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.

0

Jonathan Helps David

• Jonathan was always willing to help his friend David in spite of the cost.

As we go through this lesson, note how frequently the relationship between David and Jonathan was addressed.

1 Samuel 20:1-17 NLT
^20:1 David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”
² “That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”
³ Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”
⁴ “Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.
⁵ David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. ⁶ If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. ⁷ If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me. ⁸ Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—for we made a solemn pact before the Lord—or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”
⁹ “Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”
¹⁰ Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”
¹¹ “Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. ¹² Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. ¹³ But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. ¹⁴ And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, ¹⁵ treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”
¹⁶ So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!” ¹⁷ And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 20:1-17 NLT

Jonathan Helps David

• Jonathan was always willing to help his friend David in spite of the cost.

In our previous lesson Saul was pursuing David.  He wanted to kill David, but God prevented this from happening. 

^20:1 David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”

As he was fleeing from Saul, David found Jonathan.

David wanted to know why Saul was so determined to kill him.

• David was wondering if he had done something wrong that had provoked Saul’s hatred.

We sometimes doubt our own actions. 

² “That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”

• Jonathan was naïve about his father’s intentions.

Jonathan appeared to be convinced that his father was not seeking to kill David.

Jonathan may not have known about Saul’s recent attempts on David’s life (Refer to previous lesson.) or he may have been in a state of denial.

Jonathan was probably remembering his recent conversation with his father.  (1 Samuel 19:6 NLT) ⁶ So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.” 

³ Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’

David took an oath in order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation. 

But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”

• David knew that Saul wanted to kill him, and wanted to convince Jonathan of the seriousness of Saul’s intentions. 

⁴ “Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.

• As always, Jonathan was committed to helping David.

More about this in verse 8 

⁵ David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival.

The first day of each month, referred to as the New Moon” was celebrated with a sacrificial meal.

Numbers 28:11-15 NLT
The Monthly Offerings (from the community)
¹¹ “On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. ¹² These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, ¹³ and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁴ You must also present a liquid offering with each sacrifice: two quarts of wine for each bull, a third of a gallon for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year.
¹⁵ “On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord. This is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.

I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day.

• David normally celebrated the new moon festival with the king. (11 months out of the year.)

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

 ⁶ If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice.

Apparently, David’s family held an annual family reunion that coincided with one of the monthly new moon celebrations.

1 Samuel 20:28-29 NLT
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 (and Jonathan) lied about his intensions.

 ⁷ If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me.  

⁸ Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—

Here David appeals to Jonathan as a sworn friend.

David is relying on the faithfulness of a covenant partner.

(The relationship between David and Jonathan is being addressed.)

for we made a 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.

• When David first met Jonathan, there was an immediate bond between the two young men. Now David is referring back to the “solemn pact” that was made at that time.

We discussed this in previous lessons.

Clearly this was a result of God’s intervention.

This bond clearly came from the Lord.

Addition verses about friendships:

Proverbs 20:6 NLT
⁶ Many will say they are loyal friends,
but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT
⁹ Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰ If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

John 15:12-13 NLT
¹² This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. ¹³ There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Proverbs 17:17 NLT
¹⁷ A friend is always loyal,

Proverbs 27:17 NLT
¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend. 

• Jonathan was a true friend and true friends are faithful in times of adversity.

Jonathan continues to be David’s best friend, even when he knows David, not him, will be the next king of Israel.

This pact between David and Jonathan appears again in verses 17 & 42: 

¹⁷ And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. 

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.

This solemn pact was repeated in 1 Samuel 23:18

1 Samuel 23:18 NLT
¹⁸ So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.

or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”

David asked Jonathan to kill him, if he had in fact sinned against Saul.

David always recognized Saul as “the Lord’s anointed king” and David never wanted to do anything that would harm the king.

David did not want Jonathan to betray him to Saul.

David wanted to die at the hand of his friend rather than at the hand of his enemy.

• David always recognized Saul as “the Lord’s anointed king”.

• David had temporarily lost sight of God’s promise that he would rule over Israel.

 ⁹ “Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”

¹⁰ Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”

¹¹ “Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. ¹² Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. 

Jonathan then suggested a plan by which he could communicate Saul’s intentions with David without revealing David’s location. 

¹³ But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live.

• By this point in time Jonathan clearly understood the seriousness of this situation. 

May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. 

This was amazing insight on Jonathan’s part.  Somehow Jonathan knew that David had received the blessing from God that his father once had.  It appears that Jonathan knew here what he verbalized in chapter 23:

1 Samuel 23:17 NLT
¹⁷ … You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” 

• Jonathan knew that David had received the blessing from God that his father once had.

¹⁴ And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, ¹⁵ treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”

Jonathan was reminding David of their loyalty to each other as sworn friends.

In the Old Testament, is was not uncommon for a newly appointed king to kill all of the living relatives of the previous king.

• Jonathan reminded David of their loyalty to each other as sworn friends.

Later in 2 Samuel chapter 9 David demonstrated that he, in fact, would honor Jonathan’s request.

2 Samuel 9 NLT
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
^9:1 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ² He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.
³ The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”
Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
⁴ “Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”
⁵ So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. ⁶ His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”
Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.”
⁷ “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!” 

¹⁶ So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!”

This would include Jonathan’s father Saul.

Again, Jonathan was looking out for David’s welfare.

• Jonathan continued to look out for David’s welfare.

 ¹⁷ And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

Jonathan needed to be reassured that their vow of friendship was still intact.

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Michal Saves David’s Life

• The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways (FYI: This phrase is not found in the Bible.)

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 

Ecclesiastes 11:5 NLT
⁵ Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. 

However, we can understand what is happening in today’s story.

Today’s lesson includes attempted murder, lies, idols, prophesying, indecent exposure, and more.

1 Samuel 19:11-24 NLT
Michal Saves David’s Life
¹¹ Then Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.” ¹² So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped. ¹³ Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.
¹⁴ When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed.
¹⁵ But Saul sent the troops back to get David. He ordered, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!” ¹⁶ But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.
¹⁷ “Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal.
“I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”
¹⁸ So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. ¹⁹ When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, ²⁰ he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy. ²¹ When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time. ²² Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded.
“They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him.
²³ But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! ²⁴ He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The people who were watching exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet?”

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 19:11-24 NLT
Michal Saves David’s Life

Previous lesson:

Saul Tries to Kill David
1 Samuel 19:9-10 NLT
⁹ But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the Lord suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp, ¹⁰ Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night. 

¹¹ Then Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning.

Saul sent troops (agents, guards, men, messengers, officers) to kill David.

Again, Saul wants David destroyed.

• Saul sent troops to David’s house with instructions to kill David. 

But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.” 

Michal was instrumental in saving David’s life.

Michael, at this point in time, displayed love and faithfulness.

Both Jonathan and Michal (two of Saul’s children) saved David from their father and undermined their father’s plans to eliminate him.

• Michal was instrumental in saving David’s life.

¹² So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped.  

¹³ Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.

• The Hebrew word for idol (as it is used here) is teraphim.

The teraphim was a figurine or image in human form called a household idol.

Some sources refer to a teraphim as a “household good luck image”.

The Hebrew people appeared to have a strange attraction to these “household idols”.

Michal employed the use of a household god (teraphim) in trickery and out of loyalty for her husband rather than her father.

Josiah said the use of teraphims was a detestable practice.

2 Kings 23:24 NLT
²⁴ Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and every other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord’s Temple.

Zechariah 10:2 NLT
² Household gods give worthless advice,

Israelites using idols appears throughout the scriptures, 

Genesis 31:34 NLT
³⁴ But Rachel had taken the household idols (idols belonging to Laban) and hidden them in her camel saddle, and now she was sitting on them. When Laban had thoroughly searched her tent without finding them,    

Judges 17:5 NLT
⁵ Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. 

The use of household idols appears to be a practice influenced by pagan idol worship. 

¹⁴ When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed.

Michal lied.

Previously in scripture, Rahab also lied to save the two Hebrew spies she was hiding.

Joshua 2:4-5 NLT
⁴ Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from.  ⁵ They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” 

Michal lied to save David.

¹⁵ But Saul sent the troops back to get David.

Saul was persistent.

He ordered, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!” ¹⁶ But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat’s hair at its head. 

• Idols and lies were used to keep David from being murdered. 

¹⁷ “Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal.

“I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”

Michal lied again.

¹⁸ So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him.

Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. 

Naioth in Ramah (verse 19)

A section of Ramah 

¹⁹ When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, ²⁰ he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy. 

What just happened here?

David was saved by “the Spirit of God”.

Saul’s men joined with the group of prophets and being filled with the Holy Spirit (controlled by the Holy Spirit) they no longer sought to capture David.

This seems to imply that the troops, inspired by the Holy Spirit, were acting in an enthusiastic, uncontrolled manner, praising of God.

• The troops sent to kill David were incapable of carrying out their mission.

Editorial comment: “Troops” controlled by the Holy Spirit would appear to us to be acting in a “strange” manner.

²¹ When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! 

The same thing happened a third time.

• God repeatedly saved David from capture by Saul.

This is “strange” but it could have been worse.

A story from:
2 Kings 1:2-17 NLT
Elijah Confronts King Ahaziah² One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover.
³ But the angel of the Lord told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, “Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? ⁴ Now, therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” So Elijah went to deliver the message.
⁵ When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned so soon?”
⁶ They replied, “A man came up to us and told us to go back to the king and give him this message. ‘This is what the Lord says: Is there no God in Israel? Why are you sending men to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’”
⁷ “What sort of man was he?” the king demanded. “What did he look like?”
⁸ They replied, “He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.”
“Elijah from Tishbe!” the king exclaimed.
⁹ Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us.”
¹⁰ But Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all.
¹¹ So the king sent another captain with fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king demands that you come down at once.”
¹² Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” And again the fire of God fell from heaven and killed them all.
¹³ Once more the king sent a third captain with fifty men. But this time the captain went up the hill and fell to his knees before Elijah. He pleaded with him, “O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your fifty servants. ¹⁴ See how the fire from heaven came down and destroyed the first two groups. But now please spare my life!”
¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him, and don’t be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went with him to the king.
¹⁶ And Elijah said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Is there no God in Israel to answer your question? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.”
¹⁷ So Ahaziah died, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. 

At least Saul’s troops weren’t killed. 

 ²² Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded. 

“They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him. 

²³ But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! 

This was the last time the Spirit of God would rest on Saul.

God is preventing Saul from harming David.  He turned Saul’s heart to prophecy and not to harm David.

Proverbs 21:1 NLT
21 The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
he guides it wherever he pleases.

Psalm 22:28 NLT
²⁸ For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.

• Again, God prevented Saul from harming David. 

More details: 

²⁴ He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel.

• Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Saul tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground.

A very humiliating experience.

The Spirit of God made Saul incapable of killing David.

There was another time previous to this when the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he began to prophesy.

Review the time when Samuel anointed Saul as king.

1 Samuel 10:5-7 & 9-11 NLT
Samuel Anoints Saul as King
⁵ “When you arrive at Gibeah of God where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. (Praising God and instructing the people.) ⁶ At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. ⁷ After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you.
⁹ As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. ¹⁰ When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, 

began to prophesy. 

A familiar Old Testament expression relating to empowerment for some God given task.

Saul was being empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry out the role of King of Israel.

¹¹ When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”

• Saul removing his royal garments was symbolic of God’s rejection of Saul as king over Israel.

• In the O.T. the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was not a permanent status.

David knew that the presence of the Holy Spirit could be removed from a person.

Psalm 51:11 NLT
¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 

The people who were watching exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet?”

• The people were witnessing the power of the Holy Spirit working in Saul, however they would not have understood all that was happening.

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