1 Samuel 25 & 26: Samuel Died
Verse of the Day: (25:1) And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
1. Die (25:1-44)
And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. (25:39)
No one escapes death. Prophet Samuel and Nabal, a rich rancher, died. While Samuel’s soul went to heaven to be with God because he believed and served Him, Nabal’s soul was condemned to hell because he rejected God and committed sins. David, God’s anointed man, and his men had helped Nabal in safeguarding his livestock from robbers and wild beasts, however, instead of demonstrating gratitude, Nabal condemned David. Thanks to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, who pleaded with David for mercy, he then eventually spared not only Nabal but his men as he intended to slay them. God then judged and struck Nabal and within 10 days he died. If there was one flaw of David, it must be his weakness for women. David sinned against God, as after Nabal’s death, he took Abigail to be one of his wives, when God commands us to have only one wife, as He only took one rib from Adam’s ribs, to make the woman, Eve, to be his only wife. (Genesis 2:20-25)
2. Deep (26:1-12)
So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, not knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them. (26:12)
Everything is from God as He is in control of all things right from the start. God preserved David’s life as He caused a deep sleep in Saul and his men so that not only he could escape from them, but he went to Saul’s camp and took his spear and pot of water from him. Indeed, God allows sufferings in our lives so that we realise how much we truly need to trust in Him to deliver us out of them and become precious gold. (Job 23:10)
3. Deliver (26:13-25)
And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. (26:24)
This was the second time that God delivered David out of Saul and his men as the first time He delivered David was when he was in the cave. Indeed, our God is faithful and He shall surely deliver us from all our tribulations even the hardest one. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I shall be with You when I die because I trust in You.
