Over opinionated with Josh Scott
Thank you for your time. Please enjoy and if you like the podcast feel free to check out my other episodes listed on my page. God Bless you All.
- Josh Scott, Host of Over Opinionated.
Over opinionated with Josh Scott
THE WITCH OF ENDOR: (Life of David PT 5.) #99
We trace David’s narrow path between justice and restraint as Abigail’s wisdom averts bloodshed, Saul’s jealousy returns, and a desperate king seeks answers in the dark at Endor. The thread is conscience under pressure and how God uses ordinary courage to steady future kings.
• mourning Samuel and a somber reflection on public violence
• Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer to frame the study
• Nabal’s insult, David’s anger, Abigail’s wise intervention
• mercy chosen over vengeance and Nabal’s sudden judgment
• David’s marriages and a candid look at polygamy in Scripture
• Saul’s renewed pursuit and David’s second act of restraint
• refuge in Philistia, difficult raids, and covenant context
• Saul at Endor, the voice of judgment, and spiritual drift
• closing with gratitude through the Doxology
Welcome back to Overopinionated. We're going to pick it up in the Life of David series part five. Um before we get into the main part of the episode, um, you know, um, I just want to say um let's keep the two National Guards um people in our prayers and their families as they were killed outside of the White House in Washington DC. They were our fellow Appalachians, they are our fellow Americans, and made in God's image. And uh breaks my heart. We gotta stop seeing this violence. Um, it's making us numb. There's a sa these assassinations, these school shootings, these it's gotta end. I I want it to end. I I know there's no complete answer. I know it's a heart problem, but uh a good way to um at least put the fear of of God into some of these evil people would be to um to swiftly and quickly execute execute the justice of God. Um they still get a fair trial, they have that right. But we need to do what Romans 13 says. The government does not bear the sword and vain. And that's something that's you know, I've struggled with the death penalty, I really have. Um, I think I'll I may one day do a small podcast video. And I was never really convinced of the arguments from the old testament because and I I never found them super convincing because yes, God enacted his authority and enacted the death penalty in the old testament, but I never saw the prescription in the new until a friend pointed it out in Romans 13. That God the so the um government does not bear the sword in vain. It's pretty convincing to me. The old testament wasn't. Um it's not that the old testament's not important, it it is, but we are under the new covenant, and things are a little different under the new covenant, and I understand Jesus didn't come to abolish the law but fulfill it. But there are certain laws that we don't have to obey. Um, you know, dietary laws. The there I I've fallen to the camp of uh I fall into the camp of breaking down the law into three parts. The moral law, which we uphold, the civil law and the ceremonial law, the civil law we wouldn't have to uphold, and the ceremonial law. I'm sorry, not the civil law, forgive me. And so it's moral, cultural, and ceremonial. We would not have to follow the cultural ceremonial laws. There are some laws only for Jewish people, not for us Gentiles. There are some laws that were just cultural, um some laws that were ceremonial with the temple and other rituals, and then there's the moral law, but all nations are required to uphold the moral law still today. But um, that's just my commentary on that. It's heartbreaking. I hope everyone's having a good Thanksgiving weekend. Uh is the time I record. It is Friday after Thanksgiving in 2025, the year of our Lord. But let's get on to the podcast. I'm gonna say the Lord's Prayer. I'm gonna say the Apostles' Creed, then the Lord's Prayer, then we're gonna get back into the life of David. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his son, our Lord, which was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he arose from the dead. He ascends into heaven, set up at the right hand of the God the Father Almighty, from hence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body and life as everlasting. Amen. Remember, as always, hell is commonly interpreted as as just the grave, and the Holy Catholic Church means the universal church, not the Roman Popist Church. Let's say the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not in temptation, deliver us from the evil one. Divine is the kingdom, the power, and glory. Forever and ever. Amen. So last time it's been about over a little bit of a month ago since we've done the Life of David series. We're going to keep going in that. So the Life of David, this will be part five, I'm pretty sure. Um, last week we talked about uh last week we talked about King David sparing King Saul's life. Um sorry, the last time we talked about King David, we talked about King David sparing King Saul's life in the cave as he went to relieve himself and and he cut off his robe and showed him he spared his life. Then we go into chapter 25. And like last time, I am going to be following along, and we are going to be listening to it in the King James Version of the Bible from the copyright copyright free edition, so I can uh um so I can just pause and add my commentary and make it move quicker and more smooth. I'm gonna be following along in my Bible that my wife bought me a couple years ago. So, um, and we're gonna start first Samuel chapter 25.
SPEAKER_00:Chapter 25. And Samuel died, and all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Peran. And there was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
SPEAKER_01:I just want to pause there. So we see Samuel has passed away, and they um they bury him in his hometown. The people come and mourn, a great prophet is of Israel, and then we move on to the next story. It's just kind of a side note, really, uh, Samuel's death, but this would have been definitely a big thing in Israel. He was basically God's arbiter, as God was serving as king for a long time through Samuel.
SPEAKER_00:Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail, and she was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance. But the man was churlish and evil in his doings, and he was of the house of Caleb.
SPEAKER_01:So we have we have um Nabal and his wife Abigail, who was beautiful and smart, very well of understanding, but the man his he was not charitable. He was the Bible calls him an evil man in all his doings, and he was the house of Caleb. So we have a beautiful wife and kind of a hateful husband.
SPEAKER_00:And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel and go to Nabal and greet him in my name, and thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity. Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. And none of I have heard that thou hast here, and none of thy shepherds which were with us, we heard them not. Neither was their own listening unto them all the while they were in common. Wherefore, let the young men find favour in thine eyes, but we come in a good day. Give and pray thee whatsoever cometh to thine men unto thy servants, and to thy son David. And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David and ceased. And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There have been many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be? So David's young men turned their way and went again and came and told him all those sayings.
SPEAKER_01:So we see Naemel, just being a jerk. David David's men and him is asking for some, you know, reprieve, refreshments, fruit, food in return. He's going to help take care of his sheep. And um and he's just not having it. He's just not having it all. He is upset, he is mad, he cannot stand David or his men, and he will not be generous, he will not share his food when and David is on the run. And we see that David becomes very bitterly angry.
SPEAKER_00:And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword, and they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword, and there went up unto David about four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the stuff. But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabel's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute on the monster, and he railed on them. But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything as long as we were confident with them when we were in the fields. They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore, know and consider what thou wilt do. For evil is determined against our master and against all his household, for he is such a son of Belial that a man cannot speak to him.
SPEAKER_01:So David's pissed, and he is going to go to kill Nabal and his men. While he is guarding their sheep, he says, I'm helping you with your sheep, and you won't feed my men. I want to notice a few things. David did not pray to God in this. We don't see David praying. We don't see him counseling God. We just see his him his anger and his warrior nature taking over. And Nabel is I I could be mispronouncing his name. Nabal is being a jerk. He won't feed David or his men. David is exhausted spiritually and physically, emotionally, and his men on the run from Saul. He's helping him guard his sheep. And uh it's not a good sight. David is going to kill Nabal and his men. He is tired of dealing with him. He's just going to end it. Um and then we see Abigail being the wise woman that she is, take action. Um, and let's start back.
SPEAKER_00:Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two bottles of wine and five sheep ready dressed and five measures of parched corn and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them onces. And she said unto her servant, Go on before me. Behold, I come unto you. But she told not her husband neighbor. And it wasn't a word she rode on the end, but she came down by the covet of the hill. And behold, David and his men came down against him. And he met them. Now David had said, surely in vain had I kept all that this fellow had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him. And he hath requited me evil for good. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave up all that pertain to him by the morning light in me that fitteth against the wall. Upon the game of Lord David, he hated and lighted upon the end, and fell before David on his face, and bowed himself to the ground, and fell his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me, let this iniquity be, and let thine handmaid I pray thee speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not, my lord, I pray thee, regardless man of being or even Mabel. But I thy handmaid, no, not the young man of my lord, and not his men. Not therefore my lord, and the Lord liveth and thyroid liveth. The Lord hath with hold of thee from coming to my blood and from avenging myself with thine own hand. Now let thine enemies and they that be evil to my lord, be as needed. Now let blessing with mine handmade that brought unto my lord. Let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. I pray thee, forgive the treatments of mine handmade. For the Lord will surely make my lord a human house, because my lord lighted the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all my days. Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to speak like so. But the soul of my lord shall be found in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God, and the souls of thine enemies, then shall he fling out as out of the middle of the clean. And it shall come to pass, and the Lord shall have done to my Lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel, that this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offense of heart unto my lord. Either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself. But when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.
SPEAKER_01:So Abakal goes to King David. Um she's she's like, Well, I have to save my husband and his men, people I love from being slaughtered by David, um, because my husband's being a jerk and won't feed David's uh men or himself, and um Um just reminds me, how many times have you seen two men super angry at each other over anything and just they are yelling and they're they're getting ready to go fisticuffs. And then a woman, uh huh, a wife of one of the husbands steps in and makes peace. She knows her husband's a little hot-tempered. She goes in, she tries to make peace. Or she, you know, just in general, the women are the are being the more wise people. Men can have a bad I know women fight, I get that. I I know that girls have had some brawls themselves before. But men can be hotheads. Women can be stubborn and scornful. But I mean, men can be stubborn and scornful, but in a different way. But you know what I mean. Generally speaking, men are more hotheads than women. Not all the time, but generally speaking, that's just true. And the wise, beautiful Abigail went to King David and pleaded with her husband. Um and then, um, so we're gonna just continue.
SPEAKER_00:And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me, and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. For in very deed as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst tasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light enemy that fitteth against the wall. So David received of her hand that which he had brought him, and said unto her, Go up and feast to thine house. See, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. And then the gale came to Nabal.
SPEAKER_01:So David accepts her plea and does not go and destroy her husband.
SPEAKER_00:And behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken. Wherefore she told him nothing less or more until the morning light. But it came to pass in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And it came to pass about ten days after that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
SPEAKER_01:And when David heard that Nabal So we see Abigail coming and telling Abel what happened, and Nabal doesn't get off the hook here. He's drunk, and when he sobers up, she tells him. And it says his heart died within them. And uh people speculate that it could have either been a stroke that affects your heart or a heart attack. And then it clarifies that God later um took his life. So this is a judgment upon him that this is not okay. You treated David, my servant, harshly and his men. It could have led to bloodshed and he God uh judged him for it. Um God can use natural means for judgment. That doesn't mean if you die of a heart attack or stroke, that God is judging you, it could just be nature. But God does sometimes use nature, and we see that all throughout scripture.
SPEAKER_00: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. And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to come and they take unto him, saying, David sent him to thee to take thee to him to wife. And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth and said, Behold, let thine handmade thee a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord. And Abigail hated him and arose and rode upon him, and with five damsels of hers that went on to her. And she went on to the messengers of David and became his wife. David also took Ahinawam of Jezreel, and they were also both of them his wives. But Saul had given Michael his daughter, David's wife, to Faltai, the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
SPEAKER_01:So that's the end of chapter. That's the end of chapter 25. Um I just want to comment. So we see David marrying Abigail, he's so impressed with her, and she becomes his third wife. I want to make a comment, and this is not popular in evangelical Christianity, and uh well, just Christianity in general. And um, you know, we see evangelicals say this all the time that marriage is between one man and one wife. I believe a hundred percent with my heart that that is God's perfect will, that that would be what a marriage is between one man and one wife. If I was a legislature, I would never legalize polygamy to being a legitimate marriage, with very, very few exceptions, and I'll tell you the exceptions. But um, I never see in the Bible where God condemns polygamy. Polygamy is a sin outside of Deuteronomy 17. In Deuteronomy 17, it says that kings should not um kings should not multiply their wives because it could corrupt their hearts. And this is God warning against the kings making political um He's make they're making political marriages. And we see David and we see uh Solomon fall in this. That was a sin. They should not have done that. Um doesn't mean that the marriage was in legitimate, but it means that they shouldn't have done it. Okay, so Deuteronomy 1717, neither shall he multiply wives to him that his heart turn away, neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver or gold. So that's Deuteronomy for kings, he's referring to the kings. But I never see a con condemnation for just a normal man getting married to one woman. We see every time in the Bible it's mentioned it's brought up with hardship, King Solomon, King David. Um we s it's never mentioned as a good thing because it's not God's w perfect will, but I do believe it is God's permissive will. And um let me make this argument. What if you were you lived in the Middle East or Northern Africa in parts of the world that still practice polygamy, and before you came to the faith, you um before you bec became a Christian, you had three or four wives. Some Christians would say, well, you leave, you just stick with the first wife that you married. Okay? But what if your their income, their livelihood? Do you abandon your other wives? And I I don't think that's good. I don't think that's true. I don't think that's what Christ would want them to do. Um now would this qualify you from being an elder? An elder is a man of one a a one-woman man, as the Bible says. And people argue, does that mean you if you've been married and divorced before, you can't be a pastor? Or I don't interpret it that way, but I see why some people do. I really do see it as a prohibition against plumegamy being a pastor. But um, I just want to read you something here in Roman I'm sorry, in 1 Corinthians 7. So if you read 1 Corinthians 7, it's all about marriage. And I'm gonna go to a passage that talks just a little bit about circumcision, and he's just using it to draw an illustration. Um so verse seven so 1 Corinthians 7 and uh 17, but I'm gonna keep reading from there. But as God hath distraught to every man as the Lord carry called every one, so let him walk and ordain I in all the churches. Is any man being circumcised? Let him be uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? Let him be in uncircumcision. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandment of God. So let every man abide in the same calling well where bees he is called. Art thou being called a servant, care not for it, but if thou mayest be made free, use it rever. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant of the Lord's free man, likewise also that is being called free. Is Christ's servant? Ye are brought with a priest, not yet ye servants of men. Brothers uh brethren, let every man whoever he is called abide in the call abide with God. Forgive me, I'm being got a little choked. I I necessarily I don't really think polygamy in itself is a sin. I think you have to buy obey the laws of the land. In America, you can only marry one person. Unfortunately, you can marry someone of the same sex here, but but not God's word. God's word says um marriages between a man and a woman. Um but um I don't think it's God's perfect will. Um, you know, God created Adam and Eve, one man and one woman. Jesus said let um a husband cling to his wife. He doesn't condemn polygamy, but it's um and you can't be a pastor and and be a polygamous. And uh if you're a king, you're not supposed to have uh keep marrying before you're king. Yeah, you can marry before you're king, but you're not supposed to marry after you're a king. Um multiplying your wives. Um that's what's wrong. It's David and Solomon both did that and they shouldn't have. But um so that's what we see here. And um, so that's my case for polemagamy not necessarily being um a sin, although it's not God's perfect will. I would never advise it if I become a pastor, I would never authorize the marriage, even if America legalized it. I just want to clarify, I don't think it's necessarily a sin. And people that get saved after they have uh multiple wives in Africa, Middle East, I don't think they should abandon their wives. I think they should love each of them the best way they can. And also I uh so my few exceptions, if I was the Supreme Dictator of the United States of America, which I'm not to many's um delight. But um my only few exceptions I would make to this rule is if someone was immigrating from another country and they already had multiple wives, um, I would probably let them in, but I wouldn't let them marry anymore. Um also a very, very rare thing that would almost never happen. Uh just been thinking of it here recently because the Bible there's an instance where a conjoined twin, one of them was married, um, to a man. But I mean, I think in that situation you'd probably allow polygamy. It would be considered polygamy because there's still two different people just with one conjoined body. That's a little weird. Um, a little little different, but it happens. It doesn't happen a lot. I've never seen it. The majority of people listening to this podcast have never seen it. But those would be the two circumstances I would allow it. But like the whole Mormon crap and um well Mormonism is a heresy by itself anyway. But Joseph Smith getting these revelations that he could marry. Now I know I know the LDS Church today condemns plu pol polemigamy. Um a lot of that was political, so they could become a a state in the United States, Utah. That's beside the point. But yeah, I mean that's just a false religion altogether. Mormonism is. Um and I don't trust Joseph Smith's. All he's a he's a false prophet, uh heretic that has led many to hell. Um, so no, I d I'm not okay with the Mormon p plural marriage, is as they called it. Um, the FLDS, the the fundamentalist Latter-day Saint Mormons still practice this to this day. Um, they have one legal wife and then they have several other wives. The leader of that church is now in prison for um for messing with girls, you know, girls that he made his quote unquote wife. Yeah, that's not what I'm talking about. All I'm saying is I don't think God outright condemns plummet per uh, I'm I'm mispronouncing it. God does not outright uh condemn having multiple wives, but it is not his perfect will, and we shouldn't do it. But if someone already had wives before they are married, I don't think they should abandon them. I think that would be wrong. So I'm gonna keep going. This is 1 Samuel chapter 26. Now that I talked about that bombshell, hopefully, um you won't call me a heretic and say I'm um bad on traditional marriage or whatever, that's not the case. But I just want to add some nuance there because sometimes the Bible takes us places that go against our preconceived notions and denominational beliefs. So this is chapter twenty-six.
SPEAKER_00:Chapter twenty-six. And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hakailah, which is before Jeshimon? 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. And Saul pitched in the hill of Hakkailah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies and understood that Saul was coming very deed. 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 Nur, the captain of his host. And Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. 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. 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. 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 a spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not. For who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? 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. 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 cruise of water, and let us go. So David took the spear and the cruise 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. Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of an hill afar off a great space being between them, and David cried to the people and to Abner the son of Nur, saying, Answerest thou not Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant men? 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. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to duny, because ye have not kept your monster the Lord's anointed. And none see where the king's spear is, and the cruise of water that was at his bolster. And Saul knew David's voice and said, Is this my voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in mine hand? 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. Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. 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. And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear, and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. The Lord rendered to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord delivered thee into my hand today, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed. 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. 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.
SPEAKER_01:So that's the end of chapter 26. So we see King Saul trying to kill King David again. He's pursuing him. And and I I really do think that Saul has this grief that he's been doing this. It's kind of like when we struggle with a particular sin and we repeat it. Except it's just extreme, and um this version. It's it's so extreme. But King David does not touch him. He respects God's anointed. He respects um the position that God has gave him. So he spares his life a second time. We're gonna go on to chapter twenty-seven.
SPEAKER_00:Chapter twenty-seven. 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. And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Akish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahino and the Jezreelitis, and Abigail the Carnamelitis, Nabel's wife. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, and he sought no more again for him. And David said unto Akish, 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? Then Akish gave him Ziklag that day, wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. 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. And David smote the land and left neither men 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 Akish. And Akish said, Whither have ye made a road today? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jeramilites, and against the south of the Kenites. And David saved neither men 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. And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant forever.
SPEAKER_01:So here we see King David goes ahead and smites the Malachites and the Jezreites and kills all of them, uh all the children, all the livestock, that they are a nuisance upon God, um, upon the land of Israel. He's not the king, but he's doing more for the kingdom than the king himself is right now. He's the next king, but he's not the current reigning king. And uh and this parallels to where Saul would not kill everyone, he wouldn't do what God told him to do. And we see God, we see David serving God in a better way, and we see David being God's warrior. Now, every time we read these things, it gets hard, but we have to understand that um that God the Father is protecting the butt bloodline for God the Son for there to be a Jewish Messiah. And these people are a wicked people that are plaguing Israel and God's chosen people. We also live in the new covenant where we fight with words in our prayers and evangelism. So if any Christian said, God told me to go destroy and kill all these people, we know that they're wrong. We can go to the words of Jesus and say, Listen. That's not what he told the disciples. He said, Go forth and make um disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and then the name of the Holy Spirit. So we know better. We know that's not right. But we live in the new covenant, so we need to understand this when we read these passages, and they're still tough passages, okay? It's still tough for me to read some of this, okay? But we gotta understand that God's in control, and this is his old covenant. And I know atheists would jump up and down and say, So you all are just like uh the old testament Christianity, old testament Judaism is just modern day Al-Qaeda or whatever. Except they actually had God on their side, and Al-Qaeda doesn't. Except we live in the New Testament grace. Um they serve a false God. Oh, Allah and Christians and Muslims believe in the same God. No, we don't. They reject the Trinity. We do not have the same God. Their God is not Jesus Christ, mine is. And yes, I understand that Allah means God in Arabic. I understand that. But the God of the Quran is not the God of the Bible. It's just not. They might claim, we may all claim to worship the same God, but in reality, I would make the argument that we don't. So, we're gonna go to chapter twenty-eight to finish up on chapter twenty-eight. Try to do four chapters at a time. So, give me one second. Forgive me for the unprofessionalism, but thank you for bearing with me.
SPEAKER_00:And David said to Akish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Akish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head forever. Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Rhema, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land. And the Philistines gathered themselves together and came and fetched in Shunim. And Saul gathered all Israel together, and they fetched in Gilboa. And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servant said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself and put on other raiment, and he went and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night, and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut among those that have familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land. Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life to cause me to die? And Saul swear to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, I want to pause there. So Saul bans witchcraft in the area. It's basically what this is. He goes to a median that says that she can talk to the dead, and the woman's afraid because she doesn't want to be put to death. And then then Saul reveals, hey, it's me myself. So he's being a hypocrite. He is breaking his own decree and law. And he's doing this because he c can't hear from God anymore. Samuel is dead, and even before Samuel died, he departed from Saul and was so disappointed and brokenhearted in Saul and his sins. And um Saul is just losing it. He can't hear from God, he wants a word. There's a battle afoot. Now the next passage is debated. If this was actually Samuel's spirit or not, or if it was demonic. I probably lean along the lines that this is probably Samuel's spirit emerging from what is referred as Abraham's bosom and shool. Remember, the Old Testament saints, this is my belief, the Old Testament saints didn't when they died, did they they did not automatically go to heaven. They went to a place in Sheal, which is very much like hell, but isn't hell itself yet. We'll get to that. They went to a place called Abraham's bosom. Abraham's bosom was a place where the Old Testament saints waited. They weren't burning, they were at peace until Jesus died and resurrected. And then when Christ resurrected, we have a lot of the Old Testament saints who were resurrected. Um and they went to heaven. That's my personal belief. You can disagree with it. And uh Sheol was divided between Abraham's bosom and torment. Those who went to turn torment um on the last day, I my personal belief will go to hell, and those who well will go to the lake of fire, which is referred to as hell, and those um that were in Abraham Abraham's bosom is now empty. So they the old testament saints are in heaven, and we when we die, we go straight to heaven. I don't I don't believe that they're we go to shool any longer. I know a friend I have a friend that does. I I just think he's wrong. I think Christ went to death in hell, has the keys of hell in his hands. Um one of Peter's um epistles uh uh I think really imply that Christ went to Sheol when he died and uh um rescued Abraham's bosom. Now you can debate did Christ save anyone that was in Sheol? Did he preach to them? I don't know. Don't know. Just the Bible doesn't say um that's why in the Apostles' Creed it says buried went to hell. Some people think that means the grave. So that's why I always say it. But I really do believe that Christ went to Sheal when he died. Remember, when the thief on the cross died, uh asked Jesus for forgiveness. Jesus said, Surely you'll be today with me in paradise. It does not say heaven. And the reason they called Abraham's bosom paradise is because what was on the other side of Abraham's bosom, which was eternal conscious torment. Um, so it's not purgatory, not the same thing at all. Um, because this was just the waiting room to go into heaven. Christ had not shed his blood yet, but they were saved in him, and then Christ allowed them to go to heaven. My personal belief, I could be wrong, but we see um Samuel come up from the ground, where um where we kind of believe Sheol was, um was from the earth. I don't understand it all. But I don't have to. Some people say that this is a ghost of Samuel, like like a Casper the friendly ghost. I don't believe in that type of ghost. I don't see it in the Bible, and outside this passage, you can't make that argument. And even in this passage, it's either Samuel's soul from Sheol, Abraham's bosom, or it's either Samuel's or it's either a demonic spirit pretending to be Samuel. Now I'll be honest with you. Most of the time things that we believe are ghosts are demons. I really believe that. Well, yeah, but it looks like my grandma. Yeah, okay, but they're familiar spirits. Demons can attach themselves to families. And my it may say some nice things as your grandma now, but it's gonna open you up into some more dark and dark stuff, and you try you try to communicate with the dead. Why are things frightening to you? Why are things um spiritually bad? My personal belief, I do not believe in a Casper ghost. Used to be a saying that there ain't no ghost but the Holy Ghost. And uh man, I can't go into that because that would even drag it out even further uh about what um the word ghost, just meaning what we properly translate today is spirit, not the same thing as someone that had died. But I'm gonna keep plain and let let you hear uh um the rest of this chapter.
SPEAKER_00:And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid, for what sowest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw God ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it wasn't Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up? And Saul An said, I am so distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and hunts with me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord has departed from thee and is become thine enemy. And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by me. For the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand and given it to thine neighbor, even to David. Because thou obeyest not the voice of the Lord, nor executest his fierce run upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover, the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow shall Baba and thy sons be with me. The Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel, and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night. And the woman came unto Saul and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee, and eat that thou mayest have strength when thou blowest on thy way. But he refused and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him, and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth and sat upon the bed. And the woman had a fat calf in the house, and she hasted and killed it, and took flour and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof, and she brought it before Saul and before his servants, and they did eat. Then they rose up and went away that night. Chapter 28.
SPEAKER_01:So that was chapter twenty-eight. And we're gonna stop there. That's four chapters. We're coming up on the hour mark. Um my reason I believe that this was actually Saul, um uh I mean Samuel, is because it it rightfully predicts what has happened to Saul. Um and uh it shows how far God has um how far um Saul uh Saul has departed from God. Interesting chapter, definitely deserves a a better recap than what I've just gave it. But I want to give you the life of David, and um I can't break down everything, but I'm trying my best to be as faithful as possible. So I want to read to you guys. I want to read to you guys a um a song that's called The Doxology, and it it's really important to my heart. And it's a very old song that all denominations use. It's also a prayer, and there are several versions of it. And I want to read it. I think it's important for Thanksgiving. We're not gonna have a Bible verse of the day. We read four chapters. Pick one of those verses for your verse of the day. So I'm gonna say the song, the doxology. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise him, all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Praise God the Father, God the Son, praise God the Spirit, the free and one, from age to age, forever blessed. Praise God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen. God bless you all. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving weekend, and we will be back shortly.
