1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” 4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. 5 For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.
8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. 9 Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. 10 And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. 13 Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?’”
18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
We have seen Saul grow in his attempts to eliminate David. It began with a thought, then an attempt in private. Then the plans got more and more elaborate as he tried to use the Philistine army and his daughter as a pawn. Now he begins to enlist others in his attempts. Saul spoke to his son Jonathan and his servants. But Jonathan, who arguably had the most to win through David’s death, warned David and then interceded on his behalf before his father. Jonathan discouraged his father from pursuing his course of action. He brought up that David had committed no crime that warranted the death penalty. David had also been of personal benefit to Saul as he fought and was victorious against the Philistines. Finally, it would be a grave sin for Saul to kill David without cause. Saul listened to Jonathan’s reasoning and David was brought back into Saul’s presence—for a time.
Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel and David went out and was victorious against them. Once again a harmful spirit came upon Saul while David was playing the lyre and he tried a third time to pin David to the wall with his spear. David didn’t stick around this time to allow Saul another chance. He escaped to his house. Saul sent men to David’s house with a plan to kill him. David’s wife Michal, like her brother, was aware of her father’s plot and helped him escape out an unguarded window. She then took an idol and put it in David’s bed with goat’s hair to appear like David was sleeping. This mention of her household idol helps us to understand why Saul believed she might be a snare to David (1 Sam 18:21). When Saul’s militia arrived, Michal told them David was sick. When this was reported to Saul he had them bring him in his bed. Perhaps Saul thought he was faking it, but either way, Saul wanted him dead. When they found the idol and goat’s hair and challenged Michal, she pleaded innocence saying David had threatened her.
Meanwhile, David fled to Samuel at Ramah, about three miles away. There David lived with Samuel (Naioth may not be a named place, the word means dwelling/habitation). Saul sent his mercenaries but when they arrived and saw Samuel, the Spirit of God came upon them and they began prophesying. Saul sent another group and they too were held up prophesying. The same thing happened to the third group. God was a lot more gentle at this time than when King Ahaziah sent soldiers against Elijah (2 Kgs 1:9–12). Finally, Saul went himself and before he even got there the Spirit of God came upon him too and he prophesied all the way there. We see God’s overwhelming force bringing Saul to complete submission. God wouldn’t even let him wear his royal robes in His presence. Saul’s prophesying gave renewed life to the proverb coined when he was anointed king, “is Saul among the prophets?” (1 Sam 10:11). Even this proverb distanced Saul from the office of king.
Saul showed the classic pattern of sin beginning with wrong thoughts and leading to death (Jas 1:14-15). Saul was driven by the desperate need to retain control despite the Lord telling him he had already lost the throne. On the other hand, we see David in complete dependence on God, faithfully serving God and waiting on His timing. Despite Saul’s persistence, God thwarted his every attempt. Are you living a life that is self-sufficient or submissive?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Birth’s of John the Baptist and Jesus: Luke 1-2