I Samuel 19:18-20:16
Good morning! While I was
preparing the message yesterday, I came across this comic. It does a pretty good job summing up Saul’s
heart toward David. Saul is like a
raging bull more and more; whenever he encounters David or hears of David’s
successes, he wants to destroy David so that he and his family will remain
preeminent in Israel.
We ended our message last week with David on the run from Saul. It appears that Saul had not only thrown a
spear at David this time, but he may have assaulted David with spear in hand,
raising his massive form off the throne and trying to back David up against the
wall. David escaped from Saul at the
last moment as the spear was driven into the wall, perhaps becoming stuck long
enough for David to get away.
David proceeded to return home where his wife (who was also Saul’s
daughter) warned him to run for his life.
That is where we will pick up the story today, with David’s flight. Before we get into the passage, let’s take a
moment and pray.
Lord God, help us to see what You want us to see in this passage
today. Help us to respond rightly to
challenges that we face, knowing when to persevere and when to change
course. Encourage these Your saints I
pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
So what happens next?
When David had fled and made
his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to
him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. –I Samuel 19:18
Ramah is Samuel’s hometown. It
is also not far from Gibeah which was Saul’s hometown and where he usually stayed. So it had the advantage of being nearby, and
Samuel as God’s priest and judge would be the right person to talk to about
such things.
At this point, David is likely around 20 years old. Samuel is by this time in his eighties. David told Samuel all that Saul had done to
him. You can envision the words just
tumbling out, a combination of incredulity and confusion and fear and
doubt. Samuel did not shut David
down. He apparently listened on through
to the end.
Samuel then takes David to Naioth.
The name Naioth is only mentioned in this passage in the Bible. The word Naioth means “dwellings or
habitations” in Hebrew. Some commentators
think that Naioth was an area of homes and buildings near Ramah where a group
of prophets lived.
We don’t get insight into what Samuel shared with David during this
time. It certainly arouses your
curiosity. What would Samuel say to
David? He listened, surely, which
reminds us of James 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak,
and slow to become angry.”
Maybe Samuel didn’t know what to say.
We don’t know what, if anything, he said when he had anointed David
earlier. So, it is possible that Samuel
didn’t say much at all. Rather, he only
invited David to come away from running from Saul and rest.
Word came to Saul:
"David is in Naioth at Ramah"; so he sent men to capture him. But
when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as
their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul's men, and they also prophesied. –I
Samuel 19:19-20
Saul is continuing to look for David.
He has people out searching. This
isn’t a single event where Saul has flown into a rage but cools off. He is premeditated now in his efforts to
capture David.
The most bizarre thing happens though.
As the men, most likely soldiers in service to Saul, come to Naioth,
they find Samuel and a group prophesying.
Prophesying is a more inclusive word than foretelling the future. Prophesying also includes the idea of singing
and praising God, even spontaneously.
So, envision a group of prophets having an unplanned worship service.
Then, as these armed and possibly threatening men approach, the Spirit
of God comes upon them, and they start praising God, singing, and maybe even
shouting.
Saul was told about it, and
he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they
also prophesied. –I Samuel 19:21
Saul is incredibly stubborn. If
God’s Spirit is coming upon these men, it would seem to be clear that he is
opposing powers much greater than his own.
Three times men are sent to Naioth.
Three times they prophesy, and they don’t come back with David. As we noted at the beginning, Ramah is only a
mile and a half from Gibeah. This whole
event could happen in the course of a morning.
Perhaps, all the men that Saul has sent are still there prophesying and
praising God. Every time Saul sends
another group, they join the others.
Finally, he himself left for
Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, "Where are
Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said. So Saul
went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked
along prophesying until he came to Naioth. –I Samuel 19:22-23
If the situation wasn’t so serious, it would be easy to laugh at
it. It’s like a bad guy in a
cartoon. He finally grows tired of his
inept minions and takes matters into his own hands. He apparently doesn’t go straight to
Naioth. He stops along the way in order
to get some information. Some
commentators propose that this great cistern may have been located up on the
side of a hill. So Saul may have been
looking for a vantage point to assess what was going on before he walked into
it himself.
There are a couple of things to note about how the Spirit comes upon
Saul. It is somewhat sad to consider
that “the Spirit of God came even on him.” At this point, the Spirit of God is no longer
with Saul. For Saul to be filled with
God’s Spirit is a truly unexpected thing.
Then, we see that God’s Spirit came upon Saul before he even got to
Naioth. He’s walking along the way and
he’s praising God. We get a sense of
God’s power. Saul really can’t do
anything that God opposes. There’s no
tricking God or sneaking around Him.
He stripped off his
garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay naked all that day
and all that night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the
prophets?" –I Samuel 19:24
The word naked there could mean literally bare skinned, but it has a
broader range of meaning even including being shabbily or inappropriately
dressed. In the case of a king like
Saul, it could be understood to mean that he has removed all his kingly
attire. He’s taken off his robe. He’s just in his undergarments. Either way, Saul has been humbled and
stripped of his garments which testify to his position as king. Some have likened this to God symbolically
removing the kingship from Saul.
Not only is Saul without clothes, he is lying down for a day and a
night. He has been to a posture of
humility before God. The people see this
amazing development and wonder as they had before, when he first became king,
whether or not Saul is one of the prophets.
It is telling that the people are surprised. “Is Saul also among the
prophets?” It is unexpected and maybe
wholly unexpected that Saul would be prophesying like this for hours and
hours. Contrast that to David who likely
had spent hours upon hours praising God while playing his lyre.
Saul’s strategy has been completely overthrown. He cannot capture David. And David runs again.
Then David fled from Naioth
at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my
crime? How have I wronged your father that he is trying to kill me?" –I Samuel
20:1
A few weeks back, we looked at how Jonathan and David had formed a firm
friendship immediately after David had defeated Goliath. Jonathan loved David even as he loved
Himself, giving David his sword and his robe and his tunic and his bow and his
belt.
David’s questions are kind of like déjà vu all over again. At the beginning of chapter 19, Saul had told
Jonathan and his attendants to kill David.
Jonathan warned David at the time, and then spoke with his father. “Saul listened to Jonathan and took this
oath: ‘As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.’ ” (I
Samuel 19:6) So, isn’t this settled?
Saul took an oath not to kill David.
"Never!" Jonathan
replied. "You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn't do anything,
great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It
isn't so!"—I Samuel 20:2
Up until now, Saul hadn’t hidden anything from Jonathan. But now Saul’s slide introduces the deception
of his own son and chief general.
I don’t often think of things from Jonathan’s perspective. In last week’s message, we learned that
Jonathan is significantly older than David, like 30 years older. At this point, Jonathan is nearing 50 years
old. His father is in his upper
sixties. His dad is unstable, rejecting
if not outright hating God, violent, tormented by an evil spirit. The pressure on Jonathan is not life and
death as it is with David, but it is a major challenge to walk through. We can see from Jonathan’s responses in the
coming verses how to react in tough situations.
But David took an oath and
said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes,
and he has said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be
grieved.' Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step
between me and death."—I Samuel 20:3
Rather than telling every detail, David is now able to succinctly and
directly communicate what the situation is and what the risks are. He has to introduce the idea to Jonathan that
his dad is lying to him or at least hiding the truth. The risk is death. This is serious.
Jonathan said to David,
"Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you." So David said,
"Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the
king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after
tomorrow. If your father misses me at all, tell him, 'David earnestly asked my
permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is
being made there for his whole clan.' If he says, 'Very well,' then your
servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is
determined to harm me. –I Samuel 20:4-7
We see again Jonathan’s commitment to David. Whatever David asks, he is willing to
do. David wants Jonathan to see for
himself that his father is plotting against David.
The New Moon Feast is a time to consecrate each month of the year to
the Lord. I don’t think that Saul’s
feast would have that intent, which is sad, but it is something for us to keep
in mind. I don’t “consecrate” my
months. I’m thinking of something like
Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” We need to take stock of our days because
they are not endless in this life. What
should be our priority, our focus? We
need wisdom. If you have trusted Jesus,
then you are the Lord’s. In fact, God
has the first claim on us, as Malachi 2:15 says, “Has not the one God made you?
You belong to him in body and spirit.”
As for you, show kindness to
your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the
LORD. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your
father?" –I Samuel 20:8
David opened his heart to Jonathan in verse 1 saying, “What have I done?” He genuinely considers that he may have done
something wrong. He shows a high degree
of humility here. If someone is against
you, then it may be that there is something wrong. David is asking the question of
Jonathan. David also shows his confidence
in justice. If there is guilt, then he
asks his friend to carry it out. David
knows the character of Saul well enough that whether or not there is an unknown
guilt in David, he does not want to be taken before an unjust judge.
"Never!" Jonathan
said. "If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm
you, wouldn't I tell you?" David asked, "Who will tell me if your
father answers you harshly?" "Come," Jonathan said, "let's
go out into the field." So they went there together. Then Jonathan said to
David, "I swear by the LORD, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound
out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed
toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? But if my father intends
to harm you, may the LORD deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do
not let you know and send you away in peace. May the LORD be with you as He has
been with my father. –I Samuel 20:9-13
Jonathan reassures David. He
will tell David the truth. David does
not have to worry about that. Then, they
probably leave Jonathan’s home and go out into an open place where there is no
chance to be overheard. Jonathan is wise
enough to realize if someone knows where David will be in a day or two, then
they could get a handsome reward from Saul for that information. Jonathan will come to David and let him know
by messenger if it is good news. If the
news is bad, Jonathan will come and deliver it himself. This is another good take away from
Jonathan’s behavior. If you need to
deliver bad news, it is better to do it yourself and in person rather than
sending the news by someone else.
Jonathan is possibly one of the most optimistic people ever, even now
at this point where his father has repeatedly come after David, he blesses
David saying that the Lord be with you as He has been with Saul. God did work through Saul. Sadly, Saul did not abide in God. He was disobedient and rebellious in his
attitude and actions. Throughout
Scripture, you can find examples of people who have hardened their hearts
toward God again and again. Finally,
they become frozen in that hardness, rejecting God. They can no longer turn to God. I think our take away from this should be to
desire to have hearts of flesh and not hearts of stone. Stay soft toward God and the things of God.
I’m sure many of you are aware of the scandal involving the USA
Gymnastics organization as well as Michigan State University because of the
abuses of Larry Nassar. I don’t want to
get into details of those terrible crimes.
But you may or may not know the individual who first went public with
allegations. Her name is Rachael
Denhollander, and she is a believer in Jesus.
As a part of Nassar’s guilty plea, he was required to hear from as many
of his accusers as would like to come forward.
Mrs. Denhollander was the last of them to speak. She spoke to him for 36 minutes. I’ve only listened to a few minutes of that
address, but she powerfully shared both the horrible wrong that was done and
the absolute need for a Savior. These
are a few of her words …
“Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done,
the guilt will be crushing. And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so
sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found.
And it will be there for you.”
She is a 33 year old mom of three small children today. It is 18 years now since her she was
assaulted. In the years between her
abuse and the sentencing hearing, she explained that it was difficult to
reconcile her Christian faith with her experience, and she said, “That was part
of learning to trust in God’s justice and sovereignty and His knowledge of what
happened, even when I didn’t have the answers.”
It also turns out that Rachael Denhollander is a lawyer, so she’s an
orderly systems thinker. The interview
that I read explained that “she crack[ed] a smile when she remember[ed] how she
processed [things]. ‘I drew Venn diagrams. Because that’s how I work.’ She
filled the logic graph with everything she knew to be true about God: ‘And it
was a visual reminder to me that whatever I didn’t understand couldn’t
contradict what I did know was true. And so I held to what I knew was true when
I couldn’t understand the rest of it.’ ” https://world.wng.org/2018/03/a_time_to_speak
And so, that is why I share a bit of Rachael’s story this morning. We all face the need to hold on to what we
know is true while at the same time we don’t understand everything. The pastor of Rachael’s church was also asked
about how they came together around the Denhollander family through this ordeal
especially the last 18 months once the story had gone public. Their pastor said that it was so encouraging
to see that the simple means of grace were sufficient for the greatest trial. Prayer, fellowship, meeting needs in
love. Jesus is enough.
Thinking through this, a phrase from an old hymn came to mind, “my
anchor holds within the veil.” The hymn
is “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand.”
That phase actually captures the deep truth of our assurance of
salvation expressed in Hebrews 6.
We have this hope as an
anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the
curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become
a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. –Hebrews 6:19-20
Whatever the challenges might be that you face, don’t respond like Saul
by ignoring and rejecting God’s ways.
Rather, take confidence in the promises of God and the truth of His
love. I’m not saying everything will
always make sense, but Jesus is the only sure foundation, the only solid rock.
Let’s finish out today’s passage.
Remember that Jonathan is talking to David. These are his words to David …
But show me unfailing
kindness like the LORD's kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be
killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family--not even when the
LORD has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD
call David's enemies to account."—I Samuel 20:14-16
Jonathan is asking David for protection for himself and his
family. It was not unusual in those
times for a new dynasty to begin with the incoming ruler putting to death the
previous ruling family. This would happen
multiple times in the northern kingdom of Israel in the coming centuries.
This statement, more than any other, shows that Jonathan is sure that
David will be king. We still don’t even
know for sure whether David thinks he will become king. Jonathan’s request here though makes it
clear. It is almost like John the
Baptist’s observation of Jesus when more people were going to follow Jesus than
John. John said, “He must increase, I
must decrease.”
Think too that Jonathan is giving his own father over to the Lord’s
judgment saying “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.” Jonathan is like those described in Hebrews
11, “those the world was not worthy of.” (v.38) There had to be some sense of
loss or even grief at these times where Jonathan came face to face with his
father’s darkening path.
David will not forget this oath, though it will be nearly twenty years
before he has the chance to show kindness to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth.
Today’s passage has been a roller coaster. We started with David on the run and taking
refuge with Samuel. Then, when Saul sent
people to capture David, the Lord intervened and made those soldiers, and even
Saul himself, worship and praise God.
Though this does allow David to escape, sadly it does not bring Saul to
a point of repentance. David then turns
to his friend Jonathan, and brotherly love intervenes to prevent harm from coming
to David.
We went to Brookdale yesterday to sing some hymns and visit with the
residents. My voice is better today than
yesterday, although it is still very weak.
The first few songs were really draining, and I was wondering whether or
not I’d make it through all the songs.
Thanks to Christine, she shared some verses after about the fourth
song. That was just what I needed. God’s ways are fascinating in how they
blanket and bless in multiple ways. Me
needing a short break from singing and talking was way down on the list of
needs, and yet God is able to fit in meeting my need as he meets ten more
significant ones with the same action.
I’m not sure how it will work out, but a major technical problem at
work, which I pointed out more than a year ago, might be solved because of
hurricane Maria that hit Puerto Rico last September. It’s somehow beyond comprehension that
something so universally devastating may also cause a change of thinking toward
the product design of a car part potentially solving a major problem for
me. And then, I just found out about it
this week when I need to prepare this message.
Huh?! And yet, God is able to work
such things out. He is working all
things together for the good of those who are called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28)
One more thought from Brookdale. After we finished singing, we were talking
with the residents. I was talking to a petite
elderly lady without dentures who is often quite confused. We spoke a few words and then she beckoned me
closer. She told me that she had been
praying last night for all the people more or less pointing at people from the
church and that God had told her, “I’m going to take care of that one” (meaning
me). On the one hand, I can imagine that
she was probably not thinking about me when she had been praying the
night before. And, at the same time, I
can believe that God gave her an encouraging word. God is going to take care of me, and He’s
going to take care of you, too. All we
need to do is to come to Him in faith, and He will take care of the rest both
in ways that we can see and ways that we can’t see.
Let’s seek Him and be faithful.
Let’s pray.
Lord God, we are so grateful that You have intervened on our behalf
through Your Son Jesus. Thank You for
salvation. I pray for these Your saints. Equip them with truth, establish them on the
foundation of Jesus, build them up to do the mighty works which You have
planned for them. Glorify Your Name, we
pray in Jesus. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment