Waldo

Clear instructions had been given in God's book as to whom and how the ark was to be carried... David (more so than Uzzah) and Uzzah were responsible in that they should have more thoroughly inquired of the way the ark was to be carried in honor to God. The lesson drawn here from seeking God's will is that even when it appears that we know what God is expecting of us, we are yet to seek HOW it is to be carried out. It is also why it is so important to know God's ways and seeking His wisdom is never a luxury but a dire necessity.

How does David remember Saul's life? David remembers only the positive traits of Saul... He ignores anything negative, all the killing attempts of Saul against his life, all the persecution, all the plots to set traps agains his life, all the hatred Saul had against him. It is a remakable thing to realize how noble was the heart of David in spite of his imperfections as a mere person... He honors Saul as the anointed one, the one God had placed the call to be king over Israel and did not to take justice in his own hands to have him removed... David trusted God to vindicate his life and didn't keep bitterness in his heart against the one who wanted his destruction. How does the Chronicler remember Saul's life? The Chronicler remembers the unfaithfulness of Saul, his disobedience to the Word of God and his rebellion as he resorted to witchcraft to get him out of trouble. No positive word is even spoken of Saul's reign over Israel. How do you think God evaluates Saul's life? I believe God feels so sorry that there was no repentance in Saul's life that could have turned things around and allowed him to have a better fate than the one he underwent which also caused the death of his sons (including Jonathan whom David loved so dearly). Basically, God knew the kind of man Saul was and a lot of what he did was no real surprise to Him... What do we learn from this? That no matter what situations we are in, we should always honor God through our obedience and a heart that's bent to seek Him at all times. David had a love relationship with God, he was a worshiper at heart and that is the primary call of our hearts if we want to keep a tender heart toward God's perfect will for our lives. Understanding God's will is of utmost importance et leaving to God the privilege to vindicate us toward any person who may have ill intentions towards us (even those who are the closest to our lives). Being a person according to His own heart means also that we will honor those people who have been called of God to be all that He has them to be and who may not necessarily like us or have a positive perception of who we are. We are called not to have any guile in our mouth but to see to it that our hearts remain pure and without hatred, maliciousness or hardness toward those people who claim to want to do God's will but are bent to humiliate, ridicule or even persecute us.

From the Psalms, how does David strengthen himself? - He cries out to God - He seeks the Lord - He waits on the Lord - He praises Him - He boasts of God's abilities - He reminds to himself what the Lord had done for him in the past - He makes declarations as to who the Lord is and His mighty deeds - He makes known his inner state & feelings (my soul pants...) - He puts His full confidence in the Lord What devotional exercises does he adopt? He was "centering down," and sought to come into a state of inner peace that would allow him to become more sensitive to God and his guidance. What is the focus of his faith? God Himself is the focus of His faith. David knew God because of his intimate dealings with Him and because of the mighty things he was able to do in the past (killing a lion, a bear and Goliath) thanks to the Lord who had intervened on his behalf. Somehow David could build on what he knew of God from his past experiences.

Why do the men blame David? It's part of being human I guess to blame others even for things that they are not necessarily responsible for... our society is also wired in such a way as to find the "culprit", the one who somehow has to take the blame for "justice" sake... I wonder how many folks have been imprisoned or sentenced unjustly just to satisfy due justice for a committed crime... nothing to do with God's Justice for sure!! Why is the situation so explosive.... When things such as close family members are in danger of being killed by an enemy, perspectives do change a lot. And David's army at this point is tired and emotionally strained. Fatigue and stress combined with fear of losing their own families are at the heart of such strong reaction against David who had led these men so far and protected them and their families from many other dangers (including king Saul). What does David do in the situation? He goes to God. He cries out to Him. He knows his life is not as valuable as God's mercy... He knows he can trust God's goodness to resolve the problem but he needs to find God and strength in Him first!!!! David knew that this was a very dangerous situation that required God Himself before any action could be taken!!! What is David feeling? He feels helpless, poor in spirit, hopeless and empty. He knows he cannot do anything in his own strength... Why doesn't he act immediately? He wants to figure out the will of God in this situation... he doesn't want to move out of sheer human passion!! He knows how God can bring success to him as he seeks God's strategy!! David had much experience in trusting in the Lord than his own strength... He knows better than moving out of impulsiveness.

Our of Psalms 18, 34, 54, 56, 58, 59, 142, only Ps. 18 & 34 are somehow celebratory where David celebrates God for his victory over his enemies. The rest of them stem out of situations of struggles and opposition. David has a deep seated connection with the heart of God where he relied on His presence and vindication coming out of his heart allegiance to God. Also, David had such tremendous faith in God's justice that he would not even dare take justice in his own hands. Somehow David knew that having a right connection with God would assure his final deliverance from oppression (Ps. 34:18). His heart remained focused on honoring God no matter what circumstances he went through. My favorite Psalm in that list is Ps. 34 because of the tremendous tone of victory emanating from it! It is also loaded with promises and encapsulates a life of victory in God while making it clear that life is not trouble free.

Jonathan's visit to David in the wilderness is primarily for the sake of friendship and out of the commitment Jonathan had toward David. He knows David is a fugitive and Jonathan wants to encourage his dear friend affirming that indeed he is committed to see David become the next king of Israël. The risk for David is that somehow whether directly or indirectly it might be a way for Saul to get at David and have him killed since Saul knew of the friendship tying his son to David. However, the true heart of Jonathan is revealed here since the risk he takes is not small to be accused of betraying the king, his father, by visiting David unbeknownst to Saul. The visit Jonathan payed to David meant a great deal of joy, refreshing, affirmation, comfort, strength, encouragement to David and did somehow proove the strength of Jonathan's commitment toward him. It has been hard for me at times because of the sense of loneliness and being on my own without true heart to heart connections with other believers from the island where I serve. However, at a time I needed it the most, a friend was commissioned by God to come see me from overseas when I was really going under so to speak and was left without vision and strength. He came for a whole week just for my sake and to encourage me, set my heart in the right perspective of things and speak life into me. It was indeed a great blessing to have him around not only for me but also for my entire family that needed that touch too...

What did Abiathar and the ephod have to do with “inquiring of the Lord?” Why did David inquire of the Lord? What huge advantage does the person have who seeks God’s will before acting? How can you find God’s will at key points in your life? Abiathar was a surviving priest from among those that Saul had killed and they were the only ones entitled to inquire of the Lord through the Urim and the Thummim (the casting of lots). David inquired of the Lord to make sure that he was being led by God and would be granted success in his endeavors. Somebody who seeks God's will before acting will have the advantage of being confident that he/she is doing what is right but also will have strength to persevere into the God given direction knowing that it is what God wants for him/her. There are a few ways to find God's will at key points of my life: - prayer & fasting - a season of waiting on the Lord - reading the Bible with greater expectation - listening more intently to the voice of God - seeking the godly counsel of proven leaders - being more attentive at the circumstances we are faced with

David's men were attracted to him because they saw in him a leader who could protect them while also giving them justice for whatever they felt they had been wronged. The main thing they had in common was to be considered persons "non grata" by Saul or his followers. These men were either rebelling against the current king of Israel, some had criminal records and were being chased while others had issues against Saul, or they were being pursued for some debts. David probably had a hard time leading them in such areas as discipline, loyalty, getting along with one another and submission to leadership. These guys were wild and probably had very personal agendas...

The covenant between David and Jonathan is one of true friendship that goes beyond their time to also bless their descendance. It is not just meant to protect each other and make sure that there is an authentic desire to seek for each other's welfare. It is also meant to insure that the love that binds the two men will be a blessing for future generations. It is the kind of heart covenant that Jesus wants us to make with Him where He looks out for us and our welfare while we look out for Him and His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Out of this covenant David receives Jonathan's assurance that the latter will not hinder his accession to the throne promised to him by God. He also receives protection from potential harm and Jonathan's willingness to put his life at risk so that David can be rescued. Jonathan receives David's assurance that he will look after the welfare of Jonathan's descendents and will not harm them as would have been customary for that day. Somehow, Jonathan knew that David was going to be the next king and that things would drastically change in Isarel. It would seem that David benefits the most since Jonathan makes sure that David's life is spared and thus passes on his father's throne to David that should have normally been his to take. But at the same time, knowing the outcome of the story and the fate of Saul's family, Jonathan's covenant with David will cause a whole family line to stay alive and being well treated by David out of the friendship he had for Jonathan. I don't believe that convenant was self-serving in nature because authentic love was the driving force behind it! It was out of a total "self-giving to the other" attitude that it was engaged. The kingdom of Israël according to the will of God was at stake here and none of them was looking out at saving their own skin (even though there were family considerations too). God being "between" them during that oath was adding the assurance that God would be watching to make sure that the terms would be kept and that no violation would be allowed that would not involve His direct implication.

It seems that nothing is more sacred in Saul's eyes than his own pride, self-centeredness and power game. Saul is so kin in getting rid of David that he will not hesitate to even defile the School of the Prophets of which Samuel was the leader... there wasn't much respect or even honor left in Saul's heart for the great Samuel at this point. Even as the Spirit of God came on him and he prophecied, nothing changed in his heart and no sign of repentance was really at work in Saul's life. The hardening of his heart was extreme!! People prophecy when the Spirit comes on them because there is a reality from God that supersedes current situations and even hearts' inclinations ... God rules by His Spirit and does whatever He has purposed!! Nothing can hinder what He has decided (in this case for David to live and become the next king) and He will be able to force that kind of behavior even on the most rebellious of men (like Saul) so that everybody will know that God can overrule the plans of men and even rulers!! This incident relates with the Day of Pentecost in that it was the sovereign will of God to see the Church take off with the power of the Holy Spirit that would intensify the presence of God and of His Kingdom on earth and thus fulfill the promises of Jesus (cf Gospel of John about the coming of the HS). It also realtes to the fact that it was an enduement of power that was causing the Realities that are in God to be manifested on earth among men. Nobody could take any credit of the harvest of souls that resulted, not even Peter who spoke out of that anointing of the Holy Spirit. Clearly, Jesus is the One who builds His Church....

I believe that the chief motivation for David to want to marry Michal was somehow related to the honor of obeying Saul's desires in order to somehow gain the respect of Saul and undermine the latter's prejudice and hatred against David. It seems that David may have wanted to cause Saul to like him. By becoming his son-in-law, David was thus fostering a stronger bond between him and the king. Also David was trying to honor Jonathan's friendship and affection by doing all he could to gain the favor of Saul.

Saul sends David into battle for two main reasons: - He couldn't stand his presence at the court - He wanted David to be away because the latter was reminding him of his rejection as a king (jealousy) - Saul was also hoping that he would somehow be able to get rid of David by sending him into fierce battles but David was gaining even more success and respect from the people and the army itself (murder) The actual result of that is that David rises in leadership to become a hero for the people of Israel. Saul wasn't able to hinder his successes even though he attempted to get rid of him. Besides the fact that we may see David to be a great leader knowing how to federate the troops and probably having tactical skills to lead battles the final analysis of the narrator is that David's success is attributed to the fact that "GOD WAS WITH HIM".

The significance of Samuel's anointing resides in him being a proven prophet of God, nationally known and acclaimed, moved by the Holy Spirit to go and somehow mark David as chosen (or provided) one by God for Israël. The stakes are high and the risk Samuel took was outstanding. He definitely was challenging the kingship of Saul by doing what he did but as a man of God he had to obey. It was a major step in the history of Israël!! As to the HS coming in power over David has tremendous implications for David himself being empowered by God to begin moving into that calling as future king of Israël. The man will never be the same after this and will be groomed through all kinds of tribulations to prepare as king over Israël. The anointing explains his success in that without God empowering David, he wouldn't have come to that place of true effectivemess. He did respect that reality of the Holy Spirit and began to experience its benefits. He put such tremendous importance to it that he would never dare kill Saul or take his revenge over the one God had also anointed. The HS upon our lives as disciples is of vital importance for our success as we live a life of dedication in our hearts and genuine desire to see the Lord come through all kinds of situations that would not normally bring results. It is a constant expectation that through the Holy Spirit over our lives, we have what it takes to honor the Lord and let our light shine before men without having any concern for our own lives (cf Mat. 6:33).

I would also add that having a good foundation of Scripture knowledge is a great thing but will not necessarily ensure that our lives are led by the Spirit! I've known good people that knew the Bible and were able to even quote it to the dot. However they faced situations in life were they didn't have the confidence and faith that brings the daily tuning in to the voice of Jesus as the Truth of our lives. Our relying on just Scriptural knowledge is not sufficient to be able to discern the deeper issues of life. We've got to tune in to His voice. Indeed His sheep hear His voice and follow Him...

Unless we hear what God is actually saying we may end up being carried away by the outward and circumstancial evidence. Deception then comes from our own carnal perception of reality rather than from the enemy of our souls. My instinctive way of discerning is to let appearance or circumstances give me an overall sense of figuring out people or situations. God is teaching us here to first have an appreciation for His voice (the still small voice) and relying on that (besides the general revelation of Scriptures which is foundational) more than what we perceive with our 5 physical senses. This is what I would consider as crucial ways to learn how to listen to the Spirit: - practicing the presence of Jesus (making a conscious effort of our minds to believe that He is with us no matter what we do, say or think and wherever we go); - inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit into our day and various situations we may face during a given day; - just take time from time to time to stop from our daily routines and become conscious of His presence by just being still and quieting our minds; - exercising our ability to listen to His voice by giving time to quiet listening during devotional times...

Unless we hear what God is actually saying we may end up being carried away by the outward and circumstancial evidence. Deception then comes from our own carnal perception of reality rather than by the enemy of our souls. My instinctive way of discerning is to let appearance or circumstances give me an overall sense of figuring out people or situations. God is teaching us here to first have an appreciation for His voice (the still small voice) and relying on that (besides the general revelation of Scriptures which is foundational) more than what we perceive with our 5 physical senses. This is what I would consider as crucial ways to learn how to listen to the Spirit: - practicing the presence of Jesus (making a conscious effort of our minds to believe that He is with us no matter what we do, say or think and wherever we go); - inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit into our day and various situations we may face during a given day; - just take time from time to time to stop from our daily routines and become conscious of His presence by just being still and quieting our minds; - exercising our ability to listen to His voice by giving time to quiet listening during devotional times...

Rebellion is doing things our way and disregarding careful attention to what God has said or prescribed through his generic or specific will for our lives. It is as bad as witchcraft or occult practices in that it exalts personal will over God’s will and tries to fulfil personal agendas rather than God’s Arrogance carries with it the attitude of thinking that our thoughts and plans are better than God’s and so is closely connected to rebellion which fosters getting our way instead of God’s ways and thus exalting self over God (a form of idolatry). Basically arrogance is at the root of a rebellious heart. What can we do if we have rebellion in our hearts? We definitely should acknowledge it and cry out to God to forgive us for such a reality that veils us from His face and cuts us from His favour. We also need to make sure that we bring our plans, projects and desires into alignment with His heart and will as we surrender them to Him with no desire to follow through anything that would be contrary to His will for our lives. If we do nothing then we open ourselves up to deception… taking our will for the will of God and presuming being led of God when we actually are fulfilling our own plans. Of course the consequences could be difficult such as being out of the will of God and therefore come under much heartache and sufferings that are not proceeding from our Father’s purpose but are destructive in nature.