2 Samuel 23:1-7, David’s Legacy

In 2 Sam. 21:1-14 we read of David avenging the Gibeonites for an atrocity committed by King Saul.  This may have happened when Saul destroyed the priestly city of Nob.  The Gibeonites helped maintain temple worship and thus there were likely many living in this city that was near Jerusalem.  God’s anger was against “Saul and his bloodthirsty house” (v1)  Thus, the Gibeonites were avenged against Saul’s house.  This story fits the “avenger of blood” against those who have not sought refuge in a City of Refuge. 

2 Sam. 21:15-22 is an interesting record of other giants besides Goliath that were killed at various times during David’s reign.  2 Sam. 22 is identical to Psalm 18 and is David’s psalm of praise to the LORD for being his Savior.  To encourage reading and application of this great song here is a brief outline.

·         v1-4: God was David’s Savior! (As “Savior” the LORD was David’s rock, fortress, deliverer, strength, shield, horn of salvation, stronghold and refuge.)

·       v5-7: The enemy was fearsome.

·       v8-13: But the LORD, my God, was far more powerful.

·       v14-20: Thus trusting Him as my support was always wise.

·       v21-25: This was David, after God’s heart.

·       v26-28: God was faithful and could be trusted (2 Tim. 2:11-12).

·       v29-37: He strengthened and equipped David to fight.

·       v38-43: “You have made me victorious over the enemy without.”

·       v44-46: “You have made me ruler over many people.”

·       v47-51: God did and does this, for David and his descendants.

2 Samuel 24 records another difficult story concerning a census late in David’s reign.  You may wonder what was so sinful about David taking this census.  The only thing that makes sense to me is that David violated Ex. 30:12: When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.  The “ransom money” was a way of giving God the glory for the nation.  David apparently was doing it for his own satisfaction.

Today’s passage record David’s “last words.”  It is an accurate and honest testimony.  David acknowledges his two prominent roles: king (God’s anointed) and the sweet psalmist of Israel.  He gives credit to his father (Jesse) and to God who raised him up. Verse 2 notes that those psalms he wrote were inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Verse 3 tells what makes for a good king, and verse 4 the blessing that comes on a good king.  Verses 5-7 speaks of the covenant God made with him, even though David’s house was not always what it should have been (did I not say, these words are honest).  This was for David a testimony and an expression of hope.  A good read on this New Year's Eve!

2 Samuel 12:1-15, David the Sinner (2)

Here are a few additional reflections on David’s sin and the consequences.

·         11:27: “the thing David had done displeased the Lord.”  This is the bottom line! I may not have committed the specific sins as David did.  Yet, I have done as David if my words, attitudes or actions are displeasing to the LORD! Repent!!

·       Pr. 16:10,12 tell us 2 things about that situation.

o   David transgressed with his mouth (v10) in his instructions to Joab. How could David ever be trusted to speak the word of God. Thus Ps. 51 addresses this issue of restoring David’s ability to teach and sing praise – Ps. 51:13,14-15.

o   David’s sin was an abomination. It made his throne weak (v12).  

o   What I find interesting is that these are Proverbs of Solomon who had his own struggles with sin and a weakened throne (1 Ki. 11). Jesus, on the other hand, is qualified to reign forever on David’s throne; He had no such weakness.

·       12:5-6: You get most angry at others over things you are guilty of doing yourself.  Nathan’s rebuke is strong: literally, “you the man” (v7)!

·       12:22-23: This passage is often used to indicate the belief that infants who have not reached an age where they are accountable for their sins are welcomed by grace into God’s presence upon death.  There is another thing to note here, and that is David’s confidence in God’s grace.  David, the sinner, the grievous sinner, still trusts in the LORD!

·       12:24-25: In these verses we are told that David comforted Bathsheba.  1 Chron. 3:1-9 list David’s wives and the sons by each.  Typically, a wife had one son.  Michael, the daughter of Saul, had none by David.  Verses 6-8 list sons without listing the mothers.  But (v5) Bathsheba had four sons in addition to the one that died.  So David comforted Bathsheba.  But God comforted them both even more.  We are told the LORD loved him (Solomon).  It may simply mean that this baby lived after the death of the first.  They are so moved that Solomon (which means “peace” as in Shaloam) is given another name, Jedediah, Beloved of the LORD.

·       David’s ineffective leadership after the incident with Bathsheba was obvious in his inability to deal properly with Amnon (the son who raped his half-sister) and then with Absalom.  After killing Amnon Absalom fled the country, but then was allowed back by David (14:21), gladly received by David (14:33), allowed to establish his importance (15:1), so much that over time he stole the hearts of the men of Israel (15:7).  David accepted Absalom’s intention to serve the Lord (15:8) and allowed to go to Hebron (15:9) where he proclaimed himself king (15:10-12).  This was not the same David we saw running from Saul or establishing his kingdom.  Sin left him powerless to rule his family as well as his kingdom.

2 Samuel 11:1-5, 22-27, David the Sinner (1)

The covenant was made by God in 1 Sam. 7.  The opening words of 1 Sam. 8 are “after this.”  After the covenant we have an accounting of David’s victories over his enemies.  The LORD promised to preserve David and we see this promise kept here (8:6,18).  Remember this as you read the Psalms.  Psalm 2 is Messianic, speaking of God’s promise to give His Son the nations for an inheritance.  But the promise in the covenant was for David, and his sons, as well as his Son, the Messiah.  That is why David cries out for deliverance from his enemies in the Psalms.  He is exercising faith in the covenant God made with him.

But now we come to another critical event in David’s life that came “after this,” after the covenant had been made.  That event is his terrible sin of adultery that led to lies and murder, and that had far-reaching consequences. 

o   Consequences of David’s sin:

1.    12:15-23: the death of the baby.

2.    13:14: David’s daughter was raped by one of his sons, Amnon.

3.    13:29: Amnon was killed by Absalom.

4.    15:10: Absalom revolted against David.  Absalom was aided by a wise counselor, Ahithophel, who was the grandfather of Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam. 11:3; 15:12; 25:34).

5.    16:22: David’s concubines were raped by Absalom.

6.    18:15: Absalom was murdered.

7.    David’s heart was hardened (several months between sin and confession).

8.    David had a troubled kingdom; he was ineffective in his leadership.

o   Lessons for us to consider:

1.    This story is a warning and we need it much today.

2.    Prosperous times are perilous times.  As God was establishing David’s kingdom David desired to show kindness to Mephibosheth (9:1), and then desired to show kindness to Hanun (10:1).  But when the kingdom was stable, and David didn’t feel the need to go out with the army, David desired his neighbor’s wife (11:1).

3.    One sin breeds many more. 

4.    Be sure your sin will find you out! (Num. 32:23)

5.    It is against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

6.    This is a profound story of God’s forgiveness.  David’s repentance was real (cf. Ps. 51 and 32).  God’s forgiveness was real.  David still endured serious consequences.  That’s what God promised in the covenant: He would never take away His mercy to David, but He would punish the sins of the Davidic king, including David himself!

2 Samuel 7:8-17, The Davidic Covenant

It was not the first king (Saul) who was the model king but the second (David.)  The covenant God made with David was “unconditional” (like the Abrahamic Covenant, it’s all about what God will do; David’s role was to believe God.)  First, let’s note some details, and then we’ll seek to summarize the Davidic Covenant.

1.    The covenant was unconditional.

a.     David did not ask for this.

b.    The prelude to the covenant is that God has already blessed David, v8-11. God had been with David.

c.     God did not ask for this house to be built (v5-7).

d.    David acknowledged that it was grace, that he was not deserving, v18-22

e.     David recognized it was not only God’s goodness to him; it was God’s faithfulness to Israel, v23-24.

f.      David accepted it for God’s glory, v25-26

g.    David prayed for God to do it only on the basis that God had said He was going to do it. In other words, he trusted God’s faithfulness, v27-29.

h.    David calls himself servant 10 times (v19,20,21,25,26,27ab,28,29ab) after God called him servant 2 times (v5,8).

2.    Did God see something in David He didn’t see in Saul? Yes! No question. But what He saw was his heart. David sought God.

a.     David inquired of the LORD

b.    David brought up the Ark, indicating his desire to have a relationship with God, to live and rule in the presence of God.

c.     David desired to build a house for God.

None of this is “works” deserving of “grace.” It is faith!!!

There are two key themes to the covenant.  First, what are called “the sure mercies of David” (Isaiah 55:3; Acts 13:34).  In Acts Paul recognizes that this is related to the New Covenant.  God promises David will have a King on the throne forever.  This requires the Christ, the Messiah.  The second theme has to do with the promise of chastening for David’s sons if they commit iniquity.  He will chasten them, but He will not take His mercy from David.

David’s response to God’s word, promise and grace is perfect (7:18-29).  He does not speak of his own greatness.  Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.  David also acknowledges, And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name (v23a)!

David is right; God knows Him (v20). God knows David has a heart after His (1 Sam. 13:14) and God knows David is a warrior (1 Chr. 28:3).  And God has made the plan: His Son will sit on the throne of David (Ps. 2:6; Lk. 1:32).

2 Samuel 5:1-16, David Becomes King

As part of our continuing “survey” let’s just note a few passages early in 2 Samuel.

·       2:4-11: Judah was in the lead as far as being the “ruling” tribe according to prophecy (Gen. 49:8-10). The others should have thought about this. The division of Judah and the rest of Israel was seen before, but here it is made official. So for 7 years and 6 mos. (v11) there were 2 kingdoms.

·       2:9: Here is another description of the land.  Using the map attached to this post, this describes the territory under the rule of Ishbosheth.  Gilead is the land east of the Jordan.  The Ashurites (tribe of Asher) likely referred to the people north of the Valley of Jezreel towards the Mediterranean coast. Jezreel was the “Valley of Jezreel,” roughly from west of Beit Shan to NW of Megiddo.  Ephraim was the area south of the Valley of Jezreel to Shiloh.  From there to the area under David’s control was Benjamin.  The phrase over all Israel included all that area.  You will note it did not reach the Mediterranean and did not include “Geshur.”  These areas were still under control of one or another of the Seven Nations of Canaan.

·       Ch. 3: It’s strange that Joab, who murdered Abner, lived; but the 2 commanders who killed Ishbosheth died. But justice was different. Revenge killing was allowed – outside a city of refuge – while killing a king, and as David said, “a righteous man,” for he had broken no law and was not a criminal – was not allowed.

·       3:10: Here is the well-known phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” (Jud. 20:1; 1 Sam. 3:20; 2 Sam. 3:10; 17:11; 24:2,15; 1 Ki. 4:25). It simply means “all of Israel.”

·       3:18: Abner refers to the LORD’s choice and use of David. Why hadn’t he done that before?  He undoubtedly had a loyalty to Saul so that after his death he supported Isbosheth.

·       3:21: David is a peace-maker, as well as a warrior.

·       4:12: Interesting to note: the tomb of Abner is also in Hebron (as is the Cave of the Patriarchs, burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives).

·       5:5,7: Hebron was David’s capital for 7 1/2 years.  Then Jerusalem became the capital.

·       5:18-22: Again, refer to the map for the Valley of Rephaim and Baal-perazim.  Here we see David at his best, as twice we are told that he inquired of the LORD.  And twice, the LORD answered with leadership. 

·       Here are several matters to consider in 2 Sam. 6:

o   There were at least two issues with David’s first attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.  First, it was carried on a cart, contrary to the instructions given in the wilderness.  The priestly family of Kohath did not receive a cart because the items were to be carried.  Second, the emphasis was on the army and all the choice men of Israel (v1). God’s emphasis was on the Levites, His chosen leaders in worship.

o   6:7: Why did God kill Uzzah? Why had God made those rules? The nature of God is that He is holy.  And yet – God was WITH Israel. God is saying, “I am with you, David, but there must be protocol, statutes and judgments that will protect my holiness.

o   6:13: Why did David dance, and have a great feast? God’s blessing on Obed-Edom was significant for David (v12).  This encouraged his faith.  Then, there was the corrected understanding.  David did it right the second time (v11).

o   6:19-22: In worship, there is no male or female. All are called to bow, or dance, before Him!  Michal was still thinking like her father, Saul, who saw the kingship as a position of personal glory, and not as being for God’s glory.

Psalm 44

In this Psalm we see the saints involved in a ministry of intercession for the sinful society in which they live.  The appearance of one particular verse (22) in the New Testament helps us see how this passage fits the current context.  To benefit from this let us first seek to understand the Song in its context. 

·         V1-3: Testimony.  There is first a reminder of the great works of God in the past, the testimony of older saints.

·         V4-8: Confession.  The writer has no hesitation in affirming that God has not changed.  He is still our “boast”; His name is to be praised.  This stanza is well worth the discipline to commit it to memory.

·         V9-12: Complaint.  The “complaint” section is somewhat lengthy.  And at first it is not hard to see the problem.  The current situation in Israel is that God has “cast off” His people to the point of being scattered among the nations.  The prophecies of the Pentateuch (e.g. Deut. 28,32) indicate the Nation’s disobedience has finally brought God to the place of severe judgment.

·         V13-16: Complaint.  The result of the “scattering” is that they are the reproach of their neighbors.

·         V17-22: Complaint.  This stanza reveals another important issue in the historical “context”.  In the midst of the sinful nation there is a righteous remnant, and they are the ones lifting this prayer.  Paul’s use of v22 in Rom. 8:36 helps us understand what is happening.  In Rom. 8 Paul says that terrible afflictions come on the righteous people of God; and yet they are never separated from His love!  So here in the Psalmists situation the righteous are suffering affliction because of their being part of the wicked nation.  But they plead their integrity. 

·         V23-26: Petition.  Out of this confidence, that God remembers the righteous and makes a distinction in judgment between the just and the unjust (2 Peter 2:9), the saints pray that God will be their help.  They rightfully ask God to mercifully come to their aid, something He actually delights to do.

Perhaps we can imagine some similarities here to the intercession of Abraham for Lot and the people of Sodom (Gen. 18).  You may remember that he almost bargained with God to the point where God said that for the sake ten righteous people He would not destroy the city.  He pled for the city for the sake of the godly people who lived there.

Again, remember the intercession of our Lord Himself.  He too prays for the righteous who live in the wicked world (John 17:13-19).  As Romans 8 indicates, the intercession of Christ (v34) is one of the fundamental reasons that nothing shall separate us from Him!

Let us learn and commit ourselves to this privilege of intercession.  We have a standing before God that allows us to pray in the name of Christ for those around us.  We have a faith that is built on the great work of salvation performed by our God in Christ.  Let us strongly pray for the world in which we live and testify. 

And let us not be afraid to be “sheep for the slaughter” in the cause of Christ.  Nothing can separate us from His love.  And beyond that, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us” (Rom. 8:37).  May these afflictions be stepping stones to the greater exaltation of Christ.

Luke 1:26-38, The Annunciation

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!  What a glorious and gracious God we have, to send His Son to earth to be the sacrifice for our sins.  Job longed for the “Incarnation” when he lamented how distant he felt from God.  For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. 33 Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both (Job 9:32-33).  How thankful we are that God has come near to us, He has been mindful of us and “visited” us (Ps. 8:4). 

Gabriel’s words to Mary tell us so much about our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as God’s all-wise plan of salvation.

·       Jesus was born of Mary.  Not of Joseph but of the woman.  Thus was fulfilled the promise of God to Adam and Eve in Gen. 3:15.  Jesus was protected from the sin nature, that He might be the Holy One, and able to be the “Last Adam.”  Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life (Rom. 5:18).

·       His name was “Jesus.”  He had many titles, but his common, everyday name was Jesus, the LORD is salvation.  He had this name because He would save His people from their sins (Mt. 1:21).  The shepherds heard that there was born in Bethlehem a Savior who is Christ the Lord (Lk. 2:11).  Nor is their salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Ac. 4:12).  No other name but Jesus!

·       He would be great!  He was a great light.  Upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned (Mt. 4:16).  He was the great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:20), a supremely good Shepherd who knew/knows and loved/loves His sheep.  He is our great High Priest (Heb. 4:14), so much greater than the priests in the line of Aaron because He had a better sacrifice, a once for all sacrifice.  Amazing!  He was both High Priest AND Sacrifice.  He is the great God and our Savior (Titus 2:13).  There is NONE like Him!

·       Jesus was called the Son of the Highest.  The Jews should have known this because their Bible (the Old Testament) declared the Deity of the Messiah.  He would have the title Immanuel, God with us (Isa. 7:14).  He was to be the Mighty God, Everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6).  The Messiah, King of Israel who would reign on David’s throne, was also to be the LORD who alone would be permitted to enter at the Eastern Gate (Ezek. 44:1-3).  He, the One born in Bethlehem, ruler in Israel, would be the One whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2).  It was predicted that the forerunner (John the Baptist? Elijah?) was to come before the LORD (Malachi 3:1-2). 

·       Jesus was to be King.  Jesus is still the one to be King.  The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.  He is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with David, a covenant that promised David a “Son” on the throne forever (2 Sam. 7:16). 

These were the words of God’s great messenger, the angel Gabriel, the one who stands in the presence of God (Lk. 1:19).  Mary could not fully understand what all this meant.  How could she have a Son if she did not know a man?  But she humbled herself: Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word (v38).

This is the only proper response of anyone, including and especially me, who hears the words of the angel.  Everything he said about Jesus places Him in total and absolute uniqueness.  There is no other Savior; there is no God like Him.

1 Samuel 28:5-19, The Witch of Endor

The night before Saul and his sons died on the Mountains of Gilboa, Saul sought out a “medium” when the LORD did not answer him (28:6).  The “witch” lived in Endor, located at the eastern base of Mt. Tabor.  The Philistines had gathered at Shunem (27:4; a couple miles west of Endor) while the Israelites were camped on or at the base of the mountains of Gilboa, south, across the Jezreel Valley (27:4).

The story of the witch of Endor raises at least one question as to what actually happened?  Did Samuel actually come back from the dead?  Did God, who in the Law of Moses banned the use of mediums by Israel, make use of one here?  Here are three answers to that question; we believe the last makes the most sense.

1)    The witch was a ventriloquist and faked it all. (This view has no ground Biblically on which to stand.)

2)    What is recorded actually happened but the witch is in league with the devil and it was not really Samuel but rather a demon.

a)    Reasons for this view:

i)      The woman says she saw him come up out of the earth, v13. (But Ecclesiastes 3:21 says the souls of men go up and not down.)

ii)   They say a witch cannot disturb a good man.

iii)            This woman was working with the devil, that is obvious.

iv) If it was Samuel he would have told Saul to repent.

3)    The thing that happened is exactly as recorded, period.  Samuel actually appeared.  Why?

a)    Because that is how it is recorded (v12: “the woman saw Samuel”; v15: “Samuel said to Saul”).

b)    Saul bows down to the earth (v14, Saul wouldn’t worship a demon).

c)    The woman is also scared (v5,12).

d)    The Jewish and Greek translators agree with this.

e)    The thing prophesies Saul’s death.  Demons don’t know the future that well.

f)     The most terrible fact about all this is that Saul did not repent.  And God did not respond to Saul.

Lately, in our studies, there have been several battles fought in the area of the Valley of Jezreel.  The battles involving Deborah and Barak, Gideon, and now Saul and the Philistines were there.  You may wonder why the Philistines, whose territory was along the southern coast of Israel, would travel to this area in the north-central part of Israel.  We can’t be sure about the “why” but we can talk about the “how.”  Jezreel was a crossroads of several major highways so getting there was not difficult.

In the end, God did speak to Saul through Samuel, using a medium for His purposes.  This is not strange, that God has access even to the demons for his purposes.  One of Saul’s debilitating problems was the presence of an evil spirit from the LORD (16:14).  God glorified Himself through Satan in the story of Job.  Jesus ruled the evil spirits when He was in His earthly ministry. 

 

Here's a repeat photo of Mt. Tabor. But notice the village that graces this southeastern base of the mountain.  That is modern Ein Dor (Spring of Dor).  The Biblical site of Endor is not certain.  It could be here but more archaeologists consider one of a couple of sites across the Jezreel Valley (south) from here to be more likely.

1 Samuel 27, David on the Run, Protected by God

Today, let’s use the accompanying map to review the years of David’s hiding from Saul.  This will come from 1 Sam. 20-31.

·       21:1: Nob.  This was a city just a couple miles north of Jerusalem.  Saul’s capital was at his hometown, “Gibeah of Saul” (10:27; 11:4), which was about another mile north.  Nearby Nob was Anathoth, a Levitical city (Josh. 21:18).  This explains why there were priests and the tabernacle.  The Ark was not there but in Keriath Jearim, a short distance SW of Jerusalem.  Nob/Anathoth would have been a place for sacrifices and maintaining the menorah, incense and showbread.

·       21:10: Gath. This is the first time David went to Gath.  When he realized he might be in danger he feigned insanity and Achish merely had him removed from his palace.

·       22:1: Cave of Adullum.  The town of Adullum was in the Valley of Elah (David and Goliath).  The cave would have been nearby.  It was here that David gained his “militia” (so to speak) of 400 men.

·       22:3: Mizpah of Moab. David brought his family (father and brothers) here for safety.

·       22:5: Forest of Hamath. The prophet Gad was with David. Also, v20-23, Abiathar, a son of the high priest joined David there.  While David was there Saul had killed 85 priests and destroyed the population of Nob.

·       23:6: Keilah.  David went here, having inquired of the LORD, and saved them from the Philistines, only to leave there when the LORD told David they would betray him to Saul.

·       23:14: Wilderness of Ziph.  Desert area would provide some security in that Saul would have to make provisions for his soldiers if he chased David there.  This area is SE of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea.

·       23:25: Wilderness of Maon.  This is deeper into the Negev, by which we primarily mean further from Saul’s headquarters at Gibeah.

·       23:29: En Gedi; 24:1: Wilderness of En Gedi; 24:2: the Rocks of the Wild Goats.  These strongholds were on the west side of the Dead Sea. The reference to wild goats is because of the many Ibex that inhabit the area.  There was plenty of good water available from the spring at En Gedi that came from the aquafer that brought water from elsewhere in Israel.  David was being blessed by the wonderful land God gave to Israel (Dt. 8:7).

·       25:1: Wilderness of Paran.  If the Masoretic Text is accurate, this wilderness is even deeper into the Negev, south of Beersheba.  Other manuscripts read “Wilderness of Maon.” In the story involving Abigail, “Carmel” (25:5) is not the mountain in the north of Israel but an area in Judah, in the Wilderness of Maon.

·       26:1: Hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon, in the Wilderness of Ziph (26:1-2).  This would be David’s final connection with Saul.

·       27:1: Gath.  27:6: Ziklag.  When David flees to Gath, Saul gives up trying to kill him (27:4).  Ziklag is shown on the map as quite a ways south of Gath.  The exact location is unknown.  There is a dig just east of Gath that some think will eventually be identified as Ziklag.  That location would make more sense being closer to the “city-state” area under Achish’ control.

 

En Gedi, lower falls

En Gedi, middle falls

En Gedi, upper "David Falls"

En Gedi, Ibex (wild goats)

1 Samuel 17:48-58, Timing of Events

In 1 Sam. 17:55-58 how did King Saul not know David after he had spent time in the king’s court, playing his harp, and so forth?  Everytime I come to this passage I take time to consider this issue.  Here is a listing of the difficulties in this question:

“Some of the problems in the Masoretic Text are: 16:14-23 shows David installed at Saul’s court, while chapter 17 has him back in Bethlehem; chapter 17 (v12-15) reintroduces Jesse and David when we’ve already met them in chapter 16; if Saul had enjoyed David’s musical therapy in 16:23, why does he not seem to know David in 17:55-58?” (Davis, Ralph Dale. 1 Samuel: Looking on the Heart, Christian Focus Publications, Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain. 2000.)

I’ll give you a few thoughts from different sources.  As far as commentaries go, I always appreciate the depth of Barnes Notes.  In 1 Samuel I like Ralph Davis’ commentary.  Having said that, after reading the following, I am still working on this issue.

Ø The LXX (Septuagint, Greek Translation of OT) does not have vs.55-58 (or 12-31,41,50).  Some believe the translators omitted these to make it a “cleaner” story.

Ø Jameson/Faucette/Browne: “The growth of the beard, and other changes on a now full-grown youth, prevented the king from recognizing his former favorite minstrel (1 Sam. 16:23).”

Ø Davis: “Of course, 17:15 indicates David’s appearances at court were intermittent and thus explains his absence at Goliath's time. … It is only natural for David to be reintroduced in 17:12-15. … And the Masoretic Text specifies Jesse as “this/that Ephrathite” (v12), that is, the one who had already been mentioned (16:1,18-19).  As for verses 55-58, note that Saul’s question is about whose son David is (three times).  It is not that Saul doesn’t know David’s name but he wants certitude about his roots, since his father’s house was to be made free (from taxation?) in Israel (v25).  But don’t 16:19,22 show that Saul knew who David’s father was? Not necessarily; such communication even at Saul’s rustic court would be drafted by a bureaucrat, not directly by Saul.”

Ø Barnes: “The words here (16:21) are the ultimate sequence of David’s first visit to Saul, and of his skill in music, and are therefore placed here; but they did not really come to pass till after David’s victory over Goliath (see 18:2).  It is quite conceivable that if David has only played once or twice to Saul, and then returned to his father’s house for some months, Saul might not recognize him.”

It might seem a bit strange to be here in this great story and spending time on a technical issue.  The true need is to see David’s faith, as well as his love for the LORD.  I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied (17:45).

Valley of Elah

Valley of Elah on a wet day. David's 5 stones might have been wet. :)