1Samuel 19: 14-20….Saul thwarted.

And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?’”
Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

Comment: Obviously it was meant to be an early morning surprise ‘snatch and grab’ of David. Saul having got the message that David is ‘sick’ you can hear him say ‘Don’t even let him get out of bed, strap him in and bring him on it!’ Michal’s deception worked in that David got away, but she had to ‘down play’ her assistance to David in his escape.

David fled to the prophet and priest Samuel and stayed with him. Samuel was the head of a group of ‘trainee’ prophets. David seems to have taken up residence with the group of prophets. But Saul was determined, and even though thwarted once, having found out where David was, sent messengers again to capture him. Apparently these schools, or companies, of prophets studied the law, sought wisdom and sang praises to God. Arriving, the messengers were so impressed by the prophets that they forsook their royal orders and joined the prophetic group. This seems like a ‘miracle’ to me! Saul was thus thwarted twice in this short passage, and David’s life preserved.

Prayer: Please stop me from being a vindictive person, O God.