Samuel Through Solomon. The History of First Samuel. Lesson 10-1 Samuel 18:1-19:24

Samuel Through Solomon The History of First Samuel Lesson 10-1 Samuel 18:1-19:24 In Lesson 9 we saw the story of David's emergence from the sheepfold after his anointing by Samuel. First, he went the King Saul's court to play music to soothe Saul's spirit. More or less as a cover, he was given the job of Saul's armor bearer. Not long after, Israel and the Philistines went to war, and that provided the occasion for the confrontation between David and Goliath which established David's reputation among the Israelites for the rest of his life. Afterward Saul, who knew he was to be supplanted as King, began to take an interest in who David really was. 1 Samuel 17:56-58 "The king said, Find out whose son this young man is.' As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head. Whose son are you, young man?' Saul asked him. David said, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.'" 1 Samuel 18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 1 / 21

Why was David "one in spirit" with Jonathan? Because they both had like faith in the LORD, Jonathan had displayed it almost 25 years earlier when he was a young man and he and his armor bearer had attacked a Philistine outpost killing 20 men (1 Samuel 14:6-14). David had just displayed it facing Goliath with just a sling and a stone. This relationship between David and Jonathan is one of the most famous in the Bible, but it is almost universally misrepresented. Most significantly, it is not the relationship of two teenage contemporaries. Jonathan was a grown man with a family and children. He was at least in his mid forties. David was about seventeen. We know that Jonathan was at least a full generation older than David. Saul reigned forty years before David assumed the crown at the age of thirty. Jonathan fought as a commander of troops for nearly forty years. That would have made him at least in his fifties when he died, and in his forties here. The hero of the story of David and Jonathan is not David, but Jonathan. If there was anyone entitled to be resentful of David, it was Jonathan. However, Jonathan's attitude was always as recorded above: "he loved him as himself." 1 Samuel 18:2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. Why did Saul keep David with him? We know from the later account that David could not even be absent for a day without Saul's permission. I suggest that one of the reasons he kept him close was to keep an eye on him because he suspected that he was the one the LORD had chosen to replace him. 2 / 21

1 Samuel 18:3a And Jonathan made a covenant with David What kind of covenant was this? 1 Samuel 20:16 tells us it was a covenant of promise to protect David. 1 Samuel 18:3b because he loved him as himself. This comment and the rest of the story of Jonathan mark him as one of the true role models of the Old Testament. Here Jonathan fulfilled the great commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:38-40, Leviticus 19:18). Though Saul later called Jonathan a loser for submitting himself to God's will (1 Samuel 20:30-31), Jonathan is actually a great winner. Knowing the character of Jonathan, it is not unlikely that he had wanted to confront Goliath himself. The Bible never records that David loved Jonathan as himself. Jonathan was living out the heart of the Law of the LORD, as the New Testament explained: Matthew 7:12 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." 3 / 21

Romans 13:8 "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." 1 Samuel 18:4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. It almost seems like Jonathan knew that David would be the next king and had accepted the judgment of the Lord from Samuel (1 Samuel 23:17). 1 Samuel 18:5 Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people and Saul's officers as well. Evidently, the rest of the campaign against the Philistines took some time, and included some other deeds that David did at the behest of Saul. 4 / 21

1 Samuel 18:6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. The timing of this would seem to be the campaign against the Philistines was over and the general mobilization had ended. 1 Samuel 18:7 As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." This seems to indicate that there were many more engagements with the Philistines after the initial battle. We should also remember that army's route home from the territories of the Philistia would have taken them largely through the territory of Judah, whose people would have been inordinately proud of their tribesman David. 1 Samuel 18:8-9 Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. 5 / 21

Saul's jealousy and suspicion of David had soared by the time he had returned to his capital in Gibeah. 1 Samuel 18:10a The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying speaking excitedly in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. The Hebrew word translated "prophesying" by the NIV here is Ö Ö {nä vä'} means to pour forth words. Perhaps what is indicated here is that Saul was giving or dictating orders to his staff. Or he could have been experiencing the manic portion of a manic depressive state. It is worth noting that though David now held a high rank in the army, he was still Saul's harpist. 1 Samuel 18:10b-11 Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. 6 / 21

The Hebrew words here translated "eluded" are Ö Ö {sä vav'} and Ö¼Ö Ö x{pä nä m'} which literally means "to change from the face of." I suggest that what it means is that where Saul saw David to throw at him was not where he actually was. In 1 Samuel 19:10 when David again "eluded" the spear thrust of Saul and escapes, the Hebrew word is different. It is Ö¼Ö Ö {pä tar'}. I believe what happened here was a miracle. The LORD made it impossible for Saul to hit David. 1 Samuel 18:12 Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul. Because of that miracle, Saul did not see that David was agile, but that the LORD was with David and protecting him. 1 Samuel 18:13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 7 / 21

According to 1 Chronicles 27:1 and 1 Samuel 22:7 this was evidently the highest command outside of Saul or Abner, the King's chief general. At this point, Saul didn't trust David, but he couldn't stand the sight of him either. He figured the best way to keep an eye on him was give David him something to do which would keep him busy. 1 Samuel 118:14 In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. However, David did not become just another one of Saul's generals. He had such great success that David got the credit, and not Saul. 1 Samuel 18:15-16 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns. David was not only loved by Israel, but especially by the tribe of Judah. David was not only from Judah, but it was Judah that suffered most from the predations of the Philistines at this time. 8 / 21

1 Samuel 18:17a Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD." We should remember that the King's daughter in marriage had been promised to the one who killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17:25). Evidently, David never made that an issue, because he had realized he had not fought Goliath in his own name, but in the LORD's name (1 Samuel 17:45). 1 Samuel 18:17b For Saul said to himself, "I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!" Saul had seen that the LORD wouldn't let his hand harm David, but he figured that the Philistines might be able to kill him if he could keep him in his service and going to war. 1 Samuel 18:18 But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?" 9 / 21

In actuality, David family line was one of the most distinguished in Israel. He was descended from the line of the leaders of the tribe of Judah, which was the foremost in Israel. 1 Samuel 18:19 So when the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. [a] Perhaps Saul was mollified by the humility of David's response. At any rate, he let his plan drop and married his daughter to another man. 1 Samuel 18:20-21 Now Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. "I will give her to him," he thought, "so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David, "Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law." When Saul heard that his younger daughter Michal was in love with David he revived his plan. He evidently expects Michal to help him keep an eye on David. He may also have thought the Philistines would be more anxious to kill David if he was a member of Saul's family. 10 / 21

1 Samuel 18:22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: "Speak to David privately and say, Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.'" Instead of approaching David directly, he used a more subtle approach. He told his attendants to soften David up. They phrased it so that to refuse would be a reproach to Saul. 1 Samuel 18:23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known." Again David's reply was couched in terms of modesty, but was not entirely candid. He was certainly not "little known." He was relatively poor and customarily the bride's family was entitled to a bride price. A respectable bride price for a princess would be far more than David could begin to pay. 11 / 21

1 Samuel 18:24-25 When Saul's servants told him what David had said, [b] Saul replied, "Say to David, The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'" Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. When Saul heard David's predicament, the wheels began to turn in his mind. He figured out a way to put David in mortal danger. He wanted one hundred Philistine foreskins. Those foreskins would ensure that they were not from Israelites. I expect that when the foreskins were presented, they were still attached to the genitalia. 1 Samuel 18:26-27 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the allotted time [c] elapsed, David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. As it turned out, the LORD provided twice the number that was needed. 12 / 21

1 Samuel 18:28-29 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. Saul saw that all of his plan regarding this marriage had come to nothing and became David's confirmed enemy. 1 Samuel 18:30 The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known. The LORD continued to bless David in battle. We should also understand that from the time of David's victory over Goliath until David's marriage to Michal was about two years. After his marriage to Michal, he continued to go out to war for Saul for about four years. Altogether, David was a general for Saul for about six years and was married to Michal for about four of those years. [d] We sometime get the impression that the events of chapter 18 took place in a few months, but a careful analysis of the chronology of David makes it clear it was a much longer period. 1 Samuel 19:1-2 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 13 / 21

Finally Saul got tired of waiting for David to fall in battle. He came right out and gave instructions to kill David. Of course this with nothing less than murder and against the Law of Moses, but the Kings of Israel never paid much attention to the Law. They were a law unto themselves. Remember, by this time Saul was about 69, Jonathan was about 50, and David was about 23. 1 Samuel 19:3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out." Jonathan arranged that David could see the meeting for himself, but from in hiding. 1 Samuel 19:4-5 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?" 14 / 21

Jonathan pled David's case. 1 Samuel 19:6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death." Saul took an oath not to kill David. 1 Samuel 19:7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before. Evidently, Jonathan then called David who was within earshot and told him Saul's pledge and then reconciled him with Saul who was still standing nearby. 15 / 21

1 Samuel 19:8-9 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him. But an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp, Although Saul was supposedly reconciled with David, nothing had really changed in Saul's heart. The presence of David drove his resentment into frenzy. David was Saul's greatest commander, but in humility, he would still play the harp for Saul. 1 Samuel 19:10-11a Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape. Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. In this scene the Hebrew word translated "elude" is Ö¼Ö Ö {pä tar'} and ac tually means "elude" or "escape." David escaped out of Saul's palace and fled back to his house. Saul sent men to David's house, but they wouldn't kill David in the presence of Saul's daughter so they waited for the morning. 16 / 21

1 Samuel 19:11b-12 But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed." So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. We don't know exactly how Michal found out about Saul's plan, but when she did she warned David about it and helped him escape. Her subsequent lie about it indicates she was in some fear for her own life for her action. 1 Samuel 19:13 Then Michal took an idol [e] and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. Evidently, Michal was afraid that a servant in the house who might have been spying for Saul would discover that David wasn't there, so she came up with a subterfuge. She said he was ill and confined to his bed and she arranged something that would look him lying in bed. 1 Samuel 19:14-16 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, "He is ill." Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, "Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him." But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair. 17 / 21

Evidently, when David didn't come out in the morning, Saul told them to go in and bring him out. Michal told them David was so sick he couldn't get up. The men went back to Saul and he told them to bring David to them in his bed, and he would kill him. You definitely get the idea that these men were not too eager about killing David themselves. 1 Samuel 19:17 Saul said to Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?" Michal told him, "He said to me, Let me get away. Why should I kill you?'" Saul was angry at Michal's deception, but she lied and told him David had threatened her life to make her do it. 1 Samuel 19:18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah [f] and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth [g] and stayed there. 18 / 21

When David fled, he fled to Samuel in nearby Ramah. He no doubt wanted encouragement and wanted to know what to do. I don't doubt that part of what Samuel told him was that he David was not to ever take Saul's life. Saul's life was in the LORD's hands not David's. 1 Samuel 19:19-20 Word came to Saul: "David is in Naioth at Ramah"; so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied. Saul sent men to capture David, but the LORD protected David miraculously. 1 Samuel 19:21-22 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "Over in Naioth at Ramah," they said. The LORD protected David miraculously again, and yet again. 19 / 21

1 Samuel 19:23-24 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. He stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. He lay that way all that day and night. This is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" [h] Finally the LORD made Saul himself unable to harm David. In this way, David was reassured by the LORD that He was in control of David's life. It was a lesson that David could remember for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, sometimes he forgot it. [a] One of the worst things David later did was to take Merab's five sons and put them to death (2 Samuel 21:8-9). [b] Evidently, Saul was surprised that David did not claim the hand of Michal by the right of having killed Goliath and Saul's promised reward. Saul then saw he could demand an additional payment which would put David's life in peril. [c] The time before the wedding when the bride price was due. [d] The scriptures do not specify exactly how long Michal and David were together, but I expect it was at least five or six years of the twelve years between the killing of Goliath and the death of Saul. It was probably about two years between the death of Goliath and David's eventual marriage to Michal. That would have left about four years for David's exile. [e] This does not indicate anything but that they had an idol, perhaps a trophy of the war with the Philistines, who did worship them. [f] Ramah was about 3½ miles west of Gibeon, where Saul's palace was. 20 / 21

[g] "Naioth" means "dwellings." It was the name given to the prophetical college established by Samuel near Ramah. It consisted of a cluster of separate dwellings, and hence its name. - Easton Illustrated Dictionary [h] See 1 Samuel 10:12. 21 / 21