David Hides in the Wilderness

1 Samuel 23:13-29 NLT
David Hides in the Wilderness
¹³ So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all. ¹⁴ David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.
¹⁵ One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. ¹⁶ Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. ¹⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” ¹⁸ So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.
¹⁹ But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. “We know where David is hiding,” they said. “He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon. ²⁰ Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”
²¹ “The Lord bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me! ²² Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty. ²³ Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I’ll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I’ll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!” ²⁴ So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul.
Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon. ²⁵ When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him, he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock, and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon. But Saul kept after him in the wilderness.
²⁶ Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men, ²⁷ an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again. ²⁸ So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape. ²⁹ David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 23:13-29 NLT
David Hides in the Wilderness

¹³ So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside.

Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all. 

Review:

Saul had informants.

Saul did not show any concern for the people living in Keilah.  He only wanted to capture and kill David.

The number of David’s men stayed at 600. 

Bible scholars think that David was on the run from Saul for a period of 7 to 10 years.

¹⁴ David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph.

• Strongholds, as the term is used here, were not man-made structures but were natural formations that provided refuge.

Strongholds were places that were not easily accessible.  Good places to hide.

Ziph was about 5 miles southeast of Hebron or 12 miles southeast of Keilah.

A desolate, hilly, wilderness area and in some places a wooded area.

See verse 16 NKJV

Many ravines and caves are found in this rugged region which provided David with places of refuge from Saul.

Picture two mountains side by side.  Both mountains reveal rocks, trees, ravines, and the openings to numerous caves.  Paths are winding down the sides of each of the mountains.  You can easily see from one mountain to the other, but it would take a long time to travel from one of these mountains to the other.

Psalm 63 NLT
A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.
¹ O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.…

Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.

• God protected David from King Saul.

This is a clear picture of God’s sovereignty ay work.

God’s sovereignty is jumping off the pages of scripture.

Isaiah 46:9-11 NLT
⁹ Remember the things I have done in the past.
For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰ Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
¹¹ I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—
a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding.
I have said what I would do,
and I will do it.

• As we hear the story of David fleeing from Saul, we repeatedly see a picture of God’s sovereignty at work. 

¹⁵ One day near Horesh,

Horesh was located in the wilderness of Ziph.

David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. 

Again David had informants telling him that Saul was approaching with soldiers.

¹⁶ Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. 

1 Samuel 23:16 NKJV
¹⁶ Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and (encouraged him) strengthened his hand in God.

Jonathan was able to find David.  His father King Saul was not able to find David.

David’s last recorded meeting with Jonathan.

Jonathan meets with David in the wilderness of Ziph for a final, brief encounter between the two men.

• Jonathan met with David to encourage him to remain strong in his faith in God.

¹⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you!

David’s situation looks bleak, but Jonathan somehow knows that God will protect David from King Saul. 

You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” 

Jonathan recognized God’s selection of David and tells David that David is going to be the king of Israel, and he would willingly serve David.  Jonathan also says that his father Saul is well aware of the fact that David is meant to be the next king.

Saul speaking to Jonathan:

1 Samuel 20:31 NLT
³¹ As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!” 

¹⁸ So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.

Jonathan and David renew their solemn pact before the Lord.

1 Samuel 18:1-4 NLT
^18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. ² From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. ³ And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. ⁴ Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

At the time when David and Jonathan parted company.

1 Samuel 20:42 NLT
⁴² At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

• David and Jonathan parted company, reminding themselves of the commitments they had made to each other and to their descendants. 

¹⁹ But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. “We know where David is hiding,” they said. “He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon. 

Jeshimon, translated wasteland, is another name for the wilderness of Judea.

• The Ziphites, who were Judahites, betrayed David to Saul.

Previously the people of Keilah, located in Judah, were also willing to betray David.

²⁰ Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”

Psalm 54 NLT  (David’s thoughts and prayers.)
For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “We know where David is hiding.” To be accompanied by stringed instruments.
¹ Come with great power, O God, and rescue me!
Defend me with your might.
² Listen to my prayer, O God.
Pay attention to my plea.
³ For strangers are attacking me;
violent people are trying to kill me.
They care nothing for God. Interlude
⁴ But God is my helper.
The Lord keeps me alive!
⁵ May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them.
Do as you promised and put an end to them.
⁶ I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you;
I will praise your name, O Lord,
for it is good.
⁷ For you have rescued me from my troubles
and helped me to triumph over my enemies. 

²¹ “The Lord bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me! ²² Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty. ²³ Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I’ll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I’ll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!” ²⁴ So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul.

• Saul was relying on the counsel and support of other men.

David has been inquiring of the Lord (v.2, 4, 10-11, 12, 

Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Moan in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon. 

David moves to the wilderness of Moan, about 5 miles south of Ziph.

Another barren territory.

²⁵ When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him,

Again, David had informants telling him that Saul was approaching with soldiers.

he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock,

A landmark.

and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon.

But Saul kept after him in the wilderness. 

²⁶ Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain.

Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men,  

Saul and his men were about to close in on David and his men.

²⁷ an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again. ²⁸ So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines.

• Saul had no choice but to withdraw and postpone his pursuit of David. (More of God’s sovereignty at work.)

Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape. 

The timely retreat of Saul’s men led to this name. 

²⁹ David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.

An oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea. The location of a freshwater spring and lush vineyards, as well as numerous caves which provided good hiding places for David.

Song of Solomon 1:14 NLT
¹⁴ He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En-gedi.

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The Body of Christ (Part 1)

Unity in the Body of Christ

Introduction:

As believers, we are the body of Christ!

We have been called by God.

2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT
²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 

Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

In this lesson Paul begs us to live a life worthy of our calling.

We are to live in unity with other believers.

Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT
Unity in the Body
^4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. ⁴ For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
⁶ one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Examine the scriptures:

Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT
Unity in the Body of Christ 

^4:1 Therefore

Reflecting on what Paul had written in Ephesians 1-3.

Remember all that God has done for you.

Ephesians 1:14 NLT
¹⁴ … he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Colossians 1:12-14 NLT
¹² always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. 

• (God) has purchased us to be his own people.

Paul was addressing both Jews and Gentiles.

Paul has taught that God brought Jews and Gentiles into a new relationship with each other.

Paul also taught that the church (the body of believers) is to be the reflection and full expression of the glory of God.

Now in chapters 4-6, the believers are expected to apply the principles taught in chapters 1-3. 

  I, a prisoner for serving the Lord,

Paul made this same statement in 3:1.

Paul was a prisoner at the time he wrote this letter. (Likely in Rome)

Paul suffered imprisonment or confinement several times for serving Christ.

2 Timothy 1:11-12 NLT
¹¹ And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.
¹² That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

• The walk of faithful Christians can be costly. Paul knows this from personal experience. 

(I) beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 

A person’s calling and conduct should be in balance.

Knowing all that God has done for us should have a significant impact on the way we conduct ourselves in our personal lives and in our church life.

Philippians 1:27 NLT
²⁷ Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT
¹² We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.

Colossians 1:9-10 NLT
⁹ So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

• Live a life worthy of your calling.

Paul mentions three virtues that should be enhancing our daily walk.

At home, on the job, and in the community. 

² Always be humble

The pagan culture of Paul’s did not consider humility an admirable quality.

Many people today feel the same way.

Freedom from pride.

Humility promotes unity.  Pride, the opposite of humility, promotes disunity.

Humility involves recognizing your limitations and weaknesses and acknowledging that you need God’s help to overcome them.

Humility also involves treating others with respect and kindness, regardless of their social status or background.

Proverbs 11:2 NLT
² Pride leads to disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 29:23 NLT
²³ Pride ends in humiliation,
while humility brings honor. 

and gentle (or meek).

Gentleness or meekness does not mean weakness.

Gentleness is strength under control.

Gentleness is having one’s emotions under control.

It takes a strong man to be truly gentle.

Philippians 4:5 NIV
⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 

Be patient with each other,

Calm and unruffled temper.

Romans 12:12 NLT
¹² Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Galatians 6:9 NLT
⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Proverbs 15:18 NIV
¹⁸ A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. 

 making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 

Colossians 3:12-14 NLT
¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Gently and humbly get your brother back on the right track.

Galatians 6:1 NLT
6 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 

• Practicing humility, gentleness, and patience will enhance our daily walk. 

³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 

All believers.

Jews and Gentiles

Colossians 3:14-15 NLT
¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

In his final prayer, found in John 17, Jesus prays for the unity of all believes.

John 17:21-23 NLT
²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
²² “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

• As members of the body of Christ we are called to preserve the unity which God had established.

• Even with ethnic differences (Jews and Gentiles) all believers have a lot in common: 

⁴ For there is one body

The church

All believers

Ephesians 2:16 NLT
¹⁶ Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

Ephesians 3:6 NLT
⁶ And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12 – One body with many parts. 

and one Spirit,

The Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:22 NLT
²² Through him (Jesus Christ) you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

 just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

Christians will live with God forever.

⁵ There is one Lord,

Jesus Christ.

one faith,

John 3:16 NLT
For this is how God loved the world. He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 14:6 NLT
⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

one baptism, 

One response – a profession of faith. 

⁶ one God and Father of all,

God the Father.

Here the word all refers to all believers, not all mankind.

One, one, one, one, one, one, one  (7 ones)

One Spirit, one Lord, one God.

One body, one hope, one faith, one baptism.

Remember, Paul is speaking to Jews and Gentiles.  

(one God) who is over all, in all, and living through all.

God is present everywhere.

Psalm 139:7-12 NLT
⁷ I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
⁹ If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
¹¹ I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
¹²     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you. 

1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT
¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

Galatians 2:20 NLT
²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Colossians 1:27 NLT
²⁷ For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

• When Christians are living a life worthy of their calling there is unity in the body of Christ. 

• With God living in us, we are certainly equipped to live a life worthy of our calling.

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David Protects the Town of Keilah

Review David’s travels (Chapters 19-22)

Take note of how often David prays to God in these 13 verses.

1 Samuel 23:1-13 NLT
David Protects the Town of Keilah
^23:1 One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors. ² David asked the Lord, “Should I go and attack them?”
“Yes, go and save Keilah,” the Lord told him.
³ But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!”
⁴ So David asked the Lord again, and again the Lord replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.”
⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah. ⁶ Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.
⁷ Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. “Good!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!” ⁸ So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.
⁹ But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the Lord what he should do. ¹⁰ Then David prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here. ¹¹ Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.”
And the Lord said, “He will come.”
¹² Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?”
And the Lord replied, “Yes, they will betray you.”
¹³ So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 23:1-13 NLT
David Protects the Town of Keilah 

^23:1 One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.

• Keilah, a fortified city in the Judean plain, was being terrorized by the Philistines and was in need of help.

The Philistines were a constant enemy of Israel.

Not much is known about Keilah.

In addition to being mentioned in 1 Samuel 23, Keilah is also mentioned in Joshua 15:44 and Nehemiah 3:17-18. 

 ² David asked the Lord, “Should I go and attack them?”

Four times in this lesson (vv. 2, 4, 10, 11), David inquired of the Lord.

This is something Saul did not do.

As Saul’s disregard for God’s law increased, David’s submission to the LORD increased.

David in chapter 23 acts much differently than he did in chapter 21 (two lessons ago).

At this time, David was fleeing from Saul.

David led a band of about 600 men who served to protect David as well as making themselves available to fight against enemies of the Israelites.

We read about David and his men going on the offensive against other enemies of the Israelites in chapters 27 and 30. 

• While in flight from Saul, David and his men sought to defend their countrymen from their hostile foreign enemy. 

• It is clear that David inquired of the Lord before engaging in battle with the Philistines. It is not clear as to exactly how he did this.

Skip ahead to verses 6 and 9.

⁶ Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.

⁹ But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the Lord what he should do. 

Abiathar, the High Priest, could use the Urim and Thummim to determine the Lord’s will for His people.

Exodus 28:30 NLT
³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.

It seems that David was inquiring of the Lord before Abiathar met up with him at Keilah. 

“Yes, go and save Keilah,” the Lord told him.

Saul should have come to the rescue of Keilah, since he was the king of Israel, but there is no mention of him doing so. 

³ But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!”

David’s men had a reason to fear the Philistine army.

Keilah appears to be less than 10 miles from the Philistine border.

David’s band of men, now numbering 600, in human terms would be no match for a larger, better trained Philistine army.

⁴ So David asked the Lord again, 

and again the Lord replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.” 

⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah. 

• God gave David and his men victory over the Philistines. 

⁶ Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.

Again Abiathar joins up with David.

Apparently Abiathar had remained in the forest of Hereth when David took his men to attack the Philistines in Keilah. (See 22:5)

⁷ Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. “Good!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got him now!

Thanks to informants Saul was able to stay on David’s trail. 

Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. (v.7)

Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, (v. 13)

David also had informants.

One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors. (v. 1)

David’s primary advantage was his access to divine guidance which Saul no longer had. 

God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!” 

Keilah evidently had only one gate by which people could enter and exit the town. Saul felt confident that he could control the gate and so trap David. (Dr. Constable’s Notes) 

“God has handed him over to me” wasn’t true.

1 Samuel 23:14 NLT
¹⁴ David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him. 

⁸ So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

Saul planned to go to Keilah to capture David. 

⁹ But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the Lord what he should do. 

Ask the Lord by means of the Urim and Thummim through the High Priest.

Exodus 28:30 NLT
³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.

¹⁰ Then David prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here.  

• David believed that Saul would destroy Keilah, just to get to him. 

¹¹ Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.”

Again David inquired of the Lord.

And the Lord said, “He will come.”

Again the Lord answered David’s prayer.                                                                            

•  Pray about everything. 

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 

¹² Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord replied, “Yes, they will betray you.”

David and his men had gone to Keilah to protect them from the Philistines who were stealing their grain from the threshing floor.

David and his men had “slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah”.

• After defeating the Philistines and rescuing the people of Keilah, the people of Keilah were about to betray David and his men to Saul. 

Galatians 6:9-10 NLT
⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. 

• Do not get tired of doing what is good.

Galatians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. 

¹³ So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all.

Saul did not show any concern for the people living in Keilah.  He only wanted to capture and kill David.

The number of David’s men stayed at 600. 

Bible scholars think that David was on the run from Saul for a period of 7 to 10 years.

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David at the Cave of Adullam / The Slaughter of the Priests

Introduction:

David at the Cave of Adullam / The Slaughter of the Priests

Look for:

Saul’s irrational behavior.

Saul’s paranoia. (Once again Saul’s character is on display.)

Doeg the Edomite’s evil behavior.

David’s leadership.

God’s sovereignty at work.

1 Samuel 22 NLT
David at the Cave of Adullam
22 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. ² Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men.
³ Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” ⁴ So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.
⁵ One day the prophet Gad told David, “Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah.” So David went to the forest of Hereth.
⁶ The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. At the time, the king was sitting beneath the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, holding his spear and surrounded by his officers.
⁷ “Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. “Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army? ⁸ Is that why you have conspired against me? For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse. You’re not even sorry for me. Think of it! My own son—encouraging him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day!”
⁹ Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

The Slaughter of the Priests
¹¹ King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob. ¹² When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!”
“What is it, my king?” Ahimelech asked.
¹³ “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?” Saul demanded. “Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?”
¹⁴ “But sir,” Ahimelech replied, “is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household! ¹⁵ This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you.”
¹⁶ “You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted. ¹⁷ And he ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of the Lord, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!” But Saul’s men refused to kill the Lord’s priests.
¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. ¹⁹ Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.
²⁰ Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David. ²¹ When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord, ²² David exclaimed, “I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomite there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father’s family. ²³ Stay here with me, and don’t be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both.”

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 22 NLT
David at the Cave of Adullam

^22:1 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.  

David is on the move.

• David leaves Philistia and moves back into the area ruled by Saul and hides in the cave of Adullam. (Adullam is in Judah.) 

Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. 

David’s family members came from Bethlehem, about 12 miles away.

David’s family would have been in danger from Saul.

Kings frequently killed all of the family members of their “enemies”.

• David’s brothers and all of his other relatives joined him at the cave of Adullam. 

² Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men.

• Other men joined up with David. These were men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented.  David became the captain of about 400 men.

Note: Here David’s actions foreshadowed those of Jesus.

Matthew 11:28 NLT
²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Luke 5:30-32 NLT
³⁰ But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”
³¹ Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. ³² I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

We might describe these men as a “bunch of misfits”.

• The number of men with David soon increased to 600.

1 Samuel 23:13 NLT
¹³ So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside.  

• Under David’s leadership this group of men (misfits) at Adullam became an effective fighting force.

1 Samuel 23:5 NLT
⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.

1 Samuel 27:8 NLT
⁸ David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites—people who had lived near Shur, toward the land of Egypt, since ancient times. 

³ Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” ⁴ So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.

• Life in the wilderness, living in a cave, would have been difficult for David’s aging parents.

This would have been a long journey from Adullam to Moab for David and his men.

Moab was where David’s great grandmother Ruth had lived.

David had Moabite blood from his great grandmother Ruth.

The king of Moab was probably an enemy of Saul.

• David moves his parents to Moab, while he and his men were living in “his stronghold”.

David’s parents may have stayed in Moab for the 10 years David was fleeing from Saul.

David’s stronghold may have been the fortress of Masada.  (See #8 on the map.)

The last holdout of the Jews in A.D. 73. 

⁵ One day the prophet Gad

Here in the story, the prophet Gad is advising David.

2 Samuel 24:11 NLT
¹¹ The next morning the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. 

1 Chronicles 29:29 NLT
²⁹ All the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Record of Gad the Seer. 

• God provides David with a prophet. 

told David, “Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah.” So David went to the forest of Hereth. 

• After leaving Moab David moved to the Forest of Hereth. 

⁶ The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. At the time, the king was sitting beneath the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah,

In the Old Testament court was often held under a tree.

Judges 4:5 NLT
⁵ She ( Deborah) would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.

holding his spear and surrounded by his officers.

If Saul was holding a spear, he was a threat to friend or foe alike. 

⁷ “Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news.

Saul is addressing the officers of his army.

He may have been pitting men from the tribe of Benjamin against men from the tribe of Judah.

“Has that son of Jesse (from the tribe of Judah) promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army? 

Can David give you more than what you already have?

⁸ Is that why you have conspired against me? For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse. You’re not even sorry for me. 

Think of it! My own son—encouraging him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day!”

This is not true. Saul is showing signs of paranoia.

• Saul is angry with his own officers, accusing them of conspiring against him.

At this point in time Saul is unable to trust in anyone, including his own servants.

• Saul’s behavior throughout this story is irrational.
  

⁹ Then Doeg the Edomite,

The Edomites were the descendants of Esau.

 1 Samuel 14:47 NLT
Saul’s Military Successes
⁴⁷ Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious.

who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub (A hi tub). ¹⁰ Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

• Doeg the Edomite tries to get on Saul’s “good side”.

The fact that “Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him” is not recorded in chapter 21.  Doeg may have been lying about this.

The Slaughter of the Priests

¹¹ King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob. ¹² When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!”
“What is it, my king?” Ahimelech asked. 

¹³ “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?” Saul demanded. “Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?”

This is not true.

Ahimelech was not conspiring against King Saul.

¹⁴ “But sir,” Ahimelech replied, “is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household! 

• Ahimelech believed that David was a faithful servant of Saul.

David was Saul’s son-in-law.

To many, David was seen as the captain of Saul’s bodyguard and a highly honored member of Saul’s household.

1 Samuel 16:21 NLT
²¹ So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer. 

• David had deceived Ahimelech into thinking that he was on a mission for Saul.

¹⁵ This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you.” 

¹⁶ “You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted.  

Proverbs 14:29 NLT
²⁹ People with understanding control their anger;
a hot temper shows great foolishness. 

¹⁷ And he ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of the Lord, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!”

• The priests may not have known that David was running from Saul.

Scripture does not say that David told them that he was running from Saul.

But Saul’s men refused to kill the Lord’s priests.

• Saul believed that Ahimelech and the other priests were conspiring against him so he ordered his bodyguards to kill all of them.

• Saul’s own men, his body guards, refused to kill the Lord’s priests. 

¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. 

The name “Doeg the Edomite” is mentioned in 21:7, 22:9, 18, and 22.

It took a “foreigner” to betray David and kill the 85 priests.  It appears that Doeg had no fear of the Lord.

Doeg the Edomite killed 85 priests.

¹⁹ Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

Doeg killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

• Doeg the Edomite killed the 85 priests of Nob along with their families and livestock.

Josephus wrote that he killed “Ahimelech and all his family, who were in all three hundred and eighty-five.”

This fulfilled the curse on Eli’s house.

1 Samuel 2:31 NLT
³¹ The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 

²⁰ Only Abiathar (A bi a thar), one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David. 

David was joined by Abiathar the son of the priest Ahimelech.

Abiathar remains with David, until David’s death, providing him with true priestly counsel.

• God provides David with a priest.

²¹ When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord, ²² David exclaimed, “I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomite there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father’s family. 

1 Samuel 21:1-2 NLT
^21:1  David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”
² “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later.

• David had lied to Ahimelech which led to the death of Ahimelech and the members of his family.

²³ Stay here with me, and don’t be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both.”

This marked the beginning of David’s priestly staff which would later lead the tabernacle worship in Jerusalem.

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David Runs from Saul

A story of questionable decisions.

1 Samuel 21 NLT
David Runs from Saul
21 David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”
² “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. ³ Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.”
⁴ “We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.”
⁵ “Don’t worry,” David replied. “I never allow my men to be with women when we are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!”
⁶ Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.
⁷ Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the Lord.
⁸ David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!”
⁹ “I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.”
“There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!”
¹⁰ So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. ¹¹ But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. “Isn’t this David, the king of the land?” they asked. “Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing,
‘Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
¹² David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. ¹³ So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.
¹⁴ Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? ¹⁵ We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?”

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 21 NLT
David Runs from Saul 

21 David went to the town of Nob

David was close to the age of 20 at this point in time.  He will be on the run from Saul for about 10 years.

Nob was known as “The city of Priests”.  (The religious center at this point in time.)

• Nob was known as “The city of the priests”.

Nob was located halfway between Jerusalem and Gibeah, (Gibeah of Saul). (refer to map)

The tabernacle was presumed to be at Nob.  The ark would have been in Kiriath-jearim.

1 Samuel 7:1-2 NLT
^7:1 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the Lord. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. ² The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all.  

to see Ahimelech (Ahijah?) the priest.

Ahimelech was a great grandson of Eli.

This is not a good thing.

1 Samuel 2 NLT
A man of God speaking to Eli
³¹ The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.

• Ahimelech was a descendant of the condemned family of El.

Note:  Eli’s family will no longer serve as priests.

  Saul has been rejected as king.

1 Samuel 15:23 NLT (Samuel talking to Saul)
²³ … because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.” 

Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”

Ahimelech trembled.

He would not want to be accused of supporting an enemy of the king.  Doing this could result in death.

Or

He may have wondered why someone who ate at the king’s table (not knowing the whole story) would be coming to see him.

David is alone at this point.  He will be joined by his family at the cave of Adullam. (chapter 22)

1 Samuel 22:1 NLT
David at the Cave of Adullam
22 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. 

• Ahimelech trembled when he saw David. 

² “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. 

At this point, David was most likely traveling very light, without a weapon and food.

David lied, both to conceal his “outlaw” status and to dispel Ahimelech’s worries.

David’s actions appeared to lead to the deaths of the priests.

Looking ahead:

1 Samuel 22:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ “You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted. ¹⁷ And he ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of the Lord, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!” 

Looking back:

1 Samuel 2:31 NLT
³¹ The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.

• David told a “costly” lie. 

³ Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.”
⁴ “We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.”

⁵ “Don’t worry,” David replied. “I never allow my men to be with women when we are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!”
⁶ Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.

We might say that Ahimelech was “bending the rules.”

The bread in question had been replaced with “fresh bread”.

1 Samuel 22:10 NLT (the meaning of this verse is vague.)
¹⁰ Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

It was O.K. for Ahimelech to give David some of this bread.

In Mark 2:26 Jesus talks about David “breaking the law” by eating sacred loaves of bread, but does not appear to be condemning David for doing so.  The spirit of the Law in respect to human need took priority over the letter of the law.  People’s physical needs take precedence over the letter of the law.   Mercy takes precedence over the law.

• Later, in the New Testament, Jesus did not appear to condemn David for eating the holy bread. 

⁷ Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the Lord.

Doeg may have been detained, since it was unlawful to travel on the Sabbath.

While David was at Nob he was spotted by Doeg, Saul’s chief herdsman.

Doeg witnessed the transaction between David and Ahimelech and would later report David’s meeting with Ahimelech to Saul.

• While David was at Nob he was spotted by Doeg, Saul’s chief herdsman, who witnessed the interaction between David and Ahimelech. 

⁸ David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!”

Another lie.

David was traveling without a weapon.

⁹ “I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod.

Ephod – garment worn by the priests.

Stored in the place for the sacred vestments.

Goliath’s sword was a memorial to the divine goodness in the deliverance of Israel.

Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.”

“There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!”

• David continues his flight from Saul, leaving Nob and going to Gath. 

¹⁰ So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath.

David was desperate.

This seems to be a dangerous place to go.

Gath was one of the five great Philistine cities.

Achish would have been an enemy of Saul.

David was the Philistines greatest enemy.

David carried Goliath’s sword into Goliath’s hometown.

David apparently thought that he would not be recognized. 

• Some of David’s decisions appear to be questionable. 

 ¹¹ But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. “Isn’t this David, the king of the land?” they asked. “Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing,
‘Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”

The officers of King Achish recognized David.

It is interesting that they called him “the king of the land”. 

¹² David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. ¹³ So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.

David fearing for his life pretended to be insane.  In the East drooling in one’s beard was considered an intolerable indignity.

David was hoping that his behavior would convince Achish to send him away. 

¹⁴ Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? ¹⁵ We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?” 

• King Achish was extremely uncomfortable with David’s behavior and was ready for David to move on.

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Jonathan Helps David (Part 2)

Introduction:

God has a plan and purpose for our lives.

Living out that plan can be difficult.

Emotions can run high.  Tears might be shed.
We might experience rejection by others, including family members.
Personal sacrifices might be required.
We might be faced with personal harm or injury.

However, when we live out the life God has planned for us the hardships are far outweighed by the blessings, hope, and promises found in the scriptures.

The David we read about in the Bible experienced many challenges and difficulties during his lifetime.

1 Samuel 20:18-42 NLT
Jonathan’s Secret sign
¹⁸ Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty. ¹⁹ The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile. ²⁰ I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹ Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the Lord lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble. ²² But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the Lord is sending you away. ²³ And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”
Jonathan talks to Saul about David.
²⁴ So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵ He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.” ²⁷ But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”
²⁸ Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. ²⁹ He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”
Saul’s rage against Jonathan.
³⁰ Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? ³¹ As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”
³² “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” ³³ Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.
³⁴ Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.
Jonathan warns David of the danger.
³⁵ The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows. ³⁶ “Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷ When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you. ³⁸ Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. ³⁹ He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal. ⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.
⁴¹ As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.
⁴² At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 20:18-42 NLT

Jonathan Helps David (Part 2)

From previous lesson:

David believed that Saul would try again to kill him again if showed up at the king’s table.

Jonathan’s Secret sign

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty. 

• Jonathan was planning to use David’s absence from the celebration of the new moon festival to determine Saul’s feelings about David.

If Saul became upset about David’s absence, then David would know that there was little hope in patching up their differences.  If Saul was amenable, there was hope for restoring this relationship. 

¹⁹ The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile. 

• The day after the new moon festival, Jonathan and David planned to meet by the “stone pile”

This was a well-known landmark.

Many translations call it “the stone Ezel”.

Ezel may mean:

Separation.
The Departure Stone.
The Going Away Rock.

• This location became the place of the meeting and parting for David and Jonathan.

 ²⁰ I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹ Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the Lord lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble. 

• Jonathan was still hoping that the relationship between Saul and David could be restored.

The son, Jonathan, was hoping that his father, Saul, would do the right thing. 

²² But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the Lord is sending you away. 

• Jonathan recognized the Lord’s role in all of these activities.

“… the Lord is sending you away.” 

²³ And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.” 

The scripture tells us that God witnessed the vows Jonathan and David made with each other.

NIV:  “… remember, the Lord is witness between you and me.”

CEB:  “… the Lord is witness between us forever regarding the promise we made to each other,”

ESV:  “… the Lord is between you and me forever.”

“… may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other …” 

Numbers 30:2 NLT
² A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do. 

Ecclesiastes 5:5 NLT
⁵ It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. 

• Promises are meant to be taken seriously.

Jonathan talks to Saul about David.

²⁴ So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵ He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him.

Abner was Saul’s cousin and commander of his army. 

But David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.” 

• Saul thought that David was absent from the new moon festival because he was ceremonially unclean.

Because the feast involved sacrifices, one had to be clean to participate.

Leviticus 7:20-21 NLT
²⁰ If you are ceremonially unclean and you eat meat from a peace offering that was presented to the Lord, you will be cut off from the community. ²¹ If you touch anything that is unclean (whether it is human defilement or an unclean animal or any other unclean, detestable thing) and then eat meat from a peace offering presented to the Lord, you will be cut off from the community.” 

²⁷ But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”

Under many conditions, a person who had become unclean was unclean until the evening of the same day.

• David’s continued absence, on the second day, required an explanation,

Saul did not even use David’s name. 

²⁸ Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. ²⁹ He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”

David’s oldest brother Eliab, serving as the family leader, would have been the position to call the family together to observe an annual family sacrifice.

Saul’s rage against Jonathan.

³⁰ Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. 

• Saul directed his rage against Jonathan.

Saul used some strong words to curse his son Jonathan.

Saul was cursing his son Jonathan, not Jonathan’s mother. 

“Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? ³¹ As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king.

At this point in history, the King’s oldest son was likely to become the next king.

Saul was beginning to realize that David, not Jonathan, was the LORD’s anointed who would one day replace him as king.

• Saul thought that Jonathan was being foolish for not aggressively pursuing the throne.

Saul is incapable of understanding Jonathan’s lack of concern for his own succession to the throne.

Saul himself almost prevented Jonathan from becoming the next king (verse 33). 

Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

Again Saul expresses a desire to kill David.

Saul continues to pursue David (1 Samuel 21 – 1 Samuel 27)

David on the run from Saul (1 Samuel 21 – 1 Samuel 31) 

³² “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” 

• Jonathan interceded for David again.

Previously:

1 Samuel 19:4 NLT
⁴ The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. 

³³ Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him.

• Saul attempted to kill his own son because Jonathan had advocated for David.

Saul was filled with rage toward David and also toward Jonathan. 

So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.

• Reality set in. Jonathan had been reluctant to believe the truth about his own father but he could no longer deny it.

³⁴ Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

• Jonathan was crushed by his father’s behavior.

Jonathan warns David of the danger.

³⁵ The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows. ³⁶ “Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷ When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you. ³⁸ Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. ³⁹ He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal. ⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.

• Jonathan proceeded to communicate Saul’s intentions to David in the way they had previously planned.

⁴¹ As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground.

David bowing down more than once acknowledged Jonathan as the prince.
David gave proper respect to Jonathan as the king’s son.

Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.

• Jonathan and David wept together. 

⁴² At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.”

They parted, reminding themselves of the commitments they had made to each other and to their descendants.

• Jonathan was willing to give up the throne for the love of a friend. 

Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

• David was an outcast from the royal court.

Jonathan most like went to Gibeah, the home of his father Saul.

Jonathan will only be mentioned two more times in 1 Samuel.

1 Samuel 23:16-18 NLT
¹⁶ Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. ¹⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” ¹⁸ So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh. 

1 Samuel 31:2 NLT
² The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.

Review:

God has a plan and purpose for our lives.

Living out that plan can be difficult.

Emotions can run high.  Tears might be shed.
We might experience rejection by others, including family members.
Personal sacrifices might be required.
We might be faced with personal harm or injury.

However, when we live out the life God has planned for us the hardships are far outweighed by the blessings, hope, and promises found in the scriptures.

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