A Deeper Dive Into Saul: 1 Samuel 19:11-17
People who walk closely with the Lord make it easier for the people around them to also walk closely with the Lord. Sensing the Spirit in someone else increases the likelihood for a spiritual person to reveal the Spirit in them. The Bible tells us that iron sharpens iron, meaning God connects His Spirit in us to one another to bring out the best in each of us.
Saul continues his rollercoaster emotional ride against David. After his conversation with Jonathan, Saul sends messengers to David’s house to kill him. Fortunately, David’s wife is privy to the scheme, warning David to flee. He does, escaping Saul’s grasp once more.
To fool Saul’s men, Michal takes a household god, places it in the bed, and covers it with goat’s hair. While appreciating Michal’s concern for David, note the presence of household gods within the home. This might give a clue to the underlying issue between God and Saul. If Michal has household gods, she learned it from somewhere. The most likely environment is the home. This gives reason to think Saul and his family worshipped idols in the house.
If this is true – remembering we do not know for certain it is – this could explain God’s rejection of Saul in greater detail. If Saul and his family were worshipping other gods privately while giving face to God publicly, God has reason to reject Saul and remove His Spirit. It could also explain the conflict between him and David. David followed God and prospered, whereas Saul didn’t prosper as much. Saul may have targeted David because David was a living reminder of the consequences of Saul’s spiritual choices.
Michal’s response to her father gives more insight. From earlier in the story, we know Michal is the one who alerted David to the threat and advised him to go. When Saul questions her, however, she tells Saul that David told her to let him go so he wouldn’t have to hurt her. Michal knows she cannot trust her father in his emotional state. Since she cannot trust him with the truth, she lies to escape Saul’s wrath.
Yes, Michal lied. She lied because Saul already wanted to kill David, so spinning a tale to pin the blame on David doesn’t really change any consequences felt by David. A lie is still a lie, but this lie is circumstantially understandable. Saul acts unrighteously, so Michal finds a way to save her own skin.
Because of his emotional and spiritual instability, Saul makes it difficult for Michal to behave righteously towards her father. His choices bring about larger ramifications. His focus on killing David places his family in difficult situations, which is evidence of how far away from the Lord he has fallen. Saul is becoming the antithesis of godly living.
People who walk closely with the Lord make it easier for the people around them to also walk closely with the Lord.
