Burunche’s Blog

1 Samuel 26:1 – 12 “Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” So, Saul, accompanied by three thousand choice men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there. Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon, but David was living in the wilderness. When he realized that Saul had followed him there, David sent out spies to verify that Saul had arrived.

Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general of his army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp, with the troops camped around him. And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?”

“I will go with you,” answered Abishai.

That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.

Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”

So, David took the spear and water jug by Saul’s head, and they departed. No one saw them or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up; they all remained asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.”

The Ziphites are at it again! Despite the fact that their previous schemes to capture David have failed, the men of Ziph are still trying to curry favor with Saul by reporting David’s whereabouts. Saul isn’t very fond of wandering around in the wilderness, so he and his men have camped by the roadside; meanwhile, David sends out spies and verifies that Saul has arrived. That night David and his friend Abishai go down to Saul’s camp; meanwhile, God has cast Saul and all his men into a deep sleep. Even though Saul is sleeping inside the inner circle of his troops, David and Abishai have no problems reaching Saul because everyone is asleep. Saul’s spear is stuck into the ground by his head. Abishai thinks this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of Saul once and for all and is ready to seize Saul’s spear and to it through Saul’s heart, killing him instantly. But David forbids Abishai from doing anything to Saul.

David tells Abishai, ““Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”

Even though David realizes that Saul may begin to attack him as soon as Saul and his men wake up, David refuses to touch Saul. God’s anointing is still on Saul, and therefore, Saul is God’s problem to deal with. But David does collect both Saul’s spear and his water jug that were right by Saul’s head as proof that he has been there.

What about this “deep sleep from the Lord?” Do such things actually happen? Yes. The Book of Acts describes a time when God delivered Peter from jail by opening doors and then throwing all the guards into a deep sleep. (Acts 12:3 – 17) More recently, many Christians in various parts of the world have reported times when police or guards slept while they passed through check points or walked away from bad situations.

Why did God put Saul and his men to sleep? Just because God had Samuel anoint David did not mean that David was free from testing. Early on, Saul failed the obedience test; now it was David’s turn. Would David respect God’s anointing on Saul and leave Saul for God to deal with, or would David yield to temptation and revenge himself? David was a man of faith and prayer and had received the anointing of the Holy Spirit at the hands of Samuel. The Holy Spirit caused David to recognize the anointing that remained on Saul and to respect that anointing. David passed the test!

APPLICATION: “You can’t touch me; I’m under the anointing.” A group of concerned church members were meeting with their pastor after hearing complaints that his counseling sessions with women had become opportunities for gratuitous sex. Such rumors might have no basis in fact, and these church members wanted the pastor to tell his side of the story. But the pastor referred to the story of David refusing to hurt Saul and then quoted Psalm 105:15, refusing to answer very reasonable questions. (Psalm 105:15 “Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!”) Given such an answer, the church leadership might well assume that the rumors were correct and that the pastor was guilty and was trying to dodge answering the question.

Are all Christian workers anointed? How can we tell? And how far should we go to respect the anointing? The first question that must be asked is this: Has this person been called into a certain ministry or has this person assumed a role that God has never asked them to play? There have been times when people have entered the ministry because they have felt called but have later gotten caught up chasing wealth and fame. There are some who have never had a calling but who have entered ministry because they can speak well and they anticipate rich rewards of wealth and notoriety. Such people tend to glorify themselves and not God. By contrast, Jesus told his disciples, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Later on, Jesus further warned his disciples, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.”

The second test of anointing is this: What are the fruits of the ministry? A true servant of God will always point people to the Master and not to himself or herself.  Recently, we witnessed a sermon entitled “The Power of the Resurrection.” But the sermon did not actually glorify God’s mighty power in raising Christ Jesus from the dead; instead, the one giving the message used this opportunity to boast about his power over witches and evil spirits, the number of times he had fasted, and to describe how many times he had been visited by angels. The speaker whipped the crowd into a frenzy by encouraging them to demand power from God, rather than emphasizing their need for repentance and humility.

Despite Saul’s rebellion and refusal to truly worship God, God’s anointing was still present. At any point in Saul’s life up to his death, Saul could have faced his sins and could have repented. Saul would have still lost the kingdom, but his life could have been completely changed. David respected that anointing and left Saul’s fate to God.

When someone who claims to be under the anointing is derelict in his or her duties, it is the responsibility of those around them to correct them. Matthew 18:15 – 18 lays out the guidelines. “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

In the case of the pastor in question, the church leaders had no choice other than to inform the church of the problem. When the pastor continued to deny any wrong – doing, despite the first – hand testimony of several witnesses, the congregation had no other option than to ask him to step down from his position. That pastor made the same mistake as King Saul, thinking that God’s anointing gave him license to behave any way he chose. Could this pastor yet repent and become a pastor at a different congregation? Only God and the pastor know the answer. But the lesson is clear: Don’t play with the anointing God gives you!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You that You have anointed each one of us for a certain purpose. Help us to respect that anointing and not to abuse it. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

1 Samuel 25:32 – 44 “Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day! Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand. Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.”

Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, “Go home in peace. See, I have heeded your voice and granted your request.”

When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So, she told him nothing until morning light.

In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him and he became like a stone. About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead.

On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking for her in marriage. When his servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said, “David has sent us to take you as his wife.”

She arose, then bowed facedown and said, “Here is your maidservant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”

So, Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife.

David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So, she and Abigail were both his wives. But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.”

Abigail has saved her household from destruction by her humility. David gladly receives Abigail’s presents and sends her home successful. Meanwhile, Nabal is holding a drunken orgy. The next morning, Abigail informs Nabal of David’s threat and how she has forestalled it. Nabal’s heart fails, and he “becomes like a stone,” perhaps suffering a stroke. Ten days later, Nabal dies.

When David learns that Nabal has died, he thanks the Lord that he has not taken revenge on Nabal. Now God has struck Nabal, and David’s hands are clean. David’s next act is to send for Abigail, proposing marriage. Why did Abigail marry Nabal in the first place? In an age when single women were at extreme risk for all kinds of attack, Abigail’s only option was to marry. It’s quite possible that Abigail’s parents arranged that marriage with Nabal, happy to marry off their daughter to a rich man and to collect a large dowry. Abigail probably had no say in the matter and could only hope that she would survive. From the respect the household gives Abigail, it is obvious that she is a woman of exceptional character. David recognizes this fact and proposes marriage, even though he already has one wife. Polygamy is relatively common, and David is no exception. (Is it possible that David was the son of a less – favorite wife? Was that the reason that Jesse sent David out to herd sheep?)

Abigail has already suffered as the wife of a rich and arrogant fool Now she has the chance to become a wife to the future king of Israel, a kind, brave, and honorable man. Little wonder that Abigail immediately tells David’s messengers that she agrees and mounts her donkey, accompanied by five of her maidens, leaving Nabal’s household behind. Even if Abigail winds up as a junior wife, her life with David will be far better than life with Nabal.

APPLICATION: Signs on many shops and tro-tros in Ghana read “God’s Time is the Best.” While this is a true statement, many of us get impatient and fed up with God. A sign I saw in someone’s office several years ago read, “Dear Lord, I want patience, AND I WANT IT RIGHT NOW!!!”

Many times, we feel that we must take matters into our own hands when someone wrongs us. We are sure that if we can just force a little, we can pay back those who have hurt us. But only God knows all the details. Only God knows the circumstances surrounding those who have offended us, and only God knows the human heart. David was deeply offended by Nabal and was fully prepared to wipe out every male in the household. Only Abigail’s timely intervention saved David from making a tragic mistake.

How many years did Abigail spend married to Nabal? If Nabal was that stingy with David, he likely was equally stingy with Abigail. Nabal was probably the kind of guy who doled out housekeeping money in the smallest coins available. While Nabal swaggered around the community, his domestic staff knew to stay out of his way as much as possible and appeal to Abigail for protection when necessary. If Abigail’s parents were alive, they had probably already spent the dowry money and were unwilling to intervene between Abigail and Nabal. All that Abigail could do was to suffer in silence and to try to be the best wife she could under the circumstances.

God used what could have been a tragedy to deliver David from the consequences of a hasty decision. But at the same time, God also delivered Abigail from a loveless and bleak existence as the wife of a short – tempered miser.

The lesson for us is this: Pray before you act. Step back and allow God to move. You won’t regret it.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You to sort out the people who offend us. Help us to pray before we act and then to pray again. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 25:1 – 31 “When Samuel died, all Israel gathered to mourn for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David set out and went down to the Wilderness of Paran (Maon).  

Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel; he was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.

While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. So, David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name and say to him, ‘Long life to you, and peace to you and your house and to all that belongs to you. Now I hear that it is time for shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on the day of a feast. Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David.’” When David’s young men arrived, they relayed all these words to Nabal on behalf of David. Then they waited.

But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters. Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?”

So, David’s men turned around and went back, and they relayed to him all these words. And David said to his men, “Put on your swords!” So, David and all his men put on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s young men informed Nabal’s wife Abigail, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he scolded them. Yet these men were very good to us. When we were in the field, we were not harassed, and nothing of ours went missing the whole time we lived among them. They were a wall around us, both day and night, the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”

Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, (33 dry quarts or 36.5 liters), a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

As Abigail came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming down toward her, and she met them.

Now David had just finished saying, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good. May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of his men survive until morning.”

When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him. She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant. My lord should pay no attention to this worthless man Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.

Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.

Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you. Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live.

And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.

When the LORD has done for my lord all the good He promised and has appointed you ruler over Israel, then my lord will have no remorse or guilt of conscience over needless bloodshed and revenge. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your maidservant.”

Samuel was dead. One of the finest prophets and one of the most earnest prayer warriors Israel had ever seen since Moses was no more. David particularly must have felt the loss, since Samuel had anointed him and then had encouraged him on several occasions. In some respects, Samuel had served as a father figure for David. No matter how bad things had gotten, David had always been secure in the knowledge that Samuel was still there in Ramah, interceding for him. Now all of that relationship was lost.

While hiding from Saul in the wilderness, David and his men were running short on supplies, so David sent messengers to Nabal. Nabal was a very rich man with 1,000 goats and 3,000 sheep, and it was shearing time.   Nabal had planned a meal for those coming to shear his animals. Normally, such an occasion would be a community celebration with neighbors who had come to help sharing in a feast. But Nabal was one of those guys with a calculator for a brain; he had planned for exactly the number of shearers he expected to have and not for any additional people whatsoever. When David sent messengers with a modest appeal, Nabal exploded in rage. Notice that David’s men did not make any specific requests; they simply asked for whatever Nabal felt he could afford. Traditionally, most men would have responded generously, giving as a sign of their wealth and importance, but not Nabal.

David’s appeal was quite reasonable. According to Nabal’s men, David and his men had protected them all the time they were out on the pastures with the animals. David knew what it was like to be out there by himself, defending his sheep and goats from marauding animals and raiders; that was why his men and he had protected Nabal’s workers. But when Nabal reacted to David’s polite request by exploding in a rage, David became fed up and was ready to take by force what Nabal had refused to give graciously.

The true heroine of this piece was Nabal’s wife Abigail. It’s possible that Nabal may have had several wives, with Abigail being the chief; on the other hand, Nabal was so stingy that he may have settled for just one wife as a matter of economy. At any rate, Abigail obviously had the sympathies of the workers in the household, and they ran to her in alarm. Once fully informed, Abigail quickly grasped the dangers of the situation and immediately took action. Loading a large number of provisions onto several donkeys, she sent her young men with the donkeys ahead of her and she followed on her own animal, meeting David and his men on the way.

Abigail’s speech was remarkable for its humility. First, Abigail prostrated herself at David’s feet in a position of extreme supplication. Second, Abigail apologized, taking the blame on herself for not having seen David’s messengers so that she could respond appropriately. Abigail did tell David that her husband Nabal was a fool; however, she also advised David to pay no attention to Nabal since his folly accompanied him. Abigail again begged David to forgive her and to leave the innocent members of Nabal’s household alone so that when David became king, he would have nothing with which to reproach himself. Finally, Abigail also asked David to remember her when he became king. Abigail’s humility counteracted Nabal’s greed and arrogance.

APPLICATION:  Have you ever extended yourself for someone else, only to have that person scorn your efforts? David and his men could have ignored Nabal’s shepherds or even have taken some of the sheep and the goats for themselves, but they protected them without asking for any repayment. Even when David sent messengers to Nabal, he sent a very polite message, one that should have met with a generous response. David sent ten young men as a sign of respect for Nabal and also to enable them to bring back any donations Nabal might make. But Nabal lived down to the meaning of his name, “Fool,” speaking as arrogantly and obnoxiously as possible. Ingratitude hurts! And the more you have done for someone else, the more painful it is when they scorn your efforts. David was ready to wipe out Nabal and his entire household; however, Abigail saved them by her humility.

 Abigail succeeded in saving her household because she acted in the opposite spirit to that which Nabal had demonstrated. Satan was trying to use Nabal to tempt David to shed the innocent blood of Nabal’s household, but Abigail was actually speaking for God when she bowed before David and then predicted David’s success as king. Both David and Abigail gained spiritual victories that day.

When we are attacked in any fashion, it is very tempting to strike back as hard and as fast as possible. But if we allow God to guide us, we will be able to act as Abigail did. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 5:43 – 44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You that You will help us so that when we are attacked, we don’t have to respond in kind but may respond in a loving manner. Lord, help all who read this devotional to know Your Love. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 24:1 – 22 “After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.” So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave. So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hands to do with him as you wish.’”

Then David crept up secretly and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”

With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.

After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!”

When Saul looked behind him, David bowed face down in reverence and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’? Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’

See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. See and know that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.

May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you. As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.

Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.”

When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, “Is that your voice, David my son?”

Then Saul wept aloud and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil. And you have shown this day how well you have dealt with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.

Now I know for sure that you will be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. So now, swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s house.”

So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.”

It’s an incredible story! David and his men are hiding in one of the many caves surrounding the spring at En – Gedi while Saul and his men are hunting David. Saul enters the cave “to relieve himself,” to rest or to defecate. While Saul is preoccupied, David sneaks up and quietly cuts off a small piece of Saul’s robe. Even though David’s men are urging him to capture Saul and perhaps even to kill Saul, David refuses. David feels that since Saul is the anointed of God, he (David) must respect that anointing, even if Saul has done wicked things.

Once Saul has left the cave and is safely away, David calls to him, showing the piece of Saul’s robe that he has cut off as an indication of how close Saul has come to destruction. “See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. See and know that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.”

But David also says something in addition. “May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you. As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.

Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the LORD be our judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from your hand.”

Although David has not taken revenge on Saul, David calls on the Lord to judge between the two of them, to deliver David, and to take vengeance on Saul.  Make no mistake! David is not ignoring Saul’s attempts to kill him, nor is David making any excuses for Saul. But David tells Saul that it is God who will settle their matter.

In the past, Saul has prophesied while under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Now once more, Saul prophesies over David. ““You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil. And you have shown this day how well you have dealt with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.

Now I know for sure that you will be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. So now, swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s house.” David gives his oath, and Saul returns home; however, David and his men return to the stronghold. David has witnessed enough of Saul’s scenes of remorse before to be wary of Saul’s promises.

APPLICATION: If someone has been persecuting you and you have them in your power, what will you do? In this day of social media, many of us might be sorely tempted to at least post something embarrassing. If David had had Facebook or Twitter, he might have posted a selfie holding that piece of Saul’s robe. Certainly, David has good reasons to take revenge and few if any reasons to be kind to Saul or to respect him. But Samuel has anointed David, and David recognizes the power and the authority of the anointing on Saul. David is acting out of respect for God as much as for Saul.

David might also be familiar with Deuteronomy 32:35 which says, “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense…” David doesn’t trust Saul at all; however, he trusts God implicitly.

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 5:43 – 45, ^“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

David’s example teaches us that we may safely leave vengeance to God. Jesus was beaten, tortured, humiliated, and dragged through the streets of Jerusalem to be crucified. Yet, while dying on the cross, Jesus begged his heavenly Father to forgive the people who had done these terrible things because they had no idea what they were doing.

Has someone hurt you? Leave vengeance to God! “But,” you ask,” what kind of prayer can I possibly pray for someone who has damaged my health, my family, or my career?” Pray for those people, that they will come to know the One True Living God and that they will serve Him for the rest of their lives. PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, each of us can name people who have deeply hurt us. Guide us to pray the prayers you want prayed over these people. We soak these people in the Blood of Jesus, the Love of Jesus, and the Fire of the Holy Spirit for complete salvation and cleansing from sin. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.   

1 Samuel 23:19 – 29 “Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon? Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hands.”

“May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me. Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”

So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.

Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!” So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth (Rock of Escape.) And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-Gedi.”

This photo shows the strongholds of En – Gedi along with their springs. It was here that David fled after escaping from King Saul once again.

Despite Saul’s erratic behavior, there are still groups in Israel that are trying to curry favor with him by reporting David’s whereabouts. The men of Ziph are the latest informers. Saul makes one of his sweeping dramatic statements about searching David out “among all the clans of Judah.”

There are some tense moments when David and his men are on one side of a mountain while Saul and his men are on the other. Just as it looks as if Saul will catch David, a messenger runs up, informing Saul that the Philistines are raiding again. Saul’s vendetta against David is a private one while protecting Israel from the Philistines is a national problem. Saul has no choice except to break off his pursuit of David and attack the Philistines. In honor of this episode, the people of the area rename the place “Rock of Escape.” David now goes to En – Gedi, close to the Dead Sea, where there are springs of water and where he and his men may hide among the rocks and caves.

APPLICATION: It sounds like a scene from a thriller action movie. David and his men are on one side of the mountain and Saul and his army are on the other. Just as Saul is about to catch up with David, a new threat appears. Saul leaves to attack the Philistine raiders and David quickly takes off for a nearly impregnable stronghold on the banks of the Dead Sea.

The name “En – Gedi” or “Ein – Gedi” means “spring of the kid.” En – Gedi is an oasis on the west shore of the Dead Sea, near Masada and the Qumran caves. At various times, the oasis has held palm trees and even vineyards. Certainly, En – Gedi would be a great hiding place, since there are an almost unlimited number of caves in which to shelter.

While David is in En – Gedi, he writes the verses we now know as Psalm 63.

“1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.

11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.”

Perhaps you can identify with David! You feel that events have pursued you to the point that you have had to find shelter in a “dry and parched land where there is no water.” You are longing for rest and respite. Take heart! The same God who delivered David from King Saul is still on the throne. God’s power is just as great today as it ever was. You must make certain that you are truly suffering for righteousness’ sake and not because of any wrong – doing. Had David not honored God, God would not have delivered David. But because David did honor God, he could sing that he was “in the shadow of God’s wings.” You can also take heart that eventually “the mouths of liars will be silenced.”

Generally, our biggest problem is that we want God to act IMMEDIATELY! Patience is not in our vocabulary.  

We don’t want to be out in this desert! We want instant deliverance. But God used the desert to form David’s character, and He still uses trials to shape us and mold us into His Image. Remember this: David sang to the Lord, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands.” David was sitting in a rocky cave at En – gedi looking out on a broiling landscape when he spoke those words. If we will follow David’s example, we will find that God can transform our desert into His temple.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, there are many people who feel as if they are stuck in a desert permanently. They see no way out and they see no help. Lord, open the eyes of these people to see that Your deliverance is at hand, although it might not look like it at the time. Thank You for Your divine provision. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 23:1 – 18 “Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.” So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?”

And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”

Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”

And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.”

“He will,” said the LORD. So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

“They will,” said the LORD.

Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.

And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.

While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.”

So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.”

The men of Keilah are certainly very foolish! The Philistines are attacking Keilah and looting the threshing floors, leaving no grain behind. If someone does not intervene, the people of Keilah will be starving in a few months, assuming they are not murdered by the Philistines. Moving in the Spirit of God, David goes to Keilah and defeats the Philistines, delivering Keilah. Are the men of Keilah grateful? Are you kidding? Even though David has delivered Keilah from the Philistines, the men of Keilah now seek favor from Saul by plotting to hand David and his men over to Saul.

Having escaped the slaughter of the priests at Nob, Abiathar has brought the ephod with the Urim and Thummim with him. Now David prays and consults the Lord and the Lord advises him to leave Keilah.  David realizes that he and his men are far safer in open country than they are in a town where they can be locked up. David moves his army to Horesh in a wilderness area south of Hebron. The name “Horesh” means a wooded area. Somehow, despite the fact that Saul has elected not to pursue David, Jonathan finds David at Horesh and encourages him. Such encouragement would be incredibly precious, coming at a time when it seems that everything and everyone is against David. Sadly, only part of Jonathan’s prediction will eventually come true; Jonathan will never serve under David; instead, Jonathan will meet his death on the same day as his father Saul.

APPLICATION: CAN YOU TRUST GOD TO PROTECT YOU? For the citizens of Ukraine right now, that question is certainly uppermost in their minds. There are amazing stories of God’s protection coming out of Ukraine; however, there are also stories of destruction as well. Why are some people being spared but not others? Does God play favorites?

If you are familiar with the story of David, Saul, and Jonathan, you know that eventually Saul and Jonathan both die in battle. There is nothing in the story to indicate that Jonathan is wicked; why does he die while David lives?

One of the most difficult questions we face is the question of why good people are allowed to suffer. Edith Schaeffer has written a book entitled Affliction. In that book Mrs. Schaeffer contends that at the end of time, we will see that God’s grace has been sufficient for every occasion. There are those who are miraculously healed, proving that God can heal. There are those who are not healed miraculously or who have to endure other forms of suffering; however, God gives them the grace to endure triumphantly, proving that once again, God’s grace is sufficient for those problems as well. In Ukraine, there are those who have been delivered miraculously and who have made it to other countries. On the other hand, there are those who have died while trying to provide medical services and other forms of humanitarian assistance.

Several years ago, we served in a Catholic hospital with Sister/Dr. Veronica Rackova, a nun from the SSPS sisters. Veronica was a vibrant Christian whose faith and positive outlook was evident to all. Eventually, Veronica wound up in Southern Sudan. Seven years ago this month, Veronica was returning from having sent a patient to a nearby hospital when drunken soldiers decided to target her speeding pickup truck for their entertainment. Sadly, Veronica was badly injured and only lived four days before dying and joining the Lord whom she had served for so long. Veronica was a highly experienced and compassionate doctor; why did she have to die? We don’t know; however, we do know that God’s grace was sufficient for that situation.

Five months ago, we lost one of my brothers with COVID pneumonia. My brother was a loving husband and father, a man of great faith who had taught Bible studies of all kinds for years. At the time my brother died, he was leading online Bible studies regularly and was the mainstay of his aging mother – in – law. We cannot understand why my brother died when he did; however, we can trust that a loving God knows more than we do.

We limit God when we insist that the only form of protection He offers is physical protection. Spiritual protection is far more important; after all, if we turn away from God, we will lose for eternity.

God’s protection and a friend’s encouragement – these are the two themes of this passage. Romans 8:31 tells us, “ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” and Romans 8:37 -39 assures us, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Yes, there are believers suffering and dying in Ukraine and in other places. Yes, dear Dr. Veronica was murdered while helping the defenseless. Yes, my brother died, adding one more number to the COVID statistics. But in all these things, the believers of Ukraine, Dr. Veronica, and my brother have been MORE than conquerors! Their suffering and their deaths have not been in vain! No matter what has happened, nothing has been able to separate them from “the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, why not? Let us pray.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to earth, for living as a man, for dying a cruel death on the cross, and for defeating death and the grave when you rose again. Lord, many of us want to believe, but we have doubts and fears. Cast out those doubts and fears and help us to truly trust you to deliver us out of our sinful messes. Thank you that you are eager to help us. We pray to the praise and glory of your holy Name. Amen.

1 Samuel 22:1 – 23 “So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me.” So, he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold. Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

Soon Saul learned that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with his spear in his hand and all his servants standing around him.

Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with Jesse’s son. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.”

But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with Saul’s servants, answered: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

Then the king sent messengers to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests at Nob. And all of them came to the king. “Listen now, son of Ahitub,” said Saul.

“Here I am, my lord,” he replied.

And Saul asked him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him so that he could rise up against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today.”

Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard who is honored in your house? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.”

But the king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!”

Then the king ordered the guards at his side, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they did not tell me.”

But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.

So, the king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!”

And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the city of the priests, with its men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.

But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David. And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.

Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day, and that he was sure to tell Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father’s house. Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks your life is seeking mine as well. You will be safe with me.”

Saul is steadily becoming worse and worse. When someone in Gath recognizes David, David flees to the cave of Adullam and hides there. Now the same brothers who have previously mocked David join him at the cave, along with the rest of his father’s household. David recognizes that not even his aged parents are safe and sends them to the king of Moab. Evidently, David has had some dealings with this king previously and the king knows David to be an honest, trustworthy, and upright man. Obviously, the king of Moab knows what’s happening with Saul and has little use for him.  

“And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” During Saul’s reign, he has evidently cut a wide swath through the affections of the Israelites and has left misery in his wake. Four hundred men who are “distressed or indebted or discontented” are rallying around David. Samuel has had nothing to do with Saul for some time, and God has withdrawn the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Left to his own devices, Saul has likely reverted to idol worship, and the demons are causing his mental and emotional state to spiral downwards. The thing Saul needs most is to repent; however, this is the last thing Saul is likely to do!

Not trusting the Israelites, Saul now listens to Doeg, his Edomite head shepherd, who tells him about the help the priests at Nob have given David. In a rage, Saul orders that his servants kill all the inhabitants of Nob; however, his servants refuse out of respect for God and for His priests. Saul then sends Doeg, an unbeliever, to annihilate Nob, slaughtering everyone and everything, including all the animals. This is ironic. When God ordered Saul to wipe out all the Ammonites, including their animals, Saul refused to do so. But now Saul is willing to do to the innocent priests and their families what he refused to do to the Ammonites upon the express orders of the Lord of Israel.  

What hold does Doeg have on Saul? Are they worshiping the same pagan deities? Or is Doeg simply an opportunist bent on getting rich from Saul?

One of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, has escaped and now tells David everything. David is in agony! Gentle Ahimelech and all the priests and their families are dead because of helping David. When David went to Nob, he had no idea that Doeg was there and by the time he realized it, Doeg had already witnessed Ahimelech’s actions. All that David can do now is to offer Abiathar his protection, assuring Abiathar that God is helping them.

APPLICATION: LIFE IS NOT FAIR!!! Ahimelech testified that he had inquired of the Lord many times for David before the day that Doeg was in Nob. Ahimelech acted in good faith, not realizing that Saul’s paranoia had reached new lows. Truly, the priests of Nob and their families were martyred by Saul.

Today in many parts of Africa, India, and Asia, Christians are being martyred for their faith. What is so wonderful about Jesus Christ that anyone would be willing to die rather than renounce Him? The priests of Nob worshiped the One True Living God, the God of Israel, the same God who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush and who led the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness, preserving them and multiplying them. Today Christians are willing to die for their faith because they have an eternal hope. There ‘s a reason that those following Christ describe their conversion experience as “being saved.” Those who truly follow Christ know that without Him, there is no hope in their lives, but with Him they have hope and the promise of eternal life.

If you have never experienced the hope that Jesus Christ can bring into your life, then you may be a church member, but you are not a Christian. In John 14:6 Jesus told his disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father, except by me.” When Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, he made the ultimate blood sacrifice for the sins of all who would believe in Him. No amount of good works will earn any of us a place in heaven because all of us are sinners, caught in the web of our sins. Why not step out of the comfort zone of church membership or pseudo – faith garnered from watching on – line media into the reality of faith in Jesus Christ?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, I confess that I am a sinner and that nothing I can do is good enough to pay for my sins. Thank You for dying for me and spilling Your Blood, even though You never sinned. Lord, forgive me and cleanse me. I thank You that You have promised eternal life to all who will believe in You. I turn my life over to You and ask You to help me so that I will follow hard after You all the rest of my life. Amen.

1 Samuel 21:1 – 15 “Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

“The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”

“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”

David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as usual when I set out. And the equipment of the young men is holy, as it is even on common missions, and all the more at this time.” So, the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away. Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief shepherd for Saul.

Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business was urgent.”

The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one.”

And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying:

‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So, he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.

Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me? Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?”  

 

David is really on the run! Jonathan has warned David that Saul is truly out to kill him, no matter what. When David and his men come to the city of Nob, where many of the priests live, they are tired and hungry and have no weapons apart from any slings that they might have carried with them. Ahimelech, the high priest, is terrified when David shows up. Nob isn’t that far away from Jerusalem or Gibeah and Ahimelech may already have heard of Saul’s attempts to kill David. David tells Ahimelech a half – truth, telling him that Saul has sent David on an urgent mission. Well, Saul certainly has given David an urgent reason to travel. If David had remained in Saul’s vicinity, Saul would have killed him! When David asks for bread, Ahimelech gives David and his men the show bread that has already been removed from the tabernacle. Technically, only the priests were supposed to consume that bread; however, Ahimelech sensibly feels that as long as David and his men have abstained from sex for several days, they are ritually clean. Ahimelech also gives David Goliath’s sword. Unfortunately, Saul’s chief shepherd, an Edomite named Doeg, witnesses the entire transaction. Doeg’s only interest is whatever he can get from King Saul.

From Nob, David flees to the Philistine city of Gath where Achish is king; however, the king’s servants immediately recognize David and rat him out to the king. David realizes that he has made a mistake and saves himself by pretending to be mad. Evidently, David’s men have remained outside Gath, hiding somewhere else since David is the main target of Saul’s fury.

APPLICATION: Mark 2:23 – 28 tells the story of how Jesus and his disciples were walking past grain fields on the Sabbath. The disciples began pulling off some of the heads of grain and eating them; however, the Pharisees immediately began criticizing Jesus, accusing his disciples and him of working on the Sabbath. Jesus referred to this story of David and the showbread and concluded that “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is even Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus used the story of the showbread to emphasize the fact that compassion was more important than rules. By the time of Jesus, the Pharisees had developed so many rules regarding the Sabbath that only very wealthy people could afford to follow all of them.

It appears that David is lying to Ahimelech when he tells Ahimelech that Saul has sent David on an urgent mission; however, it is quite possible that Ahimelech realizes exactly what is happening. Certainly, Saul has been behaving strangely and the news has to have traveled throughout Israel. Saul has never really been a friend to priests; he is no believer. But David doesn’t realize that there is someone who can report to Saul until he sees Doeg. David is undoubtedly worried that he has put Ahimelech in a dangerous position; however, by this point, there is nothing he can do except to leave as quickly as possible. David goes to Gath because he figures that is the last place where Saul is likely to search for him.

Ahimelech helps David even though he undoubtedly knows that there is more to the story than David is admitting. As a high priest, Ahimelech would have access to many sources of information. Perhaps Ahimelech even realizes that Saul is after David and that David is a fugitive. But Ahimelech is a believer and follows the laws of Moses. Hospitality is a fundamental virtue in this culture, and Ahimelech gives David what he can, hoping that he will be able to give Saul a suitable answer if Saul shows up; this might well be why Ahimelech appears to believe David’s lies.

Doeg the Edomite is an interesting character. Why is Saul employing a foreigner as his chief shepherd? Has Saul abused his Israelite workers to the point that nobody in Israel wants to work for him? What is Doeg doing in Nob anyway? There’s no indication that Saul has any sheep in that area. Perhaps Saul is using Doeg as a spy and has sent him to Nob, thinking that David might turn up there.

Doing the right thing can sometimes be very perilous. As I am writing this, I am following the posts of a missionary family in Ukraine who are assisting refugees to flee the country. This family has put themselves in a very dangerous position, and it is quite possible that if their town is overrun by the Russians, they may be slaughtered. A Roman centurion was about to set off into a very dangerous area. Someone asked him what he expected to happen. The centurion replied, “It is necessary for me to go. It is not necessary that I return.”

This is Easter time and we are celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus knew full well what awaited him when he went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover; yet, he went. Had Jesus turned around and hidden himself, he might have dodged the crucifixion but mankind would have been eternally damned. Because Jesus chose to willingly lay down his life, all who will believe in him will have eternal life.

How far are you willing to go to fulfill God’s perfect will for your life? If God asks you to do something dangerous to help friends, will you help or will you hide? Will you choose as Jesus did, risking everything? Choose well. You are choosing for eternity.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, protect all those believers who are caring for refugees in dangerous situations. Help those of us who currently live in safety to be willing to help and to even lay down our lives if it becomes necessary. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 20:18 “Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed if your seat is empty. When you have stayed three days, hurry down to the place you hid on the day this trouble began, and remain beside the stone Ezel. I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if I were aiming at a target. Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them,’ then come, because as surely as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away. And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.”

So, David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat. He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty. Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”

But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?”

Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That is why he did not come to the king’s table.”

Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the disgrace of the mother who bore you? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingship shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”

“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?” Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him; so, Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David. Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month, for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him. He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” And as the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So, the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement. Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the boy and said, “Go, take it back to the city.”

When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.

And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD when we said, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.”

It finally has happened! All this time, Jonathan has been trying to convince himself that his father really likes David, but now Jonathan’s eyes are opened. Saul is expecting David to show up for the feast of the New Moon and is already plotting to kill David. You can almost see Saul sitting there fidgeting and cracking his knuckles, obsessing on how he will kill David. But David doesn’t turn up, and when Jonathan makes a perfectly reasonable excuse for David, Saul goes ballistic! Not only does Saul insult Jonathan, but he even attempts to spear Jonathan just as he has attempted to spear David.

Now Jonathan finally realizes that Saul indeed plans to murder David at the first opportunity. The next day, Jonathan fulfills his agreement with David, going out for some informal target practice. Jonathan deliberately tells the small boy who is retrieving his arrows that the arrows are beyond him – the signal Jonathan and David have agreed upon to indicate that Saul is out to kill David. The boy retrieves the arrows and returns to the city, while David and Jonathan hug each other and weep together. David probably weeps more because he realizes that this may be the last time he sees Jonathan and he already knows that eventually he and not Jonathan will become king. David realizes that for him to become king, Saul must die; but now for the first time, David is realizing that Jonathan might die as well. David has moved in the prophetic for years, and not all prophetic insights are pleasant ones.

APPLICATION: What do you do when your cherished beliefs about someone turn out to be false?  Jonathan was a loyal son and he longed for Saul to be a virtuous father. But the longer Saul was king, the further his mental state deteriorated. The day Saul insulted Jonathan’s mother and then threw that spear at him, Jonathan was forced to face a grim reality. It became obvious that Saul didn’t care for Jonathan nearly as much as he cared about remaining in power at all costs.

As children, we accept bizarre situations as normal because we have no frame of reference. It is only as we mature that we reflect and realize that we were in dysfunctional situations without realizing it. David and Jonathan both came from dysfunctional families. After all, David’s father thought so little of him that he sent David out to risk his life defending the family sheep from lions and bears. When Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king, Jesse didn’t even consider David worthy of mention. We don’t know how many other children Saul had apart from Jonathan; however, at one point, Saul was willing to kill Jonathan because Jonathan had eaten some honey at a time when Saul had foolishly insisted that his men fast completely until the end of a battle. Only public outcry saved Jonathan that time. Now when Jonathan was making reasonable excuses for David and asking polite questions, Saul was prepared to kill Jonathan with a spear in front of the entire court. Those stories don’t speak well for either Jesse or for Saul.

King Saul never worshiped the God of Israel; he only went through the motions. In many respects, Saul was a total failure as a father. We know nothing about Jesse; however, from the behavior of David’s brothers, it’s doubtful that David’s family were sincerely faithful to God either. David turned out as well as he did because he spent all that time out in the wilderness, alone with the sheep and God. God was much more important to David as a father than was Jesse.  

What do you do if your father is incompetent, vicious, unconcerned, or absent? No matter which category your father falls into, you are a fatherless child. Psalm 68:5 – 6 tells us “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families…”

Let’s face it, there are NO perfect fathers! Even if your father seems to be a lot better than those of your friends, sooner or later, he will fail because he is human. But we have a Heavenly Father who always loves us and always cares for us, who knows us better than we know ourselves. We do not have to depend on earthly fathers for all our training; we can pray to God, and He will guide us and protect us. “Protect us?” you ask. But what about the Christians all over the world who are being killed for their faith? What kind of protection is that?” That is a worthy question. God has never promised to keep us from all suffering, but He has promised to give us the strength to endure suffering. God will protect us spiritually from evil if we only will ask. And God will help us to become good parents so that we can follow His plans for raising children.

Don’t waste time regretting that your father has failed you. Turn to God, and He will comfort, strengthen, encourage, guide and keep you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, let all those who read these words come to know You, the ultimate Father for whom their hearts long. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 20:1 – 17 “Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?”

“Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!”

But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”

Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.”

So, David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now. If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’ If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions. Therefore, deal faithfully with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?”

“Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?”

Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

“Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.” So, the two of them went out into the field, and Jonathan said, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father. And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion that I may not die, and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts 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 hold David’s enemies accountable.” And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.”

 Jonathan and David are comrades in arms, warriors who recognize each other’s value and who love and respect each other deeply. Although there is no record of Jonathan’s spiritual state, it is likely that Jonathan does worship the Lord of Israel while his father has long since gotten caught up in idol worship.

It is amazing that up to this point, Jonathan still refuses to acknowledge his father’s fear and hatred of David. Saul has already tried to pin David to the wall with his spear at least twice; certainly, the news of that should have gone throughout the palace. Jonathan loves his father and wants to believe that his father is fundamentally a good man; however, Jonathan is enough of a realist to recognize that he might be wrong and that Saul really is out to kill David. Jonathan may also know about Samuel’s having anointed David to be the next king. At any rate, Jonathan makes a covenant with David.

“May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father. And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion that I may not die, and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts 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 hold David’s enemies accountable.” And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.” David honored this covenant for the rest of his life, and when he became king, he sought out Jonathan’s family members and cared for them.

APPLICATION: For centuries, the relationship between Jonathan and David has served as a model of devoted friendship. Not only are these two young men about the same age, but each of them recognizes the other’s sterling character. Jonathan’s description of the covenant indicates the possibility that someone in his household may become one of David’s enemies in the future.

How many of us have friends on whom we can really count? David and Jonathan are swearing loyalty to the death; do any of us have friends who are that devoted? Sadly, in this day and age, many of us have lots of acquaintances but very few real friends on whom we can count. Jonathan’s father was not a friend to either Jonathan or David, and sometimes our family members may also disappoint us.

Where can we turn for encouragement and support? Proverbs 18:24 tells us, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.” But what if you don’t know anybody like that?

There is one man with whom any one of us can be friends, the man Jesus. Jesus was the Son of God and came to earth to live as a sinless man and to die for the sins of all those in the world who would believe in Him. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jonathan and David made a covenant to help and protect each other. Jesus has already carried out His part of the covenant; He has suffered, died, and has been resurrected. But covenants require two parties. What will your response be? Will you accept what Jesus has done for you and allow Him to become your friend?

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for our sins. Lord, we know that by ourselves, nothing we do is good enough to make it into heaven. But we also know that You have made a way for us. Lord, forgive us our sins. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Amen.