April 19 - Evening
"King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites,
'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.'
Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.
On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.
The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice."
- First Kings 11:1-9
'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.'
Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.
On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.
The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice."
- First Kings 11:1-9
Solomon's Wives
David fought wars and subdued foreign powers who threatened Israel. Solomon used his position of strength and influence to form alliances with the nations and secure peace with international powers through arranged marriages. The marriages locally and internationally were created for economic and political benefit of the family, the clan, the tribe or the nation. Deuteronomy 7:3 forbid this practice because it suggested compromise and alliance with nations that possibly God was not blessing due to their pagan worship or unjust culture. Nevertheless, this was a very common part of diplomacy at this time in the Near East.
It is a very impressive statement that Solomon had one of the daughters of pharaoh in Jerusalem as his wife! Israel must have been a world power and Solomon had surely impressed Egypt because the daughters of the pharaoh were rarely given in marriage and, if they were, they went to the imperial powers and not to local chieftains or wannabe players in the international game. Solomon was indeed a power to be reckoned with militarily and economically as can be attested by this simple statement in 1 Kings 3:1:
“Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord.”
The Pharaoh, Solomon’s father-in-law, would have been either Siamun or Psusennes II the last kings of the 21st dynasty that was overthrown by Shishak (1 Kings 11:40; 14:25-26) of the 22nd dynasty. The city of Gezer was a dowry gift from Pharaoh to Solomon at the time of his marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter. The city had been burned and taken from the Canaanites by Egypt to help opened up and secured strategic trade routes for Egypt:
“Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.” – 1 Kings 9:16
Solomon also brought in other woman from other nations as assurances of peace treaties and trade agreements which included many nations that God was not pleased with: Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and Hatti from Anatolia.
The wives were not God-fearers or worshippers of YHWH, but were instead followers of their pagan cultures, false gods and corrupt philosophies which were not cohesive with Israel, YHWH and the truth of God’s revelation to Israel. Foreign gods were brought into Jerusalem to be welcomed with their own temples, incense and sacrifices. Altars were built for their worship of these gods:
- Ashtoreth, goddess of Sidon (known as Ishtar in Syria/Mesopotamia and as Astarte in Phoenicia), the fertility goddess and consort of Baal. She is the “Queen of Heaven” in Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17-19
- Molek, god of Ammon (also in Syria and known as Baal among the Canaanites), is associated with child sacrifice in both the Bible and inscriptions in Carthage.
- Chemosh, god of Moab, is credited on the Mesha Stele (or, Moabite Stone) with giving the Moabites the victory over Israel that is also recorded in 2 Kings 3:4-8.
- Molek, god of Ammon and Phoenicia to whom Israel eventually sacrificed their infants in the Hinnom Valley (2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35)
Polytropos (Gr) – Many Ways (Eng) – polytropos is Greek word made up of poly, “many,” and tropos, “way.” Together poly-tropos means “many ways” and “many modes.” Polytropos is used in Hebrews 1:1 to say that God provided his revelation of himself and his word to man in a wide variety of ways and not just in a single stagnate stereotypical avenue during the days of the Old Testament.
Can I identify false religions and corrupt philosophies that surround me and my culture?
I will know true doctrine and embrace the wisdom of the philosophy of the reality of the Creator and Savior Jesus Christ.
I will know true doctrine and embrace the wisdom of the philosophy of the reality of the Creator and Savior Jesus Christ.
Bible Reading Descriptions Here
Personal
Your godly influence on others
Church
Understanding and discovery of Spiritual gifts
Nation
Social Security
World
China, PRC
Someone to Quote
“I do not challenge you to something easy. I do not challenge you to something that has comforts and luxury. I challenge you to something that involves all that you have, but Jesus gave his all for you, when He died on Calvary’s Cross.”
– Torrey Johnson
Something to Ponder
Jesus referred to himself using these names:
- Son of Man (Mt. 20:28)
- Son of God (John 10:36)
- The Way, the Truth, the Life (John 14:6)
- Bread of Life (John 6:35)
- Living Bread (John 6:51)
- Light of the World (John 8:12)
- Good Shepherd (John 10:36)
- Son of Man (Mt. 20:28)
- Son of God (John 10:36)
- The Way, the Truth, the Life (John 14:6)
- Bread of Life (John 6:35)
- Living Bread (John 6:51)
- Light of the World (John 8:12)
- Good Shepherd (John 10:36)
Here’s a Fact
Nehemiah 3:27 says the Tekoites repaired a section of the Ophel wall opposite the great projecting tower. Eliat Mazar has excavated a section of this NE wall of the Great Projecting Tower. It sets near the Royal Building in the SE area of the Ophel excavation. According to 2 Chronicles 26:9 Uzziah built this tower as additional fortifications for Jerusalem.
Proverb
"The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper."
- Proverbs 19:8
- Proverbs 19:8
Coach’s Corner
Pour your life into someone today. Be sure your legacy doesn’t end with you, but continues through the lives of others who will themselves impact others.
1 Kings 11:40
New International Version (NIV)
40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.
____
1 Kings 14:25-26
New International Version (NIV)
25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.
New International Version (NIV)
40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.
____
1 Kings 14:25-26
New International Version (NIV)
25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.
Jeremiah 7:18
New International Version (NIV)
18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger.
____
Jeremiah 44:17-19
New International Version (NIV)
17 We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.”
19 The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?”
New International Version (NIV)
18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger.
____
Jeremiah 44:17-19
New International Version (NIV)
17 We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.”
19 The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?”
2 Kings 3:4-8
New International Version (NIV)
4 Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”
“I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8 “By what route shall we attack?” he asked.
“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.
New International Version (NIV)
4 Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”
“I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8 “By what route shall we attack?” he asked.
“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.
2 Kings 23:10
New International Version (NIV)
10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek.
____
Jeremiah 32:35
New International Version (NIV)
35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.
New International Version (NIV)
10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek.
____
Jeremiah 32:35
New International Version (NIV)
35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.
2 Samuel 15
New International Version (NIV)
Absalom’s Conspiracy
15 In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” 4 And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.”
5 Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7 At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. 8 While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.’”
9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron.
10 Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.
David Flees
13 A messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword.”
15 The king’s officials answered him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.”
16 The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17 So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. 18 All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.
19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20 You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”
21 But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”
22 David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.
23 The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.
24 Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. 26 But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons. 28 I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31 Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”
32 When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice. 35 Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace. 36 Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.”
37 So Hushai, David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.
New International Version (NIV)
Absalom’s Conspiracy
15 In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” 4 And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.”
5 Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7 At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. 8 While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.’”
9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron.
10 Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.
David Flees
13 A messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword.”
15 The king’s officials answered him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.”
16 The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17 So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. 18 All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.
19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20 You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”
21 But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”
22 David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.
23 The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.
24 Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. 26 But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons. 28 I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31 Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”
32 When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice. 35 Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace. 36 Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.”
37 So Hushai, David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.
1 Samuel 30-31
New International Version (NIV)
David Destroys the Amalekites
30 David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”
“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”
9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— 12 part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
13 David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”
He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.”
15 David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”
He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.”
16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. 18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”
23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.
26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”
27 David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; 28 to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa 29 and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; 30 to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak 31 and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.
Saul Takes His Life
31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
7 When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
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Psalm 18
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1
I love you, Lord, my strength.
2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.
4
The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5
The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
6
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
7
The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.
8
Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
9
He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
10
He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
11
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13
The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
14
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15
The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17
He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18
They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.
19
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20
The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21
For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22
All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
23
I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
24
The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26
to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
29
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
30
As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
31
For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?
32
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.
36
You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.
37
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38
I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
39
You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.
40
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
41
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the Lord, but he did not answer.
42
I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,
44
foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45
They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
46
The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
47
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
48
who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me.
49
Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.
50
He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.
New International Version (NIV)
David Destroys the Amalekites
30 David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”
“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”
9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— 12 part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
13 David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”
He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.”
15 David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”
He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.”
16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. 18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”
23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.
26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”
27 David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; 28 to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa 29 and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; 30 to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak 31 and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.
Saul Takes His Life
31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
7 When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
____
Psalm 18
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1
I love you, Lord, my strength.
2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.
4
The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5
The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
6
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
7
The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.
8
Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
9
He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
10
He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
11
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13
The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
14
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15
The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17
He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18
They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.
19
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20
The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21
For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22
All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
23
I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
24
The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26
to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
29
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
30
As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
31
For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?
32
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.
36
You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.
37
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38
I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
39
You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.
40
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
41
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the Lord, but he did not answer.
42
I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,
44
foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45
They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
46
The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
47
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
48
who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me.
49
Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.
50
He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.