My Dear Friend,

One of the most miraculous episodes in the Old Testament is described in 1 Samuel 19:18-24. It is nothing short of a wonder. What is a wonder?

A divine miracle is a divinely initiated act or event that is supernatural, and thus cannot be explained by reason or scientific analysis. A divine sign is a miracle that attests to the validity of a servant of God and the veracity of his message. A divine wonder is a miracle or sign so great, so powerful, so beyond even typical miracles and signs, that it leaves its witnesses stunned, still, and silent, in a suspended state of wonder.^[1]

The "special miracles" God worked by the apostle Paul in Ephesus certainly qualify as divine wonders (Acts 19:11-12). What God did for the well-known lame beggar at the Beautiful Gate of the temple in Jerusalem is another example of a divine wonder.

When Peter and John prayed for this beggar, though lame from birth and over forty years of age, he was instantly healed. Not only that, he immediately manifested a sense of balance and even athleticism, walking stably and jumping up and down without falling! "Immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he, leaping up, stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping, and praising God . . . [And] all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering" (Acts 3:11).

With this in mind, let us now consider the divine wonder that occurred at the school of the prophets at Samuel's home in Ramah.

The Wonderful Wonder at Ramah (1 Samuel 19:18-24)

As David fled for his life from the murderous pursuit of King Saul and his men, he sought out the mighty prophet Samuel for consolation, counsel, and refuge. Surely Saul, in reverence for the renowned man of God, would not invade the holy ground of his school of the prophets at Ramah. But not Saul. As soon as he discovered David had taken refuge in Ramah, he sent armed military agents to arrest him. Saul's envious hatred was at fever pitch. Reverence for holy men and places would have to wait.

When Saul's agents arrived, they witnessed a most exceptional sight: a supernatural congregation! The resident Professor of Prophecy, Samuel, was standing over a company of prophetic trainees, all prophesying under the power of the Spirit at the same time. No ordinary, solemn gathering of God-fearing Jews, the atmosphere inside this exceptional college was charged, literally! It was electrified with the omnipotent, plenary presence of the Holy Spirit. The same divine energy that originally "moved upon the face of the waters" in the beginning was moving upon the hearts of the prophets in Samuel's quarters.

The Spirit's power was not only present, it was pervasive, penetrating, surging, and physically overwhelming! Against their personal wishes, and in defiance of the king's orders, the royal agents suddenly changed their loyalties. As the surging Spirit overflowed them, they joined the company of prophets, and began prophesying ecstatically! No longer under Saul's authority, they were now under the Spirit's power! And gripped and moved to speak God's praises. The king's mission was, for the moment, out of commission. David’s arrest was arrested.

This wondrous report quickly got back to Saul. What did he do? Not yet grasping how great a wonder and awesome a power his messengers had experienced, the king simply sent more agents. What happened to them? The same thing that befell the first agents. End of story? Not a chance.

Stubborn as the mules he used to breed, Saul didn't hesitate. Rather than cease and desist, he kept resisting and persisting. Immediately, he sent a third group of armed messengers to arrest David. What happened to them? The Holy Spirit immediately arrested them, as He would Saul of Tarsus centuries later when he also persisted in foolishly resisting God on his mission to arrest Christians in Damascus (Acts 9:1-8). Now the king's third group of agents were surrounded, gripped, and moved by the Spirit's surging power to proclaim God's praises in a prophetic trance.

After such a public, undeniable, and irresistible display of God's superior power, any reasonable person would have immediately given up. But King Saul was not reasonable. He was possessed and driven by demonic hatred and unholy stubbornness toward his holy son-in-law whose success and public praises he deeply envied (see 1 Samuel 18:5-9). What did he do next?

He went to Ramah himself! If his military agents weren't man enough to do the job, he would do it himself. What happened next was totally unpredictable. Saul, who had never shown any prophetic sensitivity, and was being used by Satan to slander and pursue David, suddenly came under the dynamic, electric power of God's divine Spirit. Against his will! Without asking his permission! Or giving any warning! As God's mighty presence fell all around Samuel's newly enrolled "student," the scene shifted from unpredictable to bizarre.

Saul stripped off his royal garments, laid down on the floor, and continued prophesying and praising the power of the God whose Spirit had subdued him "all that day and all that night" (1 Samuel 19:24). So undeniable was this strange visual and audible spectacle that the sons of the prophets, unaware of Saul's reason for coming, began thinking God may have sent him to join their ranks: "Is Saul also among the prophets" (1 Samuel 19:24)? What a movie this would have made!

The Lesson For Us

You realize by now why I said this passage is so amazing. Have you ever read anything quite like it in the Old Testament, or New, with the exception of Revelation? What, then, is its lesson for us?

I believe it is this. This same God whom we know as Father, who sent His Son to save us, and His Spirit to fill, correct, lead, and use us, when He manifests His presence and fullness, He is so powerful, so pervasive, so penetrating, so overwhelming, that not a foe on earth or in hell can stand unbowed before Him. Whenever He chooses to exert His authority against His enemies by releasing His all-powerful presence, down they go, on their face or back! With or without their consent! Not one second can they stand. Why did God do this in 1 Samuel 19?

His immediate purpose was to preserve and protect David, so he could carry out his divine commission to be Israel's greatest king, worship leader, poet, and military commander. God's larger, overarching purpose was to use David to bless His people by preserving and protecting them from their dreaded perennial enemies, the Philistines. David later realized this: "And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake" (2 Samuel 5:12).

Though we are not called to be King of Israel, this same purpose will be realized in our lives, if we steadily seek, serve, and worship God and walk in self-examination. We, too, will experience God's wondrous, mighty, peaceful presence daily. Unlike Saul and his agents, we will enter and be enveloped in God's wondrous presence voluntarily.

Every morning, we "enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise," worshipfully blessing Him, and ministering to Him with sweet songs and silent adoration (Psalm 100:4). As we enter in and rest in His stimulating presence, we feed quietly on His Word, ask Him what He wants to say to us, recite to Him our previous day's blessings, and listen for Him to speak to us through His Word or "still, small voice" whispering to our heart (1 Kings 19:12).

There, while soaking in His powerful, penetrating, pervasive presence, a great wonder occurs every morning. We receive exhilarating fresh infusions of His divine life that renew our strength and help us refocus on His purpose - to know Him intimately, walk with Him closely, and work with Him faithfully. Why? To honor His name, please His heart, and build His kingdom. And to do exploits - miracles, wonders, and signs: "The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits" (Daniel 11:32, NKJV). And there is one more reason: as in David's case, we will be able to bless God's people in these challenging last days!

Reflecting on these daily wonders, we will say with David: "You have made him [me] . . . exceedingly glad with your presence" and "You have brought me into your presence forever" (Psalms 21:6; 41:12).

Oh, please don't believe the lie that this is impossible! If David experienced God's mighty presence regularly in an age of law, we can certainly do so in this age of grace. And witness God's wonder-working Spirit being poured out in great profusion worldwide on millions of men, women, and children - and enemies (Acts 9:1-9)! - as we draw near Jesus' appearing.

Our Marching Orders!

May I humbly suggest some marching orders? Keep sin out, God's Word in, His Spirit guiding, and your service faithful. Seek Christ's face, favor, and presence every morning. What will be your reward?

You will live the rest of your days rejoicing in regular, sweet foretastes of eternity, and wondering at His wonderful wonders!

Tasting, rejoicing, wondering,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES

^[1] I use "divine" intentionally when referring to the miracles, signs, and wonders described in 1 Samuel 19:18-24, to distinguish these divine acts or events from satanic ones: from the magic of Jannes and Jambres (Exodus 7:11-12, 22; 2 Timothy 3:8-9), to the all-too-real soothsaying powers of the young female fortune-teller in Philippi (Acts 16:16-19), to the Beast's and False Prophet's many "lying" signs and wonders of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-11; Revelation 13:3, 11-15).