Saul’s Way of Thinking

Saul’s Way of Thinking

David fled from Saul and took refuge in the cave of Adullum. There he was visited by his brothers and all of his father’s house. “And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.” 1 Sam. 22:1-2.

Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab. “Now the prophet Gad said to David, ‘Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.’”

Saul was a ruler who had fallen away from God, and his entire household was condemned to destruction. David had already been anointed to be king in his place, but the time had not yet come for him to take over the kingship from Saul. David had been driven out of the country, but the Lord told him to return to the land of Judah.

In our days, too, there are many who have fallen away, and they drive God’s elect out of the sanctuary—despite the fact that the judgment has already fallen over them. Saul persecuted David because of envy; he had heard the daughters of Israel singing while they danced, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 1 Sam. 18:7. But ungodly and envious people will not be allowed to remain in possession of the land, and that is why the prophet Gad told David to return to the land of Israel.

Saul said to his son Jonathan, “For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.” 1 Sam. 20:31.

David had done no wrong, but the fact that the Lord was with him was enough to make Saul hate him so much that he wanted to kill him.

Jesus, too, was envied by the religious leaders of His time because they saw that God was with Him. We can learn from this that just because a person is religious does not mean that he has God on his side. It is possible to be religious and still be a murderer and the enemy of God.

The way Saul thought and the way the scribes and Pharisees thought is still prevalent today. People with this attitude have a form of godliness but they lack power. They have no personal knowledge of the reproach of Christ, which is the greatest of riches. You must have a large measure of David’s spirit and understand his way of thinking to discern Saul’s spirit in them, because it is David’s spirit and way of thinking that these people hate. Those who think like David will be cast out of the synagogues.

No one knows Saul better than David, and no one knows better than Saul how dangerous David is. Jonathan testified to this when he said to David, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” 1 Sam. 23:17.

Saul suspected that David would become king over Israel, just as Joseph’s brothers suspected that Joseph would someday rule over them.

This suspicion awakens envy in people that have the attitude of Saul.