The Battle in the Lord's

8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went out against them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. 10 And David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” 11 And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. 12 And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.

13 And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. 14 And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 15 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 16 And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations. – 1 Chronicles 14:8-17 ESV

Upon hearing word that David had been crowned king of Israel, the Philistines determined to attack him before he could establish his reign and gather strength. During the seven-year span that David ruled over the single tribe of Judah, the Philistines viewed him as no threat. But now that David was king over all 12 tribes of Israel, the Philistines determined to finish what Saul began but failed to finish; they set out to end David’s reign before it could get started.

No timeline is given for this event, but it would appear that the Philistines acted quickly so they could attack David while his new kingdom was in its infancy. At this point in time, Israel was still a loose collective of 12 tribes that operated independently of one another. David had not had time to set up a standing army and had only recently taken possession of Jerusalem from the Jebusites. While David had plans to make Jerusalem his new capital, he had not yet had time to fortify the city.

So, as the Philistine forces gathered in the Valley of Rephaim just west of Jerusalem, David and his men made their way to their stronghold in the land of Judah. We’re not told where this stronghold was but it could have been in the vicinity of the cave of Adullam near Hebron. Some scholars believe David remained in Jerusalem, which is referred to as “the stronghold of Zion” in 1 Chronicles 11:5. While David would eventually make Jerusalem his permanent capital, it is unlikely that it was ready to stand a long and drawn-out siege by the Philistines.

It seems more logical and strategic that David returned to his original stronghold in the wilderness. It would have made sense for him to return to familiar ground and draw the Philistines away from Jerusalem. The Valley of Rephaim was southwest of Jerusalem and closer to Hebron and the border between Israel and the Philistines. But regardless of where David’s stronghold was located, the more pressing matter was his reaction to the Philistine threat. His long-awaited reign over the 12 tribes of Israel had just begun and he was already facing his first test.

The Philistines were a formidable foe and were not to be taken lightly. David was well acquainted with their ways, not only from his previous battles against them but because of the years he and his men had spent living among them. David knew he was in for a fight and was ready to engage the enemy but before a single arrow was shot or a spear was thrown, David sought the counsel of God.

He wanted to know two things: Should he do battle with the Philistines and, if he did, would be successful. David could have easily assumed that war with the Philistines was inevitable and simply marched into battle without seeking any word from God. He could have rationalized that, as the king, doing battle with the enemies of Israel was his duty; it came with the job description. But instead of acting rashly or presumptuously,  David turned to God. He wanted God’s blessing and approval. But more than anything, He wanted God’s help.

David was taking nothing for granted. He knew his ascension to the throne of Israel had been God’s doing, but he had no assurances that a victory over the Philistines was part of the plan. He could have acted presumptuously and assumed that, as king, he had the right to act on God’s behalf without seeking God’s permission. But David was unwilling to take that risk.

This was not a new perspective for David. He had a long-held confidence in the Lord’s ability to provide victory in battle. As a young shepherd boy, David had his very first encounter with the Philistines and declared with confidence that God would give over Goliath, the Philistine champion.

“This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.” – 1 Samuel 17:47-47 ESV

It was David who later expressed in one of his psalms his firm confidence in the Lord.

Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with the saving might of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. – Psalm 20:6-7 ESV

In the chronicles account, God answers David’s request in the affirmative, providing David with permission to engage the enemy and a guarantee of success. With God’s blessing, David took the battle to the Philistines and won his first major victory as the king of Israel. Having routed the enemy and captured their abandoned idols, David could have reveled in his success but, instead, he gave all the credit to God. He named the place of battle Baal-perazim, which literally means, “the Lord of breaking through.” David explains the meaning of the name when he says, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood” (2 Samuel 5:20 ESV).

David could sense God’s role in the victory because it had been so quick and decisive. The God of Israel had not only defeated the Philistine army but had proven His superiority over their false gods. In the aftermath of the battle, David and his men found the discarded idols littering the battlefield. The Philistines’ gods had been worthless because they were lifeless. So, David and his men gathered them up and burned them (1 Chronicles 14:12).

But while the Philistines lost the battle, they refused to give up the war. They regrouped and regathered in the Valley of Rephaim and when David was informed, he sought the counsel of God again. He was unwilling to assume that God’s first directive was still in effect, and his decision to seek God’s will a second time proved to be timely and well worth the effort. This time, God gave David different instructions.

“You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” – 2 Samuel 5:23-24 ESV

As a well-seasoned commander, David could have viewed this plan with incredulity. He could have questioned God’s wisdom and debated the benefits of such a strategy. After all, God’s plan sounds a bit strange. What did God mean by “the sound of marching of the tops of the balsam tree?” What kind of sign was that? How would David know when to attack? What if the plan failed?

But David never raised those questions. He didn’t balk or bicker with God, instead, he simply obeyed and, once again, he handily defeated the Philistines.

So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. – 2 Samuel 5:25 NLT

These two victories were God’s doing. Yes, David and his men had to fight, but it was God who gave them success. David’s naming of the first battleground, “the Lord of breaking through” provides us with insight into his perception of the events of that day. It had been God who had broken through his enemies like a flood. David didn’t boast in the actions of his “mighty men of valor” or attempt to take personal credit for the victory. He gave God the glory, and this pattern would continue throughout David’s life. He would experience other victories just like this one, and with each win over his enemies, his faith and confidence in God increased. His dependence upon God for aid in his battles is reflected in his psalms.

God’s way is perfect.
    All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is a solid rock?
God arms me with strength,
    and he makes my way perfect.
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
    he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
You have given me your shield of victory.
    Your right hand supports me;
    your help has made me great. – Psalm 18:30-35 NLT

Praise the Lord, who is my rock.
    He trains my hands for war
    and gives my fingers skill for battle.
He is my loving ally and my fortress,
    my tower of safety, my rescuer.
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
    He makes the nations submit to me. – Psalm 144:1-2 NLT

David’s breakthroughs were God’s doing and his victories were the direct results of his reliance upon God. But God didn’t win the battles without David; He won them by using David as His preferred agent, His divinely chosen instrument to accomplish His will.

In the same way, God has chosen us as believers in Jesus Christ to act as His agents of change and His spiritual army to bring about His victories on this earth. As Paul reminds us, we are not fighting against flesh and blood.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. – Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT

God has provided us with spiritual armor and equipped us with spiritual power in the form of the Holy Spirit. He has assured us of victory over our enemy but we must fight and do so according to His terms while utilizing His strategies. We must seek God’s will in the battles we face.

As Paul reminds us, we must “pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT). David was victorious because He sought the will of God. He won because God gave him a breakthrough against his enemy. The same thing can be true for us, as long as we turn to God, rely upon Him, and do what He commands us to do.

Attempting to do battle for God, but without permission from God is doomed to failure, no matter how well-intentioned we might be. Fighting the enemies of God in our own strength and according to our own terms will end in loss and disappointment every time.

Centuries later, another king found himself facing a formidable foe on the battlefield. The odds were against him and the outcome seemed certain. But despite the dire circumstances, King Jehoshaphat received a message that would contradict his worst assumptions and guarantee an unexpected outcome.

“Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” – 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 NLT

And all these lessons from history were meant to encourage the returned exiles as they faced the formidable task of rebuilding and repopulating Judah.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Impeccable Timing of God

1 Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.

4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 6 David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. 7 And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. 8 And he built the city all around from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.

10 Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11 This is an account of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

12 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. 14 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.

15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 17 And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 18 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord 19 and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

20 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. 21 He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

22 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 23 And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver's beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.’ 24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. 25 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

26 The mighty men were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth of Harod, Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. – 1 Chronicles 11:1-47 ESV

Chapters 11 and 12 recount the rise of David to the throne of Israel but they appear in reverse chronological order. Chapter 11 tells of the events that took place immediately after Saul’s death. Since Saul son Jonathan had also died in battle against the Philistines, the people of Israel turned to David as his replacement. His years as a fugitive had not diminished his reputation among the people. Ever since his defeat of the Philistine giant, Goliath, David had enjoyed rockstar status in Israel. There was even a song celebrating his exploits.

As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. And as the women danced, they sang out: 

“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” – 1 Samuel 18:6-7 BSB

Chapter 11 records David’s inauguration as king over all Israel. This rather truncated retelling of the story leaves out a lot of pertinent details. In the immediate aftermath of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David was directed by God to return to Hebron, located in the land of Judah about 20 miles south of Jerusalem. 

Afterward David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” The Lord told him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where should I go?” The Lord replied, “To Hebron.” So David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, formerly the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities of Hebron. The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people of Judah. – 2 Samuuel 2:1-4 NLT

At this point, the nation was divided. Saul, who was a Benjamite, was dead. The tribe of Judah chose to replace him with David, one of their own. In the meantime, Saul’s former military commander, Abner, came up with a plan to place Saul’s son Ish-bosheth on the throne.

He appointed him king over Gilead, the Geshurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. Ish Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled two years. However, the people of Judah followed David. David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven-and-a-half years. – 2 Samuel 2:9-11 NLT

David’s rise to power over all of Israel did not come quickly or easily.

…the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker. – 2 Samuel 3:1 NLT

Eventually, Abner saw that the odds were stacked against him and he chose to betray Ish-bosheth and defect to David’s side. Through a series of underhanded and immoral acts, Abner convinced the people of Israel to abandon their allegiance to the house of Saul and anoint David as their king.

Abner advised the elders of Israel, “Previously you were wanting David to be your king. Act now! For the Lord has said to David, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their enemies.’” – 2 Samuel 3:17-18 NLT

That is where chapter 11 picks up the story. But before David was crowned king over all Israel, Abner was killed and Ish-bosheth was assassinated, making David’s ascent to the throne a rocky and somewhat bloody one. Eventually, a contingent of leaders from the other 11 tribes made their way to Hebron to pledge their allegiance and make David their king.

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel. The Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.’”

When all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord. They designated David as king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. – 2 Samuel 5:1-5 NLT

David had been through a lot over the years but now his circumstances were taking a decidedly positive turn. Rather than running for his life, he was being crowned king of Israel. Instead of living the life of a renegade and outlaw, he was being recognized as the legitimate ruler of the kingdom. Suddenly, all his past deeds on behalf of the nation were recalled and the people gladly put him on the throne. He had always been God's choice, but now he was the people's choice. All thoughts of Saul disappeared as they overwhelmingly supported David as their king.

From this point forward, the chronicler begins to focus his attention on the glory years of David's reign. He recounts David's rise to power and his establishment of Jerusalem as his capital. The capture of Jerusalem was going to be critical to Israel's future. It was there that the Temple would be built by David’s son, Solomon. Jerusalem would play a vital role in the history of Israel from this time forward – and continues to do so today. In this chapter, the chronicler also recounts the rise of David's “mighty men” (1 Chronicles 11:26).

This group of valiant warriors had been attracted to David by his courage, military process, and character. They recognized a good leader when they saw one. Most of these men gave their allegiance to David while he was still on the run from Saul. They had rather risk their lives living on the run with David, than serving a less-than-godly leader like Saul. The bravery of these men is clearly outlined for us and it shows the kind of men that David attracted. His leadership and character were magnets attracting men of strength and integrity.

One of the fascinating aspects about the men listed in this chapter is that they were likely the same individuals who showed up at David’s hideout when he began his life as a fugitive. Having faced assassination attempts at the hand of King Saul, David ran for his life and settled in a cave in the wilderness of Adullam.  The book of 1 Samuel describes the arrival of the not-so-mighty men who chose to align themselves with David.

So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s family learned about it, they went down there to him. All those who were in trouble or owed someone money or were discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. He had about 400 men with him. – 1 Samuel 22:1-2 NLT

It was this contingent of debtors, doubters, miscreants, and misfits who later became the mighty men of David. Over time and as a result of the difficult circumstances surrounding David’s life as a fugitive, these men were transformed by God into a fierce and faithful fighting force. The chronicler recounts many of their exploits to illustrate that these were far from ordinary, run-of-the-mill soldiers. They were loyal, brave, trustworthy, and divinely empowered to serve the future king of Israel.

Throughout these verses, the chronicler makes several not-so-subtle references to God's presence. David was who he was, not because of his exploits, not because of his capture of Jerusalem, and not because of the kind of men with whom he associated. David’s identity was directly tied to God’s presence. The Almighty accompanied David throughout his life because, unlike Saul, David shared God's heart. He loved the things God loved. He had a passion for the same things that God held near and dear. David was a man after God’s own heart. Was he perfect? Obviously not. Did he make mistakes? Yes, he made many of them. But he never lost his heart for God, his love for the people of God, and his hatred for the enemies of God.

David loved God and all that God loved, so God remained with Him and prospered Him. What was true of David is true for us today. God longs to bless those who share His heart, who love what He loves, and who pursue what He desires. David's interests were in line with the will of God – not perfectly or constantly – but persistently. He had his moments of failure and faithlessness but when he recognized his sins, he repented and returned to the Lord, and God recognized and rewarded David’s heart of contrition. Psalm 78 summarizes the life of David in just a few verses.

He chose David His servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
from tending the ewes He brought him
to be shepherd of His people Jacob,
of Israel His inheritance.
So David shepherded them with integrity of heart
and guided them with skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 BSB

As long as David put the things of God first, God put David first. God prospered and protected him and, eventually, God promoted him to the highest office in the land. But David occupied this august position with integrity of heart and led his people with skillful hands. He wasn’t in it for himself. He wasn’t out for glory. He truly served as the faithful shepherd over the sheep of God’s pasture. And he couldn't have done it without the presence of God and the help of his mighty men.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Willing to Wait on God

13 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” 16 So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. 17 And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.

18 And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king. 19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” 22 And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.

24 And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there. – 2 Samuel 15:13-29 ESV

It is difficult to read this text and not wonder why David, when he heard the news of Absalom’s coup, simply abandoned the city and refused to put up a fight. What would have caused the king to give up his kingdom so quickly and easily? Was he surrendering or just relocating his seat of government in case Absalom attacked the capital? Many of these questions remain unanswered because the text doesn’t elaborate. When David received the report, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom” (2 Samuel 15:13 ESV), he displayed no surprise; it is as if he had seen it coming. As obtuse as he could be at times, David wasn’t completely oblivious to Absalom’s plans. He also had personal experience with the fickle nature of the people of Israel, who were notorious for their willingness to change horses in midstream. Years earlier, he had witnessed how quickly they switched their allegiance from Saul to him, without batting an eye. Now, he saw it happening again. This time it was his son who had won the hearts of the people. So, David abandoned the capital, perhaps to prevent it from facing destruction in the event of a war.

But David’s words recorded in this passage reflect a certain amount of resignation. It was not as if he viewed this whole affair as a bump in the road. When addressing Ittai, the leader of the men from Gath, David told him, “Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go” (2 Samuel 15:19-20 NLT). Those don’t sound like the words of an optimistic man. He was already referring to Absalom as the king and as if his abdication of the throne was a done deal. David appeared to have no idea where he was going or what he was going to do. The only evidence that he harbored any hope of returning to power was his decision to leave behind ten of his concubines to maintain the palace in his absence. But he had everyone else pack up and leave.

For the second time in his life, David found himself a man on the run. But this time he was not alone; he was accompanied by a host of followers and loyal subjects, including 600 Gittites. These professional soldiers were Philistine warriors who had abandoned their hometown of Gath and chosen to pledge their support to David. Due to the unstable nature of his situation and the fact that they had just recently arrived in Jerusalem, David suggested that they return home. But their leader refused, saying, “I vow by the Lord and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death” (2 Samuel 15:21 NLT).

These Philistine mercenaries refused to abandon David in his time of need and chose to take their chances defending his honor and kingdom. As David and his retinue vacated the city, “Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by” (2 Samuel 15:23 NLT). He still had loyal subjects. Despite the effectiveness of Absalom’s smear campaign against him, some remained committed to David’s cause. Yet, they were brought to tears as they saw their beloved king surrendering his kingdom without a fight. The once-mighty warrior of whom they once sang, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7 ESV), was not only abandoning his throne but was leaving his people to the mercies of his unstable and vengeful son.

As David left, the Levites attempted to bring the Ark of the Covenant along, but David refused to let them do so. He allowed them to offer sacrifices but demanded that the Ark be returned to the city. This act provides additional evidence that David harbored some hope of returning to the city one day but it is accompanied by a certain degree of doubt.

“If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”  – 2 Samuel 15:25-26 NLT

David had no idea what was going to happen. He was operating in the dark, having received no word from God regarding the outcome of these events. As far as David knew, his kingship could be over. Then again, it could be yet another difficult reversal of fortune that God would one day remedy. David was not unfamiliar with these kinds of predicaments. All during his life, he had learned to view his circumstances through the lens of God’s faithfulness. Things didn’t always go as expected, but he knew that God was always there. Time and time again, David had seen God show up at just the right time and in the most unexpected ways. God had a track record of success with David that produced in him a growing sense of reliance. David did not fully understand the why behind Absalom’s actions, but he knew that his return to Jerusalem would have to be God’s will if it was going to happen at all.

David knew that if it was God’s will for Absalom to replace him as king, there was nothing he could do about it. If David had learned anything from his years of running from Saul, it was that all of Saul’s efforts to thwart God’s will had been a royal waste of time. Saul had repeatedly tried to take David’s life but failed every time because God’s will was irrevocable and unstoppable. He had ordained David to be the next king of Israel and there was nothing Saul could do about it. So, David knew that if it was God’s will to make Absalom king, it would be useless to try and stand against it. David was determined to trust God, and if God was through with him, he was willing to accept his fate. Yet, David was also confident that if God wanted to return him to power, there was nothing anyone could do to stop it, including Absalom.

The hearts of the people could be fickle. The nation of Israel was still little more than a shakey confederation of independently-minded tribes, all 12 of which were fiercely self-reliant and focused on their own best interests. Any allegiance they showed the king always took a back seat to their commitment to their clan and community. David’s construction projects in his new capital had done nothing to line their pockets. His relocation of the Ark to Jerusalem had actually angered some. His building of a fancy palace made others jealous. His affair with Bathsheba caused many to doubt his competence to be king.

Absalom had raised serious doubts about David’s leadership capabilities and undermined his reputation as a just and caring king. Even he knew that the tribes of Israel were quick to change sides and seek out their own selfish agendas. But David knew he could trust God. No matter what happened, he knew God was faithful. Yahweh’s will might not always be crystal clear, but His character was always unquestionable. David might not have known what the future held in store, but he had no doubt that God held the future. So, he would trust God.

When God’s will is unclear, it requires that we trust Him. When His plans appear uncertain, it demands that we wait patiently for Him. Jumping to conclusions is never profitable or helpful. Doubting His presence and power is never helpful. David was willing to vacate Jerusalem and wait for God to either speak up or show up. He knew the certainty of his reign was not based on a kingdom, a capital, a crown, or a faithful constituency. His kingship was in God’s hands and he was willing to leave it there.

Life can be filled with dark days and moments of uncertainty, but one thing is always certain: God is in control at all times. He knows what is happening and He also knows how He is going to transform apparent defeat into victory. God has a way of turning tragedy into triumph by displaying His glory amid our greatest times of weakness and need - all for our good and His glory.

The Book of 2 Kings contains a story that accentuates God’s penchant for showing up when He is least expected. The nation of Israel was under attack by the armies of Aram and things were looking bleak. The king of Aram had “sent a great army with many chariots and horses” (2 Kings 6:14 NLT) and their superior forces seemed to spell Israel’s pending doom. In fact, one morning the servant of the prophet Elisha woke up to see “troops, horses, and chariots everywhere” (2 Kings 6:15 NLT), and cried out in dismay, “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” (2 Kings 6:15 NLT).  To which the prophet calmly replied, “Don’t be afraid!…For there are more on our side than on theirs!” (2 Kings 6:16 NLT).

None of this made sense to the petrified servant because, from his vantage point, there were enemy soldiers as far as the eye could see. But Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” (2 Kings 6:16 NLT), and when the servant looked up a second time, “he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire” (2 Kings 6:17 NLT). The servant had his eyes opened and his perspective changed. Where he had once seen only hopelessness and certain defeat, he now saw the power and provision of God. The horses and chariots hadn’t suddenly appeared; they had been there all along, and Elisha knew it. Now his servant could see that they were not alone. God was on their side and they had nothing to fear.

David could not see the future. He wasn’t given a glimpse of unseen forces and the promise of a bright outcome. But he knew that God was in control and completely capable of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. And he was willing to wait for God’s will to be done.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Multiplying Effect of Poor Choices

31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. 32 They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king lamented for Abner, saying,

“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound;
    your feet were not fettered;
as one falls before the wicked
    you have fallen.”

And all the people wept again over him. 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” 36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. 38 And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!” – 2 Samuel 3:31-39 ESV

The actions of David recorded in this chapter are difficult to discern and even harder to defend. On the one hand, he appears as a gracious and forgiving leader who is willing to overlook the sins of Abner for the better good of the nation. A sincere desire to unify the fractured country seems to be the motivating factor behind his behavior, but it all comes across as a bit heavy-handed and unnecessary. David treated the fallen Abner like a national hero, honoring him with an elaborate funeral and ordering a day of mourning in his memory.

But Abner was no saint. This was the man who helped lead a revolt against David and influenced 11 of the tribes of Israel to appoint Ish-bosheth as their king. He even led the Israelite troops in a pitched battle against the forces of David at Gibeon. Abner was anything but a loyal ally or faithful friend to David, yet he was given a funeral fit for a king.

Were David’s actions nothing more than a well-orchestrated and highly visible PR campaign designed to sway public opinion? It’s difficult to say. But there is no indication that David held a memorial for the death of Asahel, the young man that Abner murdered in cold blood. The text simply states that “they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father” (2 Samuel 2:32 ESV). David isn’t even mentioned as having attended Asahel’s funeral in Bethlehem, and this was the brother of Joab, David’s faithful military commander.

One of the most disheartening aspects of this entire scenario is David’s insensitive treatment of his friend and fellow warrior, Joab. Not only did he curse Joab and his family for the unsanctioned execution of Abner, but David also commanded Joab to publicly mourn Abner’s death.

Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” – 2 Samuel 3:32 ESV

What a devastating slap in the face this must have been for the still-grieving Joab. On David’s orders, he was forced to fête the murderer of his own brother. To make matters worse, David publicly humiliated Joab by declaring that Abner’s death was a criminal act.

“Should Abner have died like a fool?
Your hands were not bound,
and your feet were not put into irons.
You fell the way one falls before criminals.” – 2 Samuel 3:33-34 NLT

In essence, he pronounced Abner as guiltless and portrayed him as the innocent victim of premeditated murder. Yet, according to Mosaic Law, Joab had simply fulfilled his role as the blood-avenger. Abner had killed his brother so Joab fulfilled the legal code of lex talionis – the law of retribution in kind.

But David viewed Joab’s actions as impulsive and potentially detrimental to his quest to unify the nation under his leadership. By executing Abner, Joab had jeopardized David’s kingly aspirations. So, he overcompensated and treated Abner like a martyr. He even practiced a self-imposed fast, refusing to eat until sunset. This was evidently a public display that caught the interest of his servants, who urged him to break his fast but David refused, stating, “May God strike me and even kill me if I eat anything before sundown” (2 Samuel 3:35 NLT). Once again, David appears to be putting on a public display to convince the Israelites of his great love for Abner. It was an Oscar-worthy performance designed to sway public opinion in his favor. The text even states, “This pleased the people very much. In fact, everything the king did pleased them! So everyone in Judah and all Israel understood that David was not responsible for Abner’s murder” (2 Samuel 3:36-37 NLT).

David’s ploy worked. Even though his own military commander had been responsible for Abner’s death, David somehow managed to escape responsibility or any form of culpability. He came out smelling like a rose but ensured that Joab and his brother, Abishai, suffered tarnished reputations and the possible threat of divine payback.

“…even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah—Joab and Abishai—are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds.” – 2 Samuel 3:39 NLT

It seems odd that David held so much contempt for Joab and Abishai but failed to view the actions of Abner with suspicion. He posthumously called Abner “a prince and a great man” (2 Samuel 3:38 ESV) but labeled Joab and Abishai as wicked evildoers. These conflicting designations seem out of touch with reality and undeserved. Abner had done nothing to earn David’s respect and Israel’s adulation but neither had Joab done anything worthy of being treated as a common criminal.

Little did David know that his actions would have deadly consequences. His desire to unify the tribes and solidify his monarchy would end up costing Ish-bosheth his life. When Saul took his own life, Abner helped Ish-bosheth ascend to his father’s throne, securing the loyalty of 11 of the 12 tribes of Israel. But when Abner switched his allegiance to David, Ish-bosheth was left without a military commander and in a highly vulnerable position. As the next chapter records, Ish-bosheth became a target for those who wished to win the favor of Israel’s new king. His commander had switched sides leaving him with a precarious hold on his kingdom and a bullseye on his back.

It wouldn’t take long for David’s dream of unifying the nation to become Ish-bosheth’s nightmare. David’s unification-at-all-costs strategy began leaving a long line of bodies in its wake. God had promised him the kingdom but now David was trying to secure it through human means. His alliance with Abner was ill-conceived and less than successful. It led Joab to take matters into his own hands. If David wouldn’t punish Abner, Joab would. When Abner assured David that he could sway the 11 tribes to switch their allegiance, David never considered the implications for Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth. 

He also failed to consider the long-term effects that his curse would have on Joab, Abishai, and their families. In the heat of the moment and fearing the fallout from Joab’s actions, David pronounced a generational curse on one of his dearest friends and trusted military commander.

“May the family of Joab be cursed in every generation with a man who has open sores or leprosy or who walks on crutches or dies by the sword or begs for food!” – 2 Samuel 3:29 NLT

Those are strong words and they must have hit Joab hard. After all, he was David’s nephew and had served at his uncle’s side all during the years of his exile. But with the death of Abner, the friendship of David and Joab would be stretched thin. He remained a commander in David’s army but ultimately lost his respect for his former friend. In time, their relationship would go south and Joab would prove to be a less-than-faithful ally to the king.

David’s reign was being solidified but at what cost? He would soon have the backing of all 12 tribes of Israel but would lose the benefit of his relationship with Joab.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Battle for the Heart

1 There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

2 And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; 3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron. – 2 Samuel 3:1-5 ESV

These five short verses reveal that David was fighting battles on two fronts. The first was the ongoing conflict he faced with the house of Saul. Ish-bosheth remained the recognized king of Israel, having received the endorsement of 11 of the 12 tribes, and Abner continued to serve as his military advisor.

But David faced another formidable foe that would prove far more difficult to defeat than Abner and his puppet king. The sad reality is that David’s second battle front was of his own making and he remained oblivious to its presence and danger. This “man after God’s own heart” had a heart problem. It wasn’t a physiological flaw in his actual heart but a moral weakness in his inner man.

This man, who had been handpicked by God and designated to be the next king of Israel suffered from a debilitating and oftentimes deadly condition that would prove to be far more dangerous than Ish-bosheth, Abner, and the armies of Israel. Despite Saul’s manic and rather obsessive-compulsive behavior, he had proven unsuccessful in eliminating David as a threat to his throne. Now, Saul’s son Ish-bosheth wore the crown and seemed to be blocking David’s path to his God-ordained destiny. But David’s real enemy lurked much closer to home, within his own household, and would prove to be the offspring of his own heart.

But this less-than-flattering fact seems to stand in conflict with God’s glowing assessment of David. Years earlier, God had the prophet Samuel inform the disobedient Saul that his reign would soon be coming to an end.

“But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” – 1 Samuel 13:14 NLT

Centuries later, the apostle Paul, while preaching to the Jews in the synagogue at Antioch, reconfirmed this divine designation of David as a man after His own heart.

“After that, God gave them judges to rule until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.” – Acts 13:20-22 NLT

But this lofty description of David did not mean he was perfect or without sin. Like any other man, David struggled with his own sinful nature. He could be prone to disobedience and doubt, just like anybody else. He had his own unique set of sins with which he struggled. One sin, in particular, is hinted at in verses 2 through 5 of 2 Samuel 3, and it would prove to be a constant source of temptation and testing for him: His love of women.

While David grew stronger in his military position over Abner and the house of Saul, he was literally sowing the seeds of dissent and future discord that would rip his still fledgling kingdom apart. It is important to note that God had made ample preparations for Israel to have a king. In fact, He had preordained it but knew that the people would tend to want the wrong kind of king. So, He provided them with very clear commands:

“You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.

“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.” – Deuteronomy 17:14-117 NLT

Somewhat hidden and overlooked in this divine command is God’s prohibition against polygamy. But God made it crystal clear that His king “must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord.”

Yet, the opening verses of chapter 3 reveal that the man after God’s own heart had a hidden heart problem. Verse 2 states that “sons were born to David at Hebron.” That rather innocent-sounding statement is fraught with unseen baggage that will prove to be an ongoing problem for David. A quick scan of the following verses reveals the invisible pathogen lurking in David’s heart.

These verses reveal that David had four different wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel, Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, and Eglah. Not on this list is Michal, the daughter of Saul and David’s first wife. So effectively, at this early point in his reign, David had no less than five wives and, before he was done, the list would grow to as many as eight.

It doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to determine that David had an inordinate attraction to women, and he tended to act on it. One of his wives was Abigail, who was the widow of Nabal. This God-fearing woman had prevented David from killing her foolish husband, but when God took Nabal’s life, David wasted no time in taking Abigail as his wife.

David could be impulsive, and if we fast-forward to one of the most famous or infamous events in his life, it will become readily apparent that his impulsiveness led him to commit not only adultery but murder. Second Samuel 11 records the story of David and Bathsheba, a less-than-flattering moment in David’s life that would prove to be a personal low point.

At a time when David should have been leading his troops in battle, he determined to remain safely ensconced in his royal palace. One day, while walking on the roof, he saw a woman named Bathsheba bathing on the roof of her own home. Some speculate that this was not the first time David had witnessed this scene; it could have been the very reason he stayed home from battle. But on this occasion, David’s act of voyeurism prompted him to have Bathsheba brought to the palace. What happened next became a permanent blot on David’s record. Their illicit liaison resulted in an unexpected pregnancy but that would not be the worst part of the story.

Bathsheba’s husband, who served as a soldier in David’s army, was off at war, so it was going to be difficult to explain how his wife became pregnant. That’s when David launched an all-out campaign to cover his sin. But his strategy failed and he ultimately resorted to having Bathsheba’s husband murdered. He ordered that this innocent man be exposed to enemy fire on the front lines, thus opening the door for David to take Bathsheba as his wife.

This was not a stellar moment for David but it provides a glimpse into this highly vulnerable area of his life. His love affair with women would prove to be problematic throughout his reign. In fact, a close look at the list of his sons contains the names of Amnon and Absalom. These two brothers born to different mothers would grow up to cause David much pain and suffering. Second Samuel 13 contains the sad story of Amnon’s rape of Tamar, his half-sister. To avenge the rape of his own sister, Absalom orchestrated Amnon’s murder. which resulted in his own exile. He would later return, only to orchestrate the overthrow of his own father’s kingdom.

Verses 1-5 of chapter 3 appear innocent enough but they foreshadow a future filled with brokenness, pain, and suffering. It all began with David’s unwillingness to obey the command of God. This man after God’s heart decided to play fast and loose with God’s revealed will and while David never seemed to allow his many wives to lead him away from his love and worship for God, one of his sons would. Solomon would not only inherit his father’s throne but his addictive tendencies as well. In fact, Solomon would outdo his father in a major way, eventually amassing for himself a staggering harem of 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:1-3). These women, many of whom were from foreign nations and worshiped pagan gods, would eventually cause Solomon to erect their idols throughout his own kingdom – just as God had warned. The book of 1 Kings paints a very bleak picture of the closing days of Solomon’s reign.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. – 1 Kings 11:1-8 ESV

And it all began with David. A little compromise. A giving into the desires of the flesh. A refusal to obey God fully and heed His warning. The long-term ramifications of sin can be devastating. Yes, when David repented of his sin with Bathsheba, he was forgiven by God but the child she bore died in infancy. There are consequences to disobedience. God blessed David’s kingdom, but his many wives would prove to be a constant source of trouble in his life. His battle with the house of Saul would be nothing compared to the spiritual war he would wage as a result of his own sinful nature.

None of this was news to God. He was well aware of David’s strengths and weaknesses. He knew the condition of David’s heart better than David himself, and He was exposing all the flaws so that the man after His own heart might have a heart that beat fast for Him – and nothing else.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
    and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?
But I, the Lord, search all hearts
    and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
    according to what their actions deserve.” – Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Learning to Wait On God’s Will

1 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” – 2 Samuel 2:1-7 ESV

David had waited a long time for this day. He had spent countless months waiting and endured sleepless nights wondering what God’s plan was for his life. The memory of his anointing by the prophet Samuel was distant but always on his mind. What had it meant? Why had God selected him and then allowed him to endure the pain of loss, the ignominy of exile, and a fugitive lifestyle for all those years? David had been hunted like an animal, betrayed by his own people, on two different occasions narrowly escaped death by his own father-in-law, and forced to seek refuge in caves and among the enemies of Israel. But God had not forsaken him or not abandoned His plans for him. While David may not have always understood what God was doing to him, he trusted that God had good things in store for him. His confidence in God can be seen in the psalms he wrote concerning God, many of which were written during the darkest days of his life.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid? – Psalm 27:1 ESV

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
    Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation! – Psalm 27:7-9 ESV

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices! – Psalm 37:5-7 ESV

David had committed his way to the lord. He had trusted in his God; not perfectly and not always peacefully. He had had his moments of doubt and made his fair share of decisions based on fear instead of faith but despite it all, he continued to place his fate in the hands of God. Now God was revealing to David the plans He had made for him so long ago. Long after his initial anointing by Samuel, David was anointed the next king of Judah.

David had arrived in Hebron, a city within the territory of Judah because he had sought God’s counsel. After having received the sad news of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David didn’t jump to conclusions or rush into action. He didn’t assume that, with Saul’s death, he was now de facto king of Israel. Rather than rushing back into the land of Judah to claim his rightful place as king, David waited and turned to God for guidance. He asked, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?,” and when God said, “Go,” David responded, “To which shall I go up?”

David wanted specifics. He demanded details because he had learned that God’s will was not something you played around with. It was dangerous to attempt to do God’s will your own way and it usually didn’t end well. So, David didn’t take any chances. When he arrived in Hebron, a city in the southern portion of Israel near the border with the Philistines, he received a warm welcome from the people of Judah.

There wasn’t a lot of fanfare associated with David’s anointing as king by the people of Judah. There doesn’t appear to have been much pomp and circumstance. It simply says, “And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah” (2 Samuel 2:4 ESV). Much like his initial anointing by Samuel, there is a certain sense of anonymity associated with this event. At this point, only the most southern tribe of Judah, his own tribe, recognized him as king. The rest of the country knew nothing about it. This is reminiscent of what happened after David was anointed by Samuel; he simply returned to the pasture and his job as a shepherd. No one knew anything about it. Now, after being anointed as king by the people of Judah, nothing much seemed to change. He had the backing of one tribe and the other eleven tribes remained unaware that David was even alive.

It’s interesting to note that, as his first official duty as king, David sought to recognize the efforts of the men of Jabesh-gilead for the retrieval and burial of the bodies of Saul and his sons. In a further show of his deep love and respect for Saul, David blessed the men of Jabesh-gilead for their efforts and assured them of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. The citizens of Jabesh-gilead had a special affection for Saul. Not long after his anointing as king of Israel, he had rescued them from the Ammonites who had captured their city. Forty years later, when Saul‘s decapitated body hung on the wall of Beth-shan, the men of Jabesh-gilead undertook a very dangerous journey to retrieve it. David was grateful for what they had done and wanted them to know it. He also wanted to inform them that he had been anointed king of Judah. Jabesh-gilead was on the other side of the Jordan and in the territory belonging to the tribe of Gad. In contacting them and blessing them for what they had done, David was employing diplomacy to unify the nation after their defeat by the Philistines and the fall of their king.

David knew the days ahead would be difficult and long. He would not going to be able to waltz into the land and expect everyone to greet him as their king. Their acceptance of his kingship would need to come in stages. In fact, as the next verses of this chapter will reveal, David’s God-ordained kingship over all of Israel would face an immediate challenge. His work was cut out for him because long-held hostilities between the northern and southern tribes of Israel were going to erupt and men with ulterior motives and alternative plans would make David’s ascension to the throne of Israel difficult and drawn out. Yet, David seemed assured that God’s will would be done, so he was content to do God’s will God’s way, no matter how long it took.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

An Unexpected Response

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said:

19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
    How the mighty have fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath,
    publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
    lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.

21 “You mountains of Gilboa,
    let there be no dew or rain upon you,
    nor fields of offerings!
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
    the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

22 “From the blood of the slain,
    from the fat of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan turned not back,
    and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
    In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles;
    they were stronger than lions.

24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
    who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
    who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

25 “How the mighty have fallen
    in the midst of the battle!

“Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26     I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
    your love to me was extraordinary,
    surpassing the love of women.

27 “How the mighty have fallen,
    and the weapons of war perished!” – 2 Samuel 1:17-27  ESV

What is someone’s normal reaction to the failure or fall of an enemy? It probably isn’t to compose a beautiful poem or song lauding their accomplishments. Most people wouldn’t go out of their way to praise someone who purposefully opposed them and caused great pain and suffering. No, the most likely response would be a sense of relief mixed with a somewhat veiled form of self-satisfaction. Any demonstrations of sorrow and remorse would be little more than outward displays of proper etiquette. For most people, their true response would remain hidden from view. Inside, they would be celebrating what could only be seen as a case of the wicked getting their just desserts.

But it’s amazing to see how David reacted to the death of Saul, a man who had made it his sole mission in life to eradicate David. With single-focused persistence, Saul hunted David like helpless prey, making his life a living hell. On two separate occasions, David spared Saul’s, receiving the king’s guarantee that he would call off his manhunt. But Saul’s words proved empty and his promises unreliable as he continued to treat David with contempt and sought every opportunity to kill him.

But when David heard that Saul was dead, he didn’t rejoice. There were no expressions of relief or prayers of thanksgiving to God for having delivered him from his enemy. No, David mourned. It would be easy to assume that most of David’s sorrow was directed at his friend Jonathan, the son of Saul, who was also killed on the field of battle that day. But this lament won’t allow us to draw that conclusion. David goes out of his way to express his sorrow over the death of Saul, the very one who, on two different occasions, tried to kill him with his own hands. David even praises the life of the one who had sought his death.

For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled;
    the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil. – 2 Samuel 1:21 NLT

The bow of Jonathan was powerful,
    and the sword of Saul did its mighty work.
They shed the blood of their enemies
    and pierced the bodies of mighty heroes. – 2 Samuel 1:22 NLT

How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan! – 2 Samuel 1:23 NLT

O women of Israel, weep for Saul… – 2 Samuel 1:24 NLT

This lament reveals a great deal about David. It was not that David was above seeking vengeance or wishing ill will on his sworn enemies. Psalm 28 reveals that David was capable of calling down the wrath of God on his enemies.

Do not drag me away with the wicked—
    with those who do evil—
those who speak friendly words to their neighbors
    while planning evil in their hearts.
Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!
    Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.
Pay them back for all their evil deeds!
    Give them a taste of what they have done to others.
They care nothing for what the Lord has done
    or for what his hands have made.
So he will tear them down,
    and they will never be rebuilt! – Psalm 28:3-5 NLT

But throughout his ongoing conflict with Saul, David viewed the king as the Lord’s anointed. In David’s mind, Saul was the God-appointed king of Israel and therefore, worthy of honor and respect. To attack Saul would have been to attack God. To dishonor the king would be to disrespect the One who had placed him on the throne in the first place. But there is more here than just respect for a position; David legitimately loved Saul. He viewed him as a father figure.

When David had his first opportunity to take Saul’s life, he referred to him as “father,” assuring him, “May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you” (1 Samuel 24:12 ESV). Later on, in chapter 26, David has a second chance to take Saul’s life, but declines, referring to himself as Saul’s servant and telling him, “Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation” (1 Samuel 26:24 ESV).

David served in Saul’s court and at one time he was the personal armor bearer to the king. He had been at Saul’s side in battle and even in the throne room when Saul did battle with an evil spirit. David would play his lyre to calm Saul’s troubled mind and, as a result, Saul treated David like a son. He even allowed David to marry his daughter. So, despite all that happened between the two men, David experienced no joy at Saul’s death; his heart was broken.

The king was dead. His best friend was gone. The armies of Israel had been defeated. The kingdom was demoralized. And the pagan Philistines were celebrating their victory over the God of Israel. David had no cause for joy. He had no reason to gloat or celebrate the demise of his former adversary. David had learned to see things from God’s perspective and there was no joyful celebration in heaven. God was not reveling in Saul’s death or Israel’s defeat at the hands of the Philistines. He takes no joy in the fall or failure of His people. So, why should we? In fact, the Scriptures make it clear that God doesn’t even rejoice in the death of the wicked.

"Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.” – Ezekiel 18:23 NLT

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.” – Ezekiel 18:32 ESV

“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” – Ezekiel 33:11 NLT

David was a man after God’s own heart. If that phrase means anything, it means that David shared God’s compassion and concern for His people. David may not have liked what Saul had done to him. He may not have enjoyed the suffering he was forced to endure. But he still viewed Saul as the king of Israel and as a son of God. Saul’s death brought David no pleasure because he knew it brought no joy to God. So he mourned, wept, lamented, and celebrated. But David didn’t celebrate his victory over Saul, instead, he celebrated the life and legacy of Saul. He honored the man who had dishonored him. David offered praise for the life of the man who had offered a reward to anyone who would take David’s life. That isn’t exactly a normal response but it is a godly one.

Jesus Himself provided us with a godly response to the presence of wickedness in our lives. And even now, His words go against the grain and press against our normal predisposition. But it gives us the godly reaction to ungodliness and the righteous response to unrighteousness.

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” – Matthew 5:42-48 NLT

Through his actions, David revealed the true character of his heart. He was far from perfect, but he was a man who shared God’s heart and was learning to see things from God’s perspective. Despite Saul’s harsh treatment, David refused to view him as an enemy who got what he deserved but instead, he regarded him as a dear friend who suffered a humiliating death and was worthy of honor. By respecting Saul rather than reviling him, David displayed his faith in God and his reliance upon God’s sovereignty.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Perplexity of God’s Sovereignty

1  After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’” – 2 Samuel 1:1-16  ESV

The Bible is full of irony and this story is a case in point. Saul, having taken his own life by falling on his own sword, was left on the field of battle, his body exposed and unprotected. Still bearing the king’s armor and royal crown, Saul’s corpse would have been easy to spot on a battlefield covered in dead and wounded soldiers. But according to this story, an Amalekite mercenary got to Saul before the Philistines did. He took Saul’s crown and armlet and made his way to Ziklag, having concocted a false version of the events surrounding Saul’s death. He hoped that David would reward him for having killed Saul. But the irony in all of this is that this man, who falsely took credit for Saul’s death and stole his crown and armlet, was an Amalekite.

Early in Saul’s reign, he received a word from the prophet Samuel, ordering him to destroy the Amalekites.

“The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” – 1 Samuel 15:1-3 ESV

Saul complied with God’s command and led the Israelites into battle. But while he successfully defeated the Amalekites, he failed to follow through on all of God’s instructions.

And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. – 1 Samuel 15:7-9 ESV

God commanded the complete annihilation of the Amalekites but Saul decided to take a different path. Not only did he refuse to kill the king of the Amalekites, but he also left a good portion of the people unharmed. The very fact that this Amalekite mercenary was still alive and able to steal the crown of Saul is proof that the command of God had been ignored.

God had commanded the complete destruction of the Amalekites but Saul had refused to comply with God’s wishes. That one act of defiance had long-lasting implications for both Saul and David. It was the Amalekites who raided David’s stronghold in Ziklag and captured all the women and children.

Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. – 1 Samuel 30:1-3 ESV

Obviously, the number of Amalekites spared by Saul was large enough to form a raiding party to attack Ziklag. Not only that, some of the Amalekites were serving as mercenaries in Saul’s army.

That brings up a second point of irony. The Amalekite in this story made his way to David, proudly proclaiming his Amalekite ethnicity, but totally unaware that David had just defeated and plundered his countrymen for having raided his city and captured its inhabitants. In other words, this young Amalekite picked a bad time to show up in David’s camp bragging to have killed the king of Israel.

The fact that the account of chapter one of 2 Samuel differs slightly from that of chapter 31 of 1 Samuel has caused some consternation over the years. But it is not a case of a discrepancy in the Bible; it’s simply the facts related to the events. Chapter 31 of 1 Samuel records what actually happened as it relates to Saul’s death and the aftermath. Nowhere does it mention his crown or armlet. Only his head, decapitated body, and armor were taken by the Philistines. Had they found something as significant as his crown, it would been mentioned. But according to the story in chapter one of 2 Samuel, the crown had been taken by an Amalekite who was plundering the bodies of the fallen. He was not mentioned in the closing chapter of 1 Samuel because it was a record of Saul’s death, not David’s reaction to it. The author reserved the events surrounding the Amalekite and his plundering of Saul’s crown and armlet until later.

The Amalekite mercenary’s arrival in David’s camp and his news of Saul’s death were not received with the joy and gratitude he had imagined.

David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day. – 2 Samuel 1:11-12 NLT

This was not the reaction the young man had hoped for. He knew of Saul’s hatred for David and had heard the rumors about David being the next king of Israel. So, he fully expected that his presentation of Saul’s crown would have elicited a much different response from David. Yet, instead of responding with joy and offering the Amalekite a reward, David went into mourning, weeping over the death of the Lord’s anointed. There was no celebration, no gloating, and no victory dance over Saul’s well-deserved death. The idea that an Amalekite had been the one to take the king’s life was too much for David to handle. Based on the young man’s bold claim, David had him executed – not exactly the reward he had been seeking.

What is interesting to note in this story is God’s sovereign hand at work behind the scenes. These two chapters mark a turning point in the story of David’s life. Between them, we see a transition of power taking place between Saul and David. It’s fascinating to consider that this unsuspecting Amalekite was used by God to bring the crown of Saul and hand it to the man whom God had appointed and anointed to be the next king of Israel. This simple act was meant to be a tangible sign of God’s providential oversight of the entire story. Everything was happening according to God’s sovereign and strategic plan for David’s rise to the throne of Israel.

David’s path to the throne had been a long and arduous one. From the day he had been anointed by Samuel until the moment Saul took his own life, David had experienced a long and pain-filled journey filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, and moments of doubt and despair. David’s faith had been tested. He had been oftentimes confused by the events surrounding his life. He didn’t always understand what was going on or enjoy how God had chosen to direct his life. But he kept trusting. He kept waiting. And while he had been presented with two different opportunities to take Saul’s life, he had refused. In both cases, he considered Saul the Lord’s anointed and was unwilling to raise his hand against him. To the very end, David showed honor and respect for the Lord’s anointed, even mourning the death of the very man who had dedicated years of his life to David’s destruction.

Saul was defeated by the Philistines. He took his own life. An Amalekite plundered the crown from his dead body and claimed responsibility for his death. He expected a reward for his service but instead, David mourned and rewarded the Amalekite with death. Saul’s crown, the symbol of his power, had been handed over to David by an unlikely source and in an unexpected manner. Saul’s short-lived dynasty had come to an abrupt and ignominious end. With his death, the transfer of power had begun. David was poised to become the next king of Israel. God’s hand-picked successor was about to ascend the throne and assume the responsibility of leading the people of Israel on behalf of God. The man who had repeatedly shown honor and respect for the Lord’s anointed was about to become the Lord’s anointed.

Up to this point in the story, every single event and circumstance had been part of God’s sovereign plan for David’s life. The timing was perfect and the events were unfolding just as God had ordained.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Fool On the Hill

1 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon?” 2 So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, 4 David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed come. 5 Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.

6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab's brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” 9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?” 10 And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” 12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them. – 1 Samuel 26:1-12  ESV

Chapter 25 provided us with a brief respite from the ongoing conflict between Saul and David. But chapter 26 picks up where chapter 24 left off. When we last left Saul, he was headed home after his near-death encounter with David. He unknowingly walked right into an ambush, choosing to relieve himself in a cave where David and his men had been hiding. But David spared Saul’s life, choosing instead to confront him face-to-face and assure Saul that he posed no threat to his kingdom. He was not going to lift his hand against Saul. And we’re told that “Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold” (1 Samuel 24:22 ESV).

Chapter 25 introduced us to a new character, Nabal, who displayed all the classic characteristics of a biblical fool and whose unwise actions almost caused the unnecessary deaths of everyone associated with him. But Abigail, his wife, intervened and prevented David from doing something he would long regret. Nabal’s rashness and ungodliness were going to be the death of him – literally. This fool would die a fool’s death. But while David had been able to walk away from Nabal with his integrity intact, he would soon discover another fool in his life who had not gone anywhere.

Saul may have gone home, but he wouldn’t stay there long. While he had shown signs of remorse in his last encounter with David, he had not given up his quest to see David put to death. When the Ziphites betrayed David to Saul a second time (1 Samuel 23:19), informing Saul of his whereabouts, he mustered 3,000 soldiers to hunt him down.

Verse 3 states, “Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon.” Saul’s stubborn refusal to give up the hunt is truly remarkable. His remorse-filled words, spoken to David during their conversation outside the cave, had sounded so sincere.

“You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil.  Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it. Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule.” – 1 Samuel 24:17-20 NLT

But Saul was a fool, and while he didn’t have the unique distinction of being named "fool" like Nabal, he bore all the characteristics. The Hebrew word, nāḇāl actually means “fool” and refers to a particular kind of fool who is overly self-confident and particularly closed-minded. He tends to act as his own god and freely gratifies his own sinful nature. This type of fool is the worst kind and can only be reproved by God Himself. The prophet Isaiah describes this type of fool (nāḇāl):

For fools speak foolishness
    and make evil plans.
They practice ungodliness
    and spread false teachings about the Lord.
They deprive the hungry of food
    and give no water to the thirsty. – Isaiah 32:6 NLT

This brand of fool is typically godless in nature but it’s not that they don’t believe in God, it’s that they act as if God does not exist. This was Saul’s problem. He kept pursuing David even though God had clearly ordained David to be his replacement. Saul refused to accept God’s will and would risk anything and everything in his attempt to circumvent God’s divine authority. He was so busy chasing David, that he had no time to meet the needs of his nation or its citizens. For Saul, David had become an obsession, not just a distraction.

So, Saul and his troops set up camp on the hill of Hachilah. He foolishly thought he was in the right and, that night, he foolishly fell asleep, safely surrounded by his 3,000 well-trained soldiers. But in the dark of night, David and Abishai, his nephew, snuck into the camp and crept right up to Saul as he and his crack troops lay fast asleep.

Samuel makes it clear that their heavy sleep was God’s doing: “a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them” (1 Samuel 26:12 ESV). Once again, David found himself in a tempting situation where his arch-enemy was seemingly handed to him on a silver platter. Even Abishai recognized a golden opportunity when he saw one, begging for permission to put Saul to death right then and there. But David’s response was firm and crystal clear:

“No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!” – 1 Samuel 26:9-11 NLT

David had learned a lot from his encounter with Nabal and Abigail. While the timing seemed perfect and his justification for killing Saul seemed plausible, he knew that God had not given him the green light to take the life of the king. If vengeance was necessary, he would leave it up to God. If Saul was meant to die an untimely death, that was also God’s decision. David refused to make evil plans or practice ungodliness. In other words, he refused to act like a fool. Rather than lower himself to the same level as Nabal or Saul, he chose to do the godly thing. He determined to leave his own destiny and the fate of his enemies in God’s hands. The Book of Proverbs contains a number of verses that provide apt descriptions of David’s actions:

One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
    but a fool is reckless and careless. – Proverbs 14:16 ESV

The anger of the king is a deadly threat;
    the wise will try to appease it. – Proverbs 16:14 NLT

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
    Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. – Proverbs 3:7 NLT

But the Scriptures also provide us with insights into the nature of Saul’s perplexing behavior.

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him. – Proverbs 26:12 ESV

Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark. – Ecclesiastes 2:13-14 NLT

Two men stood on a hill. One was a fool while the other was wise. Both knew God. Both had been appointed and anointed by God. But one was living his life as if God didn’t exist, the quintessential trademark of a fool. The other was confident in and committed to the presence and power of God in his life – regardless of the circumstances.

As this chapter unfolds, the stark contrast between these two men will become increasingly clear. Their lives are inseparably linked, but their fates will radically diverge. The differentiating factor between the two is their faith in God which will produce two distinctly different outcomes: Wisdom and folly.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Waiting For Wisdom Is Wise

18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. 19 And she said to her young men, “Go on before me; behold, I come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 And as she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. 21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good. 22 God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”

23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. 25 Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26 Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. 27 And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. 29 If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 30 And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, 31 my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord working salvation himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.” – 1 Samuel 25:18-31  ESV

In these verses, we are provided with a stark contrast between Nabal and Abigai, and it shows up in their choice of words. When Nabal had first encountered the men sent by David, he responded rashly and rather harshly.

“Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?” – 1 Samuel 25:10-11 ESV

Nabal treated David’s men with disrespect and dishonor and his words were flippant and filled with disdain. All the time his shepherds had tended his flocks in the wilderness of Paran, David and his men had provided them with free protection. One of Nabal’s own shepherds confirmed this fact when he appealed to Abigail to intervene.

“These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep.” – 1 Samuel 25:15-16 NLT

And yet, Nabal refused to acknowledge any of this and treated David with contempt rather than gratitude. In doing so, he demonstrated the characteristics of a biblical fool.

Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. – Ecclesiastes 10:12 ESV

Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;
    they are asking for a beating.

The mouths of fools are their ruin;
    they trap themselves with their lips. – Proverbs 18:6-7 NLT

Now Nabal “the fool” was about to get a beating from David. In fact, David had vowed to wipe out Nabal and every one of his men.

“A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!” – 1 Samuel 25:21-22 NLT

But wiser minds prevailed. Abigail, the wife of Nabal, when apprised of the situation, stepped in and determined to right the wrong her husband had done to David. This was probably not the first time she had been forced to intervene in her husband’s affairs. As his wife, she was well aware of his reputation and had first-hand experience with his serial foolishness. Even when describing her husband to David, she was extremely blunt.

“I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests.” – 1 Samuel 25:25 NLT

But Abigail’s words of reconciliation to David provide the greatest insight into the difference between her and her husband. Unlike Nabal, her words and actions are marked by wisdom and insight. However, her behavior is not the result of superior intelligence. She was obviously a smart woman but, more importantly, she was a godly woman who demonstrated a healthy fear of the Lord. Her wisdom was a byproduct of her relationship with the Almighty.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. – Proverbs 9:10 ESV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding. – Psalm 111:10 ESV

Abigail was wise because she was godly. She feared the Lord and recognized the hand of God at work in the life of David. Somehow, God had provided her with insight into the circumstances surrounding David’s life. While Nabal had seen David as nothing more than a man on the run, a fugitive from justice; Abigail recognized him as the next king of Israel.

“The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles.” – 1 Samuel 25:28 NLT

“When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel,  don’t let this be a blemish on your record. ” – 1 Samuel 25:30-31 NLT

Abigail was not flattering David or stroking his ego in an attempt to get on his good side; she had divine insight from God. She had been given wisdom from God that enabled her to assess the situation and recognize that David was God’s hand-picked successor to Saul and he would not want to do anything that would blemish his future reputation or dishonor the name of God. Her words and actions reveal the timeless truth of the following Proverb.

From a wise mind comes wise speech;
    the words of the wise are persuasive.

Kind words are like honey —
    sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. – Proverbs 16:23-24 NLT

Every aspect of Abigail’s handling of this delicate and dangerous situation displays a divinely inspired understanding of human nature and the keys to the successful mitigation of difficult circumstances. Her provision of food for David’s men and her choice of words for David’s ears were both divinely inspired. One of the most insightful things Abigail did that day was to get David to see things from God’s perspective. She knew David would be upset, and rightfully so. She fully understood how her husband’s foolish actions and words caused David to take offense and she knew he would seek to avenge himself against Nabal.

But Abigail wanted David to consider how God would have him respond. Yet, her actions are not completely selfless or altruistic. She wants to protect her family, servants, and social standing. If David follows through on his vow and wipes out every male in her household, Abigail will be left destitute and homeless. So, she went out of her way to persuade David to reconsider his response to Nabal’s slight. This wise and eloquent woman urged David to view his situation from a different perspective so that he might recognize the hand of God working through her to prevent the unnecessary slaughter of innocent people, an action that would place a permanent blight on David’s reputation.

“When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance.” – 1 Samuel 25:30-31 NLT

It’s impossible to think about this fact and not fast-forward to a future event in David’s life when he failed to heed the words of Abigail. Years later, after David had become the king of Israel, he had an illicit affair with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his soldiers. When she became pregnant with his child, David arranged for her husband, Uriah, to be exposed to enemy fire on the front lines and killed. Uriah’s death allowed David to legally take Bathsheba as his wife. As a result of his unrighteous and unwise actions, David would discover what it was like for his conscience to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed. He would carry the guilt of Uriah’s death and bear the judgment of God for his actions – the death of his infant son born as a result of his adultery with Bathsheba.

David was a man of action who wrestled with impulsiveness. There were times in his life when he allowed his inclination for spontaneity to override his need for self-control and wisdom. His affair with Bathsheba is a perfect example. He saw her and had to have her, and when he allowed his passions to take priority over God’s will, he suffered the consequences. When David sought to escape from Saul and took refuge among the Philistines in Gath, he allowed his impulsive nature to cloud his thinking. Rather than seek the will of God, David took matters into his own hands and found himself in a potentially deadly predicament. This future king of Israel was going to need to learn to seek the will of God before knee-jerk reacting to his circumstances, and his encounter with Abigail would provide some much-needed insight into the way of the wise.

The words of Abigail were wise because they were godly, and they were godly because they came from the mouth of a godly woman. As the chapter unfolds, David will recognize the hand of God in the actions of Abigail. Her words reflect the wisdom of God and will protect the man of God from giving in to his penchant for impulsiveness. God would use this wise woman to accomplish His will in the life of David. The man after God’s own heart would be protected by a woman who displayed God’s own wisdom so that God’s sovereign will might be accomplished.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Heart of the Matter

11 ”See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. 12 May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! 15 May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”

16 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. – 1 Samuel 24:11-22  ESV

Some struggle with the Bible’s references to David being “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). After all, this is the man who committed adultery with Bathsheba, then had her husband killed so he could marry her. He was far from perfect, either morally or spiritually. So why does he deserve to be called a man after God’s own heart?

Today’s passage provides some insight into what God saw in this conflicted and rather complicated young man. Under the worst of conditions and after a great deal of stress and emotional duress, David reveals his true heart, providing a stark contrast to the man who served as his king, employer, mentor, and potential executioner.

David has just passed on the opportunity to take Saul’s life. He had the motive, the means, and the full support of his men but he refused to act, telling his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him” (1 Samuel 24:6 NLT). Instead of taking Saul’s life in the inner recesses of that cave, he allowed Saul to walk out with his life, but missing a small section of the hem of his royal robe.

When Saul stepped out of the cave and into the light of day, David followed and confronted him. He called out to Saul, addressing him as “My lord the king!” (1 Samuel 24:8 ESV). David didn’t taunt Saul or issue threats; he showed the king honor and respect. There was no screaming, no angry accusations, no claims to be holding the moral high ground. All David wanted to do was to assure Saul that he had nothing to fear. David was not attempting to usurp his throne or take his life. He was still a loyal servant of the king and recognized Saul as the Lord’s anointed (vs. 10).

David started out his address to Saul by referring to him as king. But then he shifted his emphasis, calling Saul, “father” (vs. 11). David was Saul’s son-in-law, but he also viewed Saul as his mentor. He had been Saul’s armor bearer and court musician. He had lived in the palace, served at the king’s side, and ministered to Saul in some of his most dark and lonely moments, playing his lyre to calm Saul’s tormented heart. David had proven to be faithful, serving as one of Saul’s commanders and successfully defeating the enemies of Israel – even while on the run.

He had faithfully continued to serve the king, even while Saul obsessively sought to kill him. So David told Saul, “May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you” (1 Samuel 24:12 ESV). This is probably the most vivid explanation for David’s designation as a man after God’s own heart. Despite all he had been through and the countless reasons to justify his right to take action against Saul, he responded with self-restraint, focusing his attention on God, rather than Saul. At no point does he judge or accuse Saul. David even gave Saul the benefit of the doubt, excusing his actions as nothing more than the result of bad advice. David was going to leave any vengeance and judgment up to God. As far as David was concerned, If there was any avenging to be done, he would leave that in God’s hands. David was going to trust God.

The heart of David is best seen in the many psalms he wrote. Psalm 57 was written during some of the most difficult days of his life, as he sought to escape Saul’s wrath and found himself living the life of a common criminal. His fall from grace had been surprising and severe. In record time, he had gone from living in the royal residence as the king’s son-in-law to hiding in caves as the king’s number-one enemy. Yet, despite his less-than-ideal circumstances, David remained committed to God and looked to Him for help and hope.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
    I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
    until the danger passes by.
I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
    disgracing those who hound me.
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness. – Psalm 57:1-3 NLT

Psalm 142 was also written during the same period of David’s life and reflects the intense loneliness and despair he felt as he wrestled with the inexplicable actions of his father-in-law. David was surrounded by friends and faithful followers, but he couldn’t help but feel isolated and alone. He was the focus of Saul’s anger and vengeance but was also expected to be the provider and protector of all those under his care. In his moments of doubt and desperation, David turned to God.

I look for someone to come and help me,
    but no one gives me a passing thought!
No one will help me;
    no one cares a bit what happens to me.
Then I pray to you, O Lord.
    I say, “You are my place of refuge.
    You are all I really want in life.” – Psalm 142:4-5 NLT

David had a heart for God. He sought after God. He trusted in God. During his darkest days, he called out to God, seeking divine deliverance and direction.

As the two men stood outside the cave, David tried to convince Saul that his relentless manhunt was unnecessary. As far as David was concerned, Saul was the king and would remain so until God deemed otherwise. So, he had nothing to fear.

Amazingly, David’s words made an impact on Saul; he was legitimately moved by what he heard. Even he saw the stark contrast between his heart and that of David. Perhaps Saul was affected by the words of the ancient proverb that David quoted: “Out of the wicked comes wickedness.”

This simple truism must have given Saul a sobering glimpse into the darkness of his own heart. He knew what he was doing was wrong. The prophet Samuel had already warned him that his days were numbered. It was only a matter of time before his reign came to an end and his God-ordained replacement took over, and Saul knew the identity of that man. His obsession with killing David was nothing more than an attempt to thwart the will of God and prolong his reign. His actions were a byproduct of his wicked heart.

Many years later, Solomon, the son of David, would record the following proverb: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23 ESV). Jesus echoed those words when He told His disciples, “…what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:18-20 ESV).

As David stood before Saul that day, he provided him with a less-than-flattering reminder of all that he had become. David served as a stark counterpoint to Saul’s godlessness, heartlessness, faithlessness, and self-centeredness. As these two men faced one another, Saul couldn’t help but recognize the contrast between them and responded, “You are more innocent than I, for you have treated me well, even though I have tried to harm you” (1 Samuel 24:17 NLT).

These two men, one the anointed king of Israel and the other, the anointed king-elect of Israel, could not have been more different. But the greatest contrast between the two of them was not external, but internal. It was the spiritual condition of their hearts that set them apart. David was committed to seeing his life through the lens of God’s sovereignty. He was going to trust in God’s will and leave his life in God’s all-powerful hands.

Saul was committed to preserving his own legacy, at all costs – even attempting to thwart the revealed will of God. He was a man after his own heart, not God’s. He was self-consumed and overly obsessed with doing whatever he had to do to protect his way of life. As he stood there that day, in a face-to-face encounter with David, he got a glimpse into the true condition of his heart. He was convicted. He even showed remorse and feigned repentance. Confronted by the character of David, Saul walked away but his heart remained unchanged.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus leveled an indictment against the false prophets of His day. He accused these men of being hypocritical and duplicitous and warned His disciples to ignore their words and take careful note of their actions. Jesus’ timeless admonition could just as easily be applied to the situation between Saul and David.

“You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” – Matthew 7:16-20 NLT

David’s actions revealed the true nature of his heart. He was committed to doing what was right and was willing to honor the king even if it meant further suffering and heartache for himself. He had not been given permission to take Saul’s life. Even when faced with the opportunity to kill Saul in the cave, David acted in keeping with his heart.

Yet, as time will tell, Saul’s outward display of remorse and repentance will prove shortlived. His heart had been exposed as what it really was: Dark, diseased, and devoid of a healthy relationship with God. But seeing the true condition of his heart would not be enough to change his behavior. He would soon provide ample proof that the words of Jesus were true. A bad tree can’t produce good fruit.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Rejected Savior

1 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will surrender you.” 13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand. – 1 Samuel 23:1-14  ESV

There are many ways in which David was a type of Christ, providing a foreshadowing of the Messiah who was to come. Jesus would be a descendant of David and would be born in the city of Bethlehem, just as David had been. David had been a shepherd and Jesus referred to Himself as “the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11) who lays down his life for the sheep. Like David, Jesus had been the king-elect, sent by God to become the King of kings and Lord of lords. But also like David, He would experience a time of waiting, in which He would minister on behalf of the people of Israel, but not necessarily receive their full appreciation for His efforts.

In this passage, David, though pursued by his enemy, Saul, would continue to fight against the Philistines. He was on the run and living in hiding with his rag-tag group of malcontents and misfits, but he had not given up his desire to destroy the enemies of Israel. Jesus too, lived his life as a man without a home, with no place to even lay His head (Luke 9:58). He was surrounded by a motley crew of fishermen, tax collectors, and other less-than-impressive individuals. Jesus was constantly pursued by his enemies, the Pharisees and Sadducees. Ultimately, both David and Jesus were fighting the same unseen enemy, Satan, whose every desire was to cut short their rule and reign and to thwart the plan of God. Even the people of Israel, who greatly benefited from the efforts of both men would, in many ways, turn their backs on them. David would rescue the people of Keilah, only to learn that they would betray him to Saul if given the chance. Jesus would offer the people of Israel salvation from death and freedom from sin, but the majority would turn their backs on Him, rejecting Him as their Messiah, preferring the darkness of their lives over the light of life He offered to them (John 3:19).

David, like Jesus, was faithful to God. He still considered himself a servant of God and was willing to fight the enemies of God even while living on the run from Saul. When David received word that the Philistines were harassing the inhabitants of the Israelite city of Keilah and robbing their threshing floors, he immediately determined to do something about it, but not before he sought the will of God. David had learned some valuable lessons from his decision to flee to Gath and then deceive the priests at Nob. The first one had almost cost him his life. The second one resulted in the slaughter of hundreds of innocent people. In neither case had he sought out the will of God, so this time he did, and God answered. David and his growing band of men went to Keilah, attacked the Philistines, and “struck them with a great blow” (1 Samuel 23:5 ESV). They saved the inhabitants of the town.

But news of David’s good deed made its way to Saul, who saw this as just another opportunity to trap David and destroy him. He was not grateful for David’s help against the enemies of Israel. He refused to view David as an ally, but instead, continued to consider him a threat and an enemy to his way of life.

In the same way, the Pharisees refused to see Jesus as a fellow minister to the people of Israel. He was a threat to the status quo and they were jealous of His growing popularity. They refused to see His miracles and victories over demons and diseases as having come from God. As far as they were concerned, He was the enemy and they were willing to do anything to get rid of Him.

Saul, true to form, made his way to Keilah with a large force to take David, and he was willing to destroy the city and everyone in it if necessary, just to get his hands on David. But David was well acquainted with Saul’s unbridled hatred for him and knew that he would most likely show up at Keilah. So David sought the will of God once more. This time he used the Urim and Thummim.

{The Urim and Thummim were a means of revelation entrusted to the high priest. No description of them is given. The Urim and Thummim were used at critical moments in the history of God's people when special divine guidance was needed. The civil leader was expected to make use of this means for all important matters for which he needed direction.” – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

The book of Exodus provides further details.

Insert the Urim and ThΩummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord. – Exodus 28:30 NLT

These were evidently two stones that were placed in the pocket of the high priest’s ephod. It is thought that one was light in color and the other was dark. When a decision was necessary, each stone was assigned a different answer or opposing outcome. Whichever one was pulled out was believed to be a divine answer from God. We are told that Abiathar, the only priest to have escaped the slaughter at Nob, had brought along the high priest’s ephod, and now David determined to use the Urim and Thummim to ascertain God’s insights and direction. David wanted to know if Saul was coming and if the people of Keilah would betray him to Saul. God affirmed both questions, so David and his men left Keilah and “went wherever they could go” (1 Samuel 23:13 ESV).

David would return to the caves, but he was far from alone. His entourage had grown to more than 600 men. But more importantly, He was accompanied by God. Even though Saul “sought him every day,” God was with Him and “did not give him into his hand” (1 Samuel 23:14 ESV). The people of Keilah had rejected David as their savior and his deliverance of them was not enough to forestall his betrayal by them. But David had not been rejected by God.

The same thing is true of Jesus. In John’s gospel, we read the sobering words, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11 ESV). David would continue to experience rejection by his own people. He would find himself under constant threat from Saul but would remain faithful to God and committed to his cause to stand against the enemies of Israel. He would suffer greatly, but his suffering would eventually lead to his exaltation as the king of Israel. Jesus too, would suffer, even to the point of death, but as the apostle Paul reminds us:

…he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:8-11 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The God-less Life

6 Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7 And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, 8 that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” 9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, 10 and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” – 1 Samuel 22:6-13  ESV

These verses provide a stark contrast between Saul and David. While David was in a cave surrounded by misfits and malcontents, Saul was sitting under the shade of a tree surrounded by his servants and soldiers. The contrast doesn’t stop there. David provided protection for his family by sending them to the king of Moab for refuge. Yet Saul was busy accusing his own son of treason and of conspiring with David to kill him. David was surrounded by men who were willing to die for him. Saul was surrounded by men who feared him and some had even abandoned him to follow after David. But the greatest contrast between these two men was their relationships with God.

David received a prophetic word from God that told him to leave the Cave of Adullam and return to Judah. But Saul had received no word from God. In fact, he had no relationship with God at all. God had removed His Spirit from him, leaving Saul completely on his own and by all accounts, God-less. The result was a growing paranoia. He truly believed everyone was against him. He thought his own children had betrayed him. He viewed his servants suspiciously and feared their disloyalty. No one could be trusted, and his paranoia led to a heavy dose of self-pity. He felt all alone and accused his servants of being compassionless traitors.

“Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army? Is that why you have conspired against me?” – 1 Samuel 22:7-8 NLT

“You’re not even sorry for me.” – 1 Samuel 22:8 NLT

Saul even accused Ahimelech the priest of treason, seeing his actions to help David as a personal attack against him.

“Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?” – 1 Samuel 22:13 NLT

Without God in his life, Saul was susceptible to all kinds of irrational and unrighteous thinking. His capacity to mentally process the circumstances of his life was greatly hindered by his lack of God’s presence. He had become a fool, lacking reason and the capacity for rational thought. He wasn’t even able to process the fact that all of this was the outcome of the prophet’s warning that God was removing His hand from Saul’s life and giving his kingdom to another. Saul was in a state of denial and suffering from delusion, believing that he could somehow prevent the inevitable and stay the sovereign hand of God. But his unwillingness to accept the will of God would simply cause him to sin against God, committing greater and greater transgressions, all in a hopeless attempt at self-preservation.

Standing among Saul’s servants that day was Doeg the Edomite. This keeper of the flocks of Saul had hurried back from Nob eager to share his incriminating news about David. In an attempt to win favor with his employer, Doeg disclosed all that he had witnessed. When Saul heard this report, he immediately sent for Ahimelech, his family, and all the priests who served alongside him at Nob. If Ahimelech had been scared when David showed up in Nob (1 Samuel 21:1), he must have been petrified at the news of a summons from the king, and any fears he had would have been justified.

Saul was a man possessed, both figuratively and literally. He was constantly beset by a “harmful spirit,” the result of God’s removal of the Holy Spirit from his life. Without the influence of God’s Spirit, Saul’s reasoning was impaired. He became self-absorbed and suspicious of everyone and everything. Over time, he would become man-obsessed, unable to think of anything other than the destruction of David. Essentially, he would no longer perform his role as the king of Israel; his entire life would be focused on David’s death. His kingship, the very thing he was trying to protect, would get lost in his obsessive-compulsive quest to kill off the competition. Sadly, Saul would be unable to enjoy the benefits of being king because he lived in constant fear of being replaced as king.

One of the sad realities of godlessness is that it always results in joylessness, discontentment, fear, jealousy, and anger. The apostle Paul outlines the characteristics or “deeds” of a godless or flesh-based life in his letter to the Galatians.

…sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. – Galatians 5:20-21 NLT

Saul was miserable, not because he was losing his kingdom, but because he had lost his relationship with God. His unhappiness, paranoia, self-pity, and misguided attempts at self-preservation were driven by his lack of a relationship with God. His decision-making was totally flesh-based, driven by his own sinful nature and devoid of any divine wisdom. He had lost his capacity to see things from God’s perspective; everything had become all about him. He was no longer concerned about the good of Israel or the honor of God’s name. His only thoughts were for himself.

The life of the godless is not a pretty picture. The truly sad thing is that even those who have a relationship with Christ can end up living godless lives, refusing to seek His will, listen to His Word, or heed His direction. Rather than living God-centered, God-directed lives, they become self-absorbed and susceptible to the flawed input of their own sinful natures and the lies of the Enemy. While the Spirit of God never leaves them, they quench and grieve the Spirit through disobedience and willful, unrepentant sin. Rather than enjoying the fruit of the Spirit and the joys of sanctification, they become obsessed with self-preservation and paranoid about protecting their own earthly “kingdom.”

Jesus gave an insightful contrast between Satan’s objective and His own.

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” – John 10:10 NLT

Satan had deceived Saul, convincing him that joy could be found in pursuing and eliminating David. Saul had grown used to being king and enjoyed all the trappings of power, possessions, and prominence that came with the position. He viewed David as a threat to his preferred lifestyle and was willing to do anything to kill the Lord’s anointed. Yet, he was nothing more than a hapless pawn in the hand of Satan. There would be no joy in his future. He would never experience a rich and satisfying life. The Enemy had convinced Saul that standing against the will of God was not only possible but preferable. Despite the words of God’s prophet, Saul believed he could retain his crown and continue his control over the nation of Israel. But even with Satan’s assistance, Saul would find his will was no match for that of God.

The lesson from Saul’s life is timeless and provides a powerful reminder of how easy it is to fall prey to the Enemy’s tactics. He is still out to steal, kill, and destroy, and the primary focus of his efforts is the people of God. Just hours before His death, Jesus warned Peter,  “Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail” (Luke 22:31-32 NLT).

Peter provided a stern warning about the destructive nature of Satan’s actions.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8 NLT

Paul also warned against the Enemy’s relentless assault on God’s children.

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  – Ephesians 6:11-12 NLT

Satan is constantly attempting to deceive the children of God, tempting them to believe that their way is preferable to God’s way. But our way is the way of the flesh, and it eventually robs us of joy, kills our capacity to love, and destroys any hope of having a rich and satisfying life. Satan offers what he cannot give. Jesus promises what He died to make possible. The Godless life is a paranoid, self-pitying, joyless life. But the godly life brings joy amid sorrow, peace in the middle of the storm, hope when all looks hopeless, contentment in the face of loss, and strength despite our own weakness. 

Saul would never experience a rich and satisfying life by listening to the lies of the Enemy. His relentless pursuit of David would rob him of peace, joy, contentment, satisfaction, and any hope of ever experiencing the favor of God again. His life would be filled with misery and sorrow but so would David’s. Yet, because of his relationship with God, David would be able to say, “He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.  Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalm 23:3-4 NLT).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Suffer the Fool

16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord take vengeance on David’s enemies.” 17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap. 20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21 And behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then you are to come, for, as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away. 23 And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.”

24 So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25 The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David’s place was empty.’

26 Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.” 27 But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”

30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.” 32 Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. 34 And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him. – 1 Samuel 20:16-34 ESV

David and Jonathan had come up with a plan. David would purposefully miss the feast of the new moon, knowing that his absence would be noticed by Saul. When Saul inquired of Jonathan where David was, he was to tell his father that David had gone home to celebrate the feast with his family in Bethlehem. If Saul accepted this news without incident, David would know it was safe to return home. But if Saul became angry and flew off the handle, Jonathan was to secretly inform David so that he could escape.

When the fateful day came and David was not at his place for the feast, Saul missed him but assumed that something had come up. But by the second day, Saul became suspicious and asked Jonathan for an explanation. What he heard infuriated him and he accused his son of trying to pull a fast one by conspiring with David against him. Saul lashed out in anger at the perceived betrayal of his own son, using X-rated language to convey his disappointment.

“Saul, now incensed and enraged over Jonathan’s liaison with David, is actually hurling very coarse and emotionally charged words at his son. The translation of this phrase suggested by Koehler and Baumgartner is ‘bastard of a wayward woman’ (HALOT 796 s.v. עוה), but this is not an expression commonly used in English. A better English approximation of the sentiments expressed here by the Hebrew phrase would be ‘You stupid son of a bitch!’” – NET Bible study notes

Saul is beside himself with rage. His own son has taken sides with someone he sees as an enemy and a threat to his throne. Saul even reminds Jonathan that his actions will keep him from inheriting the kingship.

“As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!” – 1 Samuel 20:31 NLT

Saul’s anger is uncontrollable and he fails to recognize that his efforts to kill David are in direct opposition to the words spoken by Samuel the prophet. He knows his reign is coming to an end and his replacement has already been chosen by God.

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” – 1 Samuel 13:13-14 ESV

And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” – 1 Samuel 15:26 ESV

But Saul stubbornly refused to accept his fate. He somehow believed that he could hold onto his throne despite God’s statements to the contrary. In a blatant display of obstinance and self-preservation, Saul refuses to repent and accept God’s just and righteous punishment for his past sins. As Saul has done before, he displays a habit of shifting blame and denying culpability.

Early on in his reign, Saul had received instructions to wait seven days for Samuel to join him. At that time, the prophet would offer sacrifices to God. But Saul became impatient and took it upon himself to play the part of both priest and king. When confronted by Samuel for offering a burnt offering on his own, rather than waiting on the prophet as he had been instructed, Saul simply offered up excuses:

“Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” – 1 Samuel 13:12 ESV

He claims to have forced himself to do what he did. He didn’t want to do it, but he had no other choice. But Saul knew his behavior was unacceptable to God. As a Jew, he knew that only a priest was authorized to offer sacrifices to God. Yet Saul, impatient and impulsive, took matters into his own hands and decided to do things his way.

On another occasion, when Saul had been instructed by God to wipe out all the Amalekites, he again chose to do things his own way. The text tells us, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction” (1 Samuel 15:9 ESV). When Samuel confronted him about his disobedience, he simply responded, “the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction” (1 Samuel 15:15 ESV). Rather than confessing his sin, he blamed the people. It wasn’t his fault.

Saul never found repentance easy. He struggled to accept responsibility for his own sinfulness and had difficulty accepting God’s decision to remove him from the throne for his repeated disobedience. It’s as if he believed he could get around God’s plan to replace him and remain on the throne by sheer willpower. Saul was the quintessential fool with all the attributes outlined in the book of Proverbs.

Fools think their own way is right… – Proverbs 12:15 NLT

The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
    the heart of a fool is worthless. – Proverbs 10:20 NLT

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
   fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7 ESV

For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them. – Proverbs 1:32 ESV

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
    but a wise man listens to advice. – Proverbs. 12:15 ESV

A prudent man conceals knowledge,
    but the heart of fools proclaims folly. – Proverbs 12:23 ESV

Saul was foolish to think he could escape the inevitable judgment of God. He was foolish to think he could defeat the man who had been chosen by God as his replacement. He was foolish to believe that his disobedience to God would not have consequences or that the divine will of God could somehow be circumvented. In fact, Saul lived as if there was no God, a hallmark of the foolish lifestyle.

David himself would later write, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!” (Psalm 14:1 NLT). Saul’s actions revealed his foolish assumption that God was either impotent or irrelevant. He was going to do what he wanted to do – as if God didn’t even exist. His stubbornness would ultimately be the end of him but not before he spent the next years of his life foolishly shaking his fist in the face of the Almighty. He wrongly believed that his wisdom was greater than that of God. But he would be proven wrong, as fools always are.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Divine Delay Begins

1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” 2 And he said to him, “Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so.” 3 But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” 4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” 5 David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening. 6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.’ 7 If he says, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him. 8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?” 9 And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?” 10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?” 11 And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So they both went out into the field.

12 And Jonathan said to David, “The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? 13 But should it please my father to do you harm, the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; 15 and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” – 1 Samuel 20:1-15 ESV

It would still seem as though David was unaware of the true meaning behind his anointing by Samuel. He is at a loss as to why Saul would want to have him killed. He even asked Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?” (1 Samuel 20:1 NLT). If David had been aware that he was to be the next king of Israel and Saul’s replacement, he would have put two and two together and recognized Saul’s attempts on his life for what they were: Acts of jealousy and anger. But instead, David seems to think that he has done something to offend Saul. He is trying to figure out what he could have done that would cause the king to want him dead. David even begs his friend, Jonathan, “kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!” (1 Samuel 20:8 NLT).

The difficult part of this story is that David’s fear for his life is well-justified. Saul was out to kill him. But what made it all so difficult was that David was oblivious as to the reason. He couldn’t figure out the cause of the king’s anger. In effect, David saw himself as innocent and unworthy of such treatment from his father-in-law. How many nights did David lie awake worrying about his fate and questioning his own guilt? It seems that David would have gladly confessed whatever it was he had done to offend the king if he could just figure out what it was. Years later, David composed a psalm that reflects his innate desire to have a guilt-free conscience. David was not content to live with unconfessed sin in his life.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life. – Psalm 139:23-24 NLT

But no matter how hard he tried, David was unable to find any sin to confess or a crime he had committed against Saul for which he could accept responsibility. So he was left with no other option than to run for his life. But he appealed to Jonathan in a last-gasp attempt to resolve his situation with Saul.

In his desperation to solve the mystery of Saul’s deep hatred for him, David turned to his friend Jonathan. Estranged from his wife, Michal, and forced into hiding, David hoped that Jonathan could shed some light on the circumstances. But Jonathan seemed shocked by David’s accusations concerning his father.

“Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so.” – 1 Samuel 20:2 ESV

Yet, this declaration of his father’s innocence rings a bit hollow. He had already been commissioned by his own father to take the life of his best friend, so why would this news be so shocking? But it seems that Jonathan is claiming ignorance regarding this latest case of his father’s psychotic behavior. As the son of the king, he has received no news of a hit ordered by his father. But this may be the result of his father having lost confidence in Jonathan’s trustworthiness. After all, the last time he brought Jonathan into the loop, David somehow discovered his plans and escaped.

Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.” – 1 Samuel 19:1-3 NLT

Saul knew he had a mole in his administration and probably assumed it was his own son. This likely led him to hide his future plans from Jonathan.

Despite Jonathan’s seeming reluctance to believe the worst about his father, David insists on remaining in hiding. Knowing that his absence from the annual New Moon feast will cause suspicion, David comes up with a cover story. The reference to the “new moon” has to do with a God-appointed sacrifice and meal that was to be celebrated on the first day of each new month.

On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. You must also present a liquid offering with each sacrifice: two quarts of wine for each bull, a third of a gallon for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year.

On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord. This is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering. – Deuteronomy 28:11-15 NLT

David’s plan was to use this feast day as a means to discern the true nature of Saul’s relationship with him. He usually celebrated this feast day in the presence of the king and his family, but on this occasion, David chose to remain in hiding. He instructed Jonathan to inform Saul that he had returned home to Bethlehem to celebrate the festival with his own family. If Saul became angry, as David seemed to know he would, it would be proof to Jonathan that David’s fears were well-justified. And the truth is, Jonathan knew of his father’s intense anger with David, but as a loyal son, he was probably having a difficult time understanding what was really going on. He knew Saul loved David just as much as he did, which made his father’s actions so difficult to understand. Jonathan seems to have wanted everything to return to the way it was before. But, sadly, that would not be the case.

Jonathan made a pact with David, saying, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you” (1 Samuel 20:12 NLT). And Jonathan made David swear that, no matter what happened, he would remain faithful to him.

“And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.” – 1 Samuel 20:14-15 NLT

Jonathan was convinced that God’s favor was upon David. He sensed that his best friend would go on to do great things and continue to experience victories over the enemies of God and Israel. Jonathan also seemed to have a premonition that things were not going to turn out well for him or his father. Years later, after Saul and Jonathan were dead and David was king, David would recall the pact he made with Jonathan, showing favor to Mephibosheth, the sole remaining son of Jonathan.

Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always. – 2 Samuel 9:7 NLT

It is easy to see why God had referred to David as a man after His own heart. With each passing scene, we are given a glimpse into the character of this young man. He is faithful, loving, and determined to serve his God and his king well. After each attempt by Saul to kill him, David simply returned to duty, conducting himself with honor and integrity. Not once did he attempt to defend himself. We never see him get angry or vindictive toward Saul. He never utters a single harsh word about his nemesis. All David wanted to know was what he had done to make Saul angry. If he was guilty, he would confess it. If he had done something wrong, he would attempt to rectify it. Despite all that had happened to him, David continued to treat Saul with respect, viewing him as God’s anointed and the king of Israel. Not once do we hear him utter the words, “This is unfair!” He doesn’t point his finger at Saul and declare him as the guilty one. He doesn’t defend himself before God or even Jonathan, for that matter. He was confused. He was obviously frustrated. But he remained faithful and willing to accept his lot in life as having come from the hand of God.

Jonathan made a statement to David that rings with prophetic weight: “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!” (1 Samuel 20:16 NLT).  Little did Jonathan know that his words would come true. God would end up bringing about the destruction of Saul, the man who would become David’s most persistent and perplexing enemy.

But in the meantime, Saul would remain king and would persistently pursue David, treating him as a fugitive and as an enemy of the state. Yet David would never feel the freedom to defend himself against Saul. He would never sense God’s permission to take Saul’s life. For the next years of his life, David would become dependent upon God’s mercy and grace to sustain and protect him. He would learn to endure the divine delay and wait for the sovereign will of God to bring about the resolution of his trials and the fulfillment of God’s plan for his life.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Man on the Run

1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” 4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. 5 For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.

8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. 9 Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. 10 And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. – 1 Samuel 19:1-10 ESV

David had to be one confused young man. On two separate occasions, the king of Israel had tried to pin him to the wall with a spear. But then, that same man turned around and offered David his daughter’s hand in marriage. In his humility, David reluctantly refused to accept this honor from the king, which allowed Saul to award his eldest daughter to another man. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Saul offered David the opportunity to marry his younger daughter, Michal. This on-again-off-again relationship with the king must have left David in a constant state of anxiety. One minute he was the king’s golden boy and the next the king was using him for target practice.

David eventually married Michal, making him a permanent member of the royal family. Yet David seems to have remained blissfully unaware that his new father-in-law was continually plotting ways to exterminate this threat to his reign. Perhaps David simply wrote it all off as nothing more than a symptom of Saul’s anger issues. After all, David had originally been hired to serve as Saul’s “music therapist,” using his harp-playing skills to calm the king when he had one of his bouts of uncontrolled rage. He would have known first-hand just how violent Saul could become. Even when Saul had attempted to kill David with a spear, he probably convinced himself not to take it personally. It was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet things were far worse than David knew.

Saul was so desperate to eliminate David that he ordered his son Jonathan to oversee the execution of his best friend. He ordered a hit on David and expected his own son to carry it out. This was likely an attempt to force Jonathan to defend his path to the throne by eliminating all competition. Saul had come to see David as the most likely candidate to fulfill the words of the prophet.

“You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” – 1 Samuel 13:13-14 NLT

If David was that man, then Jonathan’s path to the throne was in jeopardy. As the son of the king, he was the rightful heir to the throne but David posed a serious threat to any kind of dynastic order for the house of Saul.

Saul was appealing to Jonathan’s sense of self-preservation and expecting his son to defend the family’s honor. He was hoping his son’s intimate relationship with David would provide an easy opportunity to carry out the deadly deed. But Saul didn’t understand the depth of Jonathan’s friendship with David. He was also unaware that his son had already come to grips with the fact that David was God’s choice to be the next king of Israel. He had reconciled himself to that reality and demonstrated his allegiance to David.

Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. – 1 Samuel 18:3-4 NLT

Jonathan had no ambitions for the throne of his father. Instead, he longed to preserve the life of his friend because he knew that David had been set apart by God to serve as the next king of Israel. He knew that it was only a matter of time before David replaced his father on the throne. Jonathan was so sure of David’s success that he begged his friend to not use his future power to seek vengeance on the house of Saul.

“May the Lord be with you, as he was with my father. While I am still alive, extend to me the loyalty of the Lord, or else I will die. Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth  and called David’s enemies to account.” – 1 Samuel 20:13-16 NLT

So, when Jonathan received his father’s order to take the life of his friend and future king, he took the news hard. He was conflicted because he was being commanded by his father and king to kill someone he cared about deeply. In a desperate attempt to stop this abhorrent plan, he pleaded with his father to reconsider and reminded him of all that David had done for him.

“The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all.” – 1 Samuel 19:4-5 NLT

Saul seemed to listen to the words of Jonathan, vowing to spare David’s life and welcoming him back into his presence as before. But this happy reunion would prove to be short-lived; it would simply be the calm before the storm. The king whom God had rejected and the man whom God had anointed as his replacement could not coexist for long. Eventually, Saul was going to have to go away. He was the one who would have to be eliminated, not David. God’s plan to place David on the throne of Israel was not going to be curtailed or compromised by anyone or anything. Yet the situation was going to get worse before it got better.

Things appear to have returned to normal, with David winning victories over the Philistines by day and playing his harp for Saul in the evenings. Yet, Saul’s hatred for David remained unchanged. Eventually, in one of his tormented moments, Saul made a third attempt on David’s life. Once again, David narrowly escaped and went into hiding, providing an ominous foreshadowing of David’s future fate. He would soon discover that running and hiding would be a permanent part of his life for years to come. He was to become a fugitive with a bounty on his head and a relentless pursuer on his trail who would stop at nothing until he was dead.

David must have looked back on his anointing by Samuel and wondered what it all meant. Why had the prophet chosen him? What had he been anointed for? David must have assumed that he had been chosen by God to be a great military leader. His miraculous defeat of Goliath and his subsequent victories over the Philistines would have supported this view. But why would God give him success in battle and then allow him to suffer at the hands of his own king? How was he supposed to do his job when his own commander-in-chief was trying to put him to death? None of it made sense and David’s confusion and consternation are clearly seen in the psalms he wrote during this phase of his life.

David had some frank and open conversations with God. He bared his heart and soul before the Lord, learning to communicate with an honesty and openness that only suffering can create. Many of his psalms reflect the nature of his relationship with God, revealing his total transparency and somewhat shocking honesty.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? – Psalm 13:1-2 ESV

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest. – Psalm 22:1-2 ESV

I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.
    Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you are silent,
    I might as well give up and die. – Psalm 28:1 NLT

David was going to learn to trust God but first, he had to learn to be honest and open with God. He would soon discover his own limitations and come to grips with his own weaknesses – the hard way. His anointing by Samuel was just the beginning of his preparation. The Spirit of God coming upon David was instrumental in his early success, but the Spirit of God transforming his heart and character was going to be the key to his future rule and reign.

What would eventually make David a great king are the lessons he would learn while on the run. The time he spent hiding in caves would play a vital role in preparing him for the crown. David was going to learn a lot about himself over the next few years. But, more importantly, he was going to grow in his knowledge of God. What would eventually make him a great king would be his understanding of God’s greatness.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Brides, Bribes, and Broken Promises

17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.

20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall now be my son-in-law.” 22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.’” 23 And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?” 24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired, 27 David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. 28 But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.

30 Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. – 1 Samuel 18:17-30 ESV

In attempting to rid himself of David, Saul had tried the direct approach. On multiple occasions, in one of his fits of rage, he had unsuccessfully attempted to kill David with a spear. But his failures only fueled his desire to get rid of this threat to his reign as king. So he developed more clandestine and creative plans that would expose David to life-threatening circumstances while protecting himself from any appearance of impropriety or personal involvement. While his tactics changed, his goal remained the same: To do whatever it took to eradicate this threat to his reputation and rule.

After what appears to be a lengthy delay, Saul decided to honor his promise to reward the one who killed the Philistine champion, Goliath. He had promised to “give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!” (1 Samuel 17:25 NLT). It seems that Saul had reservations about keeping his commitment because it might further enhance David’s advantage over him. Allowing David to marry his daughter would make him a permanent part of the royal family and provide him with increased legitimacy and accessibility to the throne.

So, Saul came up with a plan to use his own daughter as bait, hoping to lure David into a deadly trap. In a disingenuous display of magnanimity, Saul offered David the hand of his eldest daughter Merab.

“Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” – 1 Samuel 18:17 NLT

Like an unscrupulous used-car salesman, Saul tried to wheel and deal his way into a more profitable outcome, using his daughter as a bargaining chip. Saul was attempting to use David’s intense sense of loyalty and nationalistic pride to his own advantage. He knew that David’s faithfulness to God and country would cause him to risk life and limb and further increase the odds of his untimely death. So, Saul offered David the hand of his daughter in marriage on one condition: That he continue to “fight the battles of the Lord.”

But Saul never intended to keep his part of the agreement. His entire plan was based on the inevitability of David’s death.

“There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!” – 1 Samuel 18:17 NLT

Saul was so convinced that David would never live to see his own wedding day, that he eventually gave his daughter to another man.

When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah. – 1 Samuel 18:19 NLT

In contrast to Saul’s manipulative and hateful tactics, David displayed an innocent and humble spirit. While he had rightfully earned the reward, he did not see himself as worthy of the honor.

“Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” – 1 Samuel 18:18 NLT

This self-effacing statement must have sounded eerily familiar to Saul because it echoed the words he spoke when Samuel announced he was to be Israel’s king.

“But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?” – 1 Samuel 9:21 NLT

The once-humble and contrite Saul had become an egotistical, scheming man who would do anything to retain his royal position and protect his precious reputation. 

Saul’s plan eventually backfired because David was the Lord’s anointed and enjoyed the presence and power of God’s Spirit. No matter how many battles he fought or how many enemies he faced, David was under the watchful eye of Jehovah and would continue to enjoy great success and increasing popularity. This led Saul to come up with Plan B. When he learned that his other daughter, Michal, loved David very much, he decided to use this relationship to his advantage. Because of David’s close friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, he likely spent a great deal of time in Jonathan’s company and, as a result, had been able to get to know Michal well. Upon discovering his daughter’s affection for David, Saul saw another opportunity to rid himself of David once and for all. It was the same tactic but a different daughter.

“I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and so the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” – 1 Samuel 18:21 NLT

This time, Saul came up with a more specific and potentially deadly condition for David to meet. To win his daughter’s hand in marriage, David was required to provide a dowry of one hundred Philistine foreskins. Once again, Saul was appealing to David’s sense of duty. He knew that David came from a less-than-affluent family and would be unable to pay the customary dowry, especially one fit for the daughter of a king. So he would allow David to use his military skills and his hatred for the enemies of God to come up with a somewhat unorthodox dowry payment.

This entire sequence of events is designed to provide a glimpse into David’s character. Saul sent his servants to prime the pump and convince David to strongly consider Saul’s generous offer of Michal’s hand in marriage. But David simply responded, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?” (1 Samuel 18:23 NLT). He knew he was out of his league. He was unworthy to be the son-in-law of the king; he didn’t have the financial means or the family heritage to warrant such a thing. But that was not going to deter Saul. He knew that David, being a man of integrity, would take him up on his offer. But he also knew that the risk involved in David accomplishing such a feat was going to be great, and the likelihood of David dying in the process was even greater.

Verse 27 matter-of-factly states: “David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife” (1 Samuel 18:27 ESV). Much to Saul’s chagrin, David took the king up on his offer and fulfilled the requirement to have Michal as his wife. He even doubled the number of foreskins, just to make sure that he didn’t underpay for the privilege of becoming the king’s son-in-law.

Saul’s plan had failed. His strategy to eliminate David had actually elevated him. Now David was a permanent member of his family and would more than likely give him grandchildren and potential heirs to the throne. Not only that, Saul became increasingly aware that David enjoyed the benefit of God’s blessings. Everything David did was successful and there was nothing Saul could do about it. As a result, Saul’s fear of Dvid grew exponentially.

So Saul was David’s enemy continually. – 1 Samuel 18:30 ESV

This last line is significant because it reveals that the animosity between Saul and David was one-way. David had done nothing but honor Saul, serving him as his personal armor bearer, court musician, and military commander. While David’s reputation had grown, he never sought fame or glory. He was not prideful or arrogant. There is never an indication that he had aspirations for the crown. It is still unclear whether David even knew that his earlier anointing by Samuel had been to make him the next king of Israel. No, David simply served, faithfully and unselfishly. At no time does he seem to view Saul as his enemy, even though the king had tried to kill him with his own hands. He never utters a disparaging word about the king.

Saul’s hatred for David was one-directional, and his attempts to kill David would continue to prove unsuccessful because God had a greater plan in place. David would be the next king, whether Saul liked it or not, and regardless of whether Saul loved David or not. David’s fame would continue to grow; so would Saul’s hatred for David. But God was not done. His preparation of David for the throne was not yet complete. Things would get worse before they got better. The tension between David and Saul was going to reach a boiling point and the next phase of God’s king-creating curriculum would soon begin.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Kingship 101

10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.

12 Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. – 1 Samuel 18:10-16 ESV

Saul had his eye on David. He didn't trust him. He viewed David as a threat to his crown and resented this young upstart’s growing popularity among the people. While he had been grateful for David’s victory over Goliath and the subsequent defeat of the Philistines, it had actually made things much worse for Saul. It wasn’t long before his oversensitive ego, fueled by his growing paranoia, produced some less-than-normal reactions.

At one point, while Saul was having one of his “fits” and David was playing his usual role as his musical therapist, the king grabbed a spear and attempted to pin David to the wall with it – not once, but twice. This fit of uncontrolled rage was brought on by “a harmful spirit from God” (1 Samuel 18:10 ESV). This reference to a spirit (rûaḥ) is meant to remind the reader of what happened not long after Saul was appointed the king of Israel. After anointing Saul with oil, Samuel sent him on a journey where he encountered a group of prophets. As Saul approached these men, “…the Spirit (rûaḥ) of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied…” (1 Samuel 10:10 ESV). The Spirit enabled Saul to prophesy (nāḇā') or speak on behalf of God.

The same language is used in 1 Samuel 18:10, but the outcome is much different. On this occasion, the spirit (rûaḥ) is described as “harmful.” The Hebrew word is raʿ and it is usually translated as “evil.” This “spirit” was not of God, but from God. In other words, it was God-ordained but not of a godly origin. Rather than the Holy Spirit coming upon Saul, a harmful or evil spirit possessed Saul and caused him to “prophesy” (nāḇā'). Under the influence of an evil spirit, Saul spoke evil words. He was no longer empowered by the Spirit of God and that void was filled by an emissary of the evil one.

This entire scene is meant to demonstrate the stark and irreversible change that has taken place in Saul’s life. His fall from God’s grace has been dramatic and stands in vivid contrast to the way David’s life is marked by the blessings of the Lord.

The text tells us that Saul feared David. He knew that the same Spirit of God that used to dwell on him was now on this young man and that fact did not bode well for him. He was crazy, but sane enough to remember what the prophet Samuel had said.

“I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” – 1 Samuel 13:26 ESV

“The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. – 1 Samuel 13:28 ESV

Saul had put two and two together and reached the conclusion that David was his replacement and it scared him. He knew his days were numbered. So to deal with the frustration created by David’s constant presence, Saul decided to send him away. Part of his reasoning behind this move was likely out of his love for David. He genuinely loved this young man and regretted his inability to control his anger against him. By sending David away, he removed any temptation to harm David and provided a distance between the two of them that acted as a buffer of protection.

Saul made David a commander over a contingent of one thousand men. This new assignment got David out of the palace and away from Saul’s presence but did little to solve Saul’s jealousy problem. In fact, it only aggravated it. It seems that David was quite successful as a leader and continued to impress the people with his skills as a soldier. 

“And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him.” – 1 Samuel 18:14 ESV

This verse is reminiscent of statements made regarding Joseph during his stay in Egypt.

The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man… – Genesis 39:2 ESV

From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. – Genesis 39:5 ESV

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. – Genesis 39:21 ESV

It seemed that wherever Joseph ended up, God blessed him and all those associated with him. Despite the ups and downs of his life in Egypt, Joseph enjoyed success because God was with him and sovereignly orchestrated every aspect of his life. The same thing proved true for David. Yet his divinely ordained success and subsequent popularity only served to drive an even greater wedge between him and the king.

“…when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him.” – 1 Samuel 18:15 ESV

All Saul could do was stand back and watch in wonder as David’s stock continued to rise as his own reputation suffered a nose dive. The prophecy of Samuel was coming true right before his eyes; God had rejected him as king and was ripping the kingdom out of his hands and giving it to one whom God had deemed his spiritual superior and ultimate successor. This was a difficult pill for Saul to swallow and he proved to be a poor patient, refusing to accept God’s remedy for his own disobedience.

Yet David was loved by all. He was young, handsome, successful, and extremely popular. God was with him and all the people were for him, and all Saul could do was wait for the inevitable to happen.

But Satan, the arch-enemy of God, would not take this change in leadership lying down. He was not about to relinquish Saul’s hold on power. Saul was just the kind of king Satan wanted to rule over Israel. He was disobedient to God, self-centered, and egotistical. He had proven adept at twisting the words of God and blaming everyone but himself for his own mistakes. Having Saul replaced by a man after God’s own heart was not something Satan was willing to let happen. He would do everything in his power to resist the will of God by influencing the king God had rejected.

The following years of David’s life would be marked by ongoing and ever-intensifying animosity between himself and the king. His path to the throne was going to be a rocky one. This would not prove to be a smooth transition of power but God was in control of the entire process. None of the events recorded in David’s life reflect a flaw in God’s plan or an inability on His part to control the situation. This was all part of the divine strategy for preparing God’s anointed king for his role as the shepherd of Israel. David was going to learn that being in the will of God does not necessarily guarantee a trouble-free life. Becoming the kind of man God intended him to be was going to require painful lessons in failure, defeat, loss, and abandonment. But he would also discover his own weaknesses and learn to trust in the power and presence of God.

Whether he realized it or not, David had been enrolled in Kingship 101, God’s entry-level class in leadership development for aspiring sovereigns. The days ahead would be filled with painful lessons, faith-building tests, doubt-inducing trials, and countless opportunities to second-guess the will and the ways of God. Yet God would use them all to transform David into the king he was always meant to be.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Give Me A Man!

1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” – 1 Samuel 17:1-18 ESV

The exact timeline of the story of David can be a bit difficult to piece together. Samuel, who wrote the book that bears his name, seems to have been less interested in providing a precise chronological outline of David’s life than he was in highlighting the details of how he came to be king. A case in point is the reference to David found in chapter 16. It was made by one of King Saul’s servants when the king began to suffer the effects of the harmful spirit placed upon him by God.

“Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” – 1 Samuel 16:18 ESV

He refers to David as a man of valor and a man of war. But before this statement, the last reference to David is that of his anointing by Samuel. Immediately after that event, David is said to have returned to his sheep. With David being the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons, it is believed that he could have been no older than 15 at the time of his anointing by Samuel. So when did he become a man of valor and war? It would seem that significant time has passed since David’s anointing – enough time for him to grow up and join the army of Israel. He must have gained some experience in battle to have earned the reputation as “a brave warrior, a man of war” (NLT). But regardless of how much time has passed, one thing remained unchanged about David: The Lord was with him (1 Samuel 16:18).

David had the Spirit of God resting upon him and he had the power and the presence of God available to him. His anointing with oil by Samuel made God’s selection of him to be Israel’s next king official, but it was his anointing with the Holy Spirit that would make him fit for the office of king.

It is interesting to note that when Saul sent for David, he was found back with the sheep. So whatever deeds of valor and bravery he had done must have been done on the side or as a result of his responsibilities as a shepherd. Later on in the story, David himself will recount to King Saul a few examples of his exploits in the field caring for the sheep. It seems that shepherding wasn’t as safe an occupation as one might think.

“Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears…” – 1 Samuel 17:34-36 ESV

But back to our timeline. David had been hired by the king and given the responsibility of ministering to Saul when he experienced the fits of rage brought on by the “harmful spirit.” He was also made the king’s armor bearer. Which presents another interesting issue. When chapter 17 opens, the Israelites are preparing to do battle with the Philistines, and while King Saul is there with all his troops, David, his armor-bearer, is nowhere to be found. He was at home tending the flocks. The text tells us that “David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem” (1 Samuel 17:15 ESV). It seems that David was pulling double duty, balancing the demands of a bi-vocational lifestyle that required him to split his time between his responsibilities as a shepherd of sheep and a servant to the king.

It’s essential to keep in mind that, all during this time, David remained the God-appointed and Spirit-anointed successor to King Saul. Yet, here he was dividing his time between tending sheep and plucking out tunes on his lyre to calm the heart of the current king of Israel. Saul was still on the throne and tasked with the responsibility of defending the nation of Israel against their enemies, but he was ill-equipped for the job because he no longer enjoyed the anointing of God’s Spirit. He had all the physical attributes to make him “a brave warrior, a man of war,” but when Goliath challenged the armies of Israel to send out a champion to fight him, Saul and his troops were “dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11 ESV).

Samuel seems less interested in establishing an exact chronology of the events as he is in creating a stark contrast between the warrior-king and the shepherd-servant. With the introduction of the Goliath narrative into the storyline, Samuel reminds his readers that there is something far more significant going on here than who will sit on the throne of Israel; this is about the future well-being of the people of God. The king of Israel was to be much more than a figurehead; he was to be the leader of God’s people, providing them with physical protection and spiritual direction. He was to be a man after God’s own heart, who listened well, followed instructions obediently, and protected God’s people faithfully.

Saul was tormented by a spirit that attacked him relentlessly, leaving him unable to do his job as king. Goliath represents a physical manifestation of that same spirit, tormenting the people of God and producing in them a spirit of fear and dismay. They stood leaderless and helpless before the enemy of God. They had to suffer his daily taunts and jeers, unable to do anything about it.

Goliath, a bigger-than-life giant of a man, demanded that they choose one warrior to face him in a winner-takes-all death duel. But no one stepped forward. Nobody had the guts to face the Philistine champion and prevent God’s people from becoming slaves. The logical choice would have been for Saul to step up to Goliath’s challenge. After all, in the eyes of his troops, he was still the king of Israel. Not only that, Saul was the only Israelite big enough to go toe-to-toe with the Philistine giant.

Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land. – 1 Samuel 9:2 NLT

…he stood head and shoulders above anyone else. – 1 Samuel 10:23 NLT

Saul had the royal title and the physical attributes to face off mano y mano with the Philistine challenger, but he repeatedly refused to answer Goliath’s taunts. With his demoralized and disaffected troops looking on, Saul displayed an unwillingness to risk his own life for the sake of the people of Israel. What was he waiting for? Did he think the Philistines would grow bored and simply walk away? Was he hoping and praying for someone else to step up to the challenge and do what he was unwilling to do?

The record of Goliath’s daily challenge contains a subtle yet powerful reminder of what led Israel to this fateful and fearful day. Dressed in full battle attire, this formidable mountain of a man repeatedly demanded, “Give me a man, that we may fight together” (1 Samuel 17:10 ESV).

The text states, “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11 ESV). It’s safe to say that this challenge had a familiar ring to it that was part of the reason behind the fearful reaction of the Israelites. It sounded eerily similar to the demand they had made to Samuel years earlier.

“Give us a king to judge us.” – 1 Samuel 8:6 ESV

Whether he realized it or not, Goliath had struck a nerve. His choice of words was far more impactful than he could have imagined. His demand for a challenger to face off in the arena against him was exactly what the people of Israel had done in demanding that Samuel appoint for them a human king. They wanted a man who would lead them into battle and give them victories over their enemies. Now they had that man and he was refusing to do his job. Dressed in his armor and equipped with the authority and responsibility to “judge” his people, Saul remained strangely silent and unwilling to fulfill his role as king. And it’s not hard to imagine the Israelite troops thinking, “If only God would give us a king to judge us.”

The stage is set. Saul, the king, stands immobilized and paralyzed by fear. But all of that is about to change when the Lord’s anointed steps onto the scene. David, the sheep-tending, lyre-playing, armor-bearing, food-delivering son of Jesse is about to provide an unforgettable lesson in faith and godly leadership. The least expected is going to do the unexpected. The sheep-tender is about to become the giant killer. Israel’s future king is preparing to make his grand appearance and everyone, including Saul and Goliath, is going to have a difficult time recognizing and respecting the man whom God has chosen to lead His people to victory.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Little Is Much When God Is In It

1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. – 1 Samuel 16:1-13 ESV

Evidently, Samuel was having a difficult time accepting Saul’s demise as the king of Israel. God had officially rejected Saul and communicated His plans to replace him.

“You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” – 1 Samuel 13:13-14 ESV

But years had passed since that pronouncement and Saul remained on the throne of Israel. Yet God had abandoned him and Samuel the prophet had broken off all communications with him. Saul was on his own, operating without God’s presence and the prophet’s counsel. This sad state of affairs left Samuel in a state of perpetual mourning. As an old man, Samuel must have wondered what the future held for the nation of Israel. His days were numbered but he couldn’t help but question what could have been if Saul had only obeyed the word of the Lord. This grand experiment to appoint a king over Israel had turned out poorly and the once-promising Saul had proved to be a huge disappointment.

Samuel had been the one who delivered the news to Saul regarding God’s plans to replace him but he knew nothing about God’s timing or the identity of Saul’s successor. All he could see was the failed reign of Saul and the lingering threat of war because of Israel’s ever-present enemies. Nothing had changed. Israel was no better off with a king than they had been when Samuel served as their judge. But God was ready to intervene and begin the process of transforming the 12 tribes of Israel into the mighty nation He had always planned for it to be.

Samuel was commanded to fill his flash with oil and head to the town of Bethlehem where he would find Israel’s next king among the sons of Jesse, a descendant of Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 4:17, 22). These instructions filled the elderly prophet with fear because he knew that any attempt he made to anoint a new king would be viewed as an act of treason by Saul. From Samuel’s perspective, this journey to Bethlehem was little more than a death march. But rather than addressing Samuel’s concerns, God simply continued His instructions.

“Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.” – 1 Samuel 16:2-3 NLT

God provided Samuel with a cover story for his journey, instructing him to take a heifer for use in a sacrifice. Throughout his life, Samuel had functioned as both a priest and prophet of God and it would have been natural for him to offer sacrifices to Jehovah. So, God gave His reluctant servant a way to disguise the true purpose behind his visit to Bethlehem. Samuel was to present the heifer as an offering to the Lord, inviting all the citizens of Bethlehem to join him in a meal to consume the meat of the sacrifice. This was like a peace or fellowship offering (Leviticus 7:11-21) and was intended to be an expression of gratitude to God for His blessings or deliverance. Unlike a sacrifice of propitiation for sin, the meat of the peace offering was to be eaten by the ones who offered it. In doing so, they “fellowshipped” with God.

Samuel was instructed to invite Jesse and his eight sons to this communal event, and God promised to reveal which of the sons was to be Saul’s replacement. As was required for any sacrifice, all the participants had to be purified before taking part in the ceremony; this included Jesse and his sons. However, the elders of Bethlehem were suspicious of Samuel’s presence and questioned the purpose behind his visit. After hearing what Samuel had done to King Agag, they had every right to fear this elderly but far-from-feeble prophet. This was likely the first time any of them had laid eyes on a prophet of God and Samuel’s sudden appearance frightened them.

As Samuel performed the purification process, he got a good look at each of Jesse’s sons. When he got his first glimpse of Eliab, the firstborn, he immediately assumed he was the one, saying, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him” (1 Samuel 16:6 ESV). But he was wrong. God responded to Samuel with one of the most revealing statements in the entire Bible.

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

Saul, Israel’s first king, had been chosen based on sight. He was described as “a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people” (1 Samuel 9:2 ESV). But looks can be deceiving, and Samuel allowed himself to be deceived by Eliab’s outer appearance. Yet, when God announced His decision to replace Saul, He told Samuel that He had “sought out a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 ESV).

This was not going to be another beauty contest or a search for the best-looking candidate. On this occasion, the selection process was going to be different. No more kings by consensus. God was looking for a man of good character, not great stature.

So Samuel had Jesse parade each of his sons in front of him but, one after the other, God repeatedly rejected them, forcing Samuel to announce, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one” (1 Samuel 16:8 ESV). The time came when Jesse ran out of sons and Samuel held the flask of anointing oil in his hands – unused. Samuel, a bit perplexed, asked Jesse if he had any other sons, to which the confused father replied, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep” (1 Samuel 16:11 ESV).

There is a lot of conjecture as to why David was not invited to the festivities to begin with. The passage doesn’t indicate whether Jesse knew the purpose behind Samuel’s visit. But when Samuel invited Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice, David was left out in the fields to tend the flocks. He was the youngest and, therefore, the low man on the totem pole. While all his brothers were being consecrated and prepared to participate in the feast, he was left to care for the family’s livestock.

It’s interesting to note that when Jesse informed Samuel about David, he said, “he is keeping the sheep.” The Hebrew word is ra`ah and it can literally be translated as “he is shepherding the sheep.” David was faithfully caring for and protecting the flocks of his father. He was doing his job to feed, guide, and nurture those who had been placed in his care. In Psalm 78, we are given a glimpse into the shepherd’s heart of David, the one who was about to be anointed the next king of Israel.

He chose David his servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
from following the nursing ewes he brought him
to shepherd Jacob his people,
Israel his inheritance.
With upright heart he shepherded them
and guided them with his skillful hand. – Psalm 78:70-72 ESV

God was going to choose David because of his heart, not because he was handsome. God was going to anoint this young boy as the next king of Israel, not because he was famous, but because he was faithful. Yes, he was the last in line of all the sons of Jesse, but he was far from the least in the eyes of God.

There is a song written by Kittle L. Suffield that sums up the situation with David quite nicely.

Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

David was left in the field by his father. But he was not left out of God’s plan for the future of Israel. David was an afterthought in his father’s mind, but he was worthy to be chosen by God to become the shepherd of the flock of Israel. David was unknown and insignificant, shepherding sheep in the fields of Bethlehem, but God was about to do something that would radically change the trajectory of his life – forever.

Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah. – 1 Samuel 16:13 NLT

The transition of power had begun but the timing would prove interesting. God had anointed His future king but Saul remained on the throne. The replacement had been revealed and the future of Israel had been affirmed, but God had plans for David that no one could have ever imagined.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.