The Notes

This coming Wednesday night, September 3, 2025, is week 9 of our Bible study series called, "Journey with King David."  This week, we look at the story from 2 Samuel 6 of how David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  It's a story of devotion and praise to God as David danced with all his might before the Lord.  He openly celebrated his relationship with God with unabashed praise and joy.  Do we do the same in our worship?  Are we unashamed and not embarrassed to let the world see our love for God?  Join us at 6:30 p.m. for in-person worship and some mid-week encouragement for the soul.

This summer Bible study series looks at the places of David's life that shaped him and trained him; those places and events can teach us valuable lessons and give us spiritual insight.  Join us each Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. for some mid-week encouragement for the soul.  You don't want to miss this series!   

If you can't join us in person, you can always participate through our Facebook page - we go "live" at 6:30 p.m., and you will have a front row seat.  If you can't join us live at 6:30 p.m., you can always listen to the message later, either from Facebook, or YouTube, on here on our website.  Messages are posted the following day and you can watch a replay of any message anytime!  

If you want to keep some notes from a message, you can download the notes for a specific message from the "Past and Future Messages" page of our website.  There are many ways to be spiritually fed and encouraged.

This past Wednesday night, August 27, 2025, our Bible study series "Journey with King David" looked at how David finally became King.  After all the years on the run, living in the wilderness, living in Philistine territory, including living in Ziklag where enemies attacked the city and burned it, his life is about to change dramatically.  The hand of God has been protecting David, guiding him, and preparing him for his future.  We saw it clearly in last week's message - King Achish wanted the Philistines to go to war against Israel, and expected David to join with them and fight against Israel.  God intervened and miraculously kept David from fighting against King Saul & Israel’s army.  If David had done that, there is no way he would have been accepted as God's anointed to be King over Israel.  David would have been seen as one who overthrew the king and fought to get what he wanted.  But God knows how to get us into paces of honor without our fighting to get there.  God opens doors, sends people our way, and miraculously changes hearts. 

The story of David becoming king begins with David back in Ziklag, and King Saul getting ready to go into battle as the army of Israel must protect itself again from the Philistine army.  Saul, however, is terrified.  He has ignored God for so long that he can no longer hear God's voice, so he wants to talk with the prophet Samuel who has already died.  He goes to see a medium who calls up the spirit of Samuel.  And anyone wanting to talk to someone who has passed away should pay attention to this story!  Here is what Samuel says to Saul through the medium:

1 Samuel 28:15-19 - “Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul.  “Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”   But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?  The LORD has done just as he said he would.  He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.  The LORD has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.   What’s more, the LORD will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me.  The LORD will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”

There are 4 pieces of important information for us from that message. 

1 – Samuel was "disturbed" when his spirit was called back.  Our loved ones in heaven are enjoying heaven.  they don’t want to be pulled back for conversation, or come back to this earth.  Heaven is so wonderful, so joyful and peaceful, that our loved ones get "disturbed" if we are trying to communicate with them.  Just wait and see them when you get to heaven, too.

2 – Saul has gone against God, but Samuel reminds us that sin doesn’t keep from heaven.  Heaven is filled with sinful people.   Unbelief will keep you out of heaven, but not being a sinful person.  We have all fallen short and committed sin.  God forgives, and He welcomes forgiven, sinful people into heaven.  Praise God!

If you're wondering about Saul’s sin, one important thing was that he didn't follow God’s instruction about the Amalekites.  He was told to destroy them, and he didn't.  God had been displeased and angry with those people for a long time. 

It goes back to Exodus 17 when a man named Amalek led an army against Israel during the time of Moses.  Amalek and his followers, the "Amalekites," have been enemies of God ever since. 

Moses had Joshua lead the army of Israel to defend against the Amalekites, and they won in an amazing victory that happened because Moses kept his hands up in the air.  (Truly, you have to read that story of Aaron & Hur helping hold Moses' hands up!)

Here's what the Bible says in Exodus 17:14-16:

"After the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”  Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the LORD is my banner”).  He said, “They have raised their fist against the LORD’s throne, so now the LORD will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.” 

That is yet another reminder that those who curse God’s people are cursed.  God will avenge.   Our hurts, insults, attacks, and losses don’t go unnoticed by God.   At his set time, God will have retribution.  Okay, back to the story and lessons from Samuel's words.

3 – Saul and his sons are about to die.  Samuel says it will happen tomorrow.  (So, yes, it would appear our loved ones in heaven know what is happening here on earth to us... but they still don't want to be disturbed!).  The battle will not end well.

4 – God kept David out of the battle.  David wasn’t with King Achish, did not fight against Israel, and had no part of Saul’s death.

That fact is very important.  God was preparing David to be King.  He was ordaining His steps and God orchestrated events, miracle after miracle, to set David up as King.  David didn’t overthrow Saul. He waited on God to make a way.  And that is a lesson we all need to hear and take to heart.  God will make a way for us, too.

1 Samuel 31 tells us about the battle when the Philistines attacked Israel.  It went just ass Samuel said it would.  Saul and 3 of Saul’s sons (including Jonathan) were killed.  But here is how the Bible says King Saul died.  He was severely wounded in battle and asked his armor bearer to kill him before the Philistines got him and tortured him.  But the armor bearer was afraid and refused to kill Saul.  "So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.  When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king.  So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day." - 1 Sam. 31:4-6.

The Philistines proclaim this as good news, a victory.  The Israelites abandon their towns, and fled.  Philistines occupy Israel land.

Meanwhile – 2 Samuel 1 – David learns Saul & his sons have died.  An Amalekite comes to David, tells a story about Saul begging him to kill him.  He says he did, and then took Saul’s crown & armband, and brings them to David.  David & his men mourned, wept, and fasted over the deaths.  You might have expected David to rejoice – but he wept.  And he wrote a funeral song for Saul & Jonathan.

David also asks the Amalekite why he was not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed?

David has a man kill the Amalekite for killing Saul - or at least saying that he did.  Just in case you’re wondering, how did Saul really die?  By suicide or from the Amalekite, 1 Chronicles 10 reaffirms and tells of the armor-bearer refusing to finish off King Saul, who then takes his own life.

2 Samuel 2 – David then seeks God’s will and asked the Lord, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?”

“Yes,” the Lord replied.  Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?”

“To Hebron,” the Lord answered.  So he does.  His men and their families settle in villages near Hebron.  And then, just like that, God made a way.  Verse 4 says: "The men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah."

Consider this about David’s life – Samuel came to him and now the men of Judah came to him.  He was anointed twice because God brought the crown to David!   We don’t have to push or fight in life to achieve a place of honor.  God sets us up.  When we live to please Him and humble ourselves, God lifts us up and makes a way.  It's in God's hands, not ours.

Meanwhile, Abner - the commander of Saul’s army – proclaims Saul’s son Ishbosheth as King “over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.”  Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was 40 years old when he became king, and he ruled for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David.  David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.

So notice this - David was anointed king of Judah.  But that wasn’t God’s promise or plan for David.  So God isn't done yet!

When David was anointed by Samuel many years earlier, look back to what 1 Samuel 16:16 said - "The Lord said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.'”  

God’s promise was for David to be king of Israel.  It’s divided right now.  Indeed, 2 Samuel 3 says there was  a “long war” between those loyal to Saul, and those loyal to David.

“As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker.”

Abner is eventually killed.  (Read 2 Samuel chapter 3.)   And then Ishbosheth is killed.  (Read 2 Samuel chapter 4).

So although David had nothing to do with those deaths, they open the door to another event which shows how God can change people and hearts and bring us into our destiny without us ever having to fight for it.

2 Samuel, chapter 5  tells how the tribes of Israel come to David at Hebron:

“Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, ‘We are your own flesh and blood.  In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”   So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.   David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all.  He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years." - 2 Sam. 5:1-5.

At age 37 or 38, David became king over both Israel & Judah.  God's promise was fulfilled.  But David never took out his opposition.  He refused to kill Saul, or his son.  David waited on God - trusted in  God’s timing, God’s process, God’s preparation.

We’re not very good at waiting.  But studying David’s life shows us that God used every event in David’s life to prepare him to be King.  David lived in a palace, but then learned survival and leadership in the wilderness.  David learned to trust God – look to the size of God, not the giants - an important lesson in life because putting our trust in people will set us up for defeat.  People are fickle, they will turn on you.  So David learned to depend on God – not trust in people.  The wilderness was his University, and David's discomfort there forced him to rely on God just as ours does. 

Instead of being bitter, David let God have his heart & life and in doing so, David became a “better man.”  David waited . . . and he learned patience (think about his experience with Abigail), not revenge.  David learned about loss & restoration (in Ziklag) and he showed grace.  David demonstrated there that he was finally ready to be king.  David let God prepare him, he waited on God and God lifted him up & promoted him.  King!

God had a purpose designed for him from the beginning.  God was faithful in David’s life - the purpose, the preparation, and the promise. 

God does the same in our lives.  God calls us, too, to a destiny He has planned.  Through all the crazy events of our lives, God brings us into the place where we can serve Him and be a light that shines for God.  Even though we don’t understand everything that happens in our lives, we can have confidence and trust in the Good Shepherd.  He will make a way!

“The one who calls you is faithful & he will do it.” – 1 Thes. 5:24.  The One who calls us is absolutely trustworthy and faithful.  He calls us to Himself for our salvation, and then He calls us to be a light on the hill, to shine!  He will make a way.  Yes, He will do it!  He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own.