Day 110: 1 Samuel 19- From Jealousy To Security

And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” 4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you.5 For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.

8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. 9 Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. 10 And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. 13 Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?’”

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Meditation
Do you struggle with jealousy and envy? The gospel compels us to kill them before they kill others or ourselves.

David was a successful leader and faithful servant of Saul. David performed what was asked in defeating the Philistines (8) and played music for the king. (9) Saul was jealous and envious of David and his actions are a warning to us in our struggle with these sins:

Jealousy seeks to destroy: Saul is insecure in his power and sees David as a competitor, enlisting his son Jonathan and his servants to kill David. (1) 

Jealousy leads to competition: After David’s victory, while David was playing music for king Saul, the king lost control and attempted to kill David with his spear. (10)

Jealousy leads to a lack of compassion: Saul heard David was sick and asked David be brought on his bed to be killed. (15) Talk about poor bedside manner!

Jealousy manipulates others for personal agenda: Saul attempts to manipulate people close to David, even his own children Jonathan and Michal.

Saul was jealous of David’s success and envious of his admiration and giftedness, signs of immature and infantile faith. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) Christians find security in God’s love and live only for the admiration of His name. Responding to the power of the gospel we must put away, kill, all jealousy and envy (1 Peter 2:1; Ephesians 4:31) before it harms the body of Christ or kills ourselves.

Richly Dwelling
-Do you struggle with jealousy or envy?

-Do you see the effect of jealousy and envy we see in Saul’s life, namely destruction, competition, a lack of compassion, and pushing a personal agenda?

-The grace of God offers strength to kill jealousy and envy and mature in love for Christ and His body. Take a moment to focus on the security you have in Christ’s love and then name one way you can kill the jealousy and envy of your heart.

Key Verse
1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David…