{"id":3555,"date":"2011-05-20T22:06:56","date_gmt":"2011-05-21T03:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/k-line.org\/9\/?p=3555"},"modified":"2011-05-20T23:26:18","modified_gmt":"2011-05-21T04:26:18","slug":"one-year-bible-challenge-week-7-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/k-line.org\/9\/2011\/05\/20\/one-year-bible-challenge-week-7-2\/","title":{"rendered":"One Year Bible Challenge, Week 20"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"bible\"<\/p>\n

Week 20<\/b><\/font><\/h4>\n

May 14 – 20, 20111<\/a><\/sup>

\nThis is the “One Year Bible Challenge:”<\/i> to read the entire Bible in one year.<\/b><\/font> Assuming a normal reading level, this can be done by spending about 10-15 minutes per day, each and every day. It is NOT TOO LATE to join the Challenge!<\/b> Start with today’s reading and keep reading with us through the end of this year. You’ll have to read a bit more at the beginning of next year to finish. See R<\/font>ead<\/font>T<\/font>he<\/font>W<\/font>hole<\/font>B<\/font>ible.COM<\/font><\/b><\/a> for more information. If you would like details so you can join us, or if you have any other questions, please call Tom Truex. Or send an email by using the CONTACT<\/a> form on K-Line.ORG.<\/p>\n

OLD TESTAMENT READINGS:<\/b> 1 Samuel 15:1 – 28:25<\/div>\n

Themes and stories:<\/u><\/b> Samuel told Saul to slaughter the people of Amalek. Kill every man, woman, child, infant, livestock, (and presumably cats and dogs.) Saul mustered an army and killed the Amalekites. However, Saul spared their king, Agag, as well as some of the sheep and cattle. God does not like it when people do not follow his instructions. Samuel went to Saul to make inquiry. Saul told Samuel that he had saved some of the cattle to sacrifice to God. Samuel responded, \u201cSurely, to obey is better than sacrifice.\u201d 1 Samuel 15:22 (NRSV). By way of emphasizing the point, Samuel had King Agag, King of the Amalekites brought before him. Samuel hacked Agag to death with his sword.<\/p>\n

God told Samuel to anoint, as the next king of Israel, one of Jesse’s sons. God did not tell Samuel which one of Jesse’s son was to be king, so Samuel went to interview them. But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”<\/em> 1 Samuel 16:7 (RSV).<\/p>\n

Samuel passed over Jesse’s first 7 sons and anointed the youngest, David; \u201cand the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.\u201d 1 Samuel 16:13 (RSV).<\/p>\n

After David was anointed, \u201cthe spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.\u201d 1 Samuel 16:14 (NRSV). David entered service with Saul to play the lyre to sooth Saul when the evil spirit from the Lord was upon him. David was also Saul’s armor-bearer.<\/p>\n

\"David<\/a>
David with Goliaths Head, by Michelangelo Caravaggio<\/figcaption><\/figure>Next is the story of David and Goliath, most of which is well known to even small children. Goliath was a giant in the Philistine’s army. He stood over 9 feet tall. As the Philistine’s army drew near the Israelite’s army, Goliath went out to taunt his adversaries, twice every day. He proposed that rather than a battle between the armies, that he (Goliath) would fight one of the Israelite’s soldiers. And to the victor of this mortal combat, would go the spoils for battle as if the entire armies had fought. Apparently, this was a common arrangement. Goliath made this challenge for more than 40 days. None of the Israelite’s had the courage to take the giant’s challenge. Finally David, who was still a shepherd boy, offered to fight Goliath. David realized what others had overlooked\u2014that he would not be fighting alone. God would be fighting with him. David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”<\/em> 1 Samuel 17:37 (RSV). Saul offered David his armor to use in battle against Goliath. But the armor was too heavy for the boy. David took only his staff, five smooth stones and a sling. David and Goliath approached each other for battle. They traded insults. David slung a single stone from his sling to Goliath’s forehead. Goliath dropped dead. By way of insuring Goliath’s death, David drew out the giant’s sword and cut his head off. Instead of submitting to the Israelite’s as their conquerors, the Philistines ran away. So much for a deal. The Israelite’s slaughtered the Philistines as they fled.<\/p>\n

As they were returning home from their victory, women came out to greet the Israelite’s army, playing musical instruments and singing,<\/p>\n

\u201cSaul has slain his thousands,
\nAnd David his ten thousands.” <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Saul<\/a>
Saul Attacking David, by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1591 \u2013 1666)<\/figcaption><\/figure>Saul felt slighted by the numerical comparison. The next day, an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul. David was summoned to play his lyre. Saul tried to stab David with a spear, but David escaped twice. Saul made David commander over 1,000 men in his army. David had great military success, and all the Israelite’s loved him. Well, not quite all\u2014Saul hated David.<\/p>\n

Saul told David he would give him his eldest daughter, Merab, in marriage. But then he gave Merab to Adriel the Meholathite, to be married. Saul promised David another one of his daughters, Michal, as his wife. But as a wedding present, Saul demanded that David kill 100 Philistines, and bring Saul their foreskins as proof. Saul hoped the Philistines would kill David. But David complied with Saul’s demand, and married Michal. In fact, David’s troops continued to defeat the Philistines, every time they met on the battle field.<\/p>\n

Saul spoke to his son, Jonathan, and his servants about killing David. Jonathan reported the death threat to David. The two were friends. Saul developed a plan to murder David. David’s wife (Saul’s daughter), Michal, helped David escape. Saul concocted another scheme to kill David, at a banquet. Saul’s son, Jonathan, helped David escape this time.<\/p>\n

David fled to Gath. If this town sounds familiar, it was the hometown of Goliath, who David killed years earlier. One can presume that the current inhabitants of Gath must have forgotten the matter; although David must have slept with one eye open, given his history with one of Gath’s favorite sons. David pretended to be crazy so that the King of Gath wouldn’t punish him.<\/p>\n

Saul pursued David so that he could kill him. David was on the run. Samuel killed priests of the Lord who had assisted David in his escape. One day as Saul was pursuing David, Saul went into a cave to use it as a restroom. Little did Saul suspect that David and his men were hiding in that cave. David had a perfect chance to kill Saul in the dark, but he would not do so. David was loyal to Saul, even though Saul was trying to kill David. Saul gave up his pursuit of David when he found out that David had passed up a chance to kill him.<\/p>\n

Later, Saul again decided to kill David. So, he again set out with his men to find and kill David. David sneaked up on Saul’s encampment at night. He had another chance to kill Saul, but did not do so. Saul gave up this plan to murder David, when he realized his life had again been spared.<\/p>\n

David continued his raids on the Philistines, killing everyone as he went. The Philistines assembled as great army. Saul was very worried, but God gave him no direction. Although Saul had expelled almost all of the mediums and wizards, Saul decided to consult one now. His servants located a medium who had been overlooked. God was always clear in his condemnation of dabbling in the occult. You may recall the following examples:<\/p>\n