Old Testament Scriptural Summaries and Commentary

1 Samuel, Chapters 18, 19, 20, (21-22) 23-24

Gospel Doctrine Class, Sunday School Lesson 23 -

"The Lord be Between Thee and Me For Ever"

1 Samuel 18  Saul becomes jealous of David

After David kills Goliath and comes before King Saul with the severed head of the slain Philistine, Jonathan, Saul's son, made a covenant [of friendship] with David, "because he loved him as his own soul" (vv. 18:1, 3).  "And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle" (v. 18:4). And Saul set David over the "men of war" [his army].  When next David and the king returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, the women of all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing saying, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands!" (v. 18:7).  This saying displeased Saul [made him jealous], "And Saul eyed David from that day and forward" (v. 18:9).  The next day an evil spirit came over Saul and he threw a javelin at David as he sat playing his instrument, but David escaped and left Saul's presence (vv. 18:10-11).

"And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul" (v. 18:12).  Saul saw that David "behaved himself very wisely"  and that all Israel and Judah loved David because "he went out and came in [victoriously] before them" (vv. 18:14-16).  Then Saul's daughter Michal encountered David and loved him from the first (v. 18:20).  Once again Saul plotted against David saying, "I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him" (v. 18:21). 

And he gave David permission to marry Michal.  However, since David had no dowry, Saul required that he bring him "one hundred foreskins of the Philistines" that he kills in the next battle; [hoping that David would be killed].  And according to the scripture, "David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and they gave the full tale [number] to the king that he might be the king's son in law.  And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife" (v. 18:27).  "And Saul became David's enemy continually…but David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul" and the people knew and loved him (vv. 18:29-30).

 1 Samuel 19  Saul seeks to kill David

Now Saul gave his servants and  his son, Jonathan, a command that they should kill David (v. 19:1).  Jonathan was a covenant friend of David.  The same night that he heard Saul's command, he warned David to hide himself "in a secret place."  The next day Jonathan went to his father in the field where David was hiding and reminded him of all the good that David had done for Israel and Saul softened and said, "As the LORD liveth he shall not be slain."  And David returned to the kings house (vv. 19:2-7).

And when there was another battle with the Philistines, David once again "slew them with a great slaughter" (v. 19:8).  After the battle David was playing his lyre for the court and Saul again took a javelin and threw it at David but it missed him and hit the wall.  David fled and escaped with the help of his wife, Michal, and went to Samuel at Naioth where the prophets schooled in Ramah (v. 19:9-18).  Three times Saul sent messengers to "take David" but the spirit of God came upon them and each time they prophesied with the prophets.  Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and he too was momentarily overcome with the spirit of the Lord and stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel…"all that day and all that night" (vv. 19:19-24).

1 Samuel 20  David looks for help from Jonathan

David left Samuel at Ramah and went to Jonathan for help.  David said to his friend, "What have I done? What is mine iniquity? And what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?" (v. 20:1).  David and Jonathan make a covenant and form a plan that David will wait for three days while Jonathan tries to determine a course of action (vv. 20:16-17).  As David hides by the stone Ezel, as a sign to David, Jonathan will shoot three arrows as though shooting at a mark.  He will send a lad to fetch the arrows and say to him "there is peace to thee, and no hurt" if David is safe, but if he says to the lad "Behold the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away," David will hear and know to flee.  And Jonathan said to David, "behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever" (vv. 20:20-23).

On the second day, Saul asks why David hasn't come to eat and Jonathan said he had gone to Beth-lehem to see his brethren.  And Saul was angry that Jonathan had seen David and let him get away (vv. 20:27-29).  And, Saul cursed Jonathan and threw a javelin at him and it missed its target.  Jonathan "in fierce anger" was ashamed of his father and left him (vv. 20:33-34). And Jonathan went to the field and shot the arrows beyond the mark.  When the lad had gathered the arrows, Jonathan sent him into the city.  Then Jonathan met David near his hiding place and told him; "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD saying, the LORD be between me and thee and my seed and thy seed for ever."  So David departed and Jonathan went back into the city (vv. 20: 35-42).

1 Samuel 21-22 David goes to Nob and Gath/Saul kills all prophets and people of Nob 

And David escapes to the Tabernacle in Nob to Ahimelech, the priest.  David asks him for food and a sword.  Ahimelech gives him shew bread and the very sword of Goliath which was at Nob.  A man named Doeg, the Edomite, recognizes David and leaves to tell King Saul.  David realizes his peril and decides to hide in Gath the city of Goliath where Achish is king.  When he is recognized, he pretends to be crazy.  The scripture states, he "scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard." Achish, seeing "the man is mad," sends him away(vv. 21:13-15). 

David escapes to the cave Adullam and his family came to him there.  The people of Israel who were "discontented" began to join with David—numbering about four hundred men; and he was captain over them (v. 22:2).   Now David knew his family was in danger from Saul, so he takes them to Moab to the king whose hatred for Saul made him sympathetic to David and his family; and they stay there in safety.  [David is the great-grandson of Ruth, who had been a Moabite woman.]  And David was joined by "a seer" named Gad who remained with him for many years (see 1 Chronicles 21:9) (v. 22:5). 

Meanwhile, the man Doeg had gone to Saul and told him that David received bread and a sword from Ahimelech, the priest, at Nob.  Saul brought all the priests and all of Ahimelech's family to Gilbeah.  In a rage of anger he told his servants to kill all of them, but they refused.  Then he commanded Doeg, and he killed all of the prophets and Ahimelech and his family [eighty-five people] (v. 22:18).  Then, Doeg and his servants go to Nod and kill all the people and all the animals there.  But one of Ahimelech's son, Abiathar, escapes and goes to David with the terrible story.  David tells Abiathar to "fear not" as he is safe with him (vv 22:19-23) 

1 Samuel 23-24 David hides from Saul/David refuses to kill Saul 

David has gathered a small army of about six hundred men who are with him.  He goes to Keilah [in the lowlands of Judah (http://biblehub.com)] and fights the Philistines.  "So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah" (v. 23:5).  Jonathan meets David in the woods and makes another covenant with him saying, "Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel" (vv. 23:17-18).  And David hides in the wilderness of Ziph and the wilderness of Maon, south of Jeshimon and Saul chased after him.  But Saul was summoned away to war against the Philistines.  And David went…and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi (v. 23:29).

When Saul returns from war, he learns that David is in En-gedi.  And he takes three thousand men and goes there to search for him.  Saul enters into a cave to relieve himself not knowing that David and his men are hiding in the hollows of the cave.  "David arose and cut off the skirt [hem or corner] of Saul's robe," but refuses to kill Saul "seeing that he is the anointed of the LORD" (vv. 24:1-6).  David follows Saul out of the cave and when he is a distance away he holds up the piece of cloth from Saul's robe.  He tells Saul that he was close enough to kill him, then he said, "There is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it" (vv. 24:9-11). 

Now Saul has a moment of humility and said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.  And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not" (vv. 24:17-18).  And he tells David he knows that he will surely be king of Israel and he asks him to swear that he will not cut off his seed or destroy his name out of his father's house.  "And David sware unto Saul; but David and his men gat them [went] up unto the [strong] holds" [to hide in the caves] (v. 24:22).