1 Samuel 28:1

1 Samuel 28:1 says, And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armiestogether for warfare, to fight with Israel.  And Achish said to David,  Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.   After some time, the Philistines gathered to go to war with Israel, and Achish asked David if he was not surely going to fight on the side of the Philistines and him against Israel.  If we are pretending to be on the side of the world today, we should not be surprised if they expect us to fight on their side against God.  Verse two adds, And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.  David didn't really tell Achish that he would fight against Israel, but simply said Achish was aware 0of what he could do.  Achish took David’s answer as a yes, and told David he would put him in charge of a lot of his troops.  Matthew Henry said Achish was going to make David like a prime minister.  Though I don't believe that God expects us to lie about our intentions of whether or not we as followers of Christ support someone or some action that goes against God and His law, at times we might be okay in allowing them to draw their own conclusions.  Of course, this should never include allowing them to think that we are not a follower of Christ.  Verse three states, Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.  We are reminded that Samuel was dead and buried, and Saul had driven all those who practiced witchcraft out of Israel.  Matthew Henry says this could have been early in Saul’s reign when he was still listening to Samuel and following God, but that it seemed to be a more recent event, possibly brought about by Saul fearing that he was under the influence of evil spirits himself.  It is possible for those who do not believe in God to do good things, even if they are done for the wrong reason.  Verse four adds, And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.  The two armies gathered their forces.  Matthew Henry also points out that Saul would not have been having this problem had he been obedient to God.  The Philistines would have already been destroyed, but Saul had spent most of his time chasing David.  We may be forced to fight battles today that we never would have had if we had only been obedient to God instead of chasing our own desires or being driven by our own fears.  Verse five continues, And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.  When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was very afraid.  This was because the Spirit of God had left him because of his disobedience to God.  As long aswe are following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we have no reason to be afraid, no matter how big the enemy may seem.  Verse six concludes, And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.  When Saul inquired of God, God didn't answer him.  Of course, part of the problem may have been that Saul had killed so many priests that there was no one near him to go to God for him.  If God is not answering our prayers today because we have strayed away from Him, we need to hope that we have our fellow Christians interceding for us.  Of course, I also believe that if we repent and ask God's forgiveness, He will always hear our prayers, no matter how far away we have strayed. I believe this was still possible for Saul, but he never did.  God had not just arbitrarily rejected Saul, but Saul had rejoiced God and was still thinking only about himself. 

1 Samuel 27:8

1 Samuel 27:8 says, And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. After being given a city to operate from, David and his men began to make war against those around him.  These were enemies of Israel that Matthew Henry says were so evil that God had already decided on their destruction and that David was ordained to destroy them.  In my understanding of God's word, we as followers of Christ today are not called on to destroy any group of people, even if they are our enemies, but like Jesus Himself are to reach out to them with the love of God.  This is not to say that at times we may not find ourselves having to go to war with them to keep God's word from being destroyed.  Verse nine adds, And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.  David and his men killed all the people of the Geshurites and Gezrites and took all their possessions.  They may have needed these things, but we are not told that David consulted God before doing this.  Just because we see someone as an enemy and may need what they have doesn't mean that it is God's will for us to attack them and take it.  Verse ten continues, And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.  When Achish asked David where he had been fighting, he lied to him.  David said he had been fighting against his own people.  Matthew Henry said David may have lied to keep the Philistines from fearing him and also to make Achish think his actions would have made the people of Israel hate him.  I don't believe there is ever a time when we as Christians can make people think we hate and have been attacking other Christians just to keep ourselves safe.  If we are following God's will in what we do, we need to be honest about what we are doing.  Verse eleven states, And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.  David had killed everyone so there would be  no one left to take the news of what he had done to the Philistines.  David certainly wasn't acting like an honorable man of God in this whole situation.  I believe that we as followers of Christ must act honorably in all that we do.  Otherwise,  God's name could be disparaged.  Verse twelve adds, And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.  Achish believed David,  and saw what he thought David had done as giving him an advantage over David.  Achish said David’s own people would hate him, and David would be his servant forever.  Though lying brought about a good result for David, that does not mean that it was justified before God.  We need to remember that Satan is the father of lies and God is the God of truth.

1 Samuel 27:1

1 Samuel 27:1 says, And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. David still wasn't putting much faith in God, it would seem to me.  He said if he stayed in Israel that Saul would surely kill him, even though this could not happen if God had already anointed him king.  David said going into the land of the Philistines was the only way for him to survive Saul’s wrath.  We need to pray that there never comes a time when we have to leave those who are supposed to be God's people and go to those who are His enemies in order to survive.  Verse two adds, And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.  David and his six hundred men went to Achish, the son of Maich, king of Gath.  This was a decision that David had come to on his own, without consulting the ephod or a prophet, as Matthew Henry says, and he put his plan in action.  We need to make sure that whatever we do as Christiaans today is done under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and is not just our plan.  We certainly should never make plans based on fear.  Verse three continues, And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, David’s wives. his men, and their families, and David dwelt in Achish.  This really wasn't what God had called David to do nor where God had called David to be, not to mention the two wives.  David was called a man after God's own heart, as has been stated, but David was far from perfect.  We as followers of Christ are called to be people after God's own heart, but even when we are called to a specific purpose, we often fail to live up to that calling at all times.  Still, just as God didn't give up on David, He doesn't give up on us.  Verse four concludes, And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.  When Saul heard that David had fled to Gath, he quit hunting him.  David may have been safe from Saul, but I don't believe but he was where God wanted him to be.  We may decide to just live like the rest of the world if we feel persecuted as Christians so that we will be physically safe, but this will never be God's will.  We must have faith that He will protect us no matter what, even if we lose our life because of our faith.   Verse five states, And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?  David asked Achish to give him a place in the country where he could live, because there was no reason for him to live in the royal city.  Matthew Henry says this was partly done to keep Achish from becoming envious with David and partly so David and his men could freely exercise their religion.  As Christians, we should never attempt to compromise with the world just to remain safe.  Verse six adds, Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.  Achish gave David the city of Ziklag.  This had been a part of he tribe of Judah, so Israel regained what had once been their's anyway.  Even if we are not acting under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, God can still bring good from our actions.  Verse seven continues, And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. David lived in the land of the Philistines for sixteen months.  He may have been safe, but he wasn't living by faith in God at this time, but instead by faith in the goodness of his enemies and faith in himself and his plan.  We may devise a plan on our own that keeps us physically safe, but that doesn't mean we are following God's plan for our life.

1 Samuel 26:17

1 Samuel 26:17 says, And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.  When David called out to Abner, though he didn't recognize David’s voice, Saul did.  Saul asked if this was his son David, though he was trying to kill him and had given his wife to another man.  I guess he wanted to make himself sound friendly to David, and people who really hate Christians today often want to make themselves sound friendly.  David told Saul that it was him, even though that left him fairly close to Saul who was doing his best to find and kill him.  We as followers of Christ should never be unwilling to identify who we are, even to our enemies.  Verse eighteen adds, And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?  David once again asked Saul why he as trying to kill him and asked what evil had he ever done to Saul.  If people are out to destroy us as Christians today,  it should never be because we are out to harm them.  Verse nineteen continues, Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.  David said if God was behind Saul’s actions, then together they would bring an offering to set things right.  All we can do ultimately is ask people to examine their reasons for hating us and attempt to make things right under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  If they will not listen to reason, there is little more that we can do. David also said he was forced to live away from God's people in the land where idols were worshipped, which could lead him into temptation to stray away from God.  We should never allow anyone or anything to drive us away from the fellowship of our fellow Christians.  Verse twenty concludes, Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.   David compared himself to a flea or a partridge, insignificant to be hunted by Saul with the intention of killing him.  We should offer no physical threat to people today as Christians.  Verse twenty-one states,Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.  Once more,  Saul said he had played the fool and asked David to return to him.   I don't believe he was sincere, but for that moment he may have been. We may receive sincere apologies from people of the world today, but they probably will never last.  Verse twenty-two adds, And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.  David then told.Saul to send a young man to get Saul’s spear.  He still did not go into the camp to return it.  If our enemies make promises of peace to us today, that doesn't mean we are to let our guard down and move into their camp.  Verse twenty-three continues, The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’s anointed.  David said that God would deliver to every man his righteousness, and that God had delivered Saul into his hand that day, but he would not put forth his hand against God's anointed.  Today, even if we have an opportunity to physically destroy our enemies, that doesn't mean that we should, even if it seems that God put us in that position.  Verse twenty-four says, And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.  David said just as he delivered Saul from death that day, he would ask that God deliver him from all his tribulations as well, and most of David's tribulations were caused by Saul.  Ultimately,  we can only place the outcome of our tribulations in God's hands.  Verse twenty-five adds, Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.  Saul then asked that David be blessed and said that he would do great things and prevail.  Of course, this was the source of the problem to start with.  Saul thought David was going to take the kingship away from him and his family.  Of course, God had already done this, just as He has already taken His kingdom away from everyone who will not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord today.  Then, David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.  Though Saul had once again made promises, David did not just immediately return to fellowship with him.  Just because people make promises of peace with us as Christians today doesn't mean that we are to blindly put our life in their hands.  We may go on our way while they go on their's, but we cannot just accept their words of peace. 

1 Samuel 26:8

1 Samuel 26:8 says,Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.  Abishai asked David for permission to stab Saul through just once with his own spear.  He said that this would be justified because God had delivered Saul into David's hand.  This was the second time that God had placed David in a position where he could have easily killed Saul, and since David had already been anointed as the new king, it would have been easy to justify doing so.  Just because God places us in a position to do something doesn't mean that we are to do it.  Verse nine adds, And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?  David told Abishai not to kill Saul, because no one should put their hand forth against the Lord's anointed.  We as followers of Christ should never be out to destroy those that God has placed in positions of authority in His church today.  Verse ten continues, David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.  David said that God would be in charge of when and how Saul died.  If we believe that someone needs to be removed from their position in the church today, we need to be in prayer about the situation but leave it up to God to control when and how they are removed.  Verse eleven concludes, The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’s anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.  David said that the LORD prevented him from destroying the LORD’s anointed, and then told Abishai to take Saul’s spear and water and they would leave.  If we truly believe that someone needs to be removed from a position of authority in the church today, and Saul after all was the leader of God's chosen people, there is nothing wrong with letting them know that we think so and maybe even that we had the opportunity to make it happen had we chosen to do so.  Verse twelve states So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.  David took Saul’s spear and water and they left and they left undetected, because God had caused Saul and all his men to fall into a deep sleep.  We could contend that since God had done this that David should have killed Saul, but I believe that David was doing what he felt God was leading him to do.  We should never just take advantage of an opportunity, even if we believe that God has placed us in a position to do so without making sure that God wants us to do so.  Verse thirteen adds, Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:  David went to the top of a hill a great way off from Saul.  Verse fourteen declares, And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?   David called out to Abner then asking if he were not Abner, the head of Saul's army.  Abner asked who it was that cried out against the king.  He didn't recognize David’s voice, nor did he know that David had been in the camp next to Saul, whom Abner and Saul’s men should have been protecting.  If we call out to those in power today under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, they may not recognize who we are to be doing so.  Verse fifteen adds, And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. David then asked Abner if he wasn't a valiant man and then asked him why he hadn't protected the king from those who could destroy him.  I believe that David may have been taunting them at this point, and don't believe this is something we should ever do.  Of course, it would once again prove that David was not trying to destroy Saul.  Verse sixteen continues, This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.  David told Abner that he deserved to die, because he had not kept Saul safe, and he offered the evidence of where Saul’s spear and water were as proof.  As Christians, we should always be alert and ready to defend the gospel and God's people, but I believe we are too often asleep on the job.

1 Samuel 26:1

1 Samuel 26:1 says, And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?  The Ziphites once again came to Saul to tell him where David was.  They seemed to be intent on gaining favor with Saul, even though David had done nothing to harm them.  Matthew Henty says Saul might have been content to leave David alone if the Ziphites had not stirred his hatred of David up again.  Some people today are still willing to do all that they can to destroy Christians, even if Christians have never done anything to harm them.  They especially seem to be ready to do this if it will make them look better to those in power.  Verse two adds, Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. Once again, Saul took three thousand men in search of David in the wilderness of Ziph.  Saul seemed to have spent much of his time hunting David, who still had done nothing to attempt to harm him nor to replace him.  It seems that people of the world today spend a lot of time either trying to kill Christians or to at least limit their power, even if we have done nothing to harm them.  Verse three continues, And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.  Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah, but David was in the wilderness and saw him coming.  It is hard to move three thousand men without being seen, especially if you aren't trying to hide their movements.  If we are spiritually alert, the Holy Spirit will keep anyone from ever sneaking up on us to destroy us, but we must always be alert spiritually.  Verse four states, David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.  David sent out spies to see if this force was really Saul and his army.  Matthew Henry says that David wanted proof that Saul had so quickly forgotten his repentance for trying to kill him.  We are always better off getting proof of the facts than we are if we just make assumptions.  Verse five adds, And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.  David came to where Saul was, and got close enough to see him and Abner the captain of Saul's band lying in a ditch, even though they were surrounded by troops.  I believe this was possible because God was with David.  God is still with us today, and at times will lead us to do what seems impossible.  Verse six says, Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.  David then asked Abimelech and Abishai who would go with him into Saul’s camp.  This could be a very dangerous thing to do, but Abishai said he would go.  We need to be ready to go into what may seem to be a dangerous situation to support our fellow Christians, as long as we know that God is behind what they are doing.  Fear for our own safety should never hold us back.  Verse seven adds, So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.  David and Abishai came into Saul’s camp at night, when Saul was asleep with his spear in the ground nearby.  Abner and the rest of Saul's troops were asleep, even though we would assume that someone should have been on guard.  Spiritually speaking, the enemies of God are always going to be sleeping, but we as followers of Christ must always be spiritually alert.  

1 Samuel 25;39

1Samuei 25:39 says, And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.  After David heard that Nubul was dead, he gave thanks to the LORD for keeping him from doing evil.  I don't believe that God is going to destroy our enemies just to keep us from doing evil, but I do believe that if our enemies that we may have been thinking about doing evil to are destroyed that we should praise God for it.  David then communed with Abigail to take her as his wife.  She had helped David and evidently had impressed him.  Verse forty adds, And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.  Though it said David communed with her, he sent his servants to tell her his plan to marry her.  Matthew Henry says that his affairs may have kept David from being able to come himself.   Verse forty-one continues, And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.  Instead of going to David to become his wife, she at first humbled herself before his servants and asked that she be allowed to be his servant.  She certainly had not planned to end up being David’s wife when she helped him, but had helped him to benefit Nabal as well as David.   We need to be humble in our attitude about ourselves today as well, and do things that will benefit others instead of just us.  Verse forty-two states, And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.  After the messengers left, Abigail hurried after them with her damsels, or maids I would assume, and became David’s wife.  Of course,  David was married to Saul's daughter, who loved him, so I am not sure how he was able to justify marrying someone else, but the next verses do shed some light on this.   I do know that God's plan is never for us to be married to two people at a time, even if it did happen in the Old Testament.  Verse forty-three adds, David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.  David not only married Abigail, but he married Abinoam as well.  So, as we see, David no problem marrying more than one woman at a time, though he was known as a man after God's own heart and I know this was never God's plan for marriage.  As followers of Christ, it is possible for us to still sin, but if we do, we should never attempt to justify it as God's will.  Verse forty-four continues, But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.  As far as Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, Saul had already given her to Phalti to be his wife.  Michal is the overlooked one in this story I believe.  She loved David and had saved him from her father, and now David was married to someone else and so was she, but I don't believe that it was by her choice.  Sometimes, we a Christians may get caught up in the actions of others that will affect us and have little say in the matter.  At such times, we simply need to remain true to God.