1 Samuel 16; they are known for fighting in Israel’s army). Some scholars have suggested that the other sons are merely too young to fight, while other scholars suggest that King Saul only required three men per household to enlist in the army. The text seems to hint that the rest of Jesse’s sons rotate between shepherding the flocks and fighting in the army.

On this particular day, it’s David’s turn to go out to the army and send back a report to Jesse. Between the beginning of the stand off and this day, 40 days have passed. Such a stand off was detrimental to Israel, both the soldiers and their families. Rations had to be running low. These family men were needed at home to help take care of the farms, but were instead sitting in a camp. So Saul has been bargaining with his soldiers to get someone to fight Goliath. First, he simply offers great wealth. Next, Saul offers to give the man his daughter’s hand in marriage, making the man part of the royal family, which comes with special benefits. Then, the Hebrew says that Saul promises to make “his father’s house free in Israel.” Most likely, it means that the man’s family would be tax free, but it could also mean that every man in the family would be exempt from military service from then on. Still, no one is biting at any of the offers. Even when the soldiers are trying to push one other to go to Saul to fight Goliath, no one budges.

On this day, whether it’s the first time David is there or not, it’s the first time that David sees and hears Goliath. As David hears Goliath publicly insulting the Lord and his people, he looks around the camp and sees everyone running and hiding in fear. This behavior puzzles David, so he asks the men of Israel about it, but in a very odd way. It’s recorded 1 Samuel 17:26, and a lot of scholars differ on how to take it. In no way does it look like David is sincerely interesting in the rewards. Some have simply suggested David is asking for a verification of the offers Saul is giving, but the text seems to be more than just that. Others have suggested David is trying to encourage at least one soldier to stand up to Goliath by reminding the soldiers of the great rewards they will receive from the king for fighting Goliath. But the answer I like goes even deeper than that. Notice how David uses phrases like, “this disgrace from Israel,” “this uncircumcised Philistine” and “the living God.” On the surface, it might just seem like David has joined in the name calling that Goliath is bantering in, but it has so much more significance. David is subtly reminding the Israelites that Goliath is a Gentile worshipper of idols, who are powerless. The army of Israel is on the true, living God’s side. And God will remember his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and will fight with his chosen people. Pretty much, it’s like David is saying, “Who does this guy think he is?"

 

Now Eliab, David’s oldest brother and the firstborn of Jesse, realizes that David must be getting pumped to fight Goliath himself. So Eliab rebukes David for abandoning the sheep, accusing him of only wanting to be entertained by watching a battle. Why Eliab said this, no one knows, but I can’t help but feel that Eliab still might be a little upset that he, the firstborn of the family, was not anointed the next king of Israel, but rather, the youngest one, the baby of the family. Perhaps Eliab was afraid his baby brother was about to show him up again. David simply replies, in Hebrew, “What I have done now? Was it not but a word?” Most translations agree on the first sentence, but it’s the second sentence that throws them off. The majority of translators translate it as, “I was only asking a question.” What David means is that the Israelites have a very important matter on their hands.

David’s persistent asking gets word floating around camp. When the word reaches Saul, he requests that this curious man be brought to him. What a surprise when it’s only a boy. What more surprise when the first thing David says to Saul, “Don’t worry, I got this.” Saul reminds David of another important reality that important to this story. Goliath challenging Israel to and 1 vs. 1 fight against their strongest man wasn’t an idea on a whim. This has been the plan since day 1. Goliath has been training for this one day. Surely no shepherd boy can take on such a trained man. David reminds Saul, in turn, that being a shepherd is no easy job. Wild animals, like lion, bears and wolves like attacking and eating little sheep. David presents a résumé of killing a lion and a bear to save merely save sheep. David reduces this giant, an “uncircumcised Philistine” to an animal. David has convinced Saul to let him fight, but Saul doesn’t really hear the whole thing and get the message. Saul puts his armor on David, relying more on the armor than on God to protect David (some scholars have also suggested that this is done for great irony: King Saul is putting the king’s armor on the future anointed king). David simply suggests the obvious, that a small man like him cannot maneuver in armor meant for a tall man, like Saul. But what David wants to do is go, depending on the Lord for protection, not armor, weapons on any other earthly object. So David decides to go with the weaponry he knows best from his job as shepherd: a staff and a slingshot. But this is no child’s toy slingshot. This is a battle weapon, with stones the size of tennis balls!

So David steps out to approach Goliath for battle. When Goliath sees him, his reaction is somewhat along the liens of “You’ve got to be kidding me.” In fact, Goliath is a little bit insulted. He’s expecting their tallest, strongest man, and all he sees in front of him is a short, ruddy pretty boy; the last person you’d expect to be a solider. Goliath’s famous words, “Am I dog that you come at me with sticks” is an insult to both David and Goliath. Remember in Bible times dogs weren’t man’s cute and cuddly companion. Rather, they were almost like giant rodents. To be called a dog was a derogatory term, even a curse word. Please excuse me language, but Goliath is pretty much saying, “Am I your bitch? Because you seem to think so! That weapon couldn’t even hurt a dog.” Then Goliath proceeds to curse David and say, “Come here and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” David turns it around and pretty much says to Goliath, “Oh no sir, you have it mixed up. I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, and the same goes for all of your Philistine friends in the camp!” Yet David’s motive is as pure as his heart. This battle isn’t for him. This battle is for the Lord. Goliath has mocked, insulted and despised the name of the Lord. David won’t put up with it, and neither will God. That’s why David is so sure about his victory.

The battle ensure in 1 Samuel 17:48-51! The Hebrew text of 1 Samuel 17:48 reveals that Goliath merely walked towards David, but David came running towards Goliath. Now military speaking, David already has an advantage. Goliath’s weapons are all melee weapons, but David has a range weapon. In essence, Goliath brought a knife to a gun fight. But we all know that not the reason David won. The real reason, as the children’s story version tell us, is that Goliath was big, but God was bigger. Of course, skeptic will claim that the stone merely knocked Goliath unconscious and it wasn’t David cut off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s sword that Goliath died. They are wrong. They need to re-read 1 Samuel 17:48-51 over again. I at least see 3 times the text verifies the sling and stone killed him. First, the text says the stone sank into his forehead. No one will survive a stone sunk into the forehead. Second, the text tells the reader in verse 50 that David was triumphant with only the sling and the stone. Third, in the same verse, the text even goes to say Goliath was dead without the sword. (Some people would suggest, for a fourth proof, that David fulfilled Leviticus 24:16, by stoning a blasphemer.) Cutting off Goliath’s head was following the custom of the day. It was proof to the Philistines that Goliath was indeed dead, and probably also part of a “victory dance.”

The Philistines react accordingly: they run in great fear. After all, if a little, ruddy, pretty boy can slay a giant, who knows what all the other man can do to their ordinary people?! The Israelites, following the example of their leader David (hint!) pursue their enemy, the Philistines. They chase them back all the way to their hometowns, and then some, killing everyone they can along the way.

Now the last paragraph has presented problems for Scripture readers. In 1 Samuel 16, the reader reads Saul meeting David for the first time when David plays the harp for him. In 1 Samuel 17, the reader reads Saul meeting David for the first time after killing the giant Goliath. Does Saul meet David for the first time twice? How can that be? A whole plethora of options have been presented. One suggests that 1 Samuel is not in chronological order, but in theological order. So David killing Goliath did happen before David played the harp for Saul; it only happens in reverse order in the text. Some suggests that Saul now wants to know more about David’s family, especially now that Saul owes David riches, a wife, and his family tax exemption. Others have suggested that it’s more of a rhetorical question. Saul might be rhetorically asking, “Is that really David, the kid who plays the harp for me?” or he may be wondering, “What potential greatness does this boy have?” There’s even a theory that says that Saul is so demon-possessed when David plays the harp for him, Saul doesn’t even know who’s playing the harp for him. Personally, I prefer the second option, but my point is that there should be no fear that the text is unreliable for what seems to be 2 greetings. It does make sense.

Before I conclude with the Theological Interpretation of Scripture’s interpretation of 1 Samuel 17, let’s first use discourse analysis, which looks how chapters in a Bible book relate to one another. So what does 1 Samuel 17 have to do with the last chapter, 1 Samuel 16? In the first half of 1 Samuel 16, we saw Samuel anoint David as the next king of Israel. By the halfway point of the chapter, the reader asks, “What proof do you have that David is the next king?” Two proofs already present themselves in 1 Samuel 16. First, the Holy Spirit leaves Saul and enters David. Second, David, with the help of the Holy Spirit, fights of the evil Spirit living in Saul. 1 Samuel 17 is the third proof, and what a strong proof it is! Remember we discussed earlier that Saul, as king, should have been the example and leader. He should have stepped up as Israel’s champion to fight Goliath. Instead, Saul is terrified and dismayed. Then comes along David. David is not terrified or dismayed. Rather, David is insulted that this Philistine giant mocks and defies God. So David, trusting in the Lord’s assistance to protect the Lord’s name, is the one to step up, slay the giant, and lead the Israelite army to victory. Look at these two kings. Which king did the better job leading the army? David did. Why did David do better? Because David trusted in the Lord so much, he believed God would protect his people and bring victory. Truly David is next king of Israel because he trusts in God, and God gives him victory. He is the better king. What makes this proof so great too is it’s the first public proof. The other proofs are only obvious to those understanding the spiritual warfare behind it. This proof is as clear as day to all the Israelite people.

And now, let’s close with the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (T.I.S., for short) to give us a better application for our lives. The first rule of T.I.S. is that God is always the main character. So first, let’s establish that God, not David, is the main character. It might seem a little tricky because we don’t see God explicitly speak or act in the text, but he is mentioned, so he must be at work. I think David himself would agree he’s not the main character either because I think David would not even say he won the battle. He would tell you that the Lord won the battle. He even says it twice, in verses 37 and 47. David did not win the battle, but the Lord did. If anything, all David did was trust in the Lord to give him victory. How was David so sure? He remembered the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. David trusted in God’s promises, even if he wasn’t fully prepared like a warrior (compare David’s weaponry to Goliath’s), and God returned the faith with victory. That’s the lesson you can take home from 1 Samuel 17. Just like David, we need to trust in God, who promised us victory. He fulfilled that promise to David and the Israelites with a victory over the giant. And he fulfills the promise to us by giving us victory in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another rule of T.I.S. is that a good interpretation produces a doctrine/theology that can be found elsewhere in the Bible. I think 1 Corinthians 15:57,58 is a good choice, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”*

*Billings, J. Todd. “How to Read the Bible.” Christianity Today. Oct 2011. Vol. 55, No. 10, Page 24. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/october/how-to-read-bible.html

1 Samuel 16: Election Day

The word “election” is a homonym, which means it has two different meanings. Politically speaking, it’s the action of choosing a leader. Theologically speaking, it’s when God chooses a person to receive salvation, grace and/or fulfill his purposes. 1 Samuel 16 could be considered an election because it’s both.

Even if you pick up the story of David right in the middle of 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel 16:1 fills you right into the story. God has rejected Saul, not once, but twice. The first time God rejects Saul is when Saul performs a sacrifice instead of Samuel performing the sacrifice. God punishes Saul by taking away his dynasty (1 Samuel 13). The second time God rejects Saul is when Saul does not follow through with God’s orders to totally destroy the Amalekites. God punishes Saul by taking away his position as king (1 Samuel 15). And that’s exactly where the story of David picks up. In fact, the transition flows quite smoothly. 1 Samuel 15 closes with the sentence, “And the Lord was grieved that He had made Saul king over all of Israel.” And as you will be able to tell from the first verse of 1 Samuel 16, Samuel, who has been reporting to Saul everything the Lord tells him to, shares in the same grievance. The book of Samuel doesn’t tell the reader how much time passed from the end of chapter 15 to the beginning of chapter 16, but the reader can figure out that whatever time passed, the Lord got over it a whole lot faster than Samuel. The Lord has moved on and is ready to pick the next king. Once again, take a little bit of time to go back and read 1 Samuel 13 & 15, or more specifically, 1 Samuel 13:14 & 15:28 respectively. Each time God punishes Saul, he already has in mind a new candidate. And the candidate search will lead him right to the house of Jesse.

Samuel, at first, doesn’t want to go because he’s stricken with fear. Samuel remembers that he pronounced God’s judgment against Saul right to the face of Saul. Samuel remembers clear as day telling Saul that his descendants won’t be king, and Saul will be king no longer. Surely if Saul found out Samuel was meeting with another man, he would realize Samuel is anointing another king and would go out to kill both Samuel and the king-elect! But note that the holy Lord does not suggest that Samuel lie or do anything deceiving. God sends Samuel to perform his normal priest duties around the nation of Israel (in this case, perform a sacrifice), and along the way, God will point out who the new king is.

The fear continues when Samuel finally arrives in the town of Bethlehem. When Samuel arrives, the elders tremble in fear. A priest like Samuel does most of his work in the cities and more densely populated areas. They rarely visited the rural regions. If Samuel was there, they thought, he must be bringing judgment, either from the Lord or King Saul. Samuel reassures them that his only business is to perform a sacrifice. But in order to perform a sacrifice in Bethlehem, he needs everyone to be consecrated. So everyone consecrates themselves, but Samuel himself consecrates Jesse and his sons, for Samuel has something special in plan for them.

So pretty much, the sons of Jesse line up and pass by Samuel, oldest to youngest. The firstborn is Eliab, and so he’s naturally the first to pass by Jesse. When Samuel sees him, Samuel thinks to himself that this trip will be short and sweet, for surely Eliab is God’s chosen one. Being the firstborn, Eliab is most likely the tallest, strongest and best looking. (context clues from1 Samuel 16:7). This has to be the chosen one! After all, God chose Saul, a tall, dark and handsome man last time…right? But as Samuel’s about to anoint his choice, God tells him to hold on to his oil, because God’s going to make a profound statement. Check it out.

1 Samuel 16:7-

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Obviously, the theme verse for the book of Samuel as a whole would be the Davidic Covenant, as found in 2 Samuel 7:7-17. But if I had to choose a theme verse for 1 Samuel alone, I would choose 1 Samuel 16:7 because it becomes a theme in book of 1 Samuel. Any time the Bible mentions a physical description of someone or something, it does so to give it a symbolic meaning or to make some kind of point. The book of 1 Samuel is riddled all over with these. This verse, paired alongside the stories of the two kings, is the best example. Think about the dualistic dichotomy I said the books 1 & 2 Samuel were trying to show us – the difference between the bad king and the good king.  Remember the Israelite people thought that Saul would make a great king because he looked like a king – tall, dark and handsome (1 Samuel 10:23,24). Yet he becomes a terrible king because he will not listen to God but only himself. Then comes along David, who, while he has a few handsome features, is short and ruddy. This does not sound like someone who you would picture when you pictured a king. And yet he ends up becoming the greatest king of Israel and Judah. Why? It all goes back to this verse. God shows his people that what makes a great king is not his looks, but his heart.

On a similar note, this verse helps answer another important question: “If God is all-knowing, and if God predestines, why did God choose a king who would fail him and be a bad king? Well, first of all, I’d bring you to back to the overall book, how it shows a dualistic dichotomy between a good king and a bad king. You don’t know how good something is until you know how bad it can be. Saul shows us how bad it can be in order for us to see how good of a king David is. Second, pertaining to this verse, I reminder you who really chose King Saul. It was the Israelites! Go back to 1 Samuel 8. When the people ask for a king, they ask for the wrong reasons, and ultimately reject God as king. So, as Romans 1 says, God handed them over to their own evil devices. Not only did the Lord give them a king, like they wanted, he gave them a king just like they wanted! He gave them a king that seemed like a good king by human standards. And by the time we get to the end of 1 Samuel, I’ll admit to you, he still looks like a good king by human standards! But he fails to be a good king by God’s standards. This time around, the people won’t choose a king, but God will choose the king, by his standards.

Before I move on, I like to use this verse as a good application verse. It always seems like the people who are good looking. The good looking ones are the popular kids in the high school. The good looking ones get the job before the ugly ones. There’s even a pick-up line that goes something like, “You’re hot, so you must be taken” because it seems like the handsome men and the pretty girls get the significant others while the ugly people stay single. So we feed into this. We spend tons of money on beauty products, such as makeup, haircuts, manicures, pedicures and even plastic surgery. Then we spend even more on clothes, making sure we’re wearing the latest fashions, to look even better. But the Lord truly believes in the old adage, “It’s not what’s on the outside that matters, but what’s on the inside that counts. The Lord sees past all layers of clothes and beautification, and he sees the heart. The Lord knows that while the fruit peel might look beautiful, the fruit might be rotten. If this is the way the Lord thinks and feels, shouldn’t we think and feel the same way? If we don’t, the consequences can be dire. Choosing the hotter date over the ugly date could mean rejecting a nice, kind and gentle date for a date that treats you like property, only caring what he/she gets out of it. Hiring the better looking employee could end up picking a lazy employee over a hardworking one. And, just like Israel, it could mean picking a bad leader over a good leader. Let’s be like God. Let’s decide never to base our decision on how people look, but where their heart is.

The process of passing by Samuel continues with Abinadab, Jesse’s second son, and Shammah, Jesse’s third son. Neither of them are the chosen one. The process continues with four more of Jesse’s sons, all yielding the same result. Samuel thinks he has a problem here. The Lord definitely told Samuel that God has chosen a new king from the family of Jesse. Yet Jesse had seven of his sons pass by Samuel, and God gave a “no” to all of them! So Samuel asks Jesse, “Are you sure these are all of your sons? Are these all the sons you have, or do you possibly have more?” Jesse seems to brush off his last son, saying something along the lines of, “Well, we do have the short, young one, babysitting the sheep out back.” Even Jesse seems to not believe his little David could be the next king. But Samuel is perplexed and excited. This has to be the one. Samuel tells Jesse to go get him, for they will not sit down at the sacrifice’s table until everyone is truly there.

Enter David. The Bible describes David as ruddy and small (the word we translate as “youngest” in verse 11 could also mean “small” in Hebrew). The Jewish historian Josephus recorded David to be ten years old at the time of this event, but most modern-day scholars believe fifteen would be more accurate. This description doesn’t sound like one of a king. But the second Samuel sees David, God immediately says to Samuel, “Anoint him. He’s the one.” Interesting enough, the Bible never records any words between Samuel and David before, during or after the anointing. Perhaps the action alone was enough for David to know what was happening.

If you’re anything like me, or any other person, you’re probably asking, “Where’s the proof? What proof do you have that David is now king and Saul is not?” Well, that’s what the second half of 1 Samuel 16 is for.

Now if you’re reading the 1984 edition of the NIV, like I am, there’s a section heading splitting the two halves of the chapter. But remember those headings weren’t there when the text was originally written. It’s a shame they put it there, for I believe verses 13 and 14 go together very well. I’ll put them together for you.

1 Samuel 7:13-14-

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.

Here we need a quick lesson on the role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Our Christian doctrine on the Holy Spirit is that the Holy Spirit rests on all who believe. That’s very much New Covenant thinking from the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit rested only on special people for special tasks. Such people were priests, judges, kings and prophets. The Holy Spirit would rarely leave the person because those tasks were usually lifelong tasks. But here we have an interesting case. The Holy Spirit does leave Saul. But why does he leave Saul? God has rejected Saul as king. Saul is no longer king. Since the special person Saul no longer has his special task of being king, the Holy Spirit leaves. Now the Holy Spirits rests on David. Why? David is now king. He’s now the special person with the special task. So the first proof we have that David is the new king is that he has the Holy Spirit.

Why verse 14 usually gets more attention is the phrase “evil spirit from the Lord.” Christian doctrine has always stated that God is holy and righteous, and has nothing to do with sin or evil. So how then can an evil spirit be from God? First, as the footnote points out, the Hebrew word can mean “evil,” but can also mean “harmful” or “injurious,” or even “morally corrupt.” But I think we need a more theological answer to a theological question. For the answer, I’m going to use the Theological Interpretation of Scripture and borrow a passage from Luke 11:24-26.

Luke 11:24-26-

²⁴ “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

In this passage, Jesus explains to his disciples that it’s no good to just merely cast out a demon, but the essential part is to put in the Holy Spirit. For without the Holy Spirit vacating that empty spot, the demonic powers come back worse. Take that second part, and that’s what happened to Saul. God the Holy Spirit left Saul. When the Holy Spirit vacated and left a void in Saul’s heart, an evil spirit jumped on the chance to infect the present king of Israel, maybe in hopes to stray the Israelites further from God.

Any way you interpret that passage, verse 15 clearly explains that the evil spirit tormented Saul. The Hebrew word for torment can also be translated “tortuned,” “terrified” or simply “startled.” Saul’s attendants, most likely household servants, take note of how this evil spirit is infecting Saul. They then speak a jussive, which is a first person plural command. Some have suggested it’s a nice and respectful way to give a command, but in this context, I believe it’s kindly commanding the king to give a command, for they can do nothing without the king’s permission. Their suggestion is to find a harp player to play soothing music from the harp (or lyre) when the evil spirit comes upon Saul. The Old Testament hints that the Israelites believed the harp had power in the spiritual world, for even Elisha calls for someone to play the harp for him (2 Kings 3:15). Saul agrees with the idea and makes it an official command. It seems like one of the servants had this plan from the start, as he already has a person picked out for the job. It’s David!

Sure enough, David comes into the king’s presence when Saul gets attacked by the evil spirit. David plays his harp, and it works! It works so well, and Saul is so pleased, Saul puts David in the service as an armor-bearer. This was a position only for someone close to Saul. David does seem close to Saul, for verse 21 says Saul liked David very much. Some translators even believe the verse should say Saul loved David! Either way, Saul appreciates what David does for him. Chapter 16 ends mentioning that this happened many times to Saul and every time David would come in, play his harp, and the problem would be solved.

So let’s talk about the passage in its near context by itself. What’s this passage trying to tell us? I see this passage as spiritual warfare. The Holy Spirit has left Saul. In its place, an evil spirit has entered and began messing with the reigning leader of Israel. No one would want their leader to be possessed by an evil spirit, especially when it is God’s people. What are the Israelites suppose to do? In comes David. David is now filled with the Holy Spirit Saul once had. Through David’s harp playing, the Holy Spirit fights off the evil spirit within Saul, and the Holy Spirit wins! Even when God is not with the reigning king of Israel, he is still watching out for his people, protecting them from the evil forces of the world.

As for David, his role is much bigger. This event is the second proof that David is the next king of Israel. First of all, God has empowered David with the Holy Spirit to serve him, such as fighting evil spirits. Second, David’s success at fighting evil spirits has promoted David into the service of the royal family. Already David has footing in the palace, even though he is still far from king. Already God is making David the new king. So what’s the proof David is the new king? The Holy Spirit is upon David, and it is empowering David to do God’s work!

We’re not done with our proofs yet. In the next chapter, look out for more proof that David is the new king of Israel. Also look for how physical descriptions continue to play into the narrative.  In the next two chapters, look to see how David becomes more and more the king, and how Saul becomes less and less the king. Also, in the next two chapters, look for the continuing battle between the Holy Spirit within David and the evil spirit within Saul.

1 Samuel + 2 Samuel = Samuel

I went to a Christian middle school and Christian high school (whose names aren’t worth mentioning), and then in college, I had 2 internships at Christian schools, a practicum at another Christian school, and student teaching at yet another Christian school. I can say I got my fair share of the social feel of the student body. A lot of times, the students would complain that their school didn’t have open end periods, dances or off campus lunches. Their reason why they deserved all this? They would chant, “Well all the other public schools have them. Why can’t we be like the public schools?” Every time they would say that, my mind would float to the book of 1 Samuel, for a saying similar to that is what kicks off the events within 1 Samuel… or should I say just “Samuel.”

Something you may not know that the books we call “1 Samuel” and “2 Samuel” were together as one book, or should I say scroll, in the original Hebrew Old Testament. It wasn’t until the Greek Septuagint put in the vowels that the book of Samuel became too long for both scrolls and codexes (early books). So the book needed to be divided into two books. And the division is so perfect, it’s got to somehow be God inspired, and if it’s not then, the scribes who made the division prayer a lot about it! I’ll explain that later.

Something else you may not know is the book’s title is not Samuel because he’s the author. That’s because Samuel is most likely not the author of the book of Samuel. Yeah, it’s true that some traditions will insist that Samuel is the author, but there’s a problem with that. Near the end of the book of 1 Samuel, roughly halfway through the whole book of Samuel, Samuel dies. But I’m not ready to rule out Samuel for all of it. 1 Samuel 10:25 says that Samuel did write, so Samuel might have been a source or a partial writer for 1 Samuel 1-24. In fact, the author(s) of Samuel might have used or compiled a few sources for the book of Samuel. 2 Samuel 1:18 references the book of Jashur as a source. 1 Chronicles 29:29 cites the prophet Nathan and the seer Gad as other sources. And of course Samuel himself might have contributed, as we saw in 1 Samuel 10:25. So the author(s) who wrote the book wrote the book of Samuel as we know it will remain forever a mystery. The authors could have been Samuel, Nathan and Gad, or the author(s) could have copied from the writing of Samuel, Nathan and Gad. No one will ever know. But the only reason I ever talk about a Bible book’s author is if I believe that the knowing who the author is will enhance the reader’s understanding of the book at hand. I do not see how knowing the author will help understand this part of the history of Israel, so the author’s identity is nothing to fret over. Besides, (an) unknown and uncertain author(s) remind us that no matter what human wrote the book down, God is always the author of every book, for the Bible is his inspired, God-breathed Word (2 Timothy 3:16). So if Samuel’s not the author, then why is the book called Samuel? The book’s name comes from the first main character in the book: Samuel.

Knowing the book’s author(s) may not be any help, but knowing the book’s main characters does help. Not only does it help outline the book (which I will talk about later), but it also helps to date when the book’s events happened and when the book might have been written. The book of Samuel opens with, as you may have guessed, the birth of Samuel. Scholars date this event to 1120 BC. The book of Samuel ends with David facing death, which scholars date to 971 BC. That means the book of Samuel spans 150 years! But remember in our English Bibles, the book of Samuel is two books: 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. 1 Samuel still opens with the birth of Samuel in 1120 BC. It ends with the death of Saul, which many scholars date to 1011 BC. So 1 Samuel spans from 1120 to 1011, about 110 years. 2 Samuel begins with David’s throne finally being established, also in 1011 BC. 2 Samuel still closes with the near end of David’s reign and David’s life in 971. 2 Samuel’s timespan is much shorter than 1 Samuel, as it is only about 40 years. Still I think the book’s divide is perfect, almost divine. With 1 Samuel ending with the death of Saul, 1 Samuel’s story focuses around the reign of King Saul (1 Samuel 1-8 about Samuel serves as preface and transition to the monarchy). 2 Samuel’s story revolves around the reign of King David, all the way to near the end of his life. The divide also creates a dualistic dichotomy between the two kings, which will further be explained later. But can you see why I can easily believe this divide might be divine? It’s that perfect!

As for the date the book was written (or maybe even compiled), no one know for certain, but it has to be between certain milestones. Clearly, it has to be after the events happened, so it can’t be any earlier than 970 BC. Sometimes what helps date the book is the knowledge of historical events that the author has. If you read through the book of Samuel, you’ll see that it uses the phrase “Israel and Judah” six times (twice in 1 Samuel, 4 times in 2 Samuel). In the time of the story, Israel is a united nation; all twelve tribes consist of Israel. It would be redundant to say “Israel and Judah” in this time period. It does make sense, however, in the time of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. It shows the unity of the two nations. Therefore, the author(s) lived during the divided kingdom. Thus, the book has to be written after 931 BC, the divide of Israel and Judah into 2 nations. At the same time, the author does not seem to be aware of the fall of the nation of Israel, which happened in 722 BC. So the book couldn’t have been written any later than 722 BC. 931-722 BC is too big of a possible time span for me. For me, I like to believe that the events of book were recorded shortly after they happened. So let’s say the book was written between 930-900 BC. That’s a short time span I can live with.

Clearly, the events of the book take place in the united kingdom of Israel, with a little bit happening in Philistia. As for the where the book was written, it’s hard to tell. We know it’s got to be either Israel or Judah, but we really don’t know which one. The date time span and the unknown author doesn’t help pin this down. But just like the author, knowing where the book was written will not affect any interpretation.

What the location does tell us is the audience whom the book is written to. No matter whether the kingdom is united or divided, the book is written for God’s people, both Israel and Judah, both the Israelites and the Jews. It’s all about their history, how God is continuing his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He has rescued them Egypt, as well as many Canaanite people groups in the books of Joshua and Judges. It’s all about God’s faithfulness to them.

This brings us to one more point: the canonicity. The canonicity discusses the Bible book’s place in the Bible. The book of Samuel sits between Judges (Ruth is more of a side story from the time period of the Judges) and Kings. Of course, since it’s a history book, it’s naturally there for chronological order. But there’s even more than that. It sets the scene using its own history. In the previous book, the book of Judges, the Judges theocracy has got the Israelites stuck in a cycle of ups and downs. With every new judge, the judges have gotten progressively worse. The last judge in the book of Judges, Samson, is completely selfish and defiles God’s Laws and his Nazarite vows. It gets so bad that the book of Judges ends with Israel in civil war, displaying them as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah! Both the Lord and the Israelites realize this system isn’t working. It’s not the Lord’s fault, but Israel’s fault, being unfaithful to God. So a new system has to be put in place. Replacing the judges theocracy is the monocratic theocracy. God is still in charge, but instead of a judge arising in emergencies, a king will rule. How will king ruling differ from a judge ruling? This book will answer that question.

And just like that, I’ve set all the background information we need Samuel

AUTHOR (WHO): Unknown

AUDIENCE (WHOM): Israelites (Israel & Judah)
DATE (WHEN): Events: 1120-971 BC. Written: 930-900 BC.
LOCATION (WHERE): The United Kingdom of Israel (Israel & Judah)
HISTORICAL OCCASION (WHAT): The judges theocracy has failed and so an monocratic theocracy will be established

Now let’s talk purpose. For the purpose, I am going to create a purpose for the book of Samuel, but also a purpose for 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel individually. The purpose for Samuel will be a hybrid combination of the purpose for 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. For what I see as the purpose, I want to draw your attention once again to that perfect divide between 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. First, remember that I said that the divide makes 1 Samuel’s main character King Saul while 2 Samuel’s main character is King David. So these kings have to be mentioned in the purpose. Also remember I said that the divide creates a dualistic dichotomy between these two people. If you know anything about these two kings, David is described to be a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22). Saul is depicted to be quite the opposite; he has no heart for God. Despite coming from humble beginnings, Saul becomes selfish, only doing what he wants to do and what pleases him. When a dichotomy or dualism becomes that sharp, the story is trying to show its audience a good example and a bad example. A king (or any leader, for that matter) is supposed to a representative to the people and an example on how to live. A king should only be followed if he’s worth following. 1 Samuel is trying to show the reader Saul’s a bad example and not worth following because he does not give his heart to God. 2 Samuel, on the other hand, shows a good king David, who is worthy to follow because he’s a man after God’s heart. By doing so, the book of Samuel legitimatizes the Davidic covenant and the Davidic dynasty.

Samuel

The Lord/author wrote the book of Samuel to inform the Israelites that David and his descendants are God’s choice for Israel and the Messiah

1 Samuel

The Lord/author wrote the book of 1 Samuel to persuade the Israelites to not follow the example of Saul, who had no heart for God.

2 Samuel

The Lord/author wrote the book of 2 Samuel to motivate the Israelites to follow the example of David and to be a [wo]man after God’s heart.

The purpose for the whole book of Samuel is as clear as day. The text central to the whole book is the Davidic Covenant found 2 Samuel 7:7-17. Every event prior to that passage points up to that point. God rejects Saul as king because he has no heart for God. The Lord turns to David, a man after God’s heart to be the next time. Time after time, 1 Samuel will give proof David is meant to be king. Even when David is hiding from Saul, God is faithful to his promise, and David does become king. Even when one of Saul’s sons tries to take the throne right after Saul’s death, God is faithful and hands the kingdom over to David. Even after the event, when all seems to go downhill, God is still faithful, and the Davidic dynasty is still strong, even after civil war, both within the family and outside in the nation.

But I can still hear my LBC professors asking, “What’s the personal application? What do the readers take home with them? How are the readers suppose to act or respond?” For that answer, I go back to dualistic dichotomy. It’s too strong to ignore. Saul, although he comes from humble beginnings, ends up being selfish, with no heart for God, but only for himself. When David becomes king, he is a man after God’s heart from the start to the end. These two kings are side-by-side for a reason. When put side-by-side, it’s clear who the good king is and who the bad king is. Saul is the bad king and David’s the good king. What makes one king good and one king bad? It’s all about their relationship with God.

See, in Israel, the king served two important spiritual functions. First, he was to be a representative of the people to God. Second, the king was suppose to be a godly example to the people. Under that context, it becomes even more clear why Saul is the bad king and David is the good king. Saul failed to do both. He wasn’t a godly example. Because he wasn’t a godly example, he did motivate the people to become godly people. Therefore, Saul was a terrible representative to the people because he appeared as someone God would not want to deal with. David succeeded in both ways. By living a godly lifestyle, he motivated the Israelites to live godly lives themselves. Thus, a godly David represented a godly people, a people God wanted to work with. Maybe that’s why God offered David a covenant.

These two kings still play a similar role today as they did when they were reigning on earth. They are still examples. Except this time, both of them are not the example to follow; only one is.  The application the readers can take from the book of Saul can be summed up in a few questions: “Whose example will I follow? Will I follow the example of Saul, become selfish, and have no heart for God? Or will I follow the example of David, become humble, submissive and broken, and end up whole heartedly for God?” These two books help us make the choice by showing how to become a [wo]man with no heart for God and how to become a [wo]man after God’s own heart.

As for the plan on how the book[s] of Samuel express this purpose, all I’m going to say is it’s a historical narrative with a theological message. But I’m not going to outline it. If I do, I’m going to wait until the end. Why? Because I want everyone to see how the story plays itself out, and then we’ll look back and realize how God’s redemptive history unfolds. But as you are reading, ask yourself questions about the purpose. First, ask, “What makes the David the perfect man to establish a covenant one, especially one that makes him a king of a dynasty?” Second, ask, “What makes David a man after God’s heart?” The two answers we discover will show us why it’s important to study the book of Samuel and the story of David.