Fleeing to Christ: the Believer’s Protection
(David & Samuel)
By Pastor Matt Black
Bible Text: 1 Samuel 19:1-24
Preached on: Wednesday, May 07, 2008, 7pm
Tabernacle Baptist Church
7020 Barrington Road
Hanover Park, Illinois 60133
Website: www.GodCentered.info
Introduction: Open your Bibles tonight to 1 Samuel 19. The title of tonight’s message is “Fleeing to Christ: the Believer’s Protection”. Tonight we come again to the life of David. David is fleeing from his home to the shelter of the prophet Samuel in Ramah. Saul wanted David dead. He promised him Merab and then Michal. Saul’s specific motive for letting him marry into the family was so his daughter could be a trap for David’s death. The Philistines would see David’s new position in the royal family and have even more motive to kill him. We read in 1 Samuel 18:25 that “Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines”. At first Saul privately and quietly calculated the murder of David.
But in verse 1 of chapter 19 Saul takes his hatred and jealousy to a very public level. Saul enlists his entire family and royal court for the murder of David. It is from this time to the very end of Saul’s life that for the most part, Saul spends every ounce of time and energy hunting David’s life.[1]
We cannot be certain as to time frames, but probably for about the next decade of his life, David lives as a fugitive. We must understand that it is God’s will for David during this time to live through very dangerous days. God allows David’s enemies to try him. This is the wilderness experience of David’s life. It is the trial of his faith.
Application: It is God’s will to try every one of his servants. Christians should not generally expect a life of ease. Expect trials. Our Lord when on earth prepared us in John 16:33. Take heed to His words, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. Trials are good. “The trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:3).
You may not know the way that you take, but the Lord does. Job said, “he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
During this time in David’s life the goodness and mercy and grace of God is dim. It is not extinguished, but David sees (as we all) through a glass darkly. Certainly Jonathan was at least a small encouragement of God’s grace in David’s life. Yet that didn’t last long at all, Jonathan gained entry for David back into the Royal Palace. David “was in [SAUL’S] presence, as in times past” (verse 7). But this was a temporary thing. It did nothing to change Saul’s wicked heart and murderous intentions toward David. For the most part, it seems to human eyes that wicked men are going to have their way with a God’s child.
But Saul is in the presence of a great champion. Verse 8 tells us that “there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him”. It doesn’t say the Philistines fled from the Jewish army, but from David. David it seems is at the forefront. The Philistines fear David.
David returns from war back to the Palace of a demon possessed man and is nearly fastened to the wall by Saul’s javelin. Verse 9, “the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul… 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall”.
The Bible says in verse 10, “David fled, and escaped that night.” David is forced from that moment on to go on the run, and he never returns again to normal life until he is anointed King in Hebron after Saul’s death. For perhaps a decade of his life, David lives as a fugitive. In the early part of David’s fugitive years, we are going too see that he flees to four different individuals. We’re going to look at the first of those four tonight.
I. First, I want you to see David’s Persecutor. As we look at how Saul fled to Samuel, we are going to see that we also must flee to Christ because as Christians, just as David, we too will be tested by God’s enemies.
We read in verse 18, “So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him.” David comes into the presence of Samuel and begins to him about Saul’s aggressive hatred of David. There is an animosity, an enmity, a hostility of the old king against the new king. It was so bad, there was so much rage that the two could not dwell together. David was so pressed by Saul that he had to flee to Samuel.
Explanation: David must flee to God’s prophet Samuel. What Samuel is to David, Christ is to Christian on a far greater scale. And so the Christian too must flee to Someone greater than the prophet Samuel for protection from our old king and master, the flesh. We must flee to our Prophet, priest and King, who is our refuge. When we are pressed by the enemies of our soul, whether it be the fleshly people of the world, or our own flesh, or demonic opposition, we as Christians must flee to Christ.
Saul was constantly warring against David. In the same way, the old king in our lives is always tempting us and warring constantly against all the desires we have for holiness at work in the new nature. What should we do? We must seek refuge in our New King—King Jesus is a refuge for you tonight Christian! In order to defend yourself from the brutal onslaught of the old man, you must run to the one who is greater the Samuel!
Christ, like Samuel, is both Prophet and Priest. He tells us what we need to hear. That’s what a prophet does. And there is no one that can tell you what you need to hear like Jesus. Samuel was also a priest. A priest intercedes to God for man. That’s what Jesus will do for you. What are you going to do with all of Satan’s railing accusations against you? You can only go to Jesus who intercedes for you!
Application: If we are to be safe, we must flee from the old king within our own heart! When you are tempted, you remind yourself that “our old man is crucified with [CHRIST], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). You’ll never again be what you were before Christ. Flee from the old king, never to serve him again. Where should we seek refuge? In Christ!
Both Jonathan and Michal tried to help David. They did their best. But a friend’s help did not prevent David from running to Samuel. A wife’s help did not prevent David from running to God’s prophet.
Application: Your friends and your family can help you some for a little time. Your pastor and your Christian brothers and sisters can help you. But they can’t fight the devil for you. They can pray, but they can’t do your fighting. They can’t resist your flesh for you. They cannot ultimately protect you from the onslaught of people who want to take advantage of you in the world. We can thank God for those who help us. We can pick up the phone and get encouragement, but that’s never a substitute for the shelter we have in Christ. If you are going to find refuge, you must flee to Jesus. Run to your Prophet who will speak to the needs of your soul. Lean not to your own understanding. Run to your Priest Jesus who has your name graven on His hands!
Are you weary of struggling against your flesh? You must flee to Jesus! You must “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14).There is rest from the war with the world, rest from our war with the old carnal desires of the flesh. There is rest in the shelter of our Saviour Jesus Christ. He is our peace. He will give us satisfaction that the flesh can never offer. It is in Christ that we will find what even our most godly friends and family cannot truly do for us. “Come unto me”, says the Saviour, “all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
So Saul becomes a vehicle of Satan to launch an attack on David. In Saul’s hand there is a javelin, and influenced and moved by the evil spirit, he attempts to fasten David to the wall and strike David dead.
Because of the devil’s attack, David must flee to Samuel. And so too, every child of God must deal with the devil. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 that we are to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”.
James 4:7, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” What are you to do when the accuser of the brethren begins accusing you? You must flee to Jesus Christ!! You are no match for demonic powers.
There’s an old hymn that answers this question written in 1892.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look to see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
-Charitie L. Bancroft (1841-1892)[2]
Of course very few people will actually deal with Satan himself, because Satan is a created being. He is finite. He is not omnipresent. He can only be at one place at one time. But Satan has any number of devils who will do his bidding. The devil is also called the “spirit that now works in the children of disobedience”. Those without Christ are controlled by the spirit of darkness until they come to Christ. The devil is glad to use his own disobedient children against the godly. How can you be safe from Satan’s plans to ruin your life and ruin your family? If you are a child of God you will have to come face to face with kingdom of darkness and to do spiritual warfare with Satan. Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
David realized Saul, possessed with an evil spirit, launched a satanic attack against him. The devil’s agent threw a javelin at David. And sometimes the devil will use lost people to launch his fiery darts against us. What should David do? Where does David go? He runs to Samuel. What are you going to do when a Saul in your life becomes an agent of the devil? When someone without cause tries to destroy you or take advantage of you, there is only one place of safety. We have to flee to Jesus, for it is only the “the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Ephesians 6:16). Because the devil is at work, we must cultivate the habit of running for our lives to the presence of God. No human being can protect you from Satan’s attacks. There is no other place of safety.
II. Now I want you to see the Places of David’s attacks.
A. David was not safe at Home from the assaults of Saul. Even his home became a battle ground, where the attack was launched. Our homes may often be the place where temptation to sin occurs, where the devil is at work. Because of the attack on our homes we are going to need to run to the Lord.
David’s home life at this time is quite disheartening. Why did David have to leave home? Why wasn’t his home a place where he was safe? David’s safety has nothing to do with physical strength. David was safe in the presence of Samuel. Physically, Samuel is no giant of a man. God can keep David safe at home in Gibeah just as well as in Ramah. Ramah was a haven where the power of God was known. Why wasn’t David’s home like that? I believe if David’s home would have been a place of the power and presence of God, David would have been safe. Saul’s messengers go to Ramah to kill David, but have no power over him there. Yet at home, David is not safe. He is in danger. David was not safe at home, because his home wasn’t right. It was not a place where the power and presence of God was.
As we go into David’s home we find out the problem. It is in David’s wife Michal. Yes she helped him. Verse 12, “So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped”. This was not the help of a spiritual wife. She was not a woman who knew how to pray or to get a hold of God. Look at what she does.
1. Michal worshiped idols. Look at verse 13, “And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed”. What is being talked about here is an idol, a false god, and it is in David’s house. Michal has it in her possession. She brings a household idol as a newlywed into David’s house.
Not only did Michal bring idols into the home.
2. She used illegal weapons--the weapons of carnal warfare—to defend David. She lied twice.
· The first time is found in verse 14, “when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick”. David wasn’t sick.
· Then we come to verse 17, and Saul corners his youngest daughter Michal and says to her, “Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?” That was another lie. It made David out to be one who was willing to kill his own wife.
David’s home wasn’t what it should have been, and so he had to run to the prophet Samuel.
Application: We should be the ones who bring our home to the Lord. We had better be careful of the things that are wrong in our home. David had primary responsibility. He was the head of the home. Husband you are responsible to set the standard in your home. I don’t mean just by sitting your wife down and teaching her. Rarely is there a formal teaching time except for personal devotions. Mostly the man LIVES out godliness in the home and gently and lovingly confronts the areas that are wrong. Remember you can teach all day long—you can “speak with the tongues of men and of angels” but if you “have not charity” you are “become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). You must speak the truth in love. As John says in 1 John 3:18, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
Are there idols of materialism and vanity in your home? Are there illegal weapons of carnal warfare in your home? Love is the fulfillment of the Law! Love takes care of idols and illegal weapons. You never need to raise your voice in the home. A raised voice is an outside voice. Love restrains you from carnality. Love keeps you from idols because the love of God is so rich and satisfying, you won’t need it. Men, you need to live this love of Christ out in your life if you are to have generational godliness in your homes.
So David fled from his home. David fled to Ramah. And sometime in this journey he wrong Psalm 59, It says at the heading of the Psalm “To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.” And then in verse 16, “But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning:” David knew he wasn’t going to die. He knew he would live to see the morning! He goes on, “for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.” The word “defence” means a high place that is safe from harm. David knew that God would pick him up and cover him from all harm!
B. The second place where David is attacked is in Ramah, but he is safe there. We read in verse 18, “So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah”. Ramah means “high place” which is indicative of safety. It was in Ramah where David was out of reach of his enemies. In a spirit prayer David flees to Samuel. There was no natural or physical protection. Samuel was no physically intimidating man. He was an old man. He went to Samuel because he knew Samuel knew the Lord. He would be in the refuge and shelter of God’s presence. Do you have those around you who live in God’s presence?
Now here is David in the school of the prophets. We read in verse 20, “And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them”. What an amazing environment to be in. Hearing the things of God. Taking in the training.
And here the Spirit of God is at work mightily. Samuel is the anointed prophet of God, ministering in the power of the Spirit. David’s mind must have gone back to his own anointing in chapter 16. David didn’t have the liberty of God’s presence in the palace and in the home. But here he had it. There are places and times in our life where we have heaven upon the earth. God comes in power and the Word of God is exalted.
Now, understand that in Samuel’s company, David was safe. Saul’s anger was not subsided. His inventions continued against David. He sent messengers three times to kill David and David was untouchable, safe out of the reach of his enemies.
But Saul was determined! He came to kill David himself. Now David had no weapon in his hand. He rested in the company of the prophets and with Samuel. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit David was safe. And you are safe if you are now where David was. If you life in the company, under the guidance of God’s prophets in His Holy Book, and under the influence of the Spirit of God you’ll be safe.
In this company there is a shield around the Christian that nothing and no one can penetrate! Proverbs 18:10 tells us, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” The name of Christ means nothing to the unbeliever, but to the believer it is our shelter!
Conclusion: As we close I want you to see how God protects David. All of the messengers of Saul and Saul himself are stopped all in an identical way. Verse 20, “And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied”. This happened a second and third time. And we read in verse 23 that it also happens to Saul. Strange events. They come to kill David and they start preaching.
Now we only need to think of where God does the very same thing. Balim was an enemy of God. He wanted to curse God’s people. And God stopped him from cursing God’s people. And God sovereignly put a word in Balaam’s heart. And instead of being a curse and a stumbling block to the people of God, God sovereignly turned him into an agent of blessing.
I don’t know what Saul and his men said. But I do know this. God was saying to David, “I can take a man who is out to kill you and turn him into an agent of blessing!” Suddenly, sovereignly God stopped these men in their tracks and instead of killing David they were blessing him. God stepped in!! Never fail to take God at his promises. If He says He’ll be your strong tower, then trust Him! David said in another place, Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” He says in verse 3, “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear”.
David refers to these men in Psalm 59:6. Speaking of Saul and these men coming to him this night, David says, “They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear? 8 ¶ But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. 9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.” The word defence here is again the word “high place”. David was out of the reach of his enemies.
But think of David’s greatest enemy, Saul. This was the king. Now God can do what He wants even with kings right? The Lord goes one step further with Saul. He demonstrates the same sovereign word in Saul’s mouth and makes him speak. Look at verse 23, “[SAUL] went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?”
The word for naked here does not mean to completely without clothing, but it means to be stripped down to the inner garments. Even if the king himself comes after you, God says, “I can stop him too”. The Lord overrules even in the hearts of the wicked. Saul is humiliated here. God stripped him of his kingly robes. He’s humiliated before David, before the prophets, before Samuel. Saul has to strip himself of his outer royal clothing. His garments are cast aside. God says, when you flee to the Lord, not even the king in all his splendor can have power over you!
Listen child of God, whatever enemies are against you, they have NO power over you except what God allows. Do not be afraid. Flee to the place of safety. Flee to the high place where you are out of reach of your enemies. Flee to Christ and you are in complete safety!
[1] Some have asked, was Saul a saved man? A man possessed of a demonic spirit who spends the last decade of his life with a murderous heart is not one who has a new heart. David murdered, but he abhorred himself and hated his sin. Saul went down to his death loving murder. No murderer (one who loves and persists in murder) inherits heaven (Galatians 5:21).
[2] Before the Throne of God Above.