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(2 Samuel 3:22-39) Why does Joab slay Abner? Is he justified in doing so? How does this affect his king's unification plans? Why do you think Joab is so blind? How can our spiritual blindness get in the way of God working out His plan in our lives? Joab still harbored anger at Abner for killing his brother, but the way he got revenge in killing Abner was not justified. He then endangered David's future plans for bringing Israel and Judah together. Joab's resentment caused him to look only at his own circumstances and pain, so he was unable to see how his actions would affect others. When we focus only on ourselves and seek to solve problems without God's help, we fail to see the bigger, better plan that God has for us and miss out on His blessings.

(2 Samuel 1:19-27; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14) David is gracious in his memorial psalm. How does he remember Saul's life? How does the Chronicler remember Saul's life? How do you think God evaluates Saul's life? What do we learn from this? While David only remembers the good that he saw in Saul (strong, gracious, loved), the Chronicles verse is clear that Saul did not follow God's commands and suffered the consequences. God expects his chosen leaders to honor and seek Him. He also knew all of who Saul was-the good and the evil- just as He sees each of us. When He gives us responsibilities, we must take them seriously and seek to follow Him wholeheartedly, as David tried to do.

(1 Samuel 30:6) From the Psalms of David, how does David seem to strengthen himself in the Lord when things are going bad? What devotional exercises does he adopt? What is the focus of his faith? David knows to cry out to God, seek Him, praise Him, wait patiently for His guidance, hope and trust only in Him. It's apparent that David has been doing this regularly for a long time- it's just part of his daily routine so he has developed a strong faith in God.

(1 Samuel 30:1-6) Why do the men blame David? Why is the situation so explosive at this point. What does David do in the situation? What is David feeling? Why doesn't he act immediately? David and his army of men have had a lot of success in their pursuits and David's followers have come to trust his decisions with their lives and their families lives. When things go awry and their families are taken, they are distraught and angry at David. David is feeling just as distraught as they are, and knows he must do what he can to retrieve their families. But he doesn't act quickly and thoughlessly. He takes time to seek God's guidance and makes sure he has a clear answer.

(1 Samuel 28:7-14) Why do you think God condemns occult practices of communicating with the dead and channeling spirits of the dead? How might such practices open Christians to victimization and oppression by evil spirits? What should you do if you've been involved in such practices in the past? God is very clear in His Word that we are to worship no one but Him. To seek out guidance in the spiritual world from anyone else is dangerous and sinful. When Christians utilize occult methods, intentionally or not, it puts themselves at risk to not hear God's voice and be in His presence. When we recognize our sin and disobedience, we must bring it to God, confess to Him sincerely and we will be cleansed.

(1 Samuel 25) What do we learn about David's character in this incident with Nabal and Abigail? What do we learn about Abigail's character? Nabal's character? Why do you think this story was included in 1 Samuel? What important knowledge does it add to our understanding? David is a man on a mission, but he is willing to adapt to do what's honorable. He is not so caught up in venegence that he cannot recognize Abigail's sincere heart. Abigail is a courageous and insightful to approach David. Nabal is apparently a selfish man, unable to think beyond his own pursuits. It was interesting to learn about the influence women had to change the course of events and that God's leaders need to stay true to God's direction as David did.

(1 Samuel 24:12) How do we apply the principle of not lifting a hand against the Lord's anointed in our day? What provisions are there in 1 Timothy 5:19-20 for calling leaders to account. What do you think God will do to those who slander, persecute, and martyr his appointed leaders? God's chosen leaders are to be shown respect. Thoughtful, wise and careful consideration must be given to a situation when a church leader is questioned about his behavior. Several people who have witnessed the offense should go together to confront the leader. God will judge our actions when we do not act accordingly.

(1 Samuel 24:1-15) Why doesn't David kill Saul when he has the chance? What motive do David and his men have for killing a king who is trying to kill them? What is David's rationale for sparing Saul? What does this tell us about David's character? About his faith? What does it say about David's leadership ability that he is able to dissuade his men from killing Saul? David is showing patience and wisdom as he ponders the situation he is in. Having experienced Saul's anger, he has justifable cause to defend himself and it would relieve himself of the constant fear of losing his own life. If he chooses to kill Saul, he risks retaliation from Saul's army, but more importantly, he knows he would be disobeying God. His faith in God has been strengthened in his struggles for survival. He has become a well respected leader which is apparent when his army obeys his commands.

(1 Samuel 23:14-18) Why does Jonathan visit David in the wilderness? What risk is there for David? What risk is there for Jonathan? What do you think it meant to David? Have you ever received a visit from a friend when you needed it most? As Saul's son, Jonathan is very aware of David's danger and turmoil and decides it worth the risk to connect with him. I sense that Jonathan needs this connection as much as David does- for encouragement and direction - because of their great love and respect for each other. It's risky for both men because it may eventually alert Saul to where David is located, and makes Jonathan a traitor to his father and the king. I'm certain David, as a sensitive man, treasured this sacrifice from Jonathan and it bolstered him to continue the journey. Friends have been invaluable sounding boards and a comfort to me in time of trouble or struggle. God is kind to provide them just when needed.

(1 Samuel 22:2) Why were David's men attracted to him? What did they have in common? Why kind of men were these? What difficulties do you think David probably had in leading them? David was developing into a man of integrity, faith, self confidence, vision. People who were afraid of Saul, either because they had offended him or because of his poor and dangerous leadership and this was also what David had experienced. These people from all kinds of backgrounds and opinions undoubtedly made a difficult challenge for David as he wanted to unite them to protect themselves.

(1 Samuel 20:35-42) What is the nature of the covenant between David and Jonathan? What does David receive? What does Jonathan receive? Who benefits the most from this covenant? Is it self-serving -- or not? What is the significance that God is witness to the covenant? David and Jonathan obviously have a deep friendship that each of them value. They want nothing to come between them or to see any harm come to either of them. They both want God to lead their efforts, so they ask Him to "witness" the covenant to do whatever they can to avoid harm to each other- it is significant cause it show the seriousness of their devotion to Him. And it shows they are more concerned about the other's safety than their own.

(1 Samuel 20:35-42) What is the nature of the covenant between David and Jonathan? What does David receive? What does Jonathan receive? Who benefits the most from this covenant? Is it self-serving -- or not? What is the significance that God is witness to the covenant? David and Jonathan obviously have a deep friendship that each of them value. They want nothing to come between them or to see any harm come to either of them. They both want God to lead their efforts, so they ask Him to "witness" the covenant to do whatever they can to avoid harm to each other- it is significant cause it show the seriousness of their devotion to Him. And it shows they are more concerned about the other's safety than their own.

(1 Samuel 19:18-24) What does it tell us about Saul's faith that he pursues David even when he has sought the sanctuary of the prophet Samuel? Why do people prophesy when the Holy Spirit comes upon them? What is the relationship between this incident and the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)? It is clear he has lost his faith in Gods' sovereignty and also lost his confidence in himself as God's chosen leader, so he is determined to ruin David. The Holy Spirit does as He will (as stated in the lesson) so apparently this is how He chooses to communicate coming events. This event, along with day of Pentecost, were defining moments - groups of people prophesying together.

(1 Samuel 18:18-22) Which of the following is David's chief motive for marrying Michal, in your opinion? Argue for the motivation that makes the most sense to you: (1) pride in his military prowess, (2) obedience to Saul's desires, (3) love or desire for Michal, or (4) enjoyment in killing Philistines I think it was a combination of a couple reasons. He had rejected Saul's offer of marriage to Merab, but was willing to follow through with the requirements to marry Michal, so he must have been more attracted to Michal. He seemed hesitant to be Saul's son in law, but perhaps his love for Michal overrode that issue. I also think he was becoming proud of displaying his military abilities, so when the challenge was given to him, it inspired him to fight for Michal's hand in marriage.

(1 Samuel 18:13-16). Why does Saul send David into battle? What is the result? To what does the narrator attribute David’s success? Saul is obviously threatened by David's growing popularity and attention. When he sends David into battle, it gives David an opportunity to gain leadership skills and his success makes him even more popular with the Israelites. His devotion to God must have been apparent because the narrator writes that God was with David.

(1 Samuel 17:47) Why do we so often forget that "the battle is the Lord's"? What does that phrase actually mean? How can we avoid the arrogance of pulling God into our battles ("God is on my side"), rather than engaging in His battles ("I am on God's side")? We get so caught up in trying to do everything ourselves, we forget that He is the one in control of our lives. There is nothing that happens that He is not aware of. Everything is His, including every battle ever waged. If we remember each day to offer ourselves to His work, He will use us to accomplish His purposes.

(1 Samuel 17:34-37) What does David's explanation to Saul of his combat experience say about David's faith? How lethal is David as a warrior? Why do you think Saul allows him to go out to battle Goliath? Does Saul have faith? If so, what is the source of it? David has seen how God gives him the ability to do difficult physical challenges and it gives him confidence for what's ahead. Ps. 18: 32-34: It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. This makes him a dangerous foe, so when David describes to Saul what he was able to do to the bear and lion, Saul feels hopeful that David can help fight against the Philistines. It appears that Saul has a limited faith in God, which started as a young man chosen to lead Israel, but his own ego gets in the way.

(1 Samuel 17:26-30) Why is David so upset about Goliath's taunt? Why is Eliab, David's brother, so upset with David? What does this teach us about David's faith? What does it teach us about Eliab's character? David is obviously a unique individual. At a young age, he shows he is a man of deep faith and understanding of God by expressing anger at disrespect to God. His brother is likely jealous of David being chosen by Samuel and his boldness. Apparently Eliab is not a man of strong faith in God; he is more concerned about his own image than showing respect for God.

(1 Samuel 16:14-23) From Saul's perspective, why is David summoned to court? From God's perspective, what seem to be the reasons for this service in Saul's court? What things tend to prevent us from learning from God in the midst of the circumstances in which we find ourselves? What might make us more teachable? Saul selfishly thinks David's only purpose in life is to serve him, but God undoubedly has a different plan for Saul and David. Like Saul, we can easily miss out on God's guidance when we choose to handle tasks and problems without seeking Him first. I think we become more teachable when we daily put aside our own desires for His.and we keeps our eyes open for how He is leading us.

(1 Samuel 1:13) What is the significance of Samuel anointing David? What is the significance of the Holy Spirit coming upon David? How does this explain his success? How is the Holy Spirit upon us vital for our own success as disciples? Samuel's words and actions were important to the Jews because they understood he was a prophet of God. So when they knew he had anointed David, this meant David was chosen by God to be a leader. Something unique must have happened at this time for there to be recognition of a Spirit upon David. Because of the Holy Spirit's anointing, David would be capable of doing the job God had called him to do. In addition to the power of the Holy Spirit in him, his devotion and obedience to God made him a successful leader. This is also true for us today as believers. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are given the Holy Spirit to empower us to live lives for Him. We'll be successful if we rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us, if we listen to God and obey Him.

I beiieve rebellion is knowingly behaving in a way that is contrary to God's commands. It's arrogant to think that our way is better than our Sovereign God. As we stay rooted in God's word and surrendered to His authority, we will recognize our rebellion/sin and confess it to Him honestly, then experiencing His forgiveness. If we fail to do so, we eventually suffer the consequences of our disobedience.