Lectionary Calendar

Sunday, December 22nd, 2024
the Fourth Week of Advent

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Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel1Sa 21 1 Samuel1Sa 1 Samuel1Sa 23

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Verses 1-23

INTRO:
1. Introduce dignitaries, the mayor of Malishev, Kosovo & his wife:
  1. Isni(ISS-knee) and Servete(sayr-VEE-tay) Kilaj(KEY-lie)
  2. Gave property for Harvey’s to build their home.
  3. Very helpful, & a friend to Randy & Lycia, & their work there.
2. Prayer: Lord we Fret Not(for U love us); Faint Not(for U hold us); Fear Not(for U keep us).
3. Illustration: There is a fable of an eagle which could outfly another, and the other didn’t like it. The latter saw a sportsman one day, and said to him: “I wish you would bring down that eagle.” The sportsman replied that he would if he only had some feathers to put into the arrow. So the eagle pulled 1 out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but didn’t quite reach the rival eagle; it was flying too high. The envious eagle pulled out more feathers, and kept pulling them out until he lost so many that he couldn’t fly, and then the sportsman turned around and killed him.The moral lesson: If you are jealous, the only man you can hurt is yourself!
  1. Today we start with Saul in Angst! (German word)
  2. And, we find out why the writer mentioned Doeg in 21:7, for now he steps forth as a key actor in the drama.
SAUL’S SLAUGHTER & DAVID’S SORROW!
1. SAUL’S INSECURE LEADERSHIP! (22:6-8)
2. When you can’t challenge your men to a holy cause, you resort to: Worry(6); Bribery(7); Sympathy(8); Spying(9); even Murder(11-19) just to let people know you’re in charge!
  1. Worry (6) - w/his spear in his hand!...necessary Saul? w/all your body guards.
    1. Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere.
      1. Worry pulls tomorrow’s cloud over today’s sunshine.
      2. Worry is wasting today’s time, to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities, with yesterday’s troubles.
      3. Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. - Swedish proverb
      4. God is a help in trouble. In worry...you’re on your own!
  2. Bribery (7) - You Benjamites!...speaking to his high ranking officials.
    1. Saul reminded the men he was king & therefore the only one who could reward them for their faithful service.
    2. David attracted men who were willing to risk their lives for him, but Saul had to use bribery & fear to keep his forces together.
  3. Sympathy (8) - Not one of you feels sorry for me! :(
    1. So there Saul sits under the tree singing, "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to...".
  4. Spies (9) - Doeg
    1. Saul now had a Police State in which each citizen was to spy on the others & report to the king anybody who opposed his rule!
      1. Akin to George Owells book, Nineteen Eighty-Four where he describes, most believe the happenings in Burma in 1949. “Big Brother is Watching”!
3. DOEG, A LIAR & MURDERER AT HEART! (22:9,10)
4. (9) Read all Ps.52(& into) dedicated to Doeg.
  1. Scheming leaders produce scheming followers. We produce after our kind.
  2. Gen.1:24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind” (here we have the “creepy things” after their kind!)
5. He inquired of the Lord. Not true! (10) - The worst kind of lie...the one that makes you look good & someone else bad.
6. THE MASSACRE AT NOB! (22:11-19)
7. (12) Son of ahitub - Saul refuses to address the high priest by name.
  1. Maybe because Ahimelech means “brother of the king”. [ahitub = good brother]
  2. As Saul stands before the priest, he should be seeking God’s forgiveness, instead he’s conducting an illegal trial, presenting 4 charges:
    1. [1] Ahimelech gave David bread
      [2] gave him a weapon
      [3] inquired God for him
      [4] therefore, was part of David’s conspiracy to kill Saul.
    2. Never was Saul’s paranoia more evident or more dangerous.
8. (14,15) Ahimelech 1st defended David before giving account of his own actions.
9. Prov.27:4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
  1. Saul was unwilling to kill the wicked Amalekites, but very willing to murder God’s priests.
10. (19) Doeg went beyond Saul’s orders & went to Nob where he wiped out the entire population as well as the farm animals.
  1. So much for Deut.24:16 where it prohibits children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.
  2. He was carrying out, according to severe war guidelines, “herem” or ban warfare. Israelites were only to use this form of war against the worst offenders of the Lord’s holy laws. (Ex.22:20; Numb.21:2,3; Deut.7:1,2)¹
    1. Being that this was done against Israel’s priests is particularly offensive.
    2. But, ironically the Lord used the treachery. (2:31)
11. DAVID’S BLAME & RESPONSIBILITY AT NOB! (22:20-23)
  1. He took the blame but also the responsibility of caring for Abiathar making sure he was safe.
  2. David was now officially an outlaw, but the Lord was with him and he would one day become Israel's greatest King.

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Verses 1-23

INTRO:
1. Introduce dignitaries, the mayor of Malishev, Kosovo & his wife:
  1. Isni(ISS-knee) and Servete(sayr-VEE-tay) Kilaj(KEY-lie)
  2. Gave property for Harvey’s to build their home.
  3. Very helpful, & a friend to Randy & Lycia, & their work there.
2. Prayer: Lord we Fret Not(for U love us); Faint Not(for U hold us); Fear Not(for U keep us).
3. Illustration: There is a fable of an eagle which could outfly another, and the other didn’t like it. The latter saw a sportsman one day, and said to him: “I wish you would bring down that eagle.” The sportsman replied that he would if he only had some feathers to put into the arrow. So the eagle pulled 1 out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but didn’t quite reach the rival eagle; it was flying too high. The envious eagle pulled out more feathers, and kept pulling them out until he lost so many that he couldn’t fly, and then the sportsman turned around and killed him.The moral lesson: If you are jealous, the only man you can hurt is yourself!
  1. Today we start with Saul in Angst! (German word)
  2. And, we find out why the writer mentioned Doeg in 21:7, for now he steps forth as a key actor in the drama.
SAUL’S SLAUGHTER & DAVID’S SORROW!
1. SAUL’S INSECURE LEADERSHIP! (22:6-8)
2. When you can’t challenge your men to a holy cause, you resort to: Worry(6); Bribery(7); Sympathy(8); Spying(9); even Murder(11-19) just to let people know you’re in charge!
  1. Worry (6) - w/his spear in his hand!...necessary Saul? w/all your body guards.
    1. Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere.
      1. Worry pulls tomorrow’s cloud over today’s sunshine.
      2. Worry is wasting today’s time, to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities, with yesterday’s troubles.
      3. Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. - Swedish proverb
      4. God is a help in trouble. In worry...you’re on your own!
  2. Bribery (7) - You Benjamites!...speaking to his high ranking officials.
    1. Saul reminded the men he was king & therefore the only one who could reward them for their faithful service.
    2. David attracted men who were willing to risk their lives for him, but Saul had to use bribery & fear to keep his forces together.
  3. Sympathy (8) - Not one of you feels sorry for me! :(
    1. So there Saul sits under the tree singing, "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to...".
  4. Spies (9) - Doeg
    1. Saul now had a Police State in which each citizen was to spy on the others & report to the king anybody who opposed his rule!
      1. Akin to George Owells book, Nineteen Eighty-Four where he describes, most believe the happenings in Burma in 1949. “Big Brother is Watching”!
3. DOEG, A LIAR & MURDERER AT HEART! (22:9,10)
4. (9) Read all Ps.52(& into) dedicated to Doeg.
  1. Scheming leaders produce scheming followers. We produce after our kind.
  2. Gen.1:24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind” (here we have the “creepy things” after their kind!)
5. He inquired of the Lord. Not true! (10) - The worst kind of lie...the one that makes you look good & someone else bad.
6. THE MASSACRE AT NOB! (22:11-19)
7. (12) Son of ahitub - Saul refuses to address the high priest by name.
  1. Maybe because Ahimelech means “brother of the king”. [ahitub = good brother]
  2. As Saul stands before the priest, he should be seeking God’s forgiveness, instead he’s conducting an illegal trial, presenting 4 charges:
    1. [1] Ahimelech gave David bread
      [2] gave him a weapon
      [3] inquired God for him
      [4] therefore, was part of David’s conspiracy to kill Saul.
    2. Never was Saul’s paranoia more evident or more dangerous.
8. (14,15) Ahimelech 1st defended David before giving account of his own actions.
9. Prov.27:4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
  1. Saul was unwilling to kill the wicked Amalekites, but very willing to murder God’s priests.
10. (19) Doeg went beyond Saul’s orders & went to Nob where he wiped out the entire population as well as the farm animals.
  1. So much for Deut.24:16 where it prohibits children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.
  2. He was carrying out, according to severe war guidelines, “herem” or ban warfare. Israelites were only to use this form of war against the worst offenders of the Lord’s holy laws. (Ex.22:20; Numb.21:2,3; Deut.7:1,2)¹
    1. Being that this was done against Israel’s priests is particularly offensive.
    2. But, ironically the Lord used the treachery. (2:31)
11. DAVID’S BLAME & RESPONSIBILITY AT NOB! (22:20-23)
  1. He took the blame but also the responsibility of caring for Abiathar making sure he was safe.
  2. David was now officially an outlaw, but the Lord was with him and he would one day become Israel's greatest King.

return to 'Top of Page'

1 Samuel1Sa 21 1 Samuel1Sa 1 Samuel1Sa 23

Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on 1 Samuel 22". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/1-samuel-22.html. 2017.

Bible Commentaries1 Samuel 22

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-23

Verses 1-23

Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 22