1Samuel 19:8 - Prayer Tents

1Samuel 19

The Black Mood of Saul

19Saul called his son Jonathan together with his servants and ordered them to kill David. But because Jonathan treasured David,H7586H1696H3129H1121H5650H4191H17322he went and warned him: "My father is looking for a way to kill you. Here's what you are to do. Tomorrow morning, hide and stay hidden.H3083H7586H1121H2654H3966H1732H3083H5046H1732H559H7586H1H1245H4191H8104H1242H3427H5643H22443I'll go out with my father into the field where you are hiding. I'll talk about you with my father and we'll see what he says. Then I'll report back to you."H3318H5975H3027H1H7704H1696H1H4100H7200H50464Jonathan brought up David with his father, speaking well of him. "Please," he said to his father, "don't attack David. He hasn't wronged you, has he? And just look at all the good he has done!H3083H1696H2896H1732H7586H1H559H4428H2398H5650H1732H2398H4639H3966H28965He put his life on the line when he killed the Philistine. What a great victory GOD gave Israel that day! You were there. You saw it and were on your feet applauding with everyone else. So why would you even think of sinning against an innocent person, killing David for no reason whatever?"H7760H5315H3709H5221H6430H3068H6213H1419H8668H3478H7200H8055H2398H5355H1818H4191H1732H26006Saul listened to Jonathan and said, "You're right. As GOD lives, David lives. He will not be killed."H7586H8085H6963H3083H7586H7650H3068H2416H518H41917Jonathan sent for David and reported to him everything that was said. Then he brought David back to Saul and everything was as it was before.H3083H7121H1732H3083H5046H1697H3083H935H1732H7586H6440H865H80328War broke out again and David went out to fight Philistines. He beat them badly, and they ran for their lives.H4421H3254H1732H3318H3898H6430H5221H1419H4347H5127H64409But then a black mood from God settled over Saul and took control of him. He was sitting at home, his spear in his hand, while David was playing music.H7451H7307H3068H7586H3427H1004H2595H3027H1732H5059H302710Suddenly, Saul tried to skewer David with his spear, but David ducked. The spear stuck in the wall and David got away. It was night.H7586H1245H5221H1732H7023H2595H6362H7586H6440H5221H2595H7023H1732H5127H4422H391511Saul sent men to David's house to stake it out and then, first thing in the morning, to kill him. But Michal, David's wife, told him what was going on. "Quickly now—make your escape tonight. If not, you'll be dead by morning!"H7586H7971H4397H1732H1004H8104H4191H1242H4324H1732H802H5046H559H4422H5315H3915H4279H419112She let him out of a window, and he made his escape.H4324H3381H1732H3381H2474H3212H1272H442213Then Michal took a dummy god and put it in the bed, placed a wig of goat's hair on its head, and threw a quilt over it.H4324H3947H8655H7760H4296H7760H3523H5795H4763H3680H89914When Saul's men arrived to get David, she said, "He's sick in bed."H7586H7971H4397H3947H1732H559H247015Saul sent his men back, ordering them, "Bring him, bed and all, so I can kill him."H7586H7971H4397H7200H1732H559H5927H4296H419116When the men entered the room, all they found in the bed was the dummy god with its goat-hair wig!H4397H935H8655H4296H3523H5795H476317Saul stormed at Michal: "How could you play tricks on me like this? You sided with my enemy, and now he's gotten away!" Michal said, "He threatened me. He said, 'Help me out of here or I'll kill you.'"H7586H559H4324H7411H7971H341H4422H4324H559H7586H559H7971H419118David made good his escape and went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel withdrew to the privacy of Naioth.H1732H1272H4422H935H8050H7414H5046H7586H6213H8050H3212H3427H512119Saul was told, "David's at Naioth in Ramah."H5046H7586H559H1732H5121H741420He immediately sent his men to capture him. They saw a band of prophets prophesying with Samuel presiding over them. Before they knew it, the Spirit of God was on them, too, and they were ranting and raving right along with the prophets!H7586H7971H4397H3947H1732H7200H3862H5030H5012H8050H5975H5324H7307H430H4397H7586H501221That was reported back to Saul, and he dispatched more men. They, too, were soon prophesying. So Saul tried a third time—a third set of men—and they ended up mindlessly raving as well!H5046H7586H7971H312H4397H5012H7586H7971H4397H3254H7992H501222Fed up, Saul went to Ramah himself. He came to the big cistern at Secu and inquired, "Where are Samuel and David?" A bystander said, "Over at Naioth in Ramah."H3212H7414H935H1419H953H7906H7592H559H375H8050H1732H559H5121H741423As he headed out for Naioth in Ramah, the Spirit of God was on him, too. All the way to Naioth he was caught up in a babbling trance!H3212H5121H7414H7307H430H3212H1980H5012H935H5121H741424He ripped off his clothes and lay there rambling gibberish before Samuel for a day and a night, stretched out naked. People are still talking about it: "Saul among the prophets! Who would have guessed?"H6584H899H1571H5012H6440H8050H5307H6174H3117H3915H559H7586H5030