Category: <span>Old Testament</span>

The flow of 2 Samuel 3 is dramatic. After the author described the gravity of the initial situation between the house of David and the house of Saul, there was a ray of hope for unity when Abner stated a desire to transfer Israel to David’s reign. But in the end, Joab’s revenge over the murder of Asahel his brother caused David further woe—and delayed his rule over a united kingdom.

The author wasted no words in describing the situation in Israel. He wrote, “The war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long and drawn out, with David growing stronger and the house of Saul becoming weaker” (2 Sam 3:1). During the war, Abner grew stronger, making Ish-bosheth, the king of Israel, a puppet for Abner’s wishes (2 Sam 3:1-6). When the king accused Abner of immorality, the latter snapped. Abner swore allegiance to David and initiated a plan to hand Saul’s territory over to David (2 Sam 3:9-10). David responded favorably to Abner’s request for peace, desiring only that Michal, Saul’s daughter and his first wife, be returned to him (2 Sam 3:13-16). Abner, showing the sincerity of his heart, labored for a diplomatic transfer of power to David, meeting face-to-face with Israel’s leaders and David himself (2 Sam 3:17-21). All seemed well.

But with the mention of Joab, the tone of the text immediately becomes abrasive. When Joab heard of the king’s covenant with Abner he was livid, saying, “What have you done? Look here, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he’s getting away” (2 Sam 3:24). Straightaway, Joab, without David’s knowledge, instigated a ruse to eliminate the threat posed by Abner. He sent messengers to bring Abner back to Hebron (2 Sam 3:26). Joab pulled Abner aside “as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach” (2 Sam 3:27). Joab’s assassination of Abner was more personal vengeance than political calculation.

David replied to Joab’s aggression by prophesying, “May the house of Joab never be without someone who has an infection or leprosy or a man who can only work a spindle or someone who falls by the sword or starves” (2 Sam 3:29). This attitude would characterize David’s reign. In Ps 25:3, David wrote, “Not one person who waits for You will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced,” and in Ps 55:23, “You, God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and treachery will not live out half their days.” David “ordered Joab and all the people who were with him” to mourn over the death of Abner (2 Sam 3:31). David’s lament in Ps 120:6-7, “I have lived too long with those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war,” illustrates his demeanor upon the death of Abner.

In 2 Samuel 3, David was concerned for all to know that he had nothing to do with the assassination of Abner. As the newly anointed king of Judah, David did all that he could to unify the north and the south, establishing his rule over all of the descendants of Jacob. David worked to establish peace in Israel, exemplifying what Jesus would teach in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God” (Matt 5:9). Nevertheless, David’s early rule also has points of contrast with that of Jesus, a contrast formative in the storyline of Scripture. David was set on unifying the territories of Judah and Israel; Jesus recognized that His very presence would bring division. When Jesus sent the twelve to preach the good news of His kingdom, He told them that He did not come to bring peace but division. He said that those who wished to follow Him might even be opposed by members of their own family, requiring that disciples have a greater commitment to Him than any relationship or personal pursuit. (Matt 10:34-38//Luke 12:51-53).

At the end of 1 Samuel, the author alternated the reader’s attention between David’s situation among the Philistines and Amalekites and the Philistines’ attack on Saul. After the death of Saul, the author of 2 Samuel was free to give undivided attention to David. Although David had been disciplined and trained by the Lord to shepherd His people Israel, he would have to endure more difficulty before his rule could be confirmed over a united people.

In Psalm 22, the psalmist suffered internal anguish, physical pain, and social ostracism. He began the psalm saying, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1). Though previous generations had cried out to God and received His aid when they were in distress, the psalmist felt that God had turned from him (Ps 22:4-5). But others watched. The psalmist’s opponents saw his destitute situation and mocked him (Ps 22:7-8). He was surrounded by dogs and these opponents would rip his clothes off of him and cast lots for them (Ps 22:9-18). Despite the psalmist’s present moment of grief, he committed himself to trust God and praise Him among His people (Ps 22:22-31). Jesus and the New Testament authors saw in Psalm 22 expressions of suffering and commitment that helped them explain what Jesus endured for sinners in His incarnation and death.

(1) In Heb 2:12, the author of Hebrews explained Jesus’ incarnation as His confession of Ps 22:22. The author of Hebrews compared angels with Jesus and noted that Jesus was superior to these mediators of the old covenant. Jesus carried out God’s will in creation, laid down His own life for the forgiveness of sins, and took His place of honor at God’s right hand (Heb 1:1-4, 13). Jesus was the eternal Son who would never change, and angels were transient as flames of fire (Heb 1:5-12). Jesus was lower than the angels in one aspect: He took up human flesh. Jesus was not ashamed to call humanity His kin and thus effectively spoke Ps 22:22, “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing hymns to You in the congregation” (Heb 2:12). Jesus boldly sang about His identification with the human race. Jesus had to be human in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest, satisfying God’s wrath against human sin through the sacrifice of His own body (Heb 2:17).

(2) The Gospel writers cited Ps 22:18 to describe Jesus’ shameful state on the cross. In Psalm 22, as the psalmist’s opponents continued to attack him, his strength evaporated, and his bones were exposed. The psalmist felt so distraught before his opponents that he said, “They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing” (Ps 22:18). The psalmist’s destitute state in Ps 22:18 helped the Evangelists explain that Jesus was crucified bare and in shame. After nailing Jesus to the cross, the Roman soldiers cast lots for His clothes (Matt 27:35//Mark 15:24//Luke 23:34//John 19:24).

(3) The Gospel writers described the crucifixion scene in language that the psalmist used to explain his own suffering. While Jesus was on the cross, the crowds who passed by raised their voices and shouted insults at Him as they shook their heads in disgust at His appearance (Matt 27:39//Mark 15:29). Hanging exposed on the cross, Jesus did not fit the expectations of an eternal king who would establish God’s rule on earth. The Evangelists saw in the psalmist’s confession, “Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads” (Ps 22:7), and the shouts of the psalmist’s opponents, “He relies on the LORD; let Him rescue him; let the LORD deliver him since He takes pleasure in him” (Ps 22:8), a means of vindicating Jesus. The chief priests, scribes, and elders who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion mocked Him saying, “He has put His trust in God; let God rescue Him now—if He wants Him!” (Matt 27:43). Since the psalmist was taunted in his darkest moment—and yet confidently praised God in full assurance that his situation was not outside of God’s plan—Jesus too could trust God while the world mocked Him.

(4) On the cross, Jesus quoted Ps 22:1. The psalmist opened his poem with a question of lament, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1). His plight was theological as much as physical, social, or emotional. The psalmist recalled how God faithfully answered the prayers of His people in days gone by. He said to God, “They trusted You and were not disgraced” (Ps 22:5). But the psalmist felt disgraced, and for the psalmist disgrace was evidence that God had forsaken him. Jesus’ use of Ps 22:1 on the cross (Matt 27:46//Mark 15:34) established the degree of His spiritual anguish and reinforced that one can trust in God even while feeling abandoned by Him.

(5) In John 20:20, 27, Jesus showed the disciples His scarred hands and feet, echoing the psalmist’s injuries in Ps 22:16. The psalmist’s opponents attacked him viciously like an animal approaching its prey. He called them bulls, lions, and dogs (Ps 22:12, 13, 16). When the psalmist’s adversaries confronted him, they pierced his hands and feet (Ps 22:16). He had scars to prove his suffering, suffering that God knew, suffering that inclined him to seek God for deliverance. On the evening of the day when Jesus presented Himself alive, Jesus showed the disciples the scars on His hands and feet (John 20:20). All who saw Jesus’ scars rejoiced. But one of the Twelve, Thomas, was not with them when the Lord appeared that evening. Even though the other disciples told Thomas that they had seen Jesus alive and observed the scars by which He died, Thomas said he would not believe unless he saw Jesus’ scars with His own eyes. The next week, Jesus again appeared in a room where the disciples had gathered, and Thomas was present. Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don’t be an unbeliever but a believer” (John 20:27).

The death of Saul in 1 Samuel 31 freed David from Saul’s relentless pursuit, a time he poetically described as when “the ropes of death were wrapped around me; the torrents of destruction terrified me” (Ps 18:4). But David had to undergo the full measure of the Lord’s good discipline, through which he would learn to trust in the Lord alone. Once on the throne of Israel David said, “Add days to the king’s life; may his years span many generations. May he sit enthroned before God forever; appoint faithful love and truth to guard him” (Ps 61:6-7).

While David and his troops were with the Philistine King Achish on the front line opposite Israel, some Amalekites had attacked Ziklag (1 Sam 30:1-8). It was a place of refuge for David’s family and a storage place for the plunder of David and his troops (see 1 Sam 27:3-7). David and company returned to Ziklag hoping for a time of respite, but it would not be: “When David and his troops arrived at the town, they found it burned down. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped” (1 Sam 30:3). The scene was devastating for all of the troops but David “was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters” (1 Sam 30:6). Yet, “David found strength in the LORD his God” (1 Sam 30:6).

David inquired of the Lord regarding a counterattack on the Amalekites (1 Sam 30:7-8). Even though David and his troops were on mission to rescue their nearest loved ones (1 Sam 30:9-10), one third of them were not able to continue. They came upon an Egyptian man who, as a slave, had been part of the raid on Ziklag (1 Sam 30:11-15). This blessing was a sign of the good that would come as David and his troops avenged the Amalekite aggression. Eventually, “David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives…David got everything back” (1 Sam 30:18-19). David scattered the blessings of the raid so that the 200 men who remained with the supplies received a share (1 Sam 30:24), a practice which became a statute in Israel. David’s generosity went even beyond this initial provision to the 200: “He sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah” (1 Sam 30:26). David’s generosity would later help to solidify David as king in Judah (see 2 Samuel 2).

In 1 Samuel 31, the author turns the reader’s attention back to the battle line between Israel and the Philistines. The encounter was one sided. As a result, “the Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa” (1 Sam 31:1). After being hit by a Philistine archer, Saul eventually committed suicide and his armor-bearer did the same. This was according to the word of the spirit of Samuel, who one day earlier had prophesied of Saul’s death (see 1 Sam 28:16-19). The Philistines captured Israelite territory and mutilated the bodies of Saul and his sons, placing the armor of the slain in the temples of their idols (1 Sam 31:7-10). The men of Jabesh-Gilead captured the remains of Saul and his sons and buried them (1 Sam 31:11-13).

The demise of Saul in conjunction with David’s political alliance with the elders of Judah cleared the path for David to take the throne. In contrast, King Jesus—the One who would forever sit on David’s throne (Luke 1:30-33)—formed no political alliances to assume His throne, nor was He dependent upon the removal of a previous ruler. Jesus’ place of royalty was earned through the cross and the empty tomb, the means by which He Himself deposed Satan from his position of ruling over humanity (John 12:31; Phil 2:7-11; Col 2:15; Heb 2:14-15).

These chapters of 1 Samuel begin with an epiphany for the future king of Israel: “David said to himself, ‘One of these days I’ll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him’” (1 Sam 27:1). The bulk of 1 Samuel 27-29 is concerned with David’s survival amongst foreigners. These may have been some of the darkest days in David’s life; he was a man without a country. Nonetheless, as David confessed in Ps 11:4, “The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; He examines everyone.”

During David’s stay with the Philistines in 1 Samuel 27, for one year he supervised an area of the periphery of the Philistine territory (1 Sam 27:5-7). David was aggressive in battle (1 Sam 27:8-11), annihilating the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. David’s military success for the Philistines also benefited Israel. Yet David’s reports to Philistine leadership were ambiguous, even to the degree that they thought he was attacking the southernmost Israelite territories. King Achish of Gath “trusted David, thinking, ‘Since he has made himself detestable to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever’” (1 Sam 27:12). In time the Philistine battalions joined forces to fight Israel and David was required to go along, acting as the king’s bodyguard (1 Sam 28:1-3).

The Old Testament is marked by literary excellence. In 1 Samuel 27-29, the author employs a “sandwich” technique, explaining David’s initial situation amongst the Philistines (ch. 27), turning the reader’s attention to Saul’s continued demise (ch. 28), and then returning to the subject of David’s exploits with Israel’s enemies, the Philistines (ch. 29). The Lord allowed Saul to hear from the deceased Samuel so that Samuel could rebuke him. Samuel said, “The LORD has done exactly what He said through me: The LORD has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David…The LORD will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me” (1 Sam 28:17, 19).

The author of 1 Samuel then returned to David’s situation among the enemies of Israel; in ch. 29, he described the providential escape the Lord arranged for David and his men. Although David had been able to pull the wool over Achish’s eyes, the Philistine commanders were shrewder. In 1 Samuel 29:4-5, they reminded their fellow Philistines of the chant the Israelite women sang for David, when he returned from killing Goliath. They said, “Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands” (1 Sam 18:7). Early the next morning, David and his troops left the battle zone.

David’s perilous situation in 1 Samuel 27-29 parallels the latter part of Jesus’ ministry and Psalm 41 provides an intertextual link. Because the psalmist was opposed and betrayed by even close associates, he asked God to raise him up that he might execute vengeance upon them. The Gospels record numerous instances when, like David, Jesus’ opponents wished to have Him removed from their midst. When Jesus proclaimed Himself the Good Shepherd in John 10, He said that no one could take from Him the sheep the Father had given Him. Jesus’ opponents were willing to endure this teaching until Jesus went on to say, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30). At this statement, the Jews picked up stones to cast at Jesus, accusing Him of blasphemy. John records, “They were trying again to seize Him, yet He eluded their grasp” (John 10:39). This situation parallels the ministry of David. It shows God’s sovereign timetable over the lives of David and Jesus; He brought them to their places of leadership despite the efforts of those who opposed. Yet a distinction remains—fundamental to God’s unfolding plan of redemption in Scripture. David received the throne, expanded Israel’s territory, and died in relative peace; Jesus’ opponents eventually apprehended and crucified Him. Jesus’ opponents had help from an insider, Judas Iscariot. After Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He told the disciples that not all of them were clean (John 13:10-11) or chosen (John 13:18a). In John 13:18b, Jesus quoted Ps 41:9, “The one who eats My bread has raised his heel against Me.” Jesus shared bread with Judas, who went into the night to betray Him and contributed to fulfilling God’s sovereign plan(John 13:26-30). Jesus said, “this is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again” (John 10:17).

Although 1 Samuel 24 closes with Saul repenting of his sinful pursuit of David, David was left to roam the Wilderness of Paran depending upon the kindness of local farmers to provide life’s necessities for him and his men. Among the many farmers David may have approached for supplies, Nabal was especially noteworthy. Nabal was a man of significant wealth. He had the resources to help David and his band but Nabal “was harsh and evil in his dealings” (1 Sam 25:3; contra the theme of Psalm 112). Nabal had a miserly spirit, even refusing to share some of his bounty with David and his troops on a feast day (1 Sam 25:1-11). Nabal’s excuse to David’s men was that he did not know David and if he were to provide sustenance for him, it would be like aiding a slave who had run from his master (1 Sam 25:9-11).

David responded in rage, and if it weren’t for the intervention of Abigail, he may have sinned greatly (1 Sam 25:12-17, 21-22). Word of David’s anger motivated Abigail, Nabal’s wife, to hurry and supply the needs of David and his troops (1 Sam 25:18). In Abigail’s humble plea for mercy upon her husband, she stopped just short of confronting David for his vengeful plans saying, “It is the LORD who kept you from participating in bloodshed and avenging yourself by your own hand” (1 Sam 25:26); “Throughout your life, may evil not be found in you” (1 Sam 25:28); and “When the LORD does for my lord all the good He promised and appoints you ruler over Israel, there will not be remorse or a troubled conscience for my lord because of needless bloodshed or my lord’s revenge” (1 Sam 25:30-31a). Upon hearing of all that Abigail had done during the feast, Nabal had a seizure and within days the Lord had struck Nabal dead (1 Sam 25:38). In the end, David took the “intelligent and beautiful” (1 Sam 25:3; see Proverbs 31) Abigail as his wife (1 Sam 25:39-44).

With the lesson of the Lord’s vengeance fresh in his mind, David was further motivated to have mercy upon Saul (1 Samuel 26). After being informed again by the Ziphites of David’s locale (see 1 Sam 23:19-29), Saul came out after David in the Wilderness of Ziph (1 Sam 26:1-3). David and Abishai approached Saul and his troops as they were resting and Abishai said to David, “Today God has handed your enemy over to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won’t have to strike him twice!” (1 Sam 26:8). But David was purposed on mercy, taking only the spear and water jug that were beside Saul, whom the Lord had caused to fall into a deep sleep (1 Sam 26:11-12). David climbed to safety and shouted down at Saul and his troops (1 Sam 26:13-16), calling God as his protector saying, “May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against the LORD’s anointed, even though the LORD handed you over to me today” (1 Sam 26:23).

These chapters of 1 Samuel and Psalms show the degree of opposition David faced before he received the full rights of the throne. In the storyline of Scripture, David prefigures Jesus Christ, who also faced great opposition while awaiting His throne. The author of Hebrews wished to encourage his audience to endure their present suffering in light of the way David—and Christ—endured theirs. In Heb 11:32-34, he placed David with the judges of Israel and the prophets, lauding them for their courageous faithfulness in times of danger (Heb 11:32-34). He reminded his audience that David and the faithful of Israel were like a great cloud of witnesses cheering them on in the race of faith as they kept their eyes on Jesus, “who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne” (Heb 12:2).

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5:7). The life of David illustrates Jesus’ statement. Despite David’s kindness to his kinsmen, many attempted to hand him over to Saul, who was willing to search for him throughout Palestine. Nevertheless, when David happened upon the chance to kill the king, he resisted the urge of revenge.

While running for his life, David’s magnanimous spirit prompted him to deliver Keilah from the Philistines (1 Sam 23:1-14). David’s character stands out when considered in light of the trepidation of his men. Upon hearing that the Lord had given David the opportunity to attack the Philistines, they replied, “Look, we’re afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” (1 Sam 23:3). David again inquired of the Lord, who assured him, “I will hand the Philistines over to you” (1 Sam 23:4). David and his troops “inflicted heavy losses on them” (1 Sam 23:5) and delivered Israel. Saul, the commander-in-chief of Israel, was unmoved at the deliverance David had accomplished for the people. Upon hearing of David’s location, Saul sent men after him (1 Sam 23:7-14). David again inquired of the Lord and learned that Saul’s pursuit would be successful and that the men of Keilah would turn him over to Saul, despite the deliverance David earned for them. He was forced to flee once again, staying in the wilderness strongholds and the Wilderness of Ziph.

During this ebb in David’s strength, Jonathan sought him out and encouraged him in his faith in God (1 Sam 23:16). Jonathan’s words must have fortified David’s spirit when he said: “Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true” (1 Sam 23:17). While David escaped the potential threat from the men of Keilah, the Ziphites were much more aggressive, even seeking out Saul and strategizing as to how they might apprehend David for him (1 Sam 23:19-26). During this time, David wrote Psalm 54 as a petition to the Lord for deliverance.

But the Philistines proved only a temporary distraction. As soon as Saul heard of David’s location, the king chased after him (1 Sam 24:2). As providence would have it, David and his troops had concealed themselves in the back of a cave, where David penned Psalm 57. The cave seemed a suitable spot for Saul to rest (1 Sam 24:3-4). While David’s men recognized Saul’s entry into the cave as an opportunity to execute King Saul, their best rhetoric could only persuade David to cut off a corner of Saul’s robe, and even that panged his conscience (1 Sam 24:5; see Psalm 26). David was so bothered that he confessed his sin against “the LORD’s anointed” (1 Sam 24:6). The flow of 1 Samuel 24 reveals several demonstrations of David’s merciful disposition. Once Saul was a safe distance away, David called out to him, “My lord the king!” and bowed to the ground in homage (1 Sam 24:8). David confronted Saul with the reality that he could have killed him in the cave. In Saul’s hearing, David asked the Lord to plead his case (1 Sam 24:12-15). The remainder of 1 Samuel 24 records Saul’s repentance. Nevertheless, the author did not attempt to minimize the rift that existed between Saul and David, and the two parted ways without contact or specific plans for reconciliation.

David’s prayers of vengeance display God’s justice against those who oppose Him and His people. For example, notice his utterance against the Ziphites, “God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my life. He will repay my adversaries for their evil. Because of Your faithfulness, annihilate them” (Ps 54:4-5). God’s expressed anger against His foes becomes even more pointed as the storyline of Scripture progresses. Since God has revealed Himself so plainly in Christ, any who reject the final revelation of the Son (see Col 1:15-18; Heb 1:1-4) deserve to suffer the more severe consequences of their choice. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “It is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us” (2 Thess 1:6-7a; see also 2 Pet 3:7-13; Rev 18).

The historical records of David’s early reign present the various means of his escapes from Saul and other enemies. To cope, David put pen to paper, composing poems of deliverance arranged in the Psalms of the Old Testament. Though Saul schemed against David and threatened any who would inhibit his pursuit of David, Saul would not be successful. David would one day reign over Israel just as the Lord had said (see 1 Sam 13:14; 16:1-13).

David’s flight from Saul is characterized by some unconventional tactics. David was only partially truthful to Ahimelech the priest about his flight from Saul, when he took some of the consecrated bread as food for men who were not priests (1 Sam 21:1-9). David pretended to be insane before King Achish of Gath (1 Sam 21:10-15). In trepidation before these foreigners, David prayed, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Ps 56:3-4). David even entrusted the safety of his family to foreigners, that is, to Moab and its king (1 Sam 22:1-5).

Saul’s spiritual instability compelled David to run for his life. After Saul provoked his soldiers to turn against David, Doeg the Edomite acted as an informant of David’s latest location and the supply Ahimelech the priest had given to David and his troops (1 Sam 22:6-10). This event was so significant that David composed Psalm 52 as a poem of response. Concerning Doeg he wrote, “Why brag about evil, you hero! God’s faithful love is constant…I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever” (Ps 52:1, 8).

When Saul arrived to interrogate Ahimelech, the priest maintained his innocence (1 Sam 22:14-15). Saul did not believe him. Upon condemning Ahimelech, and all of the priests, for assisting David, Saul ordered them killed. The majority of Saul’s men did not heed the king’s command: “The king’s servants would not lift a hand to execute the priests of the LORD” (1 Sam 22:17). Yet Doeg the Edomite, who had earlier informed Saul of Ahimelech’s kindness to David, rose at Saul’s command and killed 85 priests as well as the people of Nob where the priests and their families dwelt (1 Sam 22:18b-19).

In God’s providence, one of the priests escaped, Abiathar the son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub (1 Sam 22:20). Somehow informed of David’s location, Abiathar fled to David and reported Saul’s latest folly (1 Sam 22:21). David’s concerns went beyond himself and in benevolence he told the young priest, “Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me” (1 Sam 22:23). David may have had in mind someone like Abiathar when he prayed, “Let those who want my vindication shout for joy and be glad; let them continually say, ‘The LORD be exalted, who wants His servant’s well-being’” (Ps 35:27); and, “The righteous will gather around me because You deal generously with me” (Ps 142:7).

In the New Testament, David’s bold acts in 1 Samuel 21 are used to explicate the supremacy of Jesus.

(1) Jesus Himself referenced David’s willingness to eat consecrated bread from Ahimelech the priest (see Matt 12:1-8//Mark 2:23-28//Luke 6:1-5). Jesus and His disciples were traveling through the grain fields on the Sabbath and satisfied their hunger by picking some heads of grain and eating them. The Pharisees were outraged, saying to Jesus, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” (Matt 12:2). Jesus called their attention to David’s flight from Saul and God’s provision of sacred bread for David and his men. Jesus’ point was not only that He and His disciples were doing sacred work—which provided them (like the priests serving in the temple) exemption from Sabbath laws—but also that One greater than the temple had arrived (Matt 12:6). Jesus was concerned that the Pharisees recognize that “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matt 12:8).

(2) As evidence of Jesus’ deity, Peter cited Psalm 34, which records David’s reflection on when he pretended to be insane before the king of Gath. Peter took David’s phrase, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps 34:8) as a reference to the Lord Jesus, the living stone that had been rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God (1 Pet 2:3-4). In Ps 34:12-16, David reflected on the noble paths of pursuing peace and trusting God when in danger. Peter saw in David’s words an apt exhortation for his audience in 1 Pet 3:10-12. There Peter concluded his plea that his readers live honorably toward their civil authorities, masters, and spouses in light of Christ (1 Pet 2:11-3:7). Peter knew that God would bless his audience as they sought to live peacefully just as David did when he was among the Philistines.

After previous attacks from Saul in 1 Samuel 18-19, David was desperate to know of his status before the king (1 Sam 20:1-10). Perhaps most infuriating to David was the fact that he had done Saul no wrong (1 Sam 20:1). David was in such trepidation that he swore to Jonathan, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death” (1 Sam 20:3). The dialogue between David and Jonathan reveals that David was especially concerned to know for certain of Saul’s disposition toward him, which was eventually revealed when David was absent from the New Moon festival (1 Sam 20:3-10).

Despite what it might cost him personally, Jonathan planned to protect David from Saul’s rage (1 Sam 20:11-24). Since David planned to avoid Saul and the New Moon festival in the king’s court, he questioned Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” (1 Sam 20:10). Jonathan replied in an extended monologue which demonstrated covenant loyalty for David (1 Sam 20:11-17). Jonathan’s pledge to David included calling God as a witness of his truthfulness regarding Saul’s reaction to his absence at the New Moon feast (1 Sam 20:11-13) and a request that David treat his family with fidelity even if Saul wished David dead, “because he loved him as he loved himself” (1 Sam 20:17). Jonathan set forth a specific plan for informing David of Saul’s reaction to his absence (1 Sam 20:18-24); the directions Jonathan gave to the archer’s assistant would inform David of Saul’s intentions.

On the day after the New Moon, Jonathan discovered Saul’s plan for David (1 Sam 20:25-34). The text is vivid: “Don’t I know that you are siding with Jesse’s son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother? Every day Jesse’s son lives on earth you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to me—he deserves to die” (1 Sam 20:30-31).

At this point in his life, Saul epitomized David’s description of the wicked in Psalm 36: “Even on his bed he makes malicious plans. He sets himself on a path that is not good and does not reject evil” (Ps 36:4). Saul’s schemes against David revealed that he was more concerned for his place on the throne than Jonathan’s royal status: “Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David” (1 Sam 20:33). Jonathan had his answer as to Saul’s reaction about David’s absence from the festival.

Jonathan informed David of Saul’s plans and the friends were forced to part ways (1 Sam 20:35-42). After sending the archer’s assistant away, Jonathan kissed David and they “wept with each other, though David wept more” (1 Sam 20:41). Calling God a witness to their covenant of family loyalty, Jonathan and David separated, with only one subsequent meeting recorded in Scripture (see 1 Sam 23:15-18). Perhaps while he was departing from Jonathan, David was inspired to write, “My spirit is weak within me; my heart is overcome with dismay” (Ps 143:4).

The friendship of Jonathan and David has been used to tutor many young people of the kind of devotion it takes to make a friendship work. Yet, one should not leave the Lord out of the picture. Jonathan and David’s friendship was grounded in a spiritual covenant. The depth of their loyalty is illustrative of what Jesus said later, showing His supremacy in the storyline of Scripture. Just after He washed His disciples’ feet, an act that would foreshadow His crucifixion, Jesus commanded His disciples: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

Psalms 6, 7, and 59 are foundational for understanding the events recorded in the latter half of 1 Samuel. Psalm 6, a Davidic prayer, says, “The LORD has heard my plea for help; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror; they will turn back and suddenly be disgraced” (Ps 6:9-10). David’s pleas for divine aid were often from an innocent heart, reflecting the psalmist’s perspective in Psalm 7:3-5: “LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice on my hands, if I have done harm to one at peace with me or have plundered my adversary without cause, may an enemy pursue and overtake me.”

First Samuel 18 records David’s initial success—and Saul’s vengeful response. Seeing that David “was successful in everything Saul sent him to do” (1 Sam 18:5), the king put the young shepherd boy in command of the soldiers. While Saul did not expect David’s popularity to become a threat to his reign, Jonathan’s affection for him—and the dancing and song of the women who honored his victories in battle—aroused Saul’s wrath (1 Sam 18:8-9). In vengeance, Saul directly attacked David (1 Sam 18:10-11), then orchestrated a ruse for David’s demise at the hand of the Philistines (1 Sam 18:12-30). But David was successful against Israel’s enemies and earned the hand of Michal, Saul’s daughter. What Saul had hoped would eliminate David brought the young warrior into the king’s family.

In 1 Samuel 19, two of Saul’s children sought to rescue David from Saul’s hand. When Saul commanded Jonathan to kill David, Jonathan instead came to David’s aid. Yet even Jonathan’s persuasive argument could not ultimately change his father’s mind. When David was victorious against the Philistines, Saul again tried to kill him with a spear (1 Sam 19:1-10). Saul arranged surveillance of David and Michal’s home (during which time David penned Psalm 59), but Michal helped David escape. But neither Michal nor her brother Jonathan were successful in pacifying their father’s hatred for David. The Lord delivered David. When Saul came to Naioth in Ramah, the Spirit came upon him and he prophesied in the presence of Samuel, while David fled (1 Sam 19:18-20:1).

The providential protection David enjoyed in 1 Samuel 18-19, as was the case throughout his life, points to the security and stability of God’s plan for him. In the storyline of Scripture, God’s sovereign protection of David as king provides the opportunity to think about the sovereign timetable of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In his Gospel, John employed the concept of Jesus’ “hour” to describe the divine moment in history when Christ would be crucified, a reality that could not be hindered.

(1) When Jesus’ mother recognized that during the wedding in Cana of Galilee the host family had run out of wine, Jesus, thinking about the culmination of His ministry in the cross even from the outset, said, “What has this concern of yours to do with Me, woman?…My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4).

(2) Jesus went up to the Festival of Tabernacles secretly because the Jews were looking for Him (John 7:1-13). Nevertheless, once He began teaching in the temple complex news about Him spread and some opponents hoped to apprehend Him. John’s comment is telling: “Yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30). At the same festival, when the Pharisees were interrogating Jesus and desiring to arrest Him, John reports, “No one seized Him, because His hour had not come” (John 8:20).

(3) After Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem, Andrew and Philip informed Jesus that some Greeks wished to speak with Him. Knowing that the Pharisees had had enough and that this would spike their anger, Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23).

(4) Jesus initiated the Passover celebration with His disciples, “knowing that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father” (John 13:1).

(5) The alarm of the divine clock was ready to sound when Jesus prayed, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him. This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ” (John 17:1-3).

In 1 Samuel 15, the Lord rejected Saul because of the king’s unfaithfulness to His word. The Lord was not interested in appearance or typical military might but faithfulness from the heart. He found in David, son of Jesse, the kind of simple courage that qualified David to be king. The Lord confirmed His choice of David by empowering the young shepherd boy to advance against the Philistine giant, killing him, and winning the affection of the people.

The drama of 1 Samuel 17 underscores themes of spiritual warfare in Israel’s history. When Goliath saw David approaching, Goliath taunted him and “cursed David by his gods” (1 Sam 17:43). During the fight, David’s basis for advancing against the Philistine was primarily spiritual; he said:

I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel’s armies—you have defied Him. Today, the LORD will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, cut your head off, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the LORD saves, for the battle is the LORD’s (1 Sam 17:45b-47; Psalm 17).

In order to fight Goliath, David first had to face opposition from those who failed to annihilate the Philistine giant. Eliab, David’s oldest brother spitefully reproved David, “I know your arrogance and your evil heart—you came down to see the battle!” (1 Sam 17:28). Later Saul said, “You can’t go fight this Philistine. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young” (1 Sam 17:33). Their unwillingness to buoy the courageous David was rooted in 40 days of cowardice (1 Sam 17:11-16). David responded with confidence in his God, straightaway telling the king, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” (1 Sam 17:32). David’s confidence was based upon past experience with predators like lions and bears, which he overcame by the power of his God. David exclaimed, “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the bear will rescue me for the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam 17:34-37; see Psalm 62). It is thus not surprising that David took up five stones and a sling to fight the Philistine.

In the storyline of Scripture, David’s courage contributed to the scrapbook of faithful acts the author of Hebrews assembled for his audience. For him, David’s might in battle against Goliath (Heb 11:34) was an example of the kind of faith that pleases God (Heb 11:6) and gains His approval (Heb 11:39). The author of Hebrews expected his audience—those who had received the promise of Christ and the better covenant in His blood—to act with similar courage.