Front matter (continued, part 44)
nyone who has ever been deeply disappointed by a friend or family member can understand why aged Samuel mourned so long over King Saul. Israel had rejected Samuel's leadership over them because he was too old, and they didn't want his sons to succeed him because they accepted bribes and perverted justice (8:3). But King Saul was guilty of disobeying God's clear commandments and also of lying about what he had done, and because of these sins, he had forfeited his throne. He was still in office and yet was unfit to lead the nation, and Samuel had broken fellowship with him (15:34–35). In his grief, Samuel must have felt like a dismal failure as a father, a spiritual leader, and a mentor to the new king. The word translated "mourn" means "to mourn for the dead" and reveals the depths of Samuel's sorrow.
Our hearts go out to Samuel who certainly suffered much because of the people and the king they so desperately wanted. When the kingdom was introduced in Israel, Samuel was replaced by a leader who was inferior to him in every way. Samuel did his best to advise the king and strengthen the kingdom, but Saul insisted on having his own way. Each time Saul was assigned a task, he failed, and when he was confronted, he lied and blamed others. When Israel experienced victories, it was usually Jonathan who led the way. It was a difficult time for Samuel, but God was still on the throne and had His true king waiting to be anointed.
III. The training of the new king (16—31)
King Saul had lost his dynasty, his character, and his throne and crown. He had also lost a godly friend. When David appears on the scene, Saul will lose his self-control and his good sense, and eventually he will lose his last battle—and his life.
There is a time to mourn (Eccl. 3:4), but there is
1 Samuel 16
David's family (vv. 6–10). Before the guests sat down to enjoy the fellowship feast, Samuel looked over seven of Jesse's sons, thinking that the whole family was there, but he was operating by sight and not by faith. We don't know what Samuel's two sons looked like, but we do know that their father admired men who were handsome and well-built. Samuel had already forgotten this mistake he made about Saul (9:2; 10:23–24). David was the eighth son and only six of his brothers are named in Scripture: Eliab, the firstborn; Abinadab, the second; Shimea, the third, also called Shammah; Nethanel, or Nathaniel, the fourth; Raddai, the fifth; and Ozem, the sixth (1 Chron. 2:13–15). David is called the seventh in this genealogy, but 1 Samuel 16:10–11 makes it clear that he was the eighth and youngest son. Apparently one brother died without issue and his name dropped out of the genealogy. David also had two sisters: Zeruiah was the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel; and Abigail, who was the mother of Amasa (1 Chron. 2:16–17). All of these men played important roles in David's kingdom.
also a time to act (Josh. 7:10), and for Samuel, that time had arrived. In spite of how he felt about himself, Samuel's work wasn't over yet, for God wanted him to anoint the new king, David, the son of Jesse. If Saul was "the people's king," then David was God's king, and the events recorded in these two chapters indicate clearly that God's hand was unquestionably on David, the leader of His choice.
God chose David (16:1–13) Had an election been held in Israel to choose a replacement for King Saul, it's not likely that the people would have chosen David, but he was God's first choice. "He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that had young he brought him, to shepherd Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance" (Ps. 78:70–71 nkjv). Let's consider some facts about this unusual young man.
A.David is anointed—16:1–13
David's city—Bethlehem (vv. 1–5). In spite of the fact that it was a small town in Judah, Bethlehem was a well-known place to the Jewish people. It was when Jacob and his family were on their way to Bethel that his favorite wife, Rachel, died near Bethlehem while giving birth to Benjamin (Gen. 35:16–20). It was in Bethlehem that Ruth, the widow from Moab, found her husband, Boaz, and gave birth to Obed, David's grandfather (Ruth 4:13–22; Matt. 1:3–6). David himself would make Bethlehem a famous place, and so would Jesus, the Son of David, who would be born there as the Scriptures promised (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6). Bethlehem means "house of bread," and it was there that the living bread from heaven came to dwell in human flesh.
No doubt there was no family in Bethlehem that could boast having seven such brothers, men of strength and stature, and yet none of them was God's chosen king! Samuel may have looked at their faces and forms, but the Lord examined their hearts. God alone can search the human heart and know what a person's motives really are (1 Chron. 28:9; Jer. 17:10; Rom. 8:27; Heb. 4:12). David's occupation—a shepherd (v. 11). So insignificant was David in the family that Jesse didn't even call him from the flock to the feast!1 Saul was hiding among the baggage when Samuel called for him, but David was busy caring for his father's sheep. In Old Testament times, kings and their officers were looked upon as "shepherds" of the people (see Jer. 23; Ezek. 34), and David was a man with the heart of a shepherd (see 2 Sam. 7:8; 1 Chron. 21:17; Ps. 78:70–72). God's church today is a flock, and each spiritual leader needs to have the heart of a shepherd and lovingly care for God's lambs and sheep (John 10:1–18; 21:15–19; 1 Peter 5).
As Israel's judge and prophet, Samuel had the right to travel where he pleased in serving the Lord and His people. But these were difficult and dangerous times because Saul was a suspicious man and his spies would report anything Samuel did. From Samuel's home in Ramah, the road to Bethlehem passed by Gibeah where Saul had his headquarters, and Saul would want to know where Samuel was going and why he was going there. To avoid problems, God commanded His servant to take a heifer and announce that he would sacrifice a fellowship offering in Bethlehem for a select group of people, including Jesse and his sons. Then God would show Samuel which one to anoint as king.
You can drive cattle but you have to lead sheep or they will scatter. The shepherd must know his sheep individually, love them, and take care of them according to their needs. For the most part, sheep are defenseless and do not see well, so they depend on the shepherd to guide and protect them. Though David was a literal shepherd who was called to be a "national" shepherd, he saw himself as one of the Lord's sheep and wrote about it in Psalm 23. This psalm wasn't the product of a young man but of a seasoned saint who looked back at a long life and confessed that the Lord had been faithful to him all the days of his life (23:6). David was exactly the kind of leader Israel needed to repair all the damage that Saul had done to the nation.2
The elders in Bethlehem knew that Saul and Samuel were estranged, so the arrival of Samuel gave them great alarm. Was Samuel recruiting followers to resist Saul? Would Saul interpret his presence in their little town as a declaration of war? Samuel quickly allayed their fears and told them to sanctify themselves and come to the sacrifice and the feast that would follow. "Sanctifying" meant that each of the guests would take a bath and change clothes (Ex. 19:10–15), because nobody ceremonially unclean could partake of the sacrificial feast (Lev. 7:19–21). For Jesse and his sons to be invited to this feast was a high honor, and, of course, nobody but Samuel knew why they were included.
God calls people who are busy, not people looking for ways to avoid responsibility. Moses (Ex. 3), Gideon (Judg. 6), Elisha (1 Kings 19:19–21), Nehemiah (Neh. 1), Amos (Amos 7:14–15), Peter, Andrew, James, and
1 Samuel 16
John (Mark 1:16–20), and Matthew (Matt. 9:9–13) were all busy when the Lord called them. God's pattern for leadership is stated in Matthew 25:21—"Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord" (nkjv). David had been faithful as a servant over a few things and God promoted him to being a ruler over many things— from a flock to a whole nation! Unlike Saul, David could be trusted with exercising authority because he had been under authority and had proved himself faithful.
his trials and testings during those wilderness years helped to build his faith and develop his godly character and prepare him for the ministry that God had planned for him.
When David and Jonathan became friends (1 Sam. 18:1) and covenanted to be faithful to each other (18:3; 20:16), it's certain that David revealed to Jonathan that he was God's anointed king. When David became king, he would make Jonathan second in command (23:16–18). It's not likely that Jonathan told his paranoid father about David or their covenant, but somehow Saul discovered that David was his successor (20:30–31) and tried all the more to kill him. He expected his men to inform him about David and his whereabouts and Saul let them know that David was chosen to be the next king (22:6–8).
David's appearance (v. 12a; see 17:42). While the physical appearance wasn't the most important thing for a king (16:7), David was so striking in his appearance that the Lord calls our attention to it. Saul was different from most Semitic people of that day because he was tall, but David's distinctive was that he was fair rather than swarthy. The word translated "ruddy" is the same as Esau's nickname "Edom—red" (Gen. 25:24–34). Some have interpreted this to mean that David was a redhead, but it may only mean that, unlike the average Semite, he was fair of skin and hair. Like Joseph, he was handsome (39:6) and had a winsome personality (1 Sam. 16:18). He was the kind of person who attracted people and won and held their confidence.
God prepared David (16:14–23) David knew that the Lord had been present at his conception and had arranged for his genetic structure (Ps. 139:13–16). He ordained that David would be strong and handsome, that he would possess musical talent, that he would be prudent and brave. Just as Paul was a vessel prepared by God for a specific work (Gal. 1:15; Acts 9:15), so David was God's prepared servant to accomplish His purposes for His people.
B.David serves Saul—16:14–23
Saul's attendants knew that something was seriously wrong with their master, and they rightly attributed it to the attacks of an evil spirit. God had permitted this spirit to trouble Saul (1 Sam. 16: 14, 23; 18:10; 19:9) as part of His discipline because of the king's rebellion. By nature, Saul was a suspicious and revengeful man, and this gave the evil spirit a beachhead for his operations (Eph. 4:25–27). The one man in the kingdom who was prepared to minister to Saul was David!
David's anointing (vv. 12a–13). After looking at Jesse's seven sons, Samuel at last found the man of God's choice, a man after God's own heart (13:14). It's interesting that David ("beloved") was number eight, because in Scripture eight is often the number of a new beginning. God did use David to bring a new beginning to Israel, both governmentally and spiritually.3
In Scripture, only prophets, priests, and kings were anointed, and the anointing had to be performed by a person authorized by the Lord. In biblical imagery, oil can symbolize the Holy Spirit and the endowment of His power upon His servants (Zech. 4). The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" both mean "anointed." The Spirit of God came upon young David in great power, and ever after that, David was God's man, but at the same time, the Spirit of God departed from Saul (1 Sam. 16:14).4 Without the power of the Spirit, the servant of God is helpless to do the will of God and glorify Christ. As we abide in Christ, we receive the power we need, for Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5 nkjv).
David was a poet and musician, skilled at playing the harp and composing songs. By the end of his life, he was known as "the sweet psalmist of Israel" (2 Sam. 23:1). It's unusual to find such artistic talent in a man who was also a rugged soldier and fearless general. He wrote psalms, he organized the music ministry for the temple (1 Chron. 25), and provided instruments for the musicians (23:5). From the spoils of his many battles, he provided the materials for the temple, and he longed to have the privilege of building a house for the Lord. No matter how you examine his life and abilities, you find David to be a unique individual—and he was that way because God made him that way!
How much did David's father and brothers understand about this anointing? In view of David's subsequent association with King Saul, perhaps they interpreted the event as a consecration for David's special service to the king. It's likely that Samuel privately told David that he had been chosen by the Lord to be the next king. If so, his behavior while serving Saul was remarkably mature for a young man who one day would wear the crown. No doubt it was the assurance of this future hope that helped to keep David faithful during the ensuing years of trial and persecution.5 But
It was David's musical ability that introduced him into the royal court and then he was promoted to military service. The opportunities of life matched his giftedness, and David was wise to obey the will of the Lord. Just as he refused to wear Saul's armor when facing Goliath, so he rejected that which wasn't prepared and planned for him by the Lord. "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake" (Ps. 23:3; Eph. 2:10).
The key to David's success in life is stated in 1 Sam. 16:18—"the Lord was with him." (See 18:12, 14, 28.)
1 Samuel 16—17
take his father's house off the tax rolls. Saul hoped that somebody would be tempted by the offer and try to defeat Goliath.
This was also the secret of the success of Joseph (Gen. 39:2–3, 21, 23), Joshua (Josh. 6:27), and Samuel (1 Sam. 3:19), and it is the basis for success in the Christian life today. David knew his gifts (Rom. 12:3), he experienced the power of God in using these gifts in his daily life. He loved the Lord and worshipped Him, and he surrendered himself to do the work God had called him to do. As long as he followed the Lord, God blessed and used him for his glory.
David's response to Goliath's arrogant speech was that of total disgust. Who was this uncircumcised Philistine to blaspheme the name of the God of Israel? Keep in mind that David was too young to serve in the army, but he was acting as though anybody in the camp who had faith in Jehovah could challenge Goliath and defeat him! But all he saw were men fleeing from the field at the very sight of the giant, and even King Saul was terrified (vv. 11, 24).6 God had brought David to the camp for such a time as this, and he was ready to accept the challenge.
In their original meeting, Saul loved David (1 Sam. 16:21), so he obviously didn't know that his new attendant was to be the next king of Israel. However, that love was gradually replaced by envy and then fear (18:8–9, 12, 15), until Saul was determined to kill David. Saul became David's enemy (v. 19), but David never treated Saul like an enemy. David behaved wisely and tried to help Saul get over his fits of depression, but they only became worse. Without God, Saul was a total failure.
God encouraged David (17:28–39) Whenever you step out by faith to fight the enemy, there's always somebody around to discourage you, and often it begins in your own home. David's eldest brother, Eliab, became angry when he heard that David was inquiring about Saul's offer and he ridiculed him (vv. 28–30). "We're soldiers and all you are is a shepherd boy! You came to see the battle! Go home and take care of your little flock and leave the fighting to us!" Of course, the fact that there had been no battle didn't embarrass Eliab, and he also forgot that David had originally come in order to deliver food for him, Abinadab, and Shammah. These three men had seen David anointed by Samuel but they didn't understand what it meant.
C.David kills Goliath—17
God guided David (17:1–27) David didn't remain in Saul's camp permanently but went back and forth between the camp and home as he was needed (v. 15 niv). Whenever he was called to help Saul, he left his flock with a dependable man (v. 20) and hurried to the camp where now he even had his own tent (v. 54). It wasn't until after David killed Goliath that Saul took him permanently to be one of his armor-bearers (18:1–2). David was a Spirit-led man and his every decision had to be in the will of God and for the glory of God. Others might come and go as they pleased, but David was guided by the providential hand of God. We can see the guidance of God in the events reported in chapter 17.
"[A] man's foes shall be they of his own household," promised Jesus (Matt. 10:36; see Mic. 7:6), and that promise was true in David's life. It was also true in the life of Joseph, whose brothers hated him, lied about him, and sold him for a slave. Moses was criticized by his own brother and sister (Num. 12), and our Lord's earthly family at one time misunderstood Him and opposed His ministry (Mark 3:31–35; John 7:1–10). But David didn't allow Eliab's harsh words to discourage him, for he knew that God could help him defeat the giant.
Goliath is described as standing nine feet, nine inches tall, wearing a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds and carrying a spear that weighed 15 pounds. He was a formidable opponent indeed. He had presented himself to the army of Israel each morning and evening for forty days, and apparently David arrived on the final day (17:16). Jesse chose just the right day to send David to the battlefield to carry food supplies to his three brothers and their commanding officer (vv. 17–18). Unlike modern armies, soldiers in ancient armies had to provide their own rations and help provide for others.
But King Saul wasn't any more help, either in what he said or what he advised. "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth" (1 Sam. 17:33 nkjv). Saul was echoing the report of the ten unbelieving spies who saw the giants in Canaan and decided that it was impossible to enter the land (Num. 13:28–29). When we walk by sight, we calculate everything from the human perspective, and this always leads to discouragement; but when we walk by faith, God comes into the equation, and that changes the results.
David was up very early that day and heard the morning challenge that Goliath gave to Saul and his army. If the Israelites could provide a champion who was able to defeat Goliath, the Philistines would submit to the Jews and be their servants, but if not, the Israelites must consider themselves defeated and become the servants of the Philistines (vv. 8–9). Unfortunately, nobody in the Jewish army volunteered, including King Saul, who stood head and shoulders above his men. Since Israel had come to a crisis in this confrontation, Saul made a generous offer to the man who would silence Goliath: he would marry one of the king's daughters, receive great riches from the king, and
David had experienced the power of God in his own life and he knew that the Lord could turn weakness into power. While caring for the sheep, David had killed a lion and a bear, and he knew that the Lord could deliver him out of the hand of Goliath. It's as though he sees Goliath as just another animal attacking
1 Samuel 17
God used it to defeat the giant and rout the Philistine army. When Goliath saw a lad coming with a sling in one hand and a staff in the other, he laughed at him. "Am I a dog that you come at me with a stick?" But David announced that his real power was the name of the Lord of Hosts, the name that Goliath and the Philistines had insulted. David wanted the whole assembly—Israel and the Philistines—to know that the Lord doesn't need swords and spears but can deliver His people in His own way through the humblest of means. No wonder David and Jonathan became such fast friends, for they both had faith in a mighty God and wanted to fight His battles to glorify Him (1 Sam. 13:6; Ps. 33:16–22; 44:6–8). It was David's victory (vv. 48–51a). The Lord uses means to accomplish His purposes, and David was the prepared servant for this occasion. As a shepherd alone in the fields, he had learned to trust God, and as a faithful guardian of the flock, he had mastered the use of the sling. David had confident faith in God because he had found Him dependable in the crises of life, and he knew that the Lord would not desert him now. The Spirit of God lived in David's body and would enable him to win the battle. God guided the stone and it sank into the giant's forehead and he fell on his face before the two armies.7 David stood over the fallen giant, took out the giant's sword, and cut off his head, an act that not only guaranteed the victim's death but also humiliated him and his army and announced total victory. Years later, David would write, "It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.… He teaches my hands to make war so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze" (Ps. 18:32, 34 nkjv).
God's flock! Saul knew nothing personally about this wonderful power of God, so he advised David to wear his armor. Saul didn't have the faith to believe that God could do something new, so he suggested the old-fashioned time-honored method of warfare. King Saul was a grown man and a large one at that, and David was only a teenager, so imagine what the armor looked like on David's body! But men and women of faith obey God no matter what the experts say.
David's encouragement came from God, and this is one of the secrets of his life. "But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God" (1 Sam. 30:6). In spite of criticism and in spite of discouraging counsel and bad advice, David trusted the Lord his God, and God rewarded his faith.
God enabled David (17:40–58) "All God's giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them." James Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, wrote those words, but even more, he lived them. "I am the very little servant of an illustrious Master," he told a congregation in Australia. David understood what this meant, for he was but a teenager when he faced the giant, yet he knew that the Lord would be with him.
It was the Lord's victory (vv. 40–47). It's unfortunate that this dramatic account is considered primarily a children's story or the basis for an allegory about defeating the "giants" in our lives. While there are many applications of a Bible passage, there is only one basic interpretation, and the interpretation here is that David did what he did for the glory of God. David came to the contest in the name of the Lord, the God of the armies of Israel, and he wanted Goliath, the Philistine army, and all the earth to know that the true and living God was Israel's God (v. 46). Goliath had ridiculed Israel's God and blasphemed His name, but David was about to set the record straight. David saw this as a contest between the true God of Israel and the false gods of the Philistines.
It became Israel's victory (vv. 51b–54). Even as a youth, David displayed one of the marks of a great leader: he took the risk and opened the way so that others could share in the victory. The Philistines didn't keep their part of the bargain and submit to Israel (v. 9); instead, they fled in fear, so the Jews chased them at least ten miles to the cities of Gath (Goliath's hometown, v. 4) and Ekron, slaying the enemy soldiers all the way.8 It turned out to be a tremendous victory for Saul's army. When the Israelites returned to the Philistine camp, they claimed the spoils of the victory that the Lord and David had won. David apparently accompanied the men in chasing the enemy (v. 57) and began to get the reputation of being a brave soldier (18:7). He stripped the giant and took his armor and put it in his tent. Later Goliath's sword will show up with the Jewish priests in Nob (21:1–9), so David must have dedicated it to the Lord by giving it to the priests.
God wants to use His people to magnify His name to all the nations of the earth. This purpose was involved in the call of Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3) and God's choice of the people of Israel (Deut. 28:9–10). One purpose for Israel's sojourn in Egypt and the judgments God sent against Pharaoh was the proclaiming of God's name and glory to all the earth (Ex. 9:16). The parting of the Red Sea to let Israel out, and the opening up of the Jordan River to let them into Canaan, bore witness to all the nations that Israel's God was the true God (Josh. 4:23–24). Even the building of the temple was a witness to the Gentile nations of Israel's God so that they might know Him and fear Him (1 Kings 8:42–43). What the Lord did through David would be recorded and told around the world and bring great honor to the name of the Lord.
When did David take Goliath's head to Jerusalem? Probably later when he conquered the city and made it his capital (2 Sam. 5:1–10). The city was known as Jebus in that day and was inhabited by the Jebusites (Judg. 19:10), so this verse was written into the text later when the name had been changed. When David moved into the city as king, he no doubt brought with him many precious trophies from his battles. The head
The very weapon that David used—a sling—was a shepherd's weapon, almost the toy of a child, and yet
1 Samuel 17—18
whom the Lord called to accomplish certain purposes for God, but He might also leave them as He did Saul. This fact helps to explain David's prayer in Psalm 51:11. Believers today who share in the new covenant are assured that they have the Spirit forever (John 14:16). True believers are sealed by the Spirit at conversion, and the seal speaks of permanent possession and protection (Eph. 1:13–14 and 4:30). 5 Some chronologists calculate that David was born about 1085 and was anointed in 1070 at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Five years later (1065) he fled from Saul and was in exile for the next ten years. In 1055, he was crowned king over Judah when he was thirty years old (2 Sam. 2). 6 Fear seems to have been a constant problem with Saul. See 13:11; 15:24; 17:11; 18:12; 28:5. Faith and fear don't lodge in the same heart (Matt. 8:26). 7 Was the giant wearing his helmet or was he so confident that he left it behind? But even a helmet couldn't keep a heavenimpelled stone from penetrating Goliath's skull. It's likely that Goliath was in a combat posture, bent slightly forward and approaching David, and this plus the weight of his armor caused him to fall face forward. 8 The phrase "Israel and Judah" in verse 52, found also in 15:4, suggests that Saul didn't have a unified nation or a united army. Apparently the royal tribe of Judah operated as a separate entity. After the death of Saul and his sons, it was the tribe of Judah that welcomed David as their king (2 Sam. 2:1–4). 9 Some Old Testament scholars think that David wrote Psalm 8 in honor of God's victory over Goliath. Both 1 Samuel 17 and Ps. 8 emphasize the name of God, the fowl of the air, and beasts of the field, and God's willingness to care for and use frail man.
of Goliath, as grisly as it was, would remind David that the Lord could be trusted to give the victory if we seek only to glorify Him.
It was not Saul's victory (vv. 55–58). When Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost (14:1–23), Saul was a spectator, and his bad decisions almost cost them a victory, and once again, Saul merely watched as David defeated the enemy single-handed. This would be Saul's pattern of leadership to the tragic end of his life.
Saul knew who David was, but he asked Abner who the lad's father was, for in that day, that was how people were identified. Jesse had been mentioned earlier in Saul's circle (16:18) but perhaps Abner wasn't present and Saul may easily have forgotten. (Do we know the names of our acquaintances' fathers?) As Saul's minstrel, David went back and forth between home and the camp, and he was present only when Saul was oppressed by the evil spirit; so we can excuse Saul for not knowing who Jesse was. The fact that the victor's family was relieved of paying taxes, and he would marry Saul's daughter was part of the bargain (17:25), so Saul would have to inquire about the father. Finally, Saul may have wanted to know if there were any more men like David back home. He probably didn't know that three of David's brothers were in his army, but he could have used a few more men like David! (See 14:52.) The result of the day's victory was that David was added permanently to Saul's staff.
It has well been said that there are people who make things happen, people who watch things happen and people who don't know that anything is happening. David had insight into Israel's plight and knew what was happening. He realized that it wasn't a physical conflict between two armies, but a spiritual battle between truth and error, faith and superstition, the true and living God and dead idols. David's faith lifted the war to a much higher plane, just as Paul did in Ephesians 6:10ff. Our battle is against the devil and his army, and human weapons are useless in that conflict.
CHAPTER SEVEN 1 Samuel 18—19 A JEALOUS KING J
D.Saul becomes jealous of David—18—19
ewish men had to be at least twenty years old before they could go to war (Num. 1:3), but David was probably only eighteen when he was made a high-ranking officer in the Jewish army (18:5). From the beginning of his new assignment, David found himself in a life-threatening conflict with King Saul. David didn't create problems for Saul; he revealed the deep-seated problems that were already there. David was an honest man of faith, but Saul was a deceitful, scheming man of the world. With great humility David had accepted his appointment as Israel's next king, while Saul was almost paranoid as he tried to protect his throne. God had abandoned Saul but had given His Spirit's power to David, and David moved from victory to victory as he led Saul's troops. We can trace some of the major stages in Saul's growing opposition to David.
Faith in God makes us participants with the Lord in the battle for truth. "And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith" (1 John 5:4). 9
Notes 1 The Hebrew word translated "youngest" in verse 11 also means "smallest." Saul was famous for his height (9:2; 10:23), but David was not conspicuous in the crowd. From the beginning of his ministry, David was seen as a man with a humble spirit. 2 Early in his life, David acknowledged that Jehovah God was King (Ps. 59:13). Blessed is that leader who recognizes that he is second in command! 3 Noah was "the eighth person" (2 Peter 2:5) and eight persons were saved in the ark to give a new beginning to civilization (1 Peter 3:20). Jewish boys were circumcised on the eighth day, which gave them a new status in the nation as "sons of the covenant," and the firstborn were dedicated to God on the eighth day (Ex. 22:29–30). 4 In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came upon people
Saul wants David killed (18:1–12) At one time, Saul loved David (16:21, "liked him very much," niv), but the king's attitude changed into jealousy and then hatred. The Lord was with David
1 Samuel 18
for ten miles, defeated them, and took their spoils (1 Sam. 17:52ff.). As Saul and his men returned to camp, the women met the victors and praised both Saul and David. In true Hebrew fashion, their praise was exaggerated, but in one sense it was true. David's victory over Goliath made it possible for the whole army of Israel to conquer the Philistines, so each soldier's achievement was really a triumph for David.
(18:12, 14, 28), however, and Saul was not permitted to harm him. During the ten years or so that David was a fugitive, the Lord not only thwarted Saul's plans repeatedly, but He even used the king's hostility to mature David and make him into a man of courage and faith. While Saul was guarding his throne, David was being prepared for his throne.
Love (vv. 1–4). Too many Bible readers still view David and Jonathan as two frolicsome teenagers who liked each other because they had many common interests, but this picture is shallow and inaccurate. Jonathan had to be at least twenty years old to be in his father's army, and the fact that Jonathan was already commanding one-third of that army and had won two great victories (13:1–4; 14:1ff.) indicates that he was a seasoned soldier and not a callow adolescent. Some biblical chronologists calculate that there could have been an age difference of twenty-five to twenty-eight years between David and Jonathan.
Envy and anger (vv. 8–11). "It is a dangerous crisis when a proud heart meets with flattering lips," said John Flavel, seventeenth-century British Presbyterian clergyman and author. What the women sang didn't seem to affect David, but their song enraged Saul. Saul had already forfeited the kingdom (15:28), but he still asked, "What can he have more but the kingdom?" Saul's response to David's success was exactly opposite that of John the Baptist when he was told of the great success of Jesus: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
Jonathan listened to his father and David converse, and after that interview, took David to his own heart with the kind of manly affection that comrades in arms understand.1 Jonathan was Saul's eldest son, destined for the throne of Israel, and the Lord had already given it to David, so their friendship was certainly unique. When Jonathan gave his official garments and his armor to David, making him a friend and equal, Jonathan was acknowledging that David would one day take his place, so David must have told Jonathan about his anointing. The two friends covenanted that when David became king, Jonathan would be second in command (20:16–17, 42; 23:16–18), and David covenanted to protect Jonathan's family from being slain.
Envy is a dangerous and insidious enemy, a cancer that slowly eats out our inner life and leads us to say and do terrible things. Proverbs 14:30 rightly calls it "the rottenness of the bones." Envy is the pain we feel within when somebody achieves or receives what we think belongs to us. Envy is the sin of successful people who can't stand to see others reach the heights they have reached and eventually replace them. By nature, we are proud and want to be recognized and applauded, and from childhood we have been taught to compete with others. Dr. Bob Cook often reminded us that everybody wears a sign that reads, "Please make me feel important." Much modern advertising thrives on envy as it cleverly contrasts the "haves" and the "have-nots" and urges the "have-nots" to buy the latest products and keep up with the "haves." Envious people max out their credit cards to buy things they don't need just to impress people who really don't care!
Saul wasn't pleased with his son's friendship with David. For one thing, Jonathan was Saul's best commander and was needed to make the king look good. Saul was also afraid that Jonathan would divulge court secrets to David, and when Saul discovered that David was already anointed to succeed him, this made matters worse. He saw David as an enemy, a threat to his own son's future, although Jonathan didn't view it that way. But when a leader nurtures himself on pride, jealousy, and fear, he suspects everybody.
But envy easily leads to anger, and anger is often the first step toward murder (Matt. 5:21–26). This explains why Saul threw his spear at David while David was trying to soothe the king and help him overcome his depression. The Lord enabled David to escape, and when he returned to the king a second time, Saul only tried again to kill him. These two events probably occurred after the Goliath victory but before David was made an officer in the army, and yet David remained faithful to his king.
Popularity (vv. 5–7). "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise he receives" (Prov. 27:21 niv). Just as the crucible and furnace test the metal and prepare it for use, so praise tests and prepares people for what God has planned for them. How we respond to praise reveals what we're made of and whether or not we're ready to take on new responsibilities. If praise humbles us, then God can use us, but if praise puffs us up, we're not yet ready for a promotion.
Fear (v. 12). The Lord protected His servant David from Saul's murderous hand, a fact that frightened Saul even more (vv. 15, 29). Surely Saul knew he was fighting a losing battle, for the Lord was on David's side but had departed from him. However, Saul kept up a brave front as he tried to impress his officers with his authority. Even if Saul missed his target, the people around him didn't miss the message he was sending: "Saul is king and he wants David to be killed."
In his attitudes, conduct, and service, David was a complete success, and Saul's servants and the Jewish people recognized this and praised him publicly. This popular acclaim started after David's stunning defeat of Goliath, when the army of Israel chased the Philistines
Saul plots to have David killed (18:13–30) "Faith is living without scheming," but Saul was better
1 Samuel 18—19
18:26) refers to a new deadline or the original deadline determined by Saul for Merab is really unimportant, because David and his men3 accomplished even more than Saul had asked. David once more survived the battles and he brought the king 200 foreskins. Another of Saul's schemes had failed and he had to give Michal to David as his wife.
at scheming than at trusting God. If Saul disobeyed God, he always had a ready excuse to get himself out of trouble, and if people challenged his leadership, he could figure out ways to eliminate them. Possessed by anger and envy, and determined to hold on to his crown, Saul decided that young David had to be killed.
Saul sends David into battle (vv. 13–16). Since David was an excellent soldier and a born leader, the logical thing was to give him assignments that would take him away from the camp where the enemy could kill him. Saul made David commander over 1,000 and sent him to fight the Philistines. If David was killed in battle, it was the enemy's fault, and if he lost a battle but lived, his popularity would wane. But the plan didn't work because David won all the battles! After all, the Lord was with him and the power of God was upon him. Instead of eliminating David or diminishing his popularity, Saul's scheme only made him a greater hero to the people, and this increased Saul's fear of David all the more.
Saul is even more afraid (vv. 28–30). We have seen this pattern before (vv. 12, 15), but now Saul's twisted emotions so controlled him that he was obsessed with the desire to kill his son-in-law. David never considered Saul to be his enemy (Ps. 18 inscription), but Saul remained David's enemy until the day he died on the battlefield. David continued to fight the Lord's battles, and the Lord continued to give him great success and to magnify his name above the names of Saul's best officers. David certainly paid close attention to what God was doing in him and for him, and no doubt the remembrance of these events encouraged him during the difficult days of his exile. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31).
Saul demands an impossible feat (vv. 17–27). Saul had promised to give one of his daughters in marriage to the man who killed Goliath (17:25), but this promise had not yet been fulfilled. The fact that David had killed Goliath wasn't enough, for Saul now expected David to "fight the battles of the Lord" in order to gain his wife, Saul's eldest daughter, Merab. Saul wasn't beneath using his own daughter as a tool to get rid of David. The details aren't given, but it seems that David had to fight a certain number of battles before the marriage could take place. Of course, the king was hoping that David would be slain during one of those battles, and then Saul would lose his enemy but still have his daughter. However, David humbly declined the offer, saying that his family wasn't worthy to be related to the king, so Saul gave Merab to another suitor.2
Saul looks for opportunities to have David killed (19:1–17) Saul's mind and heart were so possessed by hatred for David that he openly admitted to Jonathan and the court attendants that he intended to have his son-inlaw killed. Saul was now through with behind-the-scenes plots and was out to destroy David in the quickest way possible, and he ordered Jonathan and the royal attendants to join him in his endeavor. The hope of Israel lay in the heart and ministry of David, and yet Saul wanted to kill him! David would conquer Israel's enemies and consolidate the kingdom. He would gather much of the wealth used to build the temple. He would write psalms for the Levites to sing in praising God, and he would even design the musical instruments they played. God's covenant with David would keep the light shining in Jerusalem during the dark days of the nation's decline, and the fulfillment of that covenant would bring Jesus Christ the Messiah into the world. No wonder Satan was so determined to kill David!
Then Saul happily discovered that his younger daughter Michal was in love with David! Saul spoke to David about it and said he would give him a second chance to claim his reward. Once again David demurred, but Saul persisted. This time he asked selected servants to lie to David and tell him that Saul liked him and wanted him to marry Michal, and that Saul's attendants agreed with the proposal. But David put them off by telling the truth: he was from a lowly family and he didn't have any money to pay the bride price (Gen. 34:12; Ex. 22:16).
Jonathan's intervention (1 Sam. 19:1–10). Surely Saul knew that Jonathan would pass the word along to his beloved friend David, but perhaps that's what the king desired. If he couldn't kill David, perhaps he could so frighten him that he would leave the land and never be seen again. Jonathan did report the king's words to David and suggested that his friend hide in the field the next morning when Jonathan would speak with his father on behalf of David. It's remarkable that such a magnificent son could belong to such a wicked father! Had Jonathan been a selfish man, he could have helped to eliminate David and secure the crown for himself, but he submitted to the will of God and assisted David.
When David's reply was reported to Saul, the devious king saw in it a great opportunity to attack his enemies and get rid of David at the same time. Saul told his servants to tell David that all that the king required for a bride price was 100 foreskins from the "uncircumcised Philistines." Saul was certain that at some point in this endeavor, David would meet his death. Once again, Saul was using one of his daughters to help destroy an innocent man, and in this instance, it was a man she truly loved.
Jonathan presented his father with two arguments: (1) David was an innocent man who was not deserving of death,4 and (2) David had served Saul faithfully by
Whether the phrase "the appointed days" (1 Sam.
1 Samuel 19
Saul himself goes to kill David (19:18–24) David fled to Samuel in Ramah, a godly friend he knew he could depend on, and Samuel took him to the fellowship of the prophets where they could worship God and seek His face. The word naioth means "dwellings" and was probably a section in Ramah where the "school of the prophets" assembled. There Samuel and David could worship and pray and ask God for wisdom, and the prophets would pray with them. But Saul's spies were everywhere and they reported to Saul where he could find David. The king sent three different groups of soldiers to capture David, but when they arrived at the place where the prophets had assembled, they were immediately possessed by the Spirit and began to praise and worship God! The Hebrew word translated "prophesy" can mean "to sing songs and praise God" as well as "to foretell events." Saul's soldiers didn't become prophets; they only uttered words inspired by the Spirit of God. God protected David and Samuel, not by sending an army but by sending the Holy Spirit to turn warriors into worshippers. "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds" (2 Cor. 10:4 niv).
winning great victories against Israel's enemies. David was a valuable man to have around and he had never sinned against the king. Jonathan didn't mention that David was also very popular with the soldiers and the common people, because making such a statement would only have aroused the king's anger and envy. Saul was enjoying a sane moment and agreed with his son, and even took an oath not to kill David. Saul was a liar and his oaths were meaningless (14:24, 44), but this did open the way for David to return to court.
When the Philistines attacked Israel again, David went out with his men and soundly defeated them. This only aroused Saul's envy and anger and once again he tried to pin David to the wall (18:10–11). Satan is a liar and a murderer (John 8:44), and because Saul was controlled by the evil one, he broke his oath and he threw his spear. David knew that the time had come for him to leave Saul's presence and hide, but first he went home to see his wife Michal. David would now begin about ten years of exile during which God would make a leader out of him.
Michal's deception (vv. 11–17). Saul surmised that David would go home, so he sent men that night to watch David's house and kill him when he came out the next morning. Knowing her father's thought processes, Michal urged David to get out that night and flee to a place of safety. She let him down through a window and arranged a dummy in the bed by using an idol and some goats' hair. What Michal was doing with an pagan idol (teraphim) is a mystery, especially one as large as a man. (Rachel hid two teraphim under a saddle—Gen. 31:33–35.) It's possible that the idol was only a bust and that she used it and the goats' hair5 for the head and used pillows to simulate the body. Michal was still depending on idols while married to a man after God's own heart, and like her father, she was a schemer.
Three groups of soldiers had failed, so Saul decided to go to Ramah himself. David's presence in Ramah was no secret because the people at the great cistern knew where he and Samuel were and they told Saul. Perhaps the entire town knew that some kind of "spiritual revival" was taking place at the school of the prophets. Saul hastened to the place only to be met by the Spirit of God and made to praise the Lord. He took off his outer royal garments and became like any other man, and he lay on the floor before Samuel. This would be their last meeting until that fateful night when Samuel came from the realms of the dead to pass judgment on the king (1 Sam. 28:7ff.).
While Michal was scheming, David was praying and trusting the Lord, and Psalm 59 came out of this experience. As you read this psalm, you see Saul's spies running here and there and waiting for David to emerge from his house, and you hear David comparing them to snarling dogs lurking in the city streets. But David's faith was in the Lord, for only the Lord could be his defense and his refuge. This doesn't mean that David rejected any plans for escape, because the Lord uses human means to accomplish His divine ends, but it does mean that David's faith was not in himself or in Michal's schemes, but in the Lord of the armies of Israel.
But Saul had had a similar experience after Samuel had anointed him king (10:9–13), and from it came the proverbial saying, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" After Saul's experience at Ramah, the proverb was resurrected. These two events prove that a person can have a remarkable religious experience and yet have no change in character. In Saul's case, both experiences were actually sent by the Lord, but Saul didn't profit from them. Special religious manifestations aren't evidences that a person is even saved (Matt. 7:21–23). Judas preached sermons and even performed miracles (Matt. 10:1–8), yet he was not a believer (John 6:67–71; 13:10–11; 17:12), and he betrayed the Lord and ended up committing suicide. Saul, like Judas, had many opportunities to see the Lord's hand at work, and yet he never had a life-changing experience with the Lord.
In the morning, when the agents demanded that Michal surrender her husband, she told them he was sick, and when they reported this to Saul, he told the men to bring him David, bed and all! But when they picked up the bed, the truth was revealed, and Michal was reproved by her father for being so deceptive, but she was only following his example! Like her father, she lied and claimed that David had threatened to kill her if she didn't cooperate.
While Saul was occupied at the school of the prophets, David slipped away from Ramah and went to meet Jonathan somewhere near Gibeah. David and Jonathan would make one final effort at reconciliation
1 Samuel 19—20
examples of devoted friends. Jonathan had the more difficult situation because he wanted to be loyal to his father while at the same time being a friend to the next king of Israel. Conflict of loyalties, especially in the family, is one of the most painful difficulties we face in the life of faith (Matt. 10:34–39), but Christ calls for supreme devotion to Him and His will for our lives.
with Saul, and it would almost cost Jonathan his life. Saul was a "double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8 nkjv). He would try to rule the land and defeat the Philistines while at the same time chasing David and seeking to kill him. The longer David eluded him, the more fanatical Saul became, until finally he ended his own life on the battlefield, lacking the help of the one man who could have given him victory.
Conferring (vv. 1–10, 18–23). David met Jonathan somewhere near Gibeah and wasted no time confronting his beloved friend with the key question: "What have I done that is so evil that your father wants to kill me?" David hadn't disobeyed any royal commands, incited any rebellion against the throne, or broken God's law, yet Saul was bent on destroying him.1 David knew that Saul was an envious man who wanted to keep the throne for himself and hand it on to his descendants, but David had faith that the Lord would remove Saul from the scene in His good time and in His own way (26:7–11). David dearly loved Jonathan and didn't want to hurt him by criticizing his father, but now it was a matter of life or death.
Notes 1 To make anything more out of their friendship than the mature affection of two manly believers is to twist the Scriptures. Had there been anything unlawful in their relationship, the Lord certainly would never have blessed David and protected him, and David could never have written Psalm 18:19–27 ten years later. 2 Merab and her husband had five sons, all of whom were sacrificed by the Gibeonites in order to end a famine in the land (2 Sam. 21:1–9). 3 The phrase "David's men" is found frequently in the Samuel narrative (18:27; 23:3–5; 24:3; 25:12–13). It seems that some of his soldiers stayed with him and became his "crack troops" during the days of his exile. They considered it a high honor to be known as "David's men," and indeed it was. 4 The shedding of innocent blood was a very serious crime in Israel. The six cities of refuge were set apart so that innocent people involved in manslaughter might not be treated as murderers (Deut. 19:1–10), and the ritual of the red heifer atoned for innocent blood shed by unknown murderers (Deut. 21:1–9). God hates the sin of shedding innocent blood (Prov. 6:16–17) and the prophets cried out against it (Isa. 59:7; Jer. 7:6; 22:17; 26:15). This was one of the sins that brought about the downfall in Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 21:16). 5 The goats' hair reminds us of Jacob's deceiving his father, Genesis 27:15–16. Surely Michal knew the story.
Jonathan's reply sounds rather naive, especially in the light of Saul's statement in 19:1 and his behavior at Ramah. Saul had thrown his spear at David at least three times (10–11; 19:9–10), and he had sent three groups of soldiers to capture him, and Saul finally went to Ramah himself to do the job (vv. 20–24). How much evidence did Jonathan need that his father was a disturbed man out to destroy God's anointed king? Jonathan mistakenly thought that his own relationship to his father was closer than it really was and that Saul would confide in him, but subsequent events proved him wrong, for Saul would even try to kill Jonathan!
David refuted Jonathan's argument by stating that the logical thing for Saul to do was to keep his eldest son in the dark. Saul knew that David and Jonathan were devoted friends and that Jonathan would be pained if he knew Saul's real intentions. The matter was so serious that David couldn't put his faith in what Saul told Jonathan. "There is but a step between me and death" (20:3). This was true both metaphorically and literally, for three times David had dodged the king's spear.
CHAPTER EIGHT 1 Samuel 20—22 DAVID IN EXILE D
E.The love of David and Jonathan—20
avid has been criticized and called impulsive because he left Ramah and his friend Samuel and fled to Gibeah to confer with Jonathan. But David knew that Saul's ecstatic experience would soon end and would leave his heart unchanged. Saul had promised Jonathan that he wouldn't try to kill David (19:6), but he had already broken that promise four times (vv. 20–24), so the wisest course for David was to get away from Saul and go into hiding. For David to remain at Gibeah wasn't an exercise of faith; it was an act of presumption and he was only tempting God. The drama in these three chapters involves four persons: Jonathan, Saul, David, and Doeg.
Jonathan offered to help in any way his friend suggested, and David proposed a simple test of Saul's true feelings. It was customary for each Jewish family to hold a feast at the new moon (Num. 10:10; 28:11–15; Ps. 81:3), and Saul would expect David to attend. If Saul's son-in-law and leading military hero didn't attend the feast, it would be an insult to the king as well as the family, so David's absence would help reveal Saul's genuine attitude toward David. If Saul became angry, then David's assessment was correct, but if Saul excused David and didn't press the matter, then Jonathan was correct. The only problem with this scheme was that it required Jonathan to lie by saying that David had gone to Bethlehem to attend his own family's feast. David would be hiding in the field and
Jonathan—a faithful friend (20:1–23) In all literature, David and Jonathan stand out as
1 Samuel 20
primarily of meat from the new moon fellowship offerings, and anyone ceremonially unclean was prohibited from participating (Lev. 7:20–21). Perhaps David had touched something unclean, or he may have had intercourse with his wife (15:16–18). If so, all he had to do was separate himself from other people for that day, bathe his body, and change clothes, and he could come back into society the next day.
waiting for Jonathan to tell him whether or not it was safe to come home.2
How would Jonathan safely get the message to David (1 Sam. 20:10)? He couldn't trust one of the servants to carry the word, so, in spite of the danger, he would have to do it himself. He devised a simple plan involving shooting three arrows out in the field where David was hiding (v. 20). Jonathan would call to the lad who was helping him and in this way signal David and tell him what to do. Even if some of Saul's spies were present, they wouldn't understand what was going on.
But when the men met for their meal the second day, again David was missing, which suggested to Saul that his son-in-law's absence was caused by something more serious than simple ritual defilement. An unclean person could remove the defilement in a day, but David had been missing for two days. Suspicious of anything out of the ordinary in his official staff, Saul asked Jonathan why David was absent, disdainfully calling him "the son of Jesse" rather than by his given name that was now so famous. Later, Saul would try to humiliate the high priest, Ahimelech, by calling him "the son of Ahitub" (1 Sam. 22:11–12).
Covenanting (vv. 11–17). From verse 11 to verse 23, David is silent while Jonathan reviews the covenant they had made with each other (18:1–4). Jonathan even took an oath and promised to give David the correct message on the third day of the feast, so he would know whether the king was friendly or angry.3 Jonathan went beyond the immediate crisis to deal with future events. He knew that David would one day become king, and he prayed that the Lord would bless his reign. In their covenant, they agreed that Jonathan would serve next to David as second in command (23:16–18), and now Jonathan asked that if anything happened to him, David would promise not to wipe out his household, and David agreed. The phrase "the kindness of the Lord" (20:14) shows up in 2 Samuel 9 where David's compassionate care of Jonathan's crippled son, Mephibosheth, is described.
At this point Jonathan dropped his lie into the conversation and nothing went right after that. Jonathan didn't say that David's father Jesse had summoned him home but that one of his brothers had commanded him to attend the family feast. Perhaps Jonathan hoped his father would assume that the invitation came from one of David's three brothers serving in Saul's army (17:13), which might make the matter easier for Saul to accept. Jonathan also used a verb that means "to get away, to make a quick visit" so that Saul wouldn't suspect David of going home for a long visit and rallying his own troops so he could seize the throne.
Jonathan reaffirmed his oath and included the whole house of David (1 Sam. 20:16), and he asked David to repeat his covenant oath as well. There's no mention of the offering of a covenant sacrifice (Gen. 15) or the signing of a covenant document, because the love the two men had for the Lord and each other was sufficient to make the agreement binding. Jonathan had brought much joy and encouragement to David during those difficult years, but it wasn't God's will that David permanently join himself to Saul and his family, for they belonged to the wrong tribe and represented a rejected and condemned monarchy. David never had a coregent because Jonathan was killed in battle (1 Sam. 31:1–2), and David rejected Saul's daughter Michal as his wife and she died childless (2 Sam. 6:16–23). Had she borne any children, it would have brought confusion into the royal line.
Saul's anger (vv. 30–34). When hateful feelings are in the heart, it doesn't take much for angry words to come out of the mouth (Matt. 12:34–35). Saul had probably been brooding over how David had insulted him by refusing to attend the feast, and the longer he brooded, the more the fire raged within. But instead of attacking David, King Saul attacked his own son! Had the Lord not intervened back in Ramah, Saul would have killed David in the very presence of the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 19:22–24), and now he reviled his own son while eating a holy feast!
The king's tirade seems to disparage his own wife, but rightly understood, his words describe his son as the lowest of the low. According to Saul, Jonathan's treachery in befriending David indicated that he was not Saul's son at all but the son of some other man, for a son of Saul would never betray his father. Therefore, Jonathan was slandering his own mother and saying she was a common prostitute, a rebel against the law of Moses, and a woman who practiced perversion. Because Jonathan helped David and didn't protect his father's throne, he had shamed his mother as much as if he had exposed her nakedness. She bore him to be the successor to his father, and now Jonathan had refused the crown in favor of the son of Jesse. The king was shouting, "You are no son of mine! You must be illegitimate!"
Saul—a spiteful king (20:24–42) On the first day of the feast, David hid himself by the stone of Ezel and waited for Jonathan's signal, for it was remotely possible that the king might be favorably inclined and welcome him back into the official circle.
David's absence (vv. 24–29). Constantly afraid of personal attack, Saul sat with his back to the wall, his commander Abner next to him, and Jonathan across from his father. David's place next to Jonathan was empty, but the king said nothing about it, convinced that David was ceremonially unclean and therefore unable to eat a holy feast that day. The feast consisted
1 Samuel 20—21
Saul's great concern was the preservation of the kingdom that the Lord had already taken from him. God had made it very clear that none of Saul's sons would ever inherit the throne and David was the king of God's choice, so Saul was fighting the will of God and asking Jonathan to do the same thing. Saul was aware that his son knew where David was hiding and commanded Jonathan to find David and bring him in to be slain. When Jonathan remonstrated with his father and refused to obey the royal command, Saul threw his spear at his own son! Jonathan left the table in great anger and spent the rest of the day fasting.
was located. (The ark was still in the house of Abinadab in Kiriath Jearim; 7:1.) Because of his friendship with Samuel, David knew he would find refuge and help among the priests there, and he had a strong personal devotion to the sanctuary of the Lord (Ps. 27:4–6). The fact that David arrived alone frightened Ahimelech, the high priest, who was a great-grandson of Eli and was also known as Ahijah (1 Sam. 14:3). He knew David's reputation and position and wondered that he was traveling without a royal entourage.
If "the king" in 21:2 refers to the Lord Jehovah (see 20:42), then David isn't lying, for David certainly was doing the Lord's business and would be for the rest of his life. But if this statement was a deliberate lie, then David was scheming instead of trusting. His motive was probably to protect the high priest from Saul's future investigations, but the plan failed, for Saul killed Ahimelech and all the priests except Abiathar, because they conspired with his enemy. However, it is possible that David had asked some of his men to rendezvous with him at the cave of Adullam (see 22:2). David's reference to the ritual purity of his men suggests this.
Jonathan's alarm (vv. 35–42). Jonathan waited until the next day and then went out into the field with one of his young attendants as though he were going to practice shooting arrows. As he promised David, he shot three arrows (v. 20), one of which was sent far beyond the boy, making it necessary for Jonathan to shout to the lad. But his words were meant for David's ears: "Hurry! Go quickly! Don't linger!" When the boy came back with the arrows, Jonathan gave him the bow and sent him back to the city, and then he ran out to meet David.
F.David driven into exile—21—27,
David needed food, so Ahimelech gave him the sacred loaves from the tabernacle, food that was reserved only for the priests (Lev. 24:5–9). If the people had been bringing their tithes to the tabernacle as the law commanded, there would have been more food available, but it was a time of spiritual decline in the land. Jesus used this incident to teach a lesson on true obedience and spiritual discernment (Matt. 12:1–8; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5).6 Ahimelech wanted to be sure that David's soldiers were ritually clean, and David assured him that neither the men nor their equipment had been defiled (Lev. 15:16–18). David also asked for Goliath's sword, which for some reason was kept in the tabernacle alongside the ephod (Ex. 28:4–13). David could now proceed on his journey with food to strengthen himself and a sword for protection.
This was not their last meeting (23:16–18), but it was certainly a profoundly emotional farewell. They both wept, but David wept the most. He didn't know how many years of exile lay before him, and perhaps he might never see his beloved friend again. Eastern peoples aren't ashamed to weep, embrace, and kiss one another when they meet or when they part (Gen. 31:55; Acts 20:37). Jonathan's, "Go in peace" must have encouraged David. Both men reaffirmed their covenant, knowing that the Lord heard their words and saw their hearts.4 David left and traveled three miles to the priestly city of Nob, and Jonathan returned to Gibeah and continued to be an officer in his father's army.
Ten years later, the Philistines would kill Saul, Jonathan, and his brothers on the battlefield (1 Sam. 31:1–6).
Doeg's presence at the tabernacle is a mystery. He was an Edomite and therefore not born a child of the covenant, but he was "detained before the Lord" at the sanctuary (1 Sam. 21:7). Perhaps he had become a Jewish proselyte and was following the Hebrew faith in order to hold his job. As Saul's chief shepherd, Doeg could easily have become defiled so that he had to bring a sacrifice to the Lord. David knew that Doeg would report to Saul what he had seen at Nob and that this would mean trouble (22:9ff.).
David—a hopeful exile (21:1—22:5) When David fled to Nob, it marked the beginning of an exile that lasted about ten years (21:1–29:11). Not all of David's wilderness experiences are recorded, but enough history has been given to show us that he was a man of faith and courage. While it's difficult to determine the background of every psalm, it's likely that David's fugitive years are reflected in Psalms 7, 11–13, 16–17, 22, 25, 31, 34–35, 52–54, 56–59, 63–64, 142–143. Psalm 18 is his song of praise when God gave him triumph over his enemies.5 It's wonderful that David wrote so many encouraging psalms during this period of great suffering, and from them God's people today can find strength and courage in their own times of testing. Our Lord quoted Psalm 22:1 and 31:5 when on the cross.
From Nob to Gath (vv. 10–15). Fear of Saul now temporarily replaced faith in the Lord, and David fled twenty-three miles to the enemy city of Gath, the home of the Philistine giant Goliath (17:4). It wasn't a safe place to go, but after seeing Doeg at Nob, David may have decided that his presence anywhere in Israel would only jeopardize the lives of his friends, so he decided to leave the land. Furthermore, the last place Saul would look for him would be in Philistia. David's reputation as a great warrior had preceded him,7 and the king and his counselors didn't view his presence as a blessing. David
David goes to Nob (vv. 1–9). This was a priestly town three miles south of Gibeah where the tabernacle
1 Samuel 21—22
eagerness to obey His will (1 Cor. 1:26–31). David's little band of rejects represented the future of the nation, and God's blessing was with them. History reveals that it is the devoted remnant, small as it might be, that holds the key to the future of God's work on this earth.