David’s Trepidation

The people of Israel, who had already rejected the Lord’s leadership, had had enough of the corrupt judges and were now clamouring for a king to rule them.

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” – 1 Samuel 8:4-5 (NIV)

And despite all the Lord’s warnings (1 Samuel 8:10-18), their calls for a king intensified.

“No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” – 1 Samuel 8:19-20 (NIV)

Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else (1 Samuel 9:2 NIV), was out searching for some of his father’s donkeys that were lost when Samuel first met him. Unable to find these donkeys and ready to throw in the towel and head back home, a servant who was with him, encouraged Saul to seek the help of a certain man of God to locate the lost animals.

Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; – 1 Samuel 8:15-16 (NIV)

Today’s blog is not about Saul, so all the above is simply to provide a little context; we’ll leave Saul and his leadership for another day. Anyway, basically that’s how Saul was anointed king of Israel.

And you know what, his rule was just as God had told Samuel it would be, he was terrible to the same people who insisted on Israel having a king; sometimes we reject one thing for another, thinking that the other will be better than what we already have, despite being warned about the thing we want.

On to David who enters the narrative in 1 Samuel chapter 16. By this time, several years had passed, God has rejected Saul and sends Samuel to Jesse, David’s father, to anoint one of his sons as His chosen king of Israel.

“Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” – 1 Samuel 16:1 (NIV)

After much ado, David, just a boy, is anointed by Samuel as the future king of Israel.

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. – 1 Samuel 16:13 (NIV)

photo courtesy O'Reilly Lewis

Please take note that in the Old Testament and before the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, only certain, chosen individuals were endowed with the Holy Spirit.

Older now, David was introduced to the king’s court when he was appointed as court musician to play the lyre for king Saul as he had become a terribly troubled man.

Saul and David end up having a tumultuous relationship rooted in envy and hate on Saul’s part. And after king Saul’s death, David becomes king of Israel.

When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. – 2 Samuel 5:2 (NIV)

David, whom the Lord described as a man after his own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) was now king however, by his own admission, he had sinned against the Lord (2 Samuel 12:13) and was filled with remorse.

In his anguish and moved to repentance, David wrote Psalm 51 and in owning up to his sinful behaviour, wrote a curious line.

Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. – Psalm 51:11 (ESV)

Have you ever wondered what caused David’s trepidation concerning God’s removal of His Holy Spirit from him? After all, God said a lot but nowhere in the message Nathan delivered to king David did God say that He would remove His Spirit from him (see 2 Samuel 12).

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” – 2 Samuel 12:11-12 (NIV)

Beloved, you would recall that from the day Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David, the Holy Spirit was upon him. Likewise, after Samuel anointed Saul, the Spirit of God was upon him but after his rebellion towards God (see 1 Samuel 15), the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him; by the way, that’s why Saul needed soothing music played (see 1 Samuel 16:14-23).

Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. – 1 Samuel 16:23 (NIV)

David’s trepidation stemmed from witnessing firsthand what Saul suffered as a result of God removing His Spirit from Saul. He did not want to suffer the same fate. 

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “David’s Trepidation” © 2026 July 30, 2026