I hear you brother and love what you wrote (helpful thanks & lots to think on..) ..but did the Lord tell David to hide for a little while ?
I don't know the full story - was it when Saul was after him or David's son?
Yes David was instructed to hide from Saul, as Saul wanted to kill him. But is was Sauls son Jonathan who told David to hide.
So we ask why did Saul want to kill him.
Lets look at the passage that gives us the reason.
1 Samuel 18:1-11 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that
was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him,
and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
7 And the women answered
one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed
but thousands: and
what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and
there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall
with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
In Verse 8, we see Saul was jealous, because of what the woman were saying while dancing and singing after David returned from battle.
1 Samuel 19:1-5 (KJV)
1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret
place, and hide thyself:
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou
art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.
4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works
have been to thee-ward very good:
5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest
it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
1 Samuel 19:8-10 (KJV)
8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.
9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with
his hand.
10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
It was not because of his faith that Saul wanted to kill him. It was out of jealousy. So David hid from Saul so he could not follow through in his rage.
Every time David went to battle against the Philistines he slew them with a great slaughter. This was something Saul could not do. So he became jealous.
David never hid his faith from Saul or the people.
We see that Saul was afraid of David because of his relationship with God.
1 Samuel 18:12-15 (KJV)
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD
was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
Sarah_D, I hope this helped to bring you a better understanding of why David hid from Saul.
May the Love of our LORD and Saviour be with you always.
