[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 24
David delivers Saul from death...
This week’s story can be split into four mini sections...
David had prayed in Psalm 54 that the Lord would vindicate him and give him opportunity to prove to Saul that he wasn’t an outlaw or trying to kill him and take his throne.
God answered David’s prayer when Saul and his troops came to find him at EnGedi...
David’s temptation [Read 1 Sam. 24:1-4]
There were hundreds of caves around this area, but Saul “just happened” to chose this one to have a pee. What do you get from this?
What does Deut. 23:12-14 tell us?
So, if Saul is relieving himself, what does this mean?
How might David and his men be feeling at this point?
How are they feeling?
[Activity]> The men are sure that this is God’s way of fulfilling His promise to “give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish”... but when in 1 Samuel did God promise this?
The main question asked of David and the 600 was, “How does the Lord want us to use this occasion?” What was the possible “answers” to this question?
What did David do and why?
David’s conviction [Read 1 Sam. 24:5-7]
What does David remind his men?
David’s actions bothered him. They sent out three messages, what were they?
David’s vindication [1 Sam. 24: 8-15]
What does David call Saul and what does he do?
Why does he say/do this?
How does David use the piece of cut-off robe?
What is David talking about in verse 12?
What does the proverb that David quotes mean and how have you experienced this?
David’s affirmation [Read 1 Sam. 24: 16-22]
How does Saul respond to David?
In Saul’s speech, he acknowledges 3 levels of life... Divine / Human / Demonic. What do these “levels” look like and how do our characters fit into them?
Even though Saul had been chasing David, trying to kill him, spreading rumours about him and executing anyone who helps him... what do we see Saul admitting in this passage?
In this “humble” speech, what do we see is Saul’s main concern?
What does he finish by asking David to do?
Who does this remind you of?
Why is this such a concern?
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
1 Samuel 23
[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 23
“David the deliverer...”
David delivers Keilah from the Philistines [Read 1 Sam 23:1-6]
Keliah was a border town in Judah, about 12 miles away from the Philistine city of Gath and 10 miles from the forest of Hereth (where David was camping)...
What did being this close to the enemy mean for Keilah?
What does this vulnerability of attack for Keilah tell us about king Saul?
So, apparently David has got spies too... and they tell him about this trouble in Keilah. What could David have done? What does he do?
How do you make decisions and take actions in your life?
Once David found out what God wanted them to do, he took it to his men. How did they respond?
So, who or what was creating the problem here?
What has been your experience of “impossible” situations? How have you dealt with them?
David delivers himself and his men from Saul [1 Sam 23:7-29]
This second half of our story can be split into two mini sections...
Now that David was an outlaw, on the run with a price on his head, he needed to be careful. What dangers were about for David?
From Keilah to the wilderness of Ziph [Read 1 Sam 23: 7-18]
Here we see that David has spies too. What do they tell him?
Again, how could David have reacted to this news? How does he react?
What was David’s main worry?
Why might they do this?
Where does David go next? Who does he meet?
Why does Jonathan want to renew their covenant and go over their promises to each other again?
From Ziph to the wilderness of Maon [Read 1 Sam 23:19-29]
What do we see the Ziphites doing?
What does Saul do next?
What do we see David doing?
But, Saul followed David and these two armies met at “the rock” a mountain... one on one side and one on the other... chasing and running from each other on opposite sides...
They were getting closer to catching David, gaining ground. How? What happened next?
What happens next?
What does this show us?
To commemorate this event, the Jews called this place “Sela Hammahlekoth” = “the rock of parting” or closer to the original Hebrew = “a smooth rock” or “a slippery rock” = “the rock of slipping away.” What do you get from this?
[Activity]> These events in David’s life were what inspired him to write Psalm 54. Read and think about this story and how in light of what you know now... what stands out to you?
1 Samuel 23
“David the deliverer...”
David delivers Keilah from the Philistines [Read 1 Sam 23:1-6]
Keliah was a border town in Judah, about 12 miles away from the Philistine city of Gath and 10 miles from the forest of Hereth (where David was camping)...
What did being this close to the enemy mean for Keilah?
What does this vulnerability of attack for Keilah tell us about king Saul?
So, apparently David has got spies too... and they tell him about this trouble in Keilah. What could David have done? What does he do?
How do you make decisions and take actions in your life?
Once David found out what God wanted them to do, he took it to his men. How did they respond?
So, who or what was creating the problem here?
What has been your experience of “impossible” situations? How have you dealt with them?
David delivers himself and his men from Saul [1 Sam 23:7-29]
This second half of our story can be split into two mini sections...
Now that David was an outlaw, on the run with a price on his head, he needed to be careful. What dangers were about for David?
From Keilah to the wilderness of Ziph [Read 1 Sam 23: 7-18]
Here we see that David has spies too. What do they tell him?
Again, how could David have reacted to this news? How does he react?
What was David’s main worry?
Why might they do this?
Where does David go next? Who does he meet?
Why does Jonathan want to renew their covenant and go over their promises to each other again?
From Ziph to the wilderness of Maon [Read 1 Sam 23:19-29]
What do we see the Ziphites doing?
What does Saul do next?
What do we see David doing?
But, Saul followed David and these two armies met at “the rock” a mountain... one on one side and one on the other... chasing and running from each other on opposite sides...
They were getting closer to catching David, gaining ground. How? What happened next?
What happens next?
What does this show us?
To commemorate this event, the Jews called this place “Sela Hammahlekoth” = “the rock of parting” or closer to the original Hebrew = “a smooth rock” or “a slippery rock” = “the rock of slipping away.” What do you get from this?
[Activity]> These events in David’s life were what inspired him to write Psalm 54. Read and think about this story and how in light of what you know now... what stands out to you?
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
1 Samuel 22:6-23
[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 22:6-23
Now, three weeks in we meet our fourth main character. We briefly bumped into him last week...
4# Doeg _ a deceitful servant [1 Sam 22:6-23]
Why does Doeg get a “bit part” in the last chapter before he’s properly introduced in this chapter?
This chapter can be broken into four mini sections...
The kings anger [Read 1 Sam 22:6-10]
King Saul seems to be a creature of habit. Why?
What is Saul’s tactic to keep his soldiers on his side?
What is Saul’s state of mind here?
What does Doeg tell Saul? Is it all true?
So, if this was a lie, why would Doeg say it?
The illegal trial [Read 1 Sam 22:11-15]
How does Saul respond to this information?
What does Saul call Ahimelek? Why? What does this arc back to?
The name “Ahimelek” means “brother of the king.” How do Saul’s actions marry up to that?
What should Saul have done with this audience with the High Priest?
What are the charges in this “trial”?
How does Ahimelek respond to these accusations?
The unjust sentence [Read 1 Sam 22:16-19]
There was no evidence that Ahimelek was guilty, but what does Saul do?
His soldiers wont obey this command. Why not?
Even if Ahimelek was guilty, what does Deut 24:16 tell us?
Back near the beginning of this book we saw that Israel asked for a king “like the other nations” and that’s exactly what they got! What does this mean?
What does Doeg do?
Doeg goes above and beyond Saul’s orders. How?
Although this unjust trial and illegal sentence is shocking, what do we see by reading 1 Sam 2:27-36 / 4:10-18?
The protected priest [Read 1 Sam 22:20-23]
What happens next?
Why does he go to David?
Now, what do we see going on in this cave of 400?
Next, we see David taking blame and responsibility. How?
1 Samuel 22:6-23
Now, three weeks in we meet our fourth main character. We briefly bumped into him last week...
4# Doeg _ a deceitful servant [1 Sam 22:6-23]
Why does Doeg get a “bit part” in the last chapter before he’s properly introduced in this chapter?
This chapter can be broken into four mini sections...
The kings anger [Read 1 Sam 22:6-10]
King Saul seems to be a creature of habit. Why?
What is Saul’s tactic to keep his soldiers on his side?
What is Saul’s state of mind here?
What does Doeg tell Saul? Is it all true?
So, if this was a lie, why would Doeg say it?
The illegal trial [Read 1 Sam 22:11-15]
How does Saul respond to this information?
What does Saul call Ahimelek? Why? What does this arc back to?
The name “Ahimelek” means “brother of the king.” How do Saul’s actions marry up to that?
What should Saul have done with this audience with the High Priest?
What are the charges in this “trial”?
How does Ahimelek respond to these accusations?
The unjust sentence [Read 1 Sam 22:16-19]
There was no evidence that Ahimelek was guilty, but what does Saul do?
His soldiers wont obey this command. Why not?
Even if Ahimelek was guilty, what does Deut 24:16 tell us?
Back near the beginning of this book we saw that Israel asked for a king “like the other nations” and that’s exactly what they got! What does this mean?
What does Doeg do?
Doeg goes above and beyond Saul’s orders. How?
Although this unjust trial and illegal sentence is shocking, what do we see by reading 1 Sam 2:27-36 / 4:10-18?
The protected priest [Read 1 Sam 22:20-23]
What happens next?
Why does he go to David?
Now, what do we see going on in this cave of 400?
Next, we see David taking blame and responsibility. How?
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
1 Samuel 21:1 - 22:5
[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 21:1 – 22:5
After looking at the first two characters last time, we will observe our third...
3# David _ A hopeful exile [1 Sam 21:1-22:5]
When David ran away it marked the beginning of an exile that would last 10 years. What did this mean to David?
Psalms 7, 11-13, 16-18, 22, 25, 31, 34-35, 52-54, 56-59, 63-64, 142-143, are all reflections of these fugitive years. What does this tell us?
David goes to Nob [Read 1 Sam 21:1-9]
This town was where the Tabernacle was located. What do you get from this?
Why did David’s “aloneness” frighten Ahimelek?
How are the different ways we could read into David’s reply in verse 2?
David took the “sacred loaves” from the Tabernacle; this food was reserved for the priests. If the correct offerings would have been made, the Tabernacle would have been full of food for David. What does this tell us?
What does Ahimelek’s response in verse 4 tell us?
Why is Goliath’s sword here?!
Now David has bread and a sword. What does this tell us?
This is the first time we meet our fourth main character, Doeg. Who is he and why is he here?
David knew Doeg, what did this mean?
From Nob to Gath [Read 1 Sam 21:10-15]
So, David runs the 23 miles to the Philistine city of Gath. What is the significance of this?
Why does David go there?
Now David is with this king, Achish of Gath. What does he do?
[Activity]> Read Psalms 56 and 34, as these are the two Psalms David wrote about this situation. What stuff stands out to you more now you know the history and context behind why they were written?
From Gath to the cave of Adullum [Read 1 Sam 22:1-2]
This cave of Adullum was about 15 miles from Bethlehem. What could this mean to David?
Here, David was in “friendly” territory. How do we know this?
If all David’s family was with him, that meant his brothers were there too. What did this ultimately mean?
[Activity]> Psalms 57 and 142 are both written about David’s time in the cave of Adullum. Again, what stuff stands out to you more now you understand the history and context of these two Psalms?
From Adullum to Moab [Read 1 Sam 22:3-4a]
What’s happening here?
Read Gen. 19:30-38 / Deut. 23:3-6 / Ruth 4:18-22. What do these passages teach you?
From Adullum to the “stronghold” [Read 1 Sam 22:4b]
The “stronghold” or “fortress” was another natural hiding place. Why did David move again?
From the “stronghold” to Hereth [Read 1 Sam 22:5]
What does Gad do?
How do we see prophet, priest and king in this story? And why is that important?
1 Samuel 21:1 – 22:5
After looking at the first two characters last time, we will observe our third...
3# David _ A hopeful exile [1 Sam 21:1-22:5]
When David ran away it marked the beginning of an exile that would last 10 years. What did this mean to David?
Psalms 7, 11-13, 16-18, 22, 25, 31, 34-35, 52-54, 56-59, 63-64, 142-143, are all reflections of these fugitive years. What does this tell us?
David goes to Nob [Read 1 Sam 21:1-9]
This town was where the Tabernacle was located. What do you get from this?
Why did David’s “aloneness” frighten Ahimelek?
How are the different ways we could read into David’s reply in verse 2?
David took the “sacred loaves” from the Tabernacle; this food was reserved for the priests. If the correct offerings would have been made, the Tabernacle would have been full of food for David. What does this tell us?
What does Ahimelek’s response in verse 4 tell us?
Why is Goliath’s sword here?!
Now David has bread and a sword. What does this tell us?
This is the first time we meet our fourth main character, Doeg. Who is he and why is he here?
David knew Doeg, what did this mean?
From Nob to Gath [Read 1 Sam 21:10-15]
So, David runs the 23 miles to the Philistine city of Gath. What is the significance of this?
Why does David go there?
Now David is with this king, Achish of Gath. What does he do?
[Activity]> Read Psalms 56 and 34, as these are the two Psalms David wrote about this situation. What stuff stands out to you more now you know the history and context behind why they were written?
From Gath to the cave of Adullum [Read 1 Sam 22:1-2]
This cave of Adullum was about 15 miles from Bethlehem. What could this mean to David?
Here, David was in “friendly” territory. How do we know this?
If all David’s family was with him, that meant his brothers were there too. What did this ultimately mean?
[Activity]> Psalms 57 and 142 are both written about David’s time in the cave of Adullum. Again, what stuff stands out to you more now you understand the history and context of these two Psalms?
From Adullum to Moab [Read 1 Sam 22:3-4a]
What’s happening here?
Read Gen. 19:30-38 / Deut. 23:3-6 / Ruth 4:18-22. What do these passages teach you?
From Adullum to the “stronghold” [Read 1 Sam 22:4b]
The “stronghold” or “fortress” was another natural hiding place. Why did David move again?
From the “stronghold” to Hereth [Read 1 Sam 22:5]
What does Gad do?
How do we see prophet, priest and king in this story? And why is that important?
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