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Meditative Reflection
True Success Comes from God

“David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.” (1 Sam. 18:30)

The biblical author purposely highlights that David did come from a humble beginning and grew into fame under difficult circumstances.

As David twice hesitated in becoming the son-in-law of the king — a sure fast track to fame, fortune and power — he realized that he was poor, not being able to muster the kind of lavish gifts fit for marrying the daughter of the king. David also said of himself as being “little known” (18:23). However, the same chapter ends with the comment that “his name became well known” (18:30).

Even in this short pericope, the Bible seeks to impress upon us the following through this flip-flop betrothing by Saul of his daughters to David:

- As much as Saul meant to harm David, God could and had turned into good.

- David did not aspire to be great, seizing every opportunity to advance; he recognized his own humble state and was content to wait upon God’s provision and timing.

- His victories over the Philistines, time and again, and his eventual rise to fame was totally a result of God being with him (18:12).

As much as these principles of success are very familiar to us, how often do we really live them out “where the rubber meets the road”?

Meditative Reflection
The Devil Made Me Do It?

“But an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand…” (1 Sam. 19:9)

It appears that given his great success in his campaigns against the Philistines and being the son-in-law of Saul, David still had to play the harp to soothe the spirit of Saul. But when the evil spirit came upon him, Saul did not appear to have control over himself, and he tried to pin David with his spear again. Could Saul then blame his murderous action on the evil spirit?

First of all, it was entirely Saul’s own doing that caused the Spirit of the Lord to depart from him. Had he loved the Lord and obeyed His command, he would continue to be king over Israel, he would continue to have success in his campaigns against all Israel’s enemies and he would have enjoyed the continuous presence of the Lord. With God’s presence, there was not a chance that any evil spirit could come upon him.

Secondly, the desire to kill David was there in his heart in the first place, and the evil spirit was simply drawing out what was in his heart.

Finally, the throwing of the spear at David was certainly a spur-of-the-moment action when he was influenced by the evil spirit; he could not explain away his subsequent actions to pursue David. It was through and through a calculated and conscious choice of his.

The Apostle James does imply that the evil spirit would play a part in tempting us by drawing out the evil desire within us, but he firmly asserts that “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7). The problem with Saul therefore was the fact that he did not even put up a fight with the devil, instead he used the evil spirit conveniently to achieve his evil desire. Saul had no one to blame but himself for his sin.

Meditative Reflection
The God of Long-Suffering

“But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel’s presence.” (1 Sam. 19:23-24)

As much as Saul had rejected God and was determined even to kill God’s anointed, the way God still chose to deal with him shows us that we do have a God who is slow to anger and abounding in love (Ps. 103:8). With such rebelliousness and audacity even to kill David in Samuel’s presence, or even Samuel himself, if I were the Lord, I would have inflicted severe punishment upon Saul, if not outright taking of his life.

As it happened, God chose to overcome his men and then Saul himself with His Spirit. What grace! Saul, whose heart was much hardened as he made his way to Naioth, was overcome by the Spirit of God even before he reached Samuel. The fact that the Spirit had to restrain him for the whole day and made him lay stripped (likely naked) was a further sign that Saul experienced the power of God to a greater extent than his fellow men. All this happened not only to save the lives of David and Samuel, but also to prevent Saul from committing a sin too grave for him to bear, and to understand that he was acting against God and not men.

Keil and Delitszch were right that God did this to Saul in order that, “if it were possible, his hard heart might be broken and subdued by the power of grace” (K&D, 498). Indeed, we have a God who is slow in anger and abounding in love, even to a sinner like Saul!

Meditative Reflection
Refreshing Love

“And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.” (1 Sam. 20:17)

Allow me to share with you an excerpt from Chuck Swindoll’s reflection on the kind of love Jonathan had for David:

“Shortly before his death, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote Youth and Age in which he reflected over his past and the strength of his earlier years. He wrote for example: ‘Nought cared this body for wind or weather, When youth and I lived in it together…’ But, to me, the most moving line in this quaint work is the statement: Friendship is a sheltering tree…

"But of all trees that God placed beside His choice servants, one human redwood looms the largest, in my opinion. David was hunted and haunted by madman Saul. The king’s singular objective was to witness with his own eyes David’s corpse. Between Saul and David, stood a sheltering tree named Jonathan, who neither shook nor shed in that precarious place. No matter how hard he tried, Saul could not chop down that tree! Loyal and dependable. Jonathan assured David, ‘Whatever you say, I will do for you’ (1 Samuel 20:4). No limits. No conditions. No bargains. No reservations. Best of all, when things were at their worst, he ‘went to David… and encouraged him in God' (1 Samuel 23:16). Why? Why would he provide such a refreshment? Because he was committed to the basic principles of a friendship. Because, ‘he loved him as he loved himself’ (1 Samuel 18:1). It was love that knit their hearts together. The kind of love that causes men to lay down their lives for their friends, as Jesus put it (John 15:13). No greater love exists on this globe.

"Beneath whose branches are you refreshed…”
(Seasons of Life, 153,4)

Meditative Reflection
Practical Holiness

“I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand, however, there is some consecrated bread here — provided the men have kept themselves from women.” (1 Sam. 21:4)

When it comes to whether to continue the keeping of some of the Old Testament law, we still tend to struggle sometimes, for fear that we may offend the Lord. In the early church, we read that Peter, too, struggled with the doing away of all the food law (Acts 10), although Jesus has made it very clear that He has come to fulfill the law and that what goes into a person’s mouth does not make a person unclean. (Matt. 5:17; Mk. 7:15)

However, even in the time of the Old Testament, God has not meant the law to be kept on the outside, but its spirit is far more important. Even Jesus draws on the example of David eating the “show bread” to prove this point:

“Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to the companions.” (Mk. 2:25-26)

Jesus confirms that what the high priest did that day was blatantly against the Law of Moses (Lev. 24:8-9) and yet He condones his action, not because it was David, but because David and his companions “were hungry and in need”.

It appears that mercy does trump the law, and I call it “practical holiness”, because holiness means setting apart for the Lord. Abiathar set himself apart for the Lord that day by identifying with the mercy of God which is the spirit of the Law.

Meditative Reflection
Timely Comfort

“All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” (1 Sam. 22:2)

When I first read about David pretending to be insane before the king of Gath, my immediate thought was whether it was right for David to fake his illness. But, as I came across Psalm 34, I have come to understand how judgmental I was even in the reading of the Bible and my failure to see the plight of David — having to flee for his life, having to leave a deep, deep friendship with Jonathan and having put others, including his family in harm’s way. Psalm 34 helps me understand his immense distress — he had many troubles, he was heart-broken and he was crushed in spirit (Ps. 34:18-19).

It was in times like this that the Lord sent David very timely comfort:

1. His brothers and his father’s household went to join him: Yes, they probably sensed that their own lives were in danger because of David, but their arrival gave David comfort, especially in view of their rejection of him in his early days — what great comfort it is when you are with your family especially in times of distress.

2. Some 400 men joined him voluntarily when he needed them most: Sure, they were a bunch of losers — in distress, in debt or discontented. But that was what David was like too. The amazing thing is, as we read the rest of David’s story, this bunch of renegades became the most loyal soldiers of David. I am not surprised at all, because they saw with their own eyes the godly character of David who spared his enemy, Saul, time after time. They learned from David the true meaning of the fear of the Lord.

3. The appearance of the prophet Gad: At a time of distress, David desperately needed “to learn what God will do” for him (1 Sam. 22:3). No sooner had he spoken these words aloud than Gad showed up and gave him much needed advice, although the advice went against his wisdom of hiding among the Philistines.

No wonder David could testify through the psalm that, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears…The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him…” (Ps. 34:4, 7). Yes, his family, the 400 renegades and the prophet Gad were all angels sent by the Lord to him.

Meditative Reflection
Who is on the Lord’s Side?

“Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household?” (1 Sam. 22:14)

Reading the fate of the high priest Ahimelech, I cannot help but compare him with Michal, the wife of David. Both were confronted by Saul for their assisting David in his escape, although Michal did it on purpose, while Ahimelech did so innocently. However, Michal sought to deflect her guilt by blaming David (19:17), while Ahimelech’s answer basically amounted to a righteous rebuke of the king (22:14-15). Of course, he knew the price he would pay for his integrity, but he did it anyway as a true priest of the Lord (22:17). His action reminds me of the hymn, Who is on the Lord’s Side, and I invite you to pause and reflect on its lyrics, asking yourself “Am I on the Lord’s side?”— instead of David, Jesus is our Captain!

1
Who is on the Lord’s side?
Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers,
Other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side?
Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side?
Who for Him will go?

By Thy grand redemption,
By Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side;
Savior, we are Thine.

2
Not for weight of glory,
Not for crown and palm,
Enter we the army,
Raise the warrior psalm;
But for love that claimeth
Lives for whom He died;
He whom Jesus nameth
Must be on His side.

3
Jesus, Thou hast bought us,
Not with gold or gem,
But with Thine own life-blood,
For Thy diadem;
With Thy blessing filling
Each who comes to Thee,
Thou hast made us willing,
Thou hast made us free.

4
Fierce may be the conflict,
Strong may be the foe,
But the King’s own army
None can overthrow.
Round His standard ranging
Victory is secure,
For His truth unchanging
Makes the triumph sure.

5
Chosen to be soldiers
In an alien land:
Chosen, called, and faithful,
For our Captain’s band;
In the service royal
Let us not grow cold;
Let us be right loyal,
Noble, true, and bold.

Francis Havergal (1836-1879)