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behind the scenes

1 Samuel 19:8-24 (JDV)

1 Samuel 19:8 When war broke out again, David went out and fought against the Philistines. He defeated them with such great force that they ran from him.
1 Samuel 19:9 Now an evil breath sent from Yahveh came on Saul as he was sitting in his palace holding a spear. David was playing the lyre,
1 Samuel 19:10 and Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. As the spear struck the wall, David eluded Saul, ran away, and escaped that night.
1 Samuel 19:11 Saul sent agents to David’s house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. But his wife Michal warned David, “If you don’t save your throat tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!”
1 Samuel 19:12 So she lowered David from the window, and he fled and escaped.
1 Samuel 19:13 Then Michal took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.
1 Samuel 19:14 When Saul sent agents to seize David, Michal said, “He’s sick.”
1 Samuel 19:15 Saul sent the agents back to see David and said, “Bring him on his bed so I can kill him.”
1 Samuel 19:16 When the agents arrived, to their surprise, the household idol was on the bed with some goat hair on its head.
1 Samuel 19:17 Saul asked Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” She answered him, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you? ‘”
1 Samuel 19:18 So David fled and escaped and went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel left and stayed at Naioth.
1 Samuel 19:19 When it was reported to Saul that (notice) David was at Naioth in Ramah,
1 Samuel 19:20 he sent agents to seize David. However, when they saw the group of prophets prophesying with Samuel leading them, the Breath of God came on Saul’s agents, and they also started prophesying.
1 Samuel 19:21 When they reported to Saul, he sent other agents, and they also began prophesying. So, Saul tried again and sent a third group of agents, and even they began prophesying.
1 Samuel 19:22 Then Saul himself went to Ramah. He came to the large cistern at Secu and asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “Notice, at Naioth in Ramah,” someone said.
1 Samuel 19:23 So he went to Naioth in Ramah. The Breath of God also came on him, and as he walked along, he prophesied until he entered Naioth in Ramah.
1 Samuel 19:24 Saul then removed his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel; he collapsed and lay naked all that day and all that night. That is why they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

behind the scenes

The powerful Holy Spirit is at work behind the scenes of David’s life protecting him from harm, because God has a purpose for his life. This is seen in…

Jonathan’s intercession (1-7)
David eluding Saul’s spear (8-10)
Michal letting him escape by a rope, and her deception of her father’s “messengers” (11-17)
The people overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit when they sought David’s life (18-24).
LORD, thank you for the protecting power of your Holy Spirit.