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Study No.8 : Success Story : 1 Sam 18:1-16

A. Find Out:    

       

1. Who loved David? v.1,16

2. Why were the people pleased? v.5

3. Why was Saul angry and jealous? v.6-8

4. Why did Saul try to kill David? v.10,11

5. Why was Saul afraid of David? v.12,15

6. Why was David successful? v.14

 

B. Think:

1. How is Saul shown to be a man of contrasts here?

2. Why is David so plainly successful?

3. How does his success affect different people?

 

C. Comment:

     Clearly a passage of contrasts! Saul is now becoming a passive king who becomes jealous when others in his service are successful.  Strangely he still prophesies (see back to 10:10) but because he is self centred and disregards the will of God he is vulnerable to the demonic activity that God sends to provoke and stir on this situation. Saul is shown as weak, fearful, jealous and disturbed!

     David by contrast, is successful in everything he does, very simply because the Lord is with him. Success can have different effects. For Jonathan, Saul's son, it stirs faith and his heart is knit together with David's;  for the people, David's success brings a sense of security and joy, but for Saul it just adds to his insecurity and brings jealousy.

     Why should the Lord send an evil spirit? Look back to Study No.2. The reason the Lord may be using it may be twofold: first as a means of disciplining Saul, seeking to turn him back, and second, as a means of separating David off from Saul.

      It is not God's intention that David will spend the rest of his life serving Saul. David is now God's anointed king and he has to go through God's training course for it! David is going to walk a strange path before he actually becomes king, but along the way he will learn many things.

 

D. Application:

1. Disobedience & self will make us vulnerable to enemy attack.

2. Obedience to God brings His blessing.

   

Study No.9 : Blessed are the Peacemakers : 1 Sam 19:1-10

A. Find Out:

       

1. What instructions does Saul give? v.1

2. Of what does Jonathan remind Saul? v.5

3. With what result? v.6

4. What was David able to do subsequently? v.7

5. What did David continue to do? v.8

6. Yet what did Saul do again and why? v.9,10

 

B. Think:

1. How did Jonathan go about being a peacemaker?

2. Yet what caused further division between Saul and David?

3. What is the lesson here in respect of Saul?

 

C. Comment:

    Saul, we said above, was weak, jealous and disturbed. This insecure king is threatened by the godly young man with God's blessing on him, and the only way he sees to deal with the threat is to destroy David.  We then see the love and diplomacy of Jonathan at work which, for a while, seems to calm Saul and allow David to be restored to his position in the court. But very soon Saul is again disturbed by an evil spirit and tries yet again to kill David.

     Observe again, this is demonic activity sent by the Lord.  If we didn't take it in the first time, we ought to be getting it by the third time!  The foundation of Saul's life is wrong - he is in rebellion against God, and therefore he is vulnerable to enemy attack. When the Lord wants to move the situation on a bit, He simply allows the enemy permission to come against Saul. 

     While Saul is in a wrong attitude and wrong relationship in respect of the Lord, he may try to contain it, but the truth is that it is just a situation waiting to explode.  It is like that with every person who doesn't respond properly to the Lord.  It is just a crisis waiting to happen.  The Lord knows David can move faster than Saul and so He allows Saul to be further provoked.

 

D. Application:

1. Do we understand what it means that “God is sovereign”?

2. God's knowledge and wisdom is unlimited. Worship Him!

Study No.10 : Friendship : 1 Sam 20:1-17

A. Find Out:

       

1. Of what was David sure? v.1-3

2. When did he say this would become obvious? v.5-7

3. What did Jonathan say he would DO for David?

                 a) v.4   b) v.9   c) v.12   d) v.13

4. What did Jonathan ask in return?

                 a) v.14   b) v.15

5. So what did they both do? v.16,17

 

B. Think:

1. How did Jonathan appear somewhat naive?

2. Yet how does he show himself committed to David?

3. What was David's worry all along?

 

C. Comment:

     Jonathan's heart had become one with David (see 18:1) but that is now about to be tried and tested. David is sure that Saul is out to kill him (having had a spear thrown at him twice and having sent men to capture David (see 19:20 ). Jonathan, perhaps for expediency denies this, yet he had been instructed by his father to kill David (see 19:1) and he had in fact already warned David (19:2). Perhaps now he is simply not wanting to believe the truth about his father, for love sometimes blinds to the truth!

     As they discuss this together, David points out that this will become obvious if Saul becomes angry when David doesn't turn up at the next planned feast. David challenges Jonathan as to their relationship and Jonathan strongly declares his allegiance to David and promises to tell him if his father is antagonistic towards him. Eventually the two recommit themselves to each other by means of a solemn oath, i.e. they make a covenant.

     Here in this story we have an example of true friendship, that expresses concern for the other, that seeks the well being and security and protection of the other, even when it offends another relationship.

 

D. Application:

1. Do we know friendship on this level?

2. Deep friendship protects and looks for the well-being of the other.

Study No.11 : Two Sorts of Anger : 1 Sam 20:18-34

A. Find Out:

       

1. On who did Jonathan call to be witness to their plan? v.23

2. So where did David go? v.24

3. What was Saul's eventual response to David's absence? v.30,31

4. How did Jonathan respond? v.32

5. What was Saul's response to that? v.33

6. What did Jonathan feel and why? v.34

 

B. Think:

1. What's the aim of the plan David & Jonathan agreed on?

2. How is Jonathan's heart contrasted with Saul's?

3. What was it that was driving Saul to these lengths?

 

C. Comment:

     As they plan on how to find out Saul's intentions in respect of David, they devise a means whereby Jonathan can find out and then communicate it to David without anyone else realising what he is doing. The festival comes and David is not there and soon Saul's sense of frustration blows up in anger.

     It is here that we should note two sorts of anger expressed in this passage. First there is the unrighteous anger of Saul. It is built on frustration because he wants to kill David but David is not there. Wrong anger comes in us mostly out of self defence or out of frustration. We become angry when we feel we are under attack, and there may be something of that in Saul as he feels his credibility, and even the future of his kingdom (v.31) is under attack from this up and coming star, David.  We also become angry when we are frustrated, when we feel unable to do things we feel we ought to be able to do, but cant, just like Saul here.

     The second sort of anger is the righteous anger shown by Jonathan, that rises up in the face of unrighteousness and injustice. The correct way of dealing with any sort of anger is to pour out before the Lord the feelings we have and look to Him for resolution.

 

D. Application:

1. Confess to the Lord any anger you have and acknowledge why.

2. Leave the causes in His hands and receive His grace to cope.

   

Study No.12 : Parting : 1 Sam 20:32-42

A. Find Out:

       

1. Where did Jonathan shoot the arrows? v.36

2. Of what was this a sign? Look back to v.22

3. Of what was the servant boy aware? v.39

4. What did David and Jonathan feel at parting? v.42

5. How did they part? v.42

 

B. Think:

1. How must Jonathan have had divided loyalties?

2. How must David have felt leaving on this occasion?

 

C. Comment:

     First let's note this simple performance. This acting out of archery practice is really for Jonathan to communicate bad news without himself being suspected. He fires, possibly over a valley, or at least over some distance and calls to his servant using a message that David, hidden nearby will understand. As there is now no one else around Jonathan sends the servant home and says his farewells to David.

     This friendship of David and Jonathan has all the hallmarks of a noble relationship. There is nothing in this strong manly friendship that smacks of modern day homosexuality which has so debased the concept of deep friendship and even love between members of the same sex.  These are two warriors, nothing effeminate about them, yet there is a strong bond of loyalty. Now it is at this point that we see the difference from modern day homosexuality. The friendship here looked to the best for the other, not the best for themselves. Jonathan looked for the safety of David (protection from Saul's intentions) and David looked for the protection of Jonathan (in the way the message was conveyed without exposing him).

     From this point on David is no longer part of the king's court. He will be on his own from now on. He will only ever meet Jonathan once more. The tragedy is that Jonathan goes home, yet this is loyalty to his father.  There, all that awaits him is eventual death!   

 

D. Application:

1. Friendship and loyalty can be pure and holy and noble.

2. Friendship may sometimes cause divided loyalties.

Study No.13 : Desperate Plight : 1 Sam 21:1-15

A. Find Out:

       

1. What did David want from the priest? v.3

2. What else did he want? v.8

3. To whom did David then flee? v.10

4. How did his servants refer to David? v.11

5. How did David feel when he was recognised? v.12

6. What did he do therefore? v.13

 

B. Think:

1. Read Matthew 12:3-7   How was Jesus using this story?

2. What does it say about David's state that he fled to an enemy city?

3. Read Psalm 56, especially v.11, written at this time.

 

C. Comment:

     This was a desperate time for David. Saul has a warrant out for his arrest and death, and he doesn't know where to turn. His first need is for provisions so he goes to the priest, Ahimelech for help.  However Ahijah, Ahimelech's brother was spiritual advisor to Saul (see 14:3 & 22:9) so David didn't feel he could be completely open with him.  So he tells him a story of half truths and receives food and a weapon.  David is far from perfect but he is God's anointed and so the Lord will not reject him for these minor failings in desperate times.

     David feels insecure in Israel so flees out of the country to the land of the Philistines; that is the extent of his desperation. Once he gets there he is recognised and is under threat again.  His only way out is to pretend to be insane.

     This is not a glorious part of David's story but it does show the depths of despair that he went to. He is a man on the run for his life.   So far all he has known is the security of family life and fighting a known enemy with acceptance of his own people.  Now he is a fugitive.   Like other leaders of old, Abram, Jacob, Joseph and Moses, he has to go through a time of severe testing before he will come into his own. God allows it for much of benefit will happen in it.   

 

D. Application:

1. God does not reject us for minor failings. Grace prevails!

2. God's testing and proving grounds are often uncomfortable!

RECAP No.2  "Upset & Escape"  1 Sam 18-21

SUMMARY :  

         

In this second group of 6 studies we have seen :

- Saul's attempt to kill David

- Jonathan speaking to Saul on David's behalf

- the friendship between David and Jonathan

- Jonathan's second attempt to speak to Saul

- David having to leave because of Saul's hatred

- David fleeing to the enemy camp

 

COMMENT :

     There are times when we might wonder what is happening.  David had been anointed by Samuel and everything had been going well, but suddenly, because it was going so well, Saul is upset with David, so upset that he wants him dead! There is only one way out - to leave quickly!  What future is there for David? What about God's blessing on him?  So we also think sometimes in the face of adverse circumstances.  The lesson is the same: hang on, it will come good.  God doesn't waste His words; they will be fulfilled.

 

LESSONS?

1. Success of the righteous often brings fear and opposition from the unrighteous.

2. Friends are also peacemakers.

3. Purity in friendship is a blessing from God

4. Circumstances don't always work out the way we would want.

5. Sometimes we can get pushed into wild extremes but the lord doesn't give up on us.

 

PRAY :

     Thank the Lord for friendships. Pray that as a friend you may also be a peacemaker like Jonathan.

 

PART 3 : "On the Run (Pt.1)"

     In this next Part we will see what happened to David now he was on his own. In particular watch for the way this man on the run still turns to the Lord for guidance. Merely because he is out in the cold with Saul, it doesn't mean he is with God.