Did God cause Saul to commit suicide?

June 29, 2015

Question: There are two accounts of Saul’s death in the Old Testament. Both say he committed suicide (I Samuel 31:4-5 and I Chronicles 10:14) but the latter one also says that: “the LORD killed Saul because …” Why the difference? Answer: “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because…

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Did Elkanah worship once a year or several times each year?

April 29, 2015

Question: In I Samuel 1:3, Elkanah worships God in Shiloh yearly (KJV, NKJV, etc.), while in general, men are required to do this three times a year (Exodus 34:23, Deuteronomy 16:16). Is Elkanah doing less than what is required by God? I Samuel 1:3 (ASV) says from year to year; could this include more than…

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Was the spirit that came to Saul at En Dor a fallen angel?

February 4, 2013

Question: Hi, Reading through your questions in 2011, on 01/13 you speak about the spirit who visited Saul. What was the spirit? I’ve often wondered myself and having checked various sites on the web, many actually favor a fallen angel. Why is that? What does the Bible account actually say? Answer: “And Saul perceived that it…

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Why did God make Hannah wait so long before having a child?

June 24, 2012

Question: Today we read about Hannah finally giving birth to Samuel. Why did it take so long? Why did God close her womb until Samuel? Answer: We aren’t told why God had Hannah wait. “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalms…

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Why did Saul ask whose son David was after his battle with Goliath?

November 4, 2011

Question: I’m reading in I Samuel 16:21. It says that David came into Saul’s service to play harp for Saul then became one of Saul’s armor-bearers.  Saul even sent word to Jesse saying to ‘allow David to remain in my service,’ so I would assume that Saul knew who David was.  However, in I Samuel…

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What was the real sin for Israel asking for a king?

July 5, 2011

Question: How does I Samuel 8 as a whole fit in with regards to God’s history of redemption and what was the real sin for Israel asking for a king? Answer: This sounds like a question out of a theology class book. I generally decline to answer such questions. But the second half is straight…

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Why Did God Have Children Killed?

February 20, 2011

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/WhyDidGodHaveChildrenKilled.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Samuel 15:1-9   I.         Some questions, by their very nature are difficult topics to take up. The things discussed make us queasy.             A.        Yet, you will find that those opposed to Christianity will often attack with these same topics for the very reason that they know it makes you uncomfortable.…

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Several questions from I Samuel

July 9, 2008

Question: We are continuing our study of I Samuel in our ladies’ class.  We had a couple of questions.  If you have time, we would appreciate your input. In I Samuel 21:5 do you think that the term “vessels” refers to the bodies of David’s men?  Does this indicate that they were “clean” as far…

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Was David a young man when he killed Goliath and not a boy?

April 18, 2008

Question: In studying I Samuel 17:38-40, I am wondering if David is not a young boy as some stories depict him, but instead, he is a young man. Saul was the tallest man among the children of Israel and we see that he is now giving his armor to David to wear. David must have been…

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Did Jesse have seven or eight sons?

March 25, 2008

Question: A visiting preacher referred to I Chronicles 2:13-15 to show that Eliab was the eldest.  In that section, it shows that Jesse had seven sons and that David was the seventh.  But I Samuel 17:13 says that Jesse had 8 sons.   The reason it caught my attention is that I had just worked up…

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