DAVID FLEES FROM SAUL
Psalm relevant to this chapter: Psalm 59
A. Jonathan defends David before his father
1. (1 Sam 19:1a) Saul plots the murder of David, attempting to enlist the help of Jonathan and his servants
Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death.
Jonathan his son: Saul puts Jonathan in a trying place. Jonathan loved David, and God made a wonderful bond of friendship between them, sealed by a covenant (1 Samuel 18:1-4). Jonathan knew that David was destined to be the next king of Israel, even though Jonathan was officially the crown prince. Now, Jonathan's friendship was being tested as his father is demanding he kill David.
And to all his servants: Saul is also putting his servants in a difficult place. They all loved David (1 Samuel 18:5), and yet, now, they are being commanded by their king to kill David.
That they should kill David: Saul puts David in a challenging place. Who can David trust now that everyone is commanded to kill him? Even if David trusted Jonathan, David knew that there was at least one loyal man on Saul's staff who would do whatever Saul wanted, without regard to if it was right or wrong.
2. (1 Sam 19:1b-3) In loyalty to David, Jonathan warns David
But Jonathan, Saul's son, greatly delighted in David. So Jonathan told David saying, "Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; if I find out anything, then I will tell you."
But Jonathan, Saul's son, greatly delighted in David. So Jonathan told David: Subsequently, this made Saul furious with Jonathan. But, Jonathan knew what he was doing was the right thing to do because his father and king told him to do something which was clearly disobedient to God. Jonathan knew the Bible said, "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13).
We are under authority and commanded to submit to God's order of authority in many different relationships. There is a command for children to submit to their parents, from citizens to their governments, from employees to their employers, from Christians to their church leadership and from wives to their husbands. But in all these instances, we are never excised from sin because we obeyed an authority that told us to sin. In this case, it would have been wrong for Jonathan to have obeyed his father and kill David.
Looking to the New Testament, Jonathan could say what the apostles said when they were told to stop preaching the gospel, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Additionally, Jonathan also had the heart of the apostles. In Acts 5, the apostles were beaten severely and were willing to suffer for what was right before God. Rejoicing, they counted it worthy to suffer for His name (Acts 5:40-41). Jonathan was willing to endure the consequences for obeying God.
Be on guard in the morning: Saul's purpose was taking shape, and as there are always men ready to commit a crime at the bidding of the king, there was the danger that the secret murder might occur quickly. Jonathan, therefore, warns David of the king's malice and urges David to hide himself until Jonathan is able to make an entreaty for him.
In the field: The field is the open common land which surrounded the royal palace. It is likely that Saul took regular walks in the morning. When Saul took his scheduled walk, Jonathan would join him and hold a conference with his father apart from the royal court. After probing his father's real feelings, Jonathan would continue his walk and meet David to communicate to him the result of Jonathan and Saul's conversation.
Jonathan did more than refuse to help Saul. Jonathan helped David. Jonathan could have said, "I want no part of this. I am not going to help my father do something I know is wrong. But, I will not try to interfere with his plan either. I will just be neutral and let God work it out." But Jonathan did not take this passive attitude, but instead, he acted as he thought was only right to do.
3. (1 Sam 19:4-5) In loyalty to David, Jonathan speaks to Saul
Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he had not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you. For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause"
Jonathan spoke well of David: Had Jonathan simply advised David to flee, without endeavoring to bring Saul to a better mind, he would have acted to the prejudice of his father's interests. Instead, Jonathan tells Saul about David's great virtues and unrivaled gifts.
Do not let the king sin against his servant: Jonathan was bold enough to tell his father that his anger and jealousy against David was sin. Moreover, Jonathan told his father that David had not sinned against Saul. Saul felt that David had sinned against him in some manner, and he felt righteous in his cause. Jonathan delivered a needed word of correction.
For he took his life in his hand: David voluntarily exposed himself to great peril to kill Goliath. The meaning of the Hebrew is a figure of speech. It is that of taking treasure out of a safe place and carrying it about with the risk of losing it. Jonathan reminds Saul of the triumphal victories that David did for Israel. Saul knew that David killed Goliath, but he could not believe that David did it for a righteous reason. Jonathan tries to bring Saul back to reality. He reminds his father, "You saw it and rejoiced." When David first killed Goliath, Saul rejoiced just like everyone else. But now, Satan had filled Saul's mind with envy and jealousy.
Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause: In Saul's mind, there was a cause, and David was not innocent. But the truth was, there was no cause, and David was innocent. Again, Jonathan tries to call Saul back to reality.
4. (1 Sam 19:6-7) The reconciliation between Saul and David
Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death." Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as formerly.
Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan: This took great humility for Saul. It is easy to say, "I am the king. I am right. I do not care what you say." But, in this case, Saul listened to his son and turned from his evil ways.
Saul vowed, "As the LORD lives...: This shows that the LORD had genuinely touched Saul's heart. God used Jonathan, but it was not the work of Jonathan. It was the work of the LORD, and Saul recognized this by declaring a vow.
He was in his presence as formerly: It seems everything was back to the way it was. David seems to have been received on terms of intimacy and affection by Saul. The command to kill David is revoked.
5. (1 Sam 19:8-10) David escapes another attempt on his life
When there was war again, David went out and fought with the Philistines and defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled before him. Now there was an evil spirit from the LORD on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing the harp in his hand. Saul tried to pin David to the wall, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
When there was war again: In the context, this speaks of more war between Israel and the Philistines, but it was also true spiritually. At the end of 1 Samuel 19:7, there was a truce in the spiritual war involving David and Saul. But whenever we are at a time of cease-fire in the spiritual war, we know the battle will begin again before long. It can always be said of our lives, "Then there was war again."
David went out and fought with the Philistines: The friendly relations between Saul and David continued for some time, but when at length war broke out again, David left his usual place of playing the harp in the presence of Saul and went out to war. David once again was blessed with tremendous success, whereupon Saul's envy and jealousy returned.
There was an evil spirit from the LORD: At this point, the evil spirit is no longer called "an evil spirit from God" (as in 1 Samuel 18:10) but it is "an evil spirit from the LORD". (The word "LORD" in the English Bible is the Hebrew yod-hey-vav-hey, pronounced "Yahweh". Yahweh is built on the Hebrew word for "I am" and is God's covenantal name. Any time God makes a covenant with Israel, LORD (or yod-hey-vav-hey) is the name always given for God.) It is important to note the change of the evil spirit from "God" to "LORD" as this symbolizes Saul has broken his covenant with God. In 1 Samuel 19:6, Saul vows to God that he would not kill David. But now, when Saul's heart is changed, and rage and jealously provoke him to once again desire to kill David, Saul has broken his vow with God. Subsequently, God now must punish Saul for his disobedience.
Saul tried to pin David to the wall: Again, Saul was overcome by an evil spirit, and again he has a spear in his hand. This time, the evil spirit overtakes Saul with such violence that Saul is no longer able to restrain his hand. This time, Saul releases the spear. The Hebrew is different here than what it is in 1 Samuel 18:11. In chapter 18, the Hebrew implies Saul simply lifted his spear toward David. In 1 Samuel 19:10, the Hebrew implies Saul actually threw his spear at David.
And David fled and escaped that night: David never return to the palace until he is the king of Israel, some 20 years later! From now until the day of Saul's death, David lives as a fugitive.
B. David flees from Saul
1. (1 Sam 19:11-12) David escapes with the help from his wife Michal
Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death." So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped.
Saul sent messengers to David's house: Psalm 59 is referred by its title to the present occasion. (Psalm 59 title: "Prayer for deliverance from enemies. For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth. A mikhtam of David, when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.") The psalm supplements the history given in this account. It shows not only was David in danger from Saul, but he was also in danger from ruffians among Saul's followers who prowled about the streets of Gibeah threatening his life.
Michal, David's wife, told him: Michal saves the day! Michal was Saul's daughter and thus had conflicting loyalties. Should she act in her father's interests or in her husband's interests? To her benefit, she made the right choice and supported her husband, David.
Michal acts according to the principle of Genesis 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Although the Genesis passage speaks specifically of the husband, it expresses a principle that applies to both partners in a marriage that the former family loyalties and obligations are set aside to the loyalty and obligation to the new family.
Told him: Michal helped David by warning him. She perhaps saw the king's guards coming before David did. She also knew the character of her father better than David did. Michal was probably less surprised than David to find the king's guards were against him. And David did well to receive this warning from his wife. Sometimes men are so hard headed and so hard hearted that they never hear how God might warn them through their wives. If David would have ignored this warning because he did not like the source of the information, he might have ended up dead.
So Michal let David down: Michal knew well her father's character. Now that the veil of Saul's dark side was publicly lifted, there was no hope any longer for her husband, David, to serve King Saul. She knew David's only hope of surviving was to flee. She "let David down through a window" because the king's guards were watching the door. With this desperate flight began David's long weary wanderings, those perpetual risks of death, which continued until the death of King Saul.
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