Question of the Day: What is something you have really appreciated about one or both of your parents?
Good morning. Thank you so much Mark for teaching!
Let's read together:
Saul Tries to Kill David
19 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”
4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”
6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”
As I was reading this section I couldn't help but think of what it must have been like to run for your life? I have never been faced with someone who was trying to kill me. There are a couple things I think we can take from this even if we aren't running for our physical life.
1. David ran and hid.
I haven't ever had someone trying to physically kill me, however.... I can think of a time and perhaps several times when I was in relationships that were harmful to me. Not physically but mentally and emotionally. David was willing to remove himself. He didn't stick around and try to reason with Saul. He listened to his friend and hid.
Sometimes we need to remove ourselves from relationships that are killing us. Sometimes other people, have such a toxicity level that just being around them harms us. It is OK to sometimes hide. Not for ever, but sometimes we have to for a while go away and be safe.
2. David listened to his friend.
I hope each of you have a friend that you can trust and listen to. Friends that will warn you when someone is trying to harm you, friends who will let you know you need to hide are good friends. We have to be careful not to get sucked into unnecessary drama, but if you know they are a healthy individual who has your best interest at heart, listening to a friend can be so helpful.
3. David let his friend help. He understood that his friend was in a better position to plead his case.
So many of us don't want to get our friends involved, or we just feel better about doing it ourselves. Acknowledging that our friends may be able to help us can be a great blessing. It is also an important part of relationships. Helping each other.
a. Do you let people help you?
b. Are you willing and able to see the ability in your friends and let them use them for you?
Self sufficiency isn't always a good thing. It can even get you killed. Are you willing to take the risk of depending on someone else?
7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
8 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.
The bible doesn't give us a time frame here. This could have been for months, days, weeks... who knows. It doesn't really matter. What we do know is it didn't last forever...
9 But an evil[a] spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.
14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.
17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”
Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”
How many times does this make it that David was able to escape Saul's spear?
Have you ever struggled with a foe, a battle, an addiction, something that keeps coming back up over and over and over again?
There is no question that no matter how difficult your struggle, God can get rid of it. God can give you victory, but it might take some time. David had been anointed, he had won many battles and was a great warrior, and yet still while serving his king he had to constantly dodge spears. Can you imagine? Maybe you know what it feels like. Maybe you know God has called you to sit on the throne, but the sitting King keeps trying to kill you? Do you think David ever just wanted to scream at God, "Seriously can't you take care of him already? I'm ready to be king! Just get him off the throne. I'm tired of playing the lyre for the guy who is throwing spears."
In God's time. Keep dodging, and let those around you, who love you, and who can, help you! David was first helped by Jonathan and then by Jonathan's sister and David's own wife, Michal.
I find the fact that this great warrior who had slain the giant and brought twice the number of foreskins, (200), and who the Philistine army feared, at his wife's suggestion snuck out a window. Now seriously, can you imagine that conversation? This mighty warrior running for his life by escaping out a window. I'm sure this wasn't easy. Not only that he wasn't facing the enemy but that he was listening to his wife and running at her suggestion. Could pride have gotten in his way?
No matter how strong you are, no matter how hard you fight, no matter how many victories, sometimes you need to just sneak out a window. Sometimes you need to get away from the danger.
18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.
If you need a safe house, where would it be?
Why did David go to Samuel?
One commentator writes, "(18) And came to Samuel.—The influence and authority which Samuel still preserved in the nation even in the stormy close of Saul’s career, must have been very great for the frightened David to have sought a refuge in his quiet home of prayer and learning. The exile, fleeing before his sovereign, felt that in the residence of the old seer he would be safe from all pursuit, as in a sanctuary. David’s intimate connection with Samuel has been alluded to on several occasions. He stood to the old seer in the relation of a loved pupil. (Elliott's Commentary) Bible Hub"
I know you have all heard a lot about my trip to see the Ortels in Phoenix. There is no question, I needed to get away and be strengthened by the spiritual wisdom that Mike and Lynn had to offer. Their devotion to God, made them a conduit for His grace and love that I needed. I wasn't running from a killer, but just the weight of life.
Maybe you have someone you know you could go to, maybe you don't. Maybe you can be a safe haven for someone who needs it.
I challenge each of us to find a Samuel. Find someone that you can run to when needed, but also make sure you are daily filling yourself with His love and grace so that you can be a place for someone else to run when needed!
19 Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”
“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.
23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
I don't want us to get caught up in a long discussion about what this prophesying ment. Some writers suggest it was a euphoric worship experience, others suggest that Saul was mad.
One thing we know for sure.... God kept David safe. Exactly what is was they were doing, or why doesn't really matter, they were captured in a web sent by God to give David a chance to get free.
No matter what you are up against. Trust that God can take care of you. I like to think of it this way. David ran to be with Samuel who was a great strength and a conduit of God's wisdom and grace for David, and while he was there, the presence of God was so strong, all those who tried to enter were impacted in such a way that rendered them unable to fulfill their evil plan.
I dare you to trust him to put that protective barrier around you too!
This whole part about Saul being naked for a full day and night, is interesting. According to all the commentators that I read, this was just taking off the outer clothes. The robes, all the clothing that spoke to status and wealth. Saul and his men became nothing and were completely caught up in the presence of God. It was like being caught in force field, (that was for you Star Trek or Star Wars fans.) A force field that when you got caught in it your status meant nothing and all you could do was praise the Lord who was protecting the one you were wanting to kill. Can you imagine such power.
In closing, let's remember to be humble and accept assistance when needed. Humility and accepting help isn't a sign of weakness but of strength. Let's remember to assist each other. Be willing to protect those who need protection, to be a safe place, a place of refuge and a conduit to the love and grace of God. Let's trust that God can wrap us up in a force field of protection. If you try to fight the battle by yourself you face certain death. No matter your status as a warrior, will you today accept the help of those around you and most importantly the protection and strength of God.
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