1 Samuel 19 Commentary
You cannot achieve godliness by resolutions. The oath that King Saul makes means nothing. It’s not up to him. As Jeremiah puts it, people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.
Leave it in the hands of the LORD.
Both Jonathan and Michal, Saul’s children, love David. Consequently, they both save him at different times. The great prophet Samuel shelters David, but not even this spiritual refuge can deter Saul’s madness. He pursues David until the LORD prevails over his madness by “force”.
All is well until another of David’s successful outings. This is instructive. The evil one possesses individuals and controls them like robots to cause pain and suffering in the lives of God’s people. On the other hand, the possession by the Spirit of God leads to freedom and humility.
In the process of pursuing David, Saul finds himself face-to-face with the presence of the LORD in the company of prophets led by an aged Samuel. Here he lies naked, without his kingly vestments. He is not standing anymore. He lies prostrate before the presence of the LORD. We are reminded of the text that, “at the mention of the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, those on earth and those under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father”
But will Saul’s moment of sanity last? We shall find out tomorrow.
We can learn here that sensual experiences such as this one here for Saul cannot warrant godliness in a soul that is determined to sin. We cannot base our walk with the LORD on experiences. They are transient. When they lift, the individual may easily slide back.
The man we read about in these pages once had it: Anointing, experience, and miracles. The LORD moved powerfully in his life. He prophesied. But that is it. It is all gone and cannot help him now. He is so possessed by the evil one that we can hardly tell the difference between Saul and the demon.
Simple faith. Trust and obey. This is real godliness.
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