Page 180 - Part One

of severe danger. We often write verses from these Psalms on posters and put them on our
walls. Verse 11 is used in this way – Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be
above all the earth. Perhaps, by associating it with the circumstance in which the verse was
written, we will find the verse even more wonderful to apply to our own lives. Remember,
too, the parallel in the life of Yeshua, who went down to the pit of Hell for us, in a much
darker place than King David. David’s praise of God in adversity is like the praise of Yeshua
through all His trials.

Day 5

1 Samuel Chapter 23. David’s heart for his people was stirred when he heard that the
Philistines were raiding the City of Keilah. He did not act rashly like Saul would have done,
but enquired of God so that he was sure of the victory. Saul, by contrast, no longer with the
Spirit of God to guide him, was determined to pursue David. This foolish King pursued a
man who was protected by God while being prepared for the Kingdom. Saul was not even
wise enough to realize that such reckless behavior would eventually turn his own people
away from him. Already Jonathan and David were close friends and now they made a firm
covenant together. Next followed a period in the wilderness for David and his men.

Psalm 63. This Psalm was written in the wilderness. The wilderness is a special place for
God to meet with His people. For 40 years Israel walked with God through the wilderness in
preparation for the Promised Land. Yeshua spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness after
His baptism. In the wilderness there are only bare essentials for life and times when miracles
are needed for provision of food and water. Contrast this with the life in the affluent nations
today. Sometimes the more we have, the less we seem to need God. That is why a wilderness
experience or a time of fasting is useful to bring us back to God. This is where God teaches
us in a special way. Read David’s Psalm and see how it encourages you through dry
experiences in life.

Chapter 24. En Gedi is a beautiful place to visit today. The Israeli Government has made a
small national park there. One can walk up into the same hills where David hid from Saul,
see the wild mountain goats and picnic at a picturesque waterfall. One sees the crags and
caves where David hid from Saul. In one of the caves – we do not know which – Saul laid
down his outer garment to attend to his needs. On the corner of his garment were the tassels,
or tzitzit, which Moses commanded the men of Israel to wear, to help them to remember the
Torah. David cut off the corner of Saul’s garment and, very likely, it was one of these tassels.
He could have killed Saul at that time, but his conscience stirred. He cut off a sign of Saul’s
authority to show that he had the power to do this. God had spoken to David and said that
Saul was put in his power to do what he wanted. This was a test, and David showed remorse
to have even cut the garment of the anointed King. Even Saul’s heart was touched by this. He
knew that David was indeed to be King, and that he was more honourable than himself.
Unstable though he had become, there seemed to be love for David deep within him, but fear
and jealousy had driven him to uncontrollable madness.

Chapter 25. The death of Samuel takes up just one verse. He was among Israel’s greatest
leaders. No wrong is spoken of him. He was given a specific ministry. He stayed within the