Will we yield to the Spirit of God or the spirit of the world? 1 Samuel 19
The account of David and Saul’s tempestuous relationship continues to unfold, it was very much an On/Off affair. Saul’s inner life appears to have been a battleground, being contested by opposing spiritual influences.
The account unfolds with a new threat from Saul to take David’s life, but Jonathan warned David of his father’s intentions and told him to go into hiding. Then follows a beautiful picture of Jonathan as an intercessor, standing in the gap on David’s behalf, before his own father, King Saul.
3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.’ 1 Samuel 19
True intercession can only take place when we have ‘ground to stand on or the right to stand before, in this case the King’. Jonathan was the King’s son and had the right to address his father. We must be sure we have the right to plead our case before we can begin, either on our own standing or by invitation of someone who does. My mentor, Kjell from Sweden, who led prophetic prayer teams around the world, always wanted a valid invitation before accepting any call to come and pray.
Two Biblical examples of intercessors were Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah, were Lot lived. He got better terms, but towns were still destroyed because of their wickedness. The second example was Moses, the leader of God’s people, when they worshipped the golden calf idol. Moses was already standing on Mount Sinai before God. Exodus 32:11
‘But Moses sought the Favour of the Lord his God’.
An intercessor is seeking Favour on behalf of another!
Saul relented before Jonathan, who reminded him that David had risked his life to kill Goliath and that Saul had been glad of the victory that followed.
7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and DAVID WAS WITH SAUL AS BEFORE.
For a time Saul accepted David back into his company. David went out and slew the Philistines as before, but…
9 But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear,
Saul fell under the influence of a demonic spirit and once again tried to kill David, evil had the upper hand.
David escaped and went to Samuel to tell his predicament. They both left and went to Naioth, a place where prophets lived. Saul sent three groups of soldiers to capture David, but they all began to prophesy when they got there.
23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night.
Saul came under the influence of God’s Spirit and lay prophesying all day and all night. Unfortunately Saul didn’t hold on to the Spirit of God, he yielded to other spirits.
There is a battle going on today for the hearts and souls of men and we must hold fast to God.
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