1 Samuel 21-26 - Outline

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

September 28, 2012


 * 1 SAMUEL 21-26 - DAVID: FLEES FROM SAUL TO WILDERNESS*


 *1. 21:11 (21, ESV) DAVID: FLEES TO GATH. And the servants of Achish said
to him, ‘Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one
another of him in dances, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David
his ten thousands”’? *Fear struck David’s heart because of this statement,
and he fled again. What evil days You permitted to come upon David, Father!
But *this* is Your method of maturing a leader! *Hallowed be your :name!*


 *2. 22:2 (22:1-5) DAVID: THE BEGINNING OF HIS ARMY. “And everyone who was
in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in
soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with
him about four hundred men.” *This is not a very auspicious beginning: a
straggly rag-tag remnant of malcontents! But *You* were leading, Father! *Your
:kingdom come!*


 *3. 22:23 (22:6-23) DAVID: OCCASIONS DEATH OF 85 PRIESTS. “Stay with me;
do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you
shall be in safekeeping.” *Often when we serve You Father, and obey Your
leading; we occasion trouble for others. But *still* Romans 8:28 is in the
Bible! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!*


 *4. 23:4 (23) DAVID: PERSECUTION BY SAUL INTENSIFIED. “Then David inquired
of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, ‘Arise, go down to Keilah,
for I will give the Philistines into your hand.’” *Urim and Thummim in the
Ephod provided for Your guidance to David, Father! His trust was in *You
first*, not like Saul who seldom consulted you! O forgive us that we are
too much like Saul and too little like David! *Our :daily :bread Give us
this day.*


 *5. 24:6 (24) DAVID: SPARES SAUL THE FIRST TIME. “He said to his men, ‘The
LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to
put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed.’” *Did David
have provocation to take vengeance into his own hand? Yes. But he was a man
after Your own heart Father, and restrained himself. O strengthen us also
in the day of temptation, that we will yield only to *Your* will! *And
forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!*


 *6. 25:32-33 (25) DAVID: STORY OF NABAL AND ABIGAIL. And David said to
Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to
meet me! 33 Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept
me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand!” *Why
do we have so much trouble in the fleshly heat of taking vengeance into our
own hands, Father? And so often we self-righteously justify such carnal
action! O deliver us from the evil one who tempts us to take vengeance out
of *Your* hands! *And bring us not into temptation!*


 *7. 26:10-11a (26) DAVID: SPARES SAUL A SECOND TIME. And David said, “As
the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or
he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The LORD forbid that I should
put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.” *David consistently left
vengeance in *Your* hands, Father. He did *not* fight Your battles at his
own discretion. What a difficult lesson for the flesh to learn, that
Vengeance is *Yours*: *You* will repay, says Jehovah! *But deliver us from
the evil one!*


 *NOTE**: 23:6 (23) DAVID: RECEIVES THE EPHOD OF THE HIGH PRIEST. **“When
Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down
with an ephod in his hand.” **Here* was Your provision for David, Father:
the Urim and Thummim in the ephod for guidance (Proverbs 6:20-22).


 What lessons and applications can you find here in the life of David that *
you* can emulate? I can find a number for myself.


 David was not so proud that he could not associate with men of problems -
to form his first army. I pray daily - Father, set me *where* You will, and
*link me with whom You will*! Would I personally link myself with some with
whom *He* links me? No, I must confess I would not! But His wisdom is so
much greater than mine - that I like David, receive all with whom He would
link me! Then looking back - I can see His great wisdom!


 Note too - that when we obey God - others associated with us often suffer
temporarily. This is a great difficulty. David found it so! 85 priests died
because he, David, did what was right and necessary in God’s sight! But out
of that - one priest who fled to David for safety, brought with him the
High Priest’s Ephod, which contained the Urim and Thummim. Read Proverbs
6:20-22 to see the 3-fold blessing David obtained from the Ephod. Note in
the future history of David how consistently he called upon Abiathar to
receive guidance from the LORD!


 Then note how David spared the life of Saul his enemy on 2 occasions -
because *he* was the LORD’s anointed! So we as children should honor our
parents, even when at times they do us harm as Saul did to David!


 Ponder these and other truths you find in this lesson! – Jim Watt


 Our Psalm for the day: *147:19-20 HE HEALS THE BROKENHEARTED. “He declares
his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. 20 He has not dealt
thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the LORD!” *Here
is a picture of Your nature, Father! We marvel at Your character, Your
pleasure in creation and Your people! We marvel at Who and What You are!
You are altogether wonderful! *Hallowed be Your :Name!*



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