Mar. 30 - 1 Samuel 28-31

Saul called on God to help him defeat the Philistine army, but God did not answer him.  He decided to go to a medium to see if he could call on a spirit to help him.  Saul called on Samuel.  Samuel appeared, which scared the poo out of the medium.  Makes me think of the scene in Sister Act when Patrick Swayze appears to Whoopie.  She was a fake....but all of a sudden she is witness to a real ghost and she freaks!

Samuel told Saul that he will not have assistance from the Lord b/c the Lord left him after he did not obey him.  Samuel also told Saul that he will not help him either.  Saul was informed that the Israelites will be handed over to the Philistines and he will die along with his sons.

Meanwhile David was with the Philistines.  B/c he had to flee to save himself from Saul, he found himself amongst ungodly men.  But he was soon noticed and rejected by the Philistine leaders.  It was noticed that he did not contain evil.  He was sent away.  David tried to stay.  He wanted to fight Israel.  I'm sure this saddened God, but God does not abandon him.

David leaves.

While David and his men are away his city is burned and his women and children are captured.  This is an interesting event b/c this is exactly what David has been doing to other cities.  (Except he has been murdering the women and children.)  So this is a taste of his own medicine, just not as severe as he deserves.

After much crying and pleading David and his men pull themselves together.  David strengthened himself in the Lord.  (In other words he got his head together and reconnected with God.)  He took this to the Lord and the Lord told him to go after his people.  He will succeed.  They find their women and children unharmed and defeat the robbers.

Now, there were many of David's men who stayed behind.  They were tired and did not think they were up to the fight.  When David and his men returned to their site there were evil men in the bunch that didn't feel that they should share in the things that were recovered from the battle.  They wanted all of their glory to themselves.  David forbid it.  Basically I think that he knew it was God's glory that won the battle.  God's glory was to be shared by all.

In Chapter 31 Saul was in battle with the Philistines and he knew he was defeated.  His sons were killed and he was wounded.  He took his own life by falling on his sword.