1 Samuel 19

"Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”  So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped.  And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hairfor his head, and covered it with clothes...Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?”

And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’” vv.11-14,17

Read chapter 19

This chapter has many attempts at Saul trying to kill David.  In the two of the attempts we see Saul's own son and daughter help David escape; Jonathan, who is like David's best friend, and Michal, who is David's wife.  How horrible it would be to have your own father-in-law hate you or your best friend's dad want you dead (not just out of his life)?!  Interestingly in these verses where we see Michal help David to escape by having him slip out the window and she make a dummy out of an image and goats hair to deceive her father's messengers.  What does David, this righteous man after God's heart, have an image in his house?  The Hebrew word here for image is teraphim which were tablets showing their genealogy which was super important for Israel as that showed your inheritance among their own nation.  Yet it also led a lot to ancestry worship.  We also see Michal lie to her father when asked why she deceived him.  It was Michal's idea for David to escape and her idea to make the dummy.  Caught in the lie she lies again to save herself. Was she now trying to save herself and cause David to continue to be stench in her father's eyes?  Or was this to truly save her life as if she could have been killed by Saul for her deceit to the king?  

Do you think it's ok to lie at times?  What items in your life have become an image of worship that's not necessarily an image of Buddha or something like that?  

1 Samuel 18

"But David said to Saul, 'Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?'" v.18

Read chapter 18
With all the fame David was receiving from the people for being mightier than Saul he still kept a humble spirit and didn't let pride get to him.  David still honored Saul as king and revered him.  He doesn't forget the family he came from- not being one of nobility and referring to the life he was born in to and accustomed to.  To marry the kings daughter seemed out of his league and not what he had known even though his best friend seemed to be Jonathan, Saul's son.   Sad that Saul was offering his own daughter as a snare. We also see  wisdom of David in his response in discovering so deep a sense of his own meanness, that Saul might see how far he was from aspiring at the kingdom.  How uncommon is such prudence and discretion, especially under insults and provocations! Let us inquire if we imitate this part of the exemplary character before us. Are we behaving wisely in all our ways? Is there no sinful omission, no rashness of spirit, nothing wrong in our conduct?

1 Samuel 17

"So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off." v.38-39

Read chapter 17

David comes to the battle after shepherding that same day, robed in his light attire.  That he was able to wear Saul's armor shows that he was probably a full grown man by this time.  David tries on this armor for battle and not having every dressed like so he tells Saul that he cannot wear it in battle.  His quickness and agility would be more hindering than helpful facing the heavy weight giant Goliath.  How often do our leaders put on too heavy a burden on us that we are not ready to carry or don't recognize our ability in who we are knowing our own strengths?  But David was not afraid to tell Saul that he couldn't wear the armor and his reason why (not just out of pride that he knew himself better).  We do see that after David has killed Goliath that he pulls out his sword and cuts off Goliath's head showing that he did have more than just his slingshot and stones yet that was all he need to kill him.  What armor has been placed on you that you are not ready to fight with?  

1 Samuel 16

"Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons." v.1

Read chapter 16
Notice God is providing for Himself a king.  It's not David's character that he was choosing but making him a man after God's heart.  Too easy we get caught up in certain personalities are the ones that become Christian or Catholic or Buddhist or atheist   Let us never stereotype which people should become which religion.  We don't choose a god that can conform to who we are but we choose God who we conform to.  David wasn't some acquaintance or apprentice of Samuel but was a "nobody," yet that nobody was great in God's eyes and usable for God's will. 

1 Samuel 14

"Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground.  And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened. Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were faint. But Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey...And Saul said, “Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.” So Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!” Saul answered, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.” vv.25-29,42-44

Read chapter 14.
What was wrong with Jonathan eating the honey?  He ate the honey out of ignorance, not knowing his father's command.  When he did hear of it he told the men it would've been better to have the energy it provided.  They could've killed even more Philistines.  Yet alter when lots are cast to find out why God didn't answer Saul it showed Jonathan at fault.  I thought Saul would've been the one at fault for building an altar (v.35) and making a religion of fasting of his men and therefore curing them to eat meat with blood, which was a sin.  Yet the Lord spoke through the Urim and the Thummim and showed Jonathan at fault.  Although eating honey seems like a small harmless sin to us, it was still disobedience and missing the mark- worthy of death.  Yet the men of Israel argued with Saul not to kill Jonathan since the Philistines were delivered into his hand that day and saved Israel.  So Saul didn't put him to death.  Confusing a bit God's will in all this.  Does He change His mind?  Does Saul even ask the Lord or just make his own reasoning judgment?  Verse 37 says God didn't answer Saul "that day" so was all this the same day?
How have you broken a rule that seemed innocent, not doing anything to hear anyone, yet was still breaking a rule?  Do you justify this or felt guilty?

1 Samuel 13

"And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever." v.13

Read chapter 13
It seems like not that big of deal thing that Saul sacrificed an offering because he was impatient for Samuel to arrive, Samuel being late.  Yet it involved the principle, law and insubordination.  "On the one hand it shewed a distrust of God, as though God after choosing him for this work could forsake him in the hour of need: on the other hand it shewed a spirit of self-assertion, as though he could make war by himself without the assistance and counsel of God communicated through His prophet" (Cambridge Bible).  This is the first we see of Saul disobeying and thinking he was helping God out or doing fine yet then leads to more of this thinking and actions as we'll see in the next chapters. 

1 Samuel 12

"And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”  Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart...Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you." vv.20-21, 24

Read chapter 12 

So as Saul is now becoming king Samuel is giving his final judging as judge and prophet over Israel.  He reminds them of their wickedness in asking for a king but that they should continue after the Lord still and not continue in their wickedness.  That definitely shows the Lord's mercy and forgiveness of not a "one and done" kind of way towards His people.  How easy it is for us to think that once we've messed up it's over with so we only have the option to sit in it.  Because of Christ and His sacrifice on the cross we have forgiveness for all our sins even before we commit them if we believe and worship Him as God.  So let us not continue in them just because we're forgiven or because we don't think we can be forgiven.   Samuel tells them an amazing command that we should still live by today: "Fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart."  To fear the Lord is to revere Him, to stand in awe of Him.  And to serve Him in truth is to do it according to His word and not our own.  To know His truth you need to know Him.  So how will you dig deeper in His truth to serve Him with all your heart?  One of my favorite verses in scripture is 3 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth."