The Bible by David Alley

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 9, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 9 David wants to show kindness to his friend Jonathan and finds out that he has a remaining son, Mephibosheth. He calls for him to come. It was customary to put to death potential heirs to the throne from those who preceded a king. So Mephibosheth was probably terrified.

But David doesn't punish him but rewards him, giving him a place at the king’s table and putting in place servants to care for him and his pr...

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 8, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 8 we have an outline of how David defeated all the enemies of Israel, but its a summary chapter, not giving any sense of how long it took, or what order. But his victories are comprehensive over the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Syrians, and more. The Philistines were such a major threat to Israel for so long, but from David on, they are never a problem for Israel again. Today we get the name Palestine from the Philistines.

...

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 7, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 7 David wants to do something for God. Now this is something that so many people seem to not do. Many are grateful for what God does for them, but it never seems to go to the next step, where they ask God, what can I do for you? David seems to have completely taken the initiative here, and yet, he runs his idea past God via the prophet, so seeks approval for his idea.

And unlike...

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 6, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 6 David seems to not be aware of the biblical rules for transporting the ark. Neither does he seem to remember recent history when a huge number of people were killed in an ark-related incident when it was returned from Philistine occupation. So he endeavors to bring the ark to Jerusalem, which killed Uzzah. He then leaves the ark with Obed-Edom who is blessed by having it there.

Then David tries again successfully to bring the ark...

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 5, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 5 David becomes king over all Israel at 30 years of age. From the time David defeated Goliath until now has been at least 11 years, but more likely 12 to 15. For the last two years of his life (since age 28) he has been King of Judah at Hebron, and would reign there another 5 and a half years before moving his capital to Jerusalem.

In conquering Jerusalem, they got under the wall through a water shaft, which is almost certainly...

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 4, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 4 Ishbosheth, the king of Israel is assassinated in cold blood by two of his own military officers. They travel through the night and bring the head to David in Hebron thinking they are bringing wonderful news. Israel now has only one remaining heir to the throne, which is Mephibosheth, the lame and crippled grandson of Saul.

The two assassins declared to David that “God had delivered him of his enemies.” This is an interesting thing depending on o...

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 3, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 3 a long war between Saul’s house and David’s house began in which David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker. This was more of a cold war, and the Philistines were also in the mix controlling a lot of Israelite territory too. Up north in Israel a strange thing happens. King Ishboshet accuses Abner of sleeping with his father the king’s concubine. Quite a few commentators have mentioned that to take a k...

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 2, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 2 David asks the Lord what to do, now that Saul is dead. David was always listening to what the Lord suggested. God is the omniscient one, and we should pay attention to his opinion. God sends him to Hebron, and the people of Judah anoint him the king of their tribe.

Now David blesses and encourages the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead who are outside the tribe of Judah. He is pleased with how they took care...

In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 1, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 1 an Amalekite brings so-called good news to David. The distance from Mt Gilboa to Ziklag in a straight line is 139 kilometres on Google maps, and most likely the Amalekite didn’t travel in a straight line. He probably travelled more than 150 kilometres in just a few days.

He was rushing to meet David and carried with him Saul’s crown he lifted off his body after the battle. He expected a reward, but instead was punished for...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 31, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 31 King Saul and three of his sons die in battle against the Philistines at Mt Gilboa in the north of Israel. Saul is left with only one remaining son Here in 1st Samuel it says Saul killed himself when he lost hope, but in 2 Samuel an Amalekite falsely claims to have done it. Then in 1 Chronicles in the retelling of this event it says “the Lord put him to death.” Such is the nature of the Lord’s work...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 30, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 30 David’s family is kidnapped from Ziklag. Ziklag is a town only recently unearthed in archaeology, since 2015 and contains the burn layer that matches the biblical story. This is a chapter about great disappointment for David, for his soldiers and for their families who were undoubtedly terrified in captivity.

The Amalekite raiders were taking them south to the Egyptian slave markets, along with great plunder. David enquires of the Lord, gets the green light, and pursues th...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 29, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 29 David is summoned to war with the Philistines who are going to attack Israel in the north. We don't know how long David and his men were mercenaries for Achish up to this point, but it was at least for two years minimum. Though Achish trusts David, some of the Philistines commanders have doubts, so they push for David to be left behind.

The Lord is very gracious to David and delivers him from his dilemma...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 28, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 28 the Philistines are mobilising for full scale war against Israel and David is asked to join them. David and his men are now in a very tricky position. They have played the double agent for years, and now the rubber hits the road where their loyalty will surely be exposed. We will see how the Lord helps David through in the chapters after this. Meanwhile Saul is terrified and enquires of the Lord, who ignores him.

...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 27, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 27 David and his men become mercenaries for the Philistines. He is safe here from Saul because Saul won’t pursue him into enemy territory. This must have seemed a very strange thing to do from an Israelite perspective because he was now working for the enemy. David is playing a very tricky game not wanting to be Philistine, but not being safe in Israel. If God had not been with David this would have probably failed.

Da...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 26, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 26 David is hiding in the desert but Hachilah is on the edge of the desert, so David actually sends men secretly to see if Saul is really there and he is. What a shock? Despite the previous incident where David spared his life, Saul is still after him. So David embarks on an undercover night mission. Saul would not have been expecting anything like this.

David takes Saul’s spear and spares his life in a si...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 25, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 25 Samuel dies and is buried. At this point Samuel is no longer writing the book of Samuel, and may not have been doing so for the last few chapters. We know that Gad the prophet has been with David and is an eyewitness into what happens in David’s life. The rest of 1 Samuel and all of 2 Samuel are written by Gad and Nathan.

David goes to the desert of Paran and we meet Nabal and Ab...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 24, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 24 David hides at En Gedi with the wild goats, and spares Saul’s life. These wild goats are actually Ibex that live at En Gedi. The En Gedi system is large enough and represents a mini ecosystem supporting even goats. En Gedi is a fabulous tourist location supporting a million visitors per year. While at En Gedi, Saul seeks him and while relieving himself in a cave, David has a chance to kill him, but saves him.

...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 23, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 23 David goes to Keilah, where he delivers them from Philistine raids, but they later seek to betray him in return. It doesn’t seem fair. David was someone who enquired of the Lord, and before helping the people of Keilah, he asks the Lord for help twice. After this occurs, Abiathar the priest arrives with the ephod, which was a method of enquiring of the Lord. David is someone who sought the Lord even without an ephod, such as...

n this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 22, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 22 David flees to Adullam where men gather to him. He writes Psalm 34 there. Then he flees to Moab and arranges asylum for his parents who are distantly related to the Moabites via Ruth. After this Saul hears that the priests of Nob had aided David and commands Doeg the Edomite to strike them down - killing 85 of them. Only Abiathar survives and flees to David.

This indecent and horrific act is a fulfilment of a prophecy...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 21, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 21 David goes to Nob to get help from the priests. The tabernacle was in Nob, but not the ark of the covenant which was in Kiriath Jearim for a long period of time as recorded in 1 Samuel 7. When Shiloh was destroyed at the first battle of Ebenezer, while the town was destroyed it seems the actual tabernacle and its other furnishings were saved.

This may have been because they had warning about the coming Philistines and...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 20, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 20 David leaves Samuel to get intelligence about what is happening, and why Saul is trying to kill him. But Jonathan seems to know nothing about it. The period between his fleeing to Ramah, and this coming back must have only been a short period for Jonathan to have remained ignorant. Jonathan and David agree on a system to find out and pass on information about the truth, and they do it with a secret message sent via the...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 19, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 19 things were peaceful and Saul stopped trying to kill David for a while at least, but there was war again. It seems that war, and David’s clearly better military skill is the catalyst for jealousy. Saul tries to pin David with a spear again. This isn’t a repeat of the previous story, but a separate incident.

There had been a period where things seemed to have improved, but Saul slips into another bad patch and...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 18, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 18 Jonathan and David discover they have the same heart, and they love one another in the Lord. Previously Jonathan had shown huge bravery at Michmash, and is a warrior-like man similar to David. Here the Lord knits their hearts together. David then enters Saul’s service and participates successfully in many battles over an undetermined period of time. After a while, the Israelite women sing a song which makes Saul jealous.

This didn’t happen after the...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 17, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 17 David slays Goliath, in what is a rare example of representative fighting or one-on-one combat. One-on-one combat was a way of saving many lives, but also required a lot of bravery, even on the part of Goliath. One-to-one fighting was not common in the Middle East, and here Goliath actually educates the Israelite army about how it works.

In the process, which drags over forty days, the biblical number for testing, Goliath also insults the Israelites...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 16, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

We are in 1 Samuel Chapter 16. Previously we saw three stages in the raising of Saul to King - the private anointing, the public choosing, and the obtaining of public approval. Here David is now at stage one, being privately anointed, but the other stages do not come from a long time, like twenty years. As Christians, this is like when we are given a promise from God. It’s tempting to try and make it happen in our own strength. Instead we...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 15, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 15 is illustrated how Saul didn’t really care about what God wanted - that is, he didn’t have a heart after God. Many Christians do things for God, but don’t care about what God wants. They serve God for their own benefit, as Thomas a Kempis called it, as “spiritual mercenaries.” Very few serve God because they love Him and love His ways.

The amalekites were the first nation to attack Israel after they left Egypt...

In 1 Samuel Chapter 14 recounts Jonathan and Israel’s victory at Michmash. This was the scene of a similar WWI victory in 1918 with the General Allenby’s British troops copying Jonathan’s example.

A soldier who knew his Bible pointed it out, leading to the soldiers scaling the cliffs for an assault on Ottoman troops. Allenby decided to attack with just one troop instead of the whole company and the Ottomans were unsuspecting and fled, just as the Philistines did. Source: Gilbert, Major Vivian., The Romance of the Last Crusade with Allenby to Jerusalem, Appleton and Company.

Once...

In 1 Samuel Chapter 13 we find a genuine textual issue. They are not common, but here the age of Saul and the length of his reign is odd in the Hebrew.

This verse is translated in so many different ways. KJV: "Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel," ESV: "Saul was ... years old when he began to reign, and he reigned, ... and 2 years..." NIV: "Saul was 30 years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel 42 years." NASB: "Saul was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 42 years..."...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 12, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 12 the prophet Samuel recounts a basic history of Israel, covering the Judges up to the first King. He was building a case that the choosing of a King was a sin. This summarised recounting of the Judges is interesting because Bedan is a new name here.

Either it's another Judge we didn't know about, or it's Samson or Barak. St Jerome had translated it as Barak as hae others, for various reasons and the word Bedan...

In 1 Samuel Chapter 11 is Saul’s first battle as king. In this battle he wins the hearts of the people of Israel and they accept him. Jabesh Gilead is threatened by Nahash of Ammon. The citizens plead peace, but Nahash wants to gouge out their right eyes. Apparently the name Nahash means “snake” or serpent. So we may be dealing with a symbol of Satan in this narrative.

His name may also mean “oracle” according to Lockyer (cited in Coffman) According to Josephus this brutal eye-gouging act was so that they were unable to fight. Effectively it meant they...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 10, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 10 are stages 1 and 2 of 3 lifting Saul to the throne of Israel. First is the private anointing, second the public selection and third proving himself in battle which comes in the following chapters. First he is anointed privately by Saul. Physically, anointing is rubbing or pouring oil on another.

This was done as a sign that someone was set aside or dedicated to service for God. It was often a sign that God’s favor and his Sp...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 9, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Saul is going to become king. He looked the part. He was going to be chosen because he “looked” like a king. A movie director would have chosen Saul for his great looks. He would have cast well. He is exactly what we would imagine a king to be like. However the people are getting what they want.

Even in this king, we learn that what we want isn't’ always good for us. Saul is missing animal...

In 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Israel wants to be like the other nations, but God had always wanted them to be different to the other nations.

The “if” game is never possible, but what if Israel had truly followed the law from the beginning, how could this have been a unique nation unlike any other? Firstly poverty in Israel would have been minimal, the economy would have been strong, the land would have been healthy and produced continual harvests because of the sabbath rests, effectively fertilising the land.

Other nations would have become jealous and it would have...

In 1 Samuel Chapter 7 the second battle of Ebenezer is about to happen. The ark of the covenant had been returned to Israel, but not at Shiloh which was no longer functional, but at Kiriath Jearim. The ark however is not brought to battle like it was the first time at Ebenezer.

The battle was prompted by a gathering of Israel to repent towards the Lord. They were at Mizpah at Samuel’s direction, when the Philistines sensed an opportunity. 3 Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your hear...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 6, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

1 Samuel Chapter 6 the Philistines are distressed and want to send the ark back. It cannot go to Shiloh - but Israel in general. Shiloh had been destroyed by the Philistines and the tabernacle quite likely too. Yet the Philistines aren’t 100% convinced that God was behind their problems, so they propose a test.

The ark is placed on a cart pulled by cows, with their not yet weaned calves nearby. Despite this the cows walk off with the ark, pr...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 5, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

1 Samuel Chapter 5 the Philistines have captured the ark. In the mind of the Philistines they had defeated the Isrealite God, and they now believed their god to be superior. They knew the Israelite God had defeated the Egyptian gods, so this was quite a celebration for them, but their theology was also faulty. What God would allow himself to be defeated? Yahweh for one, because he cares more about the hearts of men, that the perception that he lost a battle. <...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 4, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

1 Samuel Chapter 4 the Isrealites are camped at Ebenezer for battle against the Philistines. Ebenezer means the Lord has helped us thus far. Strangely, they are about to go into battle at the end of God’s help. The Israelites bring the ark, but view the ark of the covenant like a magic wand that can be waved.

They didn’t realise that the right heart and attitudes towards God are crucial. Today, someone can pray a good prayer for salv...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 3, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

1 Samuel Chapter 3 Samuel seems to be learning the duty of the priest. He in fact might have been Levite despite having lived in Ephraim. At this point he is about 12-13, a fact which comes from the historian Josephus. He is now old enough to be spiritually responsible for himself. Scripture says here that the word of the Lord was rare.

Perhaps because people didn’t seek Him for them. Also note that the proper translation here is not ra...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 2, read by Hannah Batley, followed by comments and prayer.

1 Samuel Chapter 2 includes a prayer by Samuel’s mother Hannah. This prayer is one of praise, worship and thanksgiving. Many commentators also consider this prayer a song or prophecy. In the prayer, the justice of the Lord is emphasised, particularly in verses 9 - 10. As mentioned in Chapter 1, the Lord sees the needy, and he does provide. The chapter also gives us extra information on this family, telling us that Hannah went on to have three sons and two daughters.

On...

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 1, read by Hannah Batley, followed by comments and prayer.

1 Samuel Chapter 1 gives us the backstory of the well known Biblical prophet Samuel. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was barren and unable to have children. Her husband Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah, would provoke Hannah to the point where the childless woman wept and refused to eat. Following a persistent prayer at the temple, Samuel was born, and once weaned, Hannah gave him back to the Lord at the temple, where Samuel would grow up and serve the Lord.

Weaning ofte...