Wicked Crazy King: Never A Good Combo

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting January 30 to study 1 Samuel 21 & 22 (yes, two chapters).  This is where Saul really becomes unhinged; dark days for Israel.  There are a lot of details in these chapters, some of which you asked about last week.  Good questions then, and here are some good answers.

Read through both chapters, and even the next if you haven't already.  Go back through these chapters a few times, in different translations.  Be looking for odd details, strange elements that paint a peculiar picture.  Note the priests of Nob.  What seems strange about them, their behavior, and their responses to David and Saul?  Look for Nob on a map somewhere in your Bible or atlas.  Be sure to jot down questions or insights you find in these chapters.

Once you've gone through several times already, go back through with these questions:

Chapter 21

• David leaves Jonathan and goes to Nob.  Why do you think the priests would come out 'trembling'?
• There are several questions Ahimelech asks that indicate he knows something's up with David being there.  Why do you think he keeps asking these questions?  What do you think he's after?
• What is the issue with the bread?  What must the men with David be to partake of the bread?
• Read Leviticus 24:5-9.  What's the problem with Ahimelech giving this bread to David?  Why do you think he would do so anyway?
• Read verse 7 in as many different translations as you have.  Most, if not all, state that Doeg is 'detained before' God.  This word seems to have theological significance in the Hebrew Scriptures with reference to God's sovereignty in that it is He who restrains things and people.  What might that mean here?
• Why would the sword of Goliath be here?  Why do you think this would be an important item for David to have?
• Where does David go after leaving Nob?  Remember back to 1 Samuel 17.  Why might David have thought of Gath, and why might this be a bad idea considering what David is carrying among his things?
• What do you think of the king of Gath?  What sort of ruler is he?  Is he smart, foolish, what?
• Why do you think David opts for the 'insanity plea'?

Chapter 22

•  Find Adullam on a map.  In what tribal area is it found?
• Why do you think his brothers and father come to him there?
• Who else comes to find David?  What sort of people are these?  What other story does this remind you of?
• Where does David go with his family?  Why go there?
• Where do you think this 'stronghold' is?
• Why do you think God wants David to return to Judah?
• What does Saul know about David?  So why do you think he remains under the tree?
• What does Saul hold over his servants?
• What does Saul believe about David?  Why would he think this?
• What is Doeg in the service of Saul?  Why do you think he would volunteer this information?
• Why do you think all the priests were summoned?
• What do you think it was about Ahimelech's defense that made Saul want to kill him?
•  If Saul holds lands and positions over his servants, and they won't kill the priests, what does this say about how his servants feel about the king?
• Look up 'H6293' in the Blue Letter Bible website.  What sort of range of meaning does this word have?  So where do you think Doeg did the 'falling' on the priests?
• What do you think of Doeg's obedience to Saul?  Do you think this is what Saul meant?
• What do you call this sort of 'warfare'? (we've looked at it before - as in Jericho)
• So, Abiathar escapes.  Where does he go?  What do you think it means that he knows where to find David?  
• What is David's response when he hears of the destruction of Nob?
• What do you think this means for the nation of Israel?  What do you think about Saul and his mental state?

This should do for now.  We may not get through both chapters.  We'll take it as far as we can.

See you Thursday!

What's A Good Son To Do?

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting January 23 to study 1 Samuel 20.  This picks up where the group left off before taking a detour through Multiply and Isaiah 40.  We're back for a while.  After we finish 1 Samuel, then we're going to do something different and look at how we actually got the Scripture we study (it's fascinating and stunning really).

It will probably be helpful to re-read 1 Samuel 19 just for sense of what's going on.  This chapter starts out with a discussion, the context of which could be the dancing naked king's search for his imagined enemy.  On the other hand...

Read chapter 20 several times.  It might be helpful to think in terms of what would each person have to be thinking to say/do what they say/do.  Try to put yourself in their sandals as it were.  Jot down questions and observations of peculiar things.  After going through it a few times, go back through with the questions below:

• Why do you think David would go to Jonathan after leaving the raving naked Saul?
• What do you imagine is David's 'tone' as he talks to Jonathan?
• If Jonathan really doesn't know about his father's pursuit of David, why would that be?  If Saul doesn't leave Jonathan out of these things, why now?
• If David is correct, where does this put Jonathan?  How does he 'win' in such a situation?
• David has an idea to test Saul's intent and show whether he or Jonathan is correct.  Why do you think Saul would expect David to show up if he just pursued him to Naioth to kill him?
• The festival or feast is a new moon festival, look up Number 10:10, and 28:11-15.  Does this sound like what is being celebrated here?
• David's ruse to use with Saul is that he went to Bethlehem to sacrifice.  Look up Deuteronomy 12:5-7, is this what David might be referring to?  Why or why not?  Did you come up with other alternatives?
• David refers to his covenant with Jonathan, and under no circumstances wants to be taken to Saul.  Why do you think David would rather Jonathan put him to death if there is 'iniquity' in him?
• Jonathan makes another covenant with David.  He did this once before in 1 Samuel 18:1-4.  We're not given a lot of detail there, but even so, what do you see different here?
• Jonathan adjusts the plan a bit, but it is essentially David's idea.  Why do you think the arrows, and boy to find them?  What do you think is important about Jonathan notifying David that way?
• Consider that Saul assumes David missed the festival because he was unclean.  Why do you think Saul might be making excuses rather than asking at this point?
• Saul asks Jonathan about David, but in this chapter, Saul never uses his name, but his father's name.  Why might that be?
• Jonathan changes the story slightly adding David's brother.  Why do you think he would do that?
• Imagine the feelings at the table that day.  What do you think everyone else is feeling or thinking?  How aware of that does Saul seem to be?  What does that say about Saul?
• Think through what Saul calls his son.  He said this in front of the entire 'table'.  Saul criticizes Jonathan for choosing David, yet his actions seem to support Jonathan's choice.  What is going on with Saul?
• Saul claims that what he's trying to fix is Jonathan's ascension to the throne.  Why might that not be what he's trying to do?
• Why does Jonathan 'grieve'?  What is it that he feels his father has done to David?
• Jonathan goes out as he said he would, and shoots arrows.  The boy knows nothing, and is sent back into the city before David comes out.  So what's with the boy in the first place?
• Why does David bow down to Jonathan 3 times?
• Jonathan refers to he and David's 'posterity' as they part.  Why might Jonathan be thinking about that as he parts from David?

That is probably more than enough for now.  We probably won't get to all these questions (if any - you know how it goes).  So, be sure to bring your own questions and observations with you Thursday.

Blessings upon you until then!

Poetic Encouragement

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting January 9 to study Isaiah 40.  This is probably one of my favorite passages in Scripture.  It forms the opening of the second section of Isaiah, directed toward the Israelites in exile in Babylon/Persia. 

Some believe this section of Isaiah was written late, during the time of Daniel, others that it was written early, foreshadowing their eventual return.  I think it was written by a remnant of a 'school' of prophets first started/run by Isaiah during the exile.  I'm not sure if they would have been located in Jerusalem or in exile, but the romantic in me likes the thought of Jerusalem (the least likely option).  That would mean the writers wrote from the rubble of Jerusalem words of hope to the exiles in a pagan land. 

Anyway, read the chapter through several times.  This is poetry, not the usual narrative texts we have studied so far, so you can expect to find a LOT more peculiarities and variety in translations.  Translating poetry from one language to another is the most difficult sort of translation (that and humor probably tie).  The problem is the poetic 'license' and 'imagery' used are not to be understood literally.  This is usually handled well in most translations; but read it in several translations, and consider the differences and what they might mean.

After reading it through a few times, go back over it considering these questions:

• Consider the audience in the opening lines.  'Comfort' is an imperative (command), and it's plural.  Consider who is to be comforted.  What is the goal, at the outset, of the writer, and of God through the writer?
• In verse 3 through 5, do you think the audience has remained the exiles?
• Who winds up being the 'voice' referred to in verse 3?
• Who is the highway for?  So, 'who's coming to dinner' so to speak?  So, why do you think it would be difficult for modern Jews to deny so vehemently that the Messiah could be deity?
• Verses 6 through 8 (possibly through 11) there is a dialogue.  The content of the 'crying out' is two fold (if the dialog extends through verse 11), so how do you think the two pieces relate?  Why do you think they were combined here?
• There are at least two elements of God's character described between verse 12 and 17.  His holiness and his glory seem to be the main things in these verses.  Why do you think the audience needs to hear that?  How do these elements of God's character affect you hearing/reading them like this?
• In verses 18 through 26, the worship involving idols is really addressed well.  Why do you think this needs to be addressed, either with the exiles or with the people left in Judah?
• What do you see as the major contrast between idol worship and worship of God?
• Considering the 'resume' of God in verses 21 through 26, what problem do you think this addressing with the audience?  What are they supposed to have known 'from the foundations of the earth', and why do you think they might have forgotten it?
• Verses 27 through 31 are the most famous of this chapter, especially 31.  It begins with a 'quote' either from the exiles or the people in Jerusalem/Judah.  Considering that the way the poetry is structured the focus of the quote is on the 'justice' and 'pathway' of the one speaking, what is the danger of such a focus on our justice and our way of life?
• How do you think knowing that God is never tired and His understanding is unsearchable helps people in bad circumstances?
• The things the audience wants, power and strength, find their source somewhere other than youth.  Why do you think the people needed to know this?  Why might you?
• What does it mean to you or what would it look like for you to 'wait expectantly' for God?  Why would do that renew your strength?  How do you think that 'works' or is that even the right question to ask?

That should keep us busy for quite some time.  Be sure to bring notes and questions of your own.