1 Samuel 19:1-24


The protection of God is a wonderful and amazing blessing that He bestows on His children.  Saul is the king of the land and has decided that he wants to kill David.  Saul has his entire army at his disposal and holds the most powerful position in the nation.  He would normally just be able to kill anyone that he wanted, but God has determined to protect David and provide for his safety.  It is a futile thing to fight against God.  Saul ends up just looking foolish and powerless.  We can rest in God’s power and protection, knowing that He is able to protect us from the most powerful enemy in the most dangerous of circumstances.  God is always able to deliver us no matter how dark and difficult things may become.  We can see this illustrated through the people that God uses to protect David.

GOD PROTECTS DAVID THROUGH JONATHAN: Of all the people that we would expect to want David dead, Jonathan is the most likely to join his father in the quest to eliminate David.  Jonathan had the most to lose in this situation.  Jonathan stands to inherit the throne and it had be have been obvious that David was growing more powerful and popular to the point that Jonathan must have realized that David was going to be competition for the throne.  We don’t know how much Jonathan knew but we do see that he is loyal to David and intercedes for David before his father.  He convinces his father that David has done nothing but been faithful to the kingdom and had delivered Saul and Israel from the Philistines.  Saul restores David and sends him out on another military conquest, perhaps in hopes David would be killed, but God is faithful to protect David once again.  We can trust God to rise up people who will be used of Him to provide the protection we might need as we faithfully serve the Lord.

GOD PROTECTS DAVID THROUGH MICHAL: David is married to Saul’s daughter, so when Saul once again goes into a fit of rage and tries to spear David to the wall, David is able to escape and run home.  Michal knows her father and knows that Saul will come after David so she secretly lowers David from a window in the night and then stalls the men who seek after David by saying he is sick and putting a “dummy” in the bed.  God gave Michal insight into how her father would react and was able to warn and protect David because of that.  Perhaps Saul’s older daughter would have been more loyal to her father than to David.  But Michal loved David and God used her to protect him.  God is faithful to surround His children with people He will use to provide protection for them.

GOD PROTECTS DAVID THROUGH SAMUEL: David flees to Samuel who takes him to a neighboring city and the two of them are living together.  It seems that this time together would be a key part of David’s preparation to reign as king.  Surely Samuel invested in David’s life and gave him insight and understanding into the Word of God that would help David throughout his life.  When Saul finds out where David is, he sends three groups of soldiers after him to bring him back and kill him.  However, all three groups end up being overcome by the Spirit of God and begin to prophesy.  Finally, Saul himself goes up to get David and the same thing happens to him.  God has obviously determined to protect David through supernatural means.  It is a comfort to know that God still has all of these means at His disposal to protect us in whatever situations we might face.

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