Month: December 2025

Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed all three of his sons – Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.

Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill be before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.”

But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king. So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together on the same day. (vv. 1-6, NLT)

“Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul.

“Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”

But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and has become your enemy? The Lord has done just as He said He would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David. The Lord has done this to you today because you refused to carry out His fierce anger against the Amalekites. What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.” (vv. 15-19, NLT)

The Philistines set up their cam at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa. When Saul saw that the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or sacred lots, or by the prophets. Saul then said to his advisors, ” Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go to her and ask her what to do.”

His advisors replied, “There is a medium at Endor.”

So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. THen he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.

“I have to talk to a man who has die,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”

“Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?””

But Saul took and oath in the name of the Lord and promised, “As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”

Finally the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”

“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.

When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”

“Don’t be afraid!” the king told her, “What do you see?”

I see a god coming up our of the earth,” she said.

“What does he look like?” Saul asked.

“He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him. (vv. 4-14, NLT)

When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all the blame in this matter, my lord. Please lister to what I have to say.I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please do’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.”

“Now, my lord, surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, sine the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you as be as cursed as Nabel is. And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men. Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for your are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.” (vv. 23-29, NLT)

After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.

At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding further back in that very cave!

“Now is your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power do as you wish.'” So david crept forward and cut off a pice of the hem of Saul’s robe. (vv. 1-4, NLT)

After Saul had left the cave and gone his way, David came out and shouted after him,”My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.

Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to people who say I am trying to harm you.? This ver day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said,’I will never harm the king-he is the Lord’s anointed one.’ Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.” (vv. 7b-11, NLT)

And he [Saul] said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me you didn’t. Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens, you will not kill my family and destroy the line of my descendants.!”

So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his ment went back to their stronghold. (vv. 17-22, NLT)

One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” So the two of them renewed the solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.

But now the men of Ziph wetn to Saul in Gibeath and betrayed David to him. “We know where David is hiding,’ they said. “He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern par of Jeshimon. Come down whenever you’re ready, O King, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”
(vv. 15-20, NLT)_

The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows. “Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you. Hurry, Hurry, don’t wait.” So the by quickly gathered the arrows and ran back to his master. He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal. Then Jonathan gave his bows and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.

As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his fact to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.

At last, Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town. (vv. 35-42, NLT)

Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”

“Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. Then Jonathan said to David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. But if he is angry and want you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all you enemies from the face of the earth.” (vv. 10-15, NLT)

So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. He sat at his usual place against the wall sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty. Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he had said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.” But the when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jess been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”

Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”

Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan, “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “You think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. No go and get him so I can kill him!”

“But why should he be put to death? Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David. (vv. 24-33, NLT)

David now fled from Naioth in Raman and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”

“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die He always tells me everything he is going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like that from me. It just isn’t so!”

Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan-why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”

“Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.

David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion. but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. If your father asks where I am, tell himI asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know that all is well. But if he is angry and looses his temper, you will know that he is determined to kill me. Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend-for we made a solemn pact before the Lord-or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”

“Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest idea my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once!” (vv. 1-9, NLT)