“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.”
(Romans 8:31-33 ESV, to be continued)
St. Joseph’s Church
Krakow, Poland
Krakow, Poland
I Samuel 18:1-16
David and Jonathan
¡We’ve met Jonathan before; an inspired warrior who listened to Yahweh and followed his commands. Jonathan was in command of a small Israelite force that took out a much larger Philistine garrison. Then right after that Jonathan snuck off with his armor bearer to initiate an attack and they missed Saul’s vow for the men to not eat any food before the battle.
¡Jonathan sees that David is also an inspired warrior who listens to the Lord’s call on his life. Jonathan gives David his robe, armor, sword, and bow and this is not incidental- now David is clothed in the royal clothing reserved for the heir to the throne.
¡This is very fitting for the man who is the heir to the throne.
¡As we have heard of Saul’s impatience before we see an example of another of Saul’s short-comings; impulsivity. Saul hears a song being sung after they return home and the lyrics are: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
¡Saul knows that all David has done is kill Goliath so instead of going with what he knows he lets what everyone is talking about make him angry.
¡This is very fitting for the man who wants to look royal and care about what the people think of him.
¡Saul gets tormented by an evil spirit and we know that one of the only ways that Saul can be soothed is by David playing his lyre.
¡Saul rants and raves around his palace and he is so enraged at David that he throws his spear to try and pin him against the wall; twice.
¡The very fact that David let him retrieve the spear and try to take a second throw shows David’s devotion to try and soothe the crazy king.
¡This spear episode did invoke fear but in the wrong person. Saul’s fear in David.
¡Saul then tries a different tactic- he would send David to lead the troops from the front lines so that he could be killed in battle. This backfires for Saul as well and sadly this might have inspired David later on when he becomes king to do something similar to another man.
¡We’ve met Jonathan before; an inspired warrior who listened to Yahweh and followed his commands. Jonathan was in command of a small Israelite force that took out a much larger Philistine garrison. Then right after that Jonathan snuck off with his armor bearer to initiate an attack and they missed Saul’s vow for the men to not eat any food before the battle.
¡Jonathan sees that David is also an inspired warrior who listens to the Lord’s call on his life. Jonathan gives David his robe, armor, sword, and bow and this is not incidental- now David is clothed in the royal clothing reserved for the heir to the throne.
¡This is very fitting for the man who is the heir to the throne.
¡As we have heard of Saul’s impatience before we see an example of another of Saul’s short-comings; impulsivity. Saul hears a song being sung after they return home and the lyrics are: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
¡Saul knows that all David has done is kill Goliath so instead of going with what he knows he lets what everyone is talking about make him angry.
¡This is very fitting for the man who wants to look royal and care about what the people think of him.
¡Saul gets tormented by an evil spirit and we know that one of the only ways that Saul can be soothed is by David playing his lyre.
¡Saul rants and raves around his palace and he is so enraged at David that he throws his spear to try and pin him against the wall; twice.
¡The very fact that David let him retrieve the spear and try to take a second throw shows David’s devotion to try and soothe the crazy king.
¡This spear episode did invoke fear but in the wrong person. Saul’s fear in David.
¡Saul then tries a different tactic- he would send David to lead the troops from the front lines so that he could be killed in battle. This backfires for Saul as well and sadly this might have inspired David later on when he becomes king to do something similar to another man.
I Samuel 18:17-30
Becoming Royal
¡The reward for killing Goliath was supposed to be Saul’s daughter’s hand in marriage. Instead Saul sends David out to fight for her hand vigorously so that the Philistines could kill him in battle.
¡This isn’t the first time that a bride was held back so that they could be made to do work- it happened back in Genesis with Joseph when he worked for several years and got tricked into taking 2 brides.
¡David isn’t given the eldest daughter for his military service- instead Saul gives the daughter away to another man.
¡Saul shows what a noble man he is once again by this display of not keeping his word.
¡When Saul says that his younger daughter would “be a snare” for David he knew that she was idolatrous and hoped that by giving her to David it would yet again be another way to try and take David out of the picture.
¡Saul lives up to his noble and virtuous character once again by making a stipulation that David must totally destroy 100 Philistines and bring back their foreskins.
¡David proved not only that he was accomplished on the field but also that he had the Lord on his side. This fans the flames of Saul’s rage to the point of hostile hysteria. Saul was worried that his dynasty would die out and be replaced by David.
¡The reward for killing Goliath was supposed to be Saul’s daughter’s hand in marriage. Instead Saul sends David out to fight for her hand vigorously so that the Philistines could kill him in battle.
¡This isn’t the first time that a bride was held back so that they could be made to do work- it happened back in Genesis with Joseph when he worked for several years and got tricked into taking 2 brides.
¡David isn’t given the eldest daughter for his military service- instead Saul gives the daughter away to another man.
¡Saul shows what a noble man he is once again by this display of not keeping his word.
¡When Saul says that his younger daughter would “be a snare” for David he knew that she was idolatrous and hoped that by giving her to David it would yet again be another way to try and take David out of the picture.
¡Saul lives up to his noble and virtuous character once again by making a stipulation that David must totally destroy 100 Philistines and bring back their foreskins.
¡David proved not only that he was accomplished on the field but also that he had the Lord on his side. This fans the flames of Saul’s rage to the point of hostile hysteria. Saul was worried that his dynasty would die out and be replaced by David.
I Samuel 19
From Covert to Overt
¡King Saul has covertly been trying to kill David with behind the scenes schemes that ranged from sending him off into battle all the way up to marrying David to his idolatrous daughter to make him lose Yahweh’s favor.
¡The first action of this chapter is to turn on the overt plans by telling his courtiers that David needed to die. Jonathan has a love for David and doesn’t want to see him die.
¡Jonathan knows that his father is impulsive and doesn’t think through some of his schemes and has also almost been a victim of his father’s rash vows.
¡Jonathan tries to talk some sense into his father and is assured that David will not be put to death.
¡After war breaks out with the Philistines (which seems to be a constant) and David routs them again, Saul is visited by the harmful spirit again that torments him.
¡Notice the paranoia that Saul is inflicted with: he’s sitting in the palace after the Philistines have been defeated in battle holding a spear.
¡Another constant is David’s fidelity to his duties. As he’s playing the lyre trying to soothe the mad king David has a spear thrown at him again but this time after Saul misses he doesn’t stick around to let Saul try it again. David flees to his own house.
¡While in his own house David’s bride also knows of her father’s plans to eliminate this young contender to the throne and she warns him to flee.
¡In a scene reminiscent of a famous escape attempt David’s bride helps him escape by using an idol to make it look like David was in bed sleep. First Jonathan and then Michal helped David escape their father’s murderous attempts.
¡David seeks refuge with Samuel in a religious stronghold. Saul sends 3 groups of men in to arrest David the Spirit of the Lord protects David and turns the men into prophets. Finally Saul decides he will try to grab David himself.
¡Saul succumbed to the Spirit some distance away from the compound and then when he got close he fell down naked. Saul was even more susceptible to the Spirit even though he was the king and he was made to strip naked in the Lord’s presence because he wasn’t the king anymore and wasn’t worthy to wear the royal robes.
¡King Saul has covertly been trying to kill David with behind the scenes schemes that ranged from sending him off into battle all the way up to marrying David to his idolatrous daughter to make him lose Yahweh’s favor.
¡The first action of this chapter is to turn on the overt plans by telling his courtiers that David needed to die. Jonathan has a love for David and doesn’t want to see him die.
¡Jonathan knows that his father is impulsive and doesn’t think through some of his schemes and has also almost been a victim of his father’s rash vows.
¡Jonathan tries to talk some sense into his father and is assured that David will not be put to death.
¡After war breaks out with the Philistines (which seems to be a constant) and David routs them again, Saul is visited by the harmful spirit again that torments him.
¡Notice the paranoia that Saul is inflicted with: he’s sitting in the palace after the Philistines have been defeated in battle holding a spear.
¡Another constant is David’s fidelity to his duties. As he’s playing the lyre trying to soothe the mad king David has a spear thrown at him again but this time after Saul misses he doesn’t stick around to let Saul try it again. David flees to his own house.
¡While in his own house David’s bride also knows of her father’s plans to eliminate this young contender to the throne and she warns him to flee.
¡In a scene reminiscent of a famous escape attempt David’s bride helps him escape by using an idol to make it look like David was in bed sleep. First Jonathan and then Michal helped David escape their father’s murderous attempts.
¡David seeks refuge with Samuel in a religious stronghold. Saul sends 3 groups of men in to arrest David the Spirit of the Lord protects David and turns the men into prophets. Finally Saul decides he will try to grab David himself.
¡Saul succumbed to the Spirit some distance away from the compound and then when he got close he fell down naked. Saul was even more susceptible to the Spirit even though he was the king and he was made to strip naked in the Lord’s presence because he wasn’t the king anymore and wasn’t worthy to wear the royal robes.