The Biblical Life of King David

Freddie L. Butler

• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781098089597
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Bibles

The Biblical Life of King David is the story of the greatest king Israel has ever known. It is titled as such because the only source used for this story is your Bible. Bible scriptures have been interwoven into the story to encourage group Bible study. However, the narrative reads like a novel.

King David had a humble beginning as a shepherd boy. Yet God testified regarding the heart of David as having a heart like God (Acts 13: 22). When reading this story, you will become very aware of why God testified this way about David.

Just to clue you in on three possible reasons:

King David was quick to repent when he knew he had made a mistake.

Though King David was accused of having blood on his hands, he never killed a person off the battlefield.

King David's judgements as king were righteous before God.

I pray that you enjoy reading The Biblical Life of King David as much as I enjoyed the study and writing of this story.

Chapter 4

David on the Run

The day David fled his house, he began to run from King Saul. David ran to Samuel the prophet. King Saul sent three groups of messengers/soldiers to capture David and bring David back to him. Instead of these messengers returning to King Saul, the Spirit of God came over them, and they began to prophesy with the prophets.

I believe these messengers were soldiers because David was a soldier and a fierce fighter. King Saul had already concluded that David would not surrender. David had become a fugitive in King Saul’s eyes. So King Saul went to Ramah to fetch David himself. King Saul arrived, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he began to prophesy. While King Saul was at Ramah, he stripped off his clothes and prophesied and laid naked before Samuel for twenty-four hours. We know it was twenty-four hours because the Scriptures tell us King Saul lay there all that day and all that night.

Remember it was the evil spirit that brought King Saul to Ramah, seeking to kill David. However, at Ramah, the Spirit of God came upon King Saul, and he began to prophesy. This is clear evidence of two things:

1. The Spirit of God is dominant over the evil spirit.
2. Both cannot occupy the same space at the same time.

This can be true today. It is possible for the evil spirit to enter in us, which makes it possible for you to do or say those things that you should not at times. But he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world!

So while King Saul is with Samuel prophesying for twenty-four hours, David fled back to the palace to speak with his friend/brother-in-law Jonathan. While with Jonathan, David spoke a profound word:

As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

In David’s case, he could see his enemy in King Saul clearly. However, this statement is true for us even though our enemy many times cannot be seen by us.

In the news, a seventy-four-year-old gentleman was out taking a walk on Easter Sunday 2017. A person he did not know and had never met before drove up next to him, got out, pulled a gun, and shot him in the face, killing the elderly gentleman. The killer posted the murder live on Facebook! That is a modern-day example of being just one step from death!

In 1 Samuel 20:4, Jonathan said to David, “Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.” I want to focus on the soul.

Question: What does the soul consist of?

Answer: The mind, will, and emotions.

This verse solidifies this definition. In 1 Samuel 20:1–3, David has spilled his emotions on Jonathan about King Saul trying to kill him. Jonathan appeared to have no knowledge of his father still trying to kill David. Remember, Jonathan thought he had resolved this earlier in 1 Samuel 19:6–7. The emotions of David’s soul has been shared with Jonathan. What remains is the mind and will of David’s soul. So when Jonathan said he will do whatever David’s soul desires, Jonathan is in effect saying, “I will do whatever is the will of your mind.”

When Christians die, their body remains here on earth, but their spirit and soul is forwarded into the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6–8). So the enemy conducts warfare on our soul as was happening here with David. The soul is used to convert us to Christianity, which is why the scripture tell us to renew our mind and obtain the mind of Christ.

Jonathan renewed his covenant with David, saying he would reveal any evil intent of his father King Saul toward David. Jonathan has accepted the fact that God has given the kingdom to David. So the covenant between them included David not ending the family line of Jonathan. In 2 Samuel 9:1–7 following the death of Jonathan, David (now king) sought after an opportunity to preserve the family line of Jonathan. A son of Jonathan named Mephibosheth was located. Mephibosheth was brought before King David where he was told in 2 Samuel 9:7, “I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan, thy father’s sake, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.” King David went a step farther and restored to Mephibosheth all of the family land back into his possession.

Jonathan and David developed a secret code to help David escape King Saul. Apparently on the night of the new moon, all the leaders in the kingdom are expected to commune at the palace with King Saul. Jonathan told David to be absent for the new-moon gathering and return after three days. David was told to then hide in the field, in a familiar place known between him and Jonathan. The plan was that Jonathan would shoot three arrows in David’s direction and send a young man to retrieve the arrows. Jonathan told David if he shoots the arrows in front of his hiding place then David could retrieve the arrows himself and bring them to Jonathan. This would mean all is well for him. Now if Jonathan shoot the arrows beyond David’s hiding place, David was told that he should not reveal himself. Instead, he should go his way. All is not well with King Saul and David.

This scenario between Jonathan and David is indisputable evidence of the friendship between the two. Had Jonathan wanted to betray David, he had just missed the perfect opportunity to do so. It is also evident in this same scenario that David trusted Jonathan without reservation—you know the kind of trust we should have in the Savior who gave his life for us!

After David has missed two days in a row from King Saul’s table, the king wanted to know from Jonathan of David’s location. Of course, Jonathan covered for David by saying that David had taken leave to be with his family. King Saul became angry with Jonathan for he knew Jonathan was covering for David. Jonathan inquired of his father, King Saul, what is the offense that David has committed worthy of death. King Saul revealed his level of anger at his son Jonathan by throwing a javelin at him in a real attempt to kill him (1 Samuel 20:33). Now Jonathan is certain that his father, King Saul, wants to kill David because his father threw the javelin at him (Jonathan) and missed.

As Jonathan and David planned back in 1 Samuel 20:19, David was absent three days and returned on the third day. David hid in the familiar place known only between him and Jonathan. Jonathan initiated the plan between them to shoot the arrows and send the young boy, who was with Jonathan, after the arrows. Jonathan shot an arrow beyond the hiding place of David, which was a signal to David that he should flee for his life. After the young boy had retrieved the arrows, Jonathan gave the boy all his weaponry and sent the boy into the city with it. When the boy was gone, David revealed himself to Jonathan.

David and Jonathan wept until David exceeded. I can only imagine the distress David must have felt having to leave his friend, wife, and family to become a man without a nation. This in effect amounted to exile!

Finally, Jonathan told David in 1 Samuel 20:42 that the covenant between them was relevant and that David could leave in peace. So Jonathan released David to go one final time and not return because Saul is indeed wanting to kill David. After David left Jonathan for the final time, he fled to the priest, Ahimelech. It likely has been about three days since David left his best friend and brother-in-law, Jonathan. David is hungry at this time. David asked Ahimelech for bread, knowing that the priests baked fresh bread every day and presented it before the Lord. However, Ahimelech was frightened at meeting David alone. Ahimelech asked David why he was traveling alone. Of course, David did not tell the truth but instead told a story that led the priest Ahimelech to believe David was on official business for King Saul.

The Scriptures also suggest that David already had followers at this time. Ahimelech informed David that the bread was hallowed bread and that the men could not have been with women in the last three days. Notice in 1 Samuel 21:5, David speaks with certainty that the young men with him have not been with a woman in the last three days. This tell me that David and these men have been together at least three days before David stood before the priest Ahimelech.

The priest Ahimelech gave David the hallowed bread. This holy bread was baked by the priest and presented before the Lord. Jesus mentioned this in the Gospel of Matthew 12. Jesus and his disciples are walking through a cornfield on the Sabbath. The disciples are stripping corn from the stalks on the Sabbath, which was forbidden. The disciples were hungry and were eating the corn. Jesus used these scriptures to bring home several points to the Pharisees who were watching. As a result, we also learn more about David that day, in the book of Samuel, as David stood before the high priest Ahimelech.

1. David already had followers with him at that time. We know this because Jesus said it (Matthew 12:3).
2. Jesus told the Pharisees that He was Lord of the Sabbath day (Matthew 12:8).

These scriptures here reveal a common danger that many Christians experience even today. A Christian is in danger when he or she has disbelief in any scripture. The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the son of God, and we know today that this is the foundation of our faith. As Christians, we believe in the salvation provided by God through His son, Jesus Christ. So because the Pharisees did not believe Jesus was who he said he was, they did not believe anything Jesus attempted to teach them.

When or if any of us begin to doubt Scripture just because we may not understand it, we place ourselves in the same category as the unbeliever. Unbelief is the same to God whether you disbelieve one scripture or the entire Bible. However, this danger cannot sneak up on Christians. You will know you are in danger when you begin to disbelieve any scripture. Remember, no scripture eliminates another or contradicts another scripture. God is the wisest and source of all wisdom. God has not (past tense), cannot (prese...