This document provides context and summaries for several chapters in 1 Samuel that describe interactions between David and Saul. It summarizes that Jonathan encourages Saul to spare David's life, Saul tries multiple times to kill David, David spares Saul's life when he finds him alone in a cave, and Saul acknowledges David's righteousness and that he will become king.

1. 14 “…The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart,
and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people….“
1 Sam 13:14
TheLifeofDavid:
aCharacterStudy
ofamanafterGod’sownheart
Week3:1Sam19-24

2. 1 Sam 17:45-47 45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a
spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46 "This day the LORD will deliver you up into
my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the
dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts
of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this
assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle
is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands."
1 Sam 18:1 1 Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the
soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

3. 1 Sam 18:11 11 Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I will pin David to the
wall." But David escaped from his presence twice.
1 Sam 18:18 18 But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life or my
father's family in Israel, that I should be the king's son-in-law?"
1 Sam 18:23 23 So Saul's servants spoke these words to David. But David
said, "Is it trivial in your sight to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a
poor man and lightly esteemed?"

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David
Born
David
Dies
King of all IsraelKing of JudahDavid’sYouth Transition
1Sam15-18
1Sam19-22
1Sam22-23
1Sam23-24
1Sam 15-30
Timeline of David’s life

6. David
Born
David
Anointed
by Samuel
David
Plays music
for Saul
David
marries
Michal
David kills
Goliath
David kills
lion and
bear as
shepherd
Saul
tries to
kill
David
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David
Dies
King of all IsraelKing of JudahDavid’sYouth Transition
Timeline of David’s life
Friendship
with
Jonathan
Week 1:
1 Sam 13-16
Week 2:
1 Sam 17-18

7. David
Born
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David
Dies
King of all IsraelKing of JudahDavid’sYouth Transition
Timeline of David’s life
Jonathan gets
Saul to repent
from wanting
to kill David
Saul again tries to
kill David & sends
men to kill him
David flees
to Samuel in
Ramah, Saul
& men
prophesy
Jonathan
angers Saul
over David,
almost
killed
David flees to
Nob, Gath,
Adullam,
Mizpah
Saul, Doeg
kill priests of
Nob
David saves
Keilah, flees
again to
wilderness
of Ziph
David flees
to En-gedhi,
David spares
Saul’s life in cave
Week 3:
1 Sam 19-24

8. 4 Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Do not let the king sin
against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very
beneficial to you.
5 "For he took his life in his hand and struck 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 by
putting David to death without a cause?"
24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all
that day and all that night.Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
• Psalm 11:5The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves
violence, His soul hates
Gibeah, Psalm 11, 59

9. 6 "If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of
me to run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for
the whole family.'
17 Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he
loved him as he loved his own life.
23 "As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD
is between you and me forever."

10. 30 Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a
perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse
to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?
31 "For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom
will be established.Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely
die."
32 But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, "Why should he be put to
death?What has he done?"
33 Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; so Jonathan knew that his
father had decided to put David to death.
34 Then Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the
second day of the new moon, for he was grieved over David because his father had
dishonored him.

11. 41 …. David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and
bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but
David wept the more.
42 Jonathan said to David, "Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each
other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD will be between me and
you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.'"Then he
rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city.

13. 2 David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has
commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, 'Let no
one know anything about the matter on which I am sending
you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have
directed the young men to a certain place.'
• 4-6 David given the consecrated bread.
• 7 Doeg the Edomite is present
• 8-9 David asks for a weapon and is given Goliath’s
sword
• 10-15 David flees to Gath, Achish the king
recognizes David, David fakes insanity
Gath, Psalm 34, 56

14. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn around and attack the priests." And Doeg
the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day
eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.
19 And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men
and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with
the edge of the sword.
Adullum, Psalms 17, 35, 52, 64, 109,140, 142

15. Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, escapes to David and tells him
what happened
• David takes responsibility for the death of the priests
22 Then David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the
Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about the
death of every person in your father's household.

17. • 1 David is told the Philistines are attacking Keilah
• 2 David inquires of the Lord if he should go up to defend Keilah
• 3-5 David inquires a second time based on resistance of his men and
then they go and deliver Keilah
• 6-8 Saul gets word and plans to attach Keilah
• 9-12 David inquires of the Lord whether to stay or leave and God
instructs him to leave Keilah
12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the
hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you."
• 13-14 David leaves with 600 men and stays in the wilderness of Ziph

18. Psalm 31, 54

19. • 15-18 Jonathan finds David in Horesh to encourage him.
17 Thus he said to him, "Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my
father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to
you; and Saul my father knows that also."
18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; and David
stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

20. Psalm 57, 58

22. • 1-2 Saul finishes pursuing the Philistines and takes 3000 choice
men to pursue David in Engedi
• 3 Saul has to relieve himself, goes into a cave where David and his
men are hiding
• 4 David’s men want to kill Saul, believing the Lord has given him
into David’s hand, David cuts off part of Saul’s robe
6 So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the LORD that I
should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my
hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed."
7 David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise
up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.

23. 8 Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the
king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and
prostrated himself.
9 David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, 'Behold, David seeks to
harm you'?
10 "Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the
cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, 'I will not stretch out my
hand against my lord, for he is the LORD'S anointed.'
11 "Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the
edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my
hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it.
12 "May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my
hand shall not be against you.
13 "As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness'; but my hand
shall not be against you.
14 "After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single
flea?
15 "The LORD therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my
cause and deliver me from your hand."
Psalm 57, 58

24. 16 When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your
voice, my son David?"Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 He said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me,
while I have dealt wickedly with you.
18 "You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD
delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me.
19 "For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the LORD
therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day.
20 "Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel
will be established in your hand.
21 "So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after
me and that you will not destroy my name from my father's household."
22 David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up
to the stronghold.