Experiencing deceit from a close friend can be a crushing experience. Imagine now, if you will, when that person is your king, you are next in line to the throne, he seems to know it, claims to follow God, yet wants to murder you to protect his family’s seat of power. The heart of Saul shows up multiple times for us to garner a more complete picture of why God ended up rejecting him.
Back in the day, it was common for a ruler to protect his position of authority by killing off all who threatened to overtake him. Coming up in the Bible, we read about the paranoia many kings experienced and rightfully so in some cases, because we also will read about multiple assassinations and takeovers of the throne.
Saul and his kids…
For Saul at this point, he indicates he possesses the knowledge that David was chosen by God to be his successor. Not his son. He could not understand that Jonathan was content to accept God’s decision and was unconcerned about his family’s demotion.
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Multiple times we read Saul trying to take David’s life. Saul tries again, in chapter 19, to take David’s life and ends up offering his son an oath about David’s life. Yet, when we look at his history of keeping oaths, we realize this one likely doesn’t hold much water. And we are right. A couple verses later, Michal, Saul’s daughter, protects David from death.
Michal tricks Saul’s men to spare her husband’s life. Saul adds another piece to his puzzle by trying to divide her marital union by trying to claim loyalty to him first.
Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” -1 Samuel 19:17
Saul fails to remember the oath he made to his son, does not care about his daughter’s marital relationship, and shows his ultimate self-serving concern is his unwarranted desire to murder an innocent man who is only guilt of God anointing him to be the next king. King Saul had trumped up a hatred and jealousy so strong that he wanted to murder David. He sent out parties to chase after him, it became almost obsessive.
In 1 Samuel 20:33, Saul tries to take Jonathan’s life now. His crime? He protected his best friend from his father.
Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. -1 Samuel 20:32-33
The heart of Saul is becoming clearer and clearer, the more puzzle pieces we see, the clearer the big picture is becoming.
The heart of Saul exposed more…
David flees and hides out, understandably so, and then Saul hears about it. In chapter 22, Saul has a “pep talk” with those around him.
And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” -1 Samuel 22:7-8
King Saul attempts to garner loyalty by including a scare tactic, a veiled threat, lies, and acts as though his own life is in danger. Don’t think for a second this was not strategic. He is trying to seal their allegiance through his manipulative words. These words are a great example of emotionally drawing someone into a protective relationship where they feel they must act in order to be the one that saves him. Many narcissists and evil leaders use the same ploys to trick people into a false sense of relationship for their own gain.
It is quite common for a Narcissist to offer something they know their future enabler cannot pass up. … You see, an enabler will be so incredibly scared of losing their Narcissist (and their benefit from being in a relationship with the Narcissist), that they will provide back up and support either through silent submission or vocal/actionable acceptance. You are not loving someone by keeping quiet about their sin. If they call themselves a Christian, a Narcissist enabler is encouraging the Narcissist to think they can deceive God… that is no laughing matter. One will be held responsible for the choice to stay silent in the face of encouraging another to sin.
The Narcissist Enabler – Why would anyone defend a Narcissist? Anchored Abode
Saul and God’s anointed…
Saul chases after David and encounters the priests who had helped David. Unclear whether or not they were complicit in helping David flee (they helped David, but we are not told if they knew he was running away), Saul accuses them anyway. When a person allows emotional outbursts to remain uninhibited and unchecked, it easily dictates foolish actions.
This time is no different. He tells his crew to kill all the priests of Nob, the men appointed by God through birth to lead the people to God. Saul shows no inhibition to protect or care for them. Instead of respecting life, Saul seeks to destroy, and multiple times at that! To give credit where credit is due, his servants refused to enable his outrageous command, and said no. Their moral compass outweighed their desire to please their master, good for them!
As with a narcissist though, if someone says no, then another enabler will be found and Doeg the Edomite was that man. He carried out the irrational orders.
85.
There were 85 men who served the Lord at His sanctuary who were murdered that day. Not only that, but the whole city was put to the sword.
Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword. -1 Samuel 22:18-19
We read great anomalies of God’s anointed. Not yet king, we have David who refuses to take the life or even harm the man who the Lord anointed King. Then we have his own servants who refused to needlessly massacre a group of the Lord’s anointed. But then there was Saul, King Saul, who oversaw the manslaughter of a city of anointed men as well as multiple attempts on God’s next anointed king, David.
Relentless pursuit…
King Saul was relentless in his pursuit of David. He even mustered up all the people to war… just to besiege David and his men. Obsessed much?
David escapes again thanks to Jonathan and ends up in the back of a cave. Who should enter, but King Saul himself. David understands that vengeance is not his to undertake, it is for God to decide when and how Saul would stop being king.
When confronted with the reality that David could have easily taken his life, Saul offers up what seems to be a genuine apology and admission of guilt. He even wept about it.
Temporary remorse for worldly consequences is far different than Biblical sorrow for sinning. Again Saul’s words carry no weight as in the next couple chapters, he again pursues David’s life.
Saul’s heart puzzle…
Saul provides a picture of one who has a relationship with the Lord, yet his lukewarm acceptance of who God determined that the ultimate god in his life was not God. It was himself, the world, the power he could have on earth.
When we take one piece of a person’s puzzle and label them, it does us and them no good. The Bible says to weigh everything against the Word of the Lord… and that we need to do the same with people. If there is a pattern of behavior antithetical to a statement of belief, we are the fools to believe the one over the conclusive evidence of a heart not aligned with God.
Look at many pieces of the puzzle to make wise decisions about the people in your life because the opposite is true as well. It is not a Biblical concept to rule someone out of your life who lives a Christian life yet makes some mistakes. The key is whether or not they repent, that will be your biggest indicator of a heart aligned with God or one that’s merely sad they have to face earthly consequences.
All that to say, David had to protect his life by removing himself from Saul’s presence. While not always the case, sometimes it is necessary, depending on who or what you are dealing with. Either way, follow David’s advice and seek the Lord every step of the way!
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