Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 132
120
IMMERSE
•
KINGDOMS
1S
| 19:22–20:13
heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time. Finally, Saul himself went
to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and
David?” he demanded.
“They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him.
But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon
Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! He tore off
his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The people who were watching exclaimed,
“What? Is even Saul a prophet?”
David now fled from Naioth in Ramah 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’s going to do, even the little things. I know my
father wouldn’t hide something like this 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 him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an
annual family sacrifice. If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he
is angry and loses his temper, you will know 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 notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”
Then Dav id 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 told 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
wants 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