1 Samuel 24:1-25:44, John 10:22-42, Psalm 116:1-19, Proverbs 15:20-21
Today is the 19th day of May, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today, what a joy, we can gather like this, every day around the Global Campfire. No matter what’s going on: up or down. No matter what kind of experiences we are having: high or low. There’s a place for us and the Scriptures are here for us, to inform us and guide and counsel us. And so, it’s wonderful, truly, truly, wonderful to be here with you today, as we take the next step forward, which will lead us back into the book of first Samuel. And we have certainly covered a lot of ground in first Samuel and met some very, very key figures, not the least of which is the prophet Samuel but also Israel’s first King Saul, as well as the shepherd boy who killed the giant became a national hero, David. And then the intertwining of David and Saul’s lives. Saul, is so intimidated and threatened by David. Although, David is doing nothing to be intimidating or threatening. He’s trying to be a loyal servant to the king but the king has determined that David must die and he is gotten very erratic in his attempts to kill David. Samuel has anointed David as the next king, which certainly motivates Saul about his own family and his own dynasty. And so, Saul, basically feels like, he can’t rest, he can’t stop looking over his shoulder until David is not breathing and is no longer a part of his story. So, let’s see where this story leads us today, first Samuel chapters 24 and 25.
Commentary:
Okay so, as we continue our journey through first Samuel, one of the things that with like a little to no fanfare at all, the Bible simply tells us Samuel died. So, that happened today, the prophet Samuel, the final judge of Israel, the judge that would sort of transition the people into the monarchy, into the time of the kings, has died. Meanwhile, King Saul would like David to go ahead and be dead also. And he has heard news the David is hiding in the caves of En-gedi and so he gets 3,000 troops to follow him in pursuit of David, to locate him down at En-gedi. So, basically, En-gedi is still place and it can still be visited until this very day and there’s a beautiful little waterfall there and it’s a serene place, it’s in the middle of the desert. So, it’s freshwater in the desert, which is pretty hard to come by. En-gedi is like, I think 18 miles from Jerusalem. So, Jerusalem is like at a high point in elevation and its terrain and geography and just climate, very, very different than En-gedi, which is an 18-mile walk, pretty much all downhill, to the west of Jerusalem, down to the, basically, to the banks of the Dead Sea. And the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth in elevation; super arid, very much the desert out there. But there are caves all over that region. In fact, it’s not that far from En-gedi that we…we find the caves of say Qumran and Qumran is not in the Bible, but it’s where the Dead Sea Scrolls have been found and discovered and so there are caves all throughout the region. David’s hiding in a cave near En-gedi and we see some remarkable things happen. Every time I read the story, it’s like, it’s like a movie in my mind right. Saul, the king of Israel as 3,000 troops with him who are all men and they’re in the middle of the desert and the king needs to go to the bathroom. And he doesn’t need to just, you know, quickly take a pee, basically. The Bible says like, he needs a little bit of privacy. So, we can probably put two-and-two together, if we want to make a pun of this. And he is, you know, using the cave for some number two business. It just happens to be the same cave that David and some of his men are hiding in. And so, in my mind’s eye, anyway, that’s a pretty awkward situation, that you’re hiding and trying to be really, really quiet in the cave, while the king is doing his business, thinking that he’s alone. And of course, David’s men are like this is a sign from God, you, your enemy has been clearly delivered into your hand. Like, it couldn’t be any better than this or any easier than this. He’ll be dad before any of those 3,000 troops outside of the cave, even have a clue what is going on. It’s just the David won’t kill the king, even though the king wants to kill David, the king is the king. The king is the anointed one of God to lead the people, he’s not going to be the one to kill the King. But he is willing to cut off the edge of his robe and so, once Saul has finished whatever Saul is doing in the cave and leaves the cave, then David eventually gets up and steps over whatever Saul was doing and goes to the mouth of the cave, to call out King Saul, which he does. And it is in that moment, that Saul knows, he should be dead and that his life has been spared and that his life has been spared by someone he is trying to kill. So, if we haven’t started to notice yet and we probably have, but we should be noticing a clear contrast between the character of Saul and his disposition and that of David, who is very different. And first Samuel is leading us to begin to realize this, and if were looking for it, we will see it, continually. David’s character is very different than Saul’s character and we’re starting to notice it, as we read the story. But we also need to know that everybody starting to notice this, everybody’s who’s around David notices David’s character. So, is it a ruse, is he just faking it to try to stay alive? Or does he have deep and true character, like does he really not want Saul dead because he’s God’s anointed, or is this a manipulative move, right, to make himself the victim. Well, the people are figuring this out, just like we’re figuring this out, as we continue down this path in first Samuel. And so, if we haven’t noticed, in the story, the contrast between Saul and David, let’s begin to pay attention, as we continue the journey, because the people are watching and it’s profoundly important of the story that they are watching and we’ll see this develop in the coming days.
Prayer:
And so Father, we thank You for another day, another step forward, another chance to be together around the Global Campfire, another opportunity to see the next chapters in the stories that we are reading right now and we are seeing this contrast, we are seeing what a person who is profoundly afraid of people and deeply enmeshed in their own image, in how people perceive them. But we are also watching deep character in David, who knows that the King wants him dead, but who also knows You and is clinging to You for dear life. And so, we thank You for all that we’ve been able to learn in Saul’s life and David’s life until this point, as we look at our own lives. And we ask that this continue, that You continue to show us where paths lead and that You continue to show us what path we are on and that You continue to pull us forward on the narrow path, one that leads to life. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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That’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Good morning, Daily Audio Bible. I’m calling from Arizona; my name is Vicki. My story is that my husband passed away four years ago, my son passed away 4 and a half. And I am calling today because today is the day that my husband passed away. And you know, I just want to testify that God is good in the midst of everything that you have to walk through, that He will be there to hold your hand and He’ll make a way where there doesn’t seem to be a way. But also, that to testify that I need prayer, that, it’s not always easy and today is not one of my best days and I just really would covet your prayers. I’m just struggling, just struggling. So, it is like, I know God loves me and I know the truth and I’m clinging to the hem of His garment today, just like that woman needed healing. I just pray God would heal me from everything that needs to be healed. In Jesus name. Amen. Thank you, thank you. Amen.
Dear DAB family, it’s your sister Ashley from California. When God’s Yellow Flower called a few weeks ago and then recently while she was in the hospital about having the ox in the manger, producing an abundant crop, which Brian had talked about from Proverbs 14:4, it stuck with me. One thing that came to mind was almost every morning, I take out the trash. What a metaphor for my walk. Recently, the trials I had been encountering, seemed to be revealing the trash or crap in my heart. I get so discouraged by it but I remember what Susan said, that crap or trash, needs to be surrendered to God and put your, put the cross on top of that crap. He’s not afraid of getting His hands dirty. He can take the punch of our anger. He asks for our WHOLE heart. So, I’m giving this pep talk to myself, thanking Susan, God’s Precious Yellow Flower and Brian and hopefully encouraging anyone else out there. If you are exhausted, angry and feel like there’s trash that needs to be taken out, Jesus will come and collect. He can heal, He will give you rest, He can make beauty out of the ashes. Just come to Him for help and He will meet you. Susan, God’s Yellow Flower, I am praying for you, for your recovery from your surgery. God Bless you sister, then you for your in sight and wisdom and being such a faithful member of this community. Alright, DAB family, I love you, love your sister Ashley from California.
Hey DAB family, my name is David Robertson from Muphreysborough, Tennessee. I’ve been hanging around the Global Campfire for around the last 13 years. I was so inspired by Brian’s reading today of the book of John of the blind man that had been healed and it really gave me courage and inspiration to reach out to this community, to ask you if you would, please pray for me on battling blindness. I have an incurable eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa or RP and medical science says they can’t help me at all. And my vision is fading fast and before it’s going, going, gone, I’d love to reach out to this community, my tribe, my people, who love God and love the word of God, and ask you if you would kindly pray for me in agreement that Jesus would heal me. I sure do thank you and I promise I’ll get back on here and give a praise report after this happens, this miracle happens. Thank you so much.
Michigan, and if you would, I’d like you to pray with me for Hannah in the UK, who is suffering from anorexia nervosa. I want you to visualize everybody, sliding your hands under this little girl and lifting as I high as you can. We’re going to life her high up to our Lord, and when your arms get tired, others are gonna come round and they’re gonna hold our arms. And we’re gonna lift her up for as long as it takes so no evil can touch her and we’re gonna stand in the gap for her and her family and lift her up. I can’t imagine what their family is going through but we are going to raise this baby up to our Lord and I know He will hear our prayers. So, thank you family for praying with me. And let’s keep Hannah in our prayers and lift each other up as well. I love you all, bye.
Good morning Daily Bible Audio, this is Jesus calling from South Florida. I was listening to the podcast yesterday. I’m calling to pray for a sister that goes by the name of Alex Faith from Canada. My sister, I ask in supplication that I heard that you had prayed for a son who is going through difficult times. You were also praying for your husband. And I want to tell you with an open heart keep praying for your son. I was also, in my teenage years led stray by the ways of this world. Everybody rejected me and __ me and pushing me to my lonesome state. But it was one angel who always prayed for me and those prayers pulled me out of the dark holes and that’s the prayer of a mother. My mother never ceased praying. My mother was always there when everybody __. So, I want to tell you my sister, By the Faith from Canada, continue to pray. Pray over the life of your son, over the life of your husband, that in your home there will be peace, there will be healing in the name of Jesus. And the blood of Christ will cover every corner of your home, protecting you and guarding you. As you step into life and a brand-new day. My sister, Violent Faith from Canada, the Lord is with you. You are righteous women, you’re a mother and your prayers are powerful. So, I pray in this moment that the Holy Spirit would continue to move to everyone in your home that would bring your son to a place of peace. And that it would give your husband the leadership needed to guide his family. All things are possible with God, I am a witness of miracles. And that miracle happened.