Lessons from the Life of David -- #6

Looking for Help in Times of Trouble

1 Samuel 18:1 – 23:29

 

After the battle with Goliath, David stood in good favor with Saul and with his son Jonathan.  What two rewards were given to David by Saul?  18:1-5

 

 

Why did Saul begin to hate David?  18:6-9

 

18:10   Since we know God wants all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), we must assume God         sent the evil spirit to Saul to bring him to repent.  When hardships come, whether to Saul or to David or to us, how should we interpret them?  Heb 12:7-13

 

Now follow seven attempts by Saul to kill David.  Briefly describe each attempt:

 

18:11

 

18:13,17

 

18:25

 

19:1

 

19:10

 

19:11

 

19:20

 

In 19:11, when David’s house is surrounded, David certainly was filled with anxiety.  He undoubtedly prayed for protection, and God answered his prayer by allowing David to escape.  Whether it was that evening, or later, David wrote down his feelings during this incident.  It is Psalm 59.  What did David realize more fully after this ordeal?  Ps 59:16,17

 

 

Saul’s daughter Michal, David’s wife, helps him escape when Saul has his house surrounded, by putting an idol under the bed covers and pretending that David is there asleep,  This gives David enough time to get far away.  A question that could be asked is ‘Why does Michal have an idol in the house?’  and ‘What might this say about Saul, if Michal thinks it is fine to keep an idol?’

 

 

Foiled by David, Saul now pursues David using his army.  David is on the run.

21:1-9  David goes to Nob, to the high priest Ahimelech, hoping for some food.            According to 22:10 & 13, why also did David go there?

 

 

 

The priests at Nob helped David and his men by feeding them the consecrated bread of the Presence.  Who only were supposed to eat this bread? Lev 24:9

 

Jesus made reference to this incident when he was discussing the Pharisees rigid observance of the Sabbath.  Read Matt 12:1-8.  What was Jesus’ point in referring to this incident, and how does it connect to improper Sabbath observance?

 

 

The priests at Nob helped David and his men, feeding them, and giving David the sword of Goliath.  Who saw this happen?  (v 7)                             This becomes important in the next chapter.      

 

 

21:10   David flees to Gath, one of the main Philistine cities.

v 12     Was David assured of his safety there?

 

The soldiers of Gath apparently seized David and brought him to Achish, also known as Abimelech.  What did David do to avoid being held permanently?  v 13

 

After David was released, he wrote Ps 34 & 56.  What had David learned from this incident?

 

Ps 34:4,5,15-18

 

Ps 34:9,10

 

Ps 56:3

 

Which life is David most concerned about, his mortal life, or his soul? Ps 56:4,11

 

David flees to a cave near Bethlehem.  Perhaps while in the cave, he writes Ps 57.  Where is David’s real refuge while he is hiding in this cave?  Ps 57:1

 

1 Sam 22:1,2   Who joined David now? 

 

David writes Psalm 142.  Notice what David writes in verse 7.  David will no longer be on the run with just a few friends.

 

22:3-5  David takes his family to Moab.  What are two reasons why Moab might be a place      David could find shelter for his family?  1 Sam 14:47  and Ruth 1:22; 4:13,22

 

 

What did Doeg do with information he had about David?  22:9

 

What reward did the priests of Nob get for helping David? 22:16-23

 

David, full of anger over what Saul and Doeg did, writes Ps 52.  What possibly was Doeg’s motivation for killing the priests, as recorded in Ps 52:7

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v 20  Apparently only one priest, Abiathar, escapes.  But he brings the ephod, the garment containing the Urim and Thummin, which priests used to ask questions of the Lord, with him.  This allows David to ask God specific questions concerning Keilah in the next chapter.

 

With this family safe, David flees to Judah.  While Saul is busy killing the priests at Nob, David finds time to rescue God’s people at Keilah from the Philistines 1 Sam 23:1-6.  Then Saul and his army again pursue David, so David flees to Ziph.  What did the Ziphites do?  v 19

 

 

So David had to flee further south, into the mountains, Saul follows.  Perhaps one evening at this time, David finds time to write Ps 54. This psalm is typical of the ways David approaches God in prayer.  Notice the four parts:  vv 1-2 David’s plea.  v 3 David expresses the problem.  vv 4-5 David realizes the solution.  vv 6-7 The response to answered prayer.

 

 

In vv 26-29, it seems as if Saul almost had David captured, but how was David spared?

 

The region David was hiding in was full of rocks and caves.  When David later wrote Psalm 18, his experiences hiding among the rocks were certainly on his mind.  What truth does David reveal in these verses of Ps 18?

 

vv 2, 31, 46

 

v 30

 

vv 32-36

 

What does David say about his rescue that shows us Psalm 18 was written earlier in his reign as king of Israel?  vv 20-24

 

Many other psalms of David have inscriptions about certain events in his life.  As we read these psalms, we realize David has the same fears, the same feelings, the same doubts that we may have when we feel threatened in some way.  In the psalms David teaches us to turn to God for refuge and strength and help.  David remembered the promise given to him by God through Samuel that he would one day be king, so David could look past the present and know that God would get him through these troubles, and that better days lie ahead.  How can we take his example?

 

David also knew that he was in a special position, and that by relating his experiences through writing the psalms, he could help others.  How can we help others by using the experiences God has given us?