1 SAMUEL LESSON 21


     We will begin this lesson in I Samuel 19:1 "And Saul spake to
Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill
David."

     Saul's hate for David had, now, grown into murder. He really
brought all of this on himself, when he sinned so badly that the LORD
removed his blessing, and gave it to David. David and Jonathan had
made a covenant for everlasting friendship. Saul has told the wrong
person by telling his son, Jonathan. He, at first, wanted no
connection to David's death. He wanted the Philistines to do it for
him. Now, he is getting desperate and really does not care how it
happens, he wants David dead.

     I Samuel 19:2 "But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David:
and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee:
now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning,
and abide in a secret [place], and hide thyself:"

     Jonathan's and David's friendship went much deeper than his
loyalty to his dad, in doing this evil thing. Jonathan warns David,
and tells him to hide from the servants, who will be after him.

     I Samuel 19:3 "And I will go out and stand beside my father in
the field where thou [art], and I will commune with my father of thee;
and what I see, that I will tell thee."

     We see, from this, that Jonathan's loyalty is with David. He will
stay close by his father, Saul, and then report back to David what
they are planning, so they will not catch David unaware.

     I Samuel 19:4  "And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his
father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant,
against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because
his works [have been] to thee-ward very good:"

     Jonathan tries to put in a good word for his friend, David. He is
telling the truth, as well. David had never tried to take the kingdom
from Saul. Saul's fears of losing the kingdom have caused him to want
to kill David.

     I Samuel 19:5 "For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the
Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel:
thou sawest [it], and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin
against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?"

     This is a very bold statement to make to Saul in behalf of David.
Jonathan tries to remind Saul of all of the good things David had
done, and to remind Saul that David had done no wrong to him. Jonathan
is endangering his own life to save David. Jonathan goes even further
and tells Saul, to kill David would be shedding innocent blood.  Saul
had been very joyful, when David killed Goliath and saved them all. He
has forgotten all the good David did, and wants him killed for no good
reason.

     I Samuel 19:6 "And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and
Saul sware, [As] the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain."

     Saul listens to what Jonathan has said, and takes an oath that he
will not kill David. Even though Saul sware, with the LORD as witness,
he may not keep his oath. He is not true to his oaths.

     I Samuel 19:7 "And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him
all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in
his presence, as in times past."

     For the moment, everything is fine with Saul. He does allow David
to come back, and live with them. David believes that Saul truly
changed his mind, and will keep his oath.

     I Samuel 19:8  "And there was war again: and David went out, and
fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and
they fled from him."

     It seemed, there was no problem with Saul and David, until David
fought against the Philistines. David won a great victory and killed
many Philistines. It would appear that would make Saul more receptive
to David, but instead, he became very jealous.

     I Samuel 19:9 "And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul,
as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played
with [his] hand."

     Jealousy, hate, and murder are all the same evil spirit. They are
just different steps in the same spirit. He was first jealous of
David, it grew to hate, and now, he has murder in his heart. David is
playing his harp to calm Saul. Saul's response is to grab the javelin
that is near. He wants to kill David.

     I Samuel 19:10 "And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall
with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he
smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that
night."

     David did not try to kill Saul. He jumped out of the way of the
javelin, and it stuck in the wall. David could have taken it and
killed Saul, but he did not want to kill Saul. He ran for safety,
instead.

     I Samuel 19:11 "Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to
watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife
told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou
shalt be slain."

     It appears that, David ran to his own home and his wife, Michal.
She rushes David off, because she knows that Saul's men will be there
at daybreak to kill him. He must get away during the night.

     I Samuel 19:12  "So Michal let David down through a window: and
he went, and fled, and escaped."

     Michal was like Jonathan, she loved David. She helped him get
away, by letting him out a window.

     I Samuel 19:13 "And Michal took an image, and laid [it] in the
bed, and put a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster, and covered
[it] with a cloth."

     This image was in the shape of a man's head and shoulders. Micah
made it look like David was in her bed. She even put goats' hair on
the head to make it look like human hair.

     I Samuel 19:14 "And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she
said, He [is] sick."

     She was stalling for time, to give David enough time to get away.

     I Samuel 19:15 "And Saul sent the messengers [again] to see
David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him."

     Saul did not care that he might be sick. He told the men to just
bring him, bed and all, that he might kill David.

     I Samuel 19:16 "And when the messengers were come in, behold,
[there was] an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' [hair] for
his bolster."

     Michal had helped David have time to get away. She had endangered
herself in doing this. This time she had stalled had given David
several hours head start. Saul had planned for Michal to deceive
David, instead she deceived Saul.

     I Samuel 19:17 "And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived
me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal
answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?"

     About the only answer that would have saved her life was the one
she gave. She tells her father that David threatened to kill her, if
she did not do this.

     I Samuel 19:18  "So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel
to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and
Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth."

     It appears, that David ran to Samuel, because he was the
spiritual leader of the land. Many believe that David had been trained
by Samuel and he ran to him, knowing the respect that the whole nation
had for Samuel. Even Saul would not dare attack Samuel.

     I Samuel 19:19 "And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David [is]
at Naioth in Ramah."

     Naioth was where the students dwelled, when they went to study
under Samuel. This, then, was like a dormitory at Ramah where Samuel
lived. We see that someone saw David running to Samuel, and reported
it to Saul.

     I Samuel 19:20 "And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when
they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing
[as] appointed over them, the spirit of God was upon the messengers of
Saul, and they also prophesied."  I Samuel 19:21 "And when it was told
Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul
sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also."

     It is so beautiful what God can do to someone, who comes to the
place of worship. The messengers from Saul came with evil intent to
David, but when the Spirit of the LORD entered into them, they started
to prophesy themselves, as the prophets had. Three different groups of
messengers came, and the same thing happened to them. God transformed
the messengers.

     I Samuel 19:22 "Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great
well that [is] in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where [are] Samuel and
David? And [one] said, Behold, [they be] at Naioth in Ramah."

     The well was where the people gathered for water. Someone there
would know exactly where Samuel and David were. He inquired, and they
told him where they were.

     I Samuel 19:23 "And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the
spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until
he came to Naioth in Ramah." I Samuel 19:24 "And he stripped off his
clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay
down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, [Is]
Saul also among the prophets?"

     The spirit of God came upon Saul, as well, and he began singing
to the LORD. As he arrived at the place of worship, he stripped all of
his clothes off, and lay naked all night. Saul has thrown his clothes
down in grief, for the great fall he had taken from the time Samuel
had anointed him king. He was momentarily remorseful for the terrible
things he had done. He is regretful of the oath he has now broken
about David. Naked he came into the world. This nakedness shows the
condition of us all, as we stand before the LORD. We will have nothing
to offer but ourselves, stripped of all the things of this world.
Saul's clothing was the clothing of a king on this earth. Before God,
he was naked as a new-born baby.







                        1 Samuel 21 Questions


1.  Who did Saul speak to, and tell them to kill David?
2.  David and Jonathan had made a __________ of everlasting
    friendship.
3.  Who had Saul first wanted to kill David?
4.  What did Jonathan do about this?
5.  Why would Jonathan go and stand by his father?
6.  Jonathan spake ________ of David to Saul.
7.  What reason did Jonathan give Saul for not killing David?
8.  What has caused Saul to want to kill David?
9.  Who had David killed, that none of the other Israelites would even
    try to fight?
10. How did this pleading from Jonathan affect Saul?
11. Why did Jonathan believe Saul?
12. Did David come back with Jonathan?
13. In verse 8, there was war with the Philistines, and David _______
    them.
14. Instead of Saul being proud of the victory against the
    Philistines, it made him ________ David.
15. The evil spirit from the __________ was upon Saul, when he took
    the javelin in his hand.
16. _________, ________, and __________ are all the same evil spirit.
17. What does David do, when Saul tries again to kill him with the
    javelin?
18. When had Saul's messengers planned to kill David?
19. How did Michal help David escape?
20. What did Micah put in her bed to pretend it was David?
21. When the messengers from her father came to get David, what did
    she tell them?
22. What did Saul tell the messengers to do, even if he was sick?
23. What had she put on the head of the image, to make it look like
    human hair?
24. What excuse did Michal give Saul for deceiving him?
25. Where did David flee to?
26. Where did they tell Saul that David was?
27. What happened to the messengers Saul sent to get David?
28. What caused them to prophesy?
29. Where did Saul stop and ask, where David and Samuel were?
30. What happened to Saul, when he arrived where Samuel was with
    David?