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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

Saul Tries to Kill David

Review:

The birth of Samuel.
–          Samuel’s parents were Elkanah and Hannah.

Samuel given to the Lord by Hannah, his mother.
–          Samuel became an apprentice in the temple under the supervision of Eli the priest.

Eli the priest and his worthless sons.

The Lord calls Samuel.
–          Samuel was a priest, prophet, and judge.

Samuel was God’s spokesman for all of Israel.

The Philistines capture the Ark of God.

The Philistines return the ark of God.

Samuel, as the Judge of Israel, leads the Israelites to victory over the Philistines.

Israel requests a king.

Samuel privately anoints Saul as king.

Initially Saul was a good king.

Continued war with the Philistines.

Jonathan was Saul’s son.
–          Jonathan most likely would have made a good king, but that was not God’s plan for Israel.

The Lord rejects Saul.  Saul’s kingship was a failure.

Samuel privately anoints David as king.

David kills Goliath.

 

The conclusion of the previous lesson.

1 Samuel 18:27-30
… So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.
²⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹ Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.
³⁰ Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.

There was a time when Saul loved David.

1 Samuel 16:21-22 NLT
²¹ So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.
²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.”

• Saul was afraid of David, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.

• David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lordwas with him.

1 Samuel 19:1-10 NLT
Saul Tries to Kill David
^19:1 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, ² told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. ³ I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”
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. ⁵ Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”
⁶ So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”
⁷ Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before.
⁸ War broke out again after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away.
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.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 19:1-10 NLT
Saul Tries to Kill David
^19:1 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David.

David’s success against Israel’s enemy, the Philistines, caused Saul to act irrationally.

Prior to this, Saul was hoping that David would be killed by the Philistines.

1 Samuel 18:12-16 NLT
¹² Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. ¹³ Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.
¹⁴ David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.

• Saul’s urged his servants and his son, Jonathan, to kill David.

Saul wants David completely out of his life. 

But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David,  

Previous chapter

^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. 

• When David met Jonathan, there was an immediate bond between the two young men.

Where did this affection come from? (Clearly this was a result of God’s intervention.)

1 Thessalonians 4:9 NLT
⁹ But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT
¹² And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

1 John 4:7 NLT
⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.

1 John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶ We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Proverbs 17:17 NLT
¹⁷ A friend is always loyal,
and a brother is born to help in time of need. 

• 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.

1 Samuel 23:17 NLT
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.”

Back to 1 Samuel 19: 

² told him what his father was planning. 

^19:1 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. 

• God, in His infinite mercy, used Saul’s son Jonathan to inform David of Saul’s evil intensions. 

“Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields.  

³ I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”

• Jonathan was truly concerned about David’s welfare. 

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. ⁵ Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”

Jonathan stood up for David.

• Jonathan reminded his father, Saul, that David had done nothing to deserve death.

Jonathan appealed to his father to do the right thing.

⁶ So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”

• Jonathan temporarily convinced his father that it would be wrong for him to kill David.

⁷ Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before.

⁸ War broke out again after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away. 

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, 

• The Lord had turned away from Saul. (1 Samuel 18:12)

The Lord sent a tormenting spirit.  This was a tormenting spirit, not the Lord Himself.

Evil spirits are subject to God’s control.

Saul was mentally unbalanced.

Saul’s behaviors are predictable.

Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

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.

Saul:

• Jealousy, rage, and anger once again dominated Saul and he attempted to kill David.

1 Samuel 18:10 NLT (the previous chapter)
¹⁰ The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. 

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
⁹ “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?

David:

• The Lord was with David.

^18:12 Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul.  

^18:14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.  

 

Psalm 18:1-3 NLTA psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:
¹ I love you, Lord;
you are my strength (defender).
² The Lord is my rock (protector), my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
³ I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.

Psalm 145:20 NLT
²⁰ The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.

• The Lord protects all those who love him.

Encouragement for us.

1 John 4:9-15 NLT
⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. ¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
¹³ And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ¹⁴ Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.

• All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.   (1 John 4:15)

 

 

 

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

1 Samuel 18:17-30 NLT
¹⁷ One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”
¹⁸ “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!” ¹⁹ So when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.
²⁰ In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. ²¹ “Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”
²² Then Saul told his men to say to David, “The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his son-in-law?”
²³ When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?”
²⁴ When Saul’s men reported this back to the king, ²⁵ he told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.
²⁶ David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, ²⁷ he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.
²⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹ Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.
³⁰ Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 18:17-30 NLT

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

¹⁷ One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.”

David had already “earned” the right to marry one of Saul’s daughters.  Now Saul was adding addition conditions to his original promise.

• Saul reneged on a promise he had already made to David.

1 Samuel 17:25 NLT
²⁵ “Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”

“Fighting the Lord’s battles” would be a challenging appeal to David.

Saul knew that David was committed to serving the Lord. 

For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”

• Saul’s gesture was a snare. It was an attempt to have David killed in battle.

Saul did not grasp the fact that “the Lord was with him (David)”.

Why didn’t Saul kill David?  As king he could have easily arranged to have David killed.

David was loved by the people of Israel and Judah.

1 Samuel 18:16 NLT
¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.

Most likely Saul did not want to kill David for fear of a negative response from the people of Israel and Judah.

Note:

Notice the similarity between Saul’s treachery and that of David with Uriah.

2 Samuel 11:15 NLT
¹⁵ The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” 

¹⁸ “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!” 

David felt unworthy to marry a daughter of the king.

• Family lineage was normally crucial when marrying into the king’s family.

Note who King Solomon married.

1 Kings 11:3 NLT
³ He had 700 wives of royal birth …

Frequently kings married the daughters of other kings to form alliances.

Saul was interested in David’s lineage.

Previously Saul was asking about David’s lineage:

1 Samuel 17:55-58 NLT
⁵⁵ As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”
“I really don’t know,” Abner declared.
⁵⁶ “Well, find out who he is!” the king told him.
⁵⁷ As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. ⁵⁸ “Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said.
And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.” 

¹⁹ So when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.

Another broken promise.

Before anything happened between David and Merab, Saul gave Merab to another man.

Note:
Later, we read where David handed over 5 of Merab and Adriel’s sons to the Gibeonites to be executed. 

²⁰ In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David,

Two of Saul’s children loved David while their father Saul was trying to kill him. 

and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. ²¹ “Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”

Here again Saul this as an opportunity to get rid of David.

²² Then Saul told his men to say to David, “The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his son-in-law?”

This is clearly a lie.

• Saul lied to David. 

²³ When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?”

Normally the “bride price” or dowry was money and the amount of money for a king’s daughter would be far more than David could afford.

• David’s family could not afford the bride price to marry a king’s daughter. 

²⁴ When Saul’s men reported this back to the king, ²⁵ he told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! 

Such mutilation of the bodies of slain enemies was commonly practiced in ancient warfare.

• In place of the normal dowry, David could earn the privilege of marrying Michal by killing 100 Philistines. 

Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.

Saul lied again.

Proverbs 12:22 NLT
²² The Lord detests lying lips,
but he delights in those who tell the truth.

Saul used Michal to lure David into what he thought would be a fatal encounter with the Philistines. 

²⁶ David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, ²⁷ he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines.

• God protected David, and he and his men were able to kill twice as Philistines than Saul had specified.

Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.

David became Saul’s son-in-law by marrying Michal.

²⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David

It appears that Saul himself never made any attempt to restore his relationship with God.

and how much his daughter Michal loved him, ²⁹ Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.

Saul’s fear of David was unfounded.  David consistently honored Saul as king.

David did not kill Saul when he had the opportunity to do so.

1 Samuel 24:6-7 NLT
⁶ He (David) said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” ⁷ So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.

1 Samuel 26:9-11 NLT
⁹ “No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? ¹⁰ … ¹¹ The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! … 

³⁰ Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.

• David’s military successes continued and his popularity increased.

1 Samuel 18:14 NLT
¹⁴ David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. 

• David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.

A reminder for us.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT  (The promise of God’s presence is central to the Bible.)
¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

 

 

Saul Becomes Jealous of David

1 Samuel 18:1-16 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.
⁵ Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
⁶ When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals ⁷ This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
⁸ This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” ⁹ So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
¹⁰ The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, ¹¹ and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
¹² Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. ¹³ Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.
¹⁴ David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.
¹⁵ When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 18:1-16 NLT
Saul Becomes Jealous of David

^18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul,

It appears that David may have had a lengthy conversation with Saul after killing Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:57 NLT
⁵⁷ As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul …

he met Jonathan, the king’s son.

David and Jonathan had a lot in common.

Both were military heroes.

Both had a strong faith in God.

Both had a claim to the throne.

As Saul’s oldest son, Jonathan was heir apparent to the throne.

David had been selected by God (1 Samuel 16) to become the King of Israel. 

There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 

More about this in verse 3.

This love went both ways.

2 Samuel 9:1 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?” 

• When David and Jonathan met, there was an immediate and long lasting bond between the two men. 

² From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 

This was self-serving on Saul’s part.

Samuel warned the Israelites that this would happen.

1 Samuel 8:11 NLT
¹¹ “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots.

David had previously served Saul on a “part time” basis.

1 Samuel 16:23 NLT
²³ And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.

1 Samuel 17:15 NLT
¹⁵ but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem. 

Now David was in a position where Saul could “keep an eye on him”.

• David was exposed to the duties and responsibilities of a king.

First as a shepherd.

Now in the palace of the king.

God’s sovereignty is manifested through these events in David’s life. 

³ And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David,

Jonathan iniated this pact.

19:1 … But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, … 

20:8  … for we made a solemn pact before the Lord … 

20:17 And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

 20:42 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.”  

22:8  For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse.  

23:18  So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. 

because he loved him as he loved himself. 

Mark 12:30-31 NLT
³⁰ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” 

• The pact between Jonathan and David appears to a pledge of mutual loyalty and friendship. 

 ⁴ Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

Jonathan gave David items that symbolized his official status as the king’s son and heir to the throne.

• Jonathan symbolically (perhaps unintentionally) gave David his right of succession to the throne.

Later:

1 Samuel 23:17 NLT
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.” 

⁵ Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully.

Refer to verse 14.
¹⁴ David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. 

• David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. 

So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike. 

⁶ When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals  

⁷ This was their song:

“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”

This may have been Hebrew parallelism.

Meaning Saul and David together have killed many thousands.

However, this is a song that Saul hated.

⁸ This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands.

“It is a measure of Saul’s insecurity and jealousy that he read the women’s intensions incorrectly and took offence.” (NIV Study Bible) 

Next they’ll be making him their king!” ⁹ So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

• Saul was jealous of David. 

¹⁰ The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman.

• A tormenting spirit caused Saul to act and speak irrationally.

1 Samuel 16:14 NLT
¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.

Another example of Saul’s irrational behavior:

1 Samuel 20:33 NLT
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.

David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, ¹¹ and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.

Clearly God was protecting David.  Saul was a seasoned warrior skilled with using weapons of war.

• The Lord was with David, but He had left Saul. 

¹² Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. 

• Saul was afraid of David. 

¹³ Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.

What Saul really wanted was for David to be killed.

1 Samuel 18:17-25 NLT
¹⁷ One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.” 

²⁰ In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. ²¹ “Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”

²⁵ he (Saul) told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.

1 Samuel 19:1 NLT
19 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David.

• Saul wanted David to be killed.

Joseph (a similar experience)

Genesis 50:20 NLT
²⁰ You (Joseph’s brothers) intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Isaiah 55:8 NLT
⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 

¹⁴ David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. 

¹⁵ When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. 

James 4:1-3 NLT
^4:1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? ² You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. ³ And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 

“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.

• All Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.

 

David Kills Goliath

1 Samuel 17:32-58 NLT
³² “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”
³³ “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”
³⁴ But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. ³⁶ I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! ³⁷ The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”
Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”
³⁸ Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. ³⁹ David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.
“I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. ⁴⁰ He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
⁴¹ Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, ⁴² sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. ⁴³ “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. ⁴⁴ “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.
⁴⁵ David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! ⁴⁷ And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
⁴⁸ As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.
⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. ⁵¹ Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

Israel Routs the Philistines
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. ⁵² Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. ⁵³ Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp. ⁵⁴ (David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.)
⁵⁵ As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”
“I really don’t know,” Abner declared.
⁵⁶ “Well, find out who he is!” the king told him.
⁵⁷ As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. ⁵⁸ “Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said.
And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.”

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 17:32-58 NLT
David Kills Goliath

³² “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”

• David was not the only person who faced a giant.

A similar story from 400 years previous to this, that David may have known.

Twelve scouts explore Canaan.

Numbers 13:30-33 NLT
³⁰ But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”
³¹ But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” ³² So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. ³³ We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Numbers 14:8-9 NLT (Joshua and Caleb speaking)
⁸ And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. ⁹ Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

When we get to 2 Samuel 21 we will read more stories about facing giants.

As we go through life we all face giants of different forms.  These giants are obstacles or challenges that are humanly impossible to overcome.

We can all learn valuable lessons from this story about David facing Goliath.

• David’s courage stands in contrast to Saul’s fear.

1 Samuel 17:11 NLT
¹¹ When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.

³³ “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”

• In human terms, Goliath was invincible.

Saul does not have the same perspective that David has.  Saul failed to consider the Lord’s intervention. 

³⁴ But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. ³⁶ I have done this to both lions and bears,

Lions and bears were common in the land at this time. 

and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 

³⁷ The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

• David’s confidence did not rest in his own skill but in the power of the living God.

Psalm 54:4 NLT (written by David)
⁴ But God is my helper.
The Lord keeps me alive!

• David’s faith contrasts sharply with Saul’s lack of faith.

David understood the following passages of scripture that fit in well with this story.

Joshua 1:9 NLT
⁹ This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Nahum 1:2 NLT
² The Lord is a jealous God,
filled with vengeance and rage.
He takes revenge on all who oppose him
and continues to rage against his enemies!

Zechariah 9:15 NLT
¹⁵ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people,
and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones.

Genesis 12:3 NLT
³ I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” 

Exodus 23:27 NLT
²⁷ “I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run.

Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a faith similar to David’s faith.

1 Samuel 14:6 NLT
⁶ “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!” 

Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”

Saul may have had a partial understanding of David’s testimony in verses 34 – 37. 

³⁸ Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. ³⁹ David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.
“I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again.  

Later in his life David wrote:

Psalm 28:7 NLT
⁷ The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart. 

⁴⁰ He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

• David equipped himself with the tools of a shepherd.

David likely became proficient using a sling as a shepherd protecting his sheep.

Slings were also used by warriors.

Judges 20:16 NLT
¹⁶ Among Benjamin’s elite troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairsbreadth without missing.

It is possible for stones hurled from a sling to travel at speeds close to one hundred miles per hour.

Slings were used to hit targets as far as 600 feet away. 

⁴¹ Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, ⁴² sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. 

Youthful looking boy rather than a seasoned warrior.

⁴³ “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?”

The word “dog” symbolizes things that are hated, impure, sinful, and disgusting.

Goliath uttered a statement of ironic truth about himself of which even he was unaware.  As a wild dog can be a threat to the flock and must be chased away or killed, Goliath as a threat to Israel must be killed.

Apparently Goliath did not see David’s sling. 

And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 

• Since Goliath appealed to his gods, David’s victory over Goliath would symbolize God’s victory over the gods of the Philistines.

Dagon, the chief god of the philistines.
Ashtaroth (31:10) was also a god of the Philistines. 

⁴⁴ “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.

• In Israel, being left unburied and exposed to birds and beasts was considered to be a terrible curse.

Deuteronomy 28:25-26 NLT (Curses for disobedience.)
²⁵ “The Lord will cause you to be defeated by your enemies. You will attack your enemies from one direction, but you will scatter from them in seven! You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. ²⁶ Your corpses will be food for all the scavenging birds and wild animals, and no one will be there to chase them away.

Psalm 79:1-4 NLT
A psalm of Asaph.
¹ O God, pagan nations have conquered your land,
your special possession.
They have defiled your holy Temple
and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.
² They have left the bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of heaven.
The flesh of your godly ones
has become food for the wild animals.
³ Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem;
no one is left to bury the dead.
⁴ We are mocked by our neighbors,
an object of scorn and derision to those around us. 

⁴⁵ David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 

• David’s strength was his reliance on the Lord.

Proverbs 18:10 NLT
¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;
the godly run to him and are safe.

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 NLT
Regulations concerning War
^20:1 “When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you! ² When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. ³ He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. ⁴ For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’

⁴⁶ Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals,

• David accurately predicted the outcome of the battle.

Here the curse is directed to the Philistines. 

and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 

• David fought in the name of the Lord and for the glory of the Lord.

⁴⁷ And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear.

Iron weapons were scarce in Israel. 

This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

• Despite any military advantage the Philistine army may have had, David knew that the battle belonged to the Lord.

⁴⁸ As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

A portion of Goliath’s forehead remained exposed beneath his helmet.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. ⁵¹ Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. 

David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

The stone had only stunned Goliath. David used Goliath’s own sword to kill him by cutting off his head.

• David triumphed over Goliath with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.

Israel Routs the Philistines
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. 

The Philistines may have seen this defeat as a judgment of their gods.

The Philistines did not honor Goliath’s original proposal.

1 Samuel 17:9 NLT
⁹ If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! 

• When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.

⁵² Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron.

Gath was 6 miles to the west.  Ekron was 5 miles north of Gath.

The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. 

David’s prediction come true.

Shaaraim was a city of Judah near Azekah.

⁵³ Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp. 

Unless expressly prohibited, the taking of war spoils was a common practice.

Joshua 8:1-2 NLT
The Israelites Defeat Ai
^8:1-2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land. ² You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.” 

⁵⁴ (David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.)

Jerusalem was probably the final destination of Goliath’s head.

At this time Jerusalem was controlled by the Jebusites.

Later in the story:
2 Samuel 5:6-7 NLT
David Captures Jerusalem
⁶ David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe. ⁷ But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.

David may have kept Goliath’s head as a trophy of victory and brought the skull with him to Jerusalem when he made the city his capital.

Or

David may have displayed Goliath’s head to the Jebusites as a warning of what the God of Israel was able to do and would eventually do to them. 

⁵⁵ As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”

“I really don’t know,” Abner declared.

Saul almost certainly knew who David was and was only asking for the name of David’s father.

⁵⁶ “Well, find out who he is!” the king told him.

David was going to marry into his family.

⁵⁷ As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. ⁵⁸ “Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said.
And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.”