1 samuel 29 through 31

Read 1 Samuel 29 through 31 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for today’s chapters are:

1 Sam 29:1-3 {p} Achish’s 1st testimony of David’s faultlessness
1 Sam 29:4-5 {s} The lords of the Philistines reject David since he is the hero of Israel
1 Sam 29:6-7 {s} Achish’s 2nd testimony of David’s faultlessness + but he must depart
1 Sam 29:8-11 {p} David objects + Achish’s 3rd testimony of David’s faultlessness + but he must depart
1 Sam 30:1-6 {s} Amalekites burn Ziklag/ take wives + children captive/ David strengthened himself in the LORD
1 Sam 30:7-12 {s} The LORD assures David that he will prevail + they find an Egyptian in the pursuit
1 Sam 30:13-21 {s} The Egyptian showed them their camp + David attacked them and recovered all
1 Sam 30:22 {s} The wicked among David’s men did not want to share the spoil with the men left at the brook
1 Sam 30:23-24 {s} David: all shall share alike
1 Sam 30:25 {p} He made it an ordinance in Israel from that day forward
1 Sam 30:26-31 {p} David sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, who had been raided by the Amalekites
1 Sam 31:1-7 {p} The death of Saul and his sons + Philistines utterly defeat Israel
1 Sam 31:8-13 {p} The Philistines desecrate the bodies of Saul and his sons + the men of Jabesh Gilead recover them

The testimony of David’s own king, who listened to lies, was, He must die. The testimony of the Philistine king was, There is no fault in him. (This is a messianic prophecy of Messiah Yeshua. For when Yeshua was on trial before Pilate, it was Israel who demanded his death, while the Gentile ‘king’ Pilate, said, Why? What evil has He done? I find no fault in Him.) And this dichotomy highlights The Tale of Two Destinies:

Two men were called to be king over Israel. The first was confirmed in his kingship with little opposition. He had his people’s loyalty, especially of his most faithful servant, David. He lived in the reality of his confirmed kingship, but listened to and believed the fears spoken by the lies of the enemy. Thus the record of his kingship, is the record of his hunting David to kill him, even though the testimony of David’s friends and enemies alike, is, There is no fault in him.

The second received the anointing of king, and was opposed through many trials, living as an outlaw with no place to lay his head, even though the testimony of his friends and enemies alike, was, There is no fault in him. He did not live in the reality of his kingship–yet–but listened to and believed the promise spoken by the truth of the word of the LORD. Thus the record of his life rejected by his family, by Saul, by Israel, by the Philistines, and lastly, by his men, is, David strengthened himself in the LORD.

The first, who lived the reality, was ignobly defeated and desecrated. The second, who after many years was still waiting for the promise to come to pass, achieved victory after victory, and his enemies were not able to stand before him. No matter what the circumstances of our lives are loudly shouting to us, it is the word of the LORD which is true, and which is the only solid rock to stand on. It isn’t over until it is over!

The chiastic structure of the book of 1 Samuel highlights the wasted life of Saul in its central axis:

1a) 1 Sam 4:1-18:5, The glory departed from Israel, but Israel’s valiant men cover themselves with honor:

1) 1 Sam 4:1-22, Israel defeated before the Philistines + Death of Eli and sons + ark of the covenant taken;
2) 1 Sam 5:1-7:17, Ark in the land of the Philistines/ Israel returned to the LORD all the days of Samuel;
3) 1 Sam 8:1-18:5, The anointed king over Israel delivered Israel from her enemies (complex chiastic structure opens and closes with Saul and his victory over the Ammonites to save Jabesh Gilead, and David and his victory over Goliath to save Israel from the Philistines);

1b) 1 Sam 18:6-7, The women extol Saul and David/ David has slain his ten thousands;

1c) 1 Sam 18:8-9, Saul eyed David jealously from that day forward;

central axis) 1 Sam 18:10-26:22, Saul hunted David to kill him, but the LORD preserved him;

2c) 1 Sam 27:1-4, David dwelt with Achish, king of Gath (for Saul had rejected him); Saul sought him no more;

2b) 1 Sam 27:5-30:21, The Philistines remember that David was extolled in Israel (complex chiastic structure opens and closes with Ziklag as David’s home base among the Philistines);

2a) 1 Sam 31:1-13, The glory departed from Israel, but Israel’s valiant men cover themselves with honor:

1) 1 Sam 31:1-7, The death of Saul and his sons + Israel defeated before the Philistines;
2) 1 Sam 31:8-10, The Philistines display the bodies of Saul + his sons in the temple of their idols;
3) 1 Sam 31:11-13, The valiant men of Jabesh Gilead recover them + bury them in Israel.