A Prayer For You

 

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:4 et seq 

THE LIFE OF DAVID, PART 4 - 1 SAMUEL 19

Saul Orders David’s Murder

1 Samuel 19:1

Saul continued to degrade after the Spirit of God left him. Previously, he sent David into battle, hoping the Philistines will kill him. Having failed at that, he now orders his servants and his son, Jonathan, to murder David. 

There is a parallel here to the life of Jesus. Saul plotted to kill David to preserve his political power. The Sanhedrin plotted to kill Jesus to preserve their political and religious power. 

Jonathan Warns David 

19:2-3

Instead of obeying his father, Jonathan warned Dvid to hide himself. He also promised to try and persuade his father not to kill David and to tell David if he was successful.

Jonathan “delighted” in David - he saw God working through David and it brought him joy. That is how we should be also, rejoicing to see God work in and through a fellow believer and not having any jealousy. 

Jonathan Spoke To Saul

19:4-7

Jonathan kept his word and spoke to his Father about David. He emphasized his innocence, that David not only never sinned against Saul, but also did good for Saul in defeating Goliath. He asked Saul to remember how he previously rejoiced in David’s victory.

In response, Saul swore that he would not have David killed. He invoked the name of the Lord (YHWH). Jonathan reported this to David and David returned to Saul’s court. Peace, however, would be short lived.

Saul’s Jealousy Returns

19:8-17

As soon as David won another battle against the Philistines, the harmful spirit returned to Saul and he tried to kill David even while David was serving him by playing the lyre. This harmful spirit was a judgment of God and a sign of God’s rejection of Saul. 

There is a play on words in verses 8 and 10 that the English Standard Version picks up. In verse 8, David struck the Philistines and they fled. In verse 10, Saul struck the wall with the spear, missing David, and David fled. Saul treated David as if he were a Philistine.  

David managed to escape. But, this time Saul sent men to spy on David’s house to kill him the next morning. David’s wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter, persuaded David to escape through a window. 

When the assassins came in the next morning, they found that Michal had put an idol in the bed, making it look like David was in bed asleep. When Saul confronted her about it, she claimed David threatened to kill her if she did not let him go.

You see that Saul also did not care about his daughter’s happiness or well being. He knew that she loved David. (18:20) Yet he demanded her loyalty.

It is troubling that Michal had idols in the house. Pagans kept household gods to protect the house. We saw this when Rachel stole her father’s household gods when she left with Jacob for Canaan. (Genesis 31:19) So, Saul had evidently adopted this custom and passed it on to his daughter. And, also troubling, David had tolerated it. 

David wrote a psalm about this event. It is Psalm 59. We know this because the heading, or superscript, says it is a “miktam” of David, written when Saul sent men to kill David at his house. 

In most Bible chapters, there are headings supplied by publishes and editors and are not scripture. Their purpose is to tell you what the chapter or passage is about (in the opinion of the editor). In the Psalms, the superscripts, which are usually instructions to the choirmaster, are included in the Hebrew manuscripts and are, therefore, part of the scripture.

Psalm 59 begins with David’s plea for God to deliver him from his enemies. In the 4th stanza, which begins with verse 8, David declares his faith in God to protect him and his ability to defeat David’s enemies. The Psalm ends with David praising God as his strength and fortress and who shows him steadfast love.  

David Flees To Samuel For Protection

19:18-24

David fled Saul’s house in Gibeah and went north to Samuel the Prophet in Ramah. When David told Samuel what Saul had done, Samuel took him to Naioth, a camp or village where a group of prophets were living.

But Saul did not respect even Samuel. He sent messengers to take David. But, each time, the Spirit of God came on them and made them testify. Finally, Saul went there himself. But the Spirit made him prophesy all day and night also. 

Takeaways

God delivers in many ways, natural and supernatural. (Isaiah 46:4)

God’s will is not stymied by man’s will. He will always accomplish his purposes. (Isaiah 46:10) 

THE LIFE OF DAVID (PART 3) - JONATHAN BEFRIENDS DAVID: 1 SAMUEL 18

Jonathan Befriends David

18:1-4

After David slew Goliath, Saul’s son, Jonathan, was drawn to David in deep friendship. Jonathan was older than David, maybe as much as 30 years older. So, this may have been a father & son type of relationship. 

Jonathan made a covenant of friendship and loyalty with David. He loved David as his own soul. (3) It was a unilateral covenant by Jonathan. He initiated it and he did not require anything of David. 

The terms are not spelled out in this passage, but Jonathan’s actions indicate his pledge to support David at the expense of his own rights. 

Jonathan appears to have recognized that David was to be the next and greatest leader of Israel. We see this in the items Jonathan gave David. He gave him his robe. This was certainly a robe that identified him as royalty, the king’s first born son. He would have expected to be the next king after his father. Saul even warned Jonathan that his kingdom would not be established as long as David lived. (1 Samuel 20:31) 

Jonathan also gave David his weapons: his sword, bow, and shield. He expected David, not himself or his father, to be the leader of the Israelite forces. He recognized that the Lord was with David, so he supported him. That meant stepping aside as the heir apparent and military leader. 

David is presented to us as God’s man, empowered by the Spirit, defeating God’s enemies and loved by his people. We can see him as a type of Christ, who did these same things. 

Saul, at this point, was favorably impressed with David. He took him into his household on a full time basis. He did not allow David to go and tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem. (2)

David’s Military Success

18:5

Jonathan’s thoughts about David turned out to be correct. David began to win battles against the Philistines. The people recognized this success, since it was a great change of fortune. 

Saul even liked David for his successes. He put David in charge of the army. Israel was defeating its enemies under David, and that was good for Saul. However, Saul’s affection was short lived. 

Saul Becomes Jealous

18:6-9

As the army returned home from victory, the women of the country came out to welcome them and celebrate. They sang, danced, and played musical instruments. There was great joy. (6)

All was well until Saul heard the lyrics of the song. Although they credited Saul will striking thousands, they credited David with 10 times as much. This made Saul angry and jealous. Without the Spirit to help him, his depraved nature could not enjoy David’s success. Rather, he began to see David as a rival, even a rival to the throne. He said “what more can he have but the kingdom”. (8) So, Saul began to watch David. Jealousy is one of the works of the flesh against the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19)

Saul Attempts To Harm David

18:10-11

Again the harmful spirit affected Saul. David’s music did not calm him; rather it enraged him. He threw his spear at David twice, but David was able to evade it. Saul’s anger and jealousy had turned murderous. One of the works of the flesh is “fits of anger”. (Galatians 5:19) 

Anger Leads To Fear

18:12-16

Saul had now realized that God was no longer with him, but with David. So he began to fear David. Saul sent him away from his house to the army, evidently hoping David would be killed it battle. 

In his confused state, Saul actually paved the way for David’s further success. He made David a commander of a thousand men to send him away.

David had success in all his battles. He was also available to the people, going out among them. This made the people love David. But it made Saul even more afraid. “He stood in fearful awe of him.” (18) 

Takeaways

The contrast between David and Saul is based on the Spirit of God. David is a success because the Spirit is on him. Saul disintegrates and fails because the Spirit has left him. 

The contrast between Saul and Jonathan is based on their willingness to accept God’s will regarding kingship. Saul does not want to give up his position as king even though the Spirit has left him. Jonathan accepts God’s choosing of David and responds with love and support.

THE LIFE OF DAVID # 2: DAVID MEETS SAUL & GOLIATH: 1 SAMUEL 16:14 - 17:58

David Meets Saul

16:14—23

Once the Holy Spirit left Saul, he began to have problems. A harmful spirit tormented him. This evidently resulted in problematic behavior such as temper fits and moodiness. 

Saul’s servants recognized this and believed music would calm Saul. One of the young servants had seen David and recommended him. The servant described David as skillful at playing the lyre, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent of speech, and of good presence. (18) 

There may have been some exaggeration there. David had not been to war, but he had evidently fought with wild animals who threatened his father’s sheep. 

The best quality was that “the Lord is with him”. (18) We see the contrast here: Saul was suffering because the Lord was no longer with him, but David was succeeding because the Lord was with him.

Initially, Saul loved David and arranged to have him serve him full time. He even made David his armor bearer, a position that would signify his affection for and trust of David. However, this approval would not last. 

David and Goliath

17:1-58

This is one of the most well known stories in the Bible. It shows David as a man of faith and of valor. Saul appears to be neither of these. Therefore, David is portrayed as the champion of Israel, not Saul. 

The Battle Lines Are Drawn

17:1-3

The Philistines were long time enemies of Israel. They inhabited cities on the coast. They constantly invaded Israel, often taking over parts of Israel’s territory. 

They have become the offspring of the serpent at enmity with the offspring of Eve, a continuing fulfillment of God’s word in Genesis 3:15.

This story is based around a Philistine attack. The Philistines and the Israelites had taken up positions in the high places on either side of the Valley of Elah. 

Goliath Seeks A Fight

17:4-11

Goliath appeared as a champion of the Philistines. He was very large, over 9 feet tall. He may have been one of the Anakim, sons of Anak. They were described as “great and tall”. (Deuteronomy 2:10; 9:2) The spies Moses sent into Canaan said they were as grasshoppers compared to the Anakim. (Numbers 13:22) 

Despite their size, God gave Joshua victory over them. The survivors fled to Gath, where Goliath was from, and Ashdod, another Philistine city. (Joshua 11:22)

Goliath was heavily armored with bronze mail covering this torso, plus armor over his legs. He had a full body shield and a large spear with an iron head. He would have been a fearsome sight. 

Goliath challenged the Israelites to send a champion to fight him. The winner would procure victory over the other country. The losing country would become the servants of the winning country. This went on for 40 days. 

The number 40 often stands for a time of testing in the Bible. 

Saul should have been the champion of Israel, but did not volunteer. The whole army was dismayed and greatly afraid. (11) 

David Comes To Visit

17:12-27 

David’s three oldest brothers went to battle with Saul. David commuted between Saul and Bethlehem to tend his father’s sheep.

Jesse sent David to take food to his brothers in the Israelite camp. He heard Goliath making his challenge. He saw the Israelites flee in fear. He heard the men talking about the rewards Saul offered for a man to fight Goliath.

Eliab Reacts 

17:28-30

Eliab was angry at David for coming to the camp. He denigrated him by saying his job was to keep “those few sheep”. He accused him of presumption and evil in his heart. 

This appears to be jealousy on the part of Eliab. He witnessed the anointing of David by Samuel the prophet, so he knew David was chosen and empowered by God. Eliab likely felt that he, as the oldest son, should have been chosen. He may also have been embarrassed that David, as the smaller and younger man, was volunteering to fight the giant while Eliab had not.

Saul Lets David Fight

17:31-37

Although Saul thought David unqualified to fight the giant, who was a seasoned warrior, David was undeterred. He believed that the could kill a giant man just as he hand killed lions and bears. 

But, most of all, David believed that God would give him the victory. (37) The Lord would not allow Goliath to defy his armies. So, Saul let David go and fight. 

David Kills Goliath

17:32-54

David entered the battle with no armor or sword. He took his slingshot and five stones. But his real weapon was the Lord. He said he came in he name of the Lord of hosts. And he killed Goliath, cutting off his head. The offspring of Eve bruised the head of the offspring of the serpent. (Genesis 3:15)

Saul’s Degradation

17:55-58

Saul did not remember who David’s father and family was. He wanted to keep David with him, but could not remember who he would have to instruct to get it done. 

Takeaways

1. The Lord is the real hero of the story. 

He defeated the enemy and used an unlikely person with insufficient weapons to do so. 

As Nebuchadnezzar would later say: “he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say to him ‘what have you done?’.” (Daniel 4:35)

2. God does not call us to fight in our own strength and it often does not end well when we do. 

Instead, he calls us to stand firm in Christ and his power to fight our battles and defeat our enemies.

Romans 16:20 says: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet”.