Sermon Tone Analysis

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1Sam20

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[1 Samuel 20]

Saul persisted in his efforts to kill David, but Jonathan saved David again, risking his own life in the process.

David was finally forced to run away, setting the stage for the next part of the story: David needs to wander from place to place to escape Saul’s hostility.

Saul persisted in his efforts to kill David, but Jonathan saved David again, risking his own life in the process.

David was finally forced to run away, David needs to wander from place to place to escape Saul’s hostility.

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As David left Jonathan, he knew that Saul was now fully committed to murdering him.

The king tried to kill him in a variety of ways, but each time David escaped).

As David left Jonathan, he knew that Saul was now fully committed to murdering him.

The king tried to kill him in a variety of ways, but each time David escaped (chaps.

18–19), once through the Lord’s direct intervention (19:23–24).

Apparently unaware of Saul’s latest attempts to kill David (19:9–24), Jonathan was confident that his father would not harm David (cf.

19:6–7).

But when Saul rejected Jonathan’s latest attempt to defend his friend, and Jonathan had to dodge one of his father’s spears (20:30–33), Jonathan realized the truth and warned David.

The situation looked bleak for David, but he still had a devoted friend and protector in Jonathan.

The narrator keeps David’s destiny before us through the words of Jonathan, who prayed for David’s well-being (20:13, 16), expressed his confidence that the Lord would subdue David’s enemies (20:15–16), and renewed his allegiance to the future king (20:17).

Though David is still on the run, he has every reason to be confident: after all, David has escaped once again, the king’s son has recognized David’s destiny and is fully behind him, and the Lord has demonstrated his ability to protect David.

But human emotions can be fickle, and in this next episode David’s faith wavers.

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Saul’s intention to destroy David was never clearer than in chapter 22, which tells how Saul murdered the priests of Nob simply because he believed they had conspired with David against him.

As the story continues, the tension is high because God told David to return to Judah (22:5), placing him in harm’s way.

But chapter 23 shows that the God who places his servant in harm’s way also guides and protects; this theme of divine guidance and protection dominates the story in the coming chapters.

It contributes to the author’s agenda of contrasting David with Saul.

As we see in chapter 23, Saul claims divine assistance (see v. 7), but it is clear that God is really helping David.

The Lord gives the Philistines into David’s hand, but he also uses the Philistines to divert Saul and to protect David.

First Samuel 22:20–23 describes Abiathar’s arrival at David’s camp, while 23:6 informs us that David is at Keilah when Abiathar arrives.

Since 23:5 states that David and his men go to Keilah (from the forest of Hereth?

[22:5]), Abiathar’s arrival takes place after or during the deliverance of Keilah.

This means that the events of 1 Samuel 22:6–23:6 are not in strict chronological order.

Saul’s slaughter of the priests at Nob is roughly contemporaneous with David’s victory over the Philistines at Keilah, while Abiathar’s two arrival scenes correspond (1 Sam.

22:20–23; 2 Sam.

23:6).

One may think of a chronological flashback occurring at 23:1:

Saul’s slaughter of priests (22:6–19) / Abiathar’s arrival (22:20–23)

FLASHBACK: David’s victory at Keilah (23:1–5) / Abiathar’s arrival (23:6)

The contrast between David and Saul is sharp.

While Saul is murdering the Lord’s priests, David is accomplishing what Saul should be doing: delivering people from the Philistines (see 9:16).

David then protects the one remaining priest from the murderous Saul.

Saul’s intention to destroy David was never clearer than in chapter 22, which tells how Saul murdered the priests of Nob simply because he believed they had conspired with David against him.

describes Abiathar’s arrival at David’s camp, while 23:6 informs us that David is at Keilah when Abiathar arrives.

Since 23:5 states that David and his men go to Keilah (from the forest of Hereth?

[22:5]), Abiathar’s arrival takes place after or during the deliverance of Keilah.

This means that the events of are not in strict chronological order.

Saul’s slaughter of the priests at Nob is roughly contemporaneous with David’s victory over the Philistines at Keilah, while Abiathar’s two arrival scenes correspond (; ).

One may think of a chronological flashback occurring at 23:1:

Saul’s slaughter of priests (22:6–19) / Abiathar’s arrival (22:20–23)

FLASHBACK: David’s victory at Keilah (23:1–5) / Abiathar’s arrival (23:6)

The contrast between David and Saul is sharp.

While Saul is murdering the Lord’s priests, David is accomplishing what Saul should be doing: delivering people from the Philistines (see 9:16).

David then protects the one remaining priest from the murderous Saul.

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Chapter 23 ends with David’s escaping from Saul, yet one suspects that this is but a respite in the unfolding conflict.

Indeed, once he has dealt with the Philistine problem, Saul resumes his pursuit of David.

This time divine providence hands David an opportunity to kill Saul, yet he refuses to do so.

Instead, he confronts Saul, protests his innocence, and appeals to God for justice.

Throughout this section of 1 Samuel, the narrator’s purpose is to demonstrate beyond the shadow of a doubt that David, not Saul or one of his descendants, is the rightful king of Israel.

The speech by Saul becomes Exhibit A in the narrator’s defense.

The heir apparent to Saul’s throne, Jonathan, has already acknowledged David’s destiny; now Saul himself confesses the truth.

He admits that David is in the right and that he (Saul) has acted sinfully.

Saul blesses David, asking the Lord to repay him for his good deed.

He also admits that David will become king, and he even asks David to promise that he will not wipe out his family line.

David’s oath to Saul, by which he promises to spare Saul’s descendants, is also important in the following story, for David’s commitment to keep it (2 Sam. 9) demonstrates his faithfulness to both Jonathan and Saul, proving that he is not a usurper who masterminds their demise.

David’s escapes from Saul, yet one suspects that this is but a respite in the unfolding conflict.

Indeed, once he has dealt with the Philistine problem, Saul resumes his pursuit of David.

Saul blesses David, asking the Lord to repay him for his good deed.

He also admits that David will become king.

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The Chapter ends with David’s being vindicated as Saul acknowledged David’s innocence, pronounced a blessing upon him, and assured him that he would someday be the king of Israel.

Chapter 24 ends with David’s being vindicated as Saul acknowledged David’s innocence, pronounced a blessing upon him, and assured him that he would someday be the king of Israel.

However, he did not invite David to return to the royal court; Saul and David went their separate ways (v.

22).

As we move to chapter 25, Saul remains backstage for a brief time as the narrator focuses on David’s dealings with the wealthy but foolish Nabal, and his wise wife, Abigail.

In chapter 24 David refused to take vengeance into his own hands; instead, he appealed to God for vindication.

In chapter 25 this theme of vengeance emerges again.

Nabal insults David, prompting David to seek vengeance against him.

But wise Abigail intervenes and very diplomatically warns David that such a deed would be unworthy of Israel’s future king.

David recognizes her as God’s messenger and praises the Lord for keeping him from doing something unwise.

David instead waits on the Lord and is vindicated when the Lord mortally strikes down Nabal.

David’s restraint and reliance on God’s intervention are fitting for one who will rule Israel.

Once more David stands in contrast to Saul, who is obsessed with getting revenge on his enemies (14:24; 18:25), has been on a mission to take an innocent life (David’s; cf. 1 Sam.

19:5), and has already killed the innocent priests of Nob and their families (1 Sam.

22).

The voice of wisdom, embodied in Abigail (25:3, 33), reiterates what Saul himself has confessed (24:16–21): David is destined to be king.

Only a fool (like Nabal—and Saul?) would resist God’s purposes.

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Take out your bibles, smart phones, devices of all types and turn to .

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There continues to be this ongoing war between Saul and David.

Samuel was the one that anointed David and Saul.

There was a great deal of history here between these two.

There was war between Saul and David.

There is a very simple way that the chapter begins

Samuel was one of the great figures of Israelite history, acting as priest, prophet, and judge in Israel.

He was a maker and a breaker of kings, an extremely powerful personage.

Yet the account of his death is limited to this: “Now Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and mourned for him.

They buried him at his home in Ramah.”

Despite its unpretentious austerity, the text does speak of the near-universal respect Israel had for Samuel.

“All Israel assembled and mourned for him.”

The mourning could have lasted for some time, involving many ceremonies.

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David’s activity after the funeral is a bit unclear.

The MT says he went down to the “wilderness of Paran,” which describes the southern extremity of the Arabah, a location that seems much too far south.

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Despite its unpretentious austerity, the text does speak of the near-universal respect Israel had for Samuel.

“All Israel assembled and mourned for him.”

The mourning could have lasted for some time, involving many ceremonies.

They are beside the point for the narrator, however, who simply wants the reader to know that Samuel is dead in order to set the stage for Saul’s later appeal to Samuel’s shade (28:3–25).

The notice is repeated in 28:3 but presented as something that happened in the past.

The interlude serves one other function, however: it illustrates the momentary peace that existed between Saul and David.

Saul undoubtedly would have presided over some aspects of the national mourning for Samuel.