1 Samuel 21-24, Insane, Five Loaves; David’s Parents protected by Jordan; City Gates; En Gedi, Dead Sea; Who Shapes Our Conscience?; Do Not Speak Evil

1 Samuel 21-24Insane, Five Loaves And Two Fish

David’s Parents were protected by Jordan

City Gates; En Gedi and the Dead Sea

Who Shapes Our Conscience?

Do Not Speak Evil

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave Kooyers

Valley Bible Fellowship

Box 433

Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers

www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325

God bless you as you examine His Word,

Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ"(Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.

Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

1 Samuel 21

Insane; Five Loaves And Two Fish;

1 Sam. 21:1 Then David

came to Nob…

4

Douay-Rheims Bible Outline

• 3. David Prepares for Saul’s Pursuit (21:1-22:5)

• a. David Eats and Arms Himself at Nob (21:1-9)

• b. David Seeks Refuge in Gath (21:10-15)

• c. David Gathers Forces at Adullam (22:1-2)

• d. David Hides His Parents at Mizpah (22:3-5)

• 4. Saul Slaughters the Priests at Nob (22:6-23)

• 5. David Saves Keilah from the Philistines (23:1-6)

• 6. The Philistines Save David from Saul (23:7-29)

• C. David Spares Saul’s Life (24:1-26:25)

• 1. David Spares Saul in the Cave (24:1-22)

5

1 Samuel 21:1 Ahimelech vs. Abimelech

• NAU 1 Samuel 21:1 Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, "Why are you alone and no one with you?”

• NAU Psalm 34:1 A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

6

1 Samuel 21:2, Truth?

• NAU 1 Samuel 21:2 David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, 'Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the young men to a certain place.’

• David is lying!

1 Samuel 21:3Five Loaves And Two Fish

• NAU 1 Samuel 21:3 "Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.” 4 And the priest answered David and said, "There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”

• Mark 6:41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish…

• Horace Bushnell said, “Trust God for great things; with your five loaves and two fishes, he will show you a way to feed thousands.”

1 Samuel 21:4, Jesus Used This

• NAS Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Behold, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath." 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he became hungry, he and his companions; 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 "Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath, and are innocent? 6 "But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here.

1 Samuel 21:5, Open Vessels

• Julie Price tells, “My husband had four major blockages in his heart, so the doctors planned for an open-heart surgery. On the morning of the surgery, I drove to the hospital, worried and tense. But my spirits lifted when I passed a church only two blocks before the hospital. The church sign announced the coming sermon:

• WANTED—OPEN VESSELS.”

1 Samuel 21:6, Is Picking Grain To Eat Breaking The Law?

• There were no McDonald’s along the highway then.

• Hospitality was a life or death matter in the desert.

• Inhospitality to a desert traveler could be considered an act of war.

• Deuteronomy 23:25 "When you enter your neighbor's standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor's standing grain.

1 Samuel 21:10, Gath

• NAU 1 Samuel 21:10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath.

12

1 Samuel 21:10 David … went to

Achish king of Gath

13

• NAU 1 Samuel 21:13 So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard.

1 Samuel 21:13, Insane

• NAU Acts 26:24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad."

Acts 26:24, Mad, Insane

1 Samuel 22King David’s Parents were protected by

Moab, Jordan

Douay-Rheims Bible Outline

• c. David Gathers Forces at Adullam (22:1-2)

• d. David Hides His Parents at Mizpah (22:3-5)

• 4. Saul Slaughters the Priests at Nob (22:6-23)

18

1 Samuel 22:1, Adullam?

• NAU 1 Samuel 22:1 So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam [a caveman?]; and when his brothers and all his father's household heard of it, they went down there to him.

• NAU Genesis 38:1 …Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her and went in to her.

• Joshua 12:7-15 Now these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated beyond the Jordan toward the west… 15…the king of Adullam…

1 Samuel 22:2, David’s Gang

• NAU 1 Samuel 22:2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.

• I wonder if the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men came from this Bible story?

20

1 Samuel 22:3, David’s Parents were protected by Moab, Jordan?

• NAU 1 Samuel 22:3 And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”

• NAU Psalm 57:1 …A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave…

• NAS Psalm 56:1 …A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath…

21

1 Samuel 22:3, David’s Parents were protected by Moab, Jordan?

• NAU 1 Samuel 22:3 …let my father and my mother come and stay with you…

• David Hocking tells about when he led a tour group into Jordan and he mentioned animosity between Jordan and Israel. The Jordanian tour guide reminded him of this passage.

22

1 Samuel 22:5,

• NAU 1 Samuel 22:5 The prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

23

1 Samuel 22:9Doeg the Edomite

• NAU 1 Samuel 22:9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

• NAU Psalm 52:1 For the choir director. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, "David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”…

24

1 Samuel 22:5

Hereth

25

1 Samuel 23

City Gates

En Gedi and the Dead Sea

Douay-Rheims Bible Outline

• 5. David Saves Keilah from the Philistines (23:1-6)

• 6. The Philistines Save David from Saul (23:7-29)

27

1 Samuel 23:7, City Gates, by Archaeologist Dr. James Fleming of Explorations in Antiquity Center

• “Isn't it interesting the way the Bible says that to judge righteously if you're a prophet is to "lift up your heads, o ye gates." Now gates don't look like heads do they? But, gates have judges.

• Dr. Reagan: That's Psalm 24. "Lift up your heads, O gates, that the King of Glory may come in."

• Dr. Fleming: If you make bad judgments then your heads are bowed down in shame. How then can you say judge righteously and walk with your heads tall? The answer is that you deal justly in the land. And so, the gate is a very important symbol.”

• Explorations in Antiquity Center: Judgment at the City Gates

• Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:56 AM PST

• By Dr. David R. Reagan

• In Bible times, why were city gates so important?

• This question was posed to Dr. James Fleming, one of the most knowledgeable teachers of Biblical Archaeology, on our show Christ in Prophecy. Dr. Fleming lived and taught in Israel for 37 years at Jerusalem University College and at the Hebrew University. His first claim to fame is that he discovered the ancient Eastern Gate buried beneath the current one. Dr. Fleming has walked or motorcycled about every square mile of Israel, and is so familiar with Israel past and present that Israeli tour guides come to him for training.

• He now operates the Explorations in Antiquity Center in LaGrange, Georgia, an interactive museum where people here in the U.S. can experience the life and times of Jesus Christ in the First Century. It's a fascinating place, and so in this series we're going to tour the facility to glean new insights into the Bible by understanding the manners, customs and times of the Bible.

•

• City Gates

• Dr. Reagan: The city's gate was a very important place, wasn't it?

• Dr. Fleming: Yes, amazingly. A city gate is normally located on the hill where your town is set so it has nice access to the plain or valley outside. Because it's usually a lower approach where your gate is, you have to make it extra strong. The easiest place to attack a city would also be the lowest access point. In response, you build up extra towers usually at the highest part.

• For defense, little loop holes are placed on the tower so you could fire out balls and arrows through them, as well as throw down things that aren't very nice on your enemy, such as hot oil. That certainly messed up your whole day!

• Under the road is often drainage, because it's also the lowest place in your town. So, there would have to be drainage going out of the town.

• The most important aspect of the city gate is that it's where your judges sit.

• Dr. Reagan: I always read about them sitting at the gates in the Bible. The judges judge at the gate.

• Dr. Fleming: For the Center's gate towers, each has two gate chambers inside. It's interesting that 3,000 years ago these chambers were called Judge's Chambers, and they included the judges' benches. There would be a judge's chamber on either side and also then usually a U-shaped bench inside where the judges sit. Their placement would also serve as passport control.

• Dr. Reagan: So, nobody could just wander into this city?

• Dr. Fleming: The problem is a security problem. Are we friend or foe? Might we steal things? Do we want to stay the night? Usually there is an open area inside the gate where you would have guards and the people could stay. Also, there is usually a roof or two for those who maybe you don't fully trust them to be in town. Therefore, you can have them sleep up on the roof. If instead it's someone you have known over the years, you will have them go on in and stay at your inns and in people's homes.

• Not only is the placement of the judges by the gates for passport control, but birth records are kept at the gate. The Romans knew that Jews would try to avoid paying their high taxes to Rome for the body count, so they made them go to the place of their birth records. Even though in the Gospels Joseph was living in Nazareth, his birth records were kept in Bethlehem. That's why he had to go on that journey, because the birth records were kept at the gates.

• Even in a small town, you need three judges so there won't be a split decision. Sometimes a judge can't make up his mind, so there will be a good governor will visit the towns at least once a year to process those undecided cases. Understand that Herod Philip was such a governor over Caesarea Philippi which was his territory. Herod Antipas, though, he was not as conscientious.

• The gate is also where you might have some public meetings where crowds could be addressed at the city gate. When the governor or even more the king is visiting, you have a throne already set up for them, such as a little footstool area. This location would be used for the address of the important proclamations of the governor or ruler or even the king coming through.

• The judges' bench is usually covered in the shade. We found in archaeological digs some at the city gates. There are also benches nearby for assisting in important meetings.

1 Samuel 23:7, City Gates

• NAU 1 Samuel 23:7 When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars."

• Dr. Fleming: “…A city gate is normally located on the hill where your town is set so it has nice access to the plain or valley outside. Because it's usually a lower approach where your gate is, you have to make it extra strong. The easiest place to attack a city would also be the lowest access point. In response, you build up extra towers usually at the highest part. For defense, little loop holes are placed on the tower so you could fire out balls and arrows through them, as well as throw down things …such as hot oil… The most important aspect of the city gate is that it's where your judges sit…

• Dr. Fleming: For the Center's gate towers, each has two gate chambers inside. It's interesting that 3,000 years ago these chambers were called Judge's Chambers, and they included the judges' benches. There would be a judge's chamber on either side and also then usually a U-shaped bench inside where the judges sit. Their placement would also serve as passport control. …Not only is the placement of the judges by the gates for passport control, but birth records are kept at the gate… in the Gospels Joseph was living in Nazareth, his birth records were kept in Bethlehem. That's why he had to go on that journey, because the birth records were kept at the gates… This location would be used for the address of the important proclamations of the governor or ruler or even the king coming through…”

• NAU 1 Samuel 23:11 "Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down.” 12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you.” 13 Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah…

32

1 Samuel 23:11, David’s Prayer

1 Samuel 23:11, Buttermilk Prayer

• “A visiting minister was attending a men’s breakfast in Iowa farm county. He asked one of the impressive older farmers in attendance to say grace that morning. After all were seated, the older farmer began:

• “Lord, I hate buttermilk.

• The minister opened one eye and wondered to himself where this was going.

• Then the farmer loudly proclaimed, “Lord, I hate lard.”

• Now the minister was overly worried. However without missing

33

• a beat, the farmer prayed on, “And Lord, you know I don’t care much for raw white flour.”

• Just as the minister was ready to stand up and stop everything, the farmer continued,

• “But Lord, when you mix ‘em all together and bake ‘em up, I do love fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up we don’t like, when life gets hard, when we just don’t understand what you are sayin' to us, we just need to relax and wait ‘till You are done mixin’, and probably it will be somethin' even better than biscuits”. Amen.”

34

1 Samuel 23:11, Buttermilk Prayer

En Gedi and the Dead Sea• NAU 1 Samuel 23:29 David went up from there and

stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.

Fish living by the Dead Sea-Prophecy of Ezekial Unfolding

https://youtu.be/x5A3GkuRaMI

36

1 Samuel 24

Who Shapes Our Conscience? Do Not Speak Evil

Douay-Rheims Bible Outline

• C. David Spares Saul’s Life (24:1-26:25)

• 1. David Spares Saul in the Cave (24:1-22)

38

39

Let’s read 1 Samuel 24:1-7

1 Samuel 24:4, Know Your Enemy

• The military philosopher Sun Tzu famously said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”

• I say it’s better to know your Advocate than your adversary.

• If Job knew the One he thought was his enemy, he would have been better off.

• 1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Samuel 24:5, Conscience

• NAU 1 Samuel 24:5 It came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe.

• The only OT use of the word “conscience”

41

1 Samuel 24:5, The Berean Call full article after “THE END”

Who Shapes Our Conscience?• March 18, 2013, WHO SHAPES OUR CONSCIENCE? [Excerpts]

• What determines our values in today's fast-changing world? Who imprints its values on our conscience? Do parents? Teachers? TheMedia? Or our omnipotent God?It depends! In former times, the Christian conscience played a leading role in American schools and families....We live in a new era! The Bible-trained conscience has largely been replaced by contrary guidelines that twist, scorn, or deny God's truth. Some still point to a conscience, but most people redefine it to match today's cultural values and personal inclinations. These examples illustrate the diversity:

• Social Conscience: "Our conscience is not the vessel of eternal verities [Biblical truth]. It grows with our social life, and a new social condition means a radical change in conscience" (Walter Lippmann, A Preface to Politics, Mitchell Kennerley, New York and London, 1914).

• National Conscience: "Our concept of governing is...a concept deeply rooted in a set of beliefs firmly etched in the national conscience..." (Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, Democratic Convention Keynote Address: "Who Then Will Speak for the Common Good?", New York, New York, July 12, 1976).

• Bypassing the Conscience: "No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls" ("Biography for Ingmar Bergman" athttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000005/bio).

• Mocking the Conscience: "What a man calls his 'conscience' is merely the mental action that follows a sentimental reaction after too much wine or love" (Helen Rowland, A Guide to Men (1922) athttp://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helen_Rowland#A_Guide_to_Men_.281922.29).

• Cultural Conscience: (Christian or not): "The conscience of children is formed by the influences that surround them..." ("The Conscience of Children," at National Character Education Center).

• In stark contrast to the above, Martin Luther dared take a stand against the reign of a corrupt and oppressive church back in April 1521. For his uncompromising faith, he was declared an outlaw on May 25. You may remember his words: "...it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen" ("English Bible History: Martin Luther" at http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/martin-luther.html).

• Back in the 1930s, Adolph Hitler was determined to quench that Bible-trained conscience. It clashed with his Nazi agenda. In twoseparate speeches he said: "Your child belongs to us already.... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the next camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this community" (1933). "This new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will itself take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing" (1937) (William L. Shirer, The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany, 1959). And now, in the fading light of the Biblical conscience, America is headed in the same direction.True liberty depends on our relationship with our heavenly Father! When He draws us to Himself and fills us with His Spirit, Hisguidelines are stamped on our conscience as we "feed on" His Word and heed His "voice." But those who ignore that "voice" will be left with the ever-changing values of an increasingly corrupt world system. What would you choose? "Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck" (1 Timothy 1:19).http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/0013/1-bible-based-conscience.htm

• The Berean Call via thebereancall.ccsend.com• The Berean Call | PO Box 7019 | Bend | OR | 97702

• “What determines our values in today's fast-changing world? Who imprints its values on our conscience? Do parents? Teachers? The Media? Or our omnipotent God? …the Christian conscience played a leading role in American schools and families....We live in a new era! The Bible-trained conscience has largely been replaced by contrary guidelines that twist, scorn, or deny God's truth. Some still point to a conscience, but most people redefine it to match today's cultural values and personal inclinations…

• …Martin Luther dared take a stand against the reign of a corrupt and oppressive church back in April 1521… You may remember his words: "...it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen" ("English Bible History: Martin Luther" at http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/martin-luther.html)…”

• http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/0013/1-bible-based-conscience.htm• The Berean Call via thebereancall.ccsend.com

1 Sam 24:5, Who Shapes Our Conscience?

1 Samuel 24:13, Do Not Speak Evil, Speak Good Instead

• NAU 1 Samuel 24:13 "As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness‘…

• Usually expressed with words.• NAU Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome word

proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

• NAU Romans 3:13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";

1 Samuel 24:13, Do Not Speak Evil, Speak Good Instead

• NAU James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

• Bret Nicholaus, “Go an entire day without saying one negative comment about anything or anyone! To really test your resolve, pick a day when you’re going to be talking to a lot of people- at a party, for example.”

In Closing

46

47

• “He who is the Bread of Life, began His ministry hungry.

• He who is the Living Water, ended His ministry thirsty.

• He who was weary, is our true rest.

• He who paid tribute, is the King of Kings.

• He prayed, yet hears our prayers.

• He wept, but dries our tears.

• He was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet redeemed us.

• He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, but is the Good Shepherd.

• He died and gave His life, and by dying destroyed death for all who believe.” Author Unknown

THE END

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave Kooyers

Valley Bible Fellowship

Box 433

Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers

www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325

God bless you as you examine His Word,

Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ"(Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.

Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

1 Samuel 23:7, City Gates, by Archaeologist Dr. James Fleming of Explorations in Antiquity Center

• “Isn't it interesting the way the Bible says that to judge righteously if you're a prophet is to "lift up your heads, o ye gates." Now gates don't look like heads do they? But, gates have judges.

• Dr. Reagan: That's Psalm 24. "Lift up your heads, O gates, that the King of Glory may come in."

• Dr. Fleming: If you make bad judgments then your heads are bowed down in shame. How then can you say judge righteously and walk with your heads tall? The answer is that you deal justly in the land. And so, the gate is a very important symbol.”

• Explorations in Antiquity Center: Judgment at the City Gates

• Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:56 AM PST

• By Dr. David R. Reagan

• In Bible times, why were city gates so important?

• This question was posed to Dr. James Fleming, one of the most knowledgeable teachers of Biblical Archaeology, on our show Christ in Prophecy. Dr. Fleming lived and taught in Israel for 37 years at Jerusalem University College and at the Hebrew University. His first claim to fame is that he discovered the ancient Eastern Gate buried beneath the current one. Dr. Fleming has walked or motorcycled about every square mile of Israel, and is so familiar with Israel past and present that Israeli tour guides come to him for training.

• He now operates the Explorations in Antiquity Center in LaGrange, Georgia, an interactive museum where people here in the U.S. can experience the life and times of Jesus Christ in the First Century. It's a fascinating place, and so in this series we're going to tour the facility to glean new insights into the Bible by understanding the manners, customs and times of the Bible.

•

• City Gates

• Dr. Reagan: The city's gate was a very important place, wasn't it?

• Dr. Fleming: Yes, amazingly. A city gate is normally located on the hill where your town is set so it has nice access to the plain or valley outside. Because it's usually a lower approach where your gate is, you have to make it extra strong. The easiest place to attack a city would also be the lowest access point. In response, you build up extra towers usually at the highest part.

• For defense, little loop holes are placed on the tower so you could fire out balls and arrows through them, as well as throw down things that aren't very nice on your enemy, such as hot oil. That certainly messed up your whole day!

• Under the road is often drainage, because it's also the lowest place in your town. So, there would have to be drainage going out of the town.

• The most important aspect of the city gate is that it's where your judges sit.

• Dr. Reagan: I always read about them sitting at the gates in the Bible. The judges judge at the gate.

• Dr. Fleming: For the Center's gate towers, each has two gate chambers inside. It's interesting that 3,000 years ago these chambers were called Judge's Chambers, and they included the judges' benches. There would be a judge's chamber on either side and also then usually a U-shaped bench inside where the judges sit. Their placement would also serve as passport control.

• Dr. Reagan: So, nobody could just wander into this city?

• Dr. Fleming: The problem is a security problem. Are we friend or foe? Might we steal things? Do we want to stay the night? Usually there is an open area inside the gate where you would have guards and the people could stay. Also, there is usually a roof or two for those who maybe you don't fully trust them to be in town. Therefore, you can have them sleep up on the roof. If instead it's someone you have known over the years, you will have them go on in and stay at your inns and in people's homes.

• Not only is the placement of the judges by the gates for passport control, but birth records are kept at the gate. The Romans knew that Jews would try to avoid paying their high taxes to Rome for the body count, so they made them go to the place of their birth records. Even though in the Gospels Joseph was living in Nazareth, his birth records were kept in Bethlehem. That's why he had to go on that journey, because the birth records were kept at the gates.

• Even in a small town, you need three judges so there won't be a split decision. Sometimes a judge can't make up his mind, so there will be a good governor will visit the towns at least once a year to process those undecided cases. Understand that Herod Philip was such a governor over Caesarea Philippi which was his territory. Herod Antipas, though, he was not as conscientious.

• The gate is also where you might have some public meetings where crowds could be addressed at the city gate. When the governor or even more the king is visiting, you have a throne already set up for them, such as a little footstool area. This location would be used for the address of the important proclamations of the governor or ruler or even the king coming through.

• The judges' bench is usually covered in the shade. We found in archaeological digs some at the city gates. There are also benches nearby for assisting in important meetings.

1 Samuel 24:5, The Berean Call full article after “THE END”

Who Shapes Our Conscience?• March 18, 2013, WHO SHAPES OUR CONSCIENCE? [Excerpts]

• What determines our values in today's fast-changing world? Who imprints its values on our conscience? Do parents? Teachers? TheMedia? Or our omnipotent God?It depends! In former times, the Christian conscience played a leading role in American schools and families....We live in a new era! The Bible-trained conscience has largely been replaced by contrary guidelines that twist, scorn, or deny God's truth. Some still point to a conscience, but most people redefine it to match today's cultural values and personal inclinations. These examples illustrate the diversity:

• Social Conscience: "Our conscience is not the vessel of eternal verities [Biblical truth]. It grows with our social life, and a new social condition means a radical change in conscience" (Walter Lippmann, A Preface to Politics, Mitchell Kennerley, New York and London, 1914).

• National Conscience: "Our concept of governing is...a concept deeply rooted in a set of beliefs firmly etched in the national conscience..." (Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, Democratic Convention Keynote Address: "Who Then Will Speak for the Common Good?", New York, New York, July 12, 1976).

• Bypassing the Conscience: "No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls" ("Biography for Ingmar Bergman" athttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000005/bio).

• Mocking the Conscience: "What a man calls his 'conscience' is merely the mental action that follows a sentimental reaction after too much wine or love" (Helen Rowland, A Guide to Men (1922) athttp://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helen_Rowland#A_Guide_to_Men_.281922.29).

• Cultural Conscience: (Christian or not): "The conscience of children is formed by the influences that surround them..." ("The Conscience of Children," at National Character Education Center).

• In stark contrast to the above, Martin Luther dared take a stand against the reign of a corrupt and oppressive church back in April 1521. For his uncompromising faith, he was declared an outlaw on May 25. You may remember his words: "...it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen" ("English Bible History: Martin Luther" at http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/martin-luther.html).

• Back in the 1930s, Adolph Hitler was determined to quench that Bible-trained conscience. It clashed with his Nazi agenda. In twoseparate speeches he said: "Your child belongs to us already.... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the next camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this community" (1933). "This new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will itself take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing" (1937) (William L. Shirer, The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany, 1959). And now, in the fading light of the Biblical conscience, America is headed in the same direction.True liberty depends on our relationship with our heavenly Father! When He draws us to Himself and fills us with His Spirit, Hisguidelines are stamped on our conscience as we "feed on" His Word and heed His "voice." But those who ignore that "voice" will be left with the ever-changing values of an increasingly corrupt world system. What would you choose? "Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck" (1 Timothy 1:19).http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/0013/1-bible-based-conscience.htm

• The Berean Call via thebereancall.ccsend.com• The Berean Call | PO Box 7019 | Bend | OR | 97702

1 Samuel 17:2+19, 21:9 The Valley of Elah in the Days of Saul and David

• Dr. Scott Stripling describes the ruins at Khirbet Qeifaya, where King Saul and David fought in battle against the Philistines at the Elah Valley. A pottery shard with Hebrew writing was discovered here in 2008.

• http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2013/02/12/The-Valley-of-Elah-in-the-Days-of-Saul-and-David.aspx

Judges 3:31, 10:6, 14:19, Philistines, Discovery of Philistine Cemetery May Solve Biblical Mystery

• An unprecedented find in southern Israel may finally reveal the origins of one of the Hebrew Bible's greatest villains.

• An unrivaled discovery on the southern coast of Israel may enable archaeologists to finally unravel the origins of one of the most notorious and enigmatic peoples of the Hebrew Bible: the Philistines.

• The discovery of a large cemetery outside the walls of ancient Ashkelon, a major city of the Philistines between the 12th and 7th centuries B.C., is the first of its kind in the history of archaeological investigation in the region. (Read more about ancient Ashkelon.)

• While more than a century of scholarship has identified the five major cities of the Philistines and artifacts distinctive totheir culture, only a handful of burials have been tentatively identified.

• Simply put, archaeologists have found plenty of pots, but very few people.

• Now, the discovery of a cemetery containing more than 211 individuals and dated from the 11th to 8th centuries B.C. will give archaeologists the opportunity to answer critical questions regarding the origin of the Philistines and how they eventually assimilated into the local culture.

• Until this discovery, the absence of such cemeteries in major Philistine centers has made researchers' understanding of their burial practices—and by turn, their origins—"about as accurate as the mythology about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree," says Lawrence Stager, an emeritus professor of archaeology at Harvard University, who has led the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon since 1985.

• According to the Hebrew Bible, the Philistines warred with their Israelite neighbors—even seizing the Ark of the Covenant for a time.

• "The search [for a cemetery] became so desperate that archaeologists who study the Philistines began to joke that they were buried at sea like the Vikings—that's why you couldn't find them," explains Assaf Yasur-Landau, an archaeologist at Haifa University and co-director of the Tel Kabri project.

• Biblical Villains and Pig Eaters

• The Philistines are among the most notorious villains of the Hebrew Bible. This "uncircumcised" group controlled the coastal region of modern-day southern Israel and the Gaza Strip and warred with their Israelite neighbors—even seizing the Ark of the Covenant for a time. Among their ranks were the devious Delilah, who robbed Samson of his strength by cutting his hair, and the giant Goliath, who made King Saul's troops tremble in their tents until a young man named David

• An adult burial in the Ashkelon cemetery features a small juglet which most likely once held perfume. The juglet was placed near the nose of the deceased at the time of interment.

• PHOTOGRAPH BY TSAFRIR ABAYOV FOR THE LEON LEVY EXPEDITION TO ASHKELON

Assistant excavation director Adam Aja documents a burial in the first Philistine cemetery ever discovered at the site of Ashkelon in southern Israel. PHOTOGRAPH BY TSAFRIR ABAYOV FOR THE LEON LEVY EXPEDITION TO ASHKELON

A child burial is excavated at Ashkelon. The few children and infants buried in the cemetery were interred with a covering or "blanket" of broken pottery.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MELISSA AJA FOR THE LEON LEVY EXPEDITION TO ASHKELON

A group of Sea Peoples, most likely Philistines, is depicted in this detail from a relief at the mortuary temple of Ramses III in Luxor, Egypt. The pharaoh battled the mysterious coalition of tribes around 1180 B.C. PHOTOGRAPH BY GLASSHOUSE IMAGES, ALAMY

Future examination of the remains from the Ashkelon cemetery will include isotopic analysis of the teeth, which can reveal the geographic areas in which an individual lived.PHOTOGRPAH BY TSAFRIR ABAYOV FOR THE LEON LEVY EXPEDITION TO ASHKELON

Unearthing a Philistine cemetery in ancient Ashkelon, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNt5KjGgS8

Judges 3:31, 10:6, 14:19, Philistines, Discovery of Philistine Cemetery May Solve Biblical Mystery

• Human remains buried almost 3,000 years ago in southern Israel may help researchers finally solve the mystery of the Philistines' origins.

• An adult burial in the Ashkelon cemetery features a small juglet which most likely once held perfume. The juglet was placed near the nose of the deceased at the time of interment.

Judges 3:31, 10:6, 14:19, Philistines, Discovery of Philistine Cemetery May Solve Biblical Mystery

• Human remains buried almost 3,000 years ago in southern Israel may help researchers finally solve the mystery of the Philistines' origins.

• An adult burial in the Ashkelon cemetery features a small juglet which most likely once held perfume. The juglet was placed near the nose of the deceased at the time of interment.

Fish Fall From The Sky in Annual Miracle That Feeds the Poor

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz• In Honduras, the annual rain of fish has fallen. At least once a year, sometimes twice, usually around May or June, fish

rain down from the heavens onto Yoro, Honduras. The locals call it Lluvia de Peces (downpour of fish) and claim it has been happening every year or about one hundred years. One rabbi claims this strange occurrence is a wakeup call warning of things to come.

• No one has actually seen the fish falling from the sky. Simply put, after a heavy rain, the ground will suddenly be covered with fish. The residents collect the fish for their kitchen tables, but selling it is prohibited. Despite several attempts todiscover the source of the strange phenomenon, scientists remain baffled.

• The locals, however, have a simpler explanation: it’s a miracle.

• image: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fish.jpg

• Fish that fell from the sky (YouTube)

• A story is told of a Spanish priest, Father José Manuel de Jesus Subirana, who arrived in Honduras in 1855 and worked there until his death in 1864. According to the legend, Father Subirana saw the suffering of the poor people in Honduras and prayed for three days and three nights that God should help the poor people and to provide them food. In answer to his prayer, a dark cloud appeared and fish rained from the sky, feeding all the people. Since then this wonder is repeated every year.

• There have actually been several reports of fish raining down from heaven, but Honduras appears to be the only place blessed with this deluge of seafood on a regular basis.

• image: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/457-PlantTree-DesertBloom-600WIDE.jpg

• The prophet Zephaniah begins his prophecy with a scenario of dying wildlife, specifically mentioning fish.

• I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the sky And the fish of the sea. I will make the wicked stumble, And I will destroy mankind From the face of the earth —declares Hashem. Zephaniah 1:3

• Rabbi Yosef Dayan, a former member of the nascent Sanhedrin, said that such occurrences are signs of nature being directed by God.

• “More and more, we are seeing natural occurrences that aren’t natural as we know it,” Rabbi Dayan told Breaking Israel News. “When I was younger, we heard of tsunamis and earthquakes, but now they are commonplace. Instead of one or

61

1 Samuel 21:6, The Consecrated Bread

• Matthew 12:4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?

• Leviticus 24:9 "It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the LORD'S offerings by fire, his portion forever.“

• David is fleeing from Saul in, 1 Samuel 21:6 So the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.

1 Samuel 21:9, Archaeologists Discover Goliath Relatives?, Ashkelon

• “After decades of studying what Philistines left behind, we have finally come face to face with the people themselves,” said Daniel Master, the American archaeologist who has led an excavation of the site since 1985. “With this discovery, we are unlocking the secrets of their origins.”

• Master and his team, under the Leon Levy Expedition associated with Harvard University’s Semitic Museum and other institutions, have been studying the remains of a Philistine settlement at the edge of the Israeli city Ashkelon for three decades. The cemetery—likely the first such discovery of its kind—was found in 2013 but kept under wraps until just recently.

• Goliath, slain in the Bible by David, Israel’s future king, is arguably the most famous Philistine. His people lived some three millennia ago as strangers in Jewish territory near what is now Tel Aviv.

• The Philistines were traders and seafarers who lived in the area between what is now Gaza and Tel Aviv from 1200 to about 600 BC. They spoke a language of Indo-European origin, did not practice circumcision as the Jews did, and ate pork and dog, according to the researchers.

• They were also said to have been experts in making wine and oil.

• -www.dw.com/en, 12 July 2016

• Arno Froese <[email protected] Commentary: The story recorded in Scripture is extremely important because, from the lineage of David, the Messiah was born. He had to be born from a free house, as 1 Samuel 17:25 documents, “And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:25). David did slay Goliath, and he indeed became free, but not in reality physically, because he was severely persecuted by King Saul.

63