I Samuel 19:1-24
In chapter 18 we read about David and Jonathan’s
friendship.
We also read of Saul giving his daughter Michal to David
as a wife.
And we also read about Saul trying to kill David with his
spear.
In chapter 19 we are going to read about God’s
protection of David. God sometimes accomplishes His will
through means we would have never thought of. We see
that happen throughout this chapter.
Brian Bell has a unique summary of I Sam 19.
He compares the trials David faces to clouds.
He writes that clouds are brought on by pressure.
When high pressure comes in from the south –
warm weather is normally the result.
When high pressure comes from the north –
normally cold weather is the result.
“God often places us in pressure situations.
Clouds building over our lives.
Pressures of criticism;
Pressures of financial problems;
Pressures of 1001 details.
Maybe pressures in your home life; work life;
ministry.
How real is the pressure of a gathering cloud?
Pretty real when we see a cloud getting darker &
darker until it’s black & ominous & we find
ourselves right in the path of a hurricane.”
Why does God allow clouds to come into our lives?
“Remember, Long ago in a covenant of mercy to His
people & to the world, God said to Noah, “I have
set my rainbow in the clouds”. Never do you find it
in the blue sky; you find the mercy of God in the
very thick of the cloud!”
Our text this morning is 1 Samuel 19.
Let’s take a look at the first 7 verses.
I Samuel 19:1-7
Saul’s hostility towards David has not weakened
whatsoever.
He tells Jonathan and all of his servants that they should
kill David.
Notice how verse 1 ends, But Jonathan, Saul’s son,
delighted much in David.
Remember from chapter 18 how Jonathan feels about
David.
He loved him as his own soul.
But Saul had no idea about Jonathan’s feelings for David.
He is too fueled by his envy/jealousy.
Jonathan Protects David
Jonathan warns David that his dad is looking to kill him.
He advised David to seek a hiding place.
Jonathan tells David that he is going to reason with his
father.
He will also try to learn if Saul has any specific plans to
kill David.
Isn’t it interesting how Jonathan is loyal to his friend over
his own father?!
Jonathan confronts Saul
Imagine telling your dad he was sinning – then imagine
your dad is the current king!!! What a bold move, but
that is exactly what Jonathan did.
He reminds Saul that David had not sinned against him,
in fact, David has done quite the opposite.
David slew the giant Philistine
David brought good for Israel.
Jonathan asks why Saul is trying to kill David for no
reason.
After Jonathan’s speech to Saul, he swore not to kill
David.
Then Jonathan brought David back to the palace just like
before.
I Samuel 19:8-10
It’s like deja vous.
David beats the Philistines some more and the harmful
spirit comes upon Saul again and David plays the harp to
soothe Saul.
And Saul comes at David with his spear for the third
time!!
How do you think David was able to elude Saul each time
he attacked him?
God Protects David
Remember, David was chosen by God to be Israel’s next
king because Saul disobeyed God and God rejected Saul.
In the last chapter David stayed after the first attack and
Saul attempted to kill him a second time.
This time David doesn’t stick around.
He goes back to his house with his wife Michal.
What motivated Saul’s hostility toward David?
Likely his envy because of David’s military success. He
was the king, but David was winning all of the battles
against the Philistines.
Let’s read the next few verses
I Samuel 19:11-17
David flees to his home to be with his wife, Saul’s
daughter.
Saul sends messengers to David’s house to kill him the
next morning.
How did Michal know that her father was going to try to
kill David? The Bible doesn’t say, but she knew.
Maybe her brother sent word.
Notice the end of verse 11, “But Michal, David’s wife,
told him, ‘If you do not escape with your life tonight,
tomorrow you will be killed.’”
Last chapter we had, But Jonathan.
Now we have, But Michal.
Michal’s loyalty to her husband is greater than her loyalty
to her dad!
Two in the family care greatly for David, one wants him
dead.
Michal takes a different approach than her brother did.
She helps her husband escape through a window.
Michal Protects David
This is very similar to the story of Rahab when she
helped the spies escape out her window to avoid being
captured and killed by her countrymen.
Michal also uses a delay/diversion tactic to give David
more time to get away.
She takes a household idol and puts it in David’s bed.
Why does she have an idol in her house?
The Bible doesn’t say, but she also grabbed a pillow with
goat’s hair and put clothes on the idol.
When Saul sent the messengers Michal lied to them
saying David was sick.
Saul didn’t care if David was sick or not, he wanted him
dead.
Saul tells the messengers to just bring the whole bed.
They must have also brought Michal too because we see
Saul asking her why she deceived him.
Again she lied to Saul. She told him David threatened to
kill her if she didn’t let him escape.
Let’s be clear here that God does not condone lying.
In our Wednesday night study of systematic theology we
learned that God is truth. He cannot lie.
We shouldn’t read passages like these and the story of
Rahab in Joshua and think that God condones lying.
When Rahab lied she was rejecting her own people and
treating them as enemies.
Michal is treating her own father as an enemy.
Lying is not ok. Even when it happens in the Bible we
shouldn’t try to justify it and think we ought to do
likewise.
No matter how hard Saul tried, David had been chosen
by God to be Israel’s next king and nothing or no one
would keep that from happening.
God knows what He is doing and will accomplish His plan
no matter what.
I Samuel 19:18-24
When David left his home, he didn’t go far. He went to
stay with Samuel. This place was only 2-3 miles away
from Gibeah.
So, naturally Saul found out where David had fled and
sent some messengers to take David so Saul could kill
him.
What happens next is very interesting.
The Spirit Protects David
According to verse 20 there was a large group of
prophets prophesying. The Spirit of God came upon the
messengers that Saul sent and they began prophesying
too.
When Saul heard it, he sent two more groups of
messengers and both times the same result.
Finally Saul decides to come himself so he can kill David.
And guess what? Saul begins to prophesy as well.
This happened to him back in chapter 10 when he was
anointed king. The people asked if Saul was among the
prophets.
This time Saul stripped off his clothes and lay naked all
that day and night.
Why did Saul do this?
Saul was humiliated by God for rejecting Him and for
trying to kill David.
God was not going to allow anyone to thwart His plan.
God was going to protect David because He had been
chosen as the next king. Nothing would get in the way of
that.
APPLICATION
Recognize God’s Protection
We may not always know how God is going to protect us,
but we do know that even when satan tries to steal, kill
and destroy, the Bible reminds us that no one can snatch
us out of His hand.
Rest assured that God is always working in our lives to
protect us and keep us from evil.
He will accomplish exactly what He desires to accomplish.
So, when the clouds come, rejoice because without the
clouds there is no rainbow.
One final thought.
Even if God allows our time on earth to be cut short, that
doesn’t mean he isn’t protecting us.
God’s ways are higher than our ways.