1 Samuel - Chapter 24 with Psalm 7 and 57

In this episode of TheAmazingBible.BookClub, the host discusses chapter 24 of 1st Samuel with Psalms 7 and 57. It explores the story of King Saul pursuing David and how David spared Saul's life. The host also delves into the meanings and contexts of the Psalms. The importance of seeking refuge in the Lord, living in truth, and relying on God's judgment is emphasized. The episode concludes by encouraging listeners to endure, obey, sing, and pray for hope. Hello ladies and welcome to TheAmazingBible.BookClub. I'm Julie Kellio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today, if by chance you want to contact me. You can do that at zab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Hi ladies, today we're covering chapter 24 of 1st Samuel with Psalm 7 and Psalm 57. King Saul had been pursuing David and his men, and they almost caught them, but word came to Saul that the Philistines were raiding the land, so he left David and went home to fight the Philistines. David went to En Gedi, which is a desert oasis by the Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea. It has many caves to hide in. Now before we jump into the story line of chapter 24, I want to start with Psalm 7. It is entitled, A Shegion of David which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush of Benjamite. No one knows for sure what a Shegion is, but it seems to be a musical term that may mean a specific rhythm or a wild passionate song of lament, but we don't know. My professor in Psalms class called Psalm 7 a confident psalm. Now another problem is nowhere else in the Bible is there a man named Cush of Benjamite. Now it could be in reference to 2 Samuel chapter 16 when David was running from his son Absalom, and he met a Benjamite named Shamim who cursed David and his men, but the name doesn't match up. One commentator mentions 2 Samuel 18 about a Cushite who was chosen to be a runner to King David to announce that his son Absalom was dead, but the content of that doesn't fit with this psalm either. One book I read this year placed Psalm 7 with 1 Samuel 24. At first it didn't make sense why until I read verse 9 and David said to King Saul, why do you listen when men say David is bent on harming you? One of those men could have been Cush of Benjamite, keep in mind that King Saul was from that same tribe. This psalm defends David's actions and asks the Lord to judge the situation. Again no one knows exactly where this psalm might go, but it does fit the context of this period in 1 Samuel, so I want to start with Psalm 7 today. O Lord my God, I take refuge in you. Save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me. O Lord my God, if I had done this and there is guilt on my hands. If I have done evil to him who is at peace with me, or without cause have robbed my foe, then let my enemies pursue and overtake me. Let them trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah. Arise, O Lord, in your anger. Rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God, decree justice. Let the assembled people gather around you, rule over them from on high. Let the Lord judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O Righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. My shield is God, Most High. He saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword. He will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons. He makes ready his flaming arrows. He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself. His violence comes down on his own head. I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord, Most High. Did you notice how many times the Lord's name is used? O Lord, my God, O Lord, my God, arise, O Lord, awake, my God, judge me, O Lord, O Most High. O Righteous God, my shield is God, Most High. God is a righteous judge and it ends with the Lord, Most High. David knew who to bring his issues to, the one who could do something about them, the one that is over all things and all people. And David had confidence that the Lord would respond. Now 1 Samuel chapter 24 starts with Saul pursuing David after he finished with the Philistines. He brought 3,000 men to pursue David and his 600 men, five times as many men. He was told they were at En Gedi, so there they went. The area is full of deep caves and Saul went into one to relieve himself. And verse 3 tells us that David and his men were in the far back of that same cave. The men even told David, this is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish. I don't think they quoted the Lord correctly there. Well, unbeknown to Saul, David crept up to him and cut off a piece of his robe. Verse 5 says, afterward, David was conscious stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He realized it was not his place to bring down the Lord's anointed, but that the Lord would have to do it in his time and in his way. So he did not let his men touch Saul. When Saul finished his business and went on his way, David cried out, my Lord, the king. When Saul looked, David bowed down in honor of the Lord's anointed and said, why do you listen when men say David is bent on harming you? He then explained what he had done and lifted up the piece of cloth that he had cut off from Saul's robe. David then defended himself to Saul and said in verses 11b through 13, now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, from evildoers comes evil deeds, so my hand will not touch you. When David finished speaking, Saul responded, you are more righteous than I. Saul acknowledged he treated David badly, he acknowledged that David treated him with mercy, and he even acknowledged that the kingdom of Israel would be established in David's hand. Like Jonathan, he had David swear by the Lord not to harm his descendants or wipe out his name. Verse 22, so David gave his oath to Saul, then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. Ladies, they still parted ways. Now let's look at Psalm 57, it is entitled, For the director of music, to the tune of Do not destroy, of David, a miktam, again probably a musical term, when he had fled from Saul into the cave. This psalm is a lament which ends in praise. Psalm 57, Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God most high, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me. God sends his love and his faithfulness. I am in the midst of lions, I lie among ravenous beasts, men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth. They spread a net for my feet, I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path, but they have fallen into it themselves, say La. My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music, awake my soul, awake, harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, I will sing of you among the peoples, for great is your love, reaching to the heavens, your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth. So ladies, have you cried out to the Lord about the issues in your life the way that David did? Are you living in truth about your life, or have you given way to disillusionment? One of my prayers in my life for the last 15 to 20 years has been, Lord, I want to live in truth about you, about me, about my marriage, about my kids, about my job, about everything in my life. Help me to do that, because ladies, it's only in truth that we can solve the problems of our lives, and the Lord is with us, and he is able to help us. He also knows all things, and is judge over all things, and all people, and he knows who is in the wrong, and who is innocent. Is there something that you are conscious stricken about? What does the Lord want you to do about it? Do you know that the Lord has a plan for your life, and he is able to fulfill his purpose for you? Are you willing to let him? David understood the power of music in his life, and in worship, so what kind of music are you listening to? Is it uplifting for your soul? When I read the lives of many people in the Old Testament, I often think, well, I don't have it that bad. My enemies have never tried to take my life like David's. In the New Testament, Paul the Apostle wrote in Romans chapter 15, verse 4, for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in scriptures, and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope. David endured, David obeyed, David sang, David cried out, David prayed. The Lord provided for David, and saved David many times. He is the Lord Most High, and he fights for you too, if you come to him. Today, if you have heard his voice, please don't harden your heart like King Saul. Instead, let's be women who endure, obey, sing, and pray, so that we may be filled with hope. Until next time, and thanks so very much for listening.