Lesson 23: “The Lord Be Between Thee and Me For Ever”

Lesson 23: “The Lord Be Between Thee and Me For Ever”, Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 107

1. Introduction

a) Last week, we saw some of the effects of Saul's disobedience of the instructions from the Lord, conveyed through the prophet, Samuel.

i) Saul began to have an evil spirit

b) After Saul's second serious act of disobedience, when he brought back prime sheep, cattle and oxen from the city of Amalek, purportedly for the purpose of sacrificing them to the Lord, Samuel gave Saul and us words to remember, "to obey is better than sacrifice" – 1 Samuel 15:22

c) After Saul's actions in Amalek, Samuel withdrew himself from Saul and we have no record that the prophet ever spoke with Saul again.

d) Samuel was directed to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem where he anointed the youth David as the king of the Jews, to begin serving in that capacity after Saul's death.

e) We had twin acts of amazing courage by two faithful young men of Israel

i) Jonathan, Saul's oldest son, and Jonathan's armor-bearer caused a huge Philistine army to retreat

ii) David slew Goliath

2. Jonathan and David make a covenant of friendship. Saul becomes jealous of David and tries to kill him

a) After David killed Goliath, he quickly became a hero throughout all of Israel. King Saul and the entire kingdom honored him.

b) At this time an inspiring friendship began between David and Jonathan

i) Reading 1 – 1 Samuel 18:1-4

1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.

3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

ii) David is surely one of the most charismatic people we meet in the Old Testament

(1) At a young age, Saul gives David charge over all of the armies of Israel and, as we will see, David will become one of the greatest military leaders in the history of Israel

iii) Jonathan never seems to have received recognition for his great military feat, certainly not as much as David received

iv) Jonathan would have been Saul's successor as king had David not been anointed the future king of Israel

v) Jonathan never seems to be jealous of David's success. He recognizes a very good person in David, one greatly blessed of the Lord.

vi) Because Jonathan is himself a faithful servant of the Lord, he becomes a loyal and immensely helpful friend to David.

vii) Reading 2 - Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote: "When we are struggling to learn to love, we can have faith in God's developmental plans for others as well as for ourselves. Then we do not feel threatened by those who are our superiors or who are becoming such. The more unselfish we are, the more able we are to find joy in their successes, all the while rejoicing without comparing. In any case, our only valid spiritual competition is with our old selves, not with each other. True love and friendship enable us to keep that perspective. The things about other people that truly matter are their qualities such as love, mercy, justice, and patience, and their service to others." (Not My Will, But Thine, p70)

c) Saul's attitude toward David became much different.

i) Saul names David the head of the armies of Israel

ii) Reading 3 – 1 Samuel 18:5-12

5 ¶ And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

10 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.

11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12 ¶ And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.

(1) Verse 5 - Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people

(2) Verses 6-7

(a) Women of Israel celebrate a victory over the Philistines with singing

(i) Call and response form

(b) when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands

(3) Verse 8 - And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands

(4) Verse 8 - what can he have more but the kingdom?

(a) Saul understands that he is, in effect, an illegitimate king.

(i) After Saul's disobedience at Amalek, one of the last things that Samuel said to him was Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (1 Samuel 15:23)

(b) Verse 10 - the evil spirit from God came upon Saul

(i) Joseph Smith Translation - which was not of God

(c) Verses 10-11 - David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. 11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it

(i) David was very talented at playing the harp. Because of Saul's guilty conscience over his disobedience, he had trouble sleeping. Saul had David come and play for him at night to help him sleep.

(ii) Saul tries to kill David for the first time and David avoided being killed.

(d) Verse 12 - Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul.

(i) On its face, it's foolish for King Saul to fear David, a very young man

(ii) The fear of someone who has lost the Spirit in the face of someone who has the Spirit

(5) Reading 4 - President Ezra Taft Benson said: “Saul became an enemy to David through pride. He was jealous because the crowds of Israelite women were singing that ‘Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’ (1 Samuel 18:7; see also 1 Samuel 18:6, 8).

“The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment. … ‘What will men think of me?’ weighs heavier than ‘What will God think of me?’ …

“Fear of men’s judgment manifests itself in competition for men’s approval. The proud love ‘the praise of men more than the praise of God’ (John 12:42–43). Our motives for the things we do are where the sin is manifest. Jesus said He did ‘always those things’ that pleased God (John 8:29). Would we not do well to have the pleasing of God as our motive rather than to try to elevate ourselves above our brother and outdo another?

“When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence of the world and deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men’s judgment. The world shouts louder than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. The reasoning of men overrides the revelations of God, and the proud let go of the iron rod” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 4–5; or Ensign, May 1989, 5)

3. Saul Tries to Kill David Three More Times

a) Saul offered to let David marry Michal, one of his daughters, if David would kill 100 Philistines.

i) Saul hoped the Philistines would kill David for him

(1) "For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him" (1 Samuel 18:17).

ii) David killed 200 Philistines and married Michal, who loved him

b) READ 1 Samuel 18:28-29

28 ¶ And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him.

29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually.

c) Reading 5 - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, speaking of the resentment of the older son when the prodigal son returns and was welcomed by his father, said: "Who is it that whispers so subtly in our ear that a gift given to another somehow diminishes the blessings we have received? Who makes us feel that if God is smiling on another, then He surely must somehow be frowning on us? You and I both know who does this - it is the father of all lies. It is Lucifer, our common enemy, whose cry down through the corridors of time is always and to everyone, "Give me thine honor."

It has been said that envy is the one sin to which no one readily confesses, but just how widespread that tendency can be is suggested in the old Danish proverb, "If envy were a fever, all the world would be ill" (Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Other Prodigal," Ensign, May 2002, pp. 62,63).

d) Saul ordered all the servants in his palace to kill David, but Jonathan warned him so David could hide.

e) Jonathan spoke with Saul to persuade him not to kill David

READ - 1 Samuel 19:6

"And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain"

f) Breaking his oath, after David returns from another victory over the Philistines, Saul tries to kill him with a javelin again and David escapes

g) Saul then sends men to David's house to kill him as he sleeps, but David's wife, Michael, helps him to escape.

4. David and Jonathan renew their covenant of friendship, and Jonathan saves David’s life

a) David is mystified at Saul's behavior

i) Reading 6 – 1 Samuel 20:1

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

ii) David knows that he is in great danger

(1) READ 1 Samuel 20:3 - there is but a step between me and death.

b) Jonathan continues his support of David

i) Reading 7 – 1 Samuel 20:4, 16-17

4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

(Skip to 16)

16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

ii) Jonathan explains the bond between himself and David

(1) READ 1 Samuel 20:23

23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.

(2) Reading 8 - Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote: Can one expect human relationships to be deep and lasting sources of purpose and meaning without having truth at their center? Can there be friendships such as the friendship of Jonathan and David outside the context of absolute values? We read that "Jonathan was knit with the soul of David"; these two individuals "made a covenant." (See 1 Samuel 18:1-3.)

c) David fled from the household and presence of Saul for the final time. Future attempts to kill David would be made in locations of David's choosing.

5. Saul is consumed by hatred for David. David spares Saul’s life.

a) After inquiring of the Lord, David went to the town of Keilah to fight against the Philistines.

i) David "smote them with a great slaughter" and saved the inhabitants of Keilah (23:1-5).

b) Reading 9 – 1 Samuel 23:7-10

7 ¶ And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 ¶ And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

10 Then said David, O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

c) Before Saul can reach Keilah, David goes into the wilderness to hide from Saul

i) "And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand" 1 Samuel 23:14.

ii) Jonathan comes to support David in the wilderness

(1) "And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God" (1 Samuel 23:16).

d) David spares Saul's life

i) Saul comes out to chase David in the wilderness with 3,000 men

(1) READ 1 Samuel 24:3-7,10,12

3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily

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5 And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.

6 And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.

7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

SKIP

10 [David speaking to Saul] Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.

SKIP

12 [David speaking to Saul] The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

(2) Saul's response – 1 Samuel 24:17

17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

(3) Reading 10: President Spencer W. Kimball said: "The spirit of revenge, of retaliation, of bearing a grudge, is entirely foreign to the gospel of the gentle, forgiving Jesus Christ." (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p105)

6. Conclusion