This week we
will continue the study of the entire Book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament.
As Saul recognized that the Lord had left him, but was with David (18:12), he began his plan to eliminate David after failing to pin him to the wall with his own spear (18:11):
(1) What was Saul’s intention in giving his older daughter in marriage to David?
(2) What does this say about Saul as a father?
(3) What was David’s reply to Saul?
(4) How did David resemble Saul in this matter? (See 9:21)
(5) Did David really have a choice in the matter? Did Saul change his mind? (See the most possible reason in v. 26)
(6) In giving David his other daughter, Michal, Saul said that she might be “a snare” to David. What does it mean?
(7) When Saul offered David his other daughter, what was David’s main concern and how was it alleviated?
(8) In risking his life and killing 200 Philistines, what did David demonstrate beyond bravery?
(9) Compare v. 23 with v. 30. How would you define the key to success in the life of David?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) In ordering the killing of David, how would you describe the state of mind of Saul as a king once appointed by the Lord?
(2) As the heir-apparent, what did Jonathan choose to do? Why?
(3) Jonathan chose to “reason” with his father. What reasons did he use to sway his father’s decision to kill David? (vv. 4-5)?
(4) Did it work? Why?
(5) Was Saul serious about not killing David? How can we know? (v. 6)
(6) What caused Saul to breach his oath? (v. 9)
(7) Could Saul really claim that “the devil made me do it”? Why or why not?
(8) Now David really had to run for his life. While this portion of the Scripture does not give us insight into the fear and struggles David had, Psalm 59 does. Turn to this Psalm:
a. Vv. 1-5: What was the basis upon which David appealed to the Lord for help?
b. Vv. 6-8: How did he describe his traitors?
c. Vv. 8-15: What punishment did he wish upon these traitors? Why did he ask the Lord not to kill them?
d. Vv. 16-17: How did he end this psalm?
(9) Whom did God use to answer David’s prayer?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) As David began his life of running away from Saul, he first went to Samuel. What might be the reasons he did that?
(2) Knowing David was with Samuel, how could Saul have the audacity to send men to capture David?
(3) How did God intervene to save the life of David (and of Samuel as well, perhaps)?
(4) Why did Saul, having been told what happened to his men, send other men three times, before he himself went to kill David?
(5) Did he know that it was God’s direct intervention? Why then would he still go?
(6) What happened to Saul at first appeared to be similar to that of his men, but there were some notable differences. What were they? What was their significance?
(7) This experience revived a much earlier saying in 10:11:
a. How different were the two experiences?
b. Why would God allow Saul to have this experience again?
c. How could Saul have responded to this renewed experience?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) David knew that even the company of Samuel would not guarantee him safety, and he had no one left to flee to except Jonathan, his best friend. The questions he asked Jonathan were obviously rhetorical, but he had a message for Jonathan. What was it? (v. 3)
(2) Why didn’t David simply run for his life, but instead asked Jonathan to see if his absence at the New Moon festival would enrage Saul?
(3) Now it was David who asked Jonathan for kindness to help save him, but in return Jonathan said something rather interesting in vv. 14-15 to David:
a. Why did he ask David to show him unfailing kindness instead?
b. Why did he ask David not to kill him and his family?
c. With Jonathan’s words at such a time like this, what can we learn about Jonathan’s faith and his relationship with David?
(4) What did Saul assume as the reason for David’s absence? How could he expect David’s presence after what he had just done at Naioth?
(5) What was Jonathan’s excuse for David?
(6) Was it a reasonable one?
(7) If Saul got angry over it, what might be the reasons?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Why did Saul flare up when he realized that David had escaped?
(2) Why was he so angry with Jonathan? (see v. 31 in particular)
(3) On what basis did Jonathan challenge his father? Why? (v. 32)
(4) V. 34 describes two emotions of Jonathan. How were the two related?
(5) Now David knew that he had to run; the Bible describes his action as follows:
a. David bowed down three times before Jonathan: What does it mean?
b. They kissed and wept. What does it show?
c. But David wept the most. Why?
(6) Before they left one another, what did Jonathan seek to reiterate with his words?
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It appears that David knew he had nowhere to hide within Israel, and decided that the safest place was to hide within the territory of the Philistines. On his way to Gath, he stopped by Nob where the tabernacle was. |
(7) Why was the priest so afraid to see David?
(8) Was David right in fabricating a story? Was the consequence of this meeting avoidable? (22:18-19)
(9) Why was the priest reluctant to give the “show bread” to David, although it was obvious that he was very hungry? (Lev. 24:8-9)
(10) Did Jesus think that it was right for the priest to give David the “show bread”? (Matt. 12:4) Why?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Did David expect the Philistines to recognize him? Why?
(2) Why was he so afraid now that he was recognized?
(3) What did he do to save his life?
(4) Read Psalm 34 to get a glimpse of what David actually went through during this event:
a. Did he simply act on his own wisdom?
b. What was his internal condition?
c. What did he attribute his deliverance to: his acting or…?
d. What had he learned from this experience?
(5) Now David escaped to the cave of Adullam; why did his father’s household decide to join him at this time?
(6) Who were the other people who decided to join him?
(7) What kind of an army did he have then and how large was it?
(8) Why would David see the need to settle his father’s family with the king of Moab?
(9) What did the appearance of the prophet Gad mean to David? (22:3)
(10) What was Gad’s advice to him which went against the original strategy of David?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
The prophet Gad was eventually called “David’s seer” (1 Chr. 21:9).
(1) In his rant against David and his son Jonathan, what did Saul wish to incite? (vv. 6-8)
(2) Why did Doeg choose to bring up the incident with Ahimelech, the priest?
(3) How did Ahimelech counter the charges laid against him by Saul? (vv. 14-15)
(4) Was Ahimelech’s defense not reasonable? Why was Saul so determined to kill not only him, but his whole family?
(5) Why did all of Saul’s officials refuse to carry out Saul’s order to kill?
(6) Who then was willing to kill the priests and their families?
(7) Read Psalm 52:1-4 to see David’s judgment of Doeg.
(8) Whom do you think had committed a greater sin, Saul or Doeg? Why?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?