In a rather blunt and matter of fact way our narrator announces the death of Samuel.

But God’s work in Israel did not end when Samuel died. God’s work never is dependent on only one man.

In this sermon we reflect upon the life of the prophet Samuel.

David and his men have been providing protection for Nabal and his possessions. When David sends his men to Nabal to request payment for services rendered, Nabal insults David. David's response reveals a surprising flaw in David's character which to this point in our studies of 1 Samuel we have never seen.

There are lessons to be learned here about the restraining providence of God which kept David from becoming a bigger fool than Nabal.

The 93rd Psalm begins with the indisputable declaration that "the Lord reigns." In our previous message we were considering the Psalmist's instruction in Psalm 96:10 that we "say among the heathen, 'The Lord reigns!"

This Lord who reigns does so "on high" as an imposing figure with an unassailable rule impervious to the foolish and futile assaults of the nations because He is mightier.

God gives His people a mandate in Psalm 96:10, "Say among the heathen, The Lord reigns!"

The heathen are the nations surrounding the people of God who worshipped idols of their own making rather than the Creator God who made everything.

Who is this Lord who reigns and what does it mean when we say to the unbelieving people around us, "The Lord reigns"?

Not unlike the prophet Isaiah (in Isaiah 6) who cursed himself because he dwelt among a people of unclean lips, David pronounces a curse upon himself in the closing verses of Psalm 120 because of the culture of lies which surrounds him.

How does David choose to live in a culture of lies, and what can we learn from him about how to live in our own culture of lies?

In the 120th Psalm, David cries out to God in response to the distress inflicted on him by the slander of his enemies. What's interesting about his distress is that the events he has in view occurred YEARS earlier. How do we overcome the pain inflicted by lying lips?

In Psalm 63 David gives us insight into the psychological turmoil he is experiencing as a fugitive from Saul in the wilderness of Judah. It is David's unshakeable belief that regardless of his dire circumstances, God is HIS God, and will deliver him.

As he continues his run from Saul, David is now a fugitive in the wilderness of Judah (! Samuel 22:5). It is in the wilderness that he writes the 63rd Psalm, providing for us God's word on where we should resort when our soul's are tormented to the point of despair.