(The previous post covered David's rise to popularity which involved his victory over Goliath and his acquiring 200 Philistine foreskins.)
1 Samuel 19
(Psalm 59 coincides with this chapter.)
1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should slay David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.
(Not only did Saul want to kill David, he tried convincing others to kill him as well.)
2 And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to slay thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
(Jonathan told David that Saul wanted to kill him and asked David to hide.)
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 if I see aught, 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 thee-ward very good:
5 for he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and Jehovah wrought a great victory for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice; wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
(Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul. Jonathan told Saul that David had only done good things towards Saul. Jonathan asked Saul why he would kill David without a just cause?)
6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As Jehovah liveth, he shall not be put to death.
(Saul listened to Jonathan and Saul swore before God that he would not kill David.)
7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as beforetime.
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 before him.
(David was successful in war again. How would Saul respond?)
9 And an evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
(Again, as soon as David did something good (by the Spirit of God?), the evil spirit would torment Saul. Saul responded by trying to kill David again, but David escaped. Saul broke his vow.)
11 And Saul 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 wilt be slain.
12 So Michal let David down through the window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
(Michal helped David. Saul’s own children were helping their father’s enemy.)
13 And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof, and covered it with the clothes.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof.
17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me thus, and let mine enemy go, so that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?
18 Now 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.
(Michal deceived Saul and she lied to him as well by saying that David threatened her: "why should I kill thee?" Saul also deceived Michal. How profitable was this family?
David escaped to Samuel. Naioth was where the school of the prophets was located.)
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 head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
(Saul was so focused on killing David that he sent men to chase after him.)
21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
(The Spirit was so strong among the prophets that everyone who came in contact with the prophets ended up prophesying, including Saul and his men who went to seize David, and everyone knew about it.)
24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?
(This phrase, "Is Saul among the prophets?" was first stated in 1 Samuel 10:10-12. This phrase was an expression of amazement that someone who was unspiritual became very spiritual.)
1 Samuel 20
1 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?
(David wanted to know the cause. David was willing to consider he was wrong, he was humble. He was a man after God's own Heart.)
2 And he said unto him, Far from it; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well that I have found favor in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
(Jonathan told David that he would not die and that if Saul had a plan he would tell it to Jonathan. Regardless, David thought there was just a step between him and death. David seemed to be starting to experience fear.)
4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
5 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 miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of Jehovah with thee: but 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 should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
(David and Jonathan found out how to measure what Saul’s intentions were towards David by watching how Saul responded to David not being at Saul’s table. Was this another example of a fleece like Gideon did in Judges 6?)
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance 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, Jehovah, the God of Israel, be witness: when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?
13 Jehovah do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and Jehovah be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the lovingkindness of Jehovah, that I die not;
15 but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever; no, not when Jehovah hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David's enemies.
(Jonathan made a covenant with David that he would warn David if Saul's response was evil towards David. In exchange, David would make sure that Jonathan's descendants were always cared for. This is all pretty amazing when you consider that, according to culture, Jonathan would have been the next king. Jonathan made it very clear that he was for David as a man and for David as the next king.)
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 Then Jonathan said unto him, To-morrow is the new moon: and thou wilt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
19 And when thou hast stayed three days, thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
(Jonathan began explaining to David how he would communicate Saul’s reaction concerning David being gone.)
21 And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as Jehovah liveth.
22 But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way; for Jehovah hath sent thee away.
23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between thee and me for ever.
(If Jonathan said the arrows were not too far, then David could safely return. If Jonathan said the arrows were too far, then David needed to go away for his own protection.)
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat food.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side: but David's place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spake not anything that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
27 And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem:
(Jonathan told Saul that David went to Beth-lehem.)
29 and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame of thy mother's nakedness?
(Saul was mad at Jonathan. Saul answered "roughly" as David thought he would.)
31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
(Saul told Jonathan that as long as David was alive, Jonathan would not receive the kingdom. Saul was showing his thought process: his focus was on maintaining and growing his power.)
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done?
33 And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan knew that is was determined of his father to put David to death.
(Jonathan responded like David: he asked for the cause. Saul responded to Jonathan like he did to David: Saul threw a javelin at Jonathan. Saul began to see his own son as a threat to Saul's kingdom. If Jonathan was siding with David, Saul would not be able to rationalize or justify his attacks on David to Jonathan.)
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
(Jonathan gave the signal that David needed to leave.)
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
(Jonathan sent the lad away so he could meet with David. They were extremely sad about what was happening: David was treated in a completely unjust manner. David only did that which was good and all he received from Saul was evil. Notice, David not only did not do anything wrong, everything we have read stated David did everything wisely with great faith. David could have raised an army and taken over Israel, even God recognized him as king. David grieved the injustice. Would David's actions change from this point on?)
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
(Jonathan and David parted ways after Jonathan referenced their latest Covenant. This took courage for Jonathan to communicate with David face-to-face. If Saul found out, the rage he felt toward David would be focused on Jonathan again.)
1 Samuel 21
1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.
(Right what: David was by himself. Wrong why: the king sent me. Wrong how: secretly. This story was referenced by Jesus in Matthew 12:5. David deceived Ahimelech. In Matthew 12:4, Jesus stated that it was unlawful for David to eat of the showbread and it was also unlawful for "them that were with him" to eat the showbread. Notice, the narrator of this chapter didn't state David was alone, Ahimelech was the one who concluded that David was alone. However, David alluded to "young men" at the end of verse 2. It appeared David came to the priest by himself, while the rest of the men with David waited somewhere else.)
3 Now therefore what is under thy hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatsoever there is present.
4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day shall their vessels be holy?
6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before Jehovah, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
(Here it looked like the priest thought men were with David and David answered that women had been kept from "us." David (and his men) ate the priest's showbread. The showbread in the tabernacle was always to be fresh. Ahimelech gave David the old showbread. However, this was still against the Law. Leviticus 24:9 stated this about the bread:
"And it shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire by a perpetual statute."
Why was David not punished? Why was he eating the bread?)
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul.
(A man of Edom, Saul's chiefest herdsman, was there while David interacted with Ahimelech. The Edomites came from Esau.)
8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
(David took Goliath's sword.)
10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?
(David was in fear. He fled to the Philistines. Achish knew who David was because Goliath was from Gath.)
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
(David was afraid of Achish, the king of Gath, so he acted crazy. Did the king notice David had Goliath's sword? Did David store it with the men who ate the showbread with him?)
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad; wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15 Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
(David deceived Achish and his men. It seemed Achish believed he already had enough "mad men" in his presence.)
(This post covered David's second Covenant with Jonathan, David leaving Israel, and David's acting in a deceptive manner towards Ahimelech and Achish.)
Day 85
No comments:
Post a Comment