He's Out to Get Me!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Today we are continuing our study in 1 Samuel. I talk to so many people who are under the false idea that entering into a relationship with Jesus means that you will have a life free from problems. So when problems come, when life is hard—much harder than we ever thought it could be—many followers of Jesus end up turning away from Him and rejecting the faith and beliefs that they once had.
My good friend, Chad Clements told me one day, “My family did not know what ‘dysfunctional’ was until we came to faith in Jesus.” Hurt and heartache are part of life in this world. Even when you are following Jesus’ plan for your life.
David experienced this in his life. So far we have seen a young man—a shepherd. He was unexpectedly anointed to be the next king of Israel. Yet David seemed to have had problems with dad. Scripture records for us some of the problems he had with his older brothers.
And in our passage today, we are going to see that David is now perceived as a threat to king Saul’s kingdom. If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to 1 Samuel 19 and we’ll being reading with verse 1.
As we begin today let’s look and see where we left off in the story. The last verse of chapter 18 tells us:
The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
Da4edvid was the most successful officer in all of Saul’s army. Keep that thought in your mind, because the next verse blows my mind!
David is Saul’s Enemy?
David is Saul’s Enemy?
Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David
Saul tells his son Jonathan that he is supposed to kill David.
But we also learn that Jonathan was good friends with David.
However, there is another problem. Saul gave the same order to all of his servants.
and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there.
Instead of trying to kill David, Jonathan warns him of his father’s plan.
Telling David that he needs to go into hiding.
I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”
Jonathan comes up with his own plan.
—David is to go hide in a field.
—Jonathan will take his dad to the same field, and talk to him about David.
—Then Jonathan will tell David everything he finds out.
Now there is an important point that we need to consider. If David was considered to be an “Enemy” by Saul, then Jonathan’s actions are the equivalent of treason.
Working the Plan
Working the Plan
Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”
Jonathan goes to his father, Saul and talks to him favorably about David.
Asks Saul not to hurt David.
Asks Saul how David wronged him.
Tells Saul all the ways David has helped Saul:
—Killed the Philistine giant, risking his own life.
—Yahweh gave Israel a great victory through him.
—David’s victory over the giant made Saul glad.
—What you are doing doesn’t make sense! Killing an innocent man like David for no reason.
Saul’s Response
Saul’s Response
Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”
Saul listens to Jonathan and makes an oath not to have David killed!
So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
Jonathan goes and tells David all the details of their conversation.
And he takes David to Saul—so things can be like they were before!
But David is not there very long!
Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.
Once again war breaks out, and David goes out to fight the Philistines. David and his men strike with such great force that the Philistines flee from them! This was a great victory for David and for all of Israel.
Now you would think that Saul would be excited, or at least thankful, but. . .
Saul Breaks His Oath
Saul Breaks His Oath
But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,
There is David playing his harp.
Saul is sitting there in his house.
With a spear in his hand.
An evil spirit comes upon Saul.
Now this can’t be good. We have seen this before back in chapter 18, verse 10-11. Let’s continue our story.
Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
There David is playing his harp to help sooth Saul.
But Saul ends up driving the spear (that’s in his hand) into the wall. And we’re told that he was trying to pin David to the wall!
But David eluded Saul.
And that night, David left—made good his escape.
Now verse 11-12 tell us the story of David’s escape.
David Flees From Saul
David Flees From Saul
Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.”
First we are told that Saul sent men to watch David’s house. That’s right the men are staking out David.
Michal, David’s wife, gives him a warning.
She tells him, “You’ve got to get out of her TONIGHT, or you will be killed in the morning!”
So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.
So Michal helps David escape down through a window.
And David is now on the run!
Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.
Michal takes an idol that was in the house.
She puts it in the bed and puts cloths on it.
Takes some goats’ hair and puts it on the idol’s head.
Saul Sends Men
Saul Sends Men
When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
Saul’s men come to get David, but Michal says, “He sick!” The men go back and report this news to Saul.
Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.”
So Saul sends the men back, telling them to bring David to him—bed and all. And he makes no bones about what he is planning to do! “so that I may kill him.”
But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.
The men go back to David’s house, and to their surprise, no David! All they find is a bed with an idol that’s wearing goats’ hair!
So apparently, the men take Michal with them back to Saul.
Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?” Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’ ”
Saul confronts Michal—“Why did you deceive me like this?”
“Why did you send my enemy away?”
“Why did you let my enemy escape?”
Michal says that David told her to let him escape or he would kill her.
Meanwhile David
Meanwhile David
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.
David flees to the one man who can give him advice. The Prophet Samuel!
David knows that Samuel is in Ramah (his home town) so David heads there.
Samuel goes with David to a small village that’s not too far away, Naioth.
It almost seems like Samuel is trying to hide David. If that’s the case, it doesn’t work.
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.
Saul gets word that David in Naioth.
So he sends a group of men—probably soldiers—to capture David.
But as they approach the town the come across a group of prophets who were prophesying.
They see Samuel standing there as their leader.
And the Spirit of God overpowered Saul’s men, and the also prophesied.
This idea of prophesying has to do with the men being unable to conduct the evil business that they were sent to do. God’s Spirit is protecting David (and Samuel for that matter).
But Saul doesn’t stop there.
Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied.
Saul sends a second group of troops to get David.
And the same thing happens to them.
So Saul sends a third group of troops to get David.
And a third time the same thing happened.
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.
Finally, Saul goes himself! If you want something done right you’ve got to do it yourself!
He gets to the great cistern at Seku and asks the people there, “Where are Samuel and David?”
The people respond by telling him that they are both a Naioth.
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.
So Saul heads to Naioth.
But before he gets there—while he’s still walking down the road—the Spirit of God overtakes Saul.
As he is walking to Naioth he begins prophesying and does so all the way to Naioth.
Now when you get to verse 24, things seem to get a little strange. Let’s first read the the verse:
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?”
Scholars debate what is going on here. Some think the author is showing the depths of Saul’s mental illness (so to speak).
Other’s suggest that Saul was not completely “naked.” He could have had his inner tunic (or underlying robe) on, and still have been considered to be “naked.”
What it does seem to suggest is that Saul lost his dignity. The passage tells us that he lost his dignity as king, which was symbolized by the removal of his kingly vestibules. But the wording also suggests that he lost his personal dignity—stripped bare.
Here’s the key. Saul was doing everything in his power to hold on to his dignity! He knew that the kingdom would be taken from him. That’s why he wanted to kill David—it was clear to him that if anyone could take the kingdom away from him it was David.
And with evil coming on him, Saul lost his personal dignity. He broke promises. He lied. He plotted murder. And even betrayed those who were faithful to him. Saul lost all of his dignity. Laying naked in the street all day and night pictures Saul’s lack of dignity.
Samuel witnessed God’s breaking of Saul. Yet the message was confusing to the people. That’s why they ask, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
So What?
So What?
There are a couple main points that I want us to glean from this passage!
Just because you are following God does not mean you will have a life without problems!
Problems are often the building blocks God uses to prepare us for the work He has for us.
Finally, serving God means losing our dignity! And learning to living in and reflect His dignity.