By Inspiration

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

BY INSPIRATION

1 Samuel 19:8-24

8 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him. 9 But an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp, 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape. 11 Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed." 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. 14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, "He is ill." 15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, "Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him." 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair. 17 Saul said to Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?" Michal told him, "He said to me, 'Let me get away. Why should I kill you?'" 18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied. 21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said. 23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

NIV

There is a whole story about the attempt on David’s life and his escape with the help of his wife, who is the daughter of Saul. However, the real story here is about Samuel and David, who were filled with the Spirit and prophesied. Three times Saul sent men to find David, and when they came into the presence of the Spirit of God at work, they fell before him and prophesied. What we need to focus on is how the Spirit of the LORD worked through Samuel and David. But when Saul himself finally showed up, with that evil spirit haunting him, wanting to kill David, as he came in to the presence of the Spirit of God manifesting his gift of prophesy upon Samuel, David, and all the men Saul has sent to kill David, the Spirit of the LORD came upon him and he too prophesied. We cannot be certain what they said, but this Hebrew word, translated as prophecy, can mean to foretell the future; however, its simple meaning is to speak or sing by inspiration. That almost sounds like a form of worship. How can anyone not worship when the Spirit of the Lord is upon them? We wonder about how that looks when we gather in the Name of the Lord within His Sanctuary. We have seen scenes of believers all with their hands raised, praising as the musicians are playing and worshipping. We have seen scenes where many people are singing wonderfully about the King of kings, and Lord of lords, seemingly full of worship. We have seen scenes where believers gather together in the sanctuary of God and appear joyless, mouthing words from a hymnal. Many differences in the form of worship, yet if we are in the presence of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord is upon us, we cannot help but worship as our spirits are full of the Spirit, influencing our spirits, hearts, and minds, causing us to prophesy, or speak and sing by inspiration. When the people say Saul lay there day and night, prophesying caused them to think, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” We wonder if, when we have been in the presence of the Lord and speak and sing by inspiration in our Sunday worship, do people see that we have been among the prophets? That would mean that we have been in the presence of God, having His influence upon us, having the Spirit filling us to overflowing with the joy and peace of our Lord, as we speak and sing by inspiration.