March 29: 1 Samuel 18-19, Psalm 59
As mentioned yesterday we are switching to a chronological format for the rest of the Old Testament. First, an overview of the Psalms:
This book is a collection of 150 songs and prayers that
are divided into five sub-books. The collection is considered poetry, and we
lose a lot of the beauty of the work when it gets translated out of Hebrew.
David wrote 73 of these, Asaph 12, Sons of Korah 11,
Solomon 2, and even one is attributed to Moses.
Some scholars have suggested that Psalm 118:8, which reads, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans," could be seen as a key verse for the book of Psalms because it emphasizes the idea of seeking God's protection and guidance rather than relying on human strength or wisdom. However, this verse is not universally recognized as the key verse of Psalms, and many other verses throughout the book express similar themes and messages.
Related to today's text:
Imagine being in a pasture watching the sheep one day, and a short time later being hailed as a hero by all of Israel! David moves directly from the battlefield to the castle where he again plays the harp, but this time he’s recognized by everyone, is successful at huge assignments, and must be wondering when it’s his turn to be king.
However, the king has become violent and angry, and David
must be a bit confused. David finally gets the offer of marriage promised
before he killed Goliath, but he turns it down. Yet when a second offer is
made, he accepts. Since it says Michel was in love with him, we can presume he
was aware of her affections and perhaps felt the same way. But as a shepherd he
didn’t have the typical payment that was made to a family in exchange for a
wife (death of Goliath not withstanding). Saul expects the requirement he sets
to result in David’s death, but instead David provides twice the expected
payment. What a messy ‘treasure’ that must have been.
When threatened with death, David runs to Samuel. There
is no evidence that the two have been working together, but David may have been
seeking answers. Don’t you wonder what all the prophesying was about in
19:20-23? The word used here, ‘nabi’ indicates they were in a prophetic trance,
unable to act on their own accord. Were they perhaps telling of the downfall of
Saul and rise of David?
We see David’s first published psalm at this time. He is
obviously a devout follower of the Lord and relies on Him for strength. David’s
confusion at the situation is apparent, too. It is estimated that David is no
more than 20 years old, and he has no idea the way this situation will change
his life for the next decade or so.
TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 20 – 21; Psalms 56, 34
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