I SAMUEL 19 lesson # 20
THE SPIRIT OF GOD: PROTECTION OR PERSUATION?
I. Introduction:
Note: In Chapter 18 Saul had twice overtly and twice covertly tried to kill David. We also learn that David is highly successful and loved by Michal and Jonathan and the people of Israel. In the last verse of chapter 18 the author again tells us that David was highly successful and therefore highly esteemed. Given the contradictory views of David, on the one hand by Saul, and on the other hand by Saul’s children and the nation, let me ask you a question.
Q If we are competent, loyal, good and do the right thing, will we always be appreciated and treated well?
An = With this question in mind let us now look at Chapter 19.
II. Three Narrow Escapes: Jonathan, Quickness, Michal. I Samuel 19:1-17.
A. First Escape: Help from Saul’s Son Jonathan. I Samuel 19:1-7.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 19:1-7.
Q Do good friends warn and also speak up for one another, even when it is not politically correct?
An = Notice, Jonathan first hides his friend and then does not over promise, he merely says he will do his best.
Q Is Jonathan’s approach to Saul rational and well reasoned?
Q Why or why not? What is Jonathan’s case?
An = In 19:4 Jonathan appealed to Saul’s morals and sense of fair play. Jonathan brings to the forefront that David has not sinned against him and in fact has been of benefit to Saul. In 19:5 Jonathan appeals to Saul’s sense of gratitude: David risked his life to kill the Philistine, and finally Jonathan points out the serious sin Saul would commit by killing an innocent man. Jonathan makes a good logical case on David’s behalf.
Q Does the appeal by Jonathan temporarily succeed?
An = Yes it does. Notice that Saul takes another oath by God (typical of Saul). David is brought back into the court, but it will be for the last time.
B. Second Escape: Either Be Quick or Be Shish-ke-bob. I Samuel 19:8-10.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 19:8-10
Q What causes Saul to brake his oath and attempt the Shish-ke-bob (meat on a stick) game with David again?
An = According to verse 8 it was David’s success and also verse 9 says an evil spirit from the Lord is also present. The evil spirit from the Lord (the invisible wind-like action of God) forces Saul into the open, at least Saul’s true character is revealed to David.
Q Why did Israel want a king in the first place?
An = Turn to I Samuel 8:19-20 and >> have someone read I Samuel 8:19-20. The original reason for a king was that he would provide military leadership, most probably against the Philistine encroachment. Now that Saul is king, Saul disregards a successful military leader in the person of David.
Q Has Saul lost sight of the reason for his position?
Note: David struck the Philistines (19:8) and now Saul tries to strike David (19:10). In Hebrew the same word, meaning to strike, is used (Davis, p.56). The Philistines fled in 19:8 and then David flees in 19:10. Saul has lost sight of the reason for leadership. It is not to keep it, but to serve the people.
Q Is David paid well for his efforts in bringing victory to the nation?
An = Saul seems to preoccupied with something else besides the welfare of the nation.
C. Third Escape: Help from Saul’s Daughter Michal. I Samuel 19:11-17.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 19:11-17
Q Who saves David’s life this time?
An = The irony is that is it Saul’s own daughter and she lies to protect her father’s enemy. It is Saul’s own children that twice thwart his efforts to murder David.
Q Of these three episodes, how many times does David escape because of his own abilities?
An = Once. If we are to succeed in the world and accomplish what God has desired for us to do then we will only do so with the help of others. At times the help will come from the least likely of sources.
Q Nothing is said of God acting in these three stories, but is God is silently active in protecting David’s life?
An = In the next story we see God move more directly on behalf of his servant, but God was just as surely behind the other escapes as well.
III. Saul’s Encounter With the Spirit of God. I Samuel 19:18-24.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 19:18.
Q To whom does David now go for protection?
An = A man of God. We do not know what Samuel told David, but Samuel is the only one who knows that God has pronounced the end of Saul’s reign.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 19:19-24.
Q How come Saul or his men do not succeed in capturing David?
An = They fall under the influence of the prophesying. Three groups of Saul’s troops have this experience and are unable to arrest David. Finally, Saul has the same experience, but his experience takes place even before he reaches the place where everyone is prophesying.
Note: Perhaps it would help to define a term present in our text: prophesying. In older Hebrew this word took on the meaning of being “under the influence of God’s Spirit”. It seemed to have been connected with being “in ecstasy”. Perhaps we would call it today having a charismatic experience.
Note: Perhaps, it would help to clear up one thing. The word in Hebrew in 19:24 does not necessarily mean naked, and most scholars think what Saul took off was his outer clothing leaving his inner, long, linen tunic on. That was the garment everyone wore near the skin (McCarter, p. 329). What Saul took off was the distinctive clothing that designated his station in life.
Q Is having a charismatic experience a good thing or a bad thing in your estimation?
Q What is Scripture’s attitude about it?
An = Obviously, here Samuel is presiding over them. Samuel is highly regarded by the text and so the behavior must be acceptable. We also learned that Saul had such experiences when he was anointed and such behavior is described as having taken place in Moses’ time (Numbers 11: 24-29), and Moses thought the behavior was positive (Numbers 11:29). The behavior is not widely spread (Numbers 11:25), but it did take place in the Old Testament.
Q How are we to view this type of experience here?
An = Let them answer and then re-ask the question in the following manner?
Q From a negative point of view, what is bad about this experience?
An = First of all, from Saul’s point of view, the experience is negative 1) It prevented him from obtaining his goal, namely the arrest of David, his rival. 2) It allowed David time to escape. 3) It was seemingly embarrassing, he lay prostrate without his outer, kingly robes for a day.
Q From a positive point of view, what is good about the experience?
An = 1) David is saved from being murdered. 2) Saul is prevented from committing murder which was good for him. 3) Anyone who has sensed the presence of God knows that it is pleasant (as any good and true Charismatic will tell you) and this is not the first time Saul has had this experience. It accompanied his anointing as king as helped confirm a great and glorious future for him. Perhaps, this was the Lord trying to remind Saul what it was like to be right with the Lord, as he was in his first encounter, and that first experience with the Lord. It could have been an attempt by the Lord to help Saul see the wrongness of his position. Perhaps, the reason for mentioning the same phrase “Is Saul also among the prophets” again is to remind the reader of Saul’s previous experience. 4) What Saul has taken off are his distinctive clothing, signifying his kingship, and the very thing that he has sold his soul to retain. The very thing that Saul is addicted to and that drives his jealousy is his grasping after the kingship. In this experience, Saul is momentarily freed from this savage preoccupation with maintaining his power as King. When in God’s presence we do not need our distinctive places in society to understand and experience joy. 5) Saul is no longer in control here. Saul is not manipulating God with religious ritual, God is controlling Saul. Perhaps, for a brief day, Saul is free.
Note: I believe this story is God trying to bring Saul to remember His anointing. God does want Saul to repent. This is another action of the Spirit from the Lord, another example of an invisible (though powerful) action of God in the world.
IV. Conclusion:
Three thoughts could be summarized here.
1) Note: What is found to be in common with all four stories is that David escaped (The word escape is found in the Hebrew 5 times in this chapter: 10,11,12,17,18). Two times by the help of a specific individual, once by David’s quickness and finally by the direct action of God’s Spirit.
Q Does God always save in the same way?
An = No, He does not. He uses others, David himself, or the direct action of His Spirit, but all comes from God’s hands. There is tremendous variety here (Davis, pp. 59-60).
2) Q Will God protect His anointed today?
An = Yes, God is sovereign over the highly placed Saul. God is sovereign today of people in power in Christian circles that have gone corrupt. God is at work, even though it looks like leaders like Saul have stopped listening to reason and will lie under oath.
3) Q Will God will save us from trouble, or out of it?
>>>> Close with reading from Psalm 59: 1-4, 16-17.