The book of Psalms

We can't illustrate every Psalm, so we are going to pick a few to draw and give an overview of the whole book by asking questions, and answering them.

 (1)Who wrote the Book of Psalms?
 The Book of Psalms was written by Moses, King David, Heman, Ethan, King Solomon, Asaph and the son's of Korah. So a lot of people were involved. Although King David wrote almost half of the Psalms.... and there are a few that we don't know who wrote them. What is nice is that, a lot of the Psalms give the author and a brief story of what was happening, and the significance of each one.

(2) How many years did it take to write the Book of Psalms?
 Believe it or not, Psalms was written over a span of nearly1000 years! From 1440 B.C. (during the time of Moses) to 586 B.C. The Psalms cover most of Israels history. (While they were in Egypt, when they escaped into the wilderness, and during the reign of their judges and kings, until the time of their captivity by the Babylonians.

(3) What is the purpose of the Book of Psalms?
 In the New testament, Psalms is referred to many times. It was and is considered a book of wisdom, teaching about God and getting to know God personally. It was actually written in song form. So, many of the Psalms read like poems, with stanzas, alliteration and rhyming. However, since they were translated from Jewish, they lost some of their rhythm.

(4) How are the Psalms applicable to me?
 The Book of Psalms are so full of prayers for many situations. We can read the Psalms from our own perspective and pray them back to God. (By the way, He loves when we pray His words back to Him) The Psalms express a wide range of emotions, from Joy, hope, trust, gratitude and praise, to despair, fear, and sorrow. We can use the Psalms to pray, worship, confess and praise God.

So as we mentioned in question/answer #3, Psalms teach us. What are some of the things that we
can learn from the Book of Psalms.
(A) It's OK to express how we feel to God, whether positive or negative.
(B) God cares for each of us. The Psalms reinforce our understanding of His love.
(C) The Psalms teach us that serving God and doing right is worth it.
(D) Some Psalms like Psalm 22 point to the coming of Jesus. So we can trust them.
(E) We learn what God desires from us in prayer and worship.

                                               PSALM 23
                                          a Psalm of David

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Even tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. .

Solomon Becomes King of Israel (1Kings1)

 As we get into the book of 1Kings, we find that David is getting old. He is sickly and cannot even stand, so he rules over Israel from his bed. Everyone knew that David did not have much longer to live, including his son, Adonijah. Adonijah was next in line for the throne according to birth order, but Israel was not like other nations. God appointed the next king, not birth order. But Adonijah didn't see it that way. He got 50 men together and some horses and chariots to escort him around. He figured if he looked like a king and acted like a king.... the throne would be his for the taking. He recruited a few of David's top officials including Joab, his top military leader and Abiathar, the leading priest. They agreed to support Adonijah in his bid to become king even though David had promised the throne to Solomon. Joab and Abiathar thought about what was best for them and not about God's will.

 We do that all the time, don't we? I know that is is God's will for me to forgive, but I want to hang on to that feeling I have toward someone that has hurt me. But God's will is ultimately for our own good, and He knows that forgiving is the key to setting our mind and our hearts free.

 Well Nathan the prophet, (Remember him? He confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba.) heard about Adonijah's plan to become king and told Solomon's mother, Bathsheba about it. He told her that she must tell David right away because Adonijah had already made sacrifices and was throwing a huge banquet to honor himself as king. Nathan told Bathsheba to go to David's bedside and tell him about Adonijah, then he said that he would come in and confirm the story so that David would have no doubt that it was true.
 So Bathsheba went in and asked David. "I beg your pardon my lord, but didn't you promise me that my son Solomon would succeed you as king?  (1Chronicles 22:5-9) It appears that Adonijah has not even waited for your blessing. He has declared himself king, and is having a great feast right now as we speak."
 Then Nathan came in and asked the king, "Have you appointed Adonijah as the next king without consulting any of your trusted advisors? He has already exalted himself as the next king!"

From his bed David declared to Bathsheba, "As surely as the Lord lives, your son Solomon will sit on the throne!" Then He said to Nathan, Zadok the priest and Benaiah, "Quick, gather up my officials. Take Solomon down to Gihon Spring. Let him ride my royal mule for the journey. When you get there, anoint him with oil, blow the trumpet and shout 'Long live King Solomon!' Then when you return with him, Solomon will sit on the throne."
 The 3 men did as David had asked. They anointed Solomon, blew the trumpets and shouted "Long live king Solomon." Then there was a great parade back to the castle. The people were all shouting, playing flutes and making a joyful ruckus.
 When Adonijah and Joab heard all the noise, they were confused. Just then the son of Abiathar, the priest who supported Adonijah, came running up to them in the middle of their feast..
 "I hope you have good news for us so we can continue celebrating." Joab said.
 "No, in fact it is troubling news for Adonijah and all who have supported him. King David has just made Solomon king. The loud roars that you heard were all the people cheering as they paraded back to the palace where Solomon is now sitting on the throne!"
 When all who were celebrating with Adonijah heard the news, they were afraid for their lives. They all got out of there as fast as they could, because the new king could have anyone executed. Adonijah feared for his life especially. He ran to the sacred tent and grabbed ahold the horns of the altar. (This was a holy place and Adonijah hoped that king Solomon would respect that and not have him killed). Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah was pleading for his life in the sacred tent. Solomon sent one of his men to the tent to assure Adonijah that as long as he was loyal to the king, he would not be harmed. Adonijah went to the temple, threw himself at the feet of king Solomon and thanked him for his mercy.

Consequences of the Census (2 Samuel 24)

  So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel because they had rebelled against His decision.... again. God used David's sin to enact punishment against the entire nation of Israel. When we left last time, the prophet Gad had relayed God's message to David. David had a choice to make about the punishment that would be executed against the nation of Israel. Here were the three choices. Either three years of famine, three months of fleeing from their enemies or 3 days of a deadly plague.

  If you had a tough decision like this, what would you choose? I know what I would NOT choose. Since I would be the king, I wouldn't have to worry about a famine, because the king had plenty of food stored up. Or I wouldn't have to worry about fighting off the enemy, because as king, I would be protected at all cost. I wouldn't pick the plague, because death could strike anyone at any time. As king, I would be as vulnerable as anyone else in the kingdom. So that would definitely NOT be one of my choices..... but that is exactly what David chose. He knew that he had sinned. (he takes full blame at the end of the chapter) and he says in verse 13., "Let me fall into the merciful hands of our Lord. If he sees fit to inflict me, then so be it."

  So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel and it last three days. Seventy thousand people died throughout the nation. But as the death angel was in Jerusalem, he stopped at the threshing floor of Araunah. (A threshing floor was a hard floor where a wheat farmer would crush his crop to remove the grain from it's husk by having oxen drag a large heavy board over it) When David saw the angel of the Lord. He prayed that the plague would end and that if anyone else should die, it would be David himself. Just then Gad the prophet came to David and said, "Build an altar to God on this very site. So David went to Araunah, the man who owned the site where the altar was to be built. Araunah was a little nervous because the king wanted to talk to him. "Why have you come my lord?" he asked.
  David replied. "I have come to buy your threshing floor so that I could build and altar to the Lord there, so that He will stop the plague."
 "Please take it my lord. And here are some oxen for the offering and wood to make the fire. I will give it all to you, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice." Araunah answered.
   David insisted. "No. I must pay you for the place, the oxen and the wood. For what kind of sacrifice would it be if it cost me nothing?"

  The word sacrifice itself means to give up something. If David took the threshing floor, the oxen and the wood and offered it up to God, it would have been Araunah's sacrifice. We must remember that when we live our lives for Jesus, we are giving up our own desires and plans and replacing them with God's. But the amazing thing is that God loves us so much! His desires and plans for us are for our own good. He wants the best for us! The Bible says that the more we give up for Him, the more we have! That is called a paradox, and the Bible is full of them. (The last shall be first..... the humble will be exalted... to name a couple of examples.)

 So David bought the threshing floor, the oxen and the wood. Then he built and altar and sacrificed to the Lord. The plague stopped right there at the threshing room floor!

  The amazing thing about where that threshing room floor was located was that it was on Mount Moriah. The same place where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac to God a thousand years earlier. And it is also the same place where Jesus sacrificed his life for us on the cross a thousand years later! God is so amazing!
 Well that finishes the books of First and Second Samuel. Next time we will be starting First Kings.

David Takes a Census (2 Samuel 24)

 So now Israel was enjoying a time of peace and unity. However, God's anger burned against Israel. David was God's own anointed king. The people had sided with Absalom because he seemed more kingly to them. He was tall, good-looking and charming. But David was God's chosen king. God was going to discipline the people and He used David's pride and yielding to the devil's temptation to do it.

 David knew God's Word. In Exodus 30:12 it says not to count the people because counting equals ownership..... and Israel is God's people. But David gave in to the temptation and called in his general, Joab. After David finished explaining how he wanted Joab to go throughout the kingdom, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, and count the people, Joab replied. "May the Lord allow you to live long enough to see a hundred times the amount of people in the kingdom as there are today. Please do not sin against God by doing this." Never the less,  the kings word prevailed over Joab and the captains of the army. (The captains warned David as well. When there are several objections to your plan, it is time to rethink what you are about to do.)

 Why did Joab object so vehemently to David's plan. Perhaps he knew how it would affect the people, or he was looking out for the king. Or maybe he was thinking about himself. he was a general after all. Why should he stoop so low as to be a people counter. His pride was at stake! Speaking of pride, by ordering the census, David was feeding his own ego. Israel had grown enormously, he wanted to take the glory and the credit for himself.
 Pride is the sin of all sins. It was pride that toppled Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. Pride is a preoccupation with ones self. What letter is in the middle of pride? I. And what letter is in the middle if sin? That's right....I. Putting ourselves above everyone is sinful pride. Pride also puts God in second place. God should always be first, and at the center of everything we do or say.

 So the census was taken. It took about 10 months to count the people. David had 10 months to change his mind and stop the census, but he didn't. God will always give us a way out of yielding to temptation. (1 Corinthians 10:13) When faced with temptation. STOP and pray. God has an exut strategy for you and He will show it to you. Sometimes it is simply saying "no".

  It turns out that there were 130,000 fighting men in the kingdom, which translates to 6 million people. Do you think David confidently sat back after the census was complete and said, "That's what I'm talking about!"? No. He did just the opposite. He felt guilty. He knew that he had sinned.
  Why do we feel guilty when we sin. It is because The Holy Spirit convicts us. We have Jesus living inside of us (If we have made Him the Lord of our life. Here is a link from a past blog telling how we can have this.  http://mrbiblehead.blogspot.com/2010/03/choosing-god.html). And Jesus would not be content with sin. So it is time to repent. I know, the word repent sounds harsh, but it is simply being sorry and turning from our sin and toward God. And that is just what David did. However, there was still a consequence. When I repent, I do not get off scott free. There is a price to pay. God was going to discipline Israel because of their recent actions, so he sent a prophet named Gad to give David this message.  "Choose one of these 3 punishment and I will do it says the Lord. Will you choose three years of famine, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout the kingdom."

"This is a desperate situation!" David replied. But he knew how he had to answer.

Next time we will see which punishment king David chose, and why.

The death of Absalom (2 Samuel 18-20)

  David and his men traveled through the wilderness to escape from his son Absalom. They finally arrived in the town of Mahanaim, where they were warmly greeted. The people of the town brought sleeping mats, bowls, barley, flour, grain, beans honey, butter sheep and cheese for David and his men. "You must be hungry thirsty and tired from your long trek through the wilderness." They said.

  Then David split his troops into three groups and appointed three generals to lead his men as they set up camp in Mahanaim. David wanted to go with them into battle, but his men talked him into staying back because they knew that he was the one that Absalom wanted to kill. So David stood by the city gate as the troops headed out to battle. He gave these orders to all the men as they passed by. "Please deal gently with my son Absalom. Spare his life for my sake."

  So the troops went out and the battle began. The Israelite army was beaten back by David's army and 20,000 men lost their lives that day. During the battle, Absalom unexpectedly came upon some of David's men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the branches of an oak tree, his hair got tangled in the branches. His mule kept on going  but Absalom was left hanging there defenseless. One of David's men saw what happened and he went back to report what he saw to Joab, one of David's generals.

 "What?" Joab demanded. "You saw him hanging there and you didn't kill him? I would have given you 10 pieces of silver if you had."
  "You heard king David say, 'For my sake do not harm young Absalom.' I would not have killed him for a thousand pieces of silver!"
  "Enough of this nonsense!" Joab shouted as he grabbed three daggers and headed toward the oak tree where Absalom was still dangling. Joab stabbed Absalom. Then Joab's men took Absalom down from the tree, threw him in a pit and buried him with stones.

  David was waiting for news of the battle at the city gate. He saw a man in the distance running toward him. The man finally approached David. "All is well my lord. The Lord your God has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against you." But David was more worried about his son.
  "And what of young Absalom?" David inquired. "Is he alive and well?" The man was afraid to tell David that his son was dead, so he lied and told him that he didn't know. Just then another man showed up with news, and David asked him about Absalom. David was completely heartbroken when he found out that Absalom had been killed. He walked slowly back to his room, weeping the entire time.

Word soon reached general Joab that David was very upset about Absalom's death and that there was no joy among the men for his victory over the Israelites. Joab was very angry and went to see David. "It seems to me that you would have been happier if we had all died and lost the battle and Absalom had lived. You are making me and all your men feel as if we had done something wrong." Joab said.
  David realized that the troops needed to be recognized for their victory, so he went out to the city gate and congratulated them. In the meantime, all the people all over Israel were in a huge discussion about reinstating David as the king over all of Israel. The people finally agreed that it shall be done, but not without a few revolutionists who continued to plot against David.

  Did you even notice that in life.....it is never all good or all bad. We have to be thankful for the good things in the midst of trouble. And celebrate with our eyes open and hearts receptive to people around us who may be struggling. Don't let our emotions (joyful or downcast) blind us to loving others so that God may be glorified.

David's own son rebels against him (2 Samuel 13-17)

 Two years later, David's two sons, Amnon and Absalom, got in a terrible fight. Finally Absalom ended up killing Amnon. When David found out about it, he was heartbroken. Absalom left Israel
and went to stay with his grandfather Talmai, in the territory of Geshur. He stayed there for three years. Finally David stopped mourning for his son Amnon and longed to be reunited with Absalom.
David called in his right hand man, Joab, and asked him to go to Geshur to bring back Absalom. But David was still unsure about seeing Absalom. So even though Absalom was staying at a house in Jerusalem for two years, David never sent for him. Absalom was getting tired of waiting and he confronted Joab. "Why did the king summon me to Jerusalem if he never intended to even see me? I was better off staying in Gershun!"
 "I will tell the king how upset you are." Joab replied. "Perhaps he will finally request your presence."
Then at last David summoned his estranged son and Absalom bowed down before the king and David kissed him. But Absalom held contempt in his heart for his father.

After that, Absalom began hanging out at the city gate and greeting the people. Many of them were on the way to see the king with their problems. Absalom intercepted them. "Too bad the king is so busy and won't be able to hear your concerns, however, I as his son, would be glad to act as an advisor in any situation you have."
 The people were very grateful and started to bow down before him, but Absalom stopped them and instead, he gave them a big hug. So in this way, Absalom began to steal the hearts of the people in David's kingdom. He did this for four years until he felt like he had the loyalty of enough people to take over Israel!

 One day Absalom came before the king and asked for permission to go back to Geshur to make a sacrifice there. David granted the request and while Absalom was there, he sent word to all of Israel that he was starting a rebellion against the king.  The rebellion soon gained momentum and Absalom had many, many people on his side.
  Of course the news about the rebellion reached David quickly, but it was too late. Absalom was being crowned king of Hebron and he was getting ready to take over Jerusalem. David urged his men, "Hurry! If we leave the city quickly, Jerusalem will be spared a horrible disaster."
There was great sadness as David and his men crossed the city and headed toward the Valley of Kidron and then into the wilderness.

Imagine how David must have felt. He forgave his son for the horrible thing that he did, and now his son has betrayed him! Have you ever forgiven someone only to have them hurt you again? Let's see how David handles the situation and how it all turns out. Don't forget, after David's terrible sin, God told him that his family would suffer many things.... even death. I'm sure David was hurt, but maybe not surprised.

As they reached their destination in the wilderness David turned to his advisor, Hushai. I want you to go back to Jerusalem. Tell Absalom that you will be his advisor. If he asks about your loyalty to me. Tell him that you are not loyal to a person, but to whomever is king. Then when he asks for your expertise, give him faulty advise. In time, his kingship will falter and the people will see that he is not king material.
 So Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was arriving. He offered his services to Absalom and told him what David had suggested. Absalom already had an advisor. His name was Ahithophel. But he agreed to keep two advisors and choose which ever advice he deemed best.
 After Absalom had settled into the throne. He called in his two advisors. Of course they each had different advice. God put it into Absalom's heart to choose Hushai's advice because it would bring disaster upon him.
 Hushai sent word to David about Absalom's plan. He advised David and his men to pull up camp, cross the Jordan river and head into the wilderness. So David and his men took Hushai's advice. Absalom and his men showed up at the Jordan river shortly afterward. But David and his men were not there.
 Next time we will see what God has in store for Absalom and David.

Nathan Confronts David About His Sin (2 Samuel 12)

  Last time we saw how David messed up....big time! So God sent his prophet, Nathan, to confront King David about the bad choices he made. Remember Nathan? He was the prophet that told David that he would not be the one to build the temple of God. This time, Nathan has come to tell David a story. The object of this story is to make David think, and take a look at himself. Here is the story that was told to David by the prophet Nathan.

  There were two men in a certain town. One was rich and one was poor. The rich man owned many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but a little lamb that he had worked hard to buy. He raised that little lamb and it grew up with his children. The little lamb ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing a lamb from his own flocks for food, he took the poor man's lamb, killed it and served it to his guest.
 When Nathan finished his story, David jumped up. He was so mad! He said "Any man that would do that, deserves to die. He should repay the poor man four lambs for killing his and having no pity."
 Nathan pointed at David and said. "YOU ARE THAT MAN! The God of Israel says, " David, David, David, I anointed you king of Israel and I saved you from Saul on more than one occasion!  And I would have given you much, much more. Why have you done this horrible thing? From now on, you will have many family troubles. Some of them even ending in death."
 When Nathan finished speaking, David cried out and confessed to Nathan, "Yes, yes, yes! I have sinned against the Lord!
  "Well, the good news is that the Lord has forgiven you." Nathan said. "There will be death in your family, but it will not be you. The Lord still has many plans for you." Nathan continued, "Do you see what a horrible thing this is against God? Now the enemies of God will have great opportunity to despise and blaspheme Him!"

 Do we ever think about how our actions reflect on God? Other people are watching us. If we profess to be followers of Jesus, why do our actions say just the opposite? If someone was thinking of following Jesus, our actions could point them toward Jesus or away from Him. If our actions point to God, then we are glorifying Him.... and that is what He wants.

 After Nathan returned home, David and Bathsheba's baby got very sick. David prayed, laid on the bare floor and went without food for seven days, asking God to heal him.... but the baby died. David's men were afraid to tell him about his son, but David could tell by the looks on their faces. David got up, washed his face and ate. His men were confused and asked him, " While your son was sick, you cried and refused to eat. But now that the baby has died, you stopped mourning and are eating again."
 David answered, "I fasted and prayed while the baby was alive. I was hoping that God would be merciful and let the child live, but since he has died, why should I continue to fast? I can't bring him back to life. But one day, I will see him again in heaven."

 It is so hard when someone dies. We feel sad because we won't be able to see them anymore. But we will.... in heaven. It's OK to be sad for a while, then God wants us to get back to what He put us on this earth to do. David knew his purpose.

  Then David went home and comforted Bathsheba. Soon she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. They named him Solomon. (the next king of Israel)

David makes some bad choices and sins against God (2Samuel:11)

  Some time after David invited Mephibosheth to live on the palace grounds, King Nahash died. King Nahash was a leader in Ammon and a friend of Israel so King David sent some ambassadors to pay their respects. Hanun, who was King Nahash's son and now king, was a little paranoid and thought that David's men were there to spy on him and eventually conquer the city. King Hanun had his men cut off half of the beards of David's men, cut their robes to shreds and sent them back to David.
David was furious! He summoned his general, Joab, and gathered his troops. The whole Israelite army marched toward Ammon and a huge battle ensued. Some neighboring armies joined forces with the Ammonites, but after many of them were killed in battle,they retreated and the Ammonites were left alone to fight Israel. Winter quickly approached and the battle between Israel and Ammon was put on hold till the spring.

  Up until now, we have seen all the good things that David has done and how he trusted God, now we come to a section of the Bible that shows that David made mistakes, just like we do. In this chapter, David will make some bad choices. Aren't you glad that the Bible doesn't sugarcoat everything? We see how real the people are, and how we can relate to many of their struggles.

  The following spring, the war with the Ammonites resumed. But David told his general, Joab, "You go fight the Ammonites. I think I will sit this one out and just hang around the castle. So Joab took the Israelite army and marched off to war, while David stayed behind. One day David spent the morning walking the halls of the castle killing time. By afternoon he was so bored that he decided to take a nap. When he got up from his nap, he took a stroll to the rooftop to look over his kingdom. He
noticed a beautiful woman taking a bath on her rooftop a few blocks away. He called one of his servants to find out who she was. "She is Bathsheba, wife of Uriah who is fighting the Ammonites with General Joab as we speak." The servant answered.
 David sent for her and when she arrived at the castle.... David fell in love.  Soon afterward Bathsheba was going to have a baby. David didn't want her husband to find out that he had been with her, so he sent a message to General Joab to put Uriah in the front line of the battle, then pull back all his men so that Uriah would be killed. Joab didn't like the idea, but he followed his king's orders and Uriah was killed.
  When Bathsheba heard that her husband had been killed, she mourned. When the mourning period was over, David sent for her. She became his wife and the she gave birth to a baby boy. Then the Bible says this one thing at the end of Chapter 11 of 2 Samuel in verse 27.... but the Lord was very displeased with the things that David had done.

 Even though the Bible describes Davis as "a man after God's own heart", he was still just a man.... and all men have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Next time we will see that David has a choice to make. Turn from God.... or turn from his sin.

 Did you see how one small choice David made to stay home instead of going to war snowballed into many many bad decisions? One of David's main purposes that God had for him was to build up Israel by finishing the battles that Joshua had begun years earlier. By staying home when he should have been out to war, David gave the devil an opportunity to lead him astray. If David had been out to battle, he would have never taken an afternoon nap, seen Bathsheba and eventually had Uriah killed.

 We can learn a huge lesson. Be all about what God has for you. Pray and study the Bible. God will reveal what He has planned for you. Then get out there and do something for God.  Don't let the devil have an opportunity to use your idleness to sin against God.

David shows God's love to Jonathan's son (2Samuel9)

  I apologize that my last couple of posts have disappeared. I am working on trying to get them restored. If anything, I will repost the illustrations.

So David settled in as king of Israel. The Philistines began to battle with the Israelites, but David quickly subdued and humbled them. Other nearby countries were also subdued by David and the Israelite army. Soon Israel grew in riches and David became famous in all the land.
 One evening while David was enjoying a time of calmness in his kingdom, he began to think about his friend Jonathan who died in battle years earlier. He missed his friend. He remembered the laughter, the fun, the serious talks, the promises..... THE PROMISES! David remembered that he promised his friend that if anyone in Jonathan's family was alive after he became king, that he would take care of them. So David called in his servant Ziba, who had also been one of king Saul's servants.
 "Do you know if there are any surviving members of Saul's family?" David asked.
 Ziba looked a bit concerned because he knew that the kings in other lands would kill the entire family of the previous king to prevent any chance of an uprising to recapture the crown.
 David reassured him. "I just want to show anyone that may be left, the kindness of God."
 Ziba answered. " Yes there is one. He is Saul's grandson and Jonathan's son. He is living just outside the kingdom in a in the home of Makir. But he is crippled."
 "How did he happen to become crippled?" asked David.
 "His name is Miphibosheth and he was 5 years old when Saul and Jonathan were killed in at the battle of Jezreel." Ziba continued. "When news of the battle reached the capital, the child's nurse grabbed him and fled. But she fell and dropped him as she was running. He became crippled as a result."
 "Go get him and bring him back here." David said.
So Ziba went to Makir's home and found Mephibsheth. "The king requests your presence."
 Mephibosheth was nervous. "What would the king want with me? I am crippled and can't do anything for him."
 "Don't worry. The king is for you. He is not against you." Ziba replied. "He simply wants to show the kindness of the Lord to you."

 This is just how God calls us. He knows that we are like Mephibosheth. We can't do anything or give anything to God that He doesn't already have. He just desires to show us His love, mercy and kindness. Have you responded to God's love by trusting in His son Jesus? That's what He wants. For us to accept His offer of forgiveness and to trust Him with our lives. If you want more information about this, call this phone number. 1-800-NEED HIM

And that's what Mephibosheth did. He went with Ziba to David and bowed before him and said, "I am your servant."
"Don't be afraid." David said. "I have asked you to come because of a promise I made to your father. I want to show you kindness and give you all the land that once belonged to your grandfather, Saul." David continued. "And you may live with me in the palace."
 Then David summoned his servant Ziba, "I have given Mephibosheth all the land that belonged to his grandfather. Since you were Saul's servants, I think it only right that you and your entire family are now Mephibosheth's servants. So Mephibosheth moved into the palace. He ate dinner with David just like one of his sons, and Ziba and his family (He had 15 sons) were there to serve him.

Jesus said that He is preparing a place for us in heaven.  (John 14:3)

The Ark of the Covenant is brought to Jerusalem (2Samuel5-8)

Sorry it has been a while since I posted. I hope you had a great Easter.  Jesus is risen!

 After David became king, the Philistines were not happy. Remember David killed one of their best warriors, Goliath, not to mention thousands of soldiers. So the Philistines plotted to invade Israel and kill David. David prayed. God answered. The Philistines were defeated and David prayed again... thanking God for the victory.

 Then David decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Remember the Ark of the Covenant? God had the Israelites build it as a mobile dwelling place for Himself. Moses and the Israelites carried it through the desert. Joshua and the Israelites carried it across the Jordan River into the promise land. The Philistines captured the Ark, but gave it back when they were plagued with trouble. Now David was bringing it to Jerusalem. The Ark had been at the home of Abinadab in Judah. Abinadab's two sons Uzzah and Ahio placed the Ark of the Covenant on a new cart. They had to be careful to use the rods to lift the Ark because God warned them not to touch the Ark. But when they neared the city of Nacon, the oxen stumbled. Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Ark to steady it. He was struck dead instantly! Wow! That seems a little extreme to us, but God is good and we have to trust that He does what is right and good. Under further investigation, we can begin to understand what happened.
 The poles were placed through rings on the side of the Ark to carry the Ark, not for lifting the Ark unto a cart. No one bothered to read God's instructions for handling the Ark. It had been at Abinadab's home for 20 years and no one remembered the words of God. God is holy and we are sinful. That is why Moses couldn't look into the face of God and why no one could touch the Ark.
"David and those involved in transporting the ark erred in several ways. First, they had already lost the awe and reverence one should have for the holiness of God. Second, they had forgotten the clear instructions God set down in the law for the transporting of the ark." (Bible.org) 
 Do you give God the awe and respect that is due Him? Do you take His word seriously? It is easy for us to become lazy in our praying and Bible reading. God wants us to get to know Him better. Praying with reverence and reading our Bibles with respect draws us near to God and helps us live lives that please Him. Also, saying things like "Oh my God" and "OMG" are taking God's name casually and not with the reverence that He deserves. We should think about it before we say these things.

 David was very upset and he feared that he would not be able to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, so he left the Ark there at the home of Obed-edom. For three months while the Ark was in his home, Obed-edom and his family were blessed like crazy! David heard about it and decided to try again to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem. This time he read God's instructions for transporting it and did it the right way. When the Ark finally reached Jerusalem. There was much cheering and trumpet blowing.

When God brought peace to Israel and David was settled in as king, David summoned Nathan the prophet. "The Ark of the covenant has never been in a temple. It has always been housed in a tent. Why should I be in this beautiful palace while the Ark of the Covenant is in a tent? I will build a beautiful temple for God!"
 That night God spoke to Nathan and told him to tell David that He did not want David to build Him a temple. The reason is given to us in 1Chronicles 28. David had to kill a lot of Philistines during his life. God wanted someone without blood on his hands to build the temple, and that someone was David's son, Solomon..

 God did however, promise David that his kingdom would last forever. He kept His promise because Jesus was born into the line of David! What a promise and a blessing!
 David prayed and thanked God for His promise.

The Road to David becoming the King of Israel (2 Samuel 1-4)

  While David and his men were saving their women and children from the Amalekites, Saul and Jonathan were in a fierce battle with the Philistines. Saul and Jonathan, David's best friend, both lost their lives in the battle. David didn't hear about it till two days later. He wept and mourned for his friend, Jonathan, and for Saul. Even though Saul had spent the last few years trying to kill David, he knew that God had anointed Saul as king. David also knew that he himself was anointed as the next king, but he was willing to wait on God's timing.

Ishbosheth becomes king of Israel

 Waiting is so hard to do, Isn't it? We do not like to wait. Have your mom or dad ever told, "OK, in 5 minutes." Then that 5 minutes feels like 2 hours! Imagine David waiting over 10 years after God told him that he would be king.... and he was still waiting!

 Well the wait was over..... sort of. God told David to settle in Hebron, a city in Judah. While he was there, the citizens of Judah crowned David king.... but at the same time, Abner, one of the commanders of King Saul's army, was crowning Ishbosheth, another one of Saul's sons, king of Israel. Israel was divided into 12 tribes (12 sections). David was king over Judah and Ishbosheth was king over the other eleven tribes.
 Abner was leading Israel's troops through the land and Joab, one of David's men was leading his troops as well. They met in Gibeon. Abner stepped forward and said, "There is no need for a lot of bloodshed here. Why don't we each pick 12 warriors and have them battle it out in hand-to-hand combat. Whoever wins this exhibition will win the entire kingdom for their side." Joab and his men agreed. When the exhibition was over..... all 24 men were dead. So Abner took his men back to Israel and Joab took his men back to Judah. But one of Joab's brothers, Asahel, was angry about the outcome and wanted to kill Abner. Asahel began to chase Abner through the wilderness. Abner warned Asahel to turn back, but he would not relent. "Tun back!" Abner shouted. " I will never be able to face your brother Joab if I have to kill you." Just then Asahel caught up with Abner and Abner killed Asahel. This began a long war between those who had been loyal to Saul and those who were loyal to David.

David becomes king of all of Israel

 As the war dragged on, David became stronger and Ishbosheth's kingdom became weaker.  King Ishbosheth and Commander Abner began to fight among themselves. Abner was brought before the king and accused of dishonorable behavior. "After all I've done for you and your father!" Abner spouted. "Remember, it was me that helped you become king! Well guess what? I am going to David and help him become king over all of Israel. After all, everyone knows that God anointed him long ago while your father was still king" Then Abner left and King Ishbosheth began to worry about what Abner might do.
    Abner travelled throughout Israel and took a poll to see how the people would react if David became their king.  The people relished the idea of David as their king. So Abner went to see David.
David threw a huge feast in honor of Abner and he agreed to a covenant between the people of Israel and Judah. "You will finally be king over all of Israel!" Abner declared. Then David sent him safely on his way. But as he was leaving, Joab saw Abner there and became enraged. He asked David how he could even think of making a covenant with the man who killed his brother. Then he caught up with Abner and killed him. "That's for killing my brother!" Joab sneered.
 With word of Abner's death, King Ishbosheth became fearful. It seemed that his whole kingdom was turning against him, and sure enough, one night while he was sleeping, two of his commanders came in and killed him. They wanted to show David that they had decided to join his side, but when they came and told David what they had done, he had them executed.

  David was willing to wait on God.(Psalm 27:14)   He did not want to become king because the king was killed in his sleep. But that is how he became king over all of Israel.
  David was 37 years old when he became king. Remember when he was a kid and Samuel anointed him king? David was about 15 years old then. He had to wait 22 years for God's promise. During that time David faced many hardships and sorrows. Are you willing to face difficulties while waiting on God? Waiting doesn't mean just sitting there and waiting. It means doing what God wants while waiting for God to fulfill His purpose in your life.  Waiting makes us stronger.  (Isaiah 40:31)

David returns to Ziklag and Saul dies (1 Samuel 26-31)

 After  David married Abigail, he took Abigail and his men and headed back to their cave. That evening, on the way, they came across a camp. It was king Saul and his men.... and they were hot on David's trail! So either Saul changed his mind, because remember the king promised David that he would not try to kill David anymore, or King Saul lied. Either way he was after David again and David spared the king's life again. This time, while Saul was sleeping, David got close enough to jab a spear into the ground right next to him. Saul said he was sorry again, but David knew that the king wasn't ever going to stop trying to kill him. So David took his wife, his 600 men and their families and settled in a town named Ziklag. It actually belonged to the Philistines, but King Achish knew that Saul hated David and gave  the city to David and his men. When Saul heard that David was settled in Philistine territory, he stopped chasing him.

 David and his army would go out and defeat any army that would endanger their new city. They even went to the king of the Philistines and volunteered to join forces with the Philistine army.  The king said OK, but the soldiers in the Philistine army did not want David with them. They were afraid that he would turn on them in battle, especially if they ended up in a battle against the Israelites.
 So David and all 600 of his men headed back to Ziklag. From a distance, David and his men became concerned. They could see smoke rising on the horizon in the direction of Ziklag! When they arrived, they couldn't believe their eyes. The city was burned to the ground and all their wives and children were missing! While David and all his men were gone, the Amalekites had raided Ziklag, burned it to the ground, taken all their livestock and gold and carried off all the wives and children.
 David's men began to weep till they could not weep any more. David was now in serious trouble because the men were bitter and blamed him. They began to talk of stoning David to death! But David found strength in the Lord. While his men were grumbling, blaming and complaining, David was praying. David asked God what to do. "Should I go and chase the Amalekites?" He asked God.
 David heard from God. He rounded up all his men to go bring back their wives and their belongings. David knew they would be successful because of what God told him.

 When you pray, do you give God a chance to speak by remaining quiet for a period of time, or do you do all the talking? Or are you like David's men.... complain, grumble and blame instead of praying? God wants us to speak to Him, but He also wants to speak to us. Sometimes listening to God is the hardest part. God speaks in many ways like through other Godly people, through His Word, through music and through experiences. If we contemplate God in these things, we can hear what He is saying. A very great way to do this is by using a resource called  " The Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids". Here is a link to their webpage.  http://www.spiritualcirclejournal.com/Kids-Journal.html

 Some of David's troops found an Egyptian man in a field. They gave him some water and food. He hadn't eaten or drank anything for three days. When he was strong enough to talk, he told David that he was a slave of the Amalekites and they left him there to die. "Will you lead us to their camp?" David asked.
"Yes." Replied the man. But please promise me that you will not kill me or give me back to the Amalekites." David agreed.
 So the Egyptian led them to the Amalekite encampment. While the Amalekites were celebrating, David and his army caught them by surprise and defeated the Amalekites. They rescued all the wives and children and they also retrieved all that had been taken from them and more. When they got back to Ziklag, David sent some of the plunder to his friends in Judah, and then they started to rebuild the city.

 In the meantime, the Philistines attacked Israel. Forcing many of the Israelites to flee. Saul, his three sons and his army remained and fought. During the battle all three of Saul's sons were killed, including Jonathan, David's best friend. Saul was also severely wounded and ended up killing himself because he didn't want to be tortured to death by the Philistines.
The words for today are PRAY and LISTEN. God loves you and He wants you to make decisions that will be for your benefit and His glory. He won't steer you wrong. PRAY and LISTEN :)

The Story of Abigail (1Samuel:25)

After David had revealed to king Saul that he had spared his life and the king promised to leave David alone, they went their separate ways. King Saul went back to Israel and David went back into the wilderness with his army of men. David still did not trust the king and thought it best to stay away from him.

 They set up camp near a rich man named Nabal always let his sheep and cattle out to pasture. David and his men would protect the flocks and herds against the Ishmealites who roamed the wilderness stealing and killing.
 David and his men never asked for anything in return. When sheep shearing time came around, Nabal's entire household, including the people who worked for him, would join in a big sheep shearing festival. David sent 10 of his men to Nabal to ask if they could reap some of the benefits from the party.
 Nabal (Whose name means fool) lived up to his name when he answered them. " Who does this David fellow think he is anyway? Go back and tell him NO WAY!"
 David's men returned with the message from Nabal. David was furious! "He wouldn't even have the cattle and the sheep if we didn't help protect them!" David shouted. "Men strap on your swords! We are going to teach that fool a lesson!" David was so mad that he wanted to kill Nabal and all his men.
 Meanwhile one of Nabal's men went to Abigail, Nabal's wife and told her of the situation.  Abigail didn't waste any time. She loaded up several donkeys with Nabal's best goods and headed in David's direction. I'm sure she was afraid, but she had to do something to protect her husband.

 Have you ever found yourself in a sudden fearful situation. The Bible says over and over not to be afraid. Fear only clouds our judgement and sometimes it paralyzes us. The Bible tells us to be courageous. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of fear. Fear may paralyze, but courage acts.

 Abigail met David about half way. She fell at his feet. "My Lord, please have mercy on my foolish husband! Don't kill him and have that dark spot on your record when you become king." Abigail knew that David had been anointed the next king. Nabal must have forgotten or he didn't care. Abigail continued, "Here is plenty of food for you and your men. Please take this gift in good faith and spare my husbands life. I take full responsibility. May the Lord reward you with a lasting kingdom and victory in all your battles if you forgive me and my husband."
 David looked at Abigail and responded. "Praise the Lord. He has sent you here to keep me from making a terrible mistake. Bless you for having the courage to come out here and meet us." Then David accepted the gifts. "Return home in peace. We will not kill your husband."

 Whew! That was a close one! Nabal had no idea how close he came to ending up dead. Abigail was not only courageous. She was smart and humble. Did you notice that she asked for her forgiveness as well as Nabals, even though she had done nothing wrong. But wait! The story is not over.....

  Abigail returned home after meeting David and his men. Nabal was getting out of hand at his sheep shearing party. He was so drunk that Abigail decided to wait till the next day when he was sober to tell him how close he came to being killed. The next morning, Abigail told Nabal everything. As a result, Nabal had a heart attack. He was in bed for ten days, then he died. When David heard what happened he said. "God has paid back Nabal for us!" Then he went back to Abigail and took her as his wife.

 Romans 12:19 says not to take revenge. Leave it in God's hands. Sometimes He does it right away like in David and Abigail's story. Or sometimes He takes his time. Either way. it is out of our hands and in God's. He is the great just judge. (Isaiah 33:22)

David Spares King Saul's Life (1 Samuel 23 &24)

One day, David got word that the Philistines were attempting to take over the city of Keilah. David prayed and asked God if he should gather his men (which now numbered about 600) and fight the Philistine army and save Keilah. God said "Yes." So David gathered his men and they defeated the Philistine army and saved the city of Keilah. In the meantime, King Saul heard that David was at Keilah. "Now we have David right where we want him! He is in Keilah, a city with a wall all the way around it. Gather the entire Israelite army! We have him trapped!" King Saul shouted.
 So as the king and his men marched toward Keilah to kill David, David prayed to God and asked him if he should stay in Keilah or leave. God told David that the people of Keilah would turn him over to king Saul, and that he should leave the city.

 Wow! David saves the whole city from destruction by the Philistine army, and they are ready to turn on him as soon as they hear that King Saul was on his way!

So David and his men left and headed into the wilderness. Jonathan heard that his father the king was in hot pursuit of David and went to the wilderness to find David and encourage him. "Don't worry." Jonathan told David when he finally reached him. "God has anointed you to be king, so my father can't harm you."

God knows where we are all the time and He led Jonathan to David. David was in need of some encouragement after he found out that the city of Keilah was going to turn against him. God knows where you are right now, physically, mentally and spiritually. And he will equip you with what you need to carry out His purposes.

When King Saul reached Keilah, the people told him which way David went. The king and his army were just on the other side of a large rock that David was hiding behind, when Saul got word that the Philistines were attacking Israel. He gathered his men, left the chase and went back to Israel to fight. Ever since then, that rock has been known as "the Rock of Escape". Then David and his men went deeper into the wilderness and found a cave in which to hide.

 After King Saul chased the Philistine army out of Israel, he took 3000 of his best warriors and continued to chase David. Some men along the way told the king which way David went.  So King Saul headed in that direction. Along the road into the wilderness, the king had to go to the bathroom so he ducked into a cave. Guess what? David and his men were hiding in that very cave! As King Saul was standing with his back to David and his men, some of David's men whispered to David that now was the time to kill Saul and become the king. David knew that this was not God's plan. "Saul is God's appointed leader and it is a serious thing to attack and kill him!" David rebuked his men.
 So David reached out and cut off a piece of Saul's robe. Then he told his men not to harm the king.
 After King Saul left the cave and was on his way, David came out and shouted, "My lord the king!"
Saul turned and saw David holding something. "Why are you trying to kill me?" David continued. "Don't listen to all those men who say that I am trying to kill you! Look what I have in my hand. It is a piece of your robe! I could have killed you back in that cave, but I didn't. I am leaving all the judging to God. He will punish which ever one of us is guilty. Be sure of this my king. I will never purposely harm you."
 Saul called back to David and began to cry. "You are a better man than I David, for you have repaid me good for evil. You have shown me kindness today. I was in a place where you could have easily killed me. But you didn't." Saul continued."I know now that someday you will be king! Please be kind to all the members of my family when you do."
 With that Saul went back home and David went back to the cave where he had set up camp.

God says in the book of Romans that we should "overcome evil with good" and that is just what David did.

David Hides and Saul's Downward Spiral (1 Samuel:21-22)

After David left Jonathan, he ran to the city of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech got a little nervous when he saw David and asked him. "Why are you here?"
"I am on a special mission from the king." David replied. "Do you have anything for me to eat?"
"No, just the holy bread. (This was bread that had been placed in the temple, but had been replaced earlier that day with fresh bread.) You can heat it only if you have kept yourself pure recently." Ahimelech added.
So David ate the holy bread., because he had kept himself pure. Then David asked the priest, "Do you have a sword or any kind of weapon."
Ahimelech answered, " Do you remember when you killed the giant named Goliath?" David nodded yes. "Well the king's men brought his sword here. It is wrapped in cloth in the back room. I will get it for you."


 While David was standing there he saw Doeg, one of Saul's chief herdsman who was there for ceremonial purification. David knew that Doeg had not heard that Saul was trying to kill him yet, but he knew he had to leave there before word reached him. David took Goliath's sword and left. He ended up in Gath. (The city that Goliath came from)  David asked to see the king there, but the guards were not happy about it. They knew who David was. They escorted David to the king's throne. On the way, the guards were grumbling about how David was honored in Israel with singing and dancing. David heard the grumbling of the guards and became afraid. He realized that going before the king was not a very good idea. So David pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard. The king took one look at David and said to his guards. "Why have you brought this madman before me! We already have enough madmen in my kingdom. Take him away!"











David left Gath and found a very large cave in Adullam. He stayed in the cave for quite some time. Some other men who were discontent with Saul, heard about where David was staying and joined him in the cave. Soon David was the leader of about 400 men there.

 One day Saul was ranting and raving about how everyone was against him. "Even my own son Jonathan is encouraging David to kill me, and none of you even whispered a word about it to me!" He shouted.  Many of Saul's men were around him listening to the king's bellowing. Then one his his officers, Doeg, spoke up. "When I was at Nob for the purification ceremony, I saw David talking to the priest there. I saw the priest consult the Lord about what David should do. Then he handed him Goliath's spear."
 Saul was outraged! He sent for the priests of Nob. (Eighty-five in all) He brought Ahimelech before him and accused him of treason. The priest defended himself by telling Saul that he had no idea that Saul was after David. It was not the first time that David had visited Nod asking for the priests to consult the Lord.
 "You will surely die!" Saul shouted. "Along with your entire family" Saul ordered his officers to kill all the priests, and they did what he said. Then they went to Nod and killed the priest's family. Only one family member escaped. Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech fled to David's camp and told him that Saul had killed all the priests and their families.  David knew that Doeg must have told Saul about their chance meeting at the temple in Nob. "Stay here with us and we will protect you from the king who wants to kill us both." David told Abiathar.


 It is hard to believe that Saul was once a king who turned to God. Now he was getting more evil as the days passed. Once we turn away from God, things become more unclear. Right and wrong get muddled. Sin is turning away from God. The more we sin, the more separated from God we become..... the more we sin. When we find ourselves in that downward spiral, admit the wrong, stop the sin and turn back toward God. This is called repentance.

David on the Run (1 Samuel 19-20)

  As time went by, King Saul hated David more and more, even though David was married to his daughter Michal and  he was best friends with his son, Jonathan. The king was jealous of David because of his popularity and because he knew that David had been anointed by Samuel to be the next king. Saul wanted his son to keep the throne in the family and David was standing in his way.


 One day Saul had enough. He sent a couple of his men to David's house. "Kill him when he comes out in the morning!" Saul ordered. That evening the men went to David's house and waited outside until David came out the next morning so they could kill him.
 Michal, David's wife, was looking out the window. She noticed that a couple of her father's men were hanging around. She overheard them saying that they were supposed to kill David. She woke up David. "Hurry my husband! You must climb out the window right away and get away. My father has ordered some of his men to come and kill you!" So she helped David climb out the widow. Then she put some things in his bed along with a furry goat pillow to make it appear as if David was still in bed. David fled into the forest.
 The next morning, David never came out of his house, so Saul's men went inside. "Where is David?" they asked.
 "I'm sorry, David is not feeling well today." Michal told them as she motioned toward the bed. The men saw the "fake" David under the covers. His bushy hair partially exposed from under the covers. Saul's men returned to the castle to report to the king.
 "Did you kill David?" Saul asked.

 "No, he was ill and in bed, so we left him alone." The men stated.
 Saul got very angry! "So what!" He shouted. "Bring his bed with him lying in it, and I'll kill him myself!" So Saul's men went back to David's house. When they picked up David's bed, they realized that they had been tricked and reported back to Saul right away. Saul stormed over to David and Michal's house.
 "Where is David?" Saul inquired of his daughter. "Why have you tricked me?"
 Even though Michal had done the right thing by helping David escape, she did the wrong thing by lying to her father. " David threatened to kill me if I didn't help him escape!" She said. This made Saul burn with more anger still.


 Sometimes we do the right thing in God's eyes, but the when confronted by man, we become afraid and undo the good that we have done. God wants us to do the right thing, then stand by our actions when confronted by others. By doing this, we are trusting God and bringing him glory. Trust in God rather than man. (Psalm 118:8) as a side note: Psalm 118:8 is the exact center of the bible. That's cool!


  Meanwhile David found Jonathan out in the fields. "Your sister Michal told me that she overheard your father's men talking, and your father wants to kill me." David told him.
 "My sister has a tendency to exaggerate. I'm sure it's not true." Jonathan replied.
 "Ok, I have an idea." said David. " Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival. I always sit with your father during the meal. If he asks where I am, tell him that I requested to celebrate with my family instead and that you approved my request. You will see how he reacts and let me know the day after tomorrow. I'll be waiting here."
 The next day, at the festival, Saul noticed that David was not there, but didn't say anything. Then the next day, David was still a no show. "Where is David?" Saul asked Jonathan.
 "Oh, I told him that he could celebrate with his family this year."Jonathan replied.
 Saul flew into a rage and hurled a spear at Jonathan, nearly missing Him. Saul called his son a bunch of names and told him to go get David so he could kill him. Jonathan rebuked his father and said that David was a good man and didn't deserve to be killed. Jonathan knew that his sister was right. David's life was in danger. He returned to David and told him. Through tears Jonathan and David parted ways. They vowed their friendship forever, even to any relatives that may be left behind if either of them should be killed. This is important as we will see in upcoming chapters.


 Michal and Jonathan both did the right thing by protecting David, however Michal chickened out when confronted by her father. Jonathan on the other hand stood strong for what was right. Even to his father, the king.

King Saul Becomes Jealous of David (1Samuel18)

 After defeating Goliath with just a slingshot, David stood before King Saul. Saul was very impressed with David and asked him to stay in the palace with him. (Up until this time, David had split his time between playing the harp for Saul and tending his father's sheep)
  While at the palace, David met Saul's son, Jonathan. They became instant best friends. Jonathan wanted to show David that he would be David's BFF, so he gave him his robe, sword, bow and belt as a promise. This was really amazing because Jonathan was next in line for the throne, but he knew that David was anointed to be king. Instead of being jealous, Jonathan pledged his friendship to David.

 King Saul appointed David as commander over his palace army of 10,000 men. David was very successful in every battle and he became famous throughout the kingdom. People began singing a song about David and Saul. The song went something like this:
                                      "Saul has killed his thousands,
                                        and David his ten thousands"

  Saul found out about what the people were singing and got very upset. He said, "They are singing about me killing thousands, but they are giving David more credit by singing that he has killed ten thousands! His jealousy got the best of him and the very next day Saul threw a spear at David while he was playing the harp. David had to duck or it would have killed him. Even after this happened, David stood by the king and continued to play the harp in an effort to ease the king's mind. But Saul did the same thing. He tossed another spear in David's direction! Saul intended to kill David. "I wanted to pin him to the wall!" he said to himself.

  Finally , Saul transferred David out of the palace and put him in charge of only one thousand men. Much to Saul's dismay, David continued to be successful in his battles against the Philistines. Saul became even more afraid of David's popularity because he knew that God was with him. He was afraid that he would lose the throne to David because David was becoming so popular with the people. Saul needed to come up with a plan....

  Saul summoned David before him." This is my daughter, Merab. I will give her hand in marriage to her if you fight and defeat the Philistines in the next battle." (Saul planned on letting David be killed by the Philistines, probably by ordering his army to retreat just at the right time, leaving David vulnerable) But David humbled himself and said that he was not worthy to be in the royal family. Saul ended up giving his daughter, Merab to another man. Saul was disappointed that his plan failed.

Meanwhile, Saul's other daughter, Micah, was falling in love with David. When Saul was told about this, he was very pleased. This time he worked on David through his attendants. Saul ordered them to talk to David. They told David how much Saul loved him and how he would love to be his father-in-law. So when Saul had David before him again, he said. "David, you have a second chance to become my son-in-law. My daughter Micah has shown a deep affection for you. If you kill one hundred Philistines and bring back proof, I will give Micah's hand in marriage to you." David agreed.

  God was with David. He killed 200 Philistines! When he returned, Saul was surprised. He had no choice but to let David marry his daughter. Saul became more afraid of David and continued to plan how he would kill him.

First of all, we can see how jealousy can be so destructive. Jonathan chose to be friends instead of being jealous. We will see how deep that friendship remained throughout their lives. Saul chose to be jealous. His jealousy took over his mind and actions causing him to sin over and over. We can choose.We should choose love not jealousy. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant (1Corinthians13:4) Where jealousy is, there is disorder and sin (James 3:16)

  Secondly, we can see God's hand in David's life. God's plans cannot be altered by men. God had told Samuel to anoint David as the next king. No matter what King Saul did, God was with David. Protecting and Guiding him. God has a plan for your life. Get on the same page with God and He will make sure that His plans are carried out through you. He will guide and protect you. The Lord keeps you from harm and watches over your life. (Psalm121:7) Teach me your will Lord, and the Holy Spirit lead me. (Psalm 143:10)

David and Goliath (1Samuel 7:32-58)

So David stood before king Saul. The king asked him. "What's with all the questions about the reward for killing the Philistine soldier known as Goliath?"
 David replied. "Don't worry about a thing. I will go and defeat the giant."
"Don't be ridiculous!" The king replied. "You are just a boy! He has been in the army since before you were even born!"
David persisted. ""God has been with me when bears and lions attacked my father's sheep. I clubbed the beasts and sometimes would even have to kill them with my bare hands."

David remembered how God helped him through the tough times. When we are faced with difficult situations, it helps to remember the times when God was there for us in the past. David also realized that the lions and bears were training him for something bigger. Are you going through a tough time? It may be that God is preparing you for something great.

 Finally Saul agreed to let David go and fight Goliath. He even gave David his own personal armor to wear. But Saul was very tall and the armor felt clunky and uncomfortable to David. So he took it off. He wasn't used to wearing any type of armor when he was defending his father's sheep. David grabbed his staff and a slingshot. Then he headed down to the river where he picked up five smooth stones and put them into his pouch.
 Goliath was already out in the clearing taunting the Israelite army. David came up from the bank of the river and ran toward Goliath and his armor bearer.

To everyone it looked like two against one.... and a very lopsided two against one at that, because one was a giant with a spear, armor and a shield bearer and the other was a boy.  It WAS lopsided, but not a giant against a boy, but God and a boy against two men. 

Goliath sneered at David. "Am I a dog that you come at me with a stick? Come over here and I'll feed you to the wild animals!" He shouted.
 David shouted back. "You come to me with a spear, javelin and a sword. But I come to you in the name of the Lord God Almighty. Today He will conquer you, then I will feed you to the wild animals and the whole world will know that there is one true God! This battle is not mine, but it is the Lord's because you have defiled His people." David continued running toward Goliath as he reached into his pouch and took out a stone.

When facing problems in our lives, do we look at the problem and give up or panic? Or do we have the confidence that comes with knowing that God is on our side. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

                                                              As David ran toward Goliath, Goliath moved toward David. Placing the stone in the slingshot, David hurled it toward Goliath. It hit Goliath in his head. Goliath fell with a great thump face down to the ground. He was dead. David triumphed over the Philistine giant with only a stone and a sling.
 The Philistine army saw Goliath fall to the ground and ran away. The Israelite army, now full of confidence, shouted triumphantly and chased the Philistines out past the gates of Ekron.

God doesn't want us to sit back and wait for Him to fight our battles. He also does not want us to do it all by ourselves. He wants us to team up with Him.  He loves you and everything He allows into your life is for His greater purpose. Trust Him in the little things, the big things and the difficult things.