1 SAMUEL 21
DAVID FLEES FROM SAUL + ACQUIRES GOLIATH’S SWORD
David goes to Nod, where Ahimelech is the priest. Ahimelech gives David some of the holy bread, since there is no other bread available. When David requests a sword for protection, Ahimelech tells him where to acquire Goliath’s sword.
David continues to flee from Saul and travel towards Gath. David is recognized there and becomes afraid, so he pretends to be an insane madman. That’s one strategy!
1 SAMUEL 22
SAUL’S DETERMINATION TO FIND + KILL DAVID
Continuing his escape, David leaves Gath and escapes to the Cave of Adullam. Four hundred men follow David and he becomes the commander over them. Because he is on the run, David continues moving and goes to a forest in Hereth.
Saul heard that David was spotted and becomes angry that none of the priests or commanders disclosed David’s precise location. An Edomite man named Doeg tells Saul when and where David was last seen, to prove he is not hiding any information from him.
Saul orders all the other priests killed, so Doeg kills eighty-five priests and their families. Saul stopped at nothing to find David and wouldn’t let anyone slow him down. One man, Abiathar, is able to escape Saul and flees to find David for safety.
1 SAMUEL 23
THE PHILISTINES UNKNOWINGLY PROVIDE AN ESCAPE FOR DAVID
The Philistines are at war with the city of Keilah and robbing their threshing floors. David asked God if he should intervene and God instructs him to save the people of Keilah. When Saul hears that David was in Keilah, he chases after him, but is not able to capture him.
When David sees Jonathan, Jonathan encourages him. Jonathan believes that David has nothing to fear and trusts that he would live to be established as king.
Saul continues to chase after David and brings his army to find him. As they were searching, Saul gets scarily close to David, who was on the other side of the mountain. Saul receives a message that the Philistines are raiding his land, so he returns home.
David is able to escape, thanks to the Philistines! God uses an attack by the Philistines to save the future king of Israel, showing His authority over everything, even people who oppose His people.
1 SAMUEL 24
SAUL’S ROBE TORN IN THE CAVE
When Saul returns to search for David, he unknowingly enters the same cave where David is hiding. Saul goes to “relieve himself” and is left in a vulnerable position. David has the opportunity to kill him, but instead spares his life. David sneakily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe, which he would later use as proof.
After Saul left the cave, David follows after him, shouting out to Saul. David proclaims that he had the opportunity to kill Saul, but spared his life instead, showing him the corner of the robe as proof. David knew that God would be faithful to him without his own intervention, the exact opposite of Saul.
Earlier, Saul tore Samuel’s robe, symbolizing the kingdom being torn from Saul. Now, David uses a torn robe to show his authority over Saul. Saul weeps, recognizing David’s mercy. Saul promises that David would be rewarded for his goodness and acknowledges him as the future king of Israel.
1 SAMUEL 25
ABIGAIL PROVIDES FOR DAVID + HIS MEN
Upon Samuel’s death, the people of Israel mourn. Samuel is faithful to God throughout a tumultuous and trying time for the nation.
Aiming to avoid Saul, David continues traveling. While he is in the wilderness of Paran, David and his people watch the sheep of Nabal and Abigail, a wealthy couple. When Nabal returns, David asks for food, since they had been caring for his livestock. Nabal refuses to feed David and his men, which greatly angers David.
One of Nabal’s servants informs Abigail of the dispute and Abigail is upset with Nabal’s denial of David. Abigail prepared a lot of food, including two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred fig cakes! Abigail diffuses the situation with her generosity and discernment. Because she knew David’s future as the king, Abigail prevents David from making a rash, violent decision.
Nabal gets very drunk, so Abigail waits to tell him that she fed David and his men. Nabal does not take this news well and suddenly dies ten days later. After Nabal’s death, David marries Abigail, as well another woman, Ahinoam. Saul had previously taken away his daughter Michal, David’s first wife, and given her to another man.
1 SAMUEL 26
DAVID’S CONTINUES TO SPARE SAUL
The Ziphites go to Saul and tell him they think David is hiding in the wilderness near Hachilah, so Saul and his army of three thousand go to find David. Even after David spares Saul’s life, Saul is still determined to hunt him down. David sends spies to confirm that Saul is nearby.
David and a man named Abishai go to Saul’s camp and see that Saul is sleeping. Abishai encourages David to kill Saul while he has the chance, but David does not want to kill God’s appointed king.
David does not kill Saul, but instead sneakily steals Saul’s spear and water jug. David and Abishai do not wake anyone because a deep sleep from God had fallen upon them. David honored God’s timing and God protected David’s efforts.
David goes and stands over the hill, making sure there is space between him and Saul’s people. David calls out to Saul’s army, showing them the items he has taken from Saul. David previously did this with a piece of Saul’s cloak in 1 Samuel 24, proving he had the ability to kill Saul. Although David had two opportunities to kill Saul, he spared him both times.
Saul repents for attempting to kill David and blesses him as the future king. After years of chasing, Saul finally agrees to stop seeking David.
1 SAMUEL 27
DAVID LIVES IN GATH + FINISHES THE WORK OF SAUL
Despite Saul’s recent blessing of David, David remains fearful of Saul’s attempts to kill him. David travels to Gath, where Saul no longer seeks after him. David asks Achish, a ruler in Gath, for land. David lives with the Philistines for over a year in a place called Ziklag.
David kills many people in the surrounding areas. God instructs Saul to rid the land of these people many years ago, but Saul left this work undone.
David is fulfilling what God asked of the Israelites, but has to remain peaceful with the people of Gath. David lies about the sheep and livestock he is plundering from the surrounding areas. David is striving to serve God, but had to trick Achish to complete his mission.
1 SAMUEL 28
SAUL GRAPPLES WITH THE FATE OF THE ISRAELITES
Saul is afraid of the Philistines and calls out to God, but God does not answer him. When Saul doesn’t hear from God, he resorts to seeking a medium. The medium summons Samuel (who hasn’t even been dead very long!) and Samuel speaks to the medium. Samuel tells Saul that the Israelites would be handed over to the Philistines because of Saul’s disobedience.
Saul is horrified by the news and refuses to eat before the battle. Saul forgets God’s word, turns away from Him, and seeks out another spirit through a medium. Upon receiving this news, he knows that the end is near and realizes he had not lived a righteous life.
1 SAMUEL 29
DAVID SAVED FROM AN UNFORTUNATE REALITY
David, who is still living in Gath, is expected to fight with the Philistines. He had tricked Achish, one of the leaders of Gath, into thinking he was on their side, when really he was just trying to avoid Saul’s wrath.
Although Achish trusts David, the other Philistine leaders do not trust him to fight on their side, so they send him away. David was close to being in a bad situation: having to either fight his own people or blow his cover with the Philistines. David prays for God’s protection and God provides!
1 SAMUEL 30
DAVID DEFEATS THE AMALEKITES + RESTORES WHAT WAS STOLEN
When David returns home, he finds that the Amalekites raided Ziklag, burning it down and taking the women captive. David’s wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, were both captured, and David is deeply distressed. David asks God what to do, and God allows him to pursue and overtake the Amalekites. David and his men defeat the Amalekites and get back everything that was stolen from them!
Not all of David’s men fight with him, but David still restores their lot as well. David shows generosity and compassion to others because of the generosity and compassion that God has shown him.
1 SAMUEL 31
ISRAEL’S DEFEAT + SAUL’S UNFORTUNATE END
Just as Samuel warned Saul, the Israelites are overtaken by the Philistines. During the battle, Saul is badly wounded, and he ends his own life by falling on his sword. Saul’s armor-bearer and three sons have the same unfortunate ending in battle.
When the Philistines find Saul’s dead body, they take off his armor and cut off his head, bringing it to the place of their idols as a trophy. Although the future appears bleak, the Israelites have hope in God’s promise to David.