July 16, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 1 Samuel and Mark? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Samuel 19 (NIV)
Saul Tries to Kill David
1 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”…..Continue Reading
1 Samuel 19
What a sad tale of what anger and jealousy can do to us. But at least Saul makes his intentions known which allows those favorable to David to talk to Saul and protect David. And the height of Saul’s evil is found in the fact that sense can be spoken to him at one moment and he can agree, but then be overcome by his hatred. We need to be careful over our hearts and what we allow to enter as well as fester there. And yet we see also that God is involved here too: heightening Saul’s evil, but also protecting David through people he is associated with, frustrating Saul’s plans and making everyone who comes to find Samuel and David prophesy. What an opportunity there is for repentance on Saul’s behalf that he himself is able to prophesy. So all that God is doing with Saul is showing to him the nature of evil that is in his heart and how he still has the chance to decide differently.
Ok, well this chapter ends rather strangely! God is protecting David no matter what Saul does to kill him. It is God’s plan that will unfold, not man’s no matter what he tries to do to make it happen. Another thing I am learning from this is that our strong will to do something that continually preoccupies or intrudes in our minds is not from God. If we find ourselves obsessed with doing something and we continue again and again to come up against roadblocks, it is best to pipe down and let things be. Hand over the situation to God when we think about it, and pray that he will work it out according to his good plan. And be ready to take action when the time is right. God will open the door to that opportunity when the time comes. Pray that we will know it when it happens.
Wise counsel, Shelly!
Saul can not keep his word. He lets anger and jealousy get the better of him time and time again as he makes promises not to kill David and then goes back on those promises with yet another attempt. Tough positions for Jonathan and Michal to be in trying to support their friend and husband against their own father. They both do the right thing but I am sure the difficult thing. God’s protection over David is so evident and just continued to frustrate Saul I am sure!
1 Samuel 19
1 Samuel 19
1 Samuel 19
”Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.“
I Samuel 19:20-21 NKJV
I think this is so funny. Everyone Saul sends after David prophesies. Including Saul, and then he ends up naked and prophesying. When it says they are prophesying, are they standing out and preaching future predictions or truths?
When we wonder about the evil intent of some,
We can know that at any moment God can afflict them with prophecy! It seems this happened to humiliate Saul.