Study Desk

As surely as the Lord , the God of Israel, lives, if you hadn't come quickly to meet me, not one man in Nabal's family would have lived until tomorrow morning. But the Lord prevented me from hurting you."

Abishai said to David, "Today God has given your enemy to you. Let me pin Saul to the ground with his spear. I'll only do it once!"

Then Saul said to David, "God bless you, David my son. You will do great things and you will win." David went on his way, and Saul went back home.

He prayed to the Lord , but the Lord did not answer him. God did not talk to Saul in dreams. God did not use the Urim to give him an answer, and God did not use prophets to speak to Saul.

Samuel said to Saul, "Why did you bother me? Why did you bring me up?" Saul answered, "I am in trouble! The Philistines have come to fight me, and God has left me. God won't answer me anymore. He won't use prophets or dreams to answer me, so I called you. I want you to tell me what to do."

Achish answered, "I believe that you are a good man. You are like an angel from God. But the Philistine captains still say, ‘David can't go with us into battle.'

All the men in the army were sad and angry because their sons and daughters were taken as prisoners. The men were talking about killing David with stones. This upset David very much, but he found strength in the Lord his God.

David asked the Egyptian, "Will you lead me to the people who took our families?" The Egyptian answered, "If you make a special promise before God, I will help you find them. But you must promise that you will not kill me or give me back to my master."

Then Joab said, "As surely as God is alive, if you had not said something, people would still be chasing their brothers in the morning."

The Lord promised with an oath that he would take the kingdom away from Saul's family and give it to David. And I swear I will make sure that happens. God will make David king of Judah and Israel. He will rule from Dan to Beersheba."

All day long people came to encourage David to eat food. But David had made a special promise. He said, "May God punish me and give me many troubles if I eat bread or any other food before the sun goes down."

But the Lord was angry with Uzzah and killed him for that mistake. Uzzah showed he did not honor God when he touched the Holy Box, so he died there by God's Holy Box.

Nathan told David about that vision. He told David everything God had said.

Then King David went in and sat in front of the Lord . David said, "Lord God , why am I so important to you? Why is my family important? Why have you made me so important?

I am nothing but a servant, but Lord God , you have also said these kind things about my future family. Lord God , you don't always talk like this to people, do you?

How can I continue talking to you? Lord God , you know that I am only a servant.

Lord God , this is why you are so great! There is no one like you. There is no god except you! We know that because of what we ourselves have heard about what you did.

You made the people of Israel your very own people forever, and Lord , you became their God.

"Now, Lord God, you promised to do something for me, your servant, and for my family. Now please do what you promised—make my family a family of kings forever!

Then your name will be honored forever. People will say, ‘The Lord God All-Powerful rules Israel! And may the family of your servant David continue to be strong in serving you.'