# 1 Samuel Chapter 19
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## Summary
Saul tells his son Jonathan of his intent to kill David. Jonathan warns David who conceals himself whilst Jonathan secures assurances of David's personal safety. David offers assurances that David will not be harmed, but after David returns Saul tries again for David's life by spearing him but David escapes once again. 

Returning home after escaping Saul, David's home is watched and he convinces his wife Michal (Sauls Daughter) to aid his escape. Saul questions his daughter who points out that David asked him and there is no reason she should kill him. David flees to Samuel and they both move to live at Naioth where Saul sends three lots of messengers all who end up joining them and prophesying, until Saul comes himself and ends up naked and prophesying.

## Meditatio
Again we are treated to insight into Saul's inconsistent leadership. He flip flops one moment conspiring to kill David the next swearing that David shall live. All in all there is a sad inconsistency to it all. Saul is floundering and evidently cannot recognise his friends from his enemies.

Yet this isn't the worst part, the worst part being that Saul's inconsistent leadership as king is becoming obviously inconsistent to others who are beginning to questions his decisions (his son and daughter for example). I wonder how much this exacerbated the situation and we can imagine based, on the account here, a sad ever increasingly paranoid Saul.

A game of cat and mouse appears then to have ensued between Saul and David. David so far has been exceptionally lucky[^1] and has escaped each time his life was threatened. Then this passage documents another strange series of events. Saul sending messengers to Naioth to capture and Kill David.

According to McClintock and Strong[^2] a school or college of prophets were resident at Naioth over which Samuel presided. This suggests that Samuel hasn't just been in retirement, but has been active training and equipping other prophets. Yet all three groups of messengers and even Saul himself are overwhelmed by the spirit of God.

So in the midst of the decline of his premiership Saul has missed the move of God at work. There are a group of men and women and it takes his desire to end an innocent life to draw him to the place where God is able to meet with him. He himself is overcome by the experience. It is almost like old times way back when in chapter 10. The difference now is Saul is old and weighed down with politics and the concerns of life, he is not the man he once was.

[^1]: Or rather his life has been preserved by the same God that anointed him as King of Israel.
[^2]: See the [Biblical Cyclopedia](https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/N/naioth.html) entry.