1 Samuel 19
At first the narrative of 1 Samuel 19 reads like a mobster story. David’s success breeds more jealousy in Saul, and so Saul tries to “off” him. Jonathan, Saul’s son and David’s friend, intercedes for David, and Saul promises him, “As the LORD lives”, that David will not die (6). A lie from the start, Saul then sends his goons to find David and kill him.
David’s wife, Michal, enables him to escape, letting him down through a window and lying for him to her father Saul (17). She helps him by making an “image” of David in the bed, to buy him time to make his getaway. All of this is the first 17 verses.
Where did Mario Puzo, author of the Godfather novels get his material? He needed have only read the Old Testament.
It’s the rest of the chapter where no mobster story would dare tread, but where God dares us to go. Where can David go? He flees to the home of Samuel (18), the prophet who originally anointed David as king at God’s choosing. Evidently Samuel is the head of a guild or company of prophets.
This is faith in motion. When in trouble, David goes back to the point of God’s original promise to him, that he would be king. David runs to God.
Saul’s goons chase down David, but a greater power is at work than the weapons of men. Three times, when Saul’s goons reach Naioth, they prophesy, right along with Samuel’s prophets. Surely this means they laid down their arms and their evil intent and simply praised God. They were neutralized, but in such a way that they changed sides. Three times, with three different sets of goons, this happens.
Then finally, Saul himself arrives. The same thing happens to him (23) - he prophesies, and in addition, he is driven to the ground, humbled and stripped of his royal vestments (24). In this God has shown Saul his current standing - stripped of his kingship - and what he should do - humble himself before God.
If Saul were to repent to humble faith in the gracious generosity of God, God would indeed be generous to him. This is the fundamental difference between Saul and David. David comes to Naioth by faith in God’s grace, and Saul does not.
Share this post