Commissioned

Q3. (2 Samuel 1:19-27; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14) David is gracious in his memorial psalm. How does he remember Saul’s life? How does the Chronicler remember Saul’s life? How do you think God evaluates Saul’s life? What do we learn from this? David remembers Saul's liife and as he and all his men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul. David wrote a Psalm in honor of Saul and detailed his life with words of praise. The Chronicler remember Saul’s life by speaking of the judgment of the Lord against him. I think God evaluates Saul’s life as a sinner deserving his mercy and grace. From this we learn that even though someone may have been hand picked by God for an assignment, they could fall from the righteousness that they once held; but where sin abound grace much more abound.

Q2. (1 Samuel 30:6) From the Psalms of David, how does David seem to strengthen himself in the Lord when things are going bad? What devotional exercises does he adopt? What is the focus of his faith? David seem to strengthen himself in the Lord when things are going bad by going to the Lord, praising, worshipping and exaulting God and trusting that He will bring him out of all his troubles. He has adopted a daily exercise of worshipping the true and living God. David focuses his faith on the omnipotence of God.

Q1. (1 Samuel 30:1-6) Why do the men blame David? Why is the situation so explosive at this point. What does David do in the situation? What is David feeling? Why doesn’t he act immediately? The men blamed David because he was their leader and felt that he should have provided protection for the wives and children while the husband were away. The situation is so explosive at this point because the men were already feeling as rejects because the Philistine army did not want the accompanying them to battle. David in this situation did what we all should do when faced with a problem that you need the power of God to resolve; David prayed to God then he turn around and thank God through encouraging himself in the Lord. Right then David was feeling what a sheep would feel when faced with an almost impossible situation and then having to depend on the Good Shepherd. David didn't act immediately because he waited on spiritual guidance, which was given to him by the Lord.

Q4. (1 Samuel 28:7-14) Why do you think God condemns occult practices of communicating with the dead and channeling spirits of the dead? I think that God condemns occult practices of communicating with the dead and channeling spirits of the dead because they are saying, by this action, that God cannot provide them with the answer that they are seeking. Though some might not see how Matthew 6:33 ties in to correcting this type of thinking, it is in fact most appropriate; "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Everything that we need, in the will of God, is ours when we seek first the Kingdom of God. Having this truth as our guide when desiring to acquire knowledge will help us focus on God and His Kingdom. How might such practices open Christians to victimization and oppression by evil spirits? When Christians dabble in the occult the enemy, Satan, has been given free access to attach demonic forces to the person and their family. What should you do if you’ve been involved in such practices in the past? If you've been involved in such practices in the past, confess it as a sin, ask God for forgiveness and the Holy Spirit to empower you to resist the temptation even as you seek the Kingdom of God.

Q3. (1 Samuel 25) What do we learn about David’s character in this incident with Nabal and Abigail? What do we learn about Abigail’s character? Nabal’s character? Why do you think this story was included in 1 Samuel? What important knowledge does it add to our understanding? In this incident with Nabal and Abigail we see David as one who made rash decisions. He sounded like a person who sees evil in anyone who rejects him. Abigail is a person who sees trouble looming ahead and find ways to defuse it. Her husband Nabal is selfish, mean and cares not for the welfare of others. This story could have been included here to teach us that there will be times when we're a part of a situation that we have to be the one with the grace to meet people where they are and lift them up. Sometimes others we're associated with could be a liability and cause us great loss.

Q2. (1 Samuel 24:12) How do we apply the principle of not lifting a hand against the Lord’s anointed in our day? What provisions are there in 1 Timothy 5:19-20 for calling leaders to account. What do you think God will do to those who slander, persecute, and martyr his appointed leaders? The principle of not lifting a hand against the Lord's anointed in our day can be seen in our respect for and care for those whom G od has placed in leadership positions. As servants of God we are not to bring harm to them verbally, physically or by character assination. We are to receive them as those we were receiving Jesus Himself. The scripture tells us not to do God's anointed harm and Jesus taught His disciples how His servants were to be treated, in both Matthew and Luke. "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:40-42) "He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10:16) In 1 Timothy 5:19-20 the Apostle Paul taught both respect for the leader and leader's office and also call upon the leaders to be held accountable publickly for their sin. "Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning." (1 Timothy 5:20) For those who bring slander, persecution and other harm to God's appointed leaders, God will bring upon them just punishment.

Q1. (1 Samuel 24:1-15) Why doesn’t David kill Saul when he has the chance? What motive do he and his men have for killing a king who is trying to kill them? What is David’s rationale for sparing Saul? What does this tell us about David’s character? About his faith? What does it say about David’s leadership ability that he is able to dissuade his men from killing Saul? David doesn’t kill Saul when he has the chance because he knew that it was not God's will for him to take Saul's life. David feared God and refused to touch he whom God had anointed and placed in the position as King. For David, rebellion against Saul is as rebellion against the Lord himself who has anointed Saul. Both David and his men were all enemies of Saul. Saul was hunting them down and would have them killed given the opportunity. David’s rationale for sparing Saul life was the fact that he was God's anointed and as such should be protected not harmed. The character of David is of one who fears God and respects authority. It shows that his faith is in God and His ability to bring justice in all situations; we don't have to seek justice for ourselves. Trust God. As a leader, David's respect for Saul and his dependence on God; demonstrates his ability as a leader because they followed his lead. David's respect for Saul was showed to him as his men also respected him and did not bring harm to Saul.

Q4. (Psalms 18, 34, 54, 56, 58, 59, 142) In these ascriptions to these psalms, how many celebrate happy occasions? How many arise from struggles? What does this tell you about David’s relationship with God? What does this tell you about his faith during trials? Which is your favorite among these psalms? Why? In these Psalms, one celebrated a happy occasion. The rest are psalms that arise from struggles. These were physical or mental struggles, David was not at peace. From these Psalm one can surmise that David's faith during his trials was very strong. Among these my favorite is psalm 63, this is a reminder to us - in the midst of any situation just eremember God is not far away, He's there with you; as He promise never to leave you. Praise the Lord!.

Q3. (1 Samuel 23:14-18) Why does Jonathan visit David in the wilderness? What risk is there for David? What risk is there for Jonathan? What do you think it meant to David? Have you ever received a visit from a friend when you needed it most? Jonathan visits David in the wilderness and encouraged him. Johnathan's presence did not present a risk to David as Johnathan kept his covenant to protect David from his father, Saul. Johnathan on the other hand is in danger of his father turning against him. Johnathan's coming to comfort david drew David closer to God and reminded him of his destiny.

Q2. (1 Samuel 22:20-23:12) What did Abiathar and the ephod have to do with “inquiring of the Lord?” Why did David inquire of the Lord? What huge advantage does the person have who seeks God’s will before acting? How can you find God’s will at key points in your life? Abiathar was a priest. The priest used the ephod when “inquiring of the Lord. The ephod is part of the high priest's garments that include the Urim and Thummim. These were used to determine God's will. David inquired of the Lord when he had tough decisions to make, as in times when he's in a vunerable position. Having access to a priest who has the ephod enabled David to seek God's will before embarking on a journey or going into battle. God protected David as he obeyed the direction of the Urim and Thummin. David stayed in God's will, and we can when we seek God's will, before making decisions, and obey them. We can find God's will at key points in our lives by studying and meditating on His Word and keeping the channels of communication always going, you talking to God and listening for His replies.

Q1. (1 Samuel 22:2) Why were David’s men attracted to him? What did they have in common? Why kind of men were these? What difficulties do you think David probably had in leading them? David's men were attracted to him because of his leadership ability, they felt protected under David's command. These men were all either related to David or men who were enemies of King Saul. These were military men. I think David's difficulty in leading these men would be to control them. Their background is diverse and if not controlled they could turn on each other.

Q4. (1 Samuel 20:35-42) What is the nature of the covenant between David and Jonathan? What does David receive? What does Jonathan receive? Who benefits the most from this covenant? Is it self-serving – or not? What is the significance that God is witness to the covenant? The covenant between David and Jonathan was of a binding oath. David receive verbal protection from Saul harming him. Jonathan receive protection from David for his linage. Both men benefit from this covenant, however Johnathan benefitied the most from this covenant, though the benefactors was Johnathan's descendants forever. The covenant is self-serving – because they both sought something. Stating that God is witness to the covenant says that they both fear God and will uphold their promise.

Q3. (1 Samuel 19:18-24) What does it tell us about Saul’s faith that he pursues David even when he has sought the sanctuary of the prophet Samuel? Why do people prophesy when the Holy Spirit comes upon them? What is the relationship between this incident and the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)? It is apparent that Saul has lost his faith in God to keep him secured from his enemies and instead he satisfies his desires by following after David regardless of where he may be found. People prophesy when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, during that time are under the control of the Spirit of God who chooses to to use them as a vehicle to perform an act. One of the ways in which the Holy Spirit will use a person is by the gift of prophecy or a word of prophecy. The word of prophecy is the operation used on the Day of Pentecost.

Q2. (1 Samuel 18:18-22) Which of the following is David’s chief motive for marrying Michal, in your opinion? Argue for the motivation that makes the most sense to you: (1) pride in his military prowess, (2) obedience to Saul’s desires, (3) love or desire for Michal, or (4) enjoyment in killing Philistines. David’s chief motive for marrying Michal, in my opinion is number three (3). As any young man would, David was consumed with the attention that he received as a result of his successess in battles. His macho pride and military prowess played a hand in his asking for Michal in marriage. David was popular with the people and not so popular with Saul so I doubt that Saul's desires was a motive for him marrying Michal. David loved Michal and his wanting to marry her was genuine. He already knew that the throne would be his one day and must have wanted to have a link to Saul's and Johnathan's family.

Q1. (1 Samuel 18:13-16). Why does Saul send David into battle? What is the result? To what does the narrator attribute David’s success? Saul send David into battle to get him away from him and to put him in harm's way. Saul hoped that David would be killed in the battle. David was succesful in the battle. David's success is attributed to the fact that the LORD was with him.

Q3. (1 Samuel 17:47) Why do we so often forget that “the battle is the Lord’s”? What does that phrase actually mean? How can we avoid the arrogance of pulling God into our battles (“God is on my side”), rather than engaging in His battles (“I am on God’s side”)? We often forget that “the battle is the Lord’s” because we allow personal and communal experiences to step in the fight the battle. That phrase actually mean to cast your care on God and allow Him to fight your battle, be it financial, health problem, etc.; any problems that one might face. We can avoid the arrogance of pulling God into our battles (“God is on my side”), rather than engaging in His battles (“I am on God’s side”) by always stepping aside and allow God to protect us and trust him to save us through every situation.

Q2. (1 Samuel 17:34-37) What does David’s explanation to Saul of his combat experience say about David’s faith? How lethal is David as a warrior? Why do you think Saul allows him to go out to battle Goliath? Does Saul have faith? If so, what is the source of it? David’s explanation to Saul of his combat experience says that he fully believes that God's will empower him to take down Goliath as he had done with the lion and the bear. David is extremely lethal as a warrior because of his faith in God to overcome this enemy. Saul allowed Davis to go out to battle Goliath because he was convinced that the God David depended on could save him and defeat Goliath. Saul had faith and his faith was further strengthen by David's testimony of God's protection and empowerment.

Q1. (1 Samuel 17:26-30) Why is David so upset about Goliath’s taunt? Why is Eliab, David’s brother, so upset with David? What does this teach us about David’s faith? What does it teach us about Eliab’s character? David is so upset about Goliath’s taunt because he is ridiculing the people of God and no one is coming forth to shut him up. Eliab, David’s brother, is so upset with David because David's questioning is showing him and the other soldiers up. They are the ones who should be upset at Goliath and stand up to him; after all they are in the army and David is just a young shepherd boy. This teaches us that David’s faith at this time was fully dependent on God. it teaches us that Eliab, though the elder brother, was jealous of his little brother's confidence that his faith in God would bring Goliath down.

Q4. (1 Samuel 16:14-23) From Saul’s perspective, why is David summoned to court? From God’s perspective, what seem to be the reasons for this service in Saul’s court? What things tend to prevent us from learning from God in the midst of the circumstances in which we find ourselves? What might make us more teachable? From Saul’s perspective, David summoned to court to relieve him of the stresses and anxiety that he experienced. When David played his harp Saul's evil spirits went away for a time. From God’s perspective, David was there to learn the nuts and bolts of the court for the time he would be in the kings chair. Things that tend to prevent us from learning from God in the midst of circumstances in which we find ourselves are distractions which feed the flesh and turn our eyes away from God. We might be more teachable the closer we come to God. The more we seek Him the closer we become and our spirit is open to learn of Him and obey His Will.

Q3. (1 Samuel 1:13) What is the significance of Samuel anointing David? What is the significance of the Holy Spirit coming upon David? How does this explain his success? How is the Holy Spirit upon us vital for our own success as disciples? Samuel's anointing David confirmed God's choice of the next king of Israel and at the anointing the Spirit of the Lord fell upon him. The Holy Spirit's coming upon David gave him empowerment for the work ahead. David's success is because of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit upon us is vital for our own success as disciples because He will empower us to accomplish the assignments that God has ordained for us to accomplish in the Kingdom of God.

Q2. (1 Samuel 16:3-12) How does this story teach us the importance of listening carefully to God’s voice? What is our instinctive way of discerning? How is God teaching us to discern? How do we learn to listen to the Spirit? This story teach us the importance of listening carefully to God’s voice by highlighting the consequence of not listening and following our instinct or by previous experiences. In many cases our instinctive way of discerning is by previous experiences and natural instincts. God is teaching us to discern by waiting and listening for His voice. We learn to listen to the Spirit by spending time in meditation in the Word of God and a constant communion with Him.

Q1. (1 Samuel 15:22-23). What is rebellion? In what way is rebellion as bad as witchcraft or occult practices? What does rebellion have to do with arrogance? What can we do when we find rebellion against God in our hearts? What happens if we do nothing? Rebellion is doing what we decide to do rather than what God tells us. Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft or occult practices because it both are sins. In both instances the person has placed self or faith in an idol to a position above the true Almighty God. Rebellion and arrogance springs up when the individual presents himself as above everyone, and God, in having knowedge. The rebellious or arrogant person refuses to listen to any one, including the Word of God. When we find rebellion against God in our hearts we must confess our sin and repent, seeking a washing and cleansing by the Word. When we chose not to repent we will find ourselves under God's judgement.

Q7. (Luke 23:46) What does Jesus mean when he says, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit? When Jesus says, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit, He was entrusting himself to his Father's everlasting arm. He was surrendering this life for renunion with God in Heaven.l Why does this saying comfort us so much? This saying comfort us so much because we have hope and an assurance that the God who completed the work on the cross, His ordained will, is able to complete His will in us; and we can be comforted as was \Jesus when He entrusted himself to God the Father and rest in His everlasting arms. Praise the Lord!

Q6. (John 19:30) What had Jesus finished? Jesus had accomplished the full obedience to the will of the Father. What can we learn for our own lives from this Sixth Word: It is finished? We are to live life of purpose, knowing the will of God for our lives and maximize our life with God's will. We must focus on specific priorities so that we do what moves us toward completing the will of God. We must continuously seek to live in obedience to God and we must be willing to suffer to achieve God's purpose for our lives

Q5. (John 19:28) What do you learn from Jesus' Fifth Word: "I thirst"? To anyone who questioned whether or not Jesus was human in the flesh, these moments on the cross gives the answer. Jesus thirst for a drink was very human indeed. The 'Fifth Word' also tells us that Jesus' knowing the scriptures wanted to fulfill what was prophectically said about Him. Finally, He wanted to complete the assignment His Father had given him and He loudly proclaim the completion. What does this tell us about Jesus? To the very end He was concerned with completing the Father's will. What does this tell us about his experience on the cross? Jesus' experience on the cross says that He was concerned for the redemption of mankind. His concern pointed away from himself.