29 v.6 - In saying that he had not found any evil in David Achish demonstrates the effectiveness of David [1 Samuel 27:10] in fighting against the Lord's enemies.

30 v.6 - In encouraging himself in God David demonstrates how that it is possible at one time to be unsure of the Lord's care and yet at another to trust wholly on Him. The affliction of the situation in Ziklag forced David to trust his God. May it be the chastening we receive of the Father's hand will force us to place all our reliance on Him.

29:5 This is the third time that the Philistines have said this. The first was after the death of Goliath (1 Samuel 18:7) The second was when David had fled to Achish (1 Samuel 21:11) One wonders why David persisted in seeking to be with the Philistines against the background of their association of him with the death of Philistines.

30:1 Whilst the Philistines had given David Ziklag (1 Samuel 27:6) it seems that their 'generosity' stopped there. David was off defending the Philistines - at least that is what they thought - yet they did not seem to do anything to defend the city they had given to David.

There are at least three cities called Aphek in the land of Israel. It would appear that the one mentioned here (:1) is the one shown on the map because of the mention of Jezreel and the fact that Saul went to Endor to see the woman with the familiar spirit and that Saul was in the area of Mount Gilboa. So when David went back to Ziklag (30:1) he travelled some distance.

30:23 In withstanding the men who would have taken the spoil to themselves we see that David was a very different kind of man to Saul. Saul claimed to 'fear the people' (1 Samuel 15:24) as a valid reason for not doing the right thing.

29:6-7 Achish's words to David must have seemed like the answer to a prayer - maybe they were. He must have wondered how he would extricate himself from the situation - rather like the time (1Sam 21:11-15) when he was before Achish previously.

30:14 There is not a town called 'Caleb' even though the Egyptian said that they went to the south of Caleb - so it must be that the area inherited by Caleb (Josh 14:13) was known to the surrounding inhabitants as his land.  This indicates the impact he had in claiming his inheritance when Israel entered the land.

In 1Sam 30:6 we have an utter low point in David's life.  All his followers who had been so loyal to him were now speaking of stoning him to death.  David had led them into a situation where they had lost all their loved ones.  David was wracked with guilt, fear of death, and grief for his own wives.  There is a simple comment in this verse about how David coped: "But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God".  Whilst all the other six hundred people directed their grief against David, he alone directed it towards the one who could make everything alright again.

The amazing thing about this incident is that everything was restored to them, and more so.  Nothing was lost in the end.  This suggests it was all a test of faith for David and his people.  They would all long remember the deliverance of the LORD, who was mighty to save, and had let not a hair of their loved ones to be harmed all the time they were held captive.

29:1      The Philistines being in Aphek is, then, a re run of events recorded in 1Sam 4.

30:26 The way in which David sent of the spoil to various of the cities in Judah which are named in this chapter shows that David had not been seeking his own wealth. A characteristic which truly comes into its own when he prepares for the temple.

29:4     This, being the second time that David had offered to serve with Achish, makes one wonder what special relationship David had with Achish that Achish would take the risk of having David in his army given the way that the other lords of the Philistines had reacted the last time – 1Sam 21:10-15.

Achish means angry.  However, he was pleasantly disposed to David who stayed with him for sixteen months.  Achish is named as Abimelech (father of the king) in Psalm 34.  Both of these appellations were probably titles and not proper names.

29:4 The princes' concern would allow David to miss the fight against Israel.  This, of course, was orchestrated by Yahweh, as it would be unthinkable that a King of Israel would fight against his own people.

29:8 David defended his reputation with Achish as he wanted to consolidate his acceptance within the Philistine camp.  He did not plead with Achish to join the fight, as he had no intention to do so.

29:9 Achish confirms David’s good reputation, which would secure a safe hiding place with the Philistines.

30:2 Contrast the Amalekites behaviour with that of David’s (1Sam 27:11). The difference is that there were no fighting men in Ziklag, just women and children.  Rather than slaughtering the women and children, the Amalekites carted them away for use as slaves.

30:7,8 It might appear from these verses that David, himself, put on the ephod and inquired of Yahweh. This is highly unlikely.  It was probably Abiathar who wore the ephod and inquired of Yahweh on behalf of David.

30:13 It was not unusual that a captive slave would be discarded and left to die if he or she became a liability.

30:18 Compare David’s rescue to that of Abraham’s (Gen 14:14-16)

30:25 There was already a precedent in this matter (Num 31:27; Josh 22:8).

29:8 One might have thought that David would be pleased to have been freed from the problem of a potential fight against Saul. However he persists in questioning Achish as to why he was being sent back. Was this just a ploy so Achish did not understand what David had been doing or was David really wanting to stay and fight with the Philistines? Or was he hoping that when the battle was enjoined he would be able to fight against the Philistines?

V.6 Israel by its apostasy had made itself as defenseless as a man in a forest surrounded by wild beasts. The lion, the wolf, and the leopard, representing the strongest, most revenous, and swiftest of beasts, prefigured the beastlike cruelty of the Babylonians.

5:1 The willingness of God to pardon the city of Jerusalem if one who was faithful indicates that Jerusalem was in a worse state than Sodom – Gen 18:32

5:15 The prophecy that a distant nation whose language Judah would not understand is a fulfilment of Deut 28:49

5:1 Running to and fro is a characteristic of God when He seeks to see the state of a people – 2Chron 16:9. Jeremiah was given this responsibility thus being a full representative of God.

The people of Judah did not heed Jeremiah's prophecy.  If anyone looked around Judah and Jerusalem at that time, everything was just fine.  Nobody wants to hear gloom and doom because it interrupts the pleasantries of every-day activities. 

The same situation exists in the modern world.  People have been preaching for years that terrible trouble would be coming on the world but nobody wanted to hear.  But, the trouble has now started.  The economy is in turmoil and people are losing their jobs and homes. Personal debts and bankruptcies are at all-time highs.  Marriage breakdown and social unrest will increase.  People are fearful of what will happen (Luke 21:26).

There is only one hope of salvation, and that is being in covenant relationship with the Lord. This parallels the ark in Noah's day.  The end times are likened to the days of Noah (Luke 17:6). Only those inside the ark were saved, and only those in a covenant relationship will be saved now.

5:4 In saying ‘they know not the way of the Lord’ the prophet is likening them to those who were put in the northern kingdom’s territory after Hoshea was taken captive by the Assyrians – 2Kin 1:5 – they were not Jews so it is not surprising they were in that position. However to use that description of those in the land in the days of Josiah is a terrible indictment.

V.5 Israel is a special people unto Yahweh (Deut 14:2).  Therefore, Yahweh has yoked and bonded His people to Him, and Israel is required to obey (Deut 27:10).  Obedience brings blessings; disobedience brings punishment (Deut 28:2,15 etc.).

It is usually Yahweh who breaks the yoke and bursts the bonds that the enemies of Israel have imposed upon Yahweh’s people (Nah 1:13). However, here, it is Israel who has broken the yoke and burst the bonds which bind them to Yahweh.  Having cast off all restraint, they were now free to indulge themselves in the things of the flesh as the following verses of the chapter illustrate.

Vs.10,15 Babylon was to be the instrument of punishment for Judah and Jerusalem.  However, as in all punishments, Yahweh always leaves a remnant to carry on (v.18; Eze 6:8).

V.21 See Isa 6:9.

Vs.22,23 Yahweh can contain the great mass of the earth’s seas, but He cannot contain His rebellious people.

Vs.24,25 Israel just took for granted the fall and spring rains without recognizing that these were gifts from Yahweh.  Now, Yahweh will withhold these gifts and Israel will suffer at harvest time. 

We should never take anything for granted, and always express our thanks and gratitude to God for the things we receive.

V.28 When people are prosperous who needs God?  But, when disaster strikes, the first name that people utter is God’s.

V.31 The expression: bear rule by their means has the meaning of ruling (oppressing) according to their own direction.

God's keyword easy-reference system

Here's a great example of how scripture interprets its own mysteries. The questions we might have are: Who is the destroyer in v10? What ist the ancient, mighty nation in v15? When did v17 happen?

To interpret this chapter, for example, just take a key word such as "walls" in v10. Now go to http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword and type in "walls" then hit enter. Scroll down the list of verses to find anything listed in Jeremiah (hit next to go to next page). Immediately we can see the word is used in chapters 1, 5, 21, 39, 49, 50, 51 and 52. So chapter 1 gives us the setting for this invasion, and why it would come about. Chapter 21 tells us the invader is the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans. Jer 39 and 52 tell us when and how it happened. We've not need to go outside the context of the book, and we certainly haven't needed to make assumptions.

God uses key words to help us understand His great work, the Bible. He makes it easy for us to find answers to His word, as long as we come to it with humility, accepting that He will interpret it, not us. In order for us to benefit from God's keyword system, it's important that we ask Him for help which He will always provide (James 1:5). We then need to use a literal translation which translates the same words in the same way consistently. (There's no perfect Bible translation for this, but I recommend the NKJV).

5:1 The way that God speaks to Jeremiah about seeking out a righteous man in Jerusalem indicates the depths to which the city had fallen.

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" If he was asking today we would probably get answers like: A prophet; A mythical figure from Christian stories; Someone in the Bible; or, Don't know. Then Jesus asked, "But who do you say I am?" This is a question we must all ask ourselves every day of our lives. Peter's reply was the right one. "You are the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of the Living God!" This was just the answer Jesus wanted to hear and it was a great encouragement to him to hear that at least one of his disciples understood who he was and his mission. But who do we see Jesus as for us? Is he an amazing man who changed the world? Is he someone to be worshipped in the Bible? Is he the baby born in Bethlehem, crucified at Easter, who made his mark on history? He is all of those things but he is much more than that too. He is our personal living saviour, who saved us from our sins and who came to save the world. He is the perfect son of God. And he is our reason to live, our love, our life and our King who will return to reign in glory.
Who is he to you?

So how did God reveal it to Peter? Was is a "bolt out of the blue" experience? I don't think so, because if we look back over the previous chapters in Matthew, we can see how the realisation was gradually dawning on Peter. Every one of these realisations were after he had been tested by God, humbled, and then saved by Jesus. (Luke 5:5-8, Matt 8:25-27, Matt 14:30-33) Notice how the words of Peter towards Jesus grew in their understanding over time. This was the way that God revealed Spiritual things to Peter, and the same way he reveals them to us. (Heb 12v10-11; Prov 3v11-13)

[Note: Matt 8 and 14 references incorrect previously. Corrected July 09]

V.28 Jesus seems to be telling his disciples that some of them will remain alive until He returns to earth to set up His Kingdom.  However, we know this cannot be the case.  All the disciples met violent deaths except, possibly, John who was exiled to Patmos where he, probably, died. 

The phrase taste of death could be referring to the death upon rejection at the judgement.  Jesus' discourse in the Gospel of John might clarify what this phrase means (John 8:51,52).  Jesus promised His disciples a place in His Kingdom, which meant that they would be immune to the taste of death (Luke 22:30). 

However, the qualification some in v.28 could be a reference to the fact that Judas will not be in the Kingdom.  If he is brought back for judgement, he will be rejected, probably receive a glimpse of the Kingdom like so many others (Luke 13:28), and then taste of death permanently. 

Another explanation for v.28 could be that Jesus is foretelling His transfiguration (Matt 17:1-3).  This event was a glimpse of the coming regal glory of Jesus.  The some, who witnessed the occurrence, were Peter, James, and John.

V.24 It is clear from this verse that our Heavenly Father places before each one of us a choice that we must make, and that God does not make it for any of us. But, in the next two verses(25-26) the Lord , in his infinite love towards us, encourages us to make the right choice. Whoever thinks only of his own ease and comfort lacks love."what shall a man give in exchange for his life"

16:4 In saying that Jesus ‘left them and departed’ we realise that Jesus did not spend time reasoning with those who would not recognise his works as evidence of his work. The response to the miracles had to come from the heart of the observer rather than through being forced to acknowledge that God was at work in Jesus.

16:27  Jesus had been tempted to throw away everything in exchange for the ‘whole world’ in the wilderness- Matt 4:8, Luke 4:5 so Jesus’ words to his disciples was not simply a theoretical teaching. He had already made the choice.

16:17  In saying that Peter’s confession came not from ‘flesh and blood’ but from ‘my father’ we should not presume that in some way God had put those words into Peter’s mouth. What Jesus is saying is that Peter’s understanding came from a recognition of Jesus because of what he knew of the Scriptures and the way in which Jesus’ life matched what was said of Messiah.

 The Devil And Satan - part 2 of 3 [lesson 12 of 20 from "Outline of Basic Bible Teachings" by Wes Booker (for part 1 see July 3, Matthew 3 and for part 3 see December 26, Revelation 12)]

II. Satan

     A. Hebrew word = adversary. Used in both Old Testament and New Testament:  

          1.) In the Old Testament the adversary can be good, or bad. It is translated "adversary" in :  a.) Num 22:22 - an angel of the LORD  b.) 1Sam 29:4 - David  c.) 2Sam 19:22 - sons of Zeruiah. Also 1Kin 11:14; 1Chron 21:1 compare 2Sam 24:1  d.) Job 1:2 - special adversary to Job - left untranslated  e.) Psa 109:6 (KJV); Zech 3:1-2 - left untranslated  

          2.) In the New Testament it is used about three dozen times. The translaters did not translate the word. It is always an adversary in opposition to God:  a.) Matt 16:21-23 - Peter = Satan   b.) Acts 5:1-4 - Ananias = Satan. Compare verses 3 and 4.

     B. Satan in Job: 

          1.) Both Satan and God had a part in Job's trials. Satan proposed them; God performed them. Is this how Christianity normally perceives Satan? See Job 2:3.  2.) Job 42:11 - God is the source of affliction   3.) Job 2:9-10;19:21; etc. Job and his wife regarded the afflictions as being brought on by God.

III. True cause of sin - wicked HUMAN NATURE - James 1:14-15;Jer 17:9;Rom 3:10-18;7:15-25;James 4:1-3,7-8     

V.4 See Matt 12:40.

V.16 Peter clearly and accurately explains the status of Jesus.

V.18 Jesus reacts to Peter’s statement of v.16. Catholics claim Peter as being their first pope because they say that Jesus said He would build His church on him. However, it is the underlying truth (rock Gr. petra) stated by Peter, and not Peter himself (rock Gr. petrus), on which Christ would build His ecclesia. It is interesting that Jesus called the supposed first pope Satan (v.23).

V.24 The phrase: take up his cross means to carry the burden of individual responsibility that is inherent in being a disciple of Jesus (Gal 6:5).  The journey as a follower of Jesus is an individual one.  Paul exhorts the Philippians to: work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  When the disciple of Jesus stands before Him in judgment, s/he stands alone. 

That is not to say that fellow travellers on the road to the Kingdom should not help each other.  In fact, as part of individual discipleship, the follower of Jesus must help his/her brothers and sisters (Gal 6:2).

V.25 The disciple of Jesus must be prepared to lose his/her life for the sake of Jesus, just as Jesus was prepared to lose His life for them.

16:20 The charge that the disciples didn’t tell anyone that he was the Christ was because the people needed to recognise for themselves the status of Jesus. If they had simply believed the disciples they would have just fitted Jesus into their notion that Messiah was a conquering king that would rid them of the Romans.