April 13: 1 Samuel 18-20, Psalms 11 & 59

April 13, 1 Samuel 18-20, Psalms 11 & 59

1 Samuel 18 David had just finished talking with Saul, and Jonathan and David immediately developed a brotherhood/friendship that would prove to be invaluable. They loved each other as much as their own souls, which means they loved each other as much as they loved themselves. Jonathan took off his royal robe and armor and gave it to David as a gift of friendship. David was extremely successful in all of his war endeavors, so much so, that Saul put him in charge of his army! The success was evidenced when they were returning from battle and the ladies were dancing in the streets and singing how David has killed more men than Saul, and Saul was outraged and jealous! The next day, a harmful spirit was sent by God onto Saul and he was in an outrage. He tried to kill David while he was playing the harp for Saul. Saul did this twice and missed! Truth was, Saul was afraid of David because God was with David. All of Israel loved David, except for King Saul…

David was suppose to marry King Saul’s daughter, since that was the price that the King was suppose to pay for David killing Goliath, but we find out that Saul gave her to another man. Saul, being an insecure and malicious man, wanted David dead and not as a son-in-law. He found out that his other daughter, Michal, loved David. Instead of being a good father and wanting what was best for his daughter, Saul used her in hopes that she would be a snare to him and the Philistines would kill David. What was the required bride price? Usually, it was money. But since marring one the King’s daughter was the reward for the man who was to kill the Philistine Goliath, this shouldn’t have even been brought up, but then again Saul hoped that David would die for it. As it was, the bride price for the King’s daughter, was brought up and Saul wanted something, but it wasn’t money. Instead, Saul wanted 100 foreskins off of some Philistines (remember they were not circumcised). Do you know what this means? It means that the bride price fore David was to kill 100 Philistines and cut of their skin to their male parts, and bring them back for proof to Saul. Saul hoped that this would be the end of David, as he hoped he would die trying to do so. David and some of his men went out and killed 200 Philistines and brought back their foreskins! David brought them to Saul and Saul gave Michal to David. Saul was even more afraid of David now…

1 Samuel 19 Saul is now trying to scheme with Jonathan on how they can kill David - but Jonathan loved David, so Jonathan told David about it. Jonathan tried to talk to Saul about how great David was, reminding Saul about what David had done for Israel, as it would be a sin to kill David, as he was innocent. Saul swore that he would not kill him, in the Lord’s name. So, Jonathan went and got David and brought him back. Again, an evil spirit came on Saul and he tried to kill David again, but David escaped. 

Saul had men watching David’s house so he could not leave and Michal told David to escape, lest her dad, Saul, kill him. She let him out of a window and put a figure of an idol in her bed with goats hair (to make it look like a person). Saul sent for David and Michal told them that he was sick, when they came back they realized that she had lied to them and that she had let Saul’s ‘enemy’ escape as Saul planned to kill David himself, after promising to Jonathan that he wouldn’t do such a thing on the name of the Lord. Saul was not only disobeying the oath he made to the Lord, but he was livid that David wasn’t dead! Michal lied to her dad and claimed that David would have killed her if she didn’t let him leave in the night, leaving her on the good side of Saul but making David look even worse to the man that hated him, Saul. Meanwhile, David fled to Samuel. And David stayed and lived with Samuel for a while. Meanwhile, Saul sent messengers to find David and on the way there, the messengers began to prophesy and forgot what they were doing, with Samuel as the lead. Saul sent more men, and the same thing happened to them! So, Saul himself went, and when he got there the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he also started prophesying! Why would God put His Spirit on such a disobedient man? It seems that the Spirit can come upon ungodly people to accomplish the will of the Lord, anytime He so choses. We can’t wonder why God would do this, but I am sure it would be less important to continue being driven with hate, when the Lord is poured on you with His loving Spirit. And maybe that was the point.

I Samuel 20 David fled again (will be a common theme for a while…) and headed to meet up with Jonathan to try to figure out what was going on and why Saul was trying to kill him. Jonathan was being naive and David made it very clear that Saul wouldn't confide in Jonathan about David because of their brotherly relationship. So, they set up a strategy on how to find out if Saul wanted to really kill David. 

At the new moon festival, David was not there as planned. Saul noticed and thought that David must have been unclean, and that was why he wasn't there. As Saul pushed his judgmental unkind thoughts onto David, being completely self righteous in his own eyes. The next night’s dinner though, David was gone again and Saul asked Jonathan why. Jonathan explained that David had gone home for a little bit and Saul was outraged! He cursed Jonathan and tried to kill him too. The next morning, Jonathan went to the field where David was hiding. As planned, they had a secret signal as to how David could know if Saul wanted him dead or not - Jonathan would shoot an arrow before David or passed him. If it went passed him, David was to flee for his life. He shot it passed him and told the boy with him to keep looking farther (the sign). My wife reads this passage and cannot help but ask, ‘Why all the codes, signs, and special secret activities when they were going to talk anyways? Boys…’ Instead of fleeing right away, David and Jonathan wept together and reminded each other of their vow to take care of each others family if one should die. 

Psalm 11 recalls how David leaned on God when his enemies are after him - God is his refuge. We learn too that the Lord hates the wicked and those who love violence. But, God loves the righteous and the righteous ones. The World English Bible puts verse 7 this way, and I love it: “For Yahweh is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright shall see his face.” LOVE IT!.

Psalm 59 is when Saul had sent men to watch his house so that Saul could kill him… David cries out for deliverance from God, since Saul was waiting to kill him. Ironic - David’s enemies are Israelites, like him! God is his fortress and strength, always giving him steadfast love.

To sum it all up:

• God’s orchestration of events sometimes makes little to no sense - including hardships. But be encouraged, as you read the Bible, just see how God works it all out!
• With the power of the Lord, anything can happen!
• God is our refuge, ALWAYS! You can go to him and be protected.
• Did you know that God hates the wicked? - For Yahweh is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright shall see his face! So you should turn to Jesus and turn from your sins so that you too may be righteous in His eyes by the cleaning of Jesus and the strength to live the life that Jesus died for.
• God is our fortress and strength, always giving us steadfast love.