Saul Tries to Kill David

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

In chapter 19, we see King Saul working out his previous decision, that Saul would be “David’s enemy continually” (18:29b). Let’s see how that works out for the King.

1 Samuel 19:18-24

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”
23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

In our last post, I didn’t mention the “messengers” King Saul sent on the night David escaped, those men who Michal noticed and warned David of. This passage continues with the use of this term, and it typically refers to those who are messengers, a man (or men) who are dispatched as a deputy. Many times the term is used to describe an angel from God, but when I see it attached to the description of men sent by King Saul to find his enemy David, I fear the term takes on a different connotation.

These messengers are not simply bringing David information, but they are under orders to take David. Three times in our last passage and now Saul is frustrated three more times with his “messengers” in this passage. Three different companies of messengers, each of them struck by God, and ending up prophesying.

Get that picture in your mind now. Hit men sent out by the evil king, closing in on the enemy, and when within striking distance, falling under the Spirit of God. These murderous men actually prophesying, being out of themselves, without control of their facilities!

Enough! Saul was going to take care of this himself. Notice that even after 3 trips by different companies of messengers, David and Samuel had not begun to run and hide. They were in Naioth in Ramah when the first messengers sought them out, and they were in Naioth in Ramah when Saul finally sought them out himself.

David and Samuel were not running. They were standing, and watching the Lord protect them. Why run?

Nevertheless, Saul made it to the refuge of Samuel, and even as he ventured to the camp, he fell under the Spirit of God.

The last spirit that Saul was controlled by was a harmful spirit, back in an earlier passage. Now he is prophesying under the Spirit of God, incapable of resisting the power of God, restricted from his wishes and sprawled out on the ground all night and all day.

The king of Israel being halted by God from his murderous intentions, and yet we know that in his next breath, he will continue in his murderous intentions. Even though God has personally guarded David in this instance.

How illogical is the one without faith. A man controlled by his baser character, his frustrations fueling further and further ridiculous efforts, straining to find a solution outside of God’s will.

Saul is a man to be much pitied!

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