Category Archives: Protector / Deliverer

Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer, Provider

YHWH Does Not Promise Everything Will Be Easy

David knew he was to be king. YHWH had anointed him through Samuel. Saul finally died and David knew he would. So now, it should be all easy, right? Nope. Imagine the potential disappointment David may have felt when Israel raised up another king against him and he was only made king of Judah. There would have been potential for him to complain to YHWH or get frustrated or downhearted. He seemed to simply take each step as it came.

For us also, not everything will go as smoothly or as quickly as we like, even when YHWH is directing the outcome! Just because it is hard does not mean it is not what YHWH is calling us to do. He does not promise to make everything easy.

2 Samuel 2

David Made King over Judah

      1Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.” 2So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. 4Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah.
And they told David, saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” 5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “May you be blessed of the LORD because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him. 6“Now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing. 7“Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

      8But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. 10Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Civil War

      12Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. 13And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. 14Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17That day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

      18Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. 19Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner. 20Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21So Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. 22Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.

      24But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. 25The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill. 26Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?” 27Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have gone away in the morning, each from following his brother.” 28So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore. 29Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.

      30Then Joab returned from following Abner; when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David’s servants besides Asahel were missing. 31But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. 32And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Faith / Trusting God, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The LORD’s Judgment Is Final; What He Says Will Happen

When YHWH tells you something He will make come to pass, you can trust Him. It may take longer than you like or take so long you start to doubt, but look to the example of David and wait patiently and faithfully on the LORD. He was anointed king and then resisted multiple opportunities to kill Saul, when he could do so claiming self defense! He waited for the LORD to deal with Saul because he was the LORD’s anointed. The LORD delivers in His own timing.

Let us also pause and reflect at this point that Saul’s downfall was driven by his disobedience to the LORD.  In 1 Samuel 31, we see Saul finally face his full judgment from the LORD.

Reflecting on both David and Saul while reading this passage creates a real contrast. There is one who was faithful through adversity and now has promise fulfilled to become king. The other was king and disobeyed and now the judgment is fulfilled to remove him and his sons.

1 Samuel 31

Saul and His Sons Slain

     1Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul. 3The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. 6Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.

      7When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.

      8It came about on the next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10They put his weapons in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Suffering / Adversity

David Strengthened Himself in the LORD

David and his men were surely discouraged to come home and find that all their wives and children had been carried off. Some even talked of stoning David. What would you do in this situation?

David did it right. He found strength in the LORD and asked the LORD what to do. This is always a good approach when facing difficult challenges. YHWH answered and delivered victory.

1 Samuel 30:1-20

David’s Victory over the Amalekites

      1Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way. 3When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. 4Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. 5Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

      7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue all.” 9So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those left behind remained. 10But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor remained behind.

      11Now they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they provided him water to drink. 12They gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins, and he ate; then his spirit revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind when I fell sick three days ago. 14“We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15Then David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”

      16When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17David slaughtered them from the twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. 18So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. 19But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought it all back. 20So David had captured all the sheep and the cattle which the people drove ahead of the other livestock, and they said, “This is David’s spoil.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fear / Reverence for God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Yeshua Wins and Those Who Follow Him

Sometimes it seems the wicked are winning. Things are going their way. However, we can have confidence that in the end, Yeshua and those who follow Him will win. They will be glorified and those who opposed Him will face wrath and judgment. This is not only true for the end times, but also for the passing of every life along the way.

Revelation 14

The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion

      1Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 2And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. 3And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. 4These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

Vision of the Angel with the Gospel

      6And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”

      8And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

Doom for Worshipers of the Beast

      9Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11“And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” 12Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

      13And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

The Reapers

      14Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

      17And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” 19So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

Wait for the LORD to Deliver the Victory

When “The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6). This is so true, and yet we so often can get consumed in worry and wondering about “what ifs”. Even when I am almost sure the LORD has spoken to me in some way, and I have unshaken confidence in Him, I still have a way of wondering if perhaps I misunderstood. It results in a lack of total peace and confidence in what I understand Him to be telling me. He is a glorious and wonderful God. A loving Father.

Let us look after the example of David in 1 Samuel 24. The LORD was with David. Saul could do nothing against Him. David was by no means perfect. He must have considered what to do with Saul in the cave, but ultimately he put his trust in the LORD and the LORD delivered him. He did not try to force the situation through his effort to gain the victory. He waited for the LORD to deliver victory and then still honored God in how he responded.

1 Samuel 24:1

David Spares Saul’s Life

      1Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. 4The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. 5It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. 6So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’S anointed.” 7David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.

      8Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. 9David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’? 10“Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’S anointed.’ 11“Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it. 12“May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. 13“As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you. 14“After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? 15“The LORD therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”

      16When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. 18“You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me. 19“For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the LORD therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. 20“Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 21“So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household.” 22David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Prophecy, Protector / Deliverer, Visions, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

There Will Be Judgment; Will You Stand With YHWH or Against Him?

Revelation foretells of some very dramatic and difficult times. It can seem overwhelming to try to fully understand the events and their significance. It can be similarly difficult to try to understand what is symbolic imagery and what is literal. I encourage all who are interested to study further.

If I step back and reflect, I can see some obvious themes.

  • The LORD our God is in control. Everything will come to pass according to His plan. He is not subject to being surprised by man or Satan.
  • Those who are submitted to YHWH will still be around during this tribulation. Else why would the locusts be told only to go after those without the seal of God?
  • Difficult and serious punishment can be handed out by YHWH. He has standards and we are all guilty. We are only forgiven through Yeshua. Let us take it seriously. YHWH is not some marshmallow god in the sky who is only going to give you good things. Sometimes He gives hard and difficult things as punishment for our actions. How we live and whom we serve matters!
  • We find protection and deliverance through Yeshua the Messiah. Let us be thankful and joyful, even when we face hard times.

Revelation 9:1-12

The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit

      1Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. 2He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. 6And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

      7The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. 11They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

      12The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Guide, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God

The LORD Is Approachable and Available To Those Who Walk With Him

Those who walk with the LORD can approach Him and ask for His council and guidance. He often answers in a very clear way. We can see that He is patient as David comes to Him multiple times because His men are afraid. David does not just ask once, but again when they hear of Saul coming as well. We can keep coming back to our Father. He is not tired of hearing from those who walk with Him. He is not too busy. He is a loving Father and councilor.

1 Samuel 23:1-14

David Delivers Keilah

     1Then they told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors.” 2So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah.” 3But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?” 4Then David inquired of the LORD once more. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

      6Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.” 8So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. 9Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10Then David said, “O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. 11“Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.” 12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will surrender you.” 13Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit. 14David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer, Submitted / Servant

Be Patient and Faithful Through Adversity

When David was hiding from Saul, he encountered many challenges and difficulty. He fled to Gath, but then became concerned for his life and, after acting insane before the king to avoid his attention, fled back to Israel. The people, however, saw that there was no reason for Saul to pursue David. YHWH brought some to his side. YHWH also sent a prophet to guide David and he listened.

It would have been easy for David to feel sorry for himself or turn on YHWH, but instead he remained faithful through adversity. He remained faithful when his world seemed unjust and upside down. He was patient in waiting on the LORD. We should apply this same attitude toward our own lives when we encounter struggles.

1 Samuel 22:1-5

      1So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him. 2Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.

      3And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” 4Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5The prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

When we continue to read on the remainder of the chapter we will see a stark contrast between the righteousness of David and the actions of Saul.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Interceding for Others, Miracles, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The LORD Tormented Saul and the LORD Protected David

When YHWH chooses to protect you, not even a king, with all his resources, can have victory over you. The LORD used Saul’s own son and daughter to help protect David. Then directly intervened to cause others to be drawn away from David by being filled with the Spirit and prophesying… including Saul himself. Truly David had the hand of YHWH upon him.

We also see an example of what it means to have a friend that is closer than a brother, as Jonathan stands up for David. These are the friends to truly value. And we can once again see that the evil spirit from the LORD is what drove Saul to try to kill David. This continues to intrigue me. There is likely a deeper understanding to be had, but clearly the LORD had plans for using Saul to pursue David… but then also to protect David. Perhaps this was part of preparing David to be a good king or helping him to rely more heavily on YHWH. Sometimes the fullness of YHWH’s plans are not to be understood by His people, but simply trusted.

1 Samuel 19

David Protected from Saul

      1Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David. 2So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3“I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; if I find out anything, then I will tell you.” 4Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you. 5“For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?” 6Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as formerly.

      8When there was war again, David went out and fought with the Philistines and defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled before him. 9Now there was an evil spirit from the LORD on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing the harp with his hand. 10Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

      11Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.” 12So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped. 13Michal took the household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothes. 14When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed, that I may put him to death.” 16When the messengers entered, behold, the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head. 17So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I put you to death?’”

      18Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. 19It was told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied. 21When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23He proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Selfishness, Spiritual Warfare, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

If God Is With You, Who Can Be Against You?

When YHWH is with you, you can not lose. When He is against you, you can not win. Saul was king and was trying to trap David so that he would be killed by the Philistines. Saul knew that David had the hand of YHWH upon him. He was that jealous and that driven against David. Study of earlier scripture in this chapter reminds us that Saul was acting this way in large part because “… an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul… ” (1 Samuel 18:10).

Saul even uses his daughter as bait in a trap to try to get David killed fighting Philistines, but with YHWH on his side, David succeeds every time and increases in his esteem and name among the people of Israel.

It can be a bit difficult to fully digest that an evil spirit came upon Saul from God, but that is the translation of the scripture. I suppose we could study it further for more nuance, but Saul was experiencing the results of choosing to please the people over choosing to please YHWH. The hand of blessing was removed and difficulty came in its place. We should take heed in our lives as well, that we seek to please YHWH more than man.

1 Samuel 18:20-30

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

      20Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable to him. 21Saul thought, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.” 22Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’” 23So Saul’s servants spoke these words to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?” 24The servants of Saul reported to him according to these words which David spoke. 25Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26When his servants told David these words, it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the days had expired 27David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife. 28When Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David’s enemy continually.

      30Then the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.