1 Samuel 31

Theme of chapter: End of the road for Saul. The Philistines win the war with Israel and kill Saul and his sons.

Most important verse: 1 Samuel 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

Most prominent word: Gilboa (bubbling)

Teaching about Christ: Vengeance is of the Lord.

Command to obey: Seek the Lord for salvation, anything else is certain destruction.

Promise to claim: Judgement falls upon the unrepentant sinner.

New truth learned: God finally deals with Saul as he is slain. The people's choice for king was a miserable failure. His heart was never for God and he ultimately showed himself as a child of the devil, and in the end met with destruction.

1 Samuel 30

Theme of chapter: David returns home to find his city burned to the ground and all the wives and children gone. The Amalekites had invaded and done this, David prays about it and then catches up to them and kills almost all of them and returns everything they had taken.

Most important verse: 1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

Most prominent word: Amalekites (these were the terrorists and opportunists of that day)

Teaching about Christ: The Lord is an encourager.

Command to obey: Seek the Lord in times of trouble and tribulation.

Promise to claim: The Lord gives in abundance.

New truth learned: David had made a blunder and shows his human side here as he goes with the Philistines leaving his family unprotected. God intervenes and makes circumstances so he can save his family and his people's family.

1 Samuel 29

Theme of chapter: David rides with the Philistines to go fight Israel. The elders of the Philistines rebuke him thinking he might turn on them, and David and his group are sent packing back to the land in the Philistines that he was permitted to stay.

Most important verse: 1 Samuel 29:5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

Most prominent word: Achish (the king gives)

Teaching about Christ: The Lords providence is sometimes exercised when a child of his falls out of the will of God.

Command to obey: Stay safely in the will of God.

Promise to claim: God intervenes on our behalf at times for us to avoid great sin or trouble.

New truth learned: David now going out to fight his own people, as he deems Saul and his men his enemy. God intervenes as the Philistines don't want him fighting with him and sends him home. The prevents David from committing a great sin of fighting his own people.

1 Samuel 28

Theme of chapter: The Phillistines gather a great army, and Saul is very afraid of them. God isn't talking to him, so he resorts to the devil and sorcery. This so called wizard doesn't tell Saul anything new. Same old stuff about David being king and you dying very soon.

Meanwhile, David is playing both sides, he is living with the Phillistines and is expected to fight against Israel, and he can't fight against his own people. He is in a real pickle here.

Most important verse: 1 Samuel 28:18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.

Most prominent word: Endor (spring of Dor)

Teaching about Christ: The Lord abhors fortune tellers, sorcerers and the like.

Command to obey: Seek the Lord for answers, not witchcraft.

Promise to claim: Judgement comes to the unrepentant sinner. Always has and always will.

New truth learned: Saul is scared out of his wit now. He resorts to demonic means to get answers to the future as God has forsaken him. He doesn't get any good news from the devil either. He's on the way out and there ain't much he can do about it.

1 Samuel 27

Theme of chapter: David has gotten weary of running and decides to go dwell with the Phillistines for a while.

Most important verse: 1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

Most prominent word: Gath (winepress)

Teaching about Christ: The Lord knows the weaknesses of man.

Command to obey: Trust in God's strength not your own.

Promise to claim: God can use weak men who have faith in him.

New truth learned: David is weary, he has given up hope that Saul will leave him alone. So he turns and flees to the Philistines to get away from him once and for all.

1 Samuel 26

Theme of chapter: Saul is still after David and follows after him into the forest. This is David's backyard, and David sneaks upon him in the night. David doesn't kill him again out of respect for his position and Saul returns home.

Most important verse: 1 Samuel 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.

Most prominent word: Abishai (father is Jesse or father exists)

Teaching about Christ: Vengeance is the Lord's.

Command to obey: Do not seek revenge for a wrong doing. God will avenge.

Promise to claim: The Lord will deliver you out of all tribulation.

New truth learned: Saul once again chasing David, finds himself in a position to be killed by David. He is spared and goes back home. We know by now he hasn't learned his lesson and will continue to pursue David as he knows God has anointed him to be his successor.

1 Samuel 25

Theme of chapter: Samuel dies. David and his men seek food and drink from a nearby wealthy but evil man Nabal who had a good wife in Abigail. Nabal refused them anything, and David would've killed all his people and him, had it not been for Abigail meeting David half way presenting him food and speaking to him.

Most important verse: 1 Samuel 25:28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

Most prominent word: Nabal (fool)

Teaching about Christ: The Lord is the great judge and avenger.

Command to obey: Don't take revenge on a foe, the Lord will avenge.

Promise to claim: there is peace and protection in the will of God.

New truth learned: David had lived a clean life up to this point. He was tempted with anger to kill Nabal and all his family. Abigail intervened and kept this evil from David, who ended up marrying her.