Join us as we reflect on 1 Samuel 18 with our host Alan J. Huth and guest reader Morgan Jackson. Discover the unique bond between Jonathan and David and how God’s favor was instrumental in David’s successes and reputation. This episode emphasizes the power of living a life aligned with God’s will, highlighted by the scripture’s insights on maintaining spiritual integrity amidst challenges.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
SPEAKER 02 :
Today we are in 1 Samuel chapter 18. 1 Samuel chapter 18 will be read by our guest reader Morgan Jackson, the Senior Vice President of Faith Comes by Hearing.
SPEAKER 01 :
1 Samuel 18 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.” As they were coming home when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands. And what more can he have but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day on. The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand, and Saul hurled the spirit, for he thought, I will pin David to the wall. But David evaded him twice. Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. Then Saul said to David, Here is my elder daughter, Merib. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul thought, Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. And David said to Saul, Who am I and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? But at the time when Mirab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel, the Maholothite, for a wife. Now Saul’s daughter, Michael, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. Saul thought, Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, You shall now be my son-in-law. And Saul commanded his servants, Speak to David in private and say, Behold, the king is delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation? And the servants of Saul told him, Thus and so did David speak. Then Saul said, Thus shall you say to David, The king desires no bride price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired, David arose and went along with his men and killed 200 of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter, Michael, for a wife. But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michael, Saul’s daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually. Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
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Well, finally, I have more than a one-liner in that first journal I had back in 1983. On this chapter, I wrote, Jonathan, heir to Saul’s throne, recognizes that God has chosen David and gives him the prince’s garments. Jonathan loved David as himself. Then I continued, Saul, jealous of David, because David will have the opportunity that was once his own. Saul’s jealousy eats away at him and messes up the rest of his life. Yet in 2002, when I read this, I was back to a one-liner. I wrote, David behaved wisely. The presence of the Lord was with him. Respond to God’s presence in his spirit and it will result in wise behavior and people will notice. And in 2007, when reading this chapter, I wrote, David, the Lord was with him. He prospered, quote, in all his ways for the Lord was with him. That’s verse 14. And then I quoted verse 30. David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so his name was highly esteemed. And I continued, as God chooses us, he equips us and favors us. He would have done the same for Saul, but we have to stay the course. There are a few angles we could take in looking at this chapter, but I’d like to look at God’s favor. Let’s look at how God is favoring David, because David is his chosen one. He is his anointed one. So let’s go back and look at a couple of verses. Verse 5 says, So David is being successful. He’s gaining favor both in the king’s eyes and the people’s eyes because God is giving him favor. Verses 14 through 16 carry on the same theme. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. Again in verse 22, And Saul commanded his servants, Speak to David in private and say, Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. And finally, as the chapter closes, the last verse, verse 30 says, Then the princes of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. Are you favored? Are you highly esteemed? Do you have success in everything that you touch? Well, very few of us do, right? But David had that. Why? Because the Lord was with him. Is the Lord with you? It is possible to have success, success in the things that we do in life, as we stay close to the Lord. I think that’s what David did. He stayed close to the Lord. And I encourage you to ponder that today. Is your life successful? If so, praise the Lord. If it’s not successful in every aspect or in all the aspects that you want it to be, then get close to the Lord and watch Him favor you Lord, we thank you for this chapter that reminds us that when you call us, you equip us. And you are equipping David. And you are making him successful. And we pray that we also could have a measure of success in our lives because you are with us. Let other people see that success. And when they do, let us give you all the glory. We give you thanks. In Jesus’ name, amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. You know, sometimes we need a plumb line, a true north, a solid basis of truth to live life. We’re not going to find it in the media or in social media or Google or your friends, but it is available right at your fingertips. Pilate asked Jesus in John 18, 38, what is truth? The chapter before, Jesus had answered the question in his prayer to God for his disciples. In the 17th verse, Jesus pleads with the Father, Sanctify them in the truth. Thy word is truth. So what would it be like if everyone, everywhere, read the Bible every day? Wow, it might be heaven on earth. What would it be like if every Christian read the Bible every day? Would we be better ambassadors for Christ? What would it be like if everyone in your community read the Bible every day? Would we have greater impact in our communities? And what would it be like if you personally read the Bible every day? Could you use a closer walk with Jesus? Could you use a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet to walk through this life? Could you use a spiritual power surge in your life? Matthew 22, 29, Jesus speaking to the Sadducees said, You are mistaken not understanding the Scriptures or the power of God. Yes, the Scriptures can give us power to live this life. So I’m going to give you three easy action steps to make the Bible worth your time each and every day. Number one, commit to daily Bible reading. Commit to seek God and His Word daily, every day. And if you miss a day, start again the next day. Change your belief about God’s Word to behavior in God’s Word. Use any of our Ezra Project resources to help you. Visit EzraProject.net to get an Ezra Project Bible reading journal or one of our day-by-day through the Bible books. Commit today and visit EzraProject.net for easy-to-use resources for your daily time in God’s Word. Number two, be intentional. Decide what you want out of your Bible reading. I got to visit the headquarters of Back to the Bible once in Lincoln, Nebraska. And in one hallway down one side, they had scribbled all the reasons people say they don’t read the Bible. On the other side were all the reasons people do read the Bible. And I want to give you some of those to encourage you. On that wall, it said, God wants me to. Yes, God wants you to read the Bible. Do you want to meet with him daily? Because he’ll meet with you every day through his word. Number two, it changes me. Where could you be in one year with more Bible reading in your life? Number three, it improves my outlook on life. Yeah, turn out the bad news and saturate yourself with good news from the Word of God. Number four, it keeps me grounded. Yes, when the storms of life come, and they will, can you stand? Yes, you’ll stand better and more solid because you’re in the Word of God. Next, it keeps my heart soft. Yeah, Nehemiah 8, when people heard the word, they wept and they worshipped. You will do the same as the word softens your heart. Lastly, on the wall it said, it keeps my daily focus on God. Yeah, that’s a great reason to read the Bible. You’ll gain the spiritual power to live life in our secular world. And then thirdly and lastly, feed your soul. Let God minister to your soul. Hebrews 4.12 says the Word of God pierces between your soul and your spirit, between joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of your heart. Nothing else goes that deep. I don’t know where the place is between my soul and my spirit, but I want to put the Word of God there each and every day of my life. I hope you do too. God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word.
