God gives His people a mandate in Psalm 96:10, "Say among the heathen, The Lord reigns!" The heathen are the nations surrounding the people of God who worshipped idols of their own making rather than the Creator God who made everything. Who is this Lord who reigns and what does it mean when we say to the unbelieving people around us, "The Lord reig…

Not unlike the prophet Isaiah (in Isaiah 6) who cursed himself because he dwelt among a people of unclean lips, David pronounces a curse upon himself in the closing verses of Psalm 120 because of the culture of lies which surrounds him. How does David choose to live in a culture of lies, and what can we learn from him about how to live in our own c…

In the 120th Psalm, David cries out to God in response to the distress inflicted on him by the slander of his enemies. What's interesting about his distress is that the events he has in view occurred YEARS earlier. How do we overcome the pain inflicted by lying lips?על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

In Psalm 63 David gives us insight into the psychological turmoil he is experiencing as a fugitive from Saul in the wilderness of Judah. It is David's unshakeable belief that regardless of his dire circumstances, God is HIS God, and will deliver him.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

As he continues his run from Saul, David is now a fugitive in the wilderness of Judah (! Samuel 22:5). It is in the wilderness that he writes the 63rd Psalm, providing for us God's word on where we should resort when our soul's are tormented to the point of despair.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

Is it ever appropriate for us to pray for bad things to happen to those who do bad things to us? If so, under what circumstances?על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

In Psalm 54:3 David says that his enemies have "not set God before them." What does it mean to not set God before us, and in what ways are God's own people guilty of not setting God before us?על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

David is a fugitive from Saul who has set David in his sites with the objective of killing him. Even the Ziphites - his own countrymen - have disclosed his hiding place to Saul. Earthly resources and human recourses have failed David. In the 54th Psalm David appeals to the name of God who, in the words of John Calvin - is "the saints' last asylum."…

David writes the 142nd Psalm as a response to his isolation in the Cave of Adullam when he was a fugitive from Saul in 1 Samuel 22. And even though his present circumstances would cause him to believe he was alone, abandoned, and forsaken, because of God's promises David knows that this journey of detours and dangers ends in God's bountiful blessin…

David escapes from the Philistines in 1 Samuel 22:1 to the Cave of Adullam where eventually his family and 400 other malcontents will join him. But before his family arrives, David is all alone in this cave with his thoughts and his fears. In Psalm 57, David gives us insight into his state of mind during this period of intense loneliness and danger…

By his own doing David finds himself a prisoner to the Philistine King Achish. By all accounts he ought to have been executed by Achish, but he is providentially delivered (1 Samuel 21:13-22:2). When he escapes, he takes refuge in the cave of Adullam. In a matter of time his family gets word of where he is and they make their way to him along with …

Psalm 56 reveals to us the actions of David when he was taken in Gath by Achish. He appeals to God for mercy, not primarily to be delivered FROM his undesirable circumstances, but for mercy IN his circumstances. The mercy of God is most precious to us when we experience it IN our troubles and misery.…

Psalm 59, written by David when he escaped from Saul's henchmen when they had his house surrounded, is a spiritual battlefield manual with insights into the nature of our enemy, our enemy's strategy and objectives, and clear instructions on the strategies we are to use to escape the enemy's grasp.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

David is the anointed king, but Saul is the reigning king. For years David has been waiting patiently for God to fulfill His promise to him while being unjustly pursued by Saul, fleeing for his life under continual distress. But now David is presented with an opportunity to seize the throne by force when Saul "happens" into a cave to relieve himsel…

In this continuation of our study in 1 Samuel 24, Saul responds to David's restraint in sparing his life.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

על ידי Mike Edwards

The Ziphites have disclosed to Saul the hiding place of David which initiates one of the most intense scenes in all of the book of 1 Samuel that ends with David and his men surrounded, destined for certain death at the hands of Saul and his men. But there is an unseen providence at work which is protecting David and preventing Saul from accomplishi…

Identifying with David is dangerous. It has already cost the priests at Nob their lives, and now the people of Keilah are threatened by Saul for harboring the fugitive he seeks. But our of the evil of Saul's actions at Nob, God has provided David with the gift of an intercessor in Abiathar. Christians also know that identifying with Christ is dange…

In the character and behavior of Saul there are types and shadows of antichrist. In the character and behavior of David there are types and shadows of Christ. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the details of the events leading up to the escape of Abiathar and the safety he found in David.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

God is not the author evil. God, however, controls the effects of human evil so that they serve his ultimate purposes. There are four scenes in 1 Samuel 22 which serve to show us the ways in which God is sovereign over human evil.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

1 Samuel 22:1-5 is an Old Testament illustration of the New Testament truth expressed by the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 1 that "God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty." David continues his run from Saul, only now he is no longer alone. Everyone in Israel who was discontented, in debt, and distressed have jo…

על ידי Grant Blackmer

Of the three evidences of genuine regeneration given by the author (love, faith, and hope), he doubles down on hope. What is this hope? What does it mean that "God swore by himself"? What are the "two immutable (unchangeable) things" God swore by?על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

In our desperation we often find ourselves making foolish decisions that put us in precarious situations. David's fear has caused him to flee from Saul to the last place on earth he thinks Saul will think to look for him: in the enemy territory of the Philistines. But soon after arriving in Gath, he is recognized by the soldiers of the king of Gath…

To this point in our study of 1 Samuel, all of our encounters with David have been positive. We have seen him display valor, courage, and loyalty. He is seemingly an infallible hero. But when David comes to the priest at Nob our impression of his character is one of disappointment. David, it turns out, is as frail a human sinner as the rest of us. …

There are 5 experiences listed in Hebrews 6:4-5 which are often mistaken for evidences of regeneration when in reality they are the experiences of many who come into the church and under gospel influence but do not necessarily come to saving faith in Christ. But in Hebrews 6:9-12 there are three EVIDENCES of genuine regeneration which manifest them…

Only the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives meaning to our suffering.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

Chapter 20 closes with the bitter scene of the parting of Jonathan and David. David will remain a fugitive from Saul, yet Jonathan's final words to him are "Go in peace." How can Jonathan wish David peace when he knows full well his father's intentions to kill David if he ever finds him? How can we have peace in circumstances that cause us anxiety …

David is hiding in the field while Jonathan is taking the measure of Saul's attitude toward David. Over the course of a three-day festival, the covenant between Jonathan and David (made in 18:1-4 and reaffirmed in 20:8) will be tested, its cost will be levied, and where loyalties lie will be exposed.…

Hebrews 6:4-6 is the most often cited text by those who seek to make a case that believers can fall away from the faith and lose their salvation. But a careful reading of the text makes it clear that the author of Hebrews does not have genuine believers in view at all. An important and essential to key to the interpretation of Hebrews 6:4-9 is to u…

Is it possible for a believer to fall away and be finally lost? Many have used Hebrews 4:4-6 to make the case that it is. But who is being addressed in these verses? What does the context of these verses reveal about what it means to "fall away" and the impossibility of being "renewed again unto repentance"?…

What are you afraid of? David's fears are in the context of his immediate present circumstances. Jonathan's fears are in his concern for the future welfare of his family. Regardless of the source of our fears and anxiety, they are a condition of life in a fallen world. This issue isn't THAT we are afraid, but HOW our fears find their resolution in …

Where do you turn when there is no where to turn? This is David's predicament. He is a fugitive now, fleeing and hiding from the plots of Saul to take his life. David finds the resolution of his anxiety in the covenant of the Lord, grounded in the steadfast love of the Lord in spite of his perilous circumstances.…

For generations, believers who have read Hebrews 6:4-6 have debated whether or not it teaches we can lose our salvation. In this message from Hebrews we confront one of the hardest passages in all of Scripture.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

In 1 Samuel 18 and 19, Saul has set himself against David (the Lord's Anointed - see Psalm 2), first secretly in chapter 18 and now publicly in chapter 19, enlisting the help of his military servants. But even as Saul is plotting against David, the overtures of God's grace are extended to Saul, culminating in the Spirit of God coming upon Saul. As …

In 1 Samuel 19, the grace of God is on display in his protection of David. But of we read carefully, we will also see the grace of God in his overtures to Saul in opportunity after opportunity to repent. What happens when we repeatedly spurn God's offer of grace? God eventually withdraws his grace in final judgment.…

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" has historically been a proof text for those looking for a command in Scripture to not associate with sinners. In this message, Pastor Paul takes us deep into the context of the Book of Ephesians to make the case that Ephesians 5:11 isn't a command to not associ…

Saul's jealousy of David has now led to his scheming against David to have him killed - first covertly (chapter 18) and then openly (chapter 19). And yet even when his life is under threat, David remains blissfully content. Why and how?על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

From 1 Corinthians 1:9 we learn that God has "called us into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." In this message from Ephesians 1, we begin to consider how God calls us and what the nature of the fellowship of His Son consists of.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

In the aftermath of David's victory over the giant of Gath there were two markedly different responses. In 1 Samuel 18:1-4, Jonathan responds with love. In 1 Samuel 18:5-16, Saul responds with jealousy and envy. What is the source of Saul's envy, but more importantly, what is the effect of Saul's envy? What can we learn from Saul about killing envy…

In the immediate aftermath of David's victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17), the narrator gives us an intimate insight into the relationship between Jonathan and David with the words, "The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved David as his own soul" (1 Samuel 18:1). What accounts for this unique and immediate bond betwee…

David is facing down an imposing figure who is armed to the teeth, and yet, "there was no sword in David's hand." Why? Every military strategist, ancient or modern, would see this as a colossal blunder on David's part. So why is there no sword in the hand of David?על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

There are several apparent contradictions in 1 Samuel 17:54-58: 1. Why would David take the head of Goliath to Jerusalem, which was at least 50 miles away, when Jerusalem was not the capitol of Israel at the time David defeated Goliath? 2. If David took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem in verse 54, why does he still have it when he appears before S…

On what basis is David so confident that he can defeat the giant of Gath? He is fully aware of his own inexperience and youthfulness, but he is not looking to himself at all. He is looking to the faithfulness of the living God.על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

In 1 Samuel 17 there are multiple voices speaking lots of words with contradicting messages. There are the words of the Philistine which has instilled fear in the armies of Israel. There are the words of Eliab which berate the shepherd David. There are the words of Saul casting doubt on David's ability to triumph against the giant of Gath. But it i…

The end and object of Heaven is the glory of God. So, too, the end and object of Hell is the glory of God. God is glorified in the just condemnation of sinners. Why is there a Hell? What is Hell? How can a good God send anyone to a place of eternal torment?על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards

The birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem's manger brought heaven down to us so that God in Christ might bring us up to heaven. From Matthew 1:23 and Revelation 21:3 we learn that just as Jesus is Emmanuel - God with us - so Heaven is God with us. Where Jesus is, there is heaven. In this Christmas meditation we consider seven things that will be tru…

There is within the heart of every human being at least some understanding that there is coming a day of reckoning. Sadly for many, they don't understand that that day will not be a reckoning between their good deeds and their bad deeds, but a reckoning between their obedience and the perfect law of God. What gives God the right to judge the world?…

What happens at the moment of our physical death? The answer depends on how you have responded to the the Lord Jesus Christ. For the unbeliever, there is an immediate consciousness of eternal separation from God. For the believer, there is an immediate consciousness of the eternal presence of God. The believer enters into at least seven realities t…

What is death? It is not the cessation of existence. It is not merely the end of life. How does the Bible define death, and further, what doe the Bible tell us about why we die, where we go when we die, and what God Himself has done about death?על ידי Pastor Paul Edwards