David Escapes from Saul
Gospel Prompt
Do you think we can learn about Jesus from the story of how David escapes death at the hands of Saul on the third day?
Read the Passage
1 Samuel 19:9-16
9 Now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. 10 Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night. 11 Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped. 13 And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes. 14 So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16 And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head.
Find the Gospel in the Story
LISTEN TO THE STORY OF DAVID
David was a shepherd from Bethlehem, who belonged to the royal tribe of Judah. He was the “anointed“ (Hebrew: messiah) king of Israel, whom the Lord had chosen through Samuel the Prophet (1 Sam 16:13-14).
King Saul harbored a lethal enmity against David because he feared David’s royal claim to the throne. Although David had done nothing but good to Saul, Saul made two attempts to kill him with a spear. In God’s good providence, David escaped both times (1 Sam 18:10-11). However, the day finally came when Saul made a third attempt against David’s life. Saul intended to pierce David with his spear and pin him to the wall. But David escaped Saul’s spear for the third time and fled into the night.
The next day, Saul sent soldiers to watch David’s house and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife, Michal, helped him escape. That evening, she let David down through a window. Then she took a household idol, dressed it in David’s clothes, covered the head with goat’s hair, and laid it in his bed.
On the morning of the third day, Michal told the king’s soldiers that David was sick in bed. She sent them back to the palace. When Saul heard of this, he ordered the soldiers to return immediately and seize David anyway. But when the soldiers returned, they found only David’s bedclothes. David had escaped death once and for all on the third day!
DID YOU HEAR THE STORY OF JESUS?
Jesus was the Son of David. He was a Royal Shepherd, who belonged to the tribe of Judah. He was the true Messiah of Israel, whom the Lord had chosen to rule upon David’s heavenly throne.
The religious leaders in Jerusalem harbored a lethal enmity against Jesus because they feared his messianic claim to power. Although Jesus had done nothing but good for Israel, the religious leaders made two attempts to kill him. In God’s good providence, Jesus escaped both times (John 8:59; 10:31-29). However, the day finally came when the religious leaders made a third attempt against Jesus’ life. They arrested him and made plans to kill him by crucifixion. During the crucifixion, the Romans used nails to pin Jesus to the wooden cross. Then they pierced him with a spear. Unlike David, Jesus suffered death. But like David, he would soon escape this third attempt on his life through resurrection.
Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus, dressed him in a linen shroud, covered him with a facecloth for burial, and laid him in the tomb. At the request of the Jews, Pilate sent Roman soldiers to watch over the tomb where he lay. But early in the morning of the third day, the risen Jesus escaped! In the morning, those who came to the tomb discovered that Jesus was not there. Instead, they found only his graveclothes! The Son of David had escaped death once and for all on the third day!
