UNBRIDLED ANGER

1 Samuel 19

Jealousy Turns Deadly

Saul's jealousy continues to consume him until he finally announces in public with his court what he had been thinking in his heart for some time. Saul's desire was to murder David. Jonathan warned David and promised to signal his friend if he could not persuade his father to cancel the death warrant. Jonathan mediated on behalf of David reminding his father that David had never sinned against him. Jonathan told his father that David’s activities had benefited Saul, and those benefits had come at great risk to his own life.Saul listened, and he vowed that David should not be put to death. Jonathan went to David and restored him to the court.
The peace did not last long, and military accomplishments by David once again triggered the jealous spirit within Saul until he tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David escaped unharmed, but Saul dispatched assassins to wait outside David’s house to execute him in the morning. Michal warned David that he must flee that very night if he would save his life. Michal helped David escape out a back window and prepared a decoy to confuse the assassins and to try and buy some time for her husband. She fixed a life-sized statue to resemble David, and when Saul’s spies came looking for David, Michal told them he was sick. The ruse worked until Saul ordered his agents to bring David to him on his sick bed so he could kill him. Only then did the messengers discover that they had been deceived and they took Michal with them instead. Saul scolded his daughter for aiding his enemy. 

Divine Intervention

David went first to Ramah to meet with Samuel, and for a short time, he stayed in Naioth with Samuel. When Saul heard learned David's location, he dispatched soldiers to arrest David. As they entered the area where the prophets were prophesying under the direction of Samuel, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. The same thing happened to a second and a third group as divine intervention prevented the capture of David. Finally, Saul decided to go to Ramah himself and while en route, the Spirit of God came upon Saul and he also prophesied. Saul continued to prophesy before Samuel, and he stripped off his outer garments and continued all that day and even through the night. People were stunned once again by the religious devotion of Saul (19:22–24).

Things To Consider:

• How do you respond when those around you voice their anger?
• How do you try to reason with those who are angry?
• Why is it helpful to look back at the relationship as a whole instead of only dwelling on the current conflict?
• Why is it difficult to overcome patterns of anger?
• Why do you think David went to Samuel?
• How did God intervene in Saul's plan?
• What do you think the conversation between Saul and Samuel was like the following morning?