DAVID A man after God's own heart!

Question of the Day: Have you ever been homesick? Explain.

Good morning!  A big thank you to my amazing husband for being willing to teach for me this week!  I have to admit I am ready for the summer to be over just so I can be home studying with you all each week.  I miss our Sabbath School class so much! I'm homesick.

We are continuing our study of David.  Although this lesson is more about Saul.

1 Samuel 28New International Version (NIV)

28 In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.”

2 David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.”

Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

So David is now getting ready to protect the enemy.  Wow.  Do we ever put ourselves in a place where we are protecting the enemy?

How do we do that?

David not only found "safety" in the enemy but now he is getting ready to protect it too.  More about that to come...

READ: 1 Samuel 28:3-15

Saul and the Medium at Endor

3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.

4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.7 Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium,so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,” they said.

8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

9 But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”

10 Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”

11 Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure[a] coming up out of the earth.”

14 “What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

I want to stop here a moment and make sure we are all clear that the following is not Samuel talking but the evil spirits.  If you have any question here is what Ellen White writes in Patriarchs and Prophets, "Thus the first act of the evil spirit which personated the prophet was to communicate secretly with this wicked woman, to warn her of the deception that had been practiced upon her. "

Continue reading...

16 Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18 Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. 19 The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.

21 When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. 22 Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

23 He refused and said, “I will not eat.”

But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

24 The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast.25 Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.

What does the demon (Samuel) say to Saul?  Is there truth in what is said?

Life application lessons?

What emotion sent David to the Philistines for safety? ( this was last week) 

What emotion sent Saul to find a medium?

What are some things the bible says about fear?

When we are afraid we need to be careful where we go to get our information or our help. 

Fear.  Fear takes us to places we really don't want to go. 

How do we guard ourselves against fear?

What should we do with fear when we do experience it?

I'm not sure us running to a medium is exactly a huge temptation for us, so how do we run to the wrong place, or where do we run today?

Saul did first consult who?

When God didn't answer he tried to find a way to get to the next best thing... Samuel.

It could be argued that Saul was seeking help from "good" places, right?

In Patriarchs and Prophets Ellen White writes, "Disguising himself, Saul went forth by night with but two attendants, to seek the retreat of the sorceress. Oh, pitiable sight! the king of Israel led captive by Satan at his will! What path so dark for human feet to tread as that chosen by one who has persisted in having his own way, resisting the holy influences of the Spirit of God! What bondage so terrible as that of him who is given over to the control of the worst of tyrants--himself! Trust in God and obedience to His will were the only conditions upon which Saul could be king of Israel. Had he complied with these conditions throughout his reign, his kingdom would have been secure; God would have been his guide, the Omnipotent his shield. God had borne long with Saul; and although his rebellion and obstinacy had well-nigh silenced the divine voice in the soul, there was still opportunity for repentance. But when in his peril he turned from God to obtain light from a confederate of Satan, he had cut the last tie that bound him to his Maker; he had placed himself fully under the control of that demoniac power which for years had been exercised upon him, and which had brought him to the verge of destruction."

Trust in God and obedience to His will are the only conditions which we can be His!

If you think about the lessons over the last few weeks fear keeps coming back up. Fear sends David and Saul to places they shouldn't be going.  The opposite of fear is... trust? Maybe, maybe not.  Fear is an emotion, and faith or trust is a choice.  Not exactly the opposites.  However, faith or trust in God is the solution for our fear.  Faith in God, trust in Him is the foundation, is the key to our relationship with God, our salvation, everything.  The more we strengthen our faith, the more we learn to trust in our Savior the less and less fear will have a stronghold in our lives.  If fear is a stronghold in your life, turn to Him!  


Trust and obedience.

There are two big takeaways from this lesson for me.

1. Watch out for fear.  (or)  Trust in God.
2.  Be careful where you go when afraid! (or) Be obedient to His will.

I want to close todays lesson with some bible verses.  

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you."

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life."

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."