A King called David - Part 3

A King called David - Part 3

Last blog post we looked at how David defeated the Philistine giant Goliath of Gath. As we will see this action is the beginning of King Saul's envy of David's popularity with the Israelites. This in turn leads to his growing dislike of David.

The aftermath of the battle starts out well. Let's look at 1 Samuel 18:1-5.

"(1) Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

(2) Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore.

(3) Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
(4) And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armour, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
(5) So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved 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."

How quickly events unfold and things turn sour. Let's read on in 1 Samuel chapter 18.

1 Samuel 18:6-12

"(6) Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.
(7) So the women sang as they danced, and said:"Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."
(8) Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

(9) So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
(10) And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul's hand.
(11) And Saul cast the spear, for he said, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David escaped his presence twice.
(12) Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul."

Saul then removes David from his presence by making him a Captain over a thousand men. David went in and out among the people of the tribes of Israel and Judah and they all loved him. Saul decides to give his older daughter Merab to David as his wife. He sends David out to battle. Saul is hoping that David will die in battle. Meanwhile Saul has been deceitful and given Merab's hand in marriage to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

David is victorious. Saul learns that his younger daughter Michal is in love with David, so he decides to give her to David, hoping that she will be a snare to David and that the Philistines would make him a target as the king's son-in-law. David is pleased about Saul's decision to give Michal to him as his wife; however David is hesitant because as a poor man he did not have a rich dowry to give in exchange for the king's daughter. Saul brushes that aside by declaring that he only wants 100 foreskins of slain Philistines as a dowry. David takes up the challenge and he and his men are successful and bring back 200 foreskins of slain Philistines

1 Samuel 18:27-30

"(27) ...Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.
(28) Thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him;

(29) and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David's enemy continually.
(30) Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed."

In 1 Samuel 19 we learn that Saul gives instructions to his men and to Jonathan that they are to kill David. Jonathan intervenes on behalf of David pointing out that David has only done good towards Saul. So David once more serves King Saul. Then there is war again with the Philistines and David strikes them a mighty blow.

Later the distressing spirit from the Lord afflicts Saul. David played his harp as usual to soothe Saul but Saul once again threw a spear at David seeking to kill him. David escapes to his house. Saul sends messengers to watch him and kill him in the morning. David's wife Michal told him, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."  (1 Samuel 19:11).

Let's follow the unfolding saga in 1 Samuel 19:12-18.

"(12) So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped.

(13) And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats' hair for his head, and covered it with clothes.

(14) So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
(15) Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."

(16) And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats' hair for his head.
(17) Then Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?' "
(18) So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth."

David ends up fleeing from Naioth and goes to Jonathan, Saul's son. They make a covenant together.

1 Samuel 20:13-16

"(13) May the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.
(14) And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die;

(15) but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."

(16) So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "Let the Lord require it at the hand of David's enemies."

As events turn out, Saul is very angry with Jonathan and is even more determined to kill David. Jonathan and David have coded messages to let David know if he is safe or if he has to flee.

1 Samuel 20:18-22

"(18) Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

(19) And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel.

(20) Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target;

(21) and there I will send a lad, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I expressly say to him, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come'--then, as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm.

(22) But if I say thus to the young man, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you'--go your way, for the Lord has sent you away."

Saul did miss David's presence and blamed Jonathan. Saul was so angry that he even threw a spear at his own son. The upshot of all this was that Jonathan shot the arrow and told the young lad accompanying him that the arrow was beyond him. So David knew that he had to flee and that his life was now in constant danger.

It is good to trace the hand of the Lord in David's trials. Both Michal and Jonathan, Saul's own children were used by the Lord to effect David's escapes from Saul's murderous rages.

Next blog post we will continue to look at the life and times of David the son of Jesse.

Jon Peasey

Biblical Perspectives blog www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com

Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse, that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

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