King James Version
The Book of 1 Samuel
Chapter 20
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Commentary
by G. Neil Armstrong
1 Samuel 20
We see in this chapter how desperate Saul is to have David killed. Saul had sworn that Jonathan will not have the kingdom until David is dead. Saul expressed his anger for Jonathan helping David so severely that he threw a javelin at his own son. Jonathan determined this anger to be toward David, but it still shamed him enough so that he did not eat the traditional mean on the second day.
The sign that Jonathan and David established told David that Saul is determined to kill him still and it caused David to weep. He put his face to the ground in sorrow. Jonathan and David must part ways now. They both knew the dangers of being seen together. Saul is desperate now. He seems as though he will stop at nothing to see David killed. Maybe Saul suspects that David will be king. Samuel did make it clear to Saul that he has lost the kingdom, but for us, the reader, the time of Saul's fall from the thrown is not clear. Saul's behavior toward David causes me to believe that Saul is afraid that David will take the thrown, either by divine appointment or by force. Surely David has the means to take the kingdom from Saul by force. After all, "Saul has slain his thousands and David ten thousands".
An ordinary man could easily become arrogant in such a position as David, and perhaps even set in motion, even out of anger, the overthrowing of the kingdom. David had no such thing in mind. Clearly David is afraid of Saul, but he loves Saul, too. His heart is broken and he is so afraid that Saul will have him killed, if not by his own hand. This is a time of much confusion for David. All he wanted to do is comfort Saul when his soul is vexed, but now David is the primary source of Saul's vexation.
David surely knows that it wasn't something he had done or failed to do that causes Saul this overwhelming grief right now. If only there were something David could do to comfort Saul now. Short of dying, there seems to be nothing David can do to set things right in Saul's heart. This matter is between God and Saul and there is nothing David can do about it except stay alive somehow, through all of this.
Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we are the target of other peoples wrath when we know for certain that we are not in any way the blame. We know that we had nothing to do with the situation, but there is simply nothing we can do to make things better. In such times, we need to take it to the Lord in prayer and leave it in His hands. We must try not to let it keep us down. The emotional out-pour is difficult to overcome and we find it hard to function in our daily lives because the person who hates us is so dear to our hearts. We must not harden our hearts. We must continue to love that person unconditionally. We must ask God to bless them and comfort them. We cannot get involved because any involvement we have will only make matters worse in the heart of the one who hates us. The Lord knows the matter. Tell Him how you feel and ask Him to help the ones who oppress you.
