Love Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom and welcome to Viahahvta Yisrael, a Hebrew phrase which means, "You shall love Israel." We hope you'll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher, Dr. Baruch, shares his expository teaching from the Bible. Dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Zera Avraham Institute based in Israel. Although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the institute, Dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English. To find out more about our work in Israel, please visit us on the web at LoveIsrael.org. That's one word, LoveIsrael.org. Now, here's Baruch with today's lesson.

Dr. Baruch Korman: I made mention a few weeks ago that when Samuel died, this would embolden Saul to come against David. That is exactly what we're going to see in this passage of scripture. With that said, take out your Bible and look with me to 1 Samuel and chapter 26. 1 Samuel chapter 26, and we're going to begin in verse one.

Before we get started, let me just simply say that because of differences in languages, the ways that some languages refer to things and how it's literally spoken of in the original language can be different. For example, there's no J in Hebrew. Whenever we see a letter that is translated into English as a J sound, it is a Y in the Hebrew language. We need to be aware of this so we're not confused by the terminology that we're coming across.

Likewise, we're going to be focused on a place, and this place is called Ziph. Individuals that come from there are called Ziphites. Obviously, in English, we use a different way of talking about them, but for this purpose, I want us to hold on to the original context and the original terminology that's found in this passage.

Let's begin. Look with me to verse one, where it says: And the Ziphites, they came to Saul at Gibeah saying, "Surely David is hiding at the hill," and the name of this hill is called Hachilah, "which is opposite," and now we have something else that's different. We have the term Ha-Yeshimon. Many times in English, it will say Jeshimon, but literally in Hebrew, it would be Yeshimon or, because of this definite article referring to this place, it's called Ha-Yeshimon.

Press on to verse two, where it says: And Saul got up and he went down to the wilderness of Ziph. Why was that? Because he was told that David is in that location. Therefore, Saul wants to kill David. Now, with Samuel, the man of God, dead, again, Saul feels emboldened to take out his retribution and revenge upon David.

Look again at verse two: And Saul got up and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, and with him 3,000. Notice this, we have "chosen man." We would say in English, "chosen men." 3,000 chosen men of Israel. Why were they selected? In order to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

Verse three. Notice what's taking place. Verse three says: And Saul was encamped at the hill, the same place that David was, at the hill called Hachilah, which is opposite Ha-Yeshimon, on the way, and David is dwelling in the wilderness. What is the scripture telling us? Very clearly that Saul is closing in on David. Again, for what purpose? Because Saul wants to do one thing, and that is to kill David.

He sees David as a threat to him because he knows in reality that David is the Lord's anointed, that one that God has chosen to lead the children of Israel. We see over and over how King Saul is defiant. He's not interested in serving God. He's not interested in participating in the will of God. He wants to hold on to power because of his pride, because he wants what he wants and he's not interested in the will of God.

David saw that Saul came after him towards the wilderness. David knows what is going on. None of this is a surprise to him, and we press on to verse four. What are we told? David sent forth spies, and he knew that Saul had come. Notice this last phrase, it's literally el-nachon. This is from a Hebrew phrase which means to establish. In this context, that phrase el-nachon means that he was doing this in a steadfast way.

The reader is being taught that Saul was committed in this pursuit, that he was totally committed to putting David to death. We're going to see something; we're going to see the faithfulness of God. When we are in God's will, when we are committed to the purposes of God, when we want to implement the will of God, be wise and be aware that God is going to defend us. We don't need to fear the enemy. In fact, we can expect that God will move against that enemy.

David sent out spies, and he knew that Saul had come steadfastly, and the impression is against him. Verse five. David got up and he came to the place which Saul dwelt there. David saw the place where Saul lied there. Over and over, what is being told here? David saw or David knew. What did he know? He knew the place where Saul was camping.

We're going to find something very significant in a moment because the word of God is going to tell us how King Saul, he knew that he was messing with the one that God had selected to lead the children of Israel, that he, David, was the rightful king. God had turned away from Saul because Saul was not interested in the word of God, not interested in the plans, the purposes, or the priorities of God.

Even though King Saul took many precautions in order to save his life, we're going to find something. None of that is going to protect him. We'll see that later on. Move back to the verse that we're in, verse five. David got up and he came to the place, that is emphatic, which Saul camped there. David saw the place where Saul lied there.

He wasn't alone. He had Abner, the son of Ner, the captain or commander of his army. Saul is lying in the camp and the people were camping around him. What is being told? Very simply, what we find is this: that Saul was taking great precautions in order to provide security for himself. He knew something; he knew that David was a skillful military man.

He also knew that the Lord had turned away from Saul. It wasn't personal; it was simply because Saul was not committed to the things of God. Realize something: when we are not committed to the purposes of God, when we are not interested in God's plans and priorities, God will set himself against us. If we want to be blessed, if we want to know joy, if we want to know spiritual success, we should submit to the instructions of God.

We should want to implement His word in our life, but the word of God was very distant from Saul. This just wasn't something that was important to him. At the end of verse five, the people are camping around him. All of this was a precaution in order to preserve the life of Saul. Look now to verse six.

David answered, and he said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" Imagine this, David is speaking and he asks a question. He wants to know who will go with him into the camp, the enemy's camp.

It's not by chance that Saul took 3,000 choice men with him. Three is for the purpose of revealing something. We could say it differently, three is for the purpose of documenting or confirming something. What's being shown here truly with that number of men? How many men did David have? He had at most 600. Remember the 400 that he took in order to go against this man that was married to Abigail, and we're talking about Nabal?

The 200 stayed with the supplies. David had 600 men at his disposal. How many did King Saul have? The Bible tells us clearly that King Saul had 3,000. That is, for every one man of David, Saul had five more. Five times more strength than David had. We need to remember that the battle does not always go to the strongest, nor the race always to the fastest.

Because of God, God is sovereign and God can change anything. When we are in a covenant with Him, when we are committed to His purposes, God will move in our life. God will move in our circumstances in order to bring us into victory. That's what God wants to do.

David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you." None of these men, neither David nor, as we see here, Abishai, neither one of them had fear. There was a confidence to them.

They knew that they were committed to the purposes of God. They didn't fear; they were not concerned about the strength of the enemy. What were they committed to doing? Achieving the will of God, being in God's will, completing His will and bringing glory and honor to Him. When we have that as our objective, we can expect to be successful. That's the message of the text.

Look now to verse seven. David came and Abishai to the people, and notice what it says: lailah, which means nighttime. David and Abishai, they went into the camp not in the daylight but, as it says here, nighttime. Behold, Saul is lying, sleeping, and again, within this encampment among the soldiers.

Notice something else. His spear was stuck into the earth from his head, meaning close to his head. Abner, the head of the army, and the people were lying around him. Again, we see over and over one consideration: Saul didn't have confidence, but he was fearful. He positioned himself among the people.

Some of the rabbinical commentaries point out that he was in the midst of all the people. They were lying around him for protection. He had that spear that he had stuck into the earth in order that it was close to him, in case there was any danger that he could respond in a moment. All of that is not going to bring success to Saul.

Remember something: King Saul took 3,000 choice men with him. Even though we would think that that would secure victory, something else is going to happen in this passage. Look now to verse eight. And Abishai said to David, and there's a declaration. Many Bibles will say "deliver," but it's not the word deliver. It is the Hebrew word sagar, which means to close in.

In one sense, what God is doing is bringing the enemy of David, closing him in, and this is an idiom for victory. Notice what it says in verse eight: And Abishai said to David, "God has closed today your enemy into your hand," meaning this: you now can grab the enemy and you can have victory over him. Who's the source of this? God.

God is doing just what the text says: closing Saul, the enemy of David, into the hand of David. Now, I will strike him, please, with a spear. Abishai sees that God is at work and he has an expectation that he is going to use a spear to kill Saul. Notice it says: and in the land, that is, where they're located, one time and not a second time to him.

This is not going to be hard. It's not going to take me multiple opportunities to defeat Saul, but one time I'm going to be able to strike him. I will not need a second time. All of this is to show how vulnerable Saul is. Why? Because he's not interested in God's will.

What is important in your life? Your plans, your desires, your wants, your pursuits? Or are you able to humble yourself and do something very important, and that is listen? If you're going to be used by God, you have to hear the word of God. The best way to hear God's word is through scripture. We study it, we read it, we cherish it, we revere it, and we implement His word into our life. That's what a true follower of Messiah Yeshua does.

When we are committed to the priorities of God, His purposes, His plans, and we pray, God is as well able to guide us. When we want to obey God, that submissiveness is going to work in our life in order to give us God's perspective. We're going to have the mind of Messiah, that is, we're going to see things from God's perspective. When we do, we are just one step away from victory. That's what God wants to provide us; He wants us to be victorious in accomplishing His will.

Abishai is speaking and he says, "I will strike him with the spear and in the earth," meaning at this location in the land, "one time. Not going to take me a second time." Look now to our last verse, verse nine. But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him." It's a strong word, don't destroy him, meaning do not put him to death. Why?

For who will stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed? This is something that ought not be done. We see something here because this shows the defiance of Israel's leader. David had a sensitivity towards the things of God. David wanted to serve God. David wanted to obey God, and because of that, God guided him, directed him, and notice: He closed into his hand the enemy of David. Why? God is good. Again, God wants us to know victory.

In order to have that victory, we also have to have humility. We need to be sensitive to what is pleasing to God, what is glorifying to God and what is honoring to God. At this time, Saul was the king of Israel. One of the ways that the king was referred to was as the Lord's anointed. The term anointed here, if we look at this verse, middle of verse nine, where it says: "For who shall stretch forth his hand against," and notice this next word, Meshiach.

The Hebrew word Meshiach means Messiah or, in literal sense, it comes from the word for the anointed one. David is rightly saying, "Who has stretched forth his hand against the Lord's anointed?" If we do so, and be clean, meaning you're not going to be held in contempt? No, you will. You will not be clean; you will be charged for doing such a thing.

Always in the scripture, it shows us something: that we need to be listening to God. We need to be always available for God to lead us and to direct us so that we are walking in obedience to His purposes. In a general sense, we ought not stretch forth our hand against the Lord's anointed. That is an emphasis of the word of God.

Messiah, and I'm speaking about Yeshua, He is indeed the Lord's anointed. It was so shameful that those who were in leadership, and I'm speaking about the Sanhedrin, if you study what took place on the night that Messiah was betrayed and He was delivered over into the hands of the Sanhedrin, we know something. We know that there was deceit, there was falsehood, and there was a false testimony.

Remember Judas, the one who betrayed him? When he saw Yeshua there in the garden, what did he do? He came up to him and kissed him. An act of friendship, an act of loyalty, an act of love, but all of that was sown in deceit because Judas didn't love Messiah; Judas loved money. He had a consistent thievery going on taking money from the treasury, and he was the treasurer, but he was not an honest man.

The scripture tells us very clearly that on the night that Judas betrayed Messiah, delivered him over to the Sanhedrin for that mockery of a trial, Satan entered into him. How did that happen? This is evidence of something. It should scream to you and me, the reader of the biblical text, that Judas was not a believer. He professed to be one; he would assemble himself with other disciples, but he was not a true disciple. A true disciple wouldn't betray their Master, but they would walk in love. They would be submissive. They would be someone that had a testimony of faithfulness to the one that they saw as their Rav, their great one.

Judas did not. He was not an individual that was submissive to the plans, the purposes, the priorities of God. What about you? Are you someone that is truly committed to the will of God? If God is going to use you, if you are going to know a biblical success, what is success? Success does not depend upon you; it depends upon God. Here is the biblical truth: everything that we need to carry out God's will, God will supply. If we're committed to Him, if we're committed to His will, God will supply everything that we need in order to serve Him and carry out His will.

God is faithful. God does not lie. God does not betray His covenant people. Understand that God will provide what we need so that we can live successfully in His will. Be very careful. When we are people who reject, who are defiant, who are not interested in the things of God, what's going to happen? God will set himself in opposition to us.

That is exactly what Saul was doing. We find that he was moving against the true anointed one of the Lord, David. David, he did not return evil for good. What did he do? David was someone who was always committed to doing the right thing. That's why he says here, look at the end of verse nine: "Who will stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed? And finally he says, such an act will not leave one clean, but God will hold that person accountable.

We don't want to be judged by our disobedience. We want to bring ourselves under the mercy of God, the grace of God, the forgiveness of God, and there's only one way to do that, and that is through the gospel, which is a covenant of redemption through the grace and the blood of Messiah.

Guest (Male): Well, we hope you've benefited from today's message and share it with others. Please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of LoveIsrael.org. Again, to find out more about us, please visit our website LoveIsrael.org. There you will find articles and numerous other lectures by Baruch. These teachings are in video form. You may download them or watch them in streaming video. Until next week, may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua, that is Jesus, as you walk with Him. Shalom from Israel.