Old Testament 2 Lesson 5

Acknowledgments
Living Logos was the heart-work of Bro
Dale Starks and Sis Josephine Starks,
missionaries to Singapore in the early
1980s. As the original authors of this
devotionals, the Starks meant for
these self-study materials to help new converts
(and matured saints alike) get a hold of an
understanding of God’s written Word. Since Sis
Stark’s passing in 2013, the couple had graciously
entrusted Tabernacle of Joy with its copyright.
Therefore, with every print run, we would like to
honour their life work and sacrifice in bringing the
gospel to Singapore. This copy is an updated and
revised version. Be blessed as you immerse yourself
in the Word and allow God to transform you into
the likeness of Jesus Christ.
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Lesson
Five
Old Testament 2
Old Testament 2
DAVID FLEES FROM SAUL
When the Spirit of God was upon Saul, he loved David as his
own son. But after Saul continually disobeyed God, the Spirit
of God left him, and an evil spirit came upon him. From then
on, Saul treated David as an enemy. Several times he tried to
kill him. After one such time, Jonathan reminded Saul that
David had done only good works towards Saul - even killing
the giant Goliath (I Samuel 19:4-5)! Saul listened to his son,
and made a vow that he would never again seek to kill David.
However, people who are demon-possessed or driven by a
demon, often have good intentions that they are not able to
follow through with. David had been restored back to the side
of Saul again. He had even added one more victory over the
Philistines to his previous successes. Perhaps it was jealousy
on Saul’s part that again opened the door for the evil spirit to
take hold of him. As before, while David was playing music on
his harp for Saul, Saul tried to smite him to the wall with his
javelin (I Samuel 19:9-10).
Later, Saul sent messengers unto David’s house, to slay him in
the morning. However, Michal, David’s wife, let David down
through a window, and he escaped from the house. Early in
the morning, the messengers came to take David. Michal had
taken an idol and placed it in David’s bed. She then covered it
with a cloth. She told the messengers that David was sick. The
messengers returned to Saul, but were sent back again to take
David. This time, they discovered Michal’s deception (I Samuel
19:11-17).
While Saul was out searching for David, David returned to
Jonathan, where they had a very touching farewell, after they
were both convinced that Saul would continue to seek the
death of David (I Samuel, Chapter 20).
David then fled to Nob, a small town of the priests, just north
of Jerusalem. During the days of Saul’s reign, the tabernacle
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had been set up there for some time. David requested food from Ahimelech
for him and his men. After receiving the food, he asked Ahimelech for a
spear or sword. After David’s conquest over Goliath, the giant’s sword had
been kept in the house of the LORD in Nob, as a token of the victory God
had given David. This was presented to David. Meanwhile, one of Saul’s
servants was also in Nob that day, and saw David. He was only too happy to
report this to King Saul (I Samuel 21:1-9).
From Nob, David went to Achish, the king of Gath. Not finding the
atmosphere too friendly, he departed from there and escaped into the cave
Adullam. It was here that many other people joined him:
...and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down
thither to him.
And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one
that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain
over them: and there were with him about four hundred men
— I Samuel 22:1-2
David brought his father and mother to the king of Moab, and asked him to
let them stay there until “I know what God will do for me” (I Samuel 22:3).
Then, the prophet of the LORD, Gad, came unto David, and told him to
leave the cave and go into the land of Judah. David did so, and came into
the forest of Hareth.
Meanwhile, Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s servant that had seen David in Nob,
had made his report to Saul, and Saul commanded that all the priests of
Nob be brought before him. He accused them of conspiring with David
against him, although David had been very careful not to reveal the nature
of his visit to Ahimelech the priest. The king commanded the guards that
stood about him to slay the priests, but they refused.
Then, the king asked Doeg to slay them, and this wicked descendant of
Esau was only too glad to do so. He took his sword and killed eighty-five
priests of the LORD! Then, he went into the city of Nob and killed both
men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep, with the
edge of the sword. (I Samuel 22:6-19)
One of Ahimilech’s sons escaped, however, and fled to David. Abiathar
told David what had taken place, and David felt very sad. He said, “...I have
occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house” (I Samuel
22:22). David then told Abiathar to stay with him and he would be safe,
because “he that seeketh my life, seeketh thy life” (I Samuel 22:23).
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Later, word came to David that the Philistines were fighting against a city
that belonged to Israel, Keilah, and robbing their threshing floors. David
inquired of the LORD whether he and his men should go against the
Philistines, and the LORD gave him the assurance of victory. David and his
men smote them with a great slaughter, thus saving the city (I Samuel 23:1-
5).
Saul had somehow found out that David and his men had gone to Keilah,
so he came there quickly with his men. When David heard that Saul was on
his way to the city, he inquired of the LORD whether the men of the city
would deliver him up into the hands of Saul, and God told David that they
surely would. David and his men, who now numbered about six hundred,
then fled into the wilderness of Ziph, and lived in strongholds (I Samuel
23:7-14).
It must have been a time of great trial for David, to be hunted like an
animal by a king that David had done nothing but good works for.
Nevertheless, at a time when David probably needed some encouragement,
Jonathan somehow found out where David was hiding, and came out into
the woods to encourage him (I Samuel 23:16).
And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find
thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that
also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the LORD...
— I Samuel 23:17-18
While Saul was in the midst of pursuing after David, the Philistines invaded
the land, and Saul had to return to fight with them (I Samuel 23:27-28).
After a victory over the Philistines, Saul chose three thousand men out of
all Israel and went to seek David and his men again in the wilderness of
Engedi. Saul was very tired, and finding a cave, he went in and laid down
to rest. What he did not know was that David and his men were already
hidden in that very cave (I Samuel 24:1-3).
And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said
unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest
do to him as it shall seem good unto thee...
— I Samuel 24:4
While Saul slept, David crept over to his side and cut off the skirt of Saul’s
robe. When he did so, his heart smote him for this act. Saul was still the
leader of Israel. He told the men:
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...The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’s
anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of
the LORD
— I Samuel 24:6
David knew that as long as Saul was the leader, he could not wilfully harm
him and be right with God. He must respect the position, even if he could
no longer respect the man. He knew that God must remove him from being
king - it could be no act of his own.
Saul rose up and came out of the cave. David also rose up and went out
of the cave and cried out to Saul, saying, “My lord, the king”. When Saul
looked behind him, he saw David, who stooped with his face to the earth,
and bowed himself, in respect to Saul.
And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold,
David seeketh thy hurt?
Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee
today into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye
spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is
the LORD’s anointed
— I Samuel 24:9-10
David also showed Saul the piece of his robe that he had cut off, and
finished his speech with this impassioned plea:
The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and
plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand
— I Samuel 24:15
Saul was deeply moved by David’s mercy towards him, and wept. After
asking David to promise that he would not destroy all of his seed when he
became king, Saul returned home. David, however, remained in a place of
hiding, knowing that Saul would soon change his mind and seek his death
again (I Samuel 24:16-22).
At around this time, Samuel died, and all of Israel gathered together to
mourn his death (I Samuel 25:1).
ABIGAIL
David and his men went down to the wilderness of Paran and dwelt in
Carmel. While there, they made acquaintance with the shepherds of a man

named Nabal. They helped protect the shepherds and the sheep from any
harm that might come to them. In return, David wanted some provisions
of food from Nabal. He sent ten young men to ask him to give them
whatsoever he would.
Nabal was an evil and cruel man, however. He said, “Who is David? and
who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away
every man from his master” (I Samuel 25:10). He refused to send food or
drink to David and his men. When David received this word, he rose up
with four hundred men, every one of them girded with a sword, and made
ready to go against Nabal.
Although Nabal was an evil man, he had a very beautiful and wise wife.
When she heard of her husband’s treatment towards David and his men,
she took swift action. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two bottles of
wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched corn, a hundred
clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs and set out to meet David
and his men.
David was already on the way to Nabal’s house, so he soon met Abigail.
When she saw David, she lighted off the donkey, and bowed herself to the
ground, and fell at his feet and said,
Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray
thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid
— I Samuel 25:24
By her words and actions, she restrained David from the wrath he
was determined to bring upon Nabal. David told her to return to her
house in peace. When she returned, she found her husband in a state
of drunkenness, in the midst of a feast like the feast of a king. The next
morning after he had sobered up, Abigail told her husband how she had
saved his life. When he heard these things, his heart died within him, and
he became as a stone. Ten days later he died, having been smitten by the
LORD. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he sent for Abigail, and
took her to be his wife (I Samuel 25:25-40).
SAUL RESUMES PURSUING DAVID
Saul’s resolve to let David alone was soon forgotten. He received word
that David was in the wilderness of Ziph, so he took his three thousand
chosen men and went after him. David sent out spies to find out where
Saul had pitched his camp. In the middle of the night he took Abishai,
Joab’s nephew, and came to where Saul lay sleeping within a trench, and the
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people lay round about him. Next to Saul’s pillow was Saul’s spear stuck in
the ground. Abishai begged David to let him kill Saul, but again David said:
...Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’s
anointed, and be guiltless?
— I Samuel 26:9
David did have Abishai take Saul’s spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s
pillow. Then David and Abishai went over to the other side, and stood on
the top of a hill, with a great space between them and Saul and his men.
Then David cried out unto the people, and to Abner, Saul’s captain:
...Abner, art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore
then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to
destroy the king thy lord.
This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy
to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD’s anointed. And now
see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster
(pillow)
— I Samuel 26:15-16
Saul awoke, hearing David’s voice. Once again he realized that David could
have killed him, but had refused to do so.
Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee
harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold I have played
the fool, and have erred exceedingly
— I Samuel 26:21
Regardless of how sincere the speech sounded, David could not trust
Saul. He took his family and his six hundred men and left the borders of
Israel, and went into the land of the Philistines. Achish, the king of Gath,
gave David and his men the city of Ziklag for their dwelling place. They
continued to live in the country of the Philistines for sixteen months (I
Samuel 27:1-7).
SAUL’S FINAL DOWNFALL
Among the laws that God gave Israel on Mount Sinai was this one that had
to do with witchcraft, wizards, etc.
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards,
to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut
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him off from among his people
— levItIcuS 20:6
A wizard is the same as a fortune-teller. A person with a “familiar spirit” is a
“medium”, who claims to be able to talk with the spirits of dead people, or
arrange conversations between the spirits of dead people, and their clients.
This was all strictly forbidden by the Law, of course, because it is all done by
the power of Satan!
In the early part of Saul’s reign, he put away such people. Now, however,
he turned to them himself. He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD
answered him not -- neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by the prophets.
Finally, he disguised himself and went to the house of a witch. The message
he received from her was not encouraging. Saul asked the witch to “bring
up Samuel”. Whether it was really Samuel she brought up, or just a demon
imitating Samuel, is quite controversial, and not too important. The main
thing is the message Saul was given:
...the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the LORD
hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom
out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David: Because thou
obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon
Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the
Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: (in the grave) the
LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines
— I Samuel 28:16-19
When Saul heard these words, he fell flat on the ground. He had not eaten
since the day before. The woman persuaded him to eat, and then he rose up
and went away sorrowfully.
VOCABULARY
client —
a customer, one who engages the service of another
conspiring —
cruse —
threshing floor —
planning and acting together secretly
a small earthen vessel, for the purpose of holding
liquids
the place where grain (wheat, etc.) is beat out of its
husk
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Old
Lesson
Testament
Five
2
Test
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
After an _____________________________________ came upon Saul,
he treated David as an enemy.
How did Michal deceive Saul’s messengers?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
Whose sword did Ahimelech give to David?
_________________________________________________________.
Who saw David in the city of Nob, and who did he inform?
_________________________________________________________.
Who joined David in the cave of Adullam?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
What wicked deed did Doeg, the Edomite, do?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
Who managed to escape? _____________________________________.
Who came out into the woods to encourage David?
____________________________________________.
How many times did David have the opportunity to kill Saul, but he did
not? ___________________________________________.
Why did he refuse to kill Saul?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
Whose sheep and shepherds did David and his men help to protect?
_________________________________________.
How did this man treat David and his men in return?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
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13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
What was David determined to do to him?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
Who kept them from doing so?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
What happened to Nabal?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
What was God’s law concerning those who had familiar spirits (fortune
tellers and mediums)?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
How did Saul show the extent to which he had backslidden?
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
Did he receive encouraging news from the witch? __________________.
Tell briefly the message that God spoke to him.
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
What was of special interest to you in this lesson?
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