You Can't Get a Good Man Down

Take your Bibles tonight and open them, if you would, to 1 Samuel.

! We're going to get back to 1 Samuel, make our way through this book. Don't know how much longer it's going to take. We've got a ways to go. But I want you to find chapter 19.

If you're in chapter 19, you're pretty close to 18. I'm going to take the last three verses of chapter 18 and then all of chapter 19. I'm not going to read it all on the front end like I sometimes do.

Decided not to do it that way this time. We'll read it in chunks as we kind of divide this portion of Scripture into four parts. So, you know, we have a four-part outline.

So, if you take notes, then you'll be notified there. So, we'll take it just a chunk at a time. Now, borrowing from an old adage, here's the title of my message.

You can't get a good man down. That's the title, all right? Can't get a good man down. And that's David, okay? In this case, David is the good man in our story.

He is God's man. He's a good man because he's God's man. And who's trying to get David down? Saul. Very good class. If you said Jesus, then you were wrong.

Okay? That's not always the answer to every question in church or in Sunday school or wherever. So, it's Saul, of course. We know that. We've already kind of covered that ground a little bit because we've studied chapter 18 and we have been seeing this in Saul's life and his desire to snuff out the life of King David.

And so, it's Saul. Saul's the, in that sense, the bad guy in our story. David's the good guy. He's God's man. You can't get a good man down. Now, as I look at chapter 18 and 19, I kind of count 12 times in those two chapters that Saul tried to get David killed or to have David killed, you know, to have him killed through the efforts of someone else, be it the enemies of Israel like the Philistines or Jonathan, his own son.

So, there are 12 times that Saul either tried to have David killed or to do the job himself. 12 times.

In fact, I really kind of thought about naming my title David's 12 lives, you know, the cat with 12 lives. But I thought that's just silly, so I'm not going to do that.

But 12 times he tries to get this good man down. Let me give them to you in case you're writing down notes. But you can just look in your Bibles and see these 12 times.

In chapter 18, verse 11, which we studied a few weeks ago, what does Saul do? He throws his spear at David. As a matter of fact, in that passage, he throws it twice.

So, that's one and two. All right? Put those together. That's two times. And you got to wonder, did he have two spears? Or did David just stick around until Saul retrieved his spear and tried again? I don't know.

But two times, Saul throws a spear at David. That's two times. Chapter 18, verse 13, Saul makes David commander of a thousand troops, hoping, going out against the enemy, hoping that what?

The enemy would kill him. All right? So, he tries to have David killed. Chapter 18, verse 17, Merab, Saul's daughter, is offered to David.

Saul offers Merab, his daughter, to David, if he will, quote, fight the Lord's battles like a valiant man. And later in that verse, he says, Saul says, well, basically, I'm hoping that the enemy will kill him.

All right? So, that's number four. In chapter 18, verse 20, and the following verses there, Michael, rather, Saul's daughter, other daughter, is offered to David for, well, you remember, 100 of those, well, whatever.

All right? Actually, David pays the dowry with 200 rather than 100, doesn't he? All right? But, obviously, Saul is hoping, I mean, obviously, you know, how easy could this be?

So, maybe David would die in the process, but he didn't. Chapter 19, verse 1, and this gets into the text passage we're going to be looking at tonight. Saul orders Jonathan, his son, as well as his servants, to kill David.

That's number six. All right? We're up to number six. Sixth time, Saul attempts to kill David. Chapter 19, verse 10, Saul slings his spear at David again.

This is the third time he's thrown a spear at David and missed the third time. That's number seven. Chapter 9, verse 11, and a few verses there, Saul sends messengers to David's house to kill him.

Then, finally, in chapter 19, verse 8, Saul sends three groups of men to Nioth to take David out. That's 9, 10, 11.

Then Saul comes himself to take care of David. That's number 12. So, 12 times in two chapters, Saul attempts to kill David, have David killed.

Someone has said that if Saul worked as hard at killing Philistines, the enemy, as he had worked to kill David, he would have been a great military leader and king. So, he should have focused his efforts on the enemy rather than all the time seeking to kill David.

You see, the problem is Saul's not thinking correctly, not thinking right. He's twisted in his mind. He's filled with jealousy.

Remember, we dealt with that last time. Jealousy and envy, and Saul is the green-eyed monster. His soul is jaundiced. And remember the quote from last time, and I'm going to give it to you again because I love it.

So, envy, someone has said envy and jealousy are the most corroding of all vices. They are coals that come hissing hot from hell.

I love that one. I just love it. And so, this is Saul. This is Saul all the way through. So, he is bent on having David killed.

All right, now, we have, of course, already seen some of this as we studied chapter 18. But Saul's attempts to kill David are now going to intensify here in chapter 19 and really beyond.

Now, the difference, somewhat difference, between 19 and 18 is that at this point, Saul no longer tries to hide it. Tries to hide his feelings, whereas before he did that privately, through his spear privately.

No one was looking. He gave certain orders, hoping to put David in harm's way and let the Philistines come. So, it's kind of been behind the scenes, kind of been private. But now, Saul is changing his tactics.

And so, Saul is going to continue to seek David's life, really, for the next seven years of Saul's reign. The last seven years of his reign, all the way to the end of the chapter.

Now, Saul will not succeed, will he? I mean, we know that, don't we? We don't have to read the rest of 1 Samuel to know that. Saul is not going to succeed in having David's life snuffed out.

Can't get a good man down, see? Because the good man's life is in the hands of God. God's in charge of this. His providential and powerful working in David's life is going to assure that Saul is not going to succeed.

So, with that in mind, we see four divine deliveries. Four divine deliveries. And they are divine.

All four of them are divine, even though three of these, specifically, come by way of the hands of mortals, as we shall see. And yet, clearly, God is at work in all four of these deliverances from the hand of Saul.

So, here's the first one. What I want to call the proposal of Jonathan. The proposal of Jonathan. Jonathan, of course, Saul's son.

But, more importantly, David's friend. Dear friend. Close friend. And so, I want you to look, then, at the text. And I want to read the last few verses of chapter 18.

And then we'll go all the way to verse 7 of chapter 19. So, look at it. Verse 28 of chapter 18. Thus, Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David.

And that Michael, Saul's daughter, loved him. That, of course, will come into play a little later in the chapter, chapter 19. And Saul was still more afraid of David.

So, Saul became David's enemy continually. The Philistines should have been Saul's enemy. But he chose David. Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war.

So, it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So, that his name became highly esteemed.

This was the problem with Saul, of course. This is what provokes Saul into what he's about to do in chapter 19, verse 1. Now, Saul spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his servants that they should kill David.

But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted greatly in David. And that's putting it mildly. Delighted greatly in him. So, Jonathan told David, saying, My father, Saul, seeks to kill you.

Therefore, please be on your guard until morning and stay in a secret place and hide. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are.

And I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you. Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David.

Because he has not sinned against you. And because his works have been very good toward you. For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine.

And the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood to kill David without a cause?

So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swore, that is he made an oath. As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed. And Jonathan called David and Jonathan told him all these things.

So Jonathan brought David to Saul and he was in his presence as in times past. So everything is great. Everything is all right. No more problem. Because Saul has made this oath.

Okay? Now, David, here's the problem. David does what Saul absolutely hates. I mean, put aside the fact that Saul is tormented by an evil spirit.

That's a big part of this. And he's tormented by an evil spirit because the Holy Spirit has departed from him. But David continues to do, not because David chooses to do these things in and of himself and has any kind of malice towards Saul or anything.

I mean, we're going to see over and over again, David honors Saul, God's anointed, God's king. Goes out of his way to bring honor to him. Will not strike God's anointed.

This isn't part of David's strategy. And yet, because of the blessing of God upon David, the presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling and working through David, he continues to do what Saul absolutely hates.

And what does he do? He succeeds. I mean, he's just successful in everything that he does. What does that do? That makes Saul look bad. Saul is an egomaniac.

And so, Saul is in second place rather than in first place. And really, to say he's in second place is being a little generous.

He's way on down the list than just second place. Saul can't stand it, okay? David goes out to battle with the other commanders of Saul, Saul's commanders.

David exceeds the victories of the other commanders. David continues to grow in fame because of that. And David reveals his far superior wisdom and leadership, ability to lead God's people.

And then David becomes extremely popular among the people of Israel. All this is happening. Verse 30 says, Saul hated this.

And so, how did Saul react? Well, up to this point, I've mentioned this already, Saul had been able to somewhat control, at least, you know, keep it under control, his murderous hatred of David to this point.

Remember what Saul said back in verse 17 of chapter 18. Saul thought to himself, he said, Let my hand not be against him, that is, against him openly, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.

So, Saul's kind of keeping it under control, keeping a check on it. That was his tactic before. But now, no holds barred.

Not at all. So, what does he do? Well, he does something really quite strange. He, in effect, orders his son, Jonathan, to kill David.

Now, I think Saul, totally oblivious to the relationship between Jonathan and David. That had been kept from him, apparently. And maybe Jonathan kept it from him on purpose.

Maybe thinking that this would kind of put salt in the wound. And so, Saul says to Jonathan, Go and kill David. And, of course, Saul is asking the wrong person to do his dirty work, isn't he?

Why is that? Well, we already know, don't we? The relationship between Jonathan and David. And yet, on the surface, it's not really, you know, maybe an off-the-wall, way-out-there kind of request of Jonathan.

Because, to Saul, David is a threat to the throne. Threat to his father. And Saul is Jonathan's beloved father. Saul is king, and whatever he demands must be obeyed.

David is a threat. He's a threat to the royal family. He's even a threat, in a very real sense, to any aspiration that Jonathan might have for the throne.

So, why isn't Jonathan on board with this thing? Well, chapter 18, verse 1 says that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

They had that kind of relationship. Now, I hesitate to even mention this, but you know that there are those who look at this passage, and they try to suggest that there was some kind of homosexual relationship between David and Jonathan.

There isn't anything in the passage anywhere that suggests a thing like that at all. So, they're really stretching for some justification for that kind of behavior. They were friends.

They loved one another. Their souls were knit together. They had that kind of close fellowship. Chapter 18, verse 3 says Jonathan and David even made a covenant.

A covenant, by the way, that would come into play some years later, after Saul, both Saul and Jonathan are dead, and a certain son of Jonathan by the name of Mephibosheth.

You remember that story? It was because of this covenant that David took care of Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth. And so, they made a covenant together. It was a very serious covenant because the Bible says that he loved him as his own soul.

And this covenant was binding. You know, it's not just simply a promise made between two fellas, you know. This was a covenant, actually a covenant before the Lord.

Chapter 20, in verse 8, calls it that. A covenant of the Lord. So, this is a binding covenant. So, here's Saul asking Jonathan, really demanding that Jonathan break his covenant with David.

Covenant made before the Lord. A binding covenant. To break that covenant and kill David. I mean, what does Saul care about any covenants made before the Lord?

He doesn't care anything about that. He doesn't even really care about the Lord. All right, so what does Jonathan do? Well, he attempts to reason with his father. And his attempt is pretty successful. He tries to reason with his father.

Say, don't you remember David? David's not an enemy. David has never sinned against you. On the contrary, everything David has done has been for you and to help you and to help your kingship and help our nation.

Think of what he did. He risked his own life. Went out there against Goliath. Brought a great victory. Not just the killing of Goliath, but victory over the Philistines. And everything that he has done has been for your benefit, O Father.

And so, what does Saul do? He makes an oath. Makes a promise. In fact, it's a promise before the Lord. So, Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, verse 6.

And Saul swore he made an oath. And this is what he said. He said, as the Lord lives. He made this oath. He swore by the very life of God.

Now, that's pretty serious. You can see just how far Saul is away from God. His heart is not inclined toward God one bit. But he does very seriously make this oath.

As the Lord lives, David shall not be killed. This is what Saul said. And so, for a while, everything was okay. David came back to the palace. Came back and presumably took up his place of service for Saul.

Playing his harp. In fact, we see that a little bit later in the chapter. So, everything's great, right? You know, Saul's promise was a, well, as Mary Poppins said, a pie crust promise.

Have you ever heard of a pie crust promise? Now, for obvious reasons, I have a doubt as to whether this is really, really very accurate. But here's the pie crust promise according to Mary Poppins.

And you know her, right? A pie crust promise is one that's easily made, easily broken. The part I dispute with is the easily made part. I couldn't make pie crust if my life depended upon it.

Some of you could. Now, I can eat it better than anybody here, I think. But as long as it's got some really good filling in there. Now, that's what this promise, it didn't have any meaning to it.

And so, it stood for a while. And then, pretty soon, it's completely out of the way. And by the way, this is kind of evidence of Saul's up and down kind of behavior.

On and off and on and off kind of behavior. And erratic and irrational. And that's who Saul was. So, that leads us to the second divine deliverance.

And that is what I want to call the providence of God. Very providence of God. So, we first have the proposal of Jonathan. Proposes to his father. You can't do this.

And here's why. And now, we have the providence of God. So, starting with verse 8. Let's read verses 8 through 10. And there was war again.

So, we have another opportunity for David to excel. And he does. War again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines. And struck them with a mighty blow.

And they fled from him. Now, the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand.

And David was playing music with his hand. Now, what's the lesson here? Don't play your harp for a guy who's got a spear in his hand.

That's the lesson. You don't ever do that. All right. Certainly, I wouldn't do that. Because I would play so badly, he's sure to throw the thing at me. Or whatever else he can get his hand on. Anyway, so he's playing music with his hand.

Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear. But he slipped away from Saul's presence. And he drove the spear into the wall.

So, David fled and escaped that night. So, here, once again. We don't know how much time has transpired since Saul made that oath.

Probably not very long. So, the next opportunity David has. And he didn't look for it. It came for him. An opportunity to show his worth. And he went out and brought great victory.

And so, the evil spirit came again upon Saul. He throws his spear to try to kill David. And this is, by the way, the third time Saul attempted to kill David with his spear.

Third time. First time, remember, we already mentioned that. Again, the same kind of setting. And David is playing his harp. And Saul throws his spear.

And either he gets another one or he gets his spear back and throws it again. Both times he missed. All three times. So, oops, I missed. And oops, I missed. And oops, I missed again. Can't believe it.

I missed a third time. And is Saul really such a bad shot with his spear that he couldn't, after three attempts, couldn't kill David?

I guess we could come to that conclusion. You know, Saul's sitting in his palace too much. He's out of practice, you know. But I don't think it's very plausible that he could miss three times.

And actually, the first two times, David is still in the room. You know, he just sticks around. He so honored Saul, you know. He didn't run. He didn't flee. And Saul missed him a second time.

And a third time. Now, I don't think this is Saul's poor marksmanship. I think it's clearly the providence of God. He could have thrown that spear a dozen times.

Missed every time. Maybe 25 times. As many times as he wanted to. And he would never have hit the mark. And why is that? Because David is God's man.

He's going to be king. He's going to be actually not just king of Israel, but he's going to be a type of Christ who's going to come. And there's no way that anyone's going to deprive God of this plan for David.

No way. So this is the providence of God that reaches out and keeps David preserved and protected. And no way is Saul going to kill him. Even though it seems like it would be a pretty easy task.

It made me remember several years ago. In fact, I think I was an older teenager. When at my church, we had a special guest, special speaker who had been a Vietnam POW.

He traveled around to the churches. Maybe some of you might remember this guy. I can't remember his name. It just brought to mind something that he told us that really stuck with me all these years.

I never will forget it. But the POW, at one point, I think maybe in his capture, if I'm not mistaken, I don't have the whole story here, but I do remember this part of it.

The enemy had him down on the ground and took his gun and shot him in the head and left him there for dead. Well, the bullet came in the skin and then it just went around his head and came out the other side.

It didn't even kill him. I mean, it had just kind of a minor little flesh wound. And I thought, that's amazing. That's the providence of God. And God then, of course, ultimately he was freed and traveled around the United States talking to young people like me and sharing the gospel and so forth.

And God had a plan for him. And the Vietnamese, the guy who shot him in the head, he wasn't going to kill him. Not without God's permission. And so here is David and it's the providence of God that delivers him yet again.

So we have the proposal of Jonathan to his father. Providence of God. And then third, the protection of Michael, David's wife, Saul's daughter, Michael.

One Bible commentator called this David at the end of his rope. You think, well, what's that got to do with it? Well, let me read it. Look at verse 11. Verse 11 through 17.

Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michael, David's wife, told him, saying, If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.

So Michael led David down through a window and he went and fled and escaped. He led him down with a rope, that David at the end of his rope. Or we might even say David's big letdown.

That would be a good title for this part of the story. All right. So she led him down through the window and he went and fled and escaped. And Michael took an image, basically an idol, and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goat's hair for his head, and covered it with cloths.

So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He's sick. And Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed that I may kill him.

And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed with the cover of goat's hair for his head. Then Saul said to Michael, Why have you deceived me like this and sent my enemy away so that he has escaped?

And Michael answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go. Why should I kill you? So David fled and escaped and went to Samuel.

And we'll get to that part of the story here in a minute. So this is really kind of funny, isn't it? Almost comical. Now apparently, Michael's house, David and Michael's house, or living quarters, were, you know, on the wall of the city.

So that a window would look out, you know, on the outside of the wall. And that was a very common thing in those days. And so, Michael lets David out, outside of the wall, below, so that he could escape under the cover of dark.

And so he's able to get away. And then, of course, Michael devises this almost comical ruse to throw off Saul's messengers. And it's really silly.

I mean, when you think about it, what a strange kind of thing. And they fell for it. All right, so we see God's hand in this, too, don't we? I mean, really, we do. By the way, do you remember how David got Michael for his wife?

Remember that part of the story? Goliath is making his threats. David has come to bring some provision for his brothers. Word from his father.

Also a gift for Saul. And while he's there, he hears the taunts of this Philistine giant, their champion. And Saul has made a promise to the one who would kill him.

What was that promise? Well, right, among other things, he married one of Saul's daughters. Didn't say which one. Now, what's interesting, and that didn't happen right away.

David went out, killed the giant, but he didn't get a daughter right away. That came later. Because the next thing that happens, Saul tries to pull a switcheroo on David.

All right? I think already there was a... He had an eye on Michael, and Michael upon him. But Saul tries to pull this switch. And that's what we have in chapter 18, verse 17, where he offers to him his other daughter.

And that is, if you'll go out and lead a battle. And his desire, of course, is to have David killed. Well, David's not killed. But it seems that Saul's other daughter is already spoken for.

And so, that leaves Michael. And that's what God wanted all along. He wanted Michael to be David's wife. Both Michael and David, I'm pretty sure, were okay on that deal.

And so, what happens in verse 18, starting with verse 20, is David, you know, he didn't feel worthy. And besides that, he doesn't have any money to pay a dowry.

And Saul comes up with the dowry. And again, we come to the 100 Philistines that lost a pretty important part of themselves. And not only that, but they were killed.

And so, he had to get 100 of them. And instead, he got 200. And he gets Michael, then, to be his wife. And all this is part of God's plan. God's providence.

And why? Because Michael would deliver David from the hand of Saul. So, God delivers David through the proposal of Jonathan, his friend.

Through the providence of God, his Lord. Through the protection of Michael, his wife. And then one more. And it's a strange one. Through the prophesying of Saul.

That's a really strange part of the story. The prophesying of Saul and his servants. Look at verse 18. Verse 18. So, David fled and escaped.

Where did he go? He ran to Samuel at Ramah. See, he can trust Samuel. Samuel knows the truth of all of this. And he told him all that Saul had done to him.

And he and Samuel went and stayed at Nioth. Now, it was told Saul, saying, take note. David is at Nioth in Ramah.

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. Then he also went to Ramah. Saul did. Came to the great well that is at Seku. So, he asked.

And he said, where are Samuel and David? And someone said, indeed, they are at Nioth in Ramah. So, he went there to Nioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also.

Saul also. And he went on and prophesied until he came to Nioth in Ramah. And he also stripped off his clothes.

And prophesied before Samuel in like manner. And laid down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore, they say, is Saul also among the prophets?

It's a strange part of the story, isn't it? I mean, all of it's strange. Since one group, they don't arrest David. They prophesy and said. I mean, in a second group.

Then a third group. And now Saul goes. And he prophesies uncontrollably. And even takes his clothes off. Lays there naked on the ground. I mean, what's all this about? I think, you know, our first question would be.

What is this prophecy? What is this prophesying? Well, obviously, the Spirit of God came upon them. And they spoke what God wanted them to speak.

That's what prophets do. All right. And their prophecy was true. I mean, they are truly prophesying. As with the other prophets. And Samuel being there in the lead. Now, the question is.

What was the prophecy? What was the substance of the prophecy? And the answer to that is. I don't know. We don't really know. But here's what I suspect. I suspect. I suspect that it was a prophecy concerning David being the next king.

That David is going to be king. They're forced to tell the truth. To prophesy. And so, the first group comes. And they prophesy that. That David is going to be king.

And so, how could they arrest their king? They can arrest him. They're prophesying that he is going to be king. Second group comes. They prophesy the same thing. No way could they arrest David.

Third group comes. And they prophesy the same thing. They could not arrest David. Their king. Their future king. And Saul, you know. He's hearing about this.

And he's thinking. If you want a job done right. You've got to do it yourself. And so, he goes there. And what happened to Saul? Well, we read that, didn't we? Someone has said that those who have entered into Nioth under the influence of the ruler of Israel.

Now found themselves under infinitely greater influence of the ruler of the universe. And they all did. Now, why did God make Saul take his clothes off?

That's a big question, isn't it? Well, it was to be, I think, a powerful image to confirm God's judgment upon Saul.

They had taken the kingdom away from him. God had rejected Saul as king. And so, in God's presence, Saul would not be allowed to wear the clothes of the king. His royal clothes.

And Saul, then, was made to prophesy. To prophesy, I think, again, of David's kingship. This was a dramatic shift. You know, before, Saul was trying to kill David.

But David is still kind of around. But from this point on, David is not going to be able to have any contact with Saul. Not going to be allowed back into the palace. And he's going to flee from this time.

Go into exile. In fact, that's what verse 1 of the very next chapter says. And David fled from Nioh in Ramah. And from that point on, he's fleeing from Saul.

Why? Saul is forced by the Holy Spirit to say the truth about David and God's plan for him. That he would be king. And how ironic that Saul had rejected the word of God.

And now, he is forced to be the mouthpiece for God's word. Interesting change of events.

Now, how did God then use this to deliver David? Well, simply. How? I mean, if you are controlled by the Holy Spirit of God.

As at this point, Saul was. And how could you, at the same time, carry out the demonic plan to kill God's anointed? You can't do it.

And that principle applies to us as well. Galatians chapter 5, verse 16. Walk in the Spirit. And what?

You will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Amen? Amen. Amen. Amen.