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Ambassador Baptist Church
1926 Babcock Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15209
(412)477-3210
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Pastor's Pen April 1
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April 1, 2007

I Samuel 18-20
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I Samuel
Chapter 18
  1. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
  2. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
  3. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
  4. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
  5. And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
  6. And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
  7. And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
  8. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
  9. And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
  10. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
  11. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
  12. And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.
  13. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
  14. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
  15. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
  16. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
  17. And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
  18. And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?
  19. But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
  20. And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
  21. And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law in the one of the twain.
  22. And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son-in-law.
  23. And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
  24. And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
  25. And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
  26. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law: and the days were not expired.
  27. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
  28. And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
  29. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
  30. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.


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I Samuel
Chapter 19
  1. And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
  2. But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
  3. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.
  4. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
  5. For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
  6. And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.
  7. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.
  8. And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.
  9. And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
  10. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
  11. Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.
  12. So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
  13. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
  14. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
  15. And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
  16. And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.
  17. And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?
  18. So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
  19. And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.
  20. And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
  21. And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
  22. Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
  23. And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
  24. And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?


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I Samuel
Chapter 20
  1. And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
  2. And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
  3. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
  4. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
  5. And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.
  6. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
  7. If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
  8. Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
  9. And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
  10. Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?
  11. And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
  12. And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
  13. The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
  14. And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
  15. But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
  16. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
  17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
  18. Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
  19. And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
  20. And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
  21. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.
  22. But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.
  23. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
  24. So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
  25. And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.
  26. Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
  27. And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
  28. And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
  29. And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.
  30. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
  31. For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
  32. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
  33. And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
  34. So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
  35. And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
  36. And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
  37. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
  38. And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
  39. But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
  40. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
  41. And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
  42. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.


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Thought for the day:
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 Envy is a vicious sin. It seems harmless at first. After all, who among us has not felt a twinge of jealousy when someone else has received an honor that we were expecting for ourselves? So when that emotion comes, we don't repent of it, but rather we savor it and feed it. As time passes on, the "green-eyed monster" begins to grow. The more it grows, the more it feeds, and the more we feed it, the faster it grows. Soon it may overtake us completely, and then who knows what might be said or done.

 Saul had numerous spiritual problems in his life. One that is exposed in this passage is the sin of envy. David has come home from winning a great victory over Goliath, and helping Saul and Israel to defeat the Philistines. Upon his return, the women of the town cry out,

"Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" ( 18:7).
The Bible teaches that this simple song displeased and angered Saul. He feared that, because the women sang that David had slain more men than Saul, he would soon steal the crown from Saul's head. Do you see how jealousy can impact a man's thinking? There is no intelligent reason to believe that a song sung by women could result in the loss of the kingdom. It is an illogical assumption. Yet Saul makes it under the influence of envy. Up until this point David has been a blessing to Saul. He played the harp for him in his times of depression. He had done a heroic job in the battle against Goliath. He was even best friends with Saul's own son. Yet none of that mattered. David had received acclaim that Saul felt belonged to him alone, and from that day forward he watched David, and on several occasions attempted to kill him. Envy pushed Saul to the point where he married off his own daughter to David in hopes of ruining him ( 18:22). Of course, he never considered what this might do to his daughter. He even attempted to assassinate his own son because he dared to question why Saul was angry at David (20:33). The "innocent" sin of envy can lead men to places where they never wished to go.

 Not only did Saul struggle with the emotion of envy, but he also had issues of fear. In 18:12 the Bible says that

"Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul."
Isn't it interesting that Saul experienced fear when he realized that David had the power of God on his life? Perhaps he again feared for his kingship. Perhaps he feared because he knew what God could do to him through David. In verse 14 it states that Saul also feared David because David "behaved himself wisely". I believe that these verses on fear can help to explain the reaction of the unsaved world to a dedicated believer. The ungodly are intimidated by those who exhibit God's power in their lives. They are uncomfortable around Christians who take an unashamed stand for truth, and are unwilling to compromise. Because of their own sinfulness, foolishness, and emptiness, they can not stand to be around those who, through Christ, have overcome these issues. The unbeliever whose life is in shambles has two choices when confronted with a contented, godly believer: he can get saved himself, or he can attempt to destroy the message and life of the Christian. Unfortunately, most unbelievers chose the latter.

 Don't allow envy to control you. Don't be afraid to walk righteously, wisely, and powerfully among the heathen. The first will destroy you. The second will make you stand out above the crowd. The world may hate you for it, but the blessings of God will more than make up for that.

Pastor Dr. Mark J Montgomery

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