1 Samuel 19: 8-17

“Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch, in order to put him to death in the morning….So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped.”

1 Samuel 19:11,12

The line between faith and presumption is often a matter of choosing our battles.

The line between faith and presumption is very thin, and often it is exceedingly difficult to discern. We read of mighty acts of faith in the Scriptures and we truly believe that nothing is too difficult for God. Yet, we also hear highly presumptuous claims made in the name of faith that seem to far exceed Biblical warrant and perhaps even common decency. How can we know the difference? How can we prudently discern what God would have us do? In this passage, David provides us with an example of believing prudence and demonstrates that faith sometimes chooses NOT to fight.

In his irrational determination to kill David, Saul had become increasing desperate. God had thwarted Saul’s every scheme to this point, turning them to David’s advantage. Despite his destructive intent, David was now his son-in-law and continued to win great victories for Israel. Saul then returned to direct action, seeking first to kill David himself and, when that failed, sending his henchmen to watch David’s house with instructions to kill him in the morning. For David, the situation was desperate, and the threat to his life was real. So David fled for his life in the middle of the night, sneaking out a back window with the help of his wife. No doubt he expected to return after Saul’s mood changed. But Saul’s mood did not change this time and this flight was the beginning of a seven-year ordeal for David: living on the run, obsessively hunted by Saul, under constant threat of death.

Why didn’t David just stand up and fight? After all, God had miraculously given Goliath into his hand. Certainly God could have delivered David from this situation also, had David chosen to fight. Perhaps if he had stood his ground and seen the Lord’s deliverance, Saul would have cancelled the death sentence and the long exile could have been avoided. But instead, David ran. Was this a result of unbelief? No. This situation was entirely different from the one with Goliath and David understood that. And despite the fact that his decision resulted in great hardship and struggle, David made the correct choice. It would have been presumption to stand and fight; it was an exercise of faith to flee.

In this case, the line between faith and presumption was as simple as the difference between fighting God’s enemies and fighting God’s people. In an earlier devotional (on 1 Samuel 17:45-47), we discovered that David was clearly aware that faith focused on the glory of God, God’s testimony in the world and the strengthening of God’s people. Fighting Goliath met each of these criteria and so a step of faith was warranted. However, had David chosen to fight in this present situation, he would have dishonored God, destroyed His testimony in the world and discouraged God’s people. Knowing this, David trusted God to provide for him in some other way. Although he had been hurt and betrayed, in all his years of fleeing from Saul, David never fought against God’s people. Twice, Saul fell into his hand, and David refused to harm the man he still called “the Lord’s anointed.” And the one time he seemed poised to fight against Israel (1 Samuel 29:1ff), God intervened and prevented him from doing so. The last thing David wanted to do was to harm Israel in any way.

In the press of painful events, it is difficult to discern between faith and presumption. It’s especially difficult because we often confuse God’s plan with our desires, His promises with our goals and His glory with our victory. But faith shifts our focus from self to God. David demonstrates that faith chooses its battles, and will willingly choose personal loss to avoid bringing harm to Christ’s Church. This is the path our Savior walked – choosing betrayal and death for the sake of His Church. Sometimes, even when we are in the right, it is better for us and for the Church to avoid the fight. How much damage to God’s people could be avoided - how much destruction of the testimony of God before a watching world – if God’s people would entrust themselves to a God of justice and allow themselves to be wronged and defrauded for the sake of Christ! (see 1 Corinthians 6:7) David realized that not every opponent is a Goliath and that faith fights at times and flees at others. May God grant us the grace to choose our battles wisely, acting in faith and not in presumption.

1 Samuel 19: 1-7

The next several chapters in 1Samuel discuss the period of time in David’s life when he lived under constant threat of by the hand of King Saul. David spent much of this time in the wilderness, hiding from Saul’s soldiers. This section provides an extended illustration of the dangers of the Christian life - the life of faith in which we often seem to be under threat or in danger or experiencing tribulation. But as we consider these chapters, we need to remember that in David’s case, as well as in our own, these trials are not the result of God’s inability to bring about change or deliverance. God is able to rescue us from any and all circumstances. So, why does God allow such circumstances to exist and (occasionally) even predominate in our lives? Frankly, God more clearly evidences His grace and power through a life sustained in the midst of dangers and trials than through a tranquil and effortless existence. Not only that, but God also uses trials to sanctify, train and prepare us for His later use. Our Savior experienced much tribulation and we are encouraged to “consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that we may not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb. 12:3) David’s trials were a foreshadowing of the tribulations endured by Christ in much the same way as our trials are a sharing in Christ’s sufferings. They enable us to identify with Christ more closely and encourage us through His example of faithfulness. God willing, as we study David’s trials we will learn many lessons about remaining faithful in difficult times and about God’s gracious provision for those He loves.

We begin this section with a lesson from Jonathan, who provides us with an example of how the godly respond to sin.

Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you.”

1 Samuel 19:4

A godly rebuke can often forestall the commission of sin.

In his jealousy and fear, Saul had commanded his servants (and Jonathan) to kill David. Jonathan was in a quandary, for not only was he loyal to his father, the king, but he had also pledged himself to be David’s friend. Furthermore, Jonathan was a godly man whose heart was grieved to witness this kind of tension and hatred. How was he to handle this situation? Obviously, since Saul had already issued the command, Jonathan couldn’t just wait to see what would happen. That would almost certainly result in David’s . On the other hand, Jonathan couldn’t openly oppose Saul, since that would be rightly construed as a violation of his loyalty to the king. Still, Jonathan recognized that, if this command was carried out, Saul would be guilty of a great sin. So he chose to jeopardize his own relationship with Saul by confronting and rebuking him.

Not knowing how the situation would turn out, Jonathan urged David to take precautions and to hide while he spoke to Saul. Then, while walking with his father in the field, Jonathan spoke openly about David, praising his loyalty, his bravery and his innocence. He then rebuked Saul for commanding the of David, calling it a sin against . Jonathan also spoke to Saul about the positive effect of David’s actions and how they had reflected well upon Saul and upon Israel. The rebuke was wisely phrased, it was truthful and it was spoken in a loving fashion. Saul listened to his son and retracted his decree, opening the way for David’s restoration to the court. Because of his love for both Saul and David, Jonathan willingly placed himself in the middle, hazarding his own favor with Saul to keep him from sin and to save David’s life.

Notice that this rebuke was effective, even though it was addressed to an unbeliever. Saul had already been forsaken by God and had little, if any, fear of God left in his life. Yet, he retained his conscience – the voice of God’s law in his soul. He still knew right from wrong. Jonathan’s appeal to Saul’s conscience deflected (for a time) his intention to kill David. This godly rebuke broke through Saul’s hardness, bringing about a change of mind (if not of heart). Wisely, Jonathan strengthened his argument by an appeal to Saul’s self-interest. He reminded Saul of how valuable David was to him – of the good press than David was generating for Saul’s administration. Consequently, Saul’s sin was restrained and a measure of peace was restored.

How thankful we should be for those true friends who are willing to face our displeasure by rebuking us! When they do this, they are keeping our feet on the path of life. It is God’s mercy to us that He has also given us the sharp sword of His word, along with faithful ministers who preach it, for the purpose of rebuking us in our sin. Since we receive this mercy, we also ought to extend this mercy to others – even at the risk of losing their favor. Godly rebuke has fallen out of favor in this culture of universal tolerance and political correctness. It is much more common to pass over or ignore sin for the sake of maintaining peace. However, this account teaches us that peace does not come through accommodating sin but through wise, truthful, loving confrontation of sin. (This, by the way, is a lesson that every faithful minister must learn!) Proverbs 16:30 states, “He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.” God’s people are too often silent, bringing evil to pass, when we ought to follow the example of Jonathan, speaking up for the right. Who knows what God would do through us if we were faithful to speak up against sin?

He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor

Than he who flatters with the tongue.

Prov. 28:23

A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding

Than a hundred blows into a fool.

Prov. 17:10

1 Samuel 18:20,21

Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable to him. And Saul thought, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.”

1 Samuel 18:20,21

Often, the Lord protects His people from threats they do not see.

“No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper.” Is. 54:17 The Lord is the Protector of His people – a task that He often accomplishes without our realizing it. Only heaven will reveal how often our Heavenly Father has shielded us from secret attacks and kept us safe in situations which were far more dangerous than we knew. The fact that God sovereignly and providentially controls all of our circumstances brings us tremendous comfort, especially when we see examples in Scripture of His protecting hand.

We find such a case in the life of David. In 1Samuel 18:20-30, we read of another attempt by Saul to rid himself of David. Direct action had failed, so Saul turned to treachery. The revelation that David and Michal were in love presented Saul with an opportunity to remove David by the hand of Israel’s mortal enemies, the Philistines. Since David was poor, he would never be able to afford the dowry for a king’s daughter. So, with the appearance of great generosity, Saul offered to accept a different kind of dowry: conclusive proof that David had killed 100 Philistines. From Saul’s vantage point, this plot had several great advantages. First, it would result in a number of Philistine deaths – something that would please Israel. Second, it would almost certainly result in David’s death at the hands of the enemies of Israel, making David a great hero/martyr. And finally, the plot would keep Saul’s hands completely clean. Perfect. (The parallels between this plot and David’s similar execution of Uriah are too strong to ignore.)

Saul played his hand skillfully – using intermediaries to encourage David in his desire to become the king’s son-in-law, and to present him with the alternative dowry proposal. Saul never even talked to David directly, so he had complete deniability. And to encourage sufficient recklessness on David’s part, Saul set a time limit. (v. 26) Once the trap was sprung, all the king had to do was sit back and wait for the Philistines to do his dirty work.

The best part of this scheme was that David didn’t even suspect what Saul planned. He was so smitten with Michal that he was willing to do anything to have her for his wife. Not only that, but his incentive was vastly increased since, by marrying her, David would become a member of the Israelite nobility and join the king’s household all at one stroke. And all he had to do was kill 100 Philistines – a requirement that played to his strengths as a warrior. [We need to understand that this task was far more difficult than it might appear to us. The Philistines were a warrior culture, a branch of the Sea People and related to the Minoans and the Greeks. They often trained their sons for war from childhood (see 17:33) and had gained their lands in Palestine through conquest. They were also more technologically advanced than Israel, having learned to work iron much earlier than the bronze-age Israelite farmers. This difference between bronze and iron may explain some of David’s affection for Goliath’s sword. (See 1 Sam. 21:9)]

But David was God’s anointed. God had committed Himself to place David on the throne. And so, God protected David in this situation. How He did it is instructive: He didn’t reveal the plot to David, nor did He disrupt David’s rather ambitious plans for gaining the dowry. Rather, the Lord left the plot in place, allowing Saul to think he had succeeded. God then enabled David to kill, not just 100, but 200 of the Lord’s enemies. Imagine Saul’s fury when David walked in with twice the amount required and placed the dowry at Saul’s feet! Once again the Lord had demonstrated He was with David. Saul saw this clearly (v. 28) and it made him fear David even more.

Rather than destroy David, this plot actually advanced David’s reputation and position. He was now an acknowledged military champion, he was the king’s son-in-law, he had the love of the king’s daughter, he was the wisest of Saul’s commanders, and “his name was highly esteemed.” God caused “all things to work together for good” in David’s case – all without his knowledge.

This principle is the same for all of God’s people. We are God’s chosen ones, anointed with His Holy Spirit, called to be members of His royal family and destined to be Christ’s bride. And although we have a deadly enemy who plots against us constantly, we also have a Heavenly Father who watches over and protects us. Often, the very things our enemy intends for our downfall are turned by God into great blessings. This frequently happens without our knowledge. Frankly, we don’t need to know. It is enough for us to know that our Father is committed to our good. (Phil. 1:6) This way, He gets all the glory. Imagine the stories of narrow escapes and almost-disasters we will learn in heaven – long after our journey is over. God’s gracious protection will only add to our songs of praise and worship for all eternity. By faith, we should begin that song now.

Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come;

‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

1 Samuel 18:10,11

Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand. And Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.

1 Samuel 18: 10,11

The Lord’s presence and blessing don’t guarantee an easy life.

David had now become a regular part of Saul’s retinue and was permanently at court. This raised the level of danger for him, while at the same time, he shone even more brightly as the Lord prospered him. Clearly, God was with David and had been since he was anointed to succeed Saul. This blessing – especially as it was recognized by the public - only served to anger Saul more. The verses above indicate how far Saul was prepared to go to rid himself of David. And these were just the first of Saul’s attempts in a seven-year vendetta against David.

The text says “an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul.” We have already been told that God had forsaken Saul. This spirit is no doubt a demon that was allowed by God (as He allowed Satan to attack Job) to influence Saul’s thinking. But note that the result of this allowance was the accomplishment of God’s will in both David and Saul. No doubt a large part of Saul’s on-going frustration was that every plot he hatched for David’s destruction was turned by God for good. (Rom. 8:28) The result of this was that Saul spiraled downward from suspicion to anger and ous intentions to fear and, eventually, to dread. (vv. 9-15) It was clear that God was with David and that Saul’s destructive designs were being hindered.

What had David done to deserve this kind of treatment? Had he sinned in some fashion and so was subjected to this kind of abuse? Had he suddenly lost God’s favor? No, these circumstances were also part of God’s loving providence in David’s life. His next seven years as a fugitive, hiding in caves and running for his life, were ordained by God for David’s sanctification and for God’s glory. Now, many modern Christians would say that if David had simply had enough faith, he would have been able to avoid or nullify these difficult situations. They believe and teach that faith is the guaranteed route to a disease-free, wealthy, well-adjusted, abundant life. Yet the Bible reveals a much more robust and realistic life of faith in which God protects His people – not by removing them from their difficulties – but in the midst of those very difficulties. We have only to think of the three Hebrew children in Daniel to see a vivid example of this principle. For, you see, God often receives greater glory when His people go through the fire in faith than He would if they never faced adversity.

So, it is Biblically incorrect to gauge the Lord’s blessing by the external circumstances of a believer’s life. This was the mistake made by Job’s comforters – a mistake for which they were rebuked by God. And it is a mistake we often make ourselves as we interpret our own circumstances. When confronted by difficulty, we are tempted to ask, “What did I do wrong?” But such a question misrepresents the working of God in our sanctification. God easily could have removed David from these dangers, but these trials were working out God’s plan for his life. These difficult circumstances were trying David’s faith and building his endurance. (James 1:2-4) They were making him into the warrior God needed to unite Israel - a warrior both skilled and wise. They were teaching him about God’s faithfulness in trials (which is a lesson we can learn from David’s experiences as we read through the Psalms). And they were actually increasing his prominence within Israel, laying the groundwork for the day when David would be king. But David knew little of this at the time. All he knew was that he was dodging spears and that his life was in jeopardy.

In all of these trials, David was enabled to escape and to “prosper in all his ways” because “the Lord was with him.” (v.14) God was with him IN the trials, not DESPITE the trials. The trials and difficulties were God’s goodness in David’s life. He was preparing David for the role he would later play as king. This is how God trains leaders – through trials and pain and loneliness and waiting. Once again, we see reflections of our Lord Jesus here. He also “learned obedience through the things that He suffered.” (Heb. 5:8) He also lived a life full of trials and difficulty. And just as David’s trials resulted in the sweetness of the Psalms, so Christ’s trials issued in the far greater sweetness of our redemption. And if the King of kings did not bypass this kind of life, we who are His covenant people should not expect to be “carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease; while others fought to win the prize and sailed through y seas.”

The plain truth is that if you live a godly life, if you walk by faith, you will have enemies. You will also experience your share of trials as you “fill up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” (Col. 1:24) This is part of the cross His people are called to take up daily. But our comfort is that this is the path that leads toward Christlikeness. And, as we walk this path, we are following in the footsteps of “the Author and Perfecter of faith.” (Heb. 12:2) Press on with hope – you will experience God’s protection in the storm even while you are being prepared by your trials for greater usefulness in Christ’s Kingdom.