It is amazing how people can change so quickly. They can be your friend one day and then your enemy the next. All it takes is for them to get to know who you really are and then get jealous of what you are doing. This causes people to have evil spirits comes upon them and cause them to anger. Fights and even war then breaks out against you in vain, for you have done nothing wrong, but only good in their sight. This was case for David and Saul. David only entreated Saul kindly and even played the harp for him when he was feeling distraught. However, his jealousy got the best of him. It was after people started raving about David and what he did against Galiath and the armies of the Philistines, that made him desire for David to be dead. Then, he thought that he would no longer be tormented by the thoughts of people liking him more than himself. So it came to pass that 1“Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good.” (1 Samuel 19:1-4)
If it wasn’t for Jonathan, that night, Saul may have tried early on to kill David. So thankfully his son at least saw the good in David and had his back, along with God, of course. For this reason, did Jonathan continue on and say that 1“he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain.” (1 Samuel 19:5,6) Praise God for Saul’s change of heart. It is too bad, however, that his heart change didn’t last very long. Because his jealousy was boiling over inside of him, it was after things started going right, and David was fighting for him in war, that 1“the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin: but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.” (1 Samuel 19:9-12) It is crazy how things went sour for David so quickly, because of the evil spirit in Saul. However, Jonathan and his wife Michal helped him, along with God to escape.
It was the next day that Saul was looking for David, in order to kill him, that his wife said he was sick in bed, in order to give him time to escape in safety. 1“So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah. And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1 Samuel 19:18-24) It is crazy how our actions quickly change when we seeking God or talking with people in the faith, like Saul did with prophets. This caused him also to prophesy, because of the Spirit of God. However, God can use anybody for His glory, good or bad. It is just better to be on His side than the latter.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that people will start to look to You in faith. Then, will you be able to help them forgive those that have mistreated them recently and over the years. You will also be able to help such people to tear down any walls that are up now. And if there is any jealousy or covetous thoughts, those will be lifted as well. Instead, these wicked desires will be expelled, and Your forgiveness will be in our hearts. Not only will we be forgiven, but Your forgiveness will also be shown to everyone that has wronged us. There will be no more hard feelings for what has taken place, for You, Lord, will help that person get over what has happened. It does take a great deal of faith to rely on Your sanctification in our lives. When we truly believe in You, we also allow anything that is troubling us to be in Your hands. We don’t want anything to boil over, but to allow You to make things right again. This happens when our love for You is showcased through our love for others also. It may be hard for us to tell a person that has hurt us or even betrayed us, to tell them that they are welcome again in our lives, but You are able to help us do this, if that is Your will. If it isn’t Your will, then You will at least help us know how to close the ties on a bad relationship, and help us move forward in life. There will be no more animosity in our hearts towards these people, but only love. As You have taught us, Lord, to love our neighbor and even our enemy, I will do this. It brings me great joy to see people happy. Thank You for changing my wicked heart to see this. I love You. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
11 Samuel 19 (KJV)
1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
2 But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.
4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain.
7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.
8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.
9 And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin: but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
11 Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.
12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster.
17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?
18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?