First Samuel 19:1

The Bible says in First Samuel 19:1-7, “And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.[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:[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.[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 theeward very good:[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?[6] And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.[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.” Over and over again Saul attempts to find a way to get David killed. Of course, over and over again God protects David because God has a plan for David’s life. One of the benefits of being a believer in Jesus is that we have the same type of protection. As long as God has a plan for my life, I am going to be here in spite of the dangers that life can bring with disease, accident, or violence. But that does not mean that we do not do the practical things to stay safe and to be ready should someone break into our homes with evil intent for example. God uses people. God used Jonathan and his friendship for David to keep David safe. What a friendship it was. Christian friendship should be like that. If you know Jesus, your best friends should be others who know Jesus, not the people of the world. Love the people of the world and be a witness to them, but take the advice of Psalm chapter one, and the advice of Shakespeare in Hamlet: “Those friends thou hast and their adoption tried, grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel. But do not dull thy palm with entertainment of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade.” It says in Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” One reason that David and Jonathan were such good friends is that they were both believers and walking with God. Another reason that they were such good friends is that God brought them together at just the right place and just the right time in their lives. The Lord does the same thing with Christian marriage if young people are wise enough to pray and wait on the Lord for His leading. That is how you get a soulmate: from God.

Christians should be obedient servants and should fit well into the hierarchy into which God has placed them. We are talking about obedience to designated authority. In addition to the manager/worker relationship, two of the most important situations where Christians should show respect and obedience are to their parents and to the leaders of their nation. But there is an exception to this important rule of life: God’s commandments. Saul was both father and king to Jonathan. But God tells the human race: “Thou shalt not murder.” Jonathan was not going to be a part of murder no matter who told him to do it. Therefore, Jonathan was going to do everything he could to protect his friend. In the history of the human race there may have never been a greater friendship than that which existed between Jonathan and David, and we can all learn from it together because God recorded it for us in the Bible. If you want to be used of God, be determined to obey God.

The Bible says in First Samuel 19:8-17, “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.[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.[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.[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.[12] So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.[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.[14] And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.[15] And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.[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.[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?” Verse eight says that “David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.” It is no wonder that David wrote in Psalm 1:2-3 about any person who serves the Lord, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.[3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Everything that David did at this point in his life prospered. But Saul continued to be jealous and full of hate. But this time God used Michal, David’s wife to help him escape from the murderous plans of King Saul. Our God is an amazing God. He has a plan. He uses people. He protects His children as long as He still has use for them in this life. There are a lot of advantages to having Jesus as Savior.

The Bible says in First Samuel 19:18-24, “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.[19] And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.[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.[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.[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.[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.[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?” Once again the Lord protects David. This time God uses the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is everywhere, and the Holy Spirit can touch anyone’s heart at any time, and the Holy Spirit can make anyone say or do whatever the Lord wants them to say or do. The messengers were sent by Saul to arrest David and take David into custody, but the messengers could not do it. Then Saul himself also came to where David was “to Naioth in Ramah.” Saul thought that he would just arrest David himself since his messengers were not able to do it. But Saul was incapacitated by the Spirit just like the others. When God wants something done, it gets done. No human being can prevent it.

The Bible says in First Samuel 20:1-4, “And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?[2] And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.[3] And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.[4] Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.” Of course, David knew that King Saul wanted David dead. Many of the Psalms are written on this theme: David trying to escape from those who wanted to kill him. In this conversation we see that Jonathan just could not believe it at first. Saul was Jonathan’s father. David had become a hero to all of Israel because of defeating Goliath and other victories against the Philistines. Here are the only people that you can truly trust: those who know Jesus as Savior and who are walking in close fellowship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Other than that, you had better beware. Be kind and loving and polite to people, but do not forget what the flesh of man is capable of doing. Do not be naïve. Take precautions. Jesus spoke of this characteristic of human beings in regards to false teachers. Jesus said in Matthew 10:16-20, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.[17] But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;[18] And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.[19] But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.[20] For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” You might find that some of the worst people are in the best places and in the highest of positions. “Beware of men.”

The Bible says in First Samuel 20:5-13, “ And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.[6] If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.[7] If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.[8] Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?[9] And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?[10] Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?[11] And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.[12] And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;[13] The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.” In this passage David realizes that he must stay out of the presence of King Saul because of Saul’s hatred and jealousy toward him, and so David has a plan to go to Bethlehem instead of going to a feast in Saul’s presence. Even though Jonathan still does not quite yet recognize the true attitude of his father, we see a very good quality in Jonathan’s character: loyalty. Jonathan was loyal to his family, loyal to his father, and loyal to his nation as represented by the king. But Jonathan had another loyalty that was greater than these others: loyalty to God and therefore loyalty to what was right. Jonathan was also loyal to his friend, David. As a matter of fact, we see this order to Jonathan’s loyalty: first God, then best friends, then family, then country. You cannot choose family except for your spouse. You are stuck with the family that you are born into, but you can choose your friends. If you are a Christian, make sure your best friends are those who love Jesus.

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