1 Samuel 18:1-19:24

18 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ² And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. ³ Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴ And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. ⁵ And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. ⁶ And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. ⁷ And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. ⁸ And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? ⁹ And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. ¹⁰ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. ¹¹ And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. ¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. ¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. ¹⁷ And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. ¹⁸ And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? ¹⁹ But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. ²⁰ And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹ And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain. ²² And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son in law. ²³ And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? ²⁴ And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David. ²⁵ And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶ And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired. ²⁷ Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. ²⁸ And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him. ²⁹ And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually. ³⁰ Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by. 19 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. ² But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: ³ And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. ⁴ And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: ⁵ For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? ⁶ And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. ⁷ And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. ⁸ And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him. ⁹ And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. ¹⁰ And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin: but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. ¹¹ Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. ¹² So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. ¹³ And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. ¹⁴ And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. ¹⁵ And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. ¹⁶ And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster. ¹⁷ And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee? ¹⁸ So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. ¹⁹ And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. ²⁰ And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. ²¹ And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. ²² Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah. ²³ And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. ²⁴ And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

In the aftermath of being anointed as king, being equipped by God’s Spirit, killing a giant, and securing a decisive victory for God’s people that allowed them to overcome an enemy that had plagued them for centuries, you would think that David’s life would have settled on “Easy Street.” However, chapters 18 and following in 1 Samuel describe a life marked by anything but “easy.” Just like the Lord Jesus who was identified as the Son of God and sent into the wilderness for testing at the hands of Satan, David’s life after being anointed as king and defeating Goliath was marked by approximately ten years of being on the run from King Saul. From his anointing as king onward, Saul’s life and rule as king in Israel would be marked by spiritual decline. The man who stood head and shoulders above the rest of God’s people physically would reveal himself to be among the smallest of His people spiritually. 1 Samuel 18-19 unfold for us a new mode of living that will mark David’s life for the next ten years, being on the run from King Saul. What would David do in such circumstances? How are we to behave in the face of such opposition with all of the temptations that come? The phrase “behaved himself wisely” is used four times in 1 Samuel 18 (1 Samuel 18:5, 14-15, 30) and 1 Samuel 18-19 reveal to us three things that are essential for us to understand during times of trial and testing if we are going to handle them properly.

First, 1 Samuel 18:1-9 demonstrates for us that it is God’s grace that prospers us in His service. The grace and favor of God was evident in David’s life to everyone. After the defeat of Goliath, David was made an integral part of Saul’s military and his exploits were seen and cheered by all. The women would sing of him slaying “ten thousands” while they sang of Saul only slaying his “thousands.” That success in service could only be attributed to the Lord. Just as God had been with David in the sheepfold, He now demonstrated that He was with David on the battlefield and all else that he did. In His providence, God was not only demonstrating his favor upon David, but His rejection of Saul and this led to Saul’s jealous hatred of David. In His providence, God would use Saul’s jealousy over David’s success to initiate a period in David’s life that would last for years where he was on the run from Saul. God had a purpose for that period and it was to mold and shape David further into the king that He wanted him to be. Saul was paranoid and “eyed David from that day forward.” The word “wisely” in verse 5 was used to describe David’s actions throughout 1 Samuel 18. The word describes making the most of an opportunity. David walked obediently before the Lord as the Lord poured out His favor and blessing on David’s service. We have a responsibility to act “wisely” as well, but we also must recognize that God is the One who is truly at work in us (Philippians 2:12-13) and any blessing that comes ultimately comes from Him and His purposes being fulfilled in our lives. Saul originally had the same Holy Spirit that David had, but he forfeited God’s anointing through his sin. May we not do the same. May we make the most of “the time” God has given to us because “the days are evil” spending our time walking in the fullness of God’s Spirit (Ephesians 5:16-17). It is His grace that prospers us in our service. Without Him and His blessing, we can do nothing.

Next, 1 Samuel 18:10-30 teaches us that God’s presence guides us in His service. There are two helpful phrases or concepts for us to grasp to understand the purpose of 1 Samuel 18:10-30. First, is the phrase “the Lord was with.” Each time that phrase appears (v. 12, 18, 28), it is describing God being with David and guiding him to behave “wisely.” Each time that Saul threatened and attempted to kill David, the Lord allowed him to escape. The second phrase is “afraid of” and it is used to describe Saul being afraid of David (v. 12, 15, 29) because he knew that the Lord was with David and had departed him. The first action Saul took in his fear was to twice hurl his javelin at David while David played the harp for him. Both times David escaped (v. 10-12). Next, Saul made David a captain in his military and promised him his daughter Merab as a wife if David fought valiantly for Saul (v. 15-19). Saul’s goal was to get David overzealous in fighting and fall at the hands of the Philistines. Despite David’s success, Saul gave his daughter Merab to another person. The reality is that Saul had already promised his daughter to the one who slew Goliath. David had now “earned” Saul’s daughter twice. However, Michal, Saul’s other daughter, loved David, so Saul gave David the task of collecting a hundred Philistine foreskins from battle. Saul’s intention was again to put David in harm’s way, but David prevailed. Also, the character of Michal is revealed in 1 Samuel 19 and Saul perhaps had the motivation of allowing Michal to be David’s wife because he thought her character would be his downfall. Through it all, David collected two hundred foreskins and returned unharmed to call his bride. We see the contrast in Saul’s arrogant pride and murderous jealousy of David and David’s humble service to Saul. Through this time, David gained favor with everyone in Israel, even those close to Saul. Saul walked entirely in the flesh, driven by pride and sin. David walked in obedience to the leading of the Spirit. God’s presence guides us in our service. We can rest assured that we are not being led by the Spirit or following the Spirit when we walk in pride. Humility is the mark of those who walk in the Spirit.

Lastly, 1 Samuel 19 reveals to us that God’s power protects, preserves, and sustains us in His service. 1 Samuel 19 contains three accounts of God protecting David through various means. The first account is that of Jonathan interceding for his friend David. Saul spoke to Jonathan and his council about his intentions to harm David and Jonathan spoke up for his friend, convincing his father (for a moment) that David was no threat. He assured Saul that David was instead a humble servant who was faithful to the king. The conversation concluded with Saul promising Jonathan that he would no longer try to kill David. After David went back out to serve Saul again, the “evil spirit” tormented Saul again and he resumed his murderous hatred of David. David played the harp once again for Saul and Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his javelin (v. 9-10). After David escaped to his home, Saul sent a band of men to go and kill David at home. David successfully escaped out the window of his home and Michal lied and put an “image” (idol) in the bed to fool the soldiers and Saul into thinking that it was David. This enraged Saul even more that his daughter was on David’s side and, to save her own skin, Michal lied again and said that the reason that she had protected David was that David had threatened her. This lie only served to worsen Saul’s hatred. David escaped to Naioth in Ramah, where Samuel lived. When Saul found out, he went to Ramah himself to find David, but the Spirit of the Lord came over him and made him prophesy. Saul stripped off his clothes and wallowed on the ground. What do we make of this? In 1 Samuel 10:5-10, Saul had a similar thing happen at the beginning of his ministry as a sign of God’s anointing of him as king. Here, the Spirit’s work is the opposite. Rather than showing God’s anointing of Saul, the act showed God’s judgment of Saul. His nakedness in the passage is key. It showed that the Spirit was exposing Saul, not equipping him. Nakedness in Scripture is equated with guilt and shame. (For example: Adam and Eve’s sin resulted in their recognition of their nakedness in Genesis 3:7-11). Now, Saul’s nakedness served as a sign of God’s judgment upon him and His protection and equipping of Saul as king removed. Saul’s rule would come to an end. Notice that in 1 Samuel 19, God protected David through three means: his friend Jonathan, his unrighteous wife Michal, and the Holy Spirit. As we serve God and faithfully follow Him, we need not worry about what might come against us. God is sovereign and all-powerful. His power protects us in our service.

And so began the rollercoaster ride of David’s life. He went from humble beginnings as a shepherd to the height of fame through slaying Goliath and being a successful soldier, only to find himself hated, threatened, and attacked multiple times by the king that he faithfully served. 1 Samuel 18 began with David being praised as the champion of Israel, but 1 Samuel 19 ended with him on the run for his life from Saul. These three principles of these two chapters would prove true throughout his life. David would ultimately be king and prevail, not because of his own strength but because the Lord was with Him and would give him the success He wanted him to have. God’s grace prospers us in our service. God’s presence guides us in our service. God’s power protects us in our service. The only way to claim such truths is to be a genuine child of God and indwelt by His Holy Spirit in salvation through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. How do we handle trials, difficulties, adversity, and mistreatment? Are you like Saul, plagued by selfishness, pride, and jealousy, always looking out for yourself at the expense of others? Are you threatened by and critical of those that God has blessed and uses for His glory? Or are you humble, walking in the ways of the Lord, trusting Him to prosper, guide, and protect you as you humbly serve Him?