DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SUNDAY APRIL 19:
DAILY BIBLE READING
1 Samuel 28-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
1 Samuel 28-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
Saul Consults a Medium
28 Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies
together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, You
assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.
2 So David said to Achish, Surely you know what your servant can do.
And Achish said to David, Therefore I will make you one of my chief
guardians forever.
Saul Consults a Medium
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in
Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out
of the land.
4 Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem.
So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When
Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled
greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him,
either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, Find me a woman who is a medium, that I
may go to her and inquire of her.
And his servants said to him, In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at
En Dor.
8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two
men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, Please
conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.
9 Then the woman said to him, Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has
cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a
snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord lives, no
punishment shall come upon you for this thing.
11 Then the woman said, Whom shall I bring up for you?
And he said, Bring up Samuel for me.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman
spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!
13 And the king said to her, Do not be afraid. What did you see?
And the woman said to Saul, I saw a[a] spirit ascending out of the earth.
14 So he said to her, What is his form?
And she said, An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.
And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the
ground and bowed down.
15 Now Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?
And Saul answered, I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war
against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore,
neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may
reveal to me what I should do.
16 Then Samuel said: So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed
from you and has become your enemy? 17 And the Lord has done for [b]Himself
as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and
given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of
the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has
done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver
Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your
sons will be with me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the
hand of the Philistines.
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully
afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for
he had eaten no food all day or all night.
21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and
said to him, Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put
my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me. 22 Now
therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a
piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go
on your way.
23 But he refused and said, I will not eat.
So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their
voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman
had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took
flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. 25 So she brought
it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away
that night.
The Philistines Reject David
29 Then the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the
Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And the lords of
the Philistines [c]passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David
and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. 3 Then the princes of
the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing here?
And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, Is this not David, the
servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these
years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to
me.
4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of
the Philistines said to him, Make this fellow return, that he may go back
to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down
with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what
could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these
men? 5 Is this not David, of whom they sang to one another in dances,
saying:
Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands?
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, Surely, as the Lord lives, you
have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army
is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the
day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. 7
Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords
of the Philistines.
8 So David said to Achish, But what have I done? And to this day what have
you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go
and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
9 Then Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are as good in my
sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have
said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. 10 Now therefore, rise
early in the morning with your masters servants who have come with [d]you.
And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.
11 So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to
the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
Davids Conflict with the Amalekites
30 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day,
that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and
burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were
there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away
and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it
was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had
been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up
their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And Davids
two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the
Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for
the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was
[e]grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened
himself in the Lord his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelechs son, Please bring the
ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David
inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake
them?
And He answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without
fail recover all.
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to
the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. 10 But David
pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so
weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.
11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and
they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. 12 And they
gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he
had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor
drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 Then David said to him, To
whom do you belong, and where are you from?
And he said, I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my
master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. 14 We made an
invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which
belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag
with fire.
15 And David said to him, Can you take me down to this troop?
So he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me
into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.
16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all
the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil
which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of
Judah. 17 Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the
next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode
on camels and fled. 18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had
carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 19 And nothing of theirs was
lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which
they had taken from them; David recovered all. 20 Then David took all the
flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said,
This is Davids spoil.
21 Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they
could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor.
So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And
when David came near the people, he [f]greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked
and worthless[g] men of those who went with David answered and said,
Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil
that we have recovered, except for every mans wife and children, that they
may lead them away and depart.
23 But David said, My brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has
given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that
came against us. 24 For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part
is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the
supplies; they shall share alike. 25 So it was, from that day forward; he
made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the [h]spoil to the elders
of Judah, to his friends, saying, Here is a present for you from the spoil
of the enemies of the Lord 27 to those who were in Bethel, those who were
in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir, 28 those who were in
Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 those who
were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who
were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 those who were in Hormah, those who
were in [i]Chorashan, those who were in Athach, 31 those who were in
Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were
accustomed to rove.
The Tragic End of Saul and His Sons
31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled
from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 Then the
Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines
killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Sauls sons. 3 The battle became
fierce against Saul. The archers [j]hit him, and he was severely wounded by
the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armorbearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through
with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and
[k]abuse me.
But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul
took a sword and fell on it. 5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was
dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul, his three
sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.
7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and
those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel
had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and
fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. 8 So it happened the next
day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and
his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 And they cut off his head and
stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the
Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the
people. 10 Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and
they fastened his body to the wall of Beth[l] Shan.
11 Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had
done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took
the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and
they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 Then they took their bones
and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Psalm 18 New King James Version (NKJV)
God the Sovereign Savior
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke
to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him
from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
18 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my [a]strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the [b]horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of [c]ungodliness made me afraid.
5
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
7
Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
8
Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
9
He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
10
And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
He flew upon the wings of the wind.
11
He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
12
From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13
The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
[d]Hailstones and coals of fire.
14
He sent out His arrows and scattered [e]the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
17
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
18
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
19
He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
20
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
21
For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22
For all His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23
I was also blameless [f]before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24
Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25
With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26
With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27
For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down haughty looks.
28
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29
For by You I can [g]run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is [h]proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
31
For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32
It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33
He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
34
He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36
You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.
37
I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
38
I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39
For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have [i]subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40
You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
41
They cried out, but there was none to save;
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
42
Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I cast them out like dirt in the streets.
43
You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the [j]nations;
A people I have not known shall serve me.
44
As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners [k]submit to me.
45
The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.
46
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47
It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
48
He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
49
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the [l]Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.
50
Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his [m]descendants forevermore.