1 Samuel 18

1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 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.

5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

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 timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang:

“Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands.”

8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

10 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

12 Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14 In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.

17 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.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 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.

20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21 “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.”

22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

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.”

24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25 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.

26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

28 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

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.

Points of Interest

• ‘Jonathan became one in spirit with David’--Jonathan is Saul’s oldest son, his heir apparent, and the crown prince. David and Jonathan quickly become like brothers, or perhaps more accurately closer than brothers. Jonathan shows David the kindness, respect, and appreciation that David’s actual older brothers never did. And perhaps Jonathan finds in David the companion and peer he’s always been looking for from his younger brothers. I get the impression, simply from the fact that they are hardly ever mentioned during the war with the Philistines, that Jonathan’s brothers are nowhere near the leaders or warriors that Jonathan and David are. Now, in David, Jonathan has someone to spur him on to and accompany him in great deeds.
• ‘did not let him return home to his family’--the time of commuting back and forth between the sheep and the court is over.
• ‘Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David’--people always seem to be giving David their clothes. It seems to me like Jonathan is ceding pride of place to David here. Earlier, David said to Saul, ‘Your clothing and armor don’t suit me.’ Now, Jonathan is saying to David, ‘My clothing and armor fit you better than me.’ Jonathan may be the crown prince, but he recognizes that David is actually greater than him.
• ‘Saul has slain his thousands’--the singers seem to be giving Saul more credit than he actually deserves in this instance; we don’t hear of him doing any slaying at all. Nonetheless, Saul is offended because they put David ahead of him. Saul and Jonathan are having very different reactions to the arrival of this new leader among them.
• ‘He was prophesying in his house’--the original sign of God’s anointing of Saul was a spirit of prophecy (1 Samuel 10:1-7). Perhaps it’s an ability that has stuck with Saul. Then again, several translations say, ‘raving,’ rather than, ‘prophesying’ here; apparently, the Hebrew word can go either way (Baldwin). ‘Raving’ makes more sense to me here. Apparently, Saul is having one of his episodes, which David is trying to soothe with music, as he has done in the past. This time, though, Saul proves impervious to soothing, perhaps particularly by David.
• ‘David eluded him twice’--it’s the ‘twice’ part that sticks out to me here. Saul misses once, and David sticks around to give him a second try.
• ‘So he sent David away from him’--I guess Saul is protecting himself against a possible palace coup by putting some distance between David and him. Saul is the one throwing spears, but he’s also the one who is afraid.
• 'I will give her to you in marriage’--David has already served Saul bravely, and has already been promised one of his daughters as a wife (17:25). But he holds the reward back, hoping David will overreach and get himself killed.
• ‘Who am I’--Eliab accused David of being a self-promoter; and Saul fears that he’s a usurper. But David makes clear here that he isn’t motivated by his own advancement. He killed Goliath and fights the Philistines simply to show God’s power and to play a part in God’s rescue of the Israelites.
• ‘and little known’--apart from the fact that the hit song of the day is all about his exploits, that is.
• 'and killed two hundred Philistines’--everything Saul tries to do to ruin David ends up backfiring. The more Saul schemes, the more honorable, humble, and brave David proves to be. Saul is certain that David would die before collecting one hundred Philistine ‘scalps,’ but David effortlessly collects twice that.
• 'and brought back their foreskins’--a remarkable way of keeping count, but I imagine it’s pretty reliable. The Philistine soldiers certainly wouldn’t part with their foreskins unless they were dead.
• ‘his daughter Michal loved David’--the promise of being a king’s son-in-law wasn’t enough to get David together with Merab, the older sister. Maybe David has been worn down by Saul’s persistence, or maybe an actual loving affection between him and Michal makes this time different.

Taking it home

• For you: Pray some of Psalm 59 (listed below), a prayer of David’s during this time in his life. In the parts where David talks about the enemies against whom Saul was sending him in battle day after day, pray against any spiritual enemies that might seek to send you off course today.

Psalm 59 (excerpts)

Deliver me from my enemies, O God;

be my fortress against those who are attacking me.

2 Deliver me from evildoers

and save me from those who are after my blood.

3 See how they lie in wait for me!

Fierce men conspire against me

for no offense or sin of mine, LORD.

4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.

Arise to help me; look on my plight!...

9 You are my strength, I watch for you;

you, God, are my fortress,

10 my God on whom I can rely.

God will go before me

and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,

or my people will forget.

In your might uproot them

and bring them down.

12 For the sins of their mouths,

for the words of their lips,

let them be caught in their pride.

For the curses and lies they utter,

13 consume them in your wrath,

consume them till they are no more.

Then it will be known to the ends of the earth

that God rules over Jacob.

14 They return at evening,

snarling like dogs,

and prowl about the city.

15 They wander about for food

and howl if not satisfied.

16 But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;

you, God, are my fortress,

my God on whom I can rely.

• For your six: Pray that God would have favor on your six just like he had on David. Pray for protection and success in whatever they have going on.
• For our church: Pray that God would make us a community that is always trying to seek the best for others, as opposed to Saul who wished destruction on David. Ask God to make us a place that encourages, celebrates, and supports every group and organization that is working for good in our city. Ask God to protect us from ways in which we are prone to feel competitive or prideful; pray that we would instead help build unity among churches, organizations, and businesses in our city.
• For families: Discuss a time when each member of your family felt like someone else was getting the attention they wanted. What was it like to feel that way? What other options do we have when we start to feel jealous? How could we ask God to give us the attention and love we need in those moments?