David Made Good His Escape
1 Samuel 19:1-24
Key verse: 10b
“That night David made good his escape.”
First of all the word “escape” originated from two Latin words: Ex & Cappa which mean to go out of one’s mantle or what covers one. In ch 16, David was anointed to be a king. In ch 17 God gave David victory over Goliath. In 18, David has been very successful continually. It seems to be a rosy road for him. But from this point on he was harassed by Saul’s jealousy. But there was God’s will behind this and God was training him to be the future king; ultimately producing our true and eternal King Jesus Christ. If David had an easy rise to power, he would be an unstable leader, similar to Saul. But through hardships, David is getting familiar with suffering until he learns to be humble and depend on God. This experience must have shaped his future leadership. May God help us to learn how to escape in the Lord.
Part 1. Jonathan defends David(1-7)
In this first part David was able to escape thanks to his loyal friend, Jonathan. In the previous chapter, Saul wanted to kill David by throwing his spear twice as well as several evil schemes. But none of these worked. More surprisingly, none of these changed his heart. HYPERLINK "http://www.studylight.org/desk/?q=1sa+18:29&t=en_nas&sr=1" \t "_blank" Look at v 1. “Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. but Jonathan had taken a great liking to David ” Imagine! Saul might quote Scripture and said, “Jonathan, the Bible says “Honor your father. I’m your father and your king. You must submit to me and my authority. Go kill David. You are in the perfect place to do so for he trusts you. God has put you in that place so you can obey me now! Just do it!” Was Jonathan supposed to obey his father? No way! He loved David as himself. He knew God was with him, so he wanted to support him according to God’s will. As for Jonathan, God’s authority is much higher than his father’s. How about Saul’s servants? They were great admirers of David, but now became cold; not one of them speaks up for him. What a difficult place it’s for David! Who can he trust? At this atmosphere, in loyalty to David, Jonathan helped him. Look at v 2-3. “and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.” Also Jonathan now speaks to Saul. Look at v. 4, 5. “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?” Jonathan spoke well of David to his father, “Father you have a certain opinion of David. But I don’t share that opinion. I love and support David. You should also submit to God’s will and authority.” It took a lot of courage. Jonathan was bold enough to tell his father that his anger and jealousy against David was nothing but sin. It’s because Saul twisted the truth with his envy to murder David. Saul could not believe that David killed Goliath for a righteous reason. In his mind, he thought that David did it to become famous and to take his throne by saying, “I have to kill this guy before he kills me!” Jonathan tried hard to bring him back to his own senses. Look at v 6. “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.” Thank God. Saul listened Jonathan and even took this oath. And the command to kill David has been nullified. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence. Saul and David are together again as in the “good old days” thanks to Jonathan’s loyal friendship.
Part 2. David escapes from an evil spirit (8-10)
In this part David escaped from Saul who changed his mind again. Look at v 8. “Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.” However it was David’s success that aroused Saul’s jealousy as before. When David was successful again, surely Saul would be tempted to jealousy again. Look at v 9-10. “But an evil spirit from the LORD came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.” Evil spirits were more than ready to attack Saul, for he was very vulnerable. Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear. What happened to Saul’s change of heart? What happened to his oath that David would not be killed not long ago? All of that was thrown away as easily as the spear was thrown. Saul might think that it just happened. But it didn’t “just happen.” Saul was liable and unprepared to handle temptation and spiritual attack. The devil is opportunistic and had the opportunity to sin close at hand. It’s much like a certain microorganism that is harmless to a healthy person but debilitates a person whose immune system has been weakened. Saul gives in to circumstance instead of mastering his sin.
But by God’s grace David made good his escape that night and fled. David never returned to the palace until he becomes a king of Israel - some 20 years later! From now until the day Saul dies, David lives his life as a fugitive. David was probably scared, angry, confused, and hurt when he left the palace that night. A lot of thoughts must have come into his mind, “I thought everything would be fine since Jonathan had persuaded his father. Where was Jonathan when I needed him? I should have killed Saul this time when he threw his spear at me for a total now of three times. How could God allow this?” But from God’s point view there was a clear meaning and purpose behind this. Saul meant it for evil, but the LORD meant it for good. Surely God is big enough to work through all things that happen to David, for David’s own good in his life.
Part 3. David flees from Saul thanks to his wife (11-17)
In this 3rd part David escaped thanks to his wife. Look at v 11. “ Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.”’ Usually women are more sensible than men. Michal, David’s wife, saw the “hit men” coming before he did, and she also knew the character of her father better than David did. She told him, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped. Michal, David’s wife saves the day. Michal is Saul’s daughter, so there is a conflict of loyalties for Michal. She might wonder if she is acting in her father’s interests & authority or in her husband’s interests & authority. Here she makes the right choice and supports her husband David. Gen 2:24 reads, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Though the Genesis passage speaks specifically of the husband, it is a principle that applies to both partners in a marriage: that the former family loyalties and obligations take a back seat to the loyalty and obligation to the new family under God. She might have said, “David I am here to save your life. Let me tell you what to do.” Instead, she simply told him, “This is what I see. Now it is up to you.” Thank God! David listened to his wife. David did a good job to accept the warning from his wife. Men including me are sometimes so hard headed & hard hearted that they never hear how God might warn them on and off through their wives. If David had ignored this warning because he was too stubborn to listen to his wife, he might have ended up dropping dead. But thank God David listened to her and made an escape successfully! That night, when David escaped, he prayed and composed a song found in HYPERLINK "http://www.studylight.org/desk/?q=ps+59:1-17&t=en_nas&sr=1" \t "_blank" Psalms 59. David takes his case before God. “Deliver me from my enemies, O God(1). In this way he takes his case to the Lord in prayer. David ends it with thanks, “You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”
Look at v 13-17. Michal deceives the men who came to kill David by saying, “He is now sick.” Then Saul sent the messengers again and said, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” When the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head. Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’“ God gave her wits & wisdom to escape herself, too.
Part 4. David flees to Naioth (18-24)
In this last part David wisely escapes by visiting his shepherd. Look at v 18. “When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.” Having run away at night from his own house, he could have fled to his hometown, Bethlehem to his father, 7 brothers, and his old friends. He could have attempted to overthrow the authority of the state. But David ran straight to visit Samuel at Ramah; his spiritual father who anointed him as the next king. He needed spiritual guidance instead of human love or comfort from his family. He made the right move. David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. David might pour out his heart by saying, “Samuel, you anointed me as king, don’t you? Look at what is happening! It’s hard for me. Why is the LORD allowing this?” “Samuel, soon Saul will come. Do I need a sword or gather soldiers?” However Samuel could have told him, “Come down young man! What you really need is to wait on the Lord and worship Him together with us for he is in control. Let’s have 1:1 to have one word of God now and let’s pray with me and other disciples.”
Look at v 19-21. Now it was told to Saul, that “David is at Naioth in Ramah!” Then Saul sent messengers to take David. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. In such a way God was protecting David, and it’s His way of “disarming” those who came to capture him. Also it’s the Holy Spirit’s warning to these men and to Saul. “I don’t want David captured. I am sending these men home empty handed. Instead of seeking to kill David, you should seek God’s will and submit to His authority.” However when Saul was told about what happened over there, he did not get the message. So he sent other messengers, but they prophesied again. Saul still did not get it. Then Saul sent messengers a third time, and they prophesied too. Three sets of messengers come back, and God must have said the same thing to Saul, “Leave David alone. You will never win this battle against Me and against David.”
Did Saul give up his plan then? No, Look at v 22-24. “Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said. So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” He also stripped off his clothes and prophesied: The Spirit prompted Saul to do this as an expression of deep humility. Saul would not humble himself before God but the sovereign God made a way to humble him. It reminds me of Psalm 2:2, “The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed” Again the bottom line is that this intensified tension has arisen because the king rejected by God was still in power, while the king chosen by God was yet to begin his reign. Surely Saul heard from others and had concluded from his own observations that “the Lord was with him.” (16:18; 18:12, 14, 28) But despite all these, he vehemently rejected the fact that David was the one of whom Samuel had spoken - the man after God’s own heart, (13:14) a neighbor of yours who is better than you. (15:28) Saul was still against the will of God in a stubborn way. But God and His anointed one won’t be changed. When Saul despised the authority of the almighty God, he couldn’t succeed. This is not only the case with Saul. It can happen to anyone, anytime, and anyplace when they choose to disobey God’s will and authority.
Last November, a letter from China’s new leader, Xi Jinping, was delivered to North Korea’s leader, Kim Jung Un, with a simple message: Do not launch a ballistic missile. Twelve days later, Kim did just that. Furthermore Kim carried out a third nuclear test two months ago, making North Korea’s relationship with China fall apart. Interestingly a temporary friendship between China and the USA has been established for traditionally North Korea used to rely on Chinese sovereignty but now chose to take part in a display of power in her advanced missiles and nuclear capabilities. The opposing wills of the leader of nations can lead to war. Likewise it is a part of actual human life and real human relationships to find one’s own will to be against the will of another. Even a two year old child discovers the satisfaction of asserting his own will, only to find himself up against the will of a parent. The Bible clearly speaks of a conflict of wills. On the one hand there is the will of God, the creator of and sovereign ruler over all things. His will entirely good. On the other hand there are the wills of human beings, which are consistently set against the will of God. The Bible shows us that this conflict is the reason that human wills are so often in conflict with one another. If our wills were all in harmony with God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will, we would be in harmony with each other. May the Lord help us to acknowledge and submit to the will of God and his Anointed One, Jesus and live a harmonious life.
Although David was the anointed one in this passage, he is a mere image of our true Lord Jesus, God’s anointed One. Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. Matthew 28:18-20 read, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Lately we’re impressed by Dr. James Kim who is energetic at his old age to serve God’s mission for he believes God’s authority over all nations including North Korea. Inasmuch, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the announcement to the whole world that the will and the purpose of God is that all things should come under the ultimate rule of his anointed one, Jesus Christ. Phil 2:9-11 read, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Here let us think about what might have happened to David personally? At this portion of the passage, David did not say anything but remained silent to observe what God was doing. He must have acknowledged and understood God’s sovereignty and absolute authority for everyone. After escaping several times, now David must have learned how to lean on the Lord for human help is limited. Personally I believe that this is a turning point in his life in relying on the Lord. From this point on, whenever he runs into difficulties, he always chooses to ask for God’s help and ends up praising the Lord. This is the discrepancy between Saul who gave in to his failure and David who escaped himself in the Lord. In this way he wrote many prayers in the book of Psalms. In particular from today’s chapter on, David wrote many poems in the book of Psalms. They are direct expressions of his soul before God in the time of despair. As we study the portion of 1 Samuel concerning David, we can also find how David personally struggled before God in the book of Psalms. David might learn how to live in a safe way by escaping in the Lord. In such a way his personal example becomes a road map for all of us who are in deep need and the person in danger or in persecution. David had to go through so many misunderstandings and conflicts. Often, he must have been tempted to give up during such hard struggles. But he never gave in because he was trained like in today’s passage and learned how to rely on the Lord. Becoming a human king itself is not a main goal but God intended to raise him up as true leadership material; that is the name of the game throughout the book of Samuel and he will be blessed as an image of Jesus Christ. Again it reminds me of Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This Psalm ends in v 31, “for he has done it.” Its original Hebrew means, “It is finished” - that is the same remark with the very last cry of Jesus on the cross. In this way he saw through his Lord, his fortress and his personal Lord Jesus Christ who suffered and died for his sins and all mankind. When he had a deep personal relationship with God, he was like a tree planted by streams of water yielding its fruits in season and out of season.
I heard that some of our second gen children want to escape from UBF when they go to colleges because they want to experience life differently. I understand where they’re coming from. But it may not necessarily be the best choice. I pray that they may make good their escape in the living words of God and find themselves in the Lord very personally and grow as godly leaders like David.
Also I can not miss one more point that David must have learned from Samuel who shepherds over him through spiritual battle. It reminds me of our recent daily bread from the book of Jeremiah. In such a tender age, God anointed Jeremiah, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” God pointed out to him by saying that I have put my words in your mouth. It means that God’s word has absolute authority and power of creation as well as final judgement. Samuel also must have understood this and rather than being despaired in those days when all Israel did as they saw fit, he carried God’s vision that a group of prophets were light of the world. So Samuel brought up disciples although he had to retire early. In this way he focused on raising up many young Bible teachers filled with Spirit and they were able to teach the absolute and sovereign will of true King, Jesus Christ.
Last week we were literally overwhelmed by breaking news in America such as Boston bombings, highly poisonous (risin) letters, and the explosion in Texas. So we are naturally getting concerned about daily safety. But regardless of all happenings, God is in control because he is the owner of our history. So we put trust in him, his authority, and obey his will. May the Lord help us to raise up many disciples in this generation to serve all nations. In this way America may be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation once again.
In 1995 when I came here, I dreamt many dreams to be a successful missionary. But soon I was like David at this passage who met many difficulties and challenges. For instance when we tried to bring our first son Moses to CA from Korea, it looked like it would be impossible for several years. But when we learned to pray without giving up, God brought him here at his right time. Also when we had hard time receiving green cards for more than 9 years, miraculously it was granted in his right time after proper faith training. Msn Esther had a difficult situation due to one patient’s complaint to CA dental board, but God sent the best attorney to defend her. Her attorney then passed away one month after he’d represented her and handled her case skillfully. In many other cases God took care of us again and again with his abundant mercy and grace.
I had to rely on Jonathan like sacrificial servants; M. Isaac Kim or M. John Kwon to survive. Also thanks to my wife’s faith and prayer, I was able to continue to stay in this mission field. Since then I have gradually learned how to rely on the Lord himself. God helped me to lean on His word of promise and helped me to pray earnestly before the Lord. So I learned the fact that like David, ultimately it is hinged upon my personal faith and trust in the Lord in any situation. So I couldn’t but come to the conclusion that God is living and still working in my life so that his purpose may stand powerfully and it is fulfilled by his own zeal and grace. Like Samuel’s group of prophets by God’s grace I’ve been participating in Bible note committee and messenger’s meeting. Like David I am able to boldly confess and conclude that I am in the safest place in the world as long as there is the authority of God’s word and the clear purpose of world mission in my heart. Praise our faithful sovereign Lord who recharges us with His living words so that we could submit ourselves to his will and authority. Through preparing this passage I renewed my heart to live by faith. I may continually make good escape in Him in this short life and render glory to the Lord. When I am struggling to make disciples, I can be faced with some conflicts and misunderstandings. But through the Spring Bible conference, I learned of Jesus’ suffering to be humiliated until he became a man of complete obedience to the will and authority of God his heavenly Father and bring salvation to all sinners on earth by saying, “It is finished!” Through God’s vision, I saw that all young students may know Jesus deeply. May the Lord have mercy on me and increase my personal faith so that I may continually claim victory night and day to render glory to Him. David points out in Psalm 34:19, “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all” Amen.
One word: David made good his escape
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