03/24/08: 1 Samuel 17-20
Chapter 20:
Jonathan and David invent this elaborate code with shooting arrows and shouting stuff to the servant, but then Jonathan sends him back to town (20:40) and speaks with David himself (20:42). I don't understand.
Ted: It was going to be a new moon festival, commonly known as Rosh Chodesh (meaning "beginning of the month" or, literally, "head of the month"). This is because a Jewish month begins with the new moon. The new moon festivals were very popular. Everybody in King Saul's court or family would have been in attendance.
With so many people around, it probably would have flagged attention if Jonathan had gone out on his own for a stroll, to go see David. So he took some arrows and a small boy with him. No one would have questioned the son of the king going out to a field to practice shooting arrows, as a good soldier would have been inclined to do.
Once they had gotten far enough away from town not to be observed by anybody, Jonathan "played the game" of shooting the arrows so that the boy would not be suspicious. Then he sent the boy back to town so that he could meet personally with David, who was in hiding.
This had been his intention all along. Jonathan and David had a very strong bond between them, and there was no way that Jonathan would have let David leave without being able to talk with him and say goodbye in person--if he discovered that Saul was unfavorably disposed toward David which, indeed, was the case.
Jonathan and David invent this elaborate code with shooting arrows and shouting stuff to the servant, but then Jonathan sends him back to town (20:40) and speaks with David himself (20:42). I don't understand.
Ted: It was going to be a new moon festival, commonly known as Rosh Chodesh (meaning "beginning of the month" or, literally, "head of the month"). This is because a Jewish month begins with the new moon. The new moon festivals were very popular. Everybody in King Saul's court or family would have been in attendance.
With so many people around, it probably would have flagged attention if Jonathan had gone out on his own for a stroll, to go see David. So he took some arrows and a small boy with him. No one would have questioned the son of the king going out to a field to practice shooting arrows, as a good soldier would have been inclined to do.
Once they had gotten far enough away from town not to be observed by anybody, Jonathan "played the game" of shooting the arrows so that the boy would not be suspicious. Then he sent the boy back to town so that he could meet personally with David, who was in hiding.
This had been his intention all along. Jonathan and David had a very strong bond between them, and there was no way that Jonathan would have let David leave without being able to talk with him and say goodbye in person--if he discovered that Saul was unfavorably disposed toward David which, indeed, was the case.
03/22/08: 1 Samuel 11-13
Chapter 13:
In 13:11, what has Saul done? Is he not supposed to make offerings? Maybe only the priests can?
Ted: Saul offered up the burnt offering (1 Samuel 13:9). You are exactly right: Only a priest of the tribe of Levi was authorized to make any sacrifice or offering. Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, so he had no authority to do this, even if he had "good intentions" when he did it. This single act was the "beginning of the end" for Saul.
In 13:11, what has Saul done? Is he not supposed to make offerings? Maybe only the priests can?
Ted: Saul offered up the burnt offering (1 Samuel 13:9). You are exactly right: Only a priest of the tribe of Levi was authorized to make any sacrifice or offering. Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, so he had no authority to do this, even if he had "good intentions" when he did it. This single act was the "beginning of the end" for Saul.
03/13/08: 1 Samuel
Chapter 1:
What are the gold tumors/rats?
Ted: God had been afflicting the Philistines with tumors and destroying their land with rats, because they were in possession of the ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 5:1-9). The footnote to 5:6 indicates that rats had appeared in their land. They had enough sense to know that they needed to send the ark back to Israel, where it belonged (6:2). Their priests and diviners told them that, in addition, they needed to make gold models of thing things with which God had been afflicting them, tumors and rats, and send them back with the ark, as a way to "pay honor" to the God of Israel (6:3-5). They felt that this was the only way to stop God from punishing them.
What are the gold tumors/rats?
Ted: God had been afflicting the Philistines with tumors and destroying their land with rats, because they were in possession of the ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 5:1-9). The footnote to 5:6 indicates that rats had appeared in their land. They had enough sense to know that they needed to send the ark back to Israel, where it belonged (6:2). Their priests and diviners told them that, in addition, they needed to make gold models of thing things with which God had been afflicting them, tumors and rats, and send them back with the ark, as a way to "pay honor" to the God of Israel (6:3-5). They felt that this was the only way to stop God from punishing them.
