V.5 When Saul was confronted by the Philistines, he became fearful. He consulted Yahweh but Yahweh turned a deaf ear.  Saul had not been faithful, hence the rejection (Prov 15:29; 28:9). 

V.7 In desperation, Saul turned to the dark arts.  The debate, here, is not whether these dark arts were effective or not; it is the fact that Yahweh would not allow them to be practised (Exo 22:18).  This same work of the flesh is also condemned by Paul (Gal 5:20). 

Saul had banned witchcraft (vs.3,9) but had now turned to it for help, thus reflecting Prov 26:11. 

V.10 The suspicious witch was ironically re-assured by an oath using Yahweh's name in vain.  Thus, Saul further condemned himself (Exo 20:7).  The warning to us about making this sort of mistake is contained in a commandment of Christ (Matt 5:34-37). 

And so, Samuel was brought up by the medium.  Whatever experience Yahweh caused to happen here was to address Saul's disobedience (Prov 26:5).  His rebellion was as great as the condemned witchcraft (1Sam 15:23). 

The great lesson for us is not to repeat Saul's error, but to always obey the voice of Yahweh (Psa 130:5).

28:3      That Saul had put away those with familiar spirits – in accordance with what the law of Moses required Lev 20:27– is possibly a glimmer of some spirituality in Saul.

28:2  Now David is accepted and trusted by Achish – one might think he fared better when Achish sent him away. Now David ahs to deal with Achish’s expectations of David!

V.6 Urim means lights, and Thummim means perfections.  We do not know precisely what they were.  We do know that they were kept inside the high priest's breastplate, and were used to make judgements on matters.  However, these instruments were not available to Saul, along with any other direction from Yahweh.

V.1 Achish had no reason to suspect that David was not loyal to him.

V.2 David's nebulous reply to Achish landed him a job as head of the king’s bodyguard.

V.7 It was at Endor that Sisera and Jabin perished (Psa 83:9,10).

V.8 Saul disguised himself and went to Endor at night.  The reason was that in order for Saul to reach Endor from his camp, he had to pass by the Philistine camp.  Perhaps, David had this in mind when he wrote v.6 of Ps 35.  Bad deeds are often done in the cover of darkness, in a futile attempt to conceal transgression (e.g. Prov 7:7-9).

Vs.13,14,15 Note that all the action of Samuel was: coming up out of the earth (ESV); coming up (ESV); bringing me up (ESV).  Samuel was faithful to God throughout all his life, from birth to death.  But, this righteous man was summoned from the grave. 

Christendom, erroneously, believes that good people go to heaven at death.  If that were the case, shouldn’t Samuel have been brought down from heaven rather than being brought up from the earth?

28:12-20 There is much debate a to what actually happened when Saul visited the witch. However one point is clear. The woman got far more than she bargained for – verse 12 – so we have to conclude that God was involved in presenting a message to Saul via the woman.

V.29 The inhabitants of the country had fled to Jerusalem for refuge, but when it too, is likely to fall, they flee out of it to hide in the "thickets"

There’s an interesting allusion to baptism here in Jer 4:14. “Wash your heart from wickedness.”  I know it was John who introduced baptism into the Jewish way of life, but there are several types of it in the old testament  -  not least the Flood of Noah’s day.

4:9  The idea hat the people will be astonished draws on the curse promised in 28:49  that would come upon Israel if they were rebellious.

4:4 The exhortation to circumcise the heart draws on the language of Deut 10:16

4:2 In saying ‘The Lord Liveth’ the name of God was being used as an oath – swearing by the name of God. But it was all a sham. Jesus taught not to swear – Matt 5:34. Making a promise should be sufficient – James 5:12. Bit of course the people in Jeremiah’s ay had no intention of keeping their word.

V.6 Babylon is said to be coming from the north.  Actually, Babylon is east of Judah.  North could be indicating that the invaders would not come directly west across the desert.  Instead they would wend their way to the coastal road and then descend to Judah from the north. This is the likely route (check a map for clarification). 

The word north in Hebrew is tsaphon which means hidden and dark (gloomy).  Perhaps, the word north is also used to describe the nature of the Babylonian invasion.

V.4 See Rom 2:9.

V.5 Compare to Jer 8:14.  The exhortation was to prepare for the Babylonian invasion.

V.7 The lion was a prominent symbol of Babylon.

V.8 Sackcloth was made of the dark, coarse hair of goats.  Raiment made from sackcloth was used for mourning (e.g. 1Kin 21:27).  This rough material was uncomfortable to wear.  But, that was the idea – mourning was a heavy experience, and the material added to the sombre occasion.

V.10 Jeremiah, a true prophet, is talking about the false prophets that he would encounter (Jer 14:13).

Vs.11,12 Babylon will sweep in like an east wind and bring calamity (Jer 18:17).

V.17 Jerusalem had guards around the city, just as fields of grain had guards around them near harvest time to keep away robbers and wild animals.  But these guards would be useless against the Babylonian onslaught.

V.23 Compare to Gen 2:1.  At the beginning of creation, the earth was formless and chaotic. Judah and Jerusalem will be in such disarray after Babylon is finished with them (v.27).

V.30 Judah will act in the face of the Babylonian invasion like Jezebel acted when she knew Jehu was coming for her (2Kin 9:30).

4:1 Jeremiah could not have been any more clear in his message. It was simple. Turn away from your iniquity and the Babylonians will no longer be a threat to you. Yu will not go into captivity.

A further point to ponder:

The effect of the woman on Jesus in v22-28 must have been very great. The "crumbs which fall from the master's table" ended up feeding four thousand people who were probably also gentiles!

15:18-19Notice the repeated use of 'mouth' 'heart' echoing 15:8- see January comment. Here Jesus explains the relationship for us. The mouth actually speaks what the heart thinks.

Jesus was fulfilling his ministry to seperate light from darkness (John 1:9-12, 3:19-21, 1:4-5). He was that light, but the people didn't comprehend that light, nor were drawn to it. This is explained in those verses in John, and born out in the examples in this chapter.

There were two kinds of people in the audience the day the feeding took place. Those who God had prepared for salvation (the wheat) and those He hadn't (the tares). The first group had studied their scriptures; searching for some clue as to who their Messiah would be. They were interested in their salvation. The second group hadn't done this. They were too busy, or had other things more pressing in their lives, or had been brought up on the scriptures but not really been interested. Their knowledge was by hearsay. The second group found the miracle Jesus performed impressive, satisfying and tasty. But the first group suddenly recognised the following:

15:3 In asking ‘Why do ye … of God’ Jesus quotes 2Chron 24:20. An earlier occasion when the leaders would not listen to the counsel of God through the prophet – they stoned the prophet on that occasion.

15:24   Jesus’ words to the woman echo what he had told his disciples in Matt 10:5-6 about restricting their preaching to Jews.

15:11 So Jesus now returns to the issue which had prompted his comments about the way in which the Jews violated the law by their traditions to teach the fundamental point that our mouths contaminate us by what comes out of them, not by what goes into them.

V.2 It is supposed that an oral law was passed down as well as the written law.  Ezra is pointed out as being an integral person in passing on this oral law.  The traditions of which the Pharisees speak come from this oral law. 

The problem with an oral law is that information can be changed as it passes from one person to another down the ages.  Therefore, anything oral is suspect.  That is the reason Yahweh had His Word written so that everyone could read it, unchanged, throughout the ages (Prov 22:20,21).

The faithful listeners at Berea checked out, from the scripture, what Paul had said, to be certain it was the truth (Acts 17:11). Paul exhorts the Colossians to beware of men’s tradition (Col 2:8). And so, Yahweh’s truth is only found in His Word, the Bible (Isa 8:20).  That is the only place we should look for our spiritual education (2Tim 3:16).

Vs.3-6 Jesus shows how the Pharisees’ tradition contradicts God’s written law (See Mark 7:11 for v.5).

Vs.7,8 See Isa 29:13.

V.9 Scriptural prophecy tells us that people would leave the Truth and follow perverted doctrines.  This movement began in the first century and continued to grow throughout the centuries to reach the huge false system of worship that we see today (1Tim 4:1-3).

V.22 See Mark 7:26.

V.24 Jesus’ mission was to present Himself as the promised Messiah to His fellow Jews.  But, Jesus was to become the savior of the Gentiles as well (Luke 2:32).  The apostle Paul was the instrument to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, as well as others (Acts 9:15).

15:31 Jesus is in Tyre and Sidon – outside the boundaries of Israel. Yet the people praise ‘the God of Israel’. A fulfilment of Isa 29:17-31

In v8-9 Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 in relation to the Pharisees. Can you see any other examples of how the rest of that chapter fits too? For example compare v3 and Isa 29:15-16.