Day 109 —  We have been reading the Bible daily for almost a third of the year. What have you learned about God? About yourself?

   Day 109 – 1 Samuel 28 – 31, Psalm 18 (Ending 1 Samuel, King Saul, and David’s persecution. David’s song)

 1 Samuel 28 tells of the Philistines gathering to war against Israel and Saul in a panic. Since his failure to kill the Amalekite king and God “tearing” the kingdom from him (and no repentance) Saul has been like King Ludwig – mad.  Now, faced with a huge attack, he tries everything he can to learn what he should do.  But God is silent.

Compounding sin on sin, Saul meets with a Medium (witch) at Endor. (Israel was supposed to have killed all of them, but again, they didn’t complete that order.) He tells her to call up Samuel so he can get “some word from the LORD.”  She obeys, but instead of the regular evil spirit she is used to, Samuel actually does appear and she screams in terror.

Saul asks what he should do. Samuel basically tells the king that it is too late. He and all his sons are to die that very day, and Israel will go into the hands of the Philistines.  He is terrified and later goes away into the night.

1 Samuel 29 tells of King Achish preparing to battle Israel and enlisting his “favorite Israelite bodyguard,” David, to help him in battle. But his commanders refuse to take a “spy” with them, so David and his 600 men are set back to Ziklag.

1 Samuel 30 tells of David’s shock when he and his men arrive “home” to find that the Amalekites (whom Saul was supposed to have killed) had come, burned the city, looted, and taken all their wives and kids captive. His men are about to mutiny, but David “strengthens himself in the LORD his God.” He goes to the priest to inquire what he should do and is told to pursue and overtake the marauders.  Two hundred of his men are too exhausted to fight, so they stay “with the baggage.” 

David finds an Egyptian lying by the roadside who had served the Amalekites, but been left behind. He promises to lead David to him if he spares his life.  And so David and his 400 men defeat the Amalekites, take back their families, their own things, and lots of other loot.  There is a squabble about the “baggage men” also getting loot, but David quashes that and says everyone shares in the spoils of war. 

1 Samuel 31, the last chapter, tells about Saul going to battle, taking heavy losses from the Philistines, and how all three of his sons – including Jonathan – are killed. King Saul is cornered and an arrow badly wounds him.  He begs his armor bearer to finish him off, but the fellow refuses, so Saul kills himself. Then the armor bearer, no doubt fearing he will be blamed for killing the king, also kills himself. 

Later, the Philistines find their bodies and take them as trophies of the battle, putting Saul’s head in the temple of Dagon, their god, and hanging all the bodies on the wall. But some valiant Israelite men came at night, took down the bodies, burned them, and buried the bones.

What a sad ending to Israel’s first king, and the nation as a whole. 

Psalm 18 is a psalm of praise for God’s love, care, protection, and reward.

Verse 1-3: 
I love you, O LORD, my strength. 
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised.
And I am saved from my enemies. 

Verse 6:
In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From His temple He heard my voice,
and my cry to Him reached his ears.

Verse 17: 
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.

Verse 28: 
For it is you who light my lamp;
the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

Verse 30: 
This God - His way is perfect:
The word of the LORD proves true;
He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.

Verse 46: 
The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation.