Podcasts about Philistines

Dinesh and Debbie discuss Charlie Kirk’s legacy, how the savagery of Hamas today resembles the savagery of the Philistines, why blue cities seem to like high crime rates, how test scores in America are dropping rapidly, and how Islamic radicals organize the takeover of suburban towns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The incredible victory of the Philistines over Israel, in spite of the presence of the ark of the Lord. Then, the defeat of the Philistines by the Presence in the Ark, with no help from Israel's military.

Send us a textOur story regarding Eli begins not with Eli but with God's judge who will succeed him. God's successor to Eli will be the great prophet/judge Samuel so we begin with his birth and background.Samuel's BirthSamuel was born out of a godly family (1 Samuel 1.1-2.11). Hannah prayed for a son and promised to dedicate him to the Lord. Eli blessed her prayer, and when Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him to serve in the temple under Eli.Eli's FailureBy contrast, Eli's sons were wicked men (1 Samuel 2.12-17). They abused their priestly position and "despised the offering of the Lord." Though Eli knew of their sins, he did not restrain them.Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me? (1 Samuel 2.29).God revealed to Samuel the judgment that He would carry out on Eli because he did not rebuke his sons (1 Samuel 3.10-14). When the Philistines defeated Israel and captured the ark of God, both of Eli's sons were killed. Upon hearing the news, Eli fell backward from his seat, broke his neck, and died at age 98.The tragedy extended to the next generation 3 Eli's daughter-in-law died in childbirth, naming her son Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel."Support the show"Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God's calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God's mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker Website: www.finishingwellministries.org Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.orgFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministriesSupport Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donateAre there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Stan Jackson from Farmington, MO. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. Your commitment is helping deliver God's Word with clarity and conviction. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 3:1–4. Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. — Judges 3:1-4 What if the struggle you're facing isn't punishment—but preparation? God didn't clear the land all at once. He left enemies in place. Why? To test Israel. Not to crush them—but to train them. Think about that. God could've snapped his fingers and wiped every enemy away. But he didn't. Instead, he left battles to fight, not because he was absent, but because he was present in a different way—training his people to lean on him, sharpening their obedience, and forging their faith in fire. Life's tests work the same way. They're proving grounds. The challenges you're staring down right now may be God's way of toughening your spiritual muscles. Like a trainer who won't lift the weights for you but won't leave your side either, God sets you under the bar to see if you'll trust him for the strength. Don't despise the battles God leaves in your life. That demanding boss, the marriage struggle, the nagging temptation—they might be the very tools God is using to test and teach you. Tests aren't about failure; they're about faith. The question isn't why is this happening to me? But how will I respond? Will you trust God when it's heavy? Will you obey when it's easier not to? Your test today might be the training ground for tomorrow's victory. ASK THIS: What's one battle in your life right now that feels like it should already be over? Do you tend to see trials as punishment or preparation? How can you reframe a current struggle as training from God? Who in your life needs encouragement to keep fighting their God-given battles? DO THIS: Identify one struggle you're facing today. Instead of asking God to remove it, ask him to use it to strengthen your faith and obedience. PRAY THIS: Father, help me see my battles not as punishments but as proving grounds. Give me the strength to trust you and obey, even when the struggle feels endless. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Battle Belongs."

Message from Tony Ledet on September 7, 2025

Let's face it – we all want to get the most out of life. We want to reap a harvest. And in fact, that's exactly what God wants for our lives, too. He promises us an abundant harvest. And yet so often, life feels more like a drought than anything else.  In those times, we're left asking ourselves … So, where's my harvest? Generational Sin Well, welcome to Christianityworks again this week and we are starting a new series called, "Reaping God's Harvest in My Life". What is it that you want out of your life? Health, happiness, family, a job, career, a reasonable level of comfort, joy and peace, we want our kids to grow up and be happy, we want to have a happy fulfilling marriage, we want to have friends, we want to have balance, we want to have a good life, don't we? We have different variations, we have different permutations; the things that you are going to enjoy in your life, well, maybe I won't enjoy in mine and vice versa, because we are different people, we come from different backgrounds, in different circumstances and different outcomes will satisfy us. But there are the basics aren't there; the things that I spoke about before that we all want in our life? We want a life of significance, we want a life where we're part of a family, we're part of a group, we've got friends, we've got joy and peace. Those things are important to us and we expect to put in the effort and to reap the reward. We expect to reap some sort of harvest from all the hard work. What sort of harvest, is a different question, sometimes we get our expectations and our desires and our needs out of whack. You know, I spent a lot of my time before I became a Christian, chasing money and success and career. All of those things are good things, but when we get them out of balance, when they become the main thing; when they dominate above all the other good things in life, well, then we can end up looking for the wrong things, striving for the wrong things, hurting other people to get there and we reap a harvest, that frankly, is the harvest of our own selfishness. On the other hand, if we do good, if we get up every day and say, “Well, you know something, God, I know I'm not perfect, I know I am going to make some mistakes but my heart, Lord, my heart is to follow you today. My heart is just to do good things for other people and for myself.” Well, we get up and do that every day and we are going to reap, by and large, a good harvest. Well, over these next four weeks, today and the following three weeks, we are going to take a balanced look at "reaping God's harvest in our lives". The problem is that most people can't really describe what that harvest looks like; exactly what do we want? Let's just take a look at our own lives today. The bits where we don't have a harvest, you know, normally look across our lives and there are some areas where we are getting a great harvest – the results are good, they're satisfying, they're fulfilling – but so often there are one or two areas in our lives and we look at them and we go, “Wow! You know, I'm not getting a harvest here, in fact, I'm nowhere near to getting a harvest and I've made such a mess of my life. I'm never going to reap God's harvest in that area. Why would God ever even bother with me? No, God's harvest isn't for me. No! Harvest? No. it's a drought, it‘s parched, it's hopeless, it's devastating. The dam is empty, the crops are dead.” We can have such deeply entrenched patterns of behaviour that they rob us of the harvest. Sometimes we take on the weaknesses of our parents. We might have generational sin. A man, whose father was a gambler, may well end up being a gambler. A person, whose parent was alcoholic, could end up being an alcoholic. We take on the good traits and the bad traits of our parents and sometimes we look at our circumstances and we look at our failures and we think, “Aw, it can never work.” We are going to look today at the story of Isaac in Genesis chapter 26. If you've got a Bible, grab it, open it. It's right at the front of the Bible; the 26th chapter of the first book of the Bible and it's a story about Isaac, the son of Abraham and what he did in the middle of such a drought, this is what it says: Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines. And God appeared to Isaac and said, “Look, don't go on down to Egypt; settle in this land that I'll show you. Stay here as an alien and I'll be with you and I'll bless you because to you and your descendants I'll give these lands and I'll fulfill the promise that I made to your father, Abraham. I'll make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and I'll give your offspring all these lands and all the nations of the earth will gain blessing for themselves through your offspring, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge and my commandments, my statutes and my laws. So Isaac settled in Gerar and when the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She's my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She's my wife,” thinking, “Well, she is so good looking, the man of the place might kill me because of Rebecca, because she is so good looking.” When Isaac had been there for a long time, King Abimelech of the Philistines looked out of his window and saw Isaac cuddling his wife Rebecca and Abimelech called Isaac in and said, “She's your wife, isn't she; why did you say that she is my sister?” and Isaac said to him, “Well, you know, I thought I might get killed because of her,” and Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with you're wife and you would have put guilt on us all.” So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Who ever touches this man or his wife will be put to death.” Well, Isaac sowed some seed in the land and that same year, he reaped a hundred fold. So here's Isaac, he's in a land that's not his own; he wants to run off to Egypt because Egypt seems to be much more prosperous and God comes to him and says, “No, stay here, I've got a promise on your life and this is your land, stay here as an alien”. So Isaac makes the decision to stay. It can't have been an easy decision; there was a drought, there was a famine and he stays in this land. But then he makes a huge blunder. He puts his wife out there and what a dangerous thing to do, this is something that his father, Abraham, did twice to his Mum. Unbelievable! Imagine, putting your wife out there, saying, “She's my sister.” Someone else could have taken her and slept with her. We man are supposed to protect our wives and he blows it, completely; he just repeats the generational sin of his father. He is in a land that's got a drought that's not his own, life is an absolute mess and then it says, “Isaac sowed seed in that land.” That's amazing! We are going to look at what happened when Isaac sowed the seed.   Sow the Seed We all want the most out of life, don't we? And sometimes the odds are stacked against us. Like that story we were looking at – the story of Isaac. Here was Isaac in a land that wasn't his own and his dad had made some serious mistakes and Isaac was just reliving those; that same pattern of generational sin that so often happens in our lives. We seem as though we can't control it, so dad has made a mess of his life, in a sense, and the drought is causing a famine. There's no harvest, there's no … How can there possibly be a blessing for Isaac, yet God promised him a blessing? God appeared to him and said: Look, don't go down to Egypt, stay here; stay here as an alien and I'll be with you and I'll bless you because to you and your descendants, I will give these lands and I'll fill it and you'll be blessed. When you look at that, you know you see God making a promise to bless you on the one hand and then you look at your own circumstances; the circumstances of where we live, our own failures and we think: there's no harvest, there can never be a harvest. Isaac was in the middle of a drought and a famine. He deceived the King, he hung his wife out to dry, he made a big mistake. I don't know what he was thinking, but he did something radical, in the middle of that mess. It says in Genesis 26, verse 12: Isaac sowed seed in that land and in that same year he reaped a hundred fold. Now farmers don't sow seeds when there's a drought. You know, when there's a drought, they look and they wait for rains and they wait for rains, because if you just put seed in dry land and there's a drought, not only won't you get a crop but you've wasted all the money that you've spent on the seed. So we think about that – it was a radical thing. I don't know how much the seed cost but in a famine, in a drought, you can bet your life it would have been really expensive. So here's this reckless thing, where he just takes the seed which cost him a lot of money and he puts it in the ground. The business risk, well, if you or I were doing it, would we have done it? Probably not; and the drought is so depressing. I mean, I have never been part of a farming community, but I know from what I've read and spoken to people who have lived in farming communities – when there's a drought going on, it's really depressing on the whole community and here it wasn't just a drought, it was a famine. People were starving and Isaac was planning to go somewhere else; to run away – to Egypt. It's not unreasonable he wanted to run away from the drought, but God said, “No, I've got a plan for you here, stay in the famine, stay in the drought,” and sometimes God calls us to stay. The thing that Isaac got right is he obeyed God. That tug in his heart; that word from God – he'd made a key decision to stay – probably against his better judgement. Ok, great – he stays. I've got a promise – “I'll bless you here”, says God and then what? Well, he makes this huge blunder; he lies to the King about his wife and she could have been taken to bed by someone else, frankly. So you've got the drought, you've got "I want to run away", you've got "God says stay", you've got this blunder, probably because of what dad handed down to me. You reckon he was confused? He should have failed; he blew it but God had made him a promise. God had said, “Stay here and I will bless you.” So Isaac – we see it in verse 12 – Isaac sowed his seed in the land. Takes a lot of faith to put seed in the ground when there's a drought. Even if there wasn't a drought, it's still an act of faith. You know, a farmer puts seed in the ground, there could be locusts, there could be drought, there could be flood, there could be fire, there could be disease. It takes faith to put seed in the ground, especially in a drought, and even when you've blown it. So what happens? Isaac sows the seed in that land and in that same year he reaps a hundred fold – the Lord blessed him and he became rich – he prospered more and more until he became very wealthy. He had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. Now the Philistines had stopped up and filled with the earth all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham. And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Get away from us. You've just become too powerful for us.” So what happens? He takes one seed, he plants it in a drought and he gets a hundred back. He takes two seeds, he plants them in a drought, he gets two hundred back. He takes a hundred thousand seeds and plants them in a drought and he gets a hundred times a hundred thousand back. And you read the rest of that chapter, chapter 26 – God just kept blessing him – He blessed his socks off and his son Jacob as well. Sometimes we think, “You know, I'm carrying sin around, I'm carrying this thing around, it might be sexual, it might be gambling, it might be any sort of other addiction and we know that it's been handed down from our parents – it's sad but true. And we think, “Oh, God can never bless me. I can never break this and I look around and I see this famine and this drought and things around me are going badly.” God's promise is to bless us! God is a God of blessing. But the promise didn't grow a harvest until Isaac planted the seed during the drought. Let me say that again. The promise didn't grow a harvest until Isaac planted the seed during the drought. So what's in that for us? Maybe you are looking around at a situation of drought and famine and failure and sin? What's in this story for us?   What's in it for Us? Well, we have been looking at this story of young Isaac, who was living in a drought and a famine and he made a mess of his own circumstances and he should have had failure written all over him. He wanted to run away from it all and now God says, "stay". Someone today is listening, maybe it's you, and today you want to run away from your circumstances and every now and then God does call us onto something new. Every now and then God says, “It's time to leave this church and go to another; it's time to sell this house and move on to another but most of the time God wants us to bloom where He has planted us. If God is calling you to go - go! But if He is telling you to stay – stay! And if your "go" is maybe leaving your wife or your husband or your children, let me tell you, God is not calling you to do that. There are some very extreme circumstances and I say this with all compassion because I have traveled the road of divorce; that's where I came to meet Christ. There are some very extreme circumstances of violence and abuse and God's plan isn't for us to be in those – I'm not talking about those. But so often we replace the ‘until death us do part' with ‘until something better comes along.' And we think, “Oh, well maybe God means for me to move on?” No, God does not! God wants us, most of the time, to stay where we are and to be a blessing to those people around us. And so, here we saw Isaac stayed where God wanted him, even though there was a drought; even though he went on to make a huge blunder with his wife. And there are so many circumstances in our marriages, in our jobs, in our church or in anything, where we would look at them through human eyes and we think, “They're never going to change - this is never going to get better,” but we see things in the natural but God's not natural – God is supernatural and supernatural literally means "above natural". He is so far beyond natural and He sees – He sees our circumstances, not from the natural perspective, not from the human perspective but from God's perspective; from the supernatural perspective. And God is a God of the harvest; God is a God of blessing and sometimes we have to do what Isaac did and stay in that place even through there's a drought and a famine and stay in that place even though we go on to make mistakes, and just plant some seed. One that is absolutely, one hundred percent for certain - if we do it God's way, whether it's to stay or to go – if we follow God's call, we will make boo-boos along the way, you know, we will make some mistakes but God honours those who honour Him. If God says, “I know you've got a famine in your land. I know your circumstances are just rotten and awful, but I want you to stay there, amidst that drought and famine and if we stay we honour God. God sees that, God honours what's in our hearts and He forgives what we do with our hands. God is a good God. Ok, so we stay, we do it God's way, then what? Then we plant seed in the drought, in the face of our own failure. Boy, is that counter intuitive or what? We want to give up by now but God says, “Plant seed.” Seed? What is seed like? Well, maybe you're in a job; in your work situation and you just hate your boss. I know that's a strong word but some people do. The boss is so oppressive, so unfair; promoting other people around you, victimising you and all we want to do is run away and God says, "No, actually, I'd like you to stay here. This is where I've planted you.” How can we plant good seed? Well, we can excel, we can say, “You know, I'm going to work hard anyway; I'm going to bless that person anyway. I'm going to do so well at this job, in the face of what this boss is doing to me, people are going to sit up and notice.” We can sow good seed into bad situations. Or in a marriage; maybe your husband or your wife is driving you nuts. There's pain and there's tears and there's anguish and we can say, “Well, I'm just going to ditch them,” but God's calling us to say, “No, stay here and sow good seed.” We can try and run away or we can stay and sow good seed. We can be the best husband or the best wife that we can possibly be. We can choose to bless and to honour and to love our husbands and wives. We can just be such wonderful people amidst the most difficult circumstances. Sowing seed is always a step of faith because we can't see the harvest when we sow the seed. Maybe your finances are a mess – your credit cards are up to the limit, the overdraft is up to the limit - and we just hear God saying, “Just stay there and become a good steward; cut back and become a good steward; cut back, manage your finances, give to the poor,” and I bet you that God will ask you to sow. Now sometimes when our finances are bad and we just think we have to save it all and we just have to stockpile it all and pay the debt off but I've seen it happen, time and time again – when God deals with our finances – one of the first things He does is calls us to give off the top, to Him; to the poor. It's about sowing seed and seed is a scary thing to sow because we can't see the harvest and we have to pay for the seed to sow it, before the harvest comes along – it is a step of faith. God is calling us to listen to Him; to obey Him, to take risks that He calls us to take, which aren't really risks but they look like risks, in faith. Isaac sowed seed and reaped a hundred fold. That's a lot! He couldn't control the weather. You and I can't control the outcomes, all we can do is to stay in the place that God's calling us to and sow the seed and it's God that gives the increase, it's God that brought the rains, it's God that blessed Isaac's step of obedience and faith. In our ministry – you know, in this ministry of Christianityworks - when we started taking programs to air, we had to sow seed. We had to start recording and producing programs before even one station had said, “Yes, we'll take the programs.” We had to spend money that, I'll tell you, we didn't have a lot of it, but we knew God was calling us to this. We knew that this venture was God's venture and God has blessed it so wonderfully and blessed so many lives through it but if we hadn't sown the seed, the harvest wouldn't have come. God gives the increase; it's His harvest. It might be our drought and our famine and our failure and our fear, but it is God's opportunity to be God and God's promise is to bless us. God doesn't just say, “Go out there on your own and do it,” God says, “Here's where I want you to do it and this is the sort of seed I want you to sow.” God is so personal. You know, when I pray and I ask Him, “Lord, what seed can I sow into this relationship?” Bang! He always, straightaway says, “Do this or do that,” and sometimes it doesn't make sense but we sow the seed and God blesses us. You see, it's in the middle of the drought that God wants to sow the seed, and the harvest is His. God is the God of the harvest. Is that scary to you? It is to me and I think it should be some days because faith ... we don't need faith if it's easy but the harvest that comes from faith, the blessing that comes from faith, the enormous, hundredfold increase that comes when we sow the seed that God calls us to, in the drought that God calls us to, well, that's an awesome blessing and it's God's blessing. That's God's plan!

Sermon on 1 Samuel 5, where the Lord shows the Philistines that He is the one true & living God, but striking down the image of Dagon (their idol) and striking the people with tumors/disease until they sent His ark back to Israel.

Rwh06sep Ep.380 – Run With Horses Podcast –  5 Traits of Disciple Makers Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube:  https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Author pages with links to all books on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BCSDDVLB – James Norman Smith https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMGW51FW – Susan Jane Smith   1.. The Call to Discipleship •Jesus' Invitation •Mark 1:17 •Goal of Discipleship •Romans 8:29   2.. Theological Foundation of Spiritual Growth •The Seed Growing •Matthew 13:31–32 •Athletes Training •1 Corinthians 9:24–27 •Endurance in the Race •Hebrews 12:1–2   3.. Core Virtues in the Journey   1. Discipline •1 Timothy 4:7–8 2. Perseverance •James 1:2–4   3. Risk-Taking (Faith in Action) •Jonathan and His Armor-Bearer (1 Samuel 14:6–7) •Risk: Attacking a Philistine garrison with just two men. •Faith: Jonathan trusted that God was not limited by numbers or strength. •Outcome: God gave them victory, sparking courage in Israel.     4. Curiosity (A Holy Hunger) •Acts 17:11   Zacchaeus Seeking Jesus •Luke 19:3–4 •Curiosity: Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus. •Outcome: His seeking led to salvation coming to his house.   Godly curiosity: •Is fueled by humility (acknowledging we don't know everything). •Leads to greater revelation (God meets seekers with truth). •Results in deeper faith and obedience, not mere intellectual satisfaction.   5. Integrity (Wholeness and Consistency) •Matthew 5:37   6.. Conclusion •Philippians 1:6 •Return to Jesus' words: “Follow Me, Fish for men.”   – “Thank you for listening today!  -If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Day by day, God is transforming us into the image of His Son. Be encouraged that He will complete His work! And Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus and never stop running."

The Philistines reject David. Why? Come Bible Study WITH ME through 1 Samuel 29 and ask all the questions!

Amelia Hayes works in the trucking industry, but one Instagram photo of Peak Hill reignited her love for the outdoors. Based just two hours from Arthur's Pass, Amelia has explored the area more times than she can count. She shares about her three attempts at climbing Mount Philistine - long days with friends, and eventually reaching the summit - with no view at all. Amelia talks honestly about the frustration of falling behind, the pressure of hiking in groups, and how it felt to finally make it to the top. She also shares the best day hikes in Arthur's Pass, birdlife to look out for, and all the little roadside stops worth pulling over for.Discover the best of New Zealand with my NZ Map & Guide, featuring 100+ incredible locations for your next adventure. Use PODCAST10 at checkout for 10% off and start planning your dream trip todayGet my NZ Map & GuideBook your 1-on-1 consult and personalised itineraryThank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can't wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)Follow Amelia on Instagram: instagram.com/mealzhikes/Read the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nzFollow Abigail on Instagram: instagram.com/abigailhannnah/Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/Get my NZ Map & Guide

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When Saul's army was worn down and facing the Philistines, he made a bold-sounding—but foolish—oath: no one could eat until victory was won. His rash words nearly cost his son Jonathan's life and drained the strength of his people. In this episode, we explore how emotional foolishness shows up in our own words and relationships, and how the gospel makes us secure enough to stay quiet—and brave enough to speak truth in love.

Delilah - This story is crafted from Judges 16 where Samson plagued the Philistines for twenty years as a judge over Israel. A woman caught the eye of Samson, her name of Delilah. To find out how you can support this ministry by visiting our website at https://lizardtracks.net. My stories can be found on your favorite podcast App or Alexa, search for Podcast Lizard Tracks.

1 Samuel 5:1-7:2. The Philistines quickly regret their victory.   Website: https://www.papasbiblestories.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papasbiblestories/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papasbiblestories/   Email: papasbiblestories@gmail.com  If you would like to support this ministry, donation options can be found here:  https://www.papasbiblestories.com/support/  Looking for an episode transcript? https://www.papasbiblestories.com/74     

Is David fighting AGAINST the Israelites? Come Bible Study WITH ME through 1 Samuel 27 and ask all the questions!

Special Guest Speaker Karen Rodriguez brings this week's message, “God is Not Your Good Luck Charm." Key Verse: 1 Samuel 4:1-11 ESV: “And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” 2 Samuel 6:1-11 ESV: “David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.” If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends on social media. For more information about PNEUMA Church, visit our website at mypneumachurch.org. Connect with Us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mypneumachurch YouTube: https://youtube.com/mypneumachurch Facebook: https://facebook.com/mypneumachurch Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome 01:44 - 1 Samuel 4:1-11 ESV 04:15 - God is Not Your Good Luck Charm

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 NLT1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die.A time to plant and a time to harvest. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal.A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. 9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. 14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God's purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again. • • •God Appoints Every Season of Life • • •Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. • • •Genesis 45:4-8 NLT4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don't be upset, and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. • • •Every Season Brings New Opportunities to Serve • • •2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. • • •1 Samuel 17:32-37 NLT32 “Don't worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I'll go fight him!” 33 “Don't be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth.” 34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” • • •Serve God in Every Season • • •Isaiah 46:3-4 NLT3 “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. 4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. • • •Ruth 1:1-5 NLT1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. 3 Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. • • •Ruth 1:16-18 NLT16 But Ruth replied, “Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. • • •Ecclesiastes 8:1-8 NLT1 How wonderful to be wise, to analyze and interpret things.Wisdom lights up a person's face, softening its harshness. 2 Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. 3 Don't try to avoid doing your duty, and don't stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants. 4 His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. 5 Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, 6 for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble. 7 Indeed, how can people avoid what they don't know is going to happen? 8 None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked. • • •Application:Every season in life brings fresh opportunities to serve God. Make the most of each and every opportunity you are given to faithfully serve God.

The next chapters of Judges introduce what we call minor judges—leaders whose stories are shorter or from less dominant tribes. After Abimelek's violent reign, Tola from the tribe of Issachar rises to restore peace. He brings 23 years of stability, not through war, but through political leadership. Following Tola, Jair of Gilead judges Israel for 22 years, ruling a network of thirty towns through his sons. During this time, Israel enjoys almost five decades of peace, but the people turn toward foreign gods—Baal, Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Milcom, Dagon, and more. This leads God to hand them over to the Ammonites and Philistines, setting the stage for the next period of oppression and conflict. The episode also explores the history and culture of the Ammonites, their military strength, and strategic interest in Gilead, giving context to the coming battles.   Highlights Tola: Peaceful Judge from Issachar Jair: 30 Sons, 30 Towns 45 Years of Stability Israel's Turn to Foreign Gods Rise of Ammonites and Philistines   Support & Engagement If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and follow The History of the Bible on your favorite podcast platform. Your ratings and reviews help others discover the show and support the creation of future episodes. If you'd like to support The History of the Bible, visit our Patreon Page. Your feedback is valuable to us! Share your thoughts and insights via our feedback form. Let us know how our podcast has impacted you or someone you know by filling out our impact form. If you have concerns about any information presented, please inform us via our correction form.   Hashtags #Judges #MinorJudges #Tola #Jair #IsraelHistory #Ammonites #Philistines #AncientIsrael #BiblicalHistory #BibleStudy #Gilead #KingdomsOfIsrael #Baal #Ashtoreth #Chemosh #Milcom #Dagon #EasternMediterranean #LateBronzeAge #IronAge   Sources Blue Letter Bible Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (NIV) ESV Study Bible ESV Archaeology Study Bible New Spirit-Filled Life Bible (NLT) ArmstrongInstitute.org BiblicalArchaeology.org WorldHistory.org Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines Satellite Bible Atlas (Schlegel) The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews

Every home has a purpose. God has entrusted our families and households to us so that His glory might be seen and His faithfulness displayed. But just as the Philistines formed against Shammah's bean field in 2 Samuel 23:11–12, the enemy still surrounds what God has given us, trying to trample and destroy. Shammah could have fled like the others, but instead, he stayed attentive, stood in the middle, and defended the field God had given him. In the same way, God calls us to fight for our homes and families that He has entrusted us with. We must remain on guard, stand firm in the middle of what God has given us, and fight with the only weapon the enemy cannot overcome—God's Word. In this battle, the most powerful posture of battle is prayer. As we stay attentive, take our stand, and defend what God has given us, we must continually cover our homes, our children, and our families in prayer. Listen to this sermon about how to protect our home when the enemy attacks in the final sermon in our Within The Wall series.Check out our video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/tHHj-esoJdISubscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/8wmeCwBf_zkLearn more about us at chestnutmountain.orgFollow us on Facebook & Instagram @chestnutmtn_Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave a review, and let us know what you think.

5/8. As discussed by Professor Eric Cline, the Philistines are definitively identified as part of the Sea Peoples, likely the "Pleset" mentioned by the Egyptians. They settled in five key cities, including Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Gaza. Archaeological and recent DNA evidence from children in Ashkelon shows a mix of local Canaanite and "other" (possibly Aegean/Sardinian/Spanish) ancestry, indicating their descendants were from the original Sea Peoples, confirming their identity and origins. 1ST CE, NAPLES

In Judges 16, Samson falls into the trap of Delilah, who presses him until he reveals the secret of his strength. His hair is cut, his eyes are gouged out, and he is bound by the Philistines. Yet in his final moments, Samson cries out to God, and with renewed strength, he brings down the temple of Dagon, striking a greater blow in death than in life. ⚡ A chapter of weakness, betrayal, and redemption showing us that God's strength is made perfect even in our failures.

Genesis 10 | Pastor Greg This message walks through Genesis 10—the “Table of Nations”—as Pastor Greg explains how the families of Noah's three sons (Japheth, Ham, and Shem) spread across the earth. He highlights names and regions (like Canaan, the Philistines, and Nimrod's Babel/Nineveh) and shows how this chapter sets up Genesis 11 (Babel) and Genesis 12 (God narrowing the line to Abraham). The chapter shows God knows every nation, and He chose the line of Shem/Israel not for status but to bless the whole world through the Messiah. The study pairs God's patience with real judgment on corrupt cultures and cautions against pride and anti-Semitism. Packinghouse's Wednesday night worship service from August 27, 2025. - Greg Opean - Wednesday, August 27, 2025

There may be no story in Scripture more familiar than David and Goliath—the epic clash between a shepherd boy and a giant. But often overlooked is the third key character in the story: King Saul.In today's episode, we continue our sermon series from the archives, David: A Matter of the Heart. Preaching from 1 Samuel 17, Paul contrasts the identities of Saul and David and shows how their understanding of who they were before God determined how they faced the threat of the Philistine warrior.To hear more sermons from Paul, visit PaulTripp.com/Sermons.

We explore the tumultuous events surrounding the end of King Saul's reign and the rise of David. As David navigates his complex relationship with the Philistines, he faces the aftermath of an Amalekite raid on Ziklag, leading to a daring rescue mission. Meanwhile, Saul's tragic downfall unfolds as he battles the Philistines, resulting in his death and the fulfillment of Samuel's prophecy. Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

Could today's war in Gaza be part of a blood oath sworn thousands of years ago?In this explosive episode of Wake Up with Miya, returning guest Gary Wayne, author of The Genesis 6 Conspiracy Volumes 1 & 2, unpacks the spiritual roots of the Gaza conflict, the transgenerational hatred linked to Nephilim bloodlines, and how this ties into the Gog of Magog war prophecy in Ezekiel 38.We go deep into:The giants of Gaza: who the Philistines really were and how they merged with other hybrid tribesThe blood oath of the Amalekites and its spiritual legacy in modern geopoliticsWhy today's war isn't Gog & Magog yet—but is setting the stage for itHow Project Blue Beam and alien deception fit the Antichrist's playbookThe true power structure: bloodlines, Jesuits, secret societies, and the 33 invisible familiesThe coming false Armageddon that may deceive even the electWhy we're reliving the Days of Noah—and what that really meansGary breaks down the prophetic chessboard like no one else can—backed by deep scripture, ancient texts, elite bloodline records, and spiritual discernment.This isn't just history. It's the blueprint for what's happening now.

Samson and a Philistine woman. God begins working his will against Israel's current enemy.

We delve into the turmoil of King Saul as he faces a massive Philistine army at his doorstep. Desperate for divine guidance, Saul finds himself in a dark place, seeking help from a medium at Endor, despite having banned such practices. This act of desperation marks a turning point as he attempts to summon the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel. Samuel's spirit delivers a grim prophecy, foretelling the fall of Israel and Saul's demise, alongside his sons, in the upcoming battle. Meanwhile, David navigates his complex relationship with the Philistine king Achish, who believes David to be a loyal ally.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

David has been anointed the future king of Israel, but he is still technically too young to fight in battle. He gets a special exemption because no one else wants to fight the Philistine champion Goliath. Join us on Noble Street in the heart of Sunny Swissvale!RiverCityPGH.com

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. My name is Chet. I'm one of the pastors here. Grab a Bible and head to First Samuel, chapter 29. We're gonna be in chapter 29 and 30 today. We are working our way through the book of First Samuel. And what we've been seeing in the story is that the story has followed David until he worked himself into a corner. And right at the moment, you were like, what's gonna happen? Then it was like, hey, let's talk about Saul. And then it worked Saul into an even worse corner, and you were like, what's gonna happen with Saul? And then now it's going, hey, let's go talk about David. It's going. It's going back. That's where we are today.So what happened was David went to the Philistines. He decided that the best thing for him to do was to go live among the Philistines, that Saul was eventually going to kill him. So he goes and lives among the Philistines, and he begins to attack and raid towns and cities around him. And then going back to Achish, the King of Gath, and saying, here's who I attacked. And he lies to him. He says, I've been attacking the Israelites. I've been attacking Judah. I've been attacking the Kenites, who are friends of Judah and live in that area. And so that's what he's been doing. And then the last thing we saw was Achish said, well, hey, good news. We're going to go kill some more Israelites. All of us are going, and you get to go, too. And David said, well, you're going to find out what I can do. And what does that mean? Find out that you actually will kill Israelites? Find out, are you going to hurt Achish? Like, what's going to happen? It's a little bit like you've been lying and telling people that Adam Sandler is a family friend of yours. And now he's coming to the Colonial Life arena, and they want you to help him get tickets. That's kind of the situation we're in. We're trying to figure out what is David going to do, what's going to happen? And then it stops. Says, let's talk about Saul.So the Philistines have marched in. Saul is trying to figure out what he's going to do, and God is no longer talking to him because Saul has been rejected as king and no longer has the privileges, the right to seek the Lord and has not ever really seemed like he knows the Lord. And so in his desire to hear what he ought to do, he goes to a medium, a witch, someone's going to speak to the dead on his behalf. They summon Samuel, which she seems really surprised. Works. Samuel shows up and says, you're going to war tomorrow and you're going to die and the kingdom's been taken from you. And then it now we're headed back over to David. So we were watching is this slow motion train wreck where Dave, David is now marching in with the Philistines to go fight against Saul, who's going to die and what is going to happen and what is going to play out. And as we're reading this today, we're going to see that something very bad happens. And you might be like, yeah, we thought that was going to happen, but something very bad happens to David and it's not what we think is coming. But as we read this story today, we're going to see how David responds to this absolute tragedy and hopefully gain some wisdom in how we ought to respond in situations where the bottom falls out for us. So that's the hope. This morning we're gonna pray and then we're gonna step into the text.Father, we ask for your spirit to be at work, to guide us, to help us to hear your word, to help us to hear your voice and to follow you. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.> Now the Philistines had gathered all their armies at Aphek; and the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel.> And the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish.> And the commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?"> And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with me these days or these years, and I have found nothing in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?"> But the commanders of the Philistines were displeased at him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Send the man away, that he may return to the place from which you have assigned him. Let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here?"> Is not this David, of whom they kept singing to one another in dances, 'Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?> Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and it seems to me that you should go out and go in with me in the campaign." And David said to Achish, "Very well, then you shall know what your servant can do."> And Achish said to David, "I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God. Nevertheless the lords of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to battle.'> Now therefore rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and as soon as you have light be on your way." So David and his men rose up in the morning to depart in the first light and to return to the land of the Philistines; and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.So they're passing on, everybody's getting ready, we're going to war. And all of a sudden the other commanders start going, whoa, who's bringing Hebrews to fight Hebrews? And why are they stupid? We've done this before. The last time we saw this is when Jonathan went up and fought against the Philistines. And it said that the Hebrews that were with the Philistines turned on them and started fighting against them. So they're like, hey, we learned this lesson. We don't want Hebrews to go fight Hebrews. So who's bringing them? Why are they here? And then it says this, Achish says this, it says, what are these Hebrew doing here? And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel? Which is just the worst way to start, because that's who they're going to fight. He's trying to work his way out. Have you ever done this? You're trying to work your way out of a situation and you just start the wrong sentence and you're like, wait, wait, wait, let me finish. I started this wrong. But that's what it seems like, because he's like. They're like, who are these Hebrews? He's like, oh, Saul's servant, you guys. And, you know, they gotta be looking at him like, what are you talking about? Okay. He keeps going. He says, this is not David, servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me, I have found no fault in him to this day. So what he's saying is, yeah, this guy's against Saul. He used to be his servant, but now he's with us. So this is going to go great.But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. So he says. They say, no, no, no, no, no. You might like him. We don't know him. That sounds terrible. Send him back. Otherwise we might get in the middle of the fight and he might start fighting us. Then they say, for how could this fellow reconcile himself to his Lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? Like, wouldn't be like a good way for him to get back in good with Saul, for him to just start killing us? Haven't we seen this guy raise one of the heads of a Philistine above him before? Haven't we. We've lived this out, right? We remember what he did with Goliath. Don't you think that'd be a good way for him to get back in his good graces? That's what they're arguing, and then they say, is not this David of whom they sing to one another in dances, Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousands, which I just. I love this song that has just made its way through this whole book. It was a problem when it first started. Saul was mad about it. This is the second time Philistines have quoted it. This song is such a hit. It's international. It's not just a hit in Israel. They know it. It's like, who let the dogs out? Everyone knows it's not good, but for some reason it just has run across the globe and it's stuck in your head. And there were Philistines, like, bouncing around their house doing yard work, and they hear themselves going, and David is 10th. Come on. That's what happens. So they're like, we know this. This is the guy they have a song about. Absolutely not.Then Achish called David and said to him, as the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and end with me in the campaign. No, he hasn't. Achish is wrong. So he says, look, David, you've been great, and you've been killing all these Israelites. And David's like, mm. He says, so I think you should come, for I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you, so go back now and go peaceably that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines. So he calls him over and says, hey, man, look, I think you're great, but they don't like you. And we just had a whole meeting where they were real mean to me about it. And I know that you would never lie to me and trick me and that you're totally on our team, but they don't know that. And so you're going to have to leave.And then David said, David said to Achish, but what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? So David says, this is an outrage. What do they think? Like, that I've secretly not been killing Israelites and I've been killing other people and that I might turn on you in this battle. Is that what they think? And he's like, yeah, I know, it's crazy, right? And David's like, yeah, this is really unfair. David says that I can't fight against the enemies of my lord the King. It's still unclear to us in this text whether or not he actually means a kish or whether or not he means Saul. David is very tactical in his approach to all of this. He seems outraged, but he's going to leave. And Achish answered David and said, I know that you are blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, he shall not go up with us to the battle. Now then, rise early in the morning with the servants of your Lord who came with you, and start early in the morning and depart as soon as you have light.So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel. Okay, so a couple of things happened in this text. First of all, we are, I think, intended to see some of the humor of this situation. And I do believe that the Philistine lords are right and that Akish is wrong, but we're not actually going to ever find out what David fully intended to do. But David's leaving. So this slow moving crash that we've been watching is not going to have David in it. And in some ways we see that the Lord is guiding this kind of behind the scenes. Doesn't really tell us that, but it just seems like the Lord's helping David out. But also some of what the text is doing is for all of time and all the readers forever to say, when Saul fought the Philistines and died, David was not there. He had been with the Philistines. He was not there. They sent him home. That's some of the work that this passage is doing is. It's just helping, you know, helping everybody know. It's not skipping this information. David wasn't there.But I said, david's going to face a tragedy, and it's not what we thought. So we're about to find out what, what has happened, what, what is, what's going on.> Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag and had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire,> and had taken the women and those who were in it captive, both small and great; they killed no one, but carried them off and went on their way.> So David and his men came to the city and found it burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters taken captive.> Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep.> David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.> And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.> Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.> And David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue after this raiding party? Shall I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and rescue."> So David set out, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.> But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred remained behind, who were so weak that they could not cross the brook Besor.> They found an Egyptian in the open country, and they brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate; and they gave him water to drink,> and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.> And David said to him, "To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?" He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago.> We made a raid on the Negeb of the Cherethites and on the Negeb of Judah and on the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire."> And David said to him, "Can you take me down to this raiding party?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this raiding party."> And he took him down and behold, they were spread out over the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.> And David struck them from the twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.> And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.> Nothing was lacking to them, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David brought them all back.> And David took all the flocks and the herds, and drove them before those who were with him, and they drove on before him as far as Aroer.> And when David came to the two hundred men who were so weak that they could not follow him, they came out to meet him to meet the men who had come with him. And David came near to the people and greeted them.> But all the wicked men and worthless fellows among the men who went with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not share with them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may take his wife and his children, and be gone."> Then David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us.> For who will listen to you in this matter? But as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike."> And he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel from that day onward to this day.> Then David came to Ziklag, and sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, "Behold a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD:> to those in Bethel, and to those in Ramoth of the Negeb, to those in Jattir,> to those in Aroer, to the people in Siphmoth, to those in Eshtemoa,> to those in Rachal, to those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to those in the cities of the Kenaites,> to those in Hormah, to those in Bor-ashan, to those in Athach, and to those in Hebron,> to all the places where David and his men had wandered."So when they came back on the third day, the Amalekites had attacked and had burned Ziklag and taken their wives and children. When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and daughters taken captive. They raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.First response is just brokenness, lament, weeping, raising their voices until they're spent. David's two wives also had been taken captive. Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because all the people were bitter in soul. Each for his sons and daughters. So there's this moment where they start just saying, well, let's just kill David. They're bitter in soul. They don't really have a good plan. They don't really know what to do, but they just say, well, let's just kill David. If this is what it's like to follow him, let's be done with that.And there is this moment, and you can see it, where there's something very real about men who spend their lives defending and protecting and caring for their wives and children. And when that's not there, what am I doing and what do we do next? And it says, but David strengthened himself in the Lord, his God. And David said to Abiathar, we're see, somehow he does that. Abiathar, the priest, the son of Ahimelech, bring me the ephod. So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. Now, this is the first time we've seen him do this since chapter 26. The last time we saw David make a big decision, it said he just reasoned it in his heart and did something. And now he's saying, bring me the ephod. And this is good. We've been wanting to see this, but David, in this moment of utter despair, absolutely bottomed out. He turns to the Lord.And David inquired of the Lord, shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue. Can you imagine the moment that David hears that? He says, should we chase after him? And God says, go, because it'll work. And you know, David had to go strap his belt on. He said, we're going to. The Lord said, it's going to work. Let's go. We're going to catch them. Let's go. And they would have left some sort of sign. A whole group coming in and a whole group going out is going to leave some sign. Now there's a chance that they could lose it or they could split up, but they've got something to go on and they begin to head in that direction, tracking after this group that's burned their city and taken their families. And if there's a group of focused men, it's right here.David set out and the 600 men who were with him and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. But David pursued. He and 400 men, 200 stayed behind who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. So they've traveled up, traveled back, wept themselves dry, and then said, let's go to war. They get to a place that's going to be difficult to travel over, difficult to get baggage across, and 200 of them just can't keep going. I don't know if you've ever been working and working and working or running and running and running and laboring and doing these sort of things, and then you stop for just a bit, drink some water, catch your breath, and suddenly your body doesn't work anymore. And if you hadn't stopped, you might could have kept going. But now it's not functioning. That seems what some of these guys happen, they just, they sit down and they're crazy, cramping up legs. They're just like, I can't keep going. But 400 keep going.They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. So as they're traveling along, as they're tracking, they find an Egyptian. And it seems like they have some people out in different areas trying to scout and figure out which way to go. They find this guy, they bring him to David and they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink. They gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived. Okay, so he was having a spirit problem, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. He was sick. So he was doing poorly before he got left there, but he's been there. So they find a guy who's almost dead and they're just pumping him full of stuff till he can talk. David said to him, to whom do you belong and where are you from? He said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite. My master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites, which is most likely the way that they refer to the Philistines, and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag with fire.And David said to him, will you take me down to this band? So they found a guy who was with them and they said, tell us where they're going. He said, swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master and I will take you down to this band. So he's all hyped up on raisins and figs, and now he's negotiating and he says, yes, I'll take you if you don't kill me, which is a real good chance that they might and don't return me to their master. Well, they're not showing up and giving presents to the Amalekites. So that one, I don't think they were in really any danger of happening. He doesn't seem to know who he's talking to. But these people really want to find them. And they seem to agree to some terms because he makes a statement. And then it just goes to verse 16.And when he had taken him down behold they were spread abroad over all the land eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. So they find this group that has suddenly just started taking over this whole section. Partying. And if we weren't upset with them enough, this party has eating. And as Baptists were like, okay, but then drinking and dancing. They gotta die, y'. All. They are celebrating with the spoils that they have this massive celebration spread out across the land. And it says they see them, they've caught them, and here's what happens.And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day. And not a man of them escaped except for 400 young men who mounted camels and fled. So interesting. This takes a long time. They are just fighting for a long time. At least twilight sometimes can refer to morning twilight, even though we don't use it that way. And evening of the next day, their day started at 6pm so it is possible that what it is saying is the shortest amount of time was one whole day, but it could have been a night and a day or a day and another night, but at least the whole day of working their way through and fighting and differing amounts of, you know, if there's a party going on down there and people start yelling and it sounds like there's a fight, you might. Wouldn't catch you exactly what was happening until it was happening. And it says not a man was left except for 400 of them that got away on camels. Which tells us a couple of things.One, I just appreciate the way that's worded. Everyone was dead and someone was like, what about those 400, except for the 400 guys on camels? Which makes you think that camels are like the motorcycle of that day. You know, my wife and I watch cop shows and police officers will thank people on motorcycles. They'll be like, thank you for pulling over like that. They'll chase you in a car. Motorcycles are just like. That's what camels are like. They're like, pull. They're on camels. Ain't nobody catching them. But it also tells you that there was a massive amount of people because David shows up with 400 and it says they killed everybody except for 400. Meaning that the amount of Amalekites here, they were way outnumbered, but they win.And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken and David rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing. Whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. David also captured all the flocks and herds and the people drove the livestock before him and said, this is David's spoil. And then David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to follow David and who had been left at the brook Besor. So they drove the cattle in front of them. So these guys are exhausted. It's been another, at least day, two days, three days. They're regaining their strength and they're waiting, not really knowing what to do now. And then flocks and herds start showing up. At first you're thinking maybe somebody. And then it's like there's too many of them. And you're like, this is a good sign. And then their families show up. And you know, there's got to be people looking for everybody. And there's moments where you don't know, are they here? Are they here? And guess what, y'? All, it says that they're all there. There wasn't a single husband, father that went out and didn't get that moment of wrapping his arms back around and retrieving what was left lost.And when they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with them, and when David came near to the people, he greeted them then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that has been, that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children and depart. So some of them say, well, they sat here hanging out by a creek, like, they don't. They can have their kids back, but that's it. But David said, you shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, he has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. Who. Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage, they shall share alike. And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.So some of what it's helping us see is like, why that's a rule for them. But it's also, this isn't the main thing we're going to talk about today. But I can't help but point this out. In this, I see a beautiful picture of what Jesus is like. When they're marching all the spoil back. They announce, this is David's spoil, that it was all his and at his discretion. And then worthless fellows get in the middle of it, and he immediately calls them brother. He says, you won't do that, brother. And then it goes to everybody. Everybody's blessed and it's like that's what Jesus does. He's a good, wise king who restores what is lost and brings it all back. That through the work of Christ in the middle of our sin, our sin doesn't win. And he ultimately restores everything the way it was meant to be. He's ultimately eternally going to fix it. And he makes worthless people his brothers. And everybody is brought in and shared with, even the ones who couldn't accomplish anything on their own. So I sorry I can't read that and not tell you how amazing Jesus is.When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord. So he's sending gifts. It was for those in Bethel and Ramoth, of the Negeb, in Jatir, in Aroer, in Sifmoth, in Eshtemoah, in Rachal, in the cities of the Jerahomeliites, in the cities of the Kenites. I got that one in Horma, in Borshan, in Ak, in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed. So he sends out, he has all this spoil that they got, and he sends it back and out to all the people where he's been wandering around. And he doesn't send any to the zip. It's because they told on him multiple times. But he sends it to the other people near where he had been, and he gives them gifts and says, this is from the enemies of the Lord, and he blesses all of them.I want to go back in the story to the moment where they find out that their families are gone and their city is burned. Because I want us to take a moment to investigate what does it look like to come out of those kind of moments. And I think David gives us a good example. So I just want to go back to verse four, it says they wept. And then in verse six, it says, and David was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him because all the people were bitter soul, each for his sons and daughters. Okay. I think it is helpful for us to realize that we are perfectly capable of that type of decision making. Is stoning David going to fix anything? No. Will it make the situation worse? Yes. Is David the one who's actually going to lead them out of this problem? Yes. But they're starting to think maybe we should just kill David. And they probably have some reasons, but their reasoning is not good.And one of the things that we need to know is perfectly within our grasp in these type of situations is for us to have an overwhelming desire to do something, to react, to respond, got to do something. And quite often the thing we pick is unwise, harmful. Quite often the ideas that we come up with are not good ideas. This is one of the reasons why we're blessed to have church family around us. So that when we announce, I'm going to do this, sometimes it's like, no, don't, don't do that. And you're really annoyed by them saying that, don't tell me what to do. It's like, but I don't want to. But, no, don't do that. Telling you what not to do is different. This is, we'll choose people, start making big life decisions, change their job, move locations, run to whatever makes them feel safe, run to whatever makes them forget. This is how we get run. We run to substances, we run to sin, we run to anger, sexual sin. This is how we get hermits and hoarders. Like, this is the stuff where we respond to something and we just got to make a decision that is perfectly within our ability to do that.But David takes a different track. It says, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. So David turns to the Lord in this moment. He does. He has nowhere else to turn. He turns to the Lord, which is the place to turn. And one of the things I think we need to realize is that if you've never turned to the Lord ever, when something really bad happens, then you should. But as Christians, we want to be very practiced in this so that when everything falls apart, this is the only thing we know how to do. This is one of the reasons why people who do like fighting sports and those sort of things, they practice over and over and over and over again so that when they get their bell rung and they're not thinking clearly, they can keep moving and doing what they're. And that's some of what we need to be. You need to be in the Word on a regular basis. You need to. So that when these kind of moments happen in life that you go, I don't know what else to do, but I'm going to read, I'm going to pray. I'm going to get around church, family. You're going to call people and say, y' all need to come read, you need to come pray, you need to come. I don't have the strength for this right now. I need somebody to read this to me. I need someone to talk this out with me. I need somebody when I say some idea that doesn't make any sense. I need some people here who are going to help point me back to Jesus.But that's what he does. He turns to the Lord, and we're going to see what he does, specifically, how he strengthens himself. David said to Abiathar, the priest, the son of Ahimelech, bring me the Ephod. So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the Lord, shall I pursue this band? What David seeks is a word from the Lord, some clarity from the Lord, some direction from the Lord, and he goes to the place that he has access to it, which is in the Ephod, but we have access to it in the Scriptures, so that we get to be people who read our Bibles. And in these moments, read more, not less. There are times where as pastors, we'll say, you need to go home and you need to open the New Testament, you need to go to Ephesians, you need to go to Romans, and you need to start reading. And I know that sometimes it's like I don't have the energy for that. It's like, you don't have the energy to not do that. It's like I'm dying in a desert. And we're like, you need to drink water. And you're like, I don't know if I can. It's like, no, you've got to. We get to and have to. We must come to the Word and say, lord, I need your help. I need your wisdom. I need your clarity. And lean into the Word the way that David does. He seeks a word from the Lord.I think sometimes when we say that, when we say, anytime, we say, you need to read your Bible. It's like, okay, good, but I really want something to do. I really want something actual. And what we mean is something along the lines of stoning David. I want something I can do. I get it. Read my Bible. Then what? And it's like, but you're missing it if that's the way you think about it. When Jesus teaches a sermon on the mount, he ends with, if you'll hear my words and do them, you'll be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rains came and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. So if you hear my words and you don't do them, then you'll be like a fool who built his house on sand. And the rains came and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and the house fell. And great was the fall of it. The storm hits both houses, the winds beat both houses, but one of them has a foundation, has something to hold on to, has something it's built into. It'd be like if you hired a contractor. And I said, how's the house development going? You're like, they're wasting a lot of time on that foundation. We could have a three story house by now. And it's like, with no foundation. What are you talking about? Like, you need the foundation. You need. We have to have that. You need direction before you move.In the Pirates of the Caribbean movies where Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow and he's doing all this all the time, he's got a compass. And we find out in one of the later movies that that compass isn't a real compass. It doesn't point north. It points towards what Jack most wants. And so many of us, that's the compass we're running around with. It just points towards what we want. And so we're going, I'm looking at my compass and it says, go this way. And it's like, that compass is not a compass. At one point they're out in the ocean and it's pointing at a girl who's on the boat. That's the compass we run around with. So often it's just pointing at something that's moving around that changes from day to day. Do you know how often your moods change, your desires change, how often your wisdom falters and fails? And how many times you've said, if I could just have this, I'd be happy. If I could just have that, I. I'd be happy. And how often your Compass has been bouncing around, and we need one that points to the same place all the time. And if you're in a storm in the middle of the ocean, you don't have any landmarks. So when the clouds begin to clear and you get to set a course, you don't know where you are. And if you have a compass that points nowhere, you don't know where to go. So we need to be people of the Word who know how to move. And that's what happens. David seeks the Lord and it says this. He says, shall I pursue? Shall I overtake? He answered them, pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue. So David set out.Now, if that had said anything else, we would be furious. If it said, you shall pursue, that's a command. You shall surely overtake. You shall surely rescue. And then it said, so David sat down. So David cried more, louder. He'd be like, what is what go? Because we would be reading the text and saying, you have a promise, you have a command, you have something to stand on, you have something to hold on to. You have something that will help drive you forward. You have something solid. And so often we're in the middle of these situations and I want you to know that the Bible has something solid that we can hold onto. It's got some truth, some promises that have been made to us, some realities that are ours. When Jesus commissions the church, he says, I will be with you always to the end of the age. That there's never a time where he leaves us or forsakes us. And in these moments we can know that, Lord, you've promised to be with me, so be with me. But I'm going to act. I'm going to move as if you're here and you're helping. I'm going to trust your spirit to indwell me. He says that the spirit not to grieve the Holy Spirit who sealed us from the day of redemption. Meaning that if I belong to Jesus, if I trust him, his spirit is in me and I am kept. He tells his disciples, my disciples know my voice. They hear my voice and they follow. My sheep hear my voice and follow me. And he says, and no one will snatch them out of my hand so that you can in these moments go, Lord, I know that you're going to keep me. I know that you're going to hold me, and I need you to that we have promises that we can lean into because what you believe matters. You act out of what you believe. So we have to be people who know what is true, know what is real, know the promises of God and hold onto them. And also know that he holds on to us so that we won't be lost in these situations when we don't know what to do.I want to read Romans 8 because I just want you to see one of these promises. Romans 8 begins by saying there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ.> There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.> > Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?> > As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."> > No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.> > For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,> > nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.That when you're going, everything is falling apart. Well, there's a promise that you won't be separated from his love, that he'll be with you, that he'll keep you, that he'll get you to the end, that he can't be conquered by circumstance. There's some things that help ground us and hold us so that we might move forward in faith and in hope. He says no. In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I'm sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation. He covers that. Because if you were like, well, what about this? He said, all of it will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, that if you belong to Jesus, you belong to Jesus and you are his and he will keep you and he will hold you, and you will be able to stand in the middle of these things and you get to run to His Word and say, Lord, I need this more than I need anything else. And then you can move forward with practical steps. But you've got to do this first.Let's pray.Lord, we pray that we would be people who in the depths of our despair, because the storm is coming. It hits every house, it hits every life. There's moments where we all have ziklag or smoke rises. Lord, we pray that we would be people who would cling to the promises, that would know your word and would trust you. You. Because a promise is as good as the one who makes it. And you have died for us. You have risen, you have resurrected, you have hope that is ours in you. You are the king of all things. So may we be a people of the word, who seek you in the midst of our despair. Who love one another well in the midst of our despair. And who cling to the hope that's in Christ. Because there's nothing else to cling to. In Jesus name, Amen.The band's gonna come. We're gonna sing. One of the reasons we sing on Sundays is to worship the Lord. But also to help truth go from our heads to our hearts. And to rehearse for ourselves what is real. And so we're gonna sing together, reminding ourselves and each other of how good the Lord is and the hope that we have.

This week, developments in the Middle East have once again drawn our attention to the prophetic Scriptures. Israel is escalating its military operations in Gaza City, while the region faces worsening famine and starvation.These events reflect the ongoing hostility from the Gaza Strip—the ancient territory of the Philistines—and speak to the latter-day prophecies concerning this region.

Who were the 70 nations that would shape all of human history? In this episode, Rabbi Bentzi Epstein reveals the background of the 70 nations mentioned in Genesis Chapter 10. You'll discover why Nimrod, whose very name means "rebellion," became the world's first king and how he convinced an entire generation to join his uprising against the Almighty.From the shores of ancient Gaza to the great city of Nineveh (yes, the same one Jonah visited), trace the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth as they spread across the earth. Learn why the Philistines have nothing to do with Palestinians, how the Romans tried to erase Jewish history by renaming Israel, and what made Abraham's mission so revolutionary compared to his teachers Shem and Eber.This episode sets the stage for next week's Tower of Babel—but first, you need to understand how 70 nations became the blueprint for human civilization, and why one man's rebellion would echo through the ages.

1 Samuel 4:1-18. The corruption in the tabernacle comes to fruition. Website: https://www.papasbiblestories.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papasbiblestories/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papasbiblestories/   Email: papasbiblestories@gmail.com  If you would like to support this ministry, donation options can be found here: https://www.papasbiblestories.com/support/  Looking for an episode transcript? https://www.papasbiblestories.com/73     

This chapter highlights the capture of Rabbah and the Philistine giants killed.

FACEBOOK COPY: Who are we letting close enough to carry our armor?

We dive into the iconic story of David and Goliath. Facing the taunts and threats of the Philistine giant Goliath, the Israelite army is paralyzed by fear. Young David, a shepherd from Bethlehem, arrives on the scene and, confident in God's power, volunteers to fight the seemingly unbeatable warrior. Rejecting Saul's armor, David approaches Goliath with only a staff, a sling, and five smooth stones. Declaring that the battle belongs to the Lord, David uses a single stone to begin a day of victory for Israel.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

Send us a textCould the shortest book in the Old Testament hold the key to understanding today's Middle East conflict? Dive into the prophetic words of Obadiah that reveal a divine perspective on Israel's territorial claims in Gaza.Written after Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, Obadiah delivers both historical judgment and future prophecy. When the prophet declares "those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines," he's speaking directly about what we now call the Gaza Strip. This ancient text predicts that Israel will reclaim territories God originally promised them—a perspective that challenges contemporary political narratives advocating for a two-state solution.The October 7th attacks and subsequent military responses occurred precisely in the geographical region Obadiah described thousands of years ago. We're witnessing God "reshaping what He has prophesied to take place" as ancient empires resurrect and territorial borders shift. While many self-proclaimed experts offer political solutions, scripture provides clarity: God's plan includes Israel recovering their biblical inheritance despite international pressure.Understanding these prophecies requires more than casual Bible reading. God intentionally challenges us to "dig" into His Word with the Holy Spirit's guidance. Only by seeking divine wisdom rather than popular opinion can we discern truth in these complex times. As Jeremiah 1:12 reminds us, God actively watches over His word to fulfill it—past, present, and future exist simultaneously to Him.Join us in exploring how ancient prophecy illuminates current events. Whether you're well-versed in biblical prophecy or simply curious about a spiritual perspective on global conflicts, this episode offers profound insights into God's unfolding plan. Subscribe to Chronicles of the End Times for more biblical analysis of today's headlines and discover how scripture predicted what news analysts missed.Support the show

On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 2     the Lord loves the gates of Zion     more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. 3 Glorious things of you are spoken,     O city of God.  4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;     behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—     “This one was born there,” they say. 5 And of Zion it shall be said,     “This one and that one were born in her”;     for the Most High himself will establish her. 6 The Lord records as he registers the peoples,     “This one was born there.”  7 Singers and dancers alike say,     “All my springs are in you.”1.     Which bothers you more, exclusivity or inclusivity?2.     God was exclusive in order to be inclusive. Does this make sense to you? Can you put that in your own words?3.     Who are your Philistines or Gazans? Who do you not want to be your neighbor?4.     How should new life in Jesus impact the way you treat and welcome others?5.     How can always re-focusing on Jesus reduce the barriers to entry in our community?

Today, we're going to pick up on the story where David is about to face off with Goliath:1 Samuel 17:32-37 NLT“Don't worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I'll go fight him!” “Don't be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”David saw his life of being alone in the shepherd's field as preparation for just such a moment. He saw the protection of his sheep from the mouths of lions and bears as training for protecting God's people from the hands of a giant. David didn't see a difference in the circumstances because he had the same God helping him defeat the threat in both places.Listen to the shepherd-warrior's words once again: “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:34-37 NLT) No, you aren't fighting lions and bears or even giants, but the principle behind David's mindset can be yours today.Can you remember a time that God gave you the strength to do something beyond your own ability? A time where you prayed and asked for help, and God showed up and gave you strength you didn't know you had? Picture that situation.The same God is with you now. He has never left you since He formed you in your mother's womb. He is here to help you in every battle and struggle your life.Fill in David's words with your own right now. When I pause, in your own mind, fill in the blanks for you: The Lord who rescued me from … will rescue me from this too!”Let's pray: “Father, thank You that You have always been with me. Strengthen me and fill me with Your courage today to face my giant. Like David, I know You are with me. As above, so below.”

We are called to always respect God and live in a way that manifests the fear of the Lord before him. And this is important, because if we're going to hear from God and serve God and be found faithful before God, we need to demonstrate a reverence for him in everything that we do. And we're going to see that the Philistines and the Israelites did not demonstrate this proper reverence for the Lord, and because of that, on the day that the Philistines returned the ark of the Lord to Israel, we see that it turned into a day of judgment. To donate please visit us at:https://loveisrael.org/donate/Checks may be sent to:LoveIsrael.org6355 N Courtenay Parkway Merritt Island, FL 32953Feel free to download our MyBibleStudy App on telephone https://get.theapp.co/yjjqwe don't know how long we can post the teachings on YT https://www.instagram.com/mybiblestudyofficial/ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1256/29

This passionate sermon by Pastor Robert Tisdale at Tampa Life Church emphasizes the importance of purity, obedience, and eliminating compromises in one's spiritual life. Drawing from biblical narratives like the Passover in Egypt and the teachings of Jesus and Paul, Pastor Tisdale underscores the need for 'sweeping the house'—removing sin and influences that hinder spiritual freedom and growth. He highlights examples from both the Old and New Testaments, including the metaphor of yeast representing sin and impurity, and the impact of one person's actions on their community. The sermon encourages believers to stand firm in their faith, fight for their families, and resist the trends of normalization of compromising behaviors, ultimately inspiring them to create a legacy of obedience and blessing.00:00 Getting Ready for Urgent Matters00:18 The Night in Egypt: A Prelude to Freedom01:03 The Command to Sweep the House01:59 The Symbolism of Yeast and Purity02:29 God's Fast Deliverance02:59 The Call to Sweep the House05:08 The Annual Tradition of Unleavened Bread06:11 Paul's Warning to the Galatians07:25 Jesus' Teachings on Leaven08:21 The Leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herod11:06 The Story of Aiken's Sin14:35 The Rechabites' Obedience18:07 The Importance of Consistency and Obedience22:52 The Power of Small Things24:49 Shamma's Stand Against the Philistines29:30 The Call to Stand Firm and Fight32:04 Fighting for What Matters32:34 The Power of Standing Firm36:06 Learned Helplessness and Overcoming It43:09 The Importance of Small Things46:02 A Call to Action and Prayer50:23 Fighting for Family and Faith55:30 Breakthrough and Joy

Steven Gaines is an author, journalist, and radio show host who has written various best selling books that include Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons, The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles, Heroes and Villains: The True Story of the Beach Boys, and Marjoe, the biography of evangelist Marjoe Gortner. This episode we focus on his journalistic career and some of the work and perspective he had that led to his two works on the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

This morning we continue our study verse by verse through the book of Judges. Samson is the current judge over Israel during the days of the Philistines. Unfortunately, he manages to forsake God's covenant, transgress God's law, ignore God's wisdom, and try God's patience. In addition to all these things, Samson demonstrates a terrible pattern of anger and revenge. Despite his complete failure as God's envoy, Samson still finds God's grace in the midst of it all. Scripture text is Judges 14:1-15:20.

Sunday, August 3, 2025 Holland Gospel Chapel Holland, MI

Today's episode in Politics on Trial is about three trials that took place over two months in the late spring of 1895 that brought about the destruction of Oscar Wilde. Why did Wilde trigger his own doom by suing his nemesis Lord Queensbury for libel? What did he fail to understand about how he would come across in a courtroom? And how did the persecution of Wilde and his gay lifestyle reveal the hidden terrors of late Victorian England and its high society, up to and including the prime minister? Out now on PPF+: Part 2 of David's latest conversation with Robert Saunders in which they talk about the past, present and future of the politics of unemployment. Can Labour ever again be the party of labour? Whose work is it anyway? To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up now to PPF+ https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus Tickets are now available for our autumn film season at the Regent Street Cinema in London, starting on 5th September with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's Rope followed by a live recording of PPF with special guests Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, aka the best-selling husband-and-wife crime-writing duo Nicci French. For tickets and details on all the films https://www.ppfideas.com/events Next time in Politics on Trial: Dreyfus vs the Conspiracy Theory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We delve into the story of Saul's disobedience and its consequences for his kingship over Israel. Initially appointed as king and leading Israel to victory, Saul's failure to obey God's commands ultimately leads to his rejection as king. We explore the critical moment when Saul, out of fear and impatience, offers burnt offerings instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel, resulting in a severe rebuke and the loss of his kingdom. Contrasting Saul's disobedience, we highlight his son Jonathan's faith and bravery in launching a successful surprise attack against the Philistines, showcasing God's power to save by many or by few.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

In this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally explore 2 Kings 16:10-18 and 2 Chronicles 28:16-25, tracing the tragic reign of King Ahaz of Judah. Faced with military threats from Israel, Syria, Edom, and the Philistines, Ahaz turns not to the Lord but to Assyria for help—paying tribute with treasures from the Temple and even remodeling Judah's worship to imitate pagan practices. Instead of rescue, Assyria brings further oppression, and Ahaz sinks deeper into idolatry, closing the Temple and filling the land with altars to false gods. Curtis and Sally reflect on how Ahaz's decisions reveal a familiar human pattern: seeking success by imitating worldly power, trusting in human alliances instead of God, and hardening the heart when things go wrong. They contrast this with the call of Christ's kingdom, where true greatness comes through servanthood and trust in the Lord. The conversation challenges listeners to examine where they place their hope, to repent when tempted to rely on their own understanding, and to remember that ultimate victory belongs to God alone.

We explore the dramatic events surrounding Israel's demand for a king. We begin with the Philistines capturing the ark of the covenant and experiencing divine retribution until they return it to Israel. Samuel leads a spiritual revival, urging the Israelites to turn away from idols and serve Yahweh alone. However, as Samuel ages, his corrupt sons take over as judges, prompting the Israelites to demand a king to rule over them like other nations. Despite Samuel's warnings about the consequences, the people insist, and God instructs Samuel to grant their request.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

Chapter 17 of Heroes in the Bible: David with Dr. Tony Evans is inspired by 1 Samuel 31. Death of a King - The first King of Israel marches into battle for the last time. With an arrow in his side and Philistines surrounding him, Saul breathes his last breath. Today's opening prayer is inspired by John 10:10, GThe thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. Listen to some of the greatest Bible stories ever told and make prayer a priority in your life by downloading the Pray.com app. Sign up for Heroes in the Bible devotionals at https://www.heroesinthebible.com/  Learn more about Dr. Tony Evans at https://tonyevans.org/  Heroes in the Bible is sponsored by ACCU. Earn $500 when you switch your bank to ACCU, learn more at AmericasChristianCU.com/PraySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We delve into the story of Samuel and the decline of Eli's household. Samuel, dedicated to Yahweh by his mother Hannah, grows up in the Tabernacle under the mentorship of Eli. Despite Eli's attempts to guide them, his sons live wickedly, leading to God's judgment on their family. Samuel receives a divine call, foretelling the downfall of Eli's house. The prophecy is fulfilled during a battle with the Philistines, where Eli's sons die and the Ark of the Covenant is captured. Eli himself dies upon hearing the news, marking the end of his leadership.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

What do we do when we’re walking through spiritual wilderness—those dry, difficult seasons that test our faith and strip us of comfort? In this moving devotional, Megan J. Conner invites us to consider what it means to build altars in the wilderness—not as monuments to our victories, but as places of sacrifice, surrender, and transformation. Drawing from Genesis 22 and the powerful story of Abraham and Isaac, this episode explores the sacred difference between memorials and altars, and how God uses wilderness moments to draw us deeper into trust, humility, and full dependence on Him. If you’re feeling lost, weary, or stretched beyond your limits, this is a tender reminder that God meets us in the wilderness, and often calls us to lay down what’s most precious so that new life can rise. Highlights (What You’ll Learn) The distinction between biblical monuments and altars, and why it matters for your faith What Abraham’s altar moment teaches us about deep surrender and costly obedience How spiritual “wilderness” seasons are often invitations to intimacy and transformation Why humility and sacrifice are central themes of the Christian journey Encouragement that what you lay down in obedience, God often raises up in new life