Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and YHVH said to him, You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.
Joshua 13:1
The mission of the Kingdom is no one person's work. We all do our part and we live and die and pass the task on to the next in line. This is how it's supposed to work.
SERIES J --- THE WARRIOR KING --- LESSON 07
DAVID IN DESPAIR
DAVID LIVES AT ZIKIAG
From 1 Samuel 27:1 Chronicles 12:1-7
The way things are going, Saul will surely capture me some day,’ David thought. ‘Perhaps I should leave this country and go live among the Philistines. Saul will certainly not look for me there and I shall be safe from him at last.’ With his six hundred men, David went to see King Achish of Gath. The king let David live with him there in his own city, Gath. David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal, was with him. Before long Saul learned that David and his men were living at Gath among the Philistines, so he stopped hunting David. David talked with Achish one day about another place to live. ‘If you feel that I am your friend, let me and my people move to a small village in the country, instead of living here in the royal city,’ David said. Achish agreed and let David and his people move to Ziklag. From that time on Ziklag belonged to the kings of Judah. David continued to live at Ziklag among the Philistines during the next year and four months. From time-to-time David raided the villages of the people who lived near Shur, along the road to Egypt. These included the Geshurites, the Gezrites and the Amalekites. Whenever he did, he would destroy all of the people of the village, take the sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels and return home. ‘Where did you raid this time?’ Achish would ask. ‘Against the Israelites,’ David would answer. ‘We went into southern Judah, also to the territory of the people of Jerahmeel and the territory where the Kenites live.’ Of course, there was no one alive from the conquered villages to tell King Achish what had really happened. This happened many times while David lived among the Philistines. Achish trusted David, so he thought, ‘He will be forced to live here and serve me from now on, for his own people must surely hate him because of these raids.’ These are the names of the great warriors who joined David’s forces while he lived at Ziklag, where he hid from King Saul. They were all skilled bowmen and slingers; they could shoot arrows or sling stones as easily with their left hands as with their right. They were all from the tribe of Benjamin, the same tribe that King Saul belonged to. The chief of these men was Ahiezer. His men included his brother Bash, who was also son of Shemaah of Gibeah, Azmaveth, Berachah and Jehu of Anathoth. Ismaiah of Gibeon was as mighty as any one of The Thirty or perhaps even mightier. There was also Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan and Josabad of Gedera, Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah from Haruph. Then there was Elkanah, Jesiah, Azareel, Joezer and Jashobeam who were Korahites and Joelah and Zebadiah who were sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
COMMENTARY
FIVE PHILISTINE CITIES
David became very discouraged. He was sure that sooner or later Saul would trap and kill him. David led his men into the land of the Philistines and settled at Ziklag. How long could they live in the land of Israel’s greatest enemy? The Philistines were unique among the inhabitants of Palestine. Unlike their neighbours, they were not governed by a single monarch. They were ruled by a council of five lords, each of whom controlled one of the major cities of Philistia. The governors of Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath, Gaza and Ekron met together to decide which actions would best serve their common good. The actions of any one of these council members was always subject to the approval of his fellows. An unwise decision could be vetoed by the other four. For example, when Achish of Gath took David with him into battle, his fellow council members overruled him. They did not trust David to fight with the Philistines against his own people. Despite Achish’s confidence in David, he had to send him back to Gath. In other matters of government Achish’s decisions were supported by the council. As Adonai of Gath he was responsible for the administration of the surrounding territory. Ziklag, an Israelite town captured by the Philistines, was in his province. At David’s suggestion, Achish gave him the town as a permanent home for his men and their families.
Christians are taught they have a great commission to tell everyone about Jesus. The problem is the message that they have today is very different than it was 2,000 years ago. Instead of instructing others to follow the teaching of Jesus (Yeshua) the message has changed to just believe and your passport to heaven has a permanent Visa.
Here's a list of some New Testament scriptures to study with Torah portion #vayakhel ("And He Assembled" Exodus 35:1-38:20 ) at American Torah: https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/03/01/parsha-va
My mother knows I have never been a fan of time change. From a scientific perspective, it's just dumb to mess with what the Creator designed, but from a personal perspective, it wreaked havoc on my hormones for many years. So with that in mind, I have had to really work on my thankfulness this morning! LOL! https://archive.aweber.com/awlist6425868/Okt8.
Thought for Today: Sunday March 12:
You will never find YHVH’s Peace by engaging in excessive planning, attempting to control what will happen with you in the future. That is a commonly practiced form of unbelief. When your mind spins with multiple plans, Peace may sometimes seem to be within your grasp, yet it will always elude you. Just when you think you have prepared for all the possibilities, something unexpectant happens and can throw things into confusion. YHVH Elohiym did not design the human mind to figure out the future. That is beyond your capability. Elohiym crafted your mind for continual communication with Him. Tell Him all your needs, your hopes and your fears. Commit everything into His Care. Turn from the path of planning on your own to the path of Peace.
SERIES J --- THE WARRIOR KING --- LESSON 06
SPEAR AND JUG
DAVID TAKES SAUL’S SPEAR AND JUG
From 1 Samuel 26
The hunt was still on! King Saul and his best troops continued to seek out David so that they might kill him. Some people who pretended to be friends of David were very quick to betray him, such as the people of Ziph. When David moved back to the wilderness and hid at a place called Hachilah Hill, the men of Ziph went to King Saul and told him that David was there. Saul left Gibeah with his trained hunting party of three thousand men, searching for David in the wilderness area where he was hiding. He set up camp at Hachilah Hill, by the road that led into the desert, near Jeshimon. Meanwhile David’s spies followed Saul’s movements and kept David informed about them. One night David decided to go into Saul’s camp for a surprise visit. He slipped down to the camp alone to see how it was arranged. He found that Saul was sleeping in the centre, with his army commander beside him, surrounded by three thousand choice soldiers. When David returned to his own camp, he asked for volunteers to go with him into Saul’s camp. Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai, Joab’s brother, was there. ‘Who will go with me?’ David asked. ‘I will,’ Abishai responded. David and Abishai crept past the sleeping soldiers into the midst of Saul’s camp, where Saul was sleeping with his spear stuck into the ground beside his head. ‘YHVH has placed your enemy within your power,’ Abishai whispered. ‘Let me stab him to the ground with his own spear. I will only need one thrust.’ ‘No,’ David whispered back. ‘You must not murder the man whom YHVH has chosen to be king. YHVH will strike him down some day, either by a natural death or by letting him be killed in battle. I hope Adonai never allows me to kill the man He has chosen. Let’s take his spear and water jug and go!’ David grabbed the spear and water jug near Saul’s head and he and Abishai slipped out of camp without waking anyone. Not one soldier noticed that they had been there; they were all sound asleep, with a deep sleep which Adonai had sent. David and Abishai climbed a nearby hill to a safe distance from Saul’s camp. Then David shouted down so that all could hear. ‘Abner!’ David shouted. ‘Wake up!’ ‘Who is calling?’ Abner answered. David began to make fun of Abner. ‘You’re quite the hero, aren’t you?’ he teased. ‘One of the great men of all Israel! But you haven’t guarded King Saul when his enemy came near him. Someone slipped into camp and could have murdered your master. You should be put to death for doing such a poor job in protecting him. Look and see if you can find the spear and water jug which were beside Saul’s head. Go ahead! Find them!’ Saul recognized David’s voice and called to him. ‘Is that you, my son David?’ he asked. ‘Yes, my king, it is I,’ David answered. ‘Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime? If Adonai has set you against me, then I present my peace offering to Him. But if men have set you against me, then let there be a curse upon them, for you have forced me to leave my home and my people, to live with those who worship other gods. Do you want me to die away from home and Adonai’s people? Why have you come here to hunt me like a partridge in the mountains?’ ‘I have sinned,’ Saul cried out. ‘Come home, my son David and I will not harm you. You have spared my life today and I have been very foolish. Send one of your young men for your spear, O king,’ David replied. ‘Adonai will give His own reward for loyalty. I could have killed you, but I didn’t. May Adonai spare my life as I have spared yours and may He save me from my troubles.’ ‘Blessings on you, my son David,’ Saul answered. ‘You will do many great things.’ After this Saul returned home, but David did not go with him. Instead, he went his own way.
COMMENTARY
DAVID’S WANDERINGS
Once again David had an opportunity to kill Saul. Again, David refused to do this wrong. While Saul was sleeping David took Saul’s spear and jug from his side to show that he had been close enough to kill him, but had not done so. The shamed Saul promised not to harm David and returned home with his army. Saul’s determination to kill David forced David to flee Gibeah and go to Samuel at Ramah. But word soon reached Saul and David was again forced to run. Hoping to find refuge among Saul’s enemies, he headed for Gath. But the Philistines were suspicious. David escaped death in the Philistine court only by pretending madness. He returned to Israel and found refuge in caves at Adullam. There he gathered a group of followers. But David’s growing support did not ease his fears for his family. He took his parents to Mizpah and appealed to the king of Moab to protect them. Returning from Moab, David rejoined his men at Masada. The prophet Gad warned him not to remain and David moved on to the forest of Hereth. After David’s successful battle against the Philistines in Keilah, Saul was again on his trail. David escaped to the Wilderness of Ziph, but the residents reported his presence to Saul. He rejoined his men in the Wilderness of Maon as soon as Saul became busy with Philistine raids. David then fled to En-gedi. There he had the chance to kill Saul, but he did not. The king confessed David’s innocence, but David returned to Masada rather than risk his life in Gibeah. After Samuel’s death, Saul again took up his pursuit. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph when Saul found him. David left Israel and returned to Philistia. He remained in Ziklag until Saul’s death.
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