1 Samuel 18-19
1 Samuel 18-19; Pss 6, 7
As one progresses through the historical books of the Old Testament, they should pay especially close attention to the Psalms, for they provide vital commentary on the events therein. Likewise, without the historical books, the Psalms would have little meaning; to best understand them, as much as possible one should read them in conjunction with the kinds of events which inspired their composition. Pss 6 and 7 are foundational for understanding the events of 1 Samuel. In Ps 6, most likely a David prayer, the text says, “The LORD has heard my plea for help; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror; they will turn back and suddenly be disgraced” (vv. 9-10). David’s need for deliverance in King Saul’s palace would be the first of many such episodes throughout his life. Similarly, David’s pleas for divine aid were most often—as was the case in 1 Sam 18-19—from an innocent heart: “LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice on my hands, if I have done harm to one at peace with me or have plundered my adversary without cause, may an enemy pursue and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust” (Ps 7.3-5).
1 Sam 18 records David’s initial success—and Saul’s vengeful response; the chapter has three distinct movements:
- After David’s triumph over Goliath, “Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house” (v. 2). Seeing that David “was successful in everything Saul sent him to do” (v. 5), the king put the young shepherd boy in command of the soldiers. While Saul didn’t expect that David’s popularity would soon become a threat to his reign, Jonathan’s affection for him—and the dancing and song of the women who honored his victories in battle—aroused Saul’s wrath (vv. 8-9)
- In vengeance Saul directly attacked David (vv. 10-11)
- Saul orchestrated a ruse for David’s demise at the hand of the Philistines, even using his daughters as ‘bait’ (vv. 12-30). Yet, “David and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as full payment to the king to become his son-in-law” (v. 27). Later “Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, and he became even more afraid of David” (v. 28)
In the first of a series of such events, God delivered David from Saul (ch 19). Ironically, two of Saul’s children sought to rescue David from the hand of Saul—but the Spirit of the LORD was his final Advocate:
- At the beginning of ch 18, the author emphatically made the point that “Jonathan committed himself to David, and loved him as much as he loved himself…Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself” (vv. 1, 3). When Saul command Jonathan to kill David, he instead came to David’s aid—a courageous act he would repeat (cf. ch 20). Yet even Jonathan’s persuasive argument could not ultimately change his father’s mind; when David was again victorious against the Philistines, Saul again tried to kill him with a spear (vv. 1-10)
- Upon hearing that Saul had sent men to their home to get David’s head, Michal told her husband, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!” (v. 11). Despite the appearance of loyalty to David, she soon lied to her father, saying that David had threatened her life, and only then had she let him leave (vv. 12-17)
- Eventually neither Michal nor Jonathan was successful in pacifying their father’s hatred for David; but when Saul came to Naioth in Ramah, the Spirit came upon him and he prophesied in the presence of Samuel—while David fled (vv. 18-20.1)
The Providential protection David enjoyed in these chapters—as was the case throughout his life—points up the security and stability of God’s plan for him. When Samuel anointed the young shepherd boy (cf. 1 Sam 16.11-13), set in motion was the plan that would see the expansion of Israel’s domain in Canaan and their place on the map of the history of the Ancient Near East. David would reign, Israel would prosper, God would be glorified—and no plan of Saul or the Philistines could prevail. God’s sovereign protection of David as king provides the opportunity to think about David’s greater Son, and the sovereign timetable of His life, death, and resurrection. John’s Gospel records several instances of this, in each employing the concept of “Jesus hour” to describe the divine moment of history when Christ would be crucified—a reality that could not be hindered:
- When Jesus’ mother recognized that the host family had run out of wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Jesus—thinking about the culmination of His ministry in the cross even from the outset—said, “What has this concern of yours to do with Me, woman?...My hour has not yet come” (2.4)
- Although Jesus went up to the Festival of Tabernacles secretly—because the Jews were looking for Him (cf. 7.1-13)—once He began teaching in the temple complex news about Him spread and some opponents hoped to apprehend Him. John’s comment is telling: “Yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come” (7.30). Perhaps at the same festival, when the Pharisees were interrogating Jesus and desiring to arrest Him, John reported that “no one seized Him, because His hour had not come” (8.20)
- After Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem, Andrew and Philip informed Him that some Greeks wished to speak with Him; knowing that the Pharisees had had enough and that this would spike their anger, Jesus replied “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (12.23)
- The alarm of the divine clock was ready to sound, and—perhaps in the garden of Gethsemane—Jesus prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him. This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ” (17.1-3)
*For a complete list of references, please see scripturestoryline.com