1 Samuel

1 SAMUEL

OBSERVATION:

THE LIVES OF THREE MEN OVERLAP AND INTERWEAVE THROUGH THE BOOK OF FIRST SAMUEL. SAMUEL WAS THE LAST JUDGE OF ISRAEL, SAUL, THE FIRST KING OF ISRAEL AND DAVID, THE SUCCESSOR TO SAUL. THEIR STORIES SHOW ISRAEL’S TRANSITION FROM A CONFEDERATION OF CLANS TO A NATION RULED BY A POWERFUL KING. SOME SCHOLARS DATE THE WRITING AROUND 930 B.C. THIS STUDY ADDRESSES ISSUES WITH KING DAVID.

INTERPRETATION:

READ 1 SAMUEL 29: 1-3

POINTS TO PONDER:

DAVID MADE A SERIOUS ERROR BY RUNNING FROM KING SAUL INTO THE ENEMIES’ TERRITORY, THE PHILISTINES. HIS ALLEGIANCE TO ISRAEL GAINED HIM NO FRIENDS AMONG THE ISRAELITES. HE ALIENATED HIMSELF AMONG HIS COUNTRYMEN. THE HEATHEN COMMANDERS SOUNDED AN ALARM AND QUESTIONED HIS PRESENCE. THEY DID NOT TRUST HIM AND WANTED HIM GONE! DAVID SHOULD NOT HAVE RUN FROM KING SAUL TO THE ENEMIES CAMP. THE ISSUE OF SEPARATION ARISES AS IT PERTAINS TO YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK. YOU MUST BE CAREFUL IN COMMINGLING WHILE WITNESSING TO LOST UNBELIEVERS.

JOHN 15: 18-19 (THE BOOK-PARAPHRASE) WHEN THE WORLD HATES YOU, REMEMBER IT HATED ME BEFORE IT HATED YOU. THE WORLD WOULD LOVE YOU IF YOU BELONGED TO IT, BUT YOU DON’T. I CHOSE YOU TO COME OUT OF THE WORLD, SO IT HATES YOU.

READ 1 CORINTHIANS 15:33 AND EPHESIANS 5:11.

APPLICATION:

A TRUE BELIEVER DOES NOT BELONG TO THE WORLD!