19:1, 2 Is it ever right to disobey your father, as Jonathan did here? It is clearly a principle of Scripture that when a father instructs a son to break God’s laws, the son should obey God rather than man. This principle assumes that the son is old enough to be accountable and to see through any deception. A son’s role is to be respectful, helpful, and obedient to his father (Ephesians 6:1-3), but not to follow commands or advice that violate God’s laws.
19:23 Jonathan spoke up for David (19:4; Michal helped him escape (19:11-17; Samuel gave him a place to hide (19:18; and the Spirit of God interrupted Saul’s manhunt (19:23). Each of these events protected David from harm or death. They were more than coincidence: God was at work. When you are spared from harm, recognize that God may be protecting you because he has a purpose for you. Take time to be thankful but also renew your commitment to discover that purpose by serving him.
19:20-24 This was the second time that Saul surprised everyone by joining a group of prophets and prophesying. This seems to be a group of people in Spirit-filled ecstasy. It was very powerful and contagious to anyone who found them. We do not know if they were speaking messages from God or merely joining in ecstatic expression. The first time this happened to Saul (chapter 10) was right after he was anointed king and did not want to accept the responsibility. This time Saul was consumed with jealousy over David’s growing popularity, but the Spirit of God immobilized him so he was unable to harm David. Although Saul was receptive to the Spirit of God and was caught up in prophesying, his heart and mind were far from loving God and thinking God’s thoughts.