2 Samuel 1:1–27 David Hears About the Death of Saul

[Study Aired September 14, 2026]

Our study for today is centered on David receiving the news of the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan. The study also shows how the messenger of the death of Saul was executed by David for confessing to the killing of God’s anointed king, treating him as a murderer regardless of whether his story was true or a boastful lie. The study ends with David composing the famous lament, “How the mighty have fallen.”

The News of Saul’s Death

2Sa 1:1  Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;
2Sa 1:2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

Ziklag means ‘winding.’ David abiding in Ziklag for two days after the slaughter of the Amalekites implies how the Lord is making our crooked (winding) path straight as we become His witnesses (the significance of the number two) through our victory over the flesh. 

Isa 45:2  I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
Isa 45:3  And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. 

The fact that it was three days after the death of Saul when a messenger came to David with the message of the death of Saul, is to show us that it is through the process of trials that we mature to discern the spiritual death of our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world or Babylon, represented here by the death of Saul and his sons. The man coming out of the camp of Saul represents our brothers and sisters in Babylon. The man, with his clothes rent and earth upon his head, signifies that our brothers and sisters in Babylon have rejected the righteousness of Christ and have rather embraced their own righteousness.  

Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. 

The man having earth upon his head denotes that when we were in the churches of this world, our thinking was influenced greatly by our flesh, which is represented here as earth. 

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 
Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 
Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

The fact that the man came to bow before David and did obeisance or paid respect to him, indicates that in the fullness of time, our brothers and sisters shall come and bow before us just as Joseph’s brothers bowed before him. 

Gen 42:6  And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 

2Sa 1:3  And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. 
2Sa 1:4  And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. 

The man telling David that he came out of the camp of Israel in verse 3, is to reiterate the point that he represents our brothers and sisters in Babylon. His confession that the people of Israel fled from the battle with the Philistines is to let us know that when we were in Babylon, we were overcome by our flesh. As a result, we were spiritually dead together with our leaders in Babylon. 

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 

2Sa 1:5  And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? 
2Sa 1:6  And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 

David wanted to be sure that Saul and Jonathan were dead and so he asked the young man how he came across that knowledge. In answering, the young man stated that he was there on Mount Gilboa where Saul fell. Mount Gilboa here signifies the assembly of the church system of this world where we were part of, at a certain stage of our walk. We were therefore witnesses of the lifestyle of those in leadership, which do not conform to the word of the Lord. By this we know that they are spiritually dead. 

Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 
Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. 

Here in verse 6, the young man reported that Saul leaned upon his spear. As indicated in the previous study, Saul leaning upon his spear signifies that the leaders of Babylon die spiritually through leaning on their false doctrines. We were also dead spiritually during our time in Babylon when we also leaned on our spears or false doctrines. 

The first time that chariots and horsemen were following after the people of Israel in the Bible was when the Egyptians went with Joseph to bury Jacob. The second time that chariots and horsemen appeared in the Bible relates to the Egyptians pursuing the Israelites. Egypt means the world. This implies that one of the potential dangers during our walk in Babylon is the tendency to conform to the standards of this world as the devil pursues us aggressively to put us to death by luring us to the world. 

Gen 50:9  And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen [from Egypt]: and it was a very great company. 

Exo 14:23  And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 

2Sa 1:7  And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. 
2Sa 1:8  And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. 
2Sa 1:9  He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. 
2Sa 1:10  So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. 

As we explained in previous studies, the Amalekites represent our flesh. The young man being an Amalekite therefore shows us that it is our flesh that destroys us spiritually. It is important to note that in verse 9, Saul wanted to die rather than bear more suffering. 

2Sa 1:9  “He said to me, ‘Please stand over me and kill me. I’m alive, but I’m suffering.’ (GW)

It portrays how we did not want to have anything to do with suffering when we were in Babylon. We did not know then that it is rather through suffering that our flesh is put to death. 

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

In verse 10, we see the Amalekite slew Saul and took away the crown upon his head and the bracelet that was upon his arm. It shows how we sacrifice our crown of life for a life of comfort, when we were in Babylon. The word of the Lord warns us against losing our crown.

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 

The first time that a bracelet was used in the Bible was when Abraham’s servant put bracelets on Rebecca’s hand as a sign of her being chosen to be married to Isaac. A bracelet therefore is the sign of our engagement or the promise given by the Lord to become His future bride. The Amalekite removing the bracelet from Saul’s arm, therefore signifies how we are disqualified from the marriage feast of Christ because of our indulgence in the flesh.  

Gen 24:22  And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 

Gen 24:30  And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 

David Mourned Saul and Jonathan

2Sa 1:11  Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
2Sa 1:12  And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. 

David and his men renting their own clothes is to indicate that they rejected the righteousness which results in rejoicing when our enemy is dead or in trouble and embracing the righteousness which is of Christ which enjoins us to love our enemies. 

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

The fact that David and his men mourned, wept and fasted for Saul and his son Jonathan suggests that as the Lord’s elect, when we hear of news of the victims of the devil, as we hear of the evil behavior of the leaders of the church system of this world, we should not be glad. We should behave like David, a symbol of the Lord’s elect. He did not want such information to be broadcast among the heathen. 

2Sa 1:20  Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 

David and his men mourning for Saul and his son Jonathan implies that it is not only the people of this world, but we, His elect, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, are groaning within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of the body. 

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

2Sa 1:13  And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. 
2Sa 1:14  And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed? 
2Sa 1:15  And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. 
2Sa 1:16  And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed. 

The lesson we can learn from these verses is that we should not put a stumbling block before our brothers and sisters to cause them to become spiritually dead. We destroy the Lord’s anointed or slay the Lord’s anointed through false doctrines. Therefore, this stumbling block is false doctrines which cause our hearts and minds to be darkened such that we cannot see the truth of the Lord’s words to set us free. 

Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

These verses also serve as a warning to the leaders of the church system of this world who peddle false doctrines, that they shall face the consequences of their action in the fullness of time, just as the Amalekite faced his death at the hands of David’s men. 

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

2Sa 1:17  And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: 
2Sa 1:18  (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) 
2Sa 1:19  The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 
2Sa 1:20  Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 

As indicated earlier, David lamenting over Saul and Jonathan signifies that it is not only the people of this world and our brothers and sisters in Babylon, but we, His elect, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, are groaning within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of the body. 

David urging the people of Israel to teach the people of Judah about his lamentation over Saul and Jonathan means that in every generation, we must make the Lord’s elect aware of God’s people being slain in high places. These, God’s people, represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon who are succumbing or yielding to false doctrines, and as a result, they are slain upon high places of the church system of this world. 

The fact that in verse 20, we are admonished not to publish it in the streets of Askelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, indicates that as the Lord’s elect, we should not make known to the people of this world (daughters of the Philistines), the evil going on in the churches of this world – how our brothers and sisters are dying spiritually through false doctrines. Here in verse 20, we are given reason why we should not be criticizing the church system of this world to the people of this world. It makes the people of this world (daughters of the uncircumcised) triumph over God’s people. In other words, it undermines the honor that the people of this world should accord to God’s people and to God.

I will take this opportunity to talk about this Book of Jasher. Several years ago, during my quest to know the truth, I purchased this supposed Book of Jasher online. When I started reading, I came to the conclusion that this book is not going to help me in my walk with Christ. It is filled with mystics and does not reflect the character of God. It may be that what is being sold as the Book of Jasher is an adulterated version of the original book.

2Sa 1:21  Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. 

As indicated in several studies, mountains represent a place of worship in the scriptures. Mountains can positively signify the assembly of the Lord’s elect or negatively indicate the churches of this world or Babylon. 

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Mic 4:1  But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 

Isa 65:7  Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

Deu 12:2  Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

Jer 50:6  My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.

Referring to verse 21, David said that there should not be any dew or rain or fields of offerings on mount Gilboa because the shield of the mighty or that of Saul is cast away as though he had not been anointed. Mount Gilboa here represents Babylon or the church system of this world, where there is no truth of the word of the Lord, signified by no dew nor rain and as a result, the Lord’s people, represented by our brothers and sisters in Babylon, are being slain, as they are not given to understand the word of the Lord in the spirit. 

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  

2Sa 1:22  From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 
2Sa 1:23  Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

Verse 22 is suggesting that Saul and Jonathan all started well in their walk with Christ. They won some victories over their flesh. The bow of Jonathan and the sword of Saul all indicate the truth of the word of the Lord. However, they all became victims of the flesh in Babylon. 

In verse 23, we are given the reason why Jonathan, a close friend of David who knew that his father Saul was wrong, died alongside his father. As stated here in verse 23, Saul and Jonathan were not divided or separated in their death. It shows how Jonathan could not separate himself from his ties to his father, to come out of Babylon or the church system of this world, to join the Lord’s elect, symbolized by David and his men. The word of the Lord clearly enjoins us to come out of Babylon.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 

2Sa 1:24  Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 
2Sa 1:25  How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 

Here in verse 24, we discover that Saul clothed the daughters of Israel with scarlet and put ornaments of gold upon their apparel. Being clothed with scarlet and putting on ornaments of gold implies being prepared for rulership, as shown in the case of Daniel. 

Dan 5:7  The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Dan 5:16  And I have heard of thee [Daniel], that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Dan 5:29  Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Verse 24, therefore, means that the leaders of the Lord’s people are required to help the people be clothed with Christ’s righteousness, which guarantees being made a ruler when Christ appears. However, as we can see in verse 25,  Saul and Jonathan (the mighty) lay slain in the high places. That is to say that the leaders of the church system of this world or Babylon are spiritually dead and therefore cannot be of help to us in our pursuit to be crowned kings in the fullness of time. 

2Sa 1:26  I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 
2Sa 1:27  How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! 

Jonathan knew that his father Saul was evil, yet he chose to stay with him even unto death, instead of leaving the comfort of his life to suffer with David, a symbol of the Lord’s elect. There are many brothers and sisters in Babylon, whose love for us was genuine, but their inability to leave Babylon and join us in Jerusalem above has made them victims of this war against our flesh. These brothers and sisters are the mighty who have fallen, as they have lost their weapons of war. The Lord is urging us, His elect, to ensure that we arm ourselves with these weapons of war as shown in the following verses:

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 
Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 

May the Lord help us to continue in Him as we see the day approaching. Amen!

1 Samuel 26:1–25 David Spares Saul Again

[Study Aired July 27, 2026]

Our study for today can be divided into three sections. The first section deals with Saul’s renewed pursuit of David. This forced David to sneak into Saul’s camp and finds him sleeping. The second section focuses on David’s  refusal to kill Saul but choosing to reason with him. The final part of the study highlights Saul’s confession of his sin of wanting to kill David.

Saul’s Renewed Pursuit of David

1Sa 26:1  And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? 
1Sa 26:2  Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 

Ziphites means ‘smelters.’ Hence they represent all those whom the Lord uses as instruments of His judgment. As instruments of the Lord’s judgment, it is no wonder these Ziphites went to report to Saul of the hiding place of David and his men, to put more fire under David and his men. 

These Ziphites are likened to us when we were in Babylon where we persecuted the Lord’s elect, just like Paul, when he was pursuing the Lord’s disciples before his conversion. 

Act 9:1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 
Act 9:2  And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.   

Hachilah means ‘dark’ and Jeshimon signifies ‘wilderness.’ David hiding in Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, implies that David is hiding in this dark world which is a wilderness. As we have stated previously, Jesus hid among the people when they wanted to kill him after his first preaching in the synagogue. Therefore, David hiding in the wilderness means David hiding in the midst of the people of this world.  

Isa 14:17  That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?    

Luk 4:28  And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 
Luk 4:29  And rose up, and thrust him (Jesus) out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 
Luk 4:30  But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 

Saul’s relentless pursuit of David demonstrates how our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world regard us as a real threat to their reign with Christ. Saul choosing three thousand men of Israel in verse 2, is to show us the state of our brothers and sisters in the church system. The number three thousand in the negative context represents those who fall away in the heat of the battle against our flesh. 

Exo 32:28  And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 

Jos 7:4  So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 

What verse 2 therefore implies is that we must all fall away first, before we are given to become overcomers. 

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

1Sa 26:3  And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. 
1Sa 26:4  David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. 
1Sa 26:5  And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. 

As indicated earlier, Hachilah means dark. The fact that Saul and his men dwelt in Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon shows that our brothers and sisters are darkened in their understanding of the word of the Lord due to lack of water and food in the church in the wilderness (Jeshimon). We were at a certain stage of our walk also darkened in our understanding when we were in the churches of this world, just like David, before he escaped from Saul.  

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Eph 4:19  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 
Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ; 

David coming to know where Saul and his men lay signifies our coming to understand our spiritually dead state, when we were in the church system of this world or Babylon.

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) 

1Sa 26:6  Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. 
1Sa 26:7  So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. 

David, together with Abishai, his nephew, risked their lives to observe Saul and his men at their camp. The fact that they were two implies that they serve as witnesses of Christ. David and Abishai going to the camp of Saul and his men, therefore, signifies how as the Lord’s elect, we are not ignorant of the devil and his devices. 

2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

Our defense against the wiles (clever tricks or lies) of the devil is to put on the full armor of the Lord, so that we can be able to stand. 

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

It is significant to note that David and Abishai observed that Saul and all his men were sleeping, with Saul’s spear stucked in the ground. The spear is comparable to the sword, which is the word of the Lord. 

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

The spear being stuck in the ground means that it is partial buried by earth. In other words, the word of the Lord is tainted by man’s wisdom and tradition. What we are being told therefore, is that our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world or Babylon, represented by Saul and his men, are spiritually asleep as a result of the false doctrine (contaminated word of the Lord) propagated by their leaders. We were also in this situation, until the Lord came to us to show us the truth of His word. 

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 

1Sa 26:8  Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 
1Sa 26:9  And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless? 
1Sa 26:10  David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. 

Abishai thought that the Lord had given David the opportunity to avenge his enemy, Saul, when they found them sleeping in the camp. David however, ordered Abishai, not to stretch forth his hands against the Lord’s anointed. As the Lord’s elect, we are not to fight our own battles. The battle belongs to the Lord, and therefore, it is the Lord who avenges our enemies on our behalf. 

1Sa 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.  

2Ch 20:15  And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

When we take up the sword against our enemies, it shows that we are fighting our own battle and as a result, we shall perish by the sword. This was the lesson that the Lord Jesus taught Peter, when he took a sword and cut the ear of one of those who came to arrest Jesus. 

Mat 26:51  And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.
Mat 26:52  Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

1Sa 26:11  The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
1Sa 26:12  So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them. 

David taking the spear and a jar of water from the camp of Saul and his men signifies the Lord taking away the truth from the church system of this world, and giving it to us, His elect, who are privileged to be given the understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom. As a result, we are refined by the fire of the word of the Lord, while our brothers and sisters become worse and worse. 

Mat 13:10  Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 
Mat 13:11  And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 
Mat 13:12  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 

It is instructive to note that the Lord caused Saul and his men to fall in deep sleep. This is what the Lord is doing today. While we are being enlightened to know more about Christ, the Lord has darkened the understanding of our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world, such that seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not. 

Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

David Choosing to Reason With Saul

1Sa 26:13  Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: 
1Sa 26:14  And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?
1Sa 26:15  And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
1Sa 26:16  This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD’S anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. 

The king’s spear and the jar of water that David took from Saul when he came with Abishai, were used as exhibit, to demonstrate how Abner had been negligent of his duty to protect the king by sleeping deep. As a result, he must die. This incidence brings to mind the time that Jesus was in agony in the  Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest. He was with the disciples and expected them to keep watch with Him, but they all fell asleep. It shows how we operated under the influence of our flesh when we were in the church system of this world. The flesh being weak, we were not able to keep watch during our stay in Babylon. 

Mat 26:40  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 
Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mat 26:42  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 
Mat 26:43  And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
Mat 26:44  And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 

1Sa 26:17  And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. 
1Sa 26:18  And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? 
1Sa 26:19  Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.
1Sa 26:20  Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. 

Saul hearing the voice of David and calling him his son shows that he did not understand why he kept pursuing David to kill him. This indicates that he did not have his own free will to do what he wants. Just as the Lord raised Pharaoh to resist His will of letting the children of Israel go out of Egypt to the promised land, the Lord was using Saul as His instrument of judgment of David, His elect. All of these throw out of the window, the false doctrine that we have our own free will and can do what we want.

Rom 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 
Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 
Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 
Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

David struggled at this point in his life to understand the significance of what he was going through as he questioned Saul in verses 18 to 20. He did not know that the Lord was using Saul as His instrument of judgment to destroy his flesh. We all struggle to understand why we sometimes go through what we go through. This is what Paul said about our struggles:

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

The verse above shows us that even when we do not have all the answers to our hardships, we must still cling on to hope. 

In verse 19, David made a profound statement that if it is the Lord who had stirred up Saul to pursue him, then he would let the Lord accept an offering. It indicates that the Lord wants us to offer our bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him. This is the spiritual worship that the Lord is requiring from each of us as His elect, and He is achieving it through His judgment of our flesh.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Saul’s Confession of His Sins

1Sa 26:21  Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.   

This is the second time in this study of the Book of Samuel that we see Saul admitting he had sinned. In the first instance in 1 Samuel 24:17, Saul repented of his actions against David at that time, and went on to declare David as being more righteous than him. However, he continued to pursue David. Repentance alone is not enough. We must bring forth fruit that commensurates with our repentance as indicated by Jesus as follows: 

Luk 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 

1Sa 26:22  And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 
1Sa 26:23  The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed. 

David prepared to return the spear of Saul shows us that when we repent of our sins and start to lead lives commensurate with our repentance, the Lord will ensure that what we have lost in Him shall be regained.

Joe 2:25  And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 
Joe 2:26  And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 
Joe 2:27  And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.  

We, the Lord’s elect, are the ones who are mourning in Zion as a result of the Lord’s judgment of our old man. As indicated in verse 23, the Lord will render to us His righteousness and His faithfulness in the fulness of time. 

Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 
Isa 61:4  And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 
Isa 61:5  And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 
Isa 61:6  But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. 
Isa 61:7  For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. 

1Sa 26:24  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. 
1Sa 26:25  Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. 

In verse 24, David told Saul that as Saul’s life had been precious to him that day, may his life be precious in the sight of the Lord and that he is hoping that the Lord would deliver him from all his trouble. As we shall see later in this study of Samuel, indeed, the Lord was faithful to David and delivered him from all his troubles. This is David’s testimony of how the Lord came to his aid in the fulness of time:

Psa 34:6  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 
Psa 34:7  The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 
Psa 34:8  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 

Psa 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. 

These verses are to let us know that the Lord will surely show up in the fullness of time, to deliver us from all our troubles. Are you weary of what you are going through? Have you lost hope of the situation that you find yourself in and that there is no way of escape? Let’s lift our eyes off our circumstance and look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He will surely come to our rescue in the fullness of time to restore all that the locust, the cankerworm,  the caterpillar, and the palmerworm had eaten. Remember that against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and became the father of many nations. Against all hope, let’s lift our eyes off our circumstances and look to Jesus, who is able to do exceedingly beyond what we can ask or think. 

Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 

Eph 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 
Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

In verse 25, Saul ended up blessing David and prophesied that David shall do great things and shall still prevail. This implies that in the fullness of time, our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world and the people of this world shall rejoice and bless us as saviors or the sons of God. 

Rom 8:18  I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us.
Rom 8:19  In fact, all creation is eagerly waiting for God to show who his children are. 
Rom 8:20  Meanwhile, creation is confused, but not because it wants to be confused. God made it this way in the hope 
Rom 8:21  that creation would be set free from decay and would share in the glorious freedom of his children. (CEV)

Thank you Jesus, for the privilege of knowing you in this age. Amen!!

1 Samuel 24:1–22 David Spares Saul’s Life 

[Study Aired July 6, 2026]

In today’s study, we shall look at how David displayed incredible grace as He spared the life of king Saul in the cave of Engedi. This is because David had respect for the “Lord’s anointed” in spite of the pressure by his men. As a result, he overcame evil with good.

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 
Rom 12:20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 
Rom 12:21  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.  

Saul Went After David in the Cave of Engedi

1Sa 24:1  And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. 

As we have stated in previous studies, Saul represents our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world or Babylon who have been rejected of ruling with Christ at the coming age when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. Saul returning from fighting the Philistines in verse 1, shows us that during our time in Babylon, we did win some victories over our flesh. In other words, we started off our walk with Christ on a good note in Babylon. However, over time, through imbibing false doctrines propagated in Babylon, we were hindered from obeying the truth.

Gal 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 
Gal 5:8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
Gal 5:9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

David signifies the Lord’s elect. Engedi was a vibrant, freshwater oasis situated in the harsh Judean desert. The name Engedi means ‘fountain’ or ‘spring of the young goat.’ In the Bible, young goats represent the Lord’s elect. Therefore, David being in the wilderness of Engedi in verse 1, implies that although we are in this world of wilderness, as the Lord’s elect, we are favored to have access to the truth of the Lord’s word (fountain) signified by Engedi.    

2Th 2:13  But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.  (ESV)

Saul being told that David was in the wilderness of Engedi was of the Lord, who was using Saul as His instrument of judgment of David. This shows us that the Lord uses our brothers and sisters of the churches of this world to judge us, His elect, for the destruction of our flesh. For example, the Lord used the Jews to persecute the Lord’s disciples in the early church.  

Act 8:1: “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” (NIV)

1 Th 2:14–15: “…For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out…” (ESV)

Act 13:50: “But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.” (NIV)

1Sa 24:2  Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 

The number three thousand, on a negative note, denotes the Lord’s people who have fallen away. It therefore, represents our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world or Babylon. Saul taking three thousand men out of Israel to pursue David and his men shows us that it is our fallen away brothers and sisters in the church system of this world whom the Lord uses to persecute us.

Exo 32:28  And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.

Jos 7:4  So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai. 

It is also significant to note that Saul and his men sought David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. Rocks in the Bible can signify our hiding place from the judgment of the Lord. In other words, rocks represent our natural attempts to avoid the judgment of the Lord.

1Sa 13:6  When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

As we are aware, we, His elect, are the wild goats which were set free into the wilderness to suffer, to complement the suffering of Christ. 

Lev 16:9  And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 
Lev 16:10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. 

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:  

1Sa 24:3  And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 

On his journey to where David and his men were, Saul came across several sheepfolds on the side of the road, and one of them was built near the entrance to the cave where David and his men were hiding at the back. In this case, the cave represents where we die to the flesh. 

Gen 23:11  Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.   

Gen 23:20  And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

Saul relieving himself in the cave means our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world despise the Lord’s judgment of our flesh which leads to the death of our flesh. At a certain time of our walk with the Lord, we also despised the Lord’s judgment leading to the death of our flesh. 

Psa 107:10  Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains, 
Psa 107:11  because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. 

1Sa 24:4  And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. 
1Sa 24:5  And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. 
1Sa 24:6  And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
1Sa 24:7  So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

In the minds of the men with David, they thought that the Lord has given Saul to David to be murdered. However, David only cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe as evidence, to show Saul that he had the opportunity to kill him but refused. David cutting off the skirt of Saul’s robe signifies that the kingdom of Israel has been taken away from Saul and given to David. 

1Sa 15:27  And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. 
1Sa 15:28  And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 

Spiritually, we, His elect, have been chosen to reign with Christ at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon. As we shall see later in the study, Saul himself confirmed David’s rulership when David showed him the cut skirt. In other words, we, His elect, have obtained mercy in this age at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon.  

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

In verses 5 and 6, David later regretted for cutting off Saul’s skirt, because he regarded Saul as the Lord’s anointed, and therefore he thought that he should not have stretched forth his hand against him. 

1Ch 16:20  And when they (the people of Israel) went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; 
1Ch 16:21  He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,
1Ch 16:22  Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. 

David’s regret shows that he trembled at the word of the Lord and wanted to be obedient to it. On the other hand, the men with him were not yet trembling at the word of the Lord. This indicates their spiritual immaturity at that time of their walk with Christ. We all came to the body of Christ of the Lord’s elect in our immature stage, where we are given the meat of the Lord’s word to grow through what every joint supplies. 

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

As indicated in verse 7, David, as a leader, enjoined his men to have regard for the Lord’s anointed. His men therefore did not rise up against Saul as he left the cave. As the Lord’s elect, we must tremble at the word of the Lord. 

Isa 66:5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. 

David Confronts Saul

1Sa 24:8  David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. 

It is instructive to note that it was when Saul looked behind him that he saw David bowing to him. It signifies that it is when we look back that we see ourselves as the Lord’s elect, submitting to the dictates of the leadership of the church system of this world or Babylon, when we started our walk with Christ. That was the time that we were swayed by every wind of doctrine and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. 

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 

1Sa 24:9  And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 

In verse 9, David’s assertion that Saul listens to men is the reason why he wanted to hurt him. This implies that when we substitute the word of truth for the lies perpetuated by men, we end up hating the Lord’s elect as we blame them for our troubles. These doctrines of men lead to envy, hatred and murder of the true sons of God. It is through these doctrines of men which led the leadership of the church system of Jesus’ days, to hate and murder him. 

Mat 15:8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 
Mat 15:9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 
Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

As He is so are we. It is the same doctrines of men which cause our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world to hate us and consider us as dead in the street of Jerusalem. 

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 
Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.  

1Sa 24:10  Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’S anointed.
1Sa 24:11  Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. 
1Sa 24:12  The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
1Sa 24:13  As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.  

As David mentioned to Saul, our brothers and sisters of the church system of this world think that the Lord’s elect or the church of the firstborn poses a threat to their reigning with Christ. Throughout the Bible, there were many instances of our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world considering us as the problem and not the solution. For example, Cain killed Abel thinking that Abel was the problem. Esau hated Jacob and wanted to kill him, because he thought that Jacob had robbed him of his inheritance. The Jews killed Jesus thinking He posed a threat to their traditional way of worship. In the same manner, the Jews wanted to kill Paul and the Lord’s disciples because they thought that they were the problem. 

Act 17:5  But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them (Paul and Silas) out to the people. 
Act 17:6  And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 

Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 
Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 
Rom 11:9  And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 
Rom 11:10  Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 

As David stated in verse 12, our hands are not upon our brothers and sisters in Babylon. They do not recognize that it is the Lord who has the prerogative to show mercy to whom He wants to show mercy in this age. 

Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 
Rom 9:14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 
Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.      

1Sa 24:15  The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. 

The Lord is indeed the Judge who pleads our cause and delivers us from those that He uses to afflict us. As we know from the word of the Lord, the Lord’s deliverance makes a way for us to escape the trial, as He grants us the grace to bear it. 

1 Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

The reason the Lord may not immediately stop the affliction He brings our way but gives us grace to bear it is that He wants the affliction to accomplish a specific purpose in our lives in terms of learning more righteousness. This is what David learned later in his life, through the afflictions the Lord brought on him, using Saul as His instrument of judgment. 

Psa 119:71  It is good for me [David] that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 

Psa 119:74  They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word. 
Psa 119:75  I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. 

1Sa 24:16  And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. 
1Sa 24:17  And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. 

It seems in verse 16 and 17, that Saul repented of his actions against David at that time, and went on to declare David as being more righteous than him. As we can see later in the review of this Book of Samuel, even after this encounter, he continued to pursue David to kill him.  What this is showing us is that repentance alone is not enough. We must bring forth fruit which is commensurate with our repentance. 

Luk 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 

1Sa 24:18  And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. 
1Sa 24:19  For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. 

These verses imply that as the Lord’s elect, we must do good even when evil is meted out to us. 

Rom 12:17  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 
Rom 12:20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 
Rom 12:21  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 

As Peter stated, we must add to our faith, virtue or moral excellence, if we are to be assured of the reward of reigning with Christ. Moral excellence encompasses doing good to even those who do evil against us.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 

David is Assured of the Kingship

1Sa 24:20  And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. 
1Sa 24:21  Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house. 
1Sa 24:22  And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

From verse 20, we see that the Lord was assuring David through the mouth of Saul that he would reign as king of Israel. Just as the Lord said of the servant who hid the one talent that out of his own mouth, He would judge him. Saul admitting that David would become king attests of our reign over our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world, when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Luk 19:22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 

David swearing to Saul not to cut off his seed and that he would not destroy his name out of his father’s house, shows us that we are the saviors of our brothers and sisters in Babylon in the fullness of time. In other words, we, His elect, shall not cut off any of the Lord’s people who have gone astray. We shall be merciful to them even as the Lord has shown us mercy. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.   

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S. 

May the Name of the Lord be praised for His wonderful plan of salvation. Amen!!

1 Samuel 20:24–42 Saul’s Anger Against David

[Study Aired June 8, 2026]

In today’s study, our focus will be centered on three areas – Saul’s questioning Jonathan about David’s absence, His anger towards David, when he realized that he had intentionally absented himself from the New Moon feast and Jonathan’s signal to give direction to David regarding what he should do. 

The chapter ends with David and Jonathan sharing an emotional farewell as they part ways, while comforting themselves of the covenant they swore to each other in the name of the Lord.

Saul Questions David’s Absence

1Sa 20:24  So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 
1Sa 20:25  And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty. 
1Sa 20:26  Nevertheless Saul spake not anything that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 

As indicated in our previous study, David hiding himself signifies David taking refuge in Christ as His protector, redeemer, comforter, etc. 

Psa 32:7  Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. 
Psa 32:8  I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.  

It is instructive to note that David hid himself in the field which symbolizes the world. This reminds us of our Lord Jesus Christ while he was here on earth. The people wanted to kill him after His sermon in the synagogue as they thrust Him out of the city. However, he escaped by going through the midst of the people. Spiritually, our hiding place is being in Christ. Outwardly, being in the midst of the people of the world hides us from our Babylonian brothers and sisters who want to harm us.

Joh 8:59  Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Luk 4:20  And he (Jesus) closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 
Luk 4:21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 
Luk 4:22  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? 
Luk 4:23  And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 
Luk 4:24  And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 
Luk 4:25  But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
Luk 4:26  But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
Luk 4:27  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 
Luk 4:28  And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 
Luk 4:29  And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 
Luk 4:30  But he passing through the midst of them went his way. 

Here in verse 24, King Saul sat down to eat meat as part of the new moon festivities. Saul represents our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world. Saul, sitting at table to eat meat at the new moon implies that it is the church system of this world which observes days, months, times and years, which is part of the weak and beggarly elements, which disqualify us for the prize of the higher calling of the Lord. 

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.    

It was while Saul sat at the table to eat meat that he noticed that David was missing. Initially, he thought that David’s absence was due to his sinful deeds. This implies that what our brothers and sisters feed on in terms of the word of the Lord, only cause them to regard us, His elect, as being sinful, just as the Pharisees regarded Jesus as being sinful as they accused Him of possessing demons, blaspheming and associating with sinners. As the Lord is, so are we in this life. If the church system of Jesus’ days accused Him of being a sinner, they will do the same with us. 

1Pe 4:3  For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 
1Pe 4:4  With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; (ESV)

Mar 3:22  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 

Joh 15:20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 
Joh 15:21  But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 

1Sa 20:27  And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
1Sa 20:28  And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem: 
1Sa 20:29  And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table. 

It was on the second day of the month that Saul noticed David’s absence from their New Moon feast. The second day in the scriptures, in the negative context, signifies the time in our lives as the Lord’s elect that we come to see the enmity against us by our brothers and sisters in Babylon, after our escape from Babylon. 

Jdg 20:24  And the children of Israel (our Babylonian brothers and sisters) came near against the children of Benjamin (the Lord’s elect) the second day.
Jdg 20:25  And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

Jonathan, a symbol of the Lord’s elect still trapped in Babylon, tried to explain to Saul, that David asked for permission to visit his family in Bethlehem. It is insightful to note that Bethlehem means ‘the house of bread.’ What this implies is that David’s destination after leaving Babylon was to join the church of the Lord’s elect (Bethlehem) or the church of the firstborn or the heavenly Jerusalem. 

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 

As stated in verse 29, Jonathan told his father Saul that David was going to join his family for a sacrifice in Bethlehem. It is through what every joint supplies in the gathering of the family of the Lord’s elect, that we can offer ourselves as living sacrifice to the Lord. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Our exit from our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world is what draws out their hatred against us, making us come to see clearly the deplorable state of the church. Their hatred against us becomes obvious as they consider us, the Lord’s elect, as spiritually dead in the streets of the church system of this world or Jerusalem. 

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 
Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.  

1Sa 20:30  Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? 

As indicated, Saul’s anger against his son, Jonathan, who was an elect but still trapped in Babylon,  shows us the hatred of the church system of this world against the Lord’s elect. What Saul said in his anger against Jonathan speaks volumes of the church system of this world or Babylon. Saul referred to his son as the son of the perverse rebellious woman in verse 30. This is a concise and clear description of the woman who represents the church system of this world, who rebels against her husband Christ and is a harlot. 

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 
Rev 17:6  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 

Saul also made a profound statement to Jonathan in verse 30 by saying that choosing David, the son of Jesse, amounts to unveiling his own confusion and his mother’s nakedness. Jonathan’s mother signifies Babylon. This shows why our brothers and sisters in Babylon do not want to recognize us as the Lord’s elect. This is because doing so means bearing witness to their confusion and also unveiling the sinful state of the church system, which is symbolized by Jonathan’s mother’s nakedness. That is why the church system of this world hates us and considers us as dead in their corridors of worship or the streets of Jerusalem.

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 
Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 
Mat 10:24  The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 
Mat 10:25  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 

1Sa 20:31  For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 

Saul’s statement in verse 31 that as long as David lives, he, Jonathan shall not inherit the promise of being established in the kingdom. This is a prophesy that it is the Lord’s elect who shall be established and reign as kings with Christ at the expense of our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world. In other words, we, His elect, have obtained mercy at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon in this age, to reign with Christ in the fullness of time. 

Rom 11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

The fact that Saul told Jonathan in verse 31 that David must surely die attests to the fact that our brothers and sisters see us as spiritually dead in the street of Jerusalem where our Lord was crucified. 

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 

1Sa 20:32  And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 
1Sa 20:33  And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 
1Sa 20:34  So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. 

It is at this point that Jonathan came to realize that his father Saul intended to kill David. The throwing of Saul’s javelin to smite Jonathan served as a witness of Saul’s intention to kill David. As indicated in previous studies, the javelin in the hand of Saul signifies false doctrines which comes out of the smoke from his bottomless pit or his heart and mind, which darkens the sun and the air. That is to say that the javelin thrown at Jonathan in verse 33 represents the false doctrines which darken our understanding of the word of truth and makes us spiritually dead while in Babylon. 

Although the javelin thrown at Jonathan did not slay him, it was a sign for him to escape Babylon with David. However, unlike Moses, who left the king’s palace in Egypt to suffer with the Lord’s people, Jonathan did not run away with David as he was not ready to suffer with David for the Lord’s sake. As we shall see later in the study, he ended up dying with his father Saul.

Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 
Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 

In verse 34, Jonathan refused to eat meat on the second day of the feast as he grieved for David. This suggest that Jonathan stopped imbibing the false doctrines spewed in the streets of Babylon and was concerned about the Lord’s elect (David). There are few people in Babylon who are aware of the damnable heresies spewed in Babylon and have come to appreciate the word of the Lord through the Lord’s elect. However, they do not want to leave Babylon because of their strong ties with the brothers and sisters there. Just as Jonathan died with his father Saul, such people run the risk of becoming spiritually dead.

2Sa 1:4  And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. 

2Sa 1:11  Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: 
2Sa 1:12  And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.     

Jonathan’s Signal to Give Direction to David

1Sa 20:35  And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. 
1Sa 20:36  And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 
1Sa 20:37  And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? 
1Sa 20:38  And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 
1Sa 20:39  But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 

As shown in the previous study, when Jonathan tells the young lad that the arrows he shot were close by, then it means that David’s life was not in danger. The rationale behind this riddle is that if what we are looking for is close by, then we do not need to exert effort to find it. That is the greasy kind of religion which permeates the church system of this world where we thought we were already saved and therefore did not need to strive for the mastery. The Lord wants us to persevere in our quest to know Him. 

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

On the other hand, if the arrows shot by Jonathan are beyond the reach of the young man, it signifies that the judgment of the Lord is at hand and that David must run for his life. It also means that Lord intentionally hides His truths, mysteries, and deep wisdom, and as the Lord’s royals or elect, we must search for it. This searching out is a lifetime pursuit which involves hearing the voice of the Lord in the midst of the fire of our affliction. 

Pro 25:2  It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings (the Lord’s elect) is to search out a matter. 

Deu 4:36  Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire. 

Deu 5:24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.   

As shown in verses 36 and 37, Jonathan told the young lad that the arrows were beyond him. This implies that the judgment of the Lord is nigh to David and that he must run for his life as a scapegoat let loose in the wilderness to complement the suffering of Christ.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:  

The lad not knowing Jonathan’s signal for David to run away implies that when we were young in the faith during our time in the churches of this world, we did not know about the mysteries of the kingdom as we had not been given the keys of David yet. 

Isa 22:22  And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Rev 3:7  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

1Sa 20:40  And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 
1Sa 20:41  And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. 
1Sa 20:42  And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed forever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city. 

Jonathan giving the young lad his artillery in verse 40, to be taken back to the city symbolically shows how Jonathan’s heart is attached to the city, which represents the church system of this world or Babylon. As a result, he could not leave Babylon with David. He was not ready to suffer reproach as we go to meet the Lord outside the camp of the church system of this world. 

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 
Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.  

In verse 42, Jonathan going back to the city as David departed as a scapegoat into the wilderness shows how the Lord separates us for His purpose even from those who have been helpful to us in our earlier walk with Christ. It also shows how David was prepared to suffer in his pursuit of Christ while Jonathan was not ready to leave Babylon to suffer reproach. As the deer pants for the water, so was David’s heart (the heart of the Lord’s elect) focused on Christ. 

Psa 42:1  To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
Psa 42:2  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 

We thank the Lord for how far He has brought us in our walk with Him, and our prayer is that He continues to uphold us in Him to the very end. Amen!!

1 Samuel 19:1–24 Saul Tried to Kill David

[Study Aired May 25, 2026]

In today’s study, we shall look at four attempts from Saul to assassinate David. However, in all these attempts, He was delivered from them, through the intervention by Jonathan’s mediation, Michal, his wife, and Samuel’s protection, and by his own agility. 

The fact that there were four attempts on David’s life in this chapter, shows us the whole of the devil’s scheme to destroy us in our walk with the Lord. However, as the word of the Lord reminds us, no weapon formed or fashioned against us shall prosper.

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. 

Jonathan’s Intervention in Saving David’s Life 

1Sa 19:1  And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. 

Saul, in this context, represents the leaders of the church system of this world or Babylon. Jonathan, on the other hand, signifies our time as the Lord’s elect  in Babylon and Saul’s servants symbolize our brothers and sisters in Babylon. David on the other hand, stands for the Lord’s elect who have just left Babylon. With this in mind, it becomes easier to understand the spiritual significance of verse 1. What we are being told is that the message of the leaders of the church system of this world kills as we see Saul telling his son Jonathan and servants to kill David. In other words, their message is what puts us to death, spiritually.  

As we are aware, the church system of this world focuses on the physical interpretation of the word of the Lord or the letter, which kills. This ministration of death is what the law of Moses represents. 

2Co 3:6  who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 
2Co 3:7  Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 
2Co 3:8  will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 

Apart from the fact that the letter kills, the false doctrines propagated by these leaders of the church system of this world also kills. That is to say that the false doctrines from Babylon end up killing the hearers spiritually. 

2Pe 2:1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 

1Sa 19:2  But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: 
1Sa 19:3  And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. 

Jonathan delighted much in David is Jonathan loving David. It demonstrates the love that binds us together as the Lord’s elect. This is the love that Jesus prayed that we should have for one another as it shows that we are really His disciples. 

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 
Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.   

Jonathan telling David that Saul was seeking to kill him refers to when we come to realize in Babylon that the church system will only put us to death spiritually. That is what expedites our exit from Babylon. In other words, knowing that our continued fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world represented by Saul will cause us to be spiritually dead, demands that we leave Babylon.    

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 

Jonathan pleading with David to abide in a secret place and hide himself is the need to abide under the shadow of the Almighty, where we are hidden in Christ, such that we are delivered from the devil’s traps (the snare of the fowler) and from deadly plagues (noisome pestilence) of false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition, spewed from the pulpits of Babylon. 

Psa 91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 
Psa 91:2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 
Psa 91:3  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 
Psa 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Psa 91:5  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;  

The question is, “How do we abide in the secret place of the most high under the shadow of the Almighty?”  Here in Psalm 91, we are given three clues as to what it means to abide in the secret place of the most high. In verse 4 of Psalm 91, we are told that truth shall be our shield and buckler. This implies that a key to abiding in the secret place of the most high is being given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The second clue from Psalm 91 is as follows:

Psa 91:9  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;  

Making the Most high our habitation involves the Lord coming to us with the spirit of His mouth to destroy our old man or the man of sin who sits in our temple, claiming himself to be God. The destruction of the man of sin is the judgment or the suffering marked out for us, which makes us abide in the secret place of the Lord.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

The third sign that we are abiding under the shadow of the Almighty is as follows:

Psa 91:14  Because he (the elect) hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 

Our love towards the Lord is demonstrated by our obedience. Through our obedience, we are being protected under the secret place of the Most High – our hiding place.

In verse 3 of the study, Jonathan wanted to talk with his father Saul in the field to reconcile him with David. As indicated, Jonathan represents our walk as the Lord’s elect in Babylon. At that time of our walk, we did not have a clue that what was happening to us (David) is of the Lord, as He wants us to leave Babylon. We thought that the church system of which we belonged to, would come to understand our views of the scriptures. We therefore did not have a clue that the solution was to leave Babylon.  

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

1Sa 19:4  And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: 
1Sa 19:5  For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? 
1Sa 19:6  And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain. 
1Sa 19:7  And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. 

As we can see from these verses, Jonathan was able to reconcile his father with David. This is to show us that our exit from Babylon is a process. We may be physically detached from the churches of this world, but yet retain its false doctrines which bind us to Babylon. At that time, both Jonathan and David did not know that Saul’s enmity against David was all of the Lord and that He was seeking for an occasion to judge David. 

Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 
Jdg 14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.  

1Sa 19:8  And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him. 

As long as we are living, we have to contend with our flesh regularly. Here in verse 8, we see David battling the Philistines and through the mercy of the Lord, he came out victorious. The Philistines fleeing from David is to let us know that there are times of relief in our lives, where our flesh is under control. There are other times, too, that we have to rise up and fight our flesh which is influenced by the devil, with the full confidence that we shall be victorious in the final analysis, as we see David’s victory over the Philistines.

Ecc 3:8  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 

1Sa 19:9  And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. 
1Sa 19:10  And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. 

When a brother or sister becomes disobedient to the Lord and falls away, such a person is possessed by an evil spirit from the Lord, which troubles him or her. Just as the words of the Lord are spirit, false doctrines are also spirit from the devil. Therefore, Saul being troubled by an evil spirit from the Lord, means that those who fall away are troubled by the false doctrines in their hearts and minds. 

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 
1Ti 4:2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

As we are aware, a spear or a sword in the positive sense represents the word of the Lord. However, the javelin or spear in the hand of Saul signifies false doctrines which come out of the smoke from his bottomless pit or his heart and mind, which darkens the sun and the air. That is to say that the javelin thrown at David in verse 10 signifies the false doctrines which darkens our understanding of the word of truth and makes us spiritually dead. 

David fleeing from Saul’s presence signifies our exit from Babylon. As we can see, David’s continued stay with Saul would have resulted in his death through the spear of Saul. It signifies that our continued stay in Babylon or the church system of this world would have resulted in our spiritual death through false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition. 

Michal’s Intervention in Saving David’s Life

1Sa 19:11  Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, tomorrow thou shalt be slain. 
1Sa 19:12  So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. 

After escaping from Saul’s house, David went to Michal, his wife. Michal, in this case, represents the church system of this world or Babylon because of her affiliation to her father Saul. Usually, when we leave one Babylonian church, we end up with another Babylonian church thinking that would be better. However, the churches of this world or Babylon are the same in terms of their harlotry inclination and therefore are not faithful to Christ. 

Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.    

Michal telling David to escape with his life that night or risk being killed means that during our walk in the churches of this world, the Lord sometimes spoke to us through the churches to prepare our exit from it. As we are aware, the Lord even spoke through a donkey (a beast) to stop Balaam from his trip. 

Num 22:27  And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. 
Num 22:28  And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?   

Michal helping David to escape by letting David down through a window implies that our escape from Babylon is a life or death matter and not through a conventional farewell through the door. We escape like a bird out of the snare of the fowler. It is also important to note that Michal helping David to escape also means that we are pushed out of the church system or Babylon by the church.  

Psa 124:7  Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. 
Psa 124:8  Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.  

1Sa 19:13  And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. 
1Sa 19:14  And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. 
1Sa 19:15  And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. 
1Sa 19:16  And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster. 
1Sa 19:17  And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

As indicated, Michal represents the church system of this world which is in bondage with her children through deception. We can see here in these verses that Michal was involved in deception as a way to preserve the life of David. This is to show us that the Lord uses both good and evil to achieve His purpose in our lives. 

Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 

A typical example of how the Lord uses both good and evil to achieve His purposes is the story of how king Ahab was drawn to battle to die by a lying spirit proclaiming that Ahab would win the war. 

1Ki 22:20  And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 
1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. 
1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. 

Saul Pursuing David to Ramah

1Sa 19:18  So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. 

David fleeing and coming to Samuel at Ramah signifies our escape from the churches of this world, as we come to the church of the New Jerusalem or the Lord’s elect. The name Ramah means ‘height’ and Naioth denotes ‘dwelling’. David coming to Naioth in Ramah symbolizes the beginning of our spiritual elevation or height as we dwell with our brothers and sisters in the Lord in unity. When we come to the assembly of the firstborn or the Lord’s elect, we are helped by what every joint supplies, to escape from the flood of false doctrines spewed by the devil through the false teachers and apostles parading in the corridors of the church system of this world.  

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 
Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 

1Sa 19:19  And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. 
1Sa 19:20  And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
1Sa 19:21  And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. 

These messengers sent by Saul represents false brethren who are secretly brought in to spy out our liberty in Christ with the purpose of bringing us into bondage, that is, kill us spiritually. 

Gal 2:4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 
Gal 2:5  To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 

The fact that these false messengers were sent three times by Saul to take David indicates the process of spiritual maturity that we must all go through as the Lord’s elect, resulting in our spiritual maturity, when we come to the church of the first born or the New Jerusalem. 

As we can see, these false messengers prophesied under the unction of the Holy Spirit when they came into the body, although their orientation was not to seek after the prize of the higher calling of God. We have seen how some have come into our fellowship being gifted with prophesying, but yet were easily offended, when they were challenged of their heretical teachings. Saul sending these messengers three times, means that their coming and going out of the body is all part of the process of our spiritual maturity through suffering (the significance of the number three).

Gal 1:6  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 
Gal 1:7  not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 
Gal 1:8  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 

1Sa 19:22  Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah. 
1Sa 19:23  And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 
1Sa 19:24  And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? 

Saul ending up in Naioth in Ramah in pursuit of David and the messengers he sent earlier to take down David are all the same in spiritual significance – the coming of false brethren into our midst to spy on our liberty in Christ with the purpose of bringing us into bondage, that is, killing us spiritually. However, in the case of Saul, we are given further information that he stripped off his clothes and prophesied as he lay naked throughout the day and night. 

Saul stripping off his clothes and lying naked signifies that as the body of Christ, we shall come to know the sinful motives of these false brethren who come in our midst, just as all things are naked and opened to the eyes of the Lord.   

Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 

May we continue in Him having the full assurance that He who has started this good work in us shall see to its completion. Amen! 

1 Samuel 15:1–35 Samuel Rebukes Saul

[Study Aired April 20, 2026]

In today’s study, our attention would be drawn to Saul’s final rejection as king due to his disobedience in sparing Agag and the best of the Amalekite spoil. The study also highlights the fact that partial obedience in the sight of the Lord is regarded as outright disobedience. 

In the final analysis, the takeaway from the study is that our obedience to the Lord’s word must be thorough. However, if we draw back, we will lose the crown. That was what happened to Saul, who was the Lord’s elect, and it serves as a warning to us, who are living in the closing days of the ages.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.    

The Lord Rejects Saul

1Sa 15:1  Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. 

This verse shows us that to be able to reign as kings in an age to come, we must be anointed. Being anointed in the Bible signifies being chosen by God for a special task or office, such as kings, prophets, or priests. This is usually symbolized by oil being poured on the head, which represents the spirit of the Lord.

1Sa 16:13  Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 

As the Lord’s elect, we have been anointed just like Saul. Samuel reminding Saul of his anointing in verse 1, is to show him that the anointing or the spirit of the Lord, is to help us pay attention or walk according to the word of the Lord. 

Eze 36:27  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 
Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

1Sa 15:2  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 
1Sa 15:3  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 

The Amalekites ambushing the Israelites when they came out of Egypt in verse 2 is to let us know that when we started our walk with the Lord, we were unsuspectingly unaware of our flesh as our enemy. 

In verses 3, the goal of our mandate as royals is marked out for us. That is, to destroy the deeds of our flesh signified by the Amalekites (man, woman, infant and sucking). As we are aware, ox, sheep, camel and ass all represent physical riches. 

Gen 30:43  And the man [Jacob] increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses. 

Therefore, the mandate to kill the ox, sheep, camel and ass of the Philistines in verse 3 implies that we must do away or put to death, the love of physical riches which is part of our fleshy desires, which many, in their quest to get rich have been drowned in destruction and ruin. 

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

1Sa 15:4  And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. 
1Sa 15:5  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. 
1Sa 15:6  And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 

It is important to note that the gathering of Saul’s army was at Telaim, which means ‘lambs.’ In the Bible lambs on the positive note denote the Lord’s elect as shown in the following:

Luk 10:3  Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

These verses imply that Saul and the men gathered with him, represent the Lord’s elect. This is affirmed by their number – two hundred thousand and ten thousand. 

2Ch 17:16  And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour. 
2Ch 17:17  And of Benjamin; Eliada a mighty man of valour, and with him armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand. 

Jdg 4:14  And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

Saul and his army laying wait in the valley and requesting the Kenites to depart from the Amalekites before attacking them in verses 5 and 6 is to let us know that in our dealing with our flesh, we must exercise patience lest we end up treating everything that comes out of our lives as being evil. It takes maturity to distinguish between the good seed that the Lord is sowing in our lives and the works of our flesh. This is emphasized by the Lord when he told the parable of the wheat and the tares where he emphasized that it takes time to be able to identify the wheat from the tares.     

Mat 13:29  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 
Mat 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 

1Sa 15:7  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. 
1Sa 15:8  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 
1Sa 15:9  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 

The victory won by Saul and his army against the Amalekites, who represent our flesh, was achieved from Havilah up to Shur. Havilah means ‘circles’ and Shur means the ‘wilderness of Etham.’ We must remember that it was in the wilderness that the Lord caused the Israelites to go in circles until they all died. The Israelites in the wilderness signifies the church system of this world. Therefore Saul smiting the Amalekites from Havilah until Shur implies that during our time in the churches of this world, we did win some victories over our flesh. However, we were not thorough with dealing with our flesh as we kept Agag, the king of the Amalekites alive and got enticed with the riches or the wealth of this world or mammon signified by the sheep, oxen, the fatlings and the lambs of the Amalekites. 

Luk 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

Agag here represents the ten horns of the beast or the strength of our flesh. As long as the strength of our flesh has not been dealt with, we haven’t won the war against our flesh. 

1Sa 15:10  Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, 
1Sa 15:11  It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. 
1Sa 15:12  And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. 

The Lord repenting that He set up Saul does not mean that He regretted His actions, since He does not alter His purpose. Rather, it means that He is changing His method of achieving the same goal. 

Num 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?  

As we are aware, Saul was the Lord’s elect and therefore, Samuel grieving for Saul all night is to show us that as the Lord’s elect, we do not take lightly when our brothers and sisters miss the mark of the Lord’s higher calling. In other words, we are overwhelmed with grief when our brothers and sisters miss the way.  David mourning for Jonathan’s death give us a glimpse of how we feel when our brothers and sisters fall away.  

2Sa 1:25  How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 
2Sa 1:26  I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 

Saul leaving Carmel and moving on to Gilgal implies that when we fall away, we leave Carmel, meaning the ‘orchard of God’ or the ‘church of the Lord’s elect’, and go to Gilgal, which in the negative sense, means ‘rolling’ or ‘wandering about.’  

1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 
1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 
1Sa 15:15  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 

Saul’s insistence that he had performed the commandment of the Lord is to make us aware that our brothers and sisters who fall away, are not given the place of repentance, just as Esau found no place of repentance, though he sought for it carefully with tears. 

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. 

The bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen in the ears of Samuel is to let us know that our sins are plain before the Lord, and therefore we cannot hide from our sins. In verse 15, Saul was trying to justify his actions by saying that he kept the sheep and the oxen for sacrifice to the Lord. As indicated in the introduction section, our partial obedience is regarded in the sight of the Lord as outright disobedience. 

Pro 16:2  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. 

Our prayer is therefore to ask the Lord to search our hearts and see if there is any wicked way in us, so that He will lead us in the way everlasting. 

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 
Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

1Sa 15:16  Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. 
1Sa 15:17  And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? 
1Sa 15:18  And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. 
1Sa 15:19  Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
1Sa 15:20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 

What the Lord said about Saul in verse 17 that when he was little in his own sight, He anointed him as king of Israel is the same as saying that in times past, we walked according to the desires of the flesh, however, in God’s mercy, He came and lifted us up to sit with Christ in heavenly places. 

Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Our task as the Lord’s elect or future kings of the earth is that in this age, we must overcome the carnal mind of our flesh, just as Saul was tasked by the Lord to destroy the Amalekites. However, many who are called to become kings, like Saul, are not able to wholly destroy the flesh, and therefore, they lose their kingship or crown as we shall see later in this study. 

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 

As indicated in verse 20, Saul was not given repentance as he continued to insist that he had obeyed the Lord, just as many who fall away find no place of repentance in this age.

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he [Esau] would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.  

1Sa 15:21  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. 
1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 
1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

The people taking the spoil, sheep and oxen in verse 21, to present them as sacrifice to the Lord instead of destroying them implies that many of the Lord’s children are derailed from the goal of becoming overcomers of their flesh, by the love of money or mammon, which they think would help them to worship or offer a better sacrifice to the Lord. A look at the leadership of the church system of this world or Babylon, shows how the love of money has caused them to err from the faith and have therefore pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 
1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

In verse 22, we are told that obedience is better than sacrifice and that to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. We demonstrate our love to the Lord by our obedience to His word. Therefore, our obedience to the Lord is what governs our relationship with Christ. Without obedience, all our effort in the house of the Lord is vain. 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

The fat of rams represents the transient nature of the riches of this world or mammon. Therefore, paying attention to what the Lord says cannot be compared with the riches of this world, which many in this world, including our brothers and sisters in Babylon, are coveting. 

Luk 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

In verse 23, we are told that rebellion is as a sin of witchcraft. Rebellion is the same as transgressing or sinning against the Lord, as shown in the following verse:

Jos 22:22  The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) 

Witchcraft means ‘divination’, which means seeking advice from false prophets. This implies that sinning against the Lord is the same as seeking advice from false prophets. 

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  

It is insightful to note that stubbornness in verse 23 is the same as iniquity and idolatry. Iniquity means trusting in our own righteousness. 

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Idolatry therefore means paying attention to the false idols of our hearts and minds which are the false doctrines in our heavens, instead of the truth of the Lord’s word. This suggests that being stubborn in the biblical sense has to do with rejecting the righteousness of the Lord in pursuit of the false doctrines in our hearts and minds. All of these disqualify us from reigning with Christ in an age to come. There are many who have refused the multitude of counsel from the our elders by trusting the false doctrines in their hearts and minds. As a result, the crown has been taken away from them.

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 

1Sa 15:24  And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. 
1Sa 15:25  Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. 

Finally, Saul admitted to Samuel that he had sinned. However, as stated earlier, he could not find the place of repentance. This is because repentance is a fundamental change of mind, heart, and direction, which involves a sincere turning away from sin toward God. While repentance can involve confession of sin, it is distinguished from mere regret or confession of sin, focusing instead on the actual turning from sin and embracing righteousness. In the case of Saul, his confession of sinning did not mean that he had repented. He did that so that Samuel would honor him before the elders and people of Israel by accompany him to worship the Lord. 

Act 26:19  “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 
Act 26:20  but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 

1Sa 15:30  Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

1Sa 15:26  And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. 
1Sa 15:27  And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. 
1Sa 15:28  And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 

Saul’s refusal to obey fully the commandment of the Lord cost him the rulership. Verses 27 and 28 show us one of the principles that helps us to unlock the mysteries of the kingdom by the things that are made. Samuel interpreted the tearing of the skirt of his mantle when Saul laid hold of it to mean that the kingdom of Israel has been taken away from Saul and given to his neighbor who is better than him. The things that are made include our mundane activities, which in this case refers to the tearing of the skirt of Samuel’s cloak.    

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

1Sa 15:29  And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. 
1Sa 15:30  Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God. 
1Sa 15:31  So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD. 

Verse 29 affirms our earlier assertion that the Lord repenting for setting up Saul as king (verse 11) does not mean that He had repented from His action. It shows that He is changing His method of achieving the same goal.   

Verse 30 emphasize the point that Saul was not repentant of His action even though He confessed to Samuel of sinning. Saul’s confession was to make Samuel honor him by going with him before the elders and the people. 

Samuel going with Saul in verse 31 is to show us that we are not to dishonor our brothers and sisters, who fall along the way, before the Lord’s people.

1Sa 15:32  Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. 
1Sa 15:33  And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. 
1Sa 15:34  Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 
1Sa 15:35  And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel. 

It is Jesus who was the first to overcome the flesh. Here in verse 32, Samuel represents Jesus, our Lord, who showed us how we are to be ruthless in our dealing with our flesh (king Agag). 

In verse 33, we are shown that it is the flesh which has made the church system of this world not able to bear fruit of producing the Lord’s elect. In this age, it is the church of the Lord’s elect who seems to be barren. However, in the fullness of time, it will become obvious to everyone that it is the church system of this world with many children, who is rather barren.

Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 

It is important to note that Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord at Gilgal. It was in Gilgal that the Israelites who entered the promised land were circumcised, that is, the cutting off of their flesh. 

Jos 5:2  At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. 
Jos 5:3  And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

Jos 5:8  And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. 
Jos 5:9  And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. 

Samuel and Saul going their separate ways such that Samuel did not see Saul again till he died is to show us that we cannot have fellowship with our brothers and sisters who fall away. This is because a little leaven, leavens the whole lump.

Gal 5:9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 
Gal 5:10  I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.  

May the Lord continue to destroy everything of the flesh within us through His judgment as we see the day approaching. Amen!!

1 Samuel 14:24–52 Saul’s Oath 

[Study Aired April 13, 2026]

The study for today focuses on Saul’s oath which troubled the people of Israel.  It looks at Jonathan’s error through ignorance and Saul’s determination to put him to death, in spite of him being his son. However, the people of Israel rescued him. The study ends with Saul’s battle with the neighboring tribes and an account of his family.

Saul’s Rash Vow

1Sa 14:24  And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food. 

As indicated in the previous study, Saul and the men of Israel with him represent the church system of this world or Babylon. According to Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB), the men of Israel being distressed that day means being under a taskmaster, ruler, oppressor or tyrant. This oppressor or tyrant is the devil who empowers our flesh. 

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon [the devil] which gave power unto the beast [Our flesh]: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 

Here in verse 24, we are given the reason why the men of Israel were under distress. It was because they had been commanded not to eat food until the evening when Saul, their king, had avenged his enemies. Not to eat food spiritually means that the men of Israel represent us during our time in the church system of this world or Babylon, where we are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Our brothers and sisters in Babylon’s inability to understand the word of the Lord is because their leadership, represented by Saul, has put a curse on them not to eat any food. That is to say that the leadership of Babylon are not given to know the truth of the Lord’s word, and therefore what they give (the false doctrines) prevents them from knowing the truth. 

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

This curse will continue until the evening, when Saul has avenged his enemies. The evening refers to the lake of fire age of judgment, when our brothers and sisters in Babylon will come to know the truth. That is the time when their flesh or carnal mind (the enemy) is destroyed or avenged.

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

1Sa 14:25  And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground. 
1Sa 14:26  And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath. 

These verses are to show us that initially, the church system of this world or Babylon was endowed with the fundamental truth of the Lord’s word, represented here as honey. However, because of false doctrines spewed by their leaders, signified by Saul’s command for the people not to eat, even the basic truths of His word were perverted, such that we could not assess the milk and honey of the Lord’s word in Babylon.

Exo 3:17  And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.  

Isa 9:15  The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 
Isa 9:16  For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 

Eze 16:13  Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Eze 16:15  But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. 
Eze 16:16  And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, 

1Sa 14:27  But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. 
1Sa 14:28  Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint. 
1Sa 14:29  Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. 
1Sa 14:30  How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? 

As we have indicated in the previous study, Jonathan represents the Lord’s elect during our time in the church system of this world. The fact that Jonathan did not hear his father’s oath and proceeded to eat of the honey implies that as the Lord’s elect, the Lord in His mercy, caused us to eat of the honey of His word, even while we were in Babylon, which caused our eyes to be enlightened (verse 27). 

In verse 28, one of the people told Jonathan about how his father has cursed anyone who eats any food that day, and therefore caused the people to be faint. This is to let us know that it was in Babylon that we become aware that the leaders in the church system are the cause of our inability to know the truth of His word. 

In verses 29 and 30, Jonathan’s assessment of his father’s error is summed up by his word that his father has troubled the land and that their inability to achieve a greater slaughter of the Philistines was because of the lack of the foundational truth of the Lord’s word. In other words, it is in Babylon that we come to realize that our leaders have failed us and as a result, we cannot worship the Lord acceptably while we continue in Babylon. This is all in preparation for our exit from Babylon at the appointed time. 

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Psa 137:1  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 
Psa 137:2  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 
Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
Psa 137:4  How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? 

1Sa 14:31  And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint. 
1Sa 14:32  And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood. 
1Sa 14:33  Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day. 

The smiting of the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon by the people of Israel in verse 31 is to let us know that while we were in the churches of this world, we were given some victories over our flesh. For example, we were delivered from some of the attributes of the flesh such as fornication, adultery, hatred, wrath, envying, etc.  

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.   

The people taking sheep, oxen and calves, killing them and eating them with the blood in verse 32, was forbidden by the Lord.  The reason why the Israelites were forbidden under the law of Moses to eat meat with blood is because blood was used as atonement for sin, and therefore, blood was seen as a sacred thing. God wanted to ensure that the blood of the sacrifices was always considered precious.    

Deu 12:15  Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart. 
Deu 12:16  Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water. 

If we willfully continue to sin, then it means that we have treated the blood of Christ as an unholy thing. That is the spiritual meaning of eating meat with blood. Therefore, the people eating meat with blood in it shows us that during our time in Babylon, we continued to sin, even though we were enriched in Him. As a result, we were actually trampling on the blood of Christ.   

Heb 10:26  For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 
Heb 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 
Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 

Verse 33 shows us that the leaders of the church system of this world are aware of the sins of the people of the church system of this world, but their method of addressing sin is wrong, as we shall see Saul’s way of dealing with the sins of the people. 

1Sa 14:34  And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. 
1Sa 14:35  And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD. 
1Sa 14:36  And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. 

Saul’s dealings with the people that sinned was not in accordance with what the Lord enjoins us to do. We are to rebuke those who sin publicly that others may be afraid. However, he only asked the people to come and slay their oxen and sheep before him so that they do not sin. Spiritually, what Saul is saying  was that the gathering of the church system of this world, automatically causes people to stop sinning.   

1Ti 5:20  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
1Ti 5:21  I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.  

In verses 35 and 36, Saul built an altar to the Lord, and based on this, he wanted to go after the Philistines and destroy them, but the priest reminded him to draw near to the Lord first. The leaders of the church system of this world, represented by Saul, are only interested in works (building churches) and think that in doing this, their flesh will just die. That is to say that in Babylon, the people think that the works of their hands will save them from their flesh. However, the priest reminding Saul to draw near to the Lord is to show us that what is important is our relationship with Christ as we draw near to Him. It is not about the works of our hands. Jesus warned us about those who think that the works of their hands can guarantee the kingdom of heaven as follows: 

Mat 7:21  Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

1Sa 14:37  And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. 
1Sa 14:38  And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. 
1Sa 14:39  For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. 

Saul not being answered by the Lord in verse 37, shows us our situation when we were in the churches of this world. We did not hear from the Lord. As we shall see in the latter part of the Book of Samuel, Saul enquired of the Lord because of the Philistines, but did not receive an answer from the Lord. 

1Sa 28:5  And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. 
1Sa 28:6  And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 

In our desperation, we vent our anger on the Lord’s elect signified by Saul vowing to kill Jonathan in verse 39. We, the Lord’s elect, are spiritually dead to our brothers and sisters in Babylon, just like the two witnesses, whose dead bodies were in the streets of Jerusalem or Sodom and Egypt. 

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.  

1Sa 14:40  Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee. 
1Sa 14:41  Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. 
1Sa 14:42  And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. 
1Sa 14:43  Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
1Sa 14:44  And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
1Sa 14:45  And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. 

As shown in these verses, lots were cast which determined that Jonathan was guilty of eating while Saul had given a command for them not to eat until he has avenged his enemies. In this case, Saul’s command is the command or the word of the Lord. We know that the outcome of a lot is always of the Lord. 

Pro 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. (ESV)

As we have shown earlier, Jonathan is a symbol of the Lord’s elect. During our time as the Lord’s elect in Babylon, we were guilty of not knowing the word of the Lord, and therefore we should have been put to death. As shown in verse 45, the people rescued Jonathan from death at the hands of Saul. In the same way, the Lord rescued or showed mercy to us, His elect, from Babylon at the expense of our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world. 

Rom 11:30  For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 
Rom 11:31  so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. 

1Sa 14:46  Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. 

Saul, who represents the church system of this world, stopped pursuing  the Philistines and went to his own place. That is to show us that when we were in Babylon, we were not engaged in a war with our flesh. It also implies that we did not consider ourselves as being able to win the war with our flesh.

Rev 13:4  And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”  

Saul Fights Israel’s Enemies

1Sa 14:47  So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
1Sa 14:48  And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. 

These verses show us our struggle with the flesh during our time in the churches of this world. We had some victories over our flesh in certain areas of our lives, as indicated in verse 48 where Saul and his host smote the Amalekites. However, the flesh, symbolized by all the enemies surrounding Israel (Moab, Ammon, Edom, kings of Zobah, the Philistines and the Amalekites) was still a formidable opposition during our walk in Babylon.

Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 
Rom 7:15  For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 
Rom 7:16  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 
Rom 7:17  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 
Rom 7:18  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 
Rom 7:24  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 
Rom 7:25  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (ESV)

1Sa 14:49  Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: 
1Sa 14:50  And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 
1Sa 14:51  And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 
1Sa 14:52  And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him. 

These verses focuses on Saul’s family and the enmity between Saul and the Philistines. Saul had three sons – Jonathan, which means ‘Jehovah has given’, Ishui – ‘He resembles me’ and Melchishua – ‘My king is salvation.’ What this implies is that to be like Christ, who was given by God as our salvation, we must go through the process of spiritual maturity which is through the Lord’s judgment. The two daughters of Saul – Merab (increase) and Michal (who is like God) show us the two church systems. We have the church system of this world which is given to increase in this age and the other church system which represents the church of the Lord’s elect, which is making us become like Christ.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.  

It is in the church of the Lord’s elect, represented by Saul’s wife, Ahinoam, which means ‘my brother is delight’, that we come to enjoy the delightfulness of our brothers and sisters through what every joint supplies. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

The commander of Israel’s army’s name was Abner which means ‘the father of light’ or ‘enlightening.’ It is through the Lord’s enlightenment that we become enrolled in His army. Kish, who is Saul’s father, means a bow. This implies that our Lord is a warrior. 

Exo 15:3  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.  

Verse 52 tells us that there was sore war against the Philistines during all the time of Saul as king of Israel. This is to show us that our fight against our flesh is a lifetime struggle. However, unlike Saul, we, as the Lord’s elect, are assured of victory in the final analysis.

1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

Amen!

1 Samuel 12:1–25 Samuel’s Farewell Address

[Study Aired March 23, 2026]

The chapter today under review is about Samuel’s farewell speech where he vindicated his integrity, reproved the Israelites for demanding a king and warned them of the consequence of disobedience. The study focuses on Samuel’s revelation of how the Lord had shown mercies in the past to the people of Israel, and confirmed their sins by calling for thunder and rain in the time of wheat harvest. The study ends with Samuel urging the people of Israel to continue serving the Lord faithfully as he continues to intercede on their behalf. 

Samuel’s Farewell Address

1Sa 12:1  And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. 
1Sa 12:2  And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.
1Sa 12:3  Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 

In verse 1, Samuel represents our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the history of the people of Israel, the Lord has been their king. However, in asking for a king in the previous chapter, the people of Israel were rejecting the rulership of the Lord Jesus. However, the Lord told Samuel to do according to what the people of Israel desired – to have a king rule over them. It was in obedience to the Lord’s word that Saul was appointed as king of Israel.

Samuel agreeing to the demand of the people of Israel and giving them a king is therefore the Lord satisfying the desire of the people. There are times the Lord permits His people to have what they request, with the view of showing them the deceitfulness of their hearts and minds and to fulfill a larger purpose. As we know, all things are going according to the counsel of His will. This implies that both good and evil are used by the Lord to fulfill His eternal purpose. Therefore, both day and night are the same in the sight of the Lord.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

During the wilderness experience of the people of Israel, the Lord gave the people of Israel what they requested, but in the final analysis, He sent a wasting disease to destroy them.

Psa 106:13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
Psa 106:14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; 
Psa 106:15 he gave them what they asked but sent a wasting disease among them. (ESN)

Bringing a wasting disease among the people of Israel means that although they received the physical satisfaction for their request, they experienced severe spiritual decay. This was all to fulfill His purpose of rejecting the commonwealth of Israel and choosing us in Him according to the riches of His mercy towards us.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

We had also rebelled against the Lord just like the people of Israel when we became futile in our thinking and therefore the Lord gave us up to our desires. The Lord led us through this evil path so that we shall come to see that our hearts are desperately corrupt. It is when we come to know that without the Lord’s intervention we cannot help ourselves, that the Lord comes with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to lead us to Himself, such that our evil cravings are destroyed through His judgment.

Rom 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rom 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 
Rom 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 
Rom 1:24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

This was the situation in which the people of Israel found themselves when they requested a king and the Lord gave them their heart’s desire.

Verses 2 and 3 focus on Samuel being a witness for Christ. The Lord has called us to become His witness just like Samuel. Being His witness means living our faith through Christlike behavior, service, and love, which serves as a living testimony. It is when we become witnesses of Christ that we can bear fruit which abides.

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

1Sa 12:4  And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.
1Sa 12:5  and he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

These verses show us that we must indeed serve as the Lord’s witnesses during our time here on earth. This implies that our righteousness must be evident to all – not only to the household of faith, but all those outside the faith who come into contact with us. 

1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

We know from the word of the Lord that it is not in our power to learn righteousness. It is only the judgment of our flesh by the Lord that makes us to become like Him – having no spot or blemish. This is what the Lord is working out within each of us, to become like Him.

Rev 14:4 These (His elect) are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 
Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

The Lord’s Righteous Acts

1Sa 12:6  And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 
1Sa 12:7  Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. 
1Sa 12:8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

Here in verse 6, we see Samuel reminding the Israelites of how the Lord intervened in their circumstances and brought up Moses and Aaron to lead their fathers from bondage in Egypt.  In our case, it is the Lord who is reminding us that He has raised His elect, represented by Moses and Aaron, to bring us out of our bondage to the flesh. Through what every joint supplies, we are able to come out of our bondage to the flesh.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

In verse 7, we see that what the Lord did in raising up Moses and Aaron to lead His people out of Egypt is called ‘the righteous acts of the Lord.’ The Lord coming to us to lead us out of the church system of this world or Babylon, which is represented by Egypt here in verse 7, to become part of the church of Jerusalem above, or the firstborn, is all part of His righteous acts toward us.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 
Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 

1Sa 12:9  And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 
1Sa 12:10  And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. 
1Sa 12:11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. 

When our attention is turned from the Lord, we become a prey to our flesh symbolized by the Philistines. Sisera was the commander of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan. Both Sisera and the king of Moab in verse 9, represent the devil, who empowers our flesh. The question is, “How do we forget the Lord?” It is usually during times of prosperity, comfort, and success, that we forget about the Lord. This usually leads to self-reliance and pride instead of dependence on the Lord.

Deu 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
Deu 8:12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 
Deu 8:13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 
Deu 8:14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

Through the mercies of the Lord, He brings us to repentance as we cry to Him for deliverance from our flesh.  The Lord sends Jerubbaal according to verse 11 to deliver us from bondage. Jerubbaal means ‘let Baal contend’ or compete. Baal means ‘lord’ or owner and was a Canaanite god which Israel frequently turned to worship. The first step in the Lord’s deliverance from our flesh as we cry to Him is to let the false doctrines in our hearts and minds, which empower our flesh, represented here as Baal, compete with the truth of the Lord’s word. As a result, we are overcome by our flesh, giving the Lord the occasion that He is seeking to come into our lives with His judgment.

Jdg 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 
Jdg 14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 
Jdg 14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 
Jdg 14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

The Lord then sends Bedan which means ‘in judging.’ That is to say that the Lord comes to judge us. It is through this judgment that we are gradually delivered from our flesh. The Lord then sends Jephthah which means ‘He opens.’ It is through this judgment that the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are opened to us. Finally, the Lord sends Samuel which is the name of God. In other words, the Lord comes to establish His throne in our hearts and minds.

Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Act 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

1Sa 12:12  And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king. 
1Sa 12:13  Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. 
1Sa 12:14  If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God: 
1Sa 12:15  But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Here in verse 12, we are given a reason why the Israelites wanted a physical king, when the Lord was their king. It was because they wanted a physical king to fight their battles for them.  When we are under the control of the flesh, we seek physical instead of spiritual reality to address the issues we face. However, in the wisdom of the Lord, the demand for a physical king was all part of the Lord’s design, to bring the people of Israel to an expected end.

Verses 14 and 15 show us that our past mistakes are not relevant. What is important is to forget those things which are behind and focus on being obedient to our Lord. That is when we experience His rulership in our walk with Him. On the other hand, our refusal to submit to Christ will cause the hand of the Lord to be against us.

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 

1Sa 12:16  Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. 
1Sa 12:17  Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. 
1Sa 12:18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

In verse 16, the Lord is requesting us to stand still and see the great thing the Lord will do on our behalf. The great thing is our salvation as we see the Lord destroy the old man or our flesh for us to become overcomers. Standing still means that the Lord is the one who does the work of destroying our flesh. 

Exo 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. 
Exo 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 

In verse 17, Samuel told the Israelites that in spite of the fact that no rain falls in the wheat harvest, He, the Lord, will send thunder and rain to fall. We must remember that the Israelites in this study represent us when we were in the churches of this world or Babylon. In Babylon, the weather is just like a period of the wheat harvest. That is to say that there is no rain or the truth of the Lord’s word. However, the Lord is assuring us, His elect, that He will bring in the truth of the word of the Lord because of our time of drought in Babylon.

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail [the truth of His word] shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

As shown in verse 17, the coming of thunder and rain during the wheat harvest was for the purpose of realizing that our wickedness is great before the Lord in asking for a king. Spiritually, what the Lord is telling us is that the truth of the Lord’s words which we experience after this drought in Babylon, is for the purpose of realizing that we were like beasts before the Lord when we thought we make our own decisions and therefore, are kings of our own destiny.

Psa 73:22  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

In verse 18, the thunder and rain that day caused all the people to greatly fear the Lord and Samuel. Samuel here also represents the Lord’s elect. It is as the Lord rains down on us the truth of His word and also through His judgment or thunder that we become a blessing to those we come into touch with – they come to fear the Lord. In other words, our witness to Christ becomes more effective.

1Sa 12:19  And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 
1Sa 12:20  And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;
1Sa 12:21  And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

In the fullness of time, our brothers and sisters will ask us to intercede on their behalf as we see the people requesting Samuel to pray for them. It is during this period that they will be aware of their sins and receive mercy just we have received mercy in this age.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

1Sa 12:22  For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. 
1Sa 12:23  Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 
1Sa 12:24  Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 
1Sa 12:25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king. 

It is heartwarming to note that in verse 22, the Lord is assuring us that He will not forsake us because of His name’s sake. Before the world was created, God had desired to have a people called by His name – His elect.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

In verse 23, Samuel assured the people of His intercession for them. As indicated earlier, Samuel represents the Lord who is interceding on our behalf before the Father.

Heb 7:24  But this man [Jesus], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

If we are to receive the reward, then we must follow what Samuel said in verse 23 about the good and the right way to serve the Lord. We must fear the Lord and serve Him in truth. As our understanding is enlightened to know the truth of the Lord’s word, we automatically come to fear Him and serve Him in truth.

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

It is through His word that we come to appreciate the great things He has done for us as mentioned in verse 24. On the other hand, as indicated in verse 25, if we do wickedly, we shall be consumed by the enemy, the devil. However, as Paul said, we are persuaded of better things on our behalf, that is, things that accompany our salvation. 

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 
Heb 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Our confidence is not in ourselves but in the fact that He who has began a good work in us will see to its completion. Amen!

1 Samuel 10:1–27 Saul Anointed King by Samuel

[Study Aired March 9, 2026]

Our study today focuses on the Lord’s sovereignty in establishing Saul as Israel’s first king. The study highlights how the Lord divinely empowered Saul to become the king of Israel. It therefore, shows us how the Lord is empowering us, His elect, to reign with Him when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Saul Anointed King

1Sa 10:1  Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

It is important to note in verse 1 that the Lord anointing Saul was for the purpose of making him captain over the Lord’s people or inheritance. That means that to become a king of the Lord’s people or inheritance, we must be anointed.

Deu 32:9  For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

The Lord’s inheritance is our inheritance. The Lord has shown us in His word that He will give us the nations as our inheritance.

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 

Psa 24:1  A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

In Psalm 133:1, we are shown what the anointing does in our lives to ensure our kingship when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. It helps us to dwell together in unity with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, which is the pillar of the truth of the Lord’s word.

Psa 133:1  A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Psa 133:2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 

The Lord is therefore training us as rulers within the body of Christ, so that in the fullness of time, we shall reign as kings with Christ. This training involves living in unity with our brothers and sisters as we go through suffering in this age to destroy our flesh. Living in unity implies being of one mind and speaking the same thing.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

What We Must Go Through to become Kings

1Sa 10:2  When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

After anointing Saul, Samuel told him about what would happen to him on his way to become king of Israel. Therefore, it shows us what we must go through as anointed of the Lord in order to realize our kingship when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

The two men in verse 2 represent the Lord’s witnesses. The fact that the two men were by Rachel’s sepulcher implies that all of the Lord’s witnesses are going through the death of their flesh or the valley of shadow (meaning of Zelzah) of death in this age, through the Lord’s judgment.

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

We must note that the two men who serve as the Lord’s witnesses were to let Saul know that the asses have been found and that his father is worrying about him.  This is to let us know that when the Lord calls and chooses us to be become His elect, He ensures that our needs are met so we can serve Him in rest and quietness.

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 
Php 4:20  Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

Saul’s father caring about Saul after finding his lost asses is to show us the Lord’s care regarding us. The reason He cares about us is that He loves us dearly as His children.

Jer 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Jer 31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

1Sa 10:3  Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 
1Sa 10:4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. 

The plain of Tabor is a mountain near the hills of Nazareth. As we have indicated in previous studies, a mountain on a positive note signifies the house of the Lord or the church of the Lord’s elect. Saul going to meet three men on their way to God at Bethel affirms that it is in the house of the Lord that Saul was going to meet these three men, since Bethel means house of God. These three men represent the Lord’s elect who were going to offer sacrifice to the Lord.

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Saul meeting the three men at the plain of Tabor implies that if we are to reign with Christ, then we must come into the church of the Lord’s elect. That is where we learn to offer ourselves as living sacrifice to the Lord. It is important to note that Saul was going to meet three men at Mount Tabor. The number three means the process of spiritual maturity through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh. The fact that the three men were carrying three kids and three loaves and a bottle of wine is to show us that offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord is a process attained through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The three men saluting Saul and giving him two loaves of bread in verse 4 means that in entering the church of the Lord’s elect, we are given to know Christ through His word, which is symbolized by the two loaves of bread given to Saul. The word of the Lord that we receive is through what every joint supplies in the assembly of the Lord’s elect as we are granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

It is instructive to understand that Saul was given two loaves of bread. The number two means a witness. It implies that in coming to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, we must compare scripture with scripture.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1Sa 10:5  After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 
1Sa 10:6  And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 
1Sa 10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

It is on the hill of God or in the assembly or the church of the Lord’s elect that there is a Philistine outpost. This implies that it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that we pay attention to the deeds of our flesh.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

As we are aware, it is in the city of the Lord’s elect that we meet prophets with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps as they prophesy. Prophesying here means singing praises to the Lord with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps. Singing to the Lord is a form of prophesying as shown by the sister of Moses, who is called a prophetess, and the daughters of Philip, the evangelist, with seven daughters who prophesied.

Act 21:8  And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
Act 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 

Exo 15:20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 
Exo 15:21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Singing is a form of worship, and therefore it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that we learn to worship the Lord in spirit as we offer our bodies as living sacrifice to the Lord.

Rom 12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

As shown in verse 6, it is in the company of prophets or the Lord’s elect that the spirit of the Lord comes upon us to turn us into another man, who is Christ. We must remember that it was when the disciples were together on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended upon them to turn them into Christ or another man.

Act 2:1  When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 
Act 2:3  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The coming of the holy spirit into our lives is to lead us into the truth which is a requirement if we are to reign as kings, as we see the Holy Spirit came upon Saul.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

As indicated in verse 7, when we are given two loaves of bread as we come into the assembly of the Lord’s elect, and we are given the Holy Spirit to turn us into Christ or another man, then it means that the Lord is with us! It is not when things are going well with us that show the Lord is with us.  We may not feel His presence and we may be going through all kinds of trials and tribulations, but we must be assured that the Lord is with us as long as we are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven through the Holy Spirit.

1Sa 10:8  And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do. 
1Sa 10:9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

It was in Gilgal that Israelites were circumcised when they went over the Jordan.

Jos 5:2  At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
Jos 5:3  And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 
Jos 5:4  And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. 
Jos 5:5  Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

Jos 5:8  And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
Jos 5:9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. 

What we are therefore being told is that it is by doing away with our flesh through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh that we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

The fact that in verse 8 Samuel told Saul to wait for him for seven days, to be told what to do implies that offering ourselves as a living sacrifice is a process. The seven days waiting for the Lord to come to us to offer the sacrifice pleasing to Him is the complete period of time in our lives that we go through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh. 

In verse 9, it was when Saul turned to follow Samuel’s instruction that the Lord gave him another heart and what had been said about him came to pass. It is through our obedience to the word of the Lord that we are given another heart. This is what it means to be given another heart:

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 
Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Eze 36:28  And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Eze 36:29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

1Sa 10:10  And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 
1Sa 10:11  And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 
1Sa 10:12  And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 
1Sa 10:13  And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. 

In verse 10, we are told that what Samuel said about Saul came to pass. This is to assure us that what the Lord has said in His word concerning us will come to pass in the fullness of time. 

Hab 2:3  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  

Many of those who knew Saul wondered what had happened to him. In a similar vein, many who knew us during our time in the churches of this world are wondering what’s become of us. Just as many wondered whether Saul was really among the prophets, many are not really sure whether we are among the Lord’s elect. However, time will tell who really is destined to reign with Christ. 

In verse 13, Saul came to the high place after prophesying. As indicated earlier, Saul prophesying is Saul singing to the glory of the Lord. This shows us that the high place which signifies the church of the Lord’s elect is where we should be. 

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Saul’s Encounter with His Uncle

1Sa 10:14  And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel. 
1Sa 10:15  And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. 
1Sa 10:16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.

Saul’s uncle represents our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world who are only interested in what the Lord has said to us. The Lord gave Saul wisdom to tell his uncle only what pertains to the finding of the asses and not his kingship. As the Lord told us, we must not cast our pearls before swine. That was exactly what Saul did.

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The Choosing of Saul as King

1Sa 10:17  And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; 
1Sa 10:18  And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 
1Sa 10:19  And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands. 
1Sa 10:20  And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 
1Sa 10:21  When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

Just like the people of Israel, we have all rebelled against the Lord even though the Lord has wrought deliverance on our behalf in taking us out of the world (Egypt) to come and worship Him. In verse 19, we are shown the cardinal sin we have committed – we have rejected the Lord as king over our lives. The question is, “In what way have we rejected the Lord as king over our lives?” When through false doctrines we imbibed in Babylon or the churches of this world, we come to think that we have our own minds and make our own decisions. When we think we make our own decisions and do whatever we like, then we are the man of sin sitting in our temple claiming himself to be God. 

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Samuel requesting the people of Israel to present themselves before Him by tribe and by thousands, resulting in the selection of Saul as king is to let us know that our election to reign with Christ, in the fullness of time, is not by anything we have done. It is wholly the work of the Lord. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world because He loves us!

Deu 7:6  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deu 7:7  The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 
Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

1Sa 10:21  When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 
1Sa 10:22  Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. 
1Sa 10:23  And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 
1Sa 10:24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. 

The lot to determine the tribe, the family and the person to become the king of the people of Israel was a way of knowing the Lord’s decision in those days. This is because the Holy Spirit had not been given permanently to guide them. It was after Jesus ascended that the Holy Spirit took permanent residence in the Lord’s elect to guide us to the truth. However, since all things are working according to the counsel of the Lord’s will, every ruler appointed in this world is therefore of the Lord – whether it is through voting, military insurrection, assassination, etc.

Pro 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. 

Eph 1:11  In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

It is important to note that when Saul was selected, he was nowhere to be found because he hid himself. He knew that the Lord has chosen him, but he hid himself. The first time that man tried to hide himself from the Lord was because of sin. In this case, it was Adam and Eve when they disobeyed the Lord. 

Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 
Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 
Gen 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

This implies that Saul hiding from the kingship was because he counted himself not fit for the kingship because he thought he was unworthy. We are all like Saul when the Lord came to us to offer us the kingship of ruling with Him in the fullness of time. At that time, we all felt unworthy of such an honor by the Lord. However, the Lord did not give up on us. My brother and sister, are you thinking that you are unworthy of such an honor by the Lord? No, don’t give up!! Let’s continue to persevere until we possess the crown.

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 
Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 

In the final analysis, the people overwhelmingly accepted Saul as their king. In the fullness of time, the world will overwhelmingly accept us as their kings when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

1Sa 10:25  Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 
1Sa 10:26  And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
1Sa 10:27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

As shown in verse 26, the Lord will always find a way to support His chosen ones. The band of men whose hearts the Lord had touched represent all those whom the Lord has placed in our path of life, to help us achieve our goal of being able to reign with Christ in the fullness of time. Therefore, let’s not take for granted those whom the Lord directs to cross our path, whether they are part of the Lord’s elect or people who do not know Christ. 

On the other hand, there are those who don’t see what we see. Here in verse 27, these people are called children of Belial, and they represent our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world. They despise us and do not think we can ever become kings. Like Saul, we must hold our peace, and perhaps the Lord will open their eyes to see and their ears to hear that we are the saviors of the world.

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

May we continue in Him, even as we are dying to the flesh daily through His judgment. Amen!!

1 Samuel 9:1–27 Saul Chosen to be King 

[Study Aired March 2, 2026]

Introduction

The study today focuses on the Lord’s providence in guiding Saul to Samuel to be anointed as the king of Israel. The study starts with Saul’s physical attributes which made him stand out as a possible candidate for a king. This is followed by Saul’s journey in Israel in search of his father’s lost donkeys, which ultimately led him to Samuel, who was going to anoint him as king of the people of Israel.

Introduction of Saul

1Sa 9:1  Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
1Sa 9:2  And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. 

Verse 1 describes Kish, the father of Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, as a mighty man of power. In the Bible, the description of a mighty man of power signifies our Lord Jesus Christ. The tribe of Benjamin represents the family of the Lord’s elect as shown in the following verses:

Gen 43:34  And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Gen 45:22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

Gen 49:27  Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

Benjamin means son of the right hand. Here in Genesis 49:27, we can say that it is the Lord who is wild as a wolf in His destruction of our flesh as He devours our flesh through His judgement when He rises in our hearts and minds as the morning star and in the fullness of time, divides the spoil for His elect (reward of His elect).

Kish means ‘bent.’ This describes the way of the Lord which is not straight forward (bent). 

Rom 11:33  God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep that it is impossible to explain his decisions or to understand his ways.
Rom 11:34  “Who knows how the Lord thinks? Who can become his adviser?” 
Rom 11:35  Who gave the Lord something which the Lord must pay back? 
Rom 11:36 Everything is from him and by him and for him. Glory belongs to him forever! Amen! (GW)

As indicated, Kish being a mighty man of power, represents Christ. Saul means desired, which can mean chosen. What this implies is that Saul was chosen by the Lord to become a king. The Lord has called and chosen us, His elect, to reign with Him as kings in the fulness of time. 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 

On a negative note, Saul also represents the leaders of the church system of this world or Babylon. His attractive physical attributes imply that the leaders of the church system of this world come with charisma, which is difficult to ignore as they sweep the Lord’s people off their feet with their personality, such that they are not able to discern that these men of God do not represent the Lord’s elect.

Pro 31:30  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 

1Sa 9:3  And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. 
1Sa 9:4 And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. 

In the Bible times, owning asses signifies being physically rich, as shown in the following verses:

Gen 24:35  And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

Gen 30:43  And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

Therefore, Saul going out in search of the asses of his father means that we start our walk with Christ in pursuit of the Lord’s spiritual riches. Saul taking one of the servants of his father to search for the asses implies that in this pursuit of becoming spiritually rich in Christ, we become witnesses of Christ. 

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.  

In verse 4, we are shown the cities Saul visited in search of his father’s asses. The meaning of these cities that Saul and his father’s servant went through have implication of what we must go through to become spiritually rich. The first place they passed through was Mount Ephraim. Ephraim means ‘doubly fruitful.’ The mount of Ephraim is the house of the Lord or the church of the Lord’s elect.

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

What this suggests is that to become spiritually rich or doubly fruitful, we must enter the house of the God of Jacob or the church of the Lord’s elect, which is the pillar and ground of the truth. That is where we are nourished through what every joint supplies, to become spiritually rich in Christ. 

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The next place where Saul and his father’s servant went was the land of Shalisha. It is important to note that Salisha means ‘the third.’ The number three symbolizes the process of spiritual maturity through the Lord’s judgment. This means that it is through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh that we become spiritually rich in Him.

The third place of the search was the land of Shalim. Shalim means ‘foxes’ and therefore to become spiritually rich, we must take out, through the Lord’s help, the foxes which spoil the vine. These foxes which impoverish us spiritually are the false prophets parading as angels of light.

Son 2:15  Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. 

Eze 13:4  O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

The fourth place Saul and his father’s servant went searching for the asses was the land of Benjamin. The name Benjamin means ‘son of the right hand’, which means the Lord’s elect. It is in the assembly of the Lord’s elect that we are empowered to become spiritually rich. The fact that in all these places, Saul and the servant did not find the asses means that becoming spiritually rich is a process which takes time. We only find these spiritual riches when we search with all our hearts.

Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

1Sa 9:5  And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. 
1Sa 9:6  And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.  

The land of Zuph means the ‘land of honey comb.’ It is in this land of honey comb which signifies the rudimentary gospel of milk and honey which causes us to ponder over the Lord’s thought for us.  

Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

It was in this city that a man of God, Samuel, lived. The servant saying that Samuel can show them the way to go means that it is Christ who can show us the way we should go. What we need to understand is that Christ works through His elect, like Samuel, to show us the way to become spiritually rich in Him.

2Co 8:9  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 

1Co 4:8  Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

1Sa 9:7  Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? 
1Sa 9:8  And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
1Sa 9:9  (Before time in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
1Sa 9:10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

Here Samuel, the man of God represents Christ. Saul reminded the servant that they must bring a present to the man of God. However, at that time Saul did not have anything worth offering to Samuel. This is because the bread in their vessels was finished. The bread here represents the word of the Lord. At this stage of Saul’s life, he did not know the Lord and therefore could not hear His voice. As a result, there was nothing to offer the Lord. It is when we are given to know the truth of the word of the Lord that we can offer something precious to Christ. This offering which we must bring to Christ is presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

Rom 12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

In verse 8, the servant’s remarks that he has a fourth part of silver that he will give to the man of God implies that we must give the whole of what we have to the Lord. This whole of what we have is our bodies which we must offer to the Lord without any reservation.

Num 23:10  Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”  

In verse 10, Saul agreeing to go to the city to see Samuel means that it is through what every joint supplies (what the servant offered) that we are able to come into the city of the Lord’s elect to see Christ or to come to know Him. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

Coming into the City of the Living Lord

1Sa 9:11  And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? 
1Sa 9:12  And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place: 
1Sa 9:13  As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him. 
1Sa 9:14 And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. 

The young maidens (vs 11) represent the churches of the Lord’s elect scattered all over the world. The role of the church is to fetch water to quench the thirst of the Lord’s people. The water signifies the word of the Lord which is made available through what every joint supplies in the church of the first born. It is in the midst of the churches of the Lord’s elect that we find the seer who symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Joe 2:27  And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

In verses 13 and 14, it was when Saul and the servant were in the city that they met Samuel. That means that it is when we come into the church of the Lord’s elect that we come to see Christ. It is instructive to note that in verse 13, Saul and the servant were told that the people will not eat until Samuel comes to bless the sacrifice. We are the sacrifice, and it is when the Lord comes to breathe over His people the Holy Spirit that we are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. 

Joh 20:22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

As Saul and the servant entered the church of the Lord’s elect, Samuel was coming toward them on his way to the worship site. This is to let us know it is not we, who are seeking after the Lord, but it is the Lord who is coming toward us to sit in our hearts and minds (worship site). 

Eze 34:11  For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 
Eze 34:12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

1Sa 9:15  Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, 
1Sa 9:16  Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. 

The Lord indeed moves in mysterious ways. The lost asses of Kish and Saul’s father’s request for Saul to take one of his servant to search for the lost asses were all part of the Lord’s plan to bring Saul before Samuel, with the purpose of anointing him as king of Israel. In other words, the mundane activities that we engage in are all designed by the Lord for the purpose of bringing us to Himself. 

Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 
Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

It is insightful to note that the Lord told Samuel in verse 16 that Saul shall save the people of Israel from the hands of the Philistines. As we are aware, Saul was rejected by the Lord as king later in his reign. He therefore signifies the leaders of the church system of this world or Babylon. What this implies is that even during our time in Babylon, the Lord was gradually destroying our flesh through His judgment.

1Sa 9:17  And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. 
1Sa 9:18  Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is. 
1Sa 9:19  And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. 
1Sa 9:20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house? 

We can see from these verses that Saul did not know Samuel. We all start our walk with Christ not knowing Him. Just as Samuel told Saul to go to the high place to eat with him, so is the Lord telling us, His elect, to go to the church or assembly of the Lord’s elect, signified by the high place. It is in the church that we eat with the Lord, which means being fed with the truth of the Lord’s word in order to know Him. Just as Samuel told Saul that the important thing is to go to the high place and eat with him and then He will tell Samuel what was in his heart, we are to focus on our gathering together to dine with the Lord through His word. It is through this that we become aware of what is in our hearts. That, the heart is desperately wicked and corrupt.

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

It is worth noting that Samuel told Saul not to worry about the lost asses because they had been found. All that Saul had to do was to go to the high place to eat with Samuel. Our focus must be on our gathering and the word of truth which is able to give us an inheritance. When we focus on Him, the Lord will take care of our needs.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 
Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 
Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

In verse 20, Samuel also said that Saul is the desire of Israel. At that time, the people of Israel wanted to be like any other nation, and therefore the Lord gave them Saul, who is like them. Later, we saw how the people were disappointed in him. What the world is looking for in leaders are people who are loving, kind, not corrupt, etc. These qualities can only be found in the Lord’s elect. That is why the scriptures tell us that the desire of the people of the world is the revealing of the sons of God. When Christ comes, the sons of God shall be revealed to the world. 

Rom 8:19  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 

Samuel Dines with Saul

1Sa 9:21  And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me? 
1Sa 9:22  And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
1Sa 9:23  And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
1Sa 9:24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. 

Saul did not consider himself as someone who can become the king of Israel because he was from a small tribe and his family was the least of the families of the tribe of Benjamin. We are all like Saul. We do not deserve to be part of the Lord’s elect. However, in His mercy, He has favored us and chosen us in Him before the foundation of this world. 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

As we can see in verse 22, Samuel made Saul sit among those bidden to come to feast. As indicated, Samuel here represents the Lord who has raised us up in him to sit in heavenly places.

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

The thirty people who were invited to the feast represent the Lord’s elect who are destined to overcome to become part of the marriage feast of the lamb. These are those who will reign over the kingdoms of this world. 

Gen 41:46  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

2Sa 5:4  David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

Our coming together is like a feast where we eat and drink as the Lord has set apart our portions for us, just like Samuel reserving a portion for Saul. The eating and drinking is knowing the Lord through His word.

In an age to come, we shall be at the marriage feast of the Lord, where we shall be like Him even as we come to know Him as He is. As we are aware, in this life we only know Jesus in part. However, when we see Him, we shall be like Him and know Him as He is. The feasting at the marriage feast of the lamb is for the purpose of knowing Him as He is.

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1Sa 9:25  And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house. 
1Sa 9:26  And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. 
1Sa 9:27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God. 

As indicated earlier, Saul was the Lord’s elect at this stage of his life. Samuel communing with Saul is the Lord communing with us through His word. Therefore, Samuel communing with Saul after they came down from the high place implies that our study of the word of the Lord must not be confined to only our gathering or feasting. In our closet, we must continue to study the word of the Lord to show ourselves approved as workmen who need not be ashamed.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It is insightful to note that Samuel told Saul to let the servant pass on before them. In this case, the servant represents our brothers and sisters in Babylon whom the Lord is not opening their eyes and ears to hear the word of the Lord. To our brothers and sisters in Babylon, the word of the Lord is a parable. However, to us, the Lord is showing us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven as signified by Samuel ready to show Saul the word of God in verse 27.

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 

May the Lord continue to show us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven as we see the day approaching. Amen!!