1 Samuel 18:10-19:7.
Saul’s jealousy was truly “cruel as the grave,” Song of Sol. 8:6. Twice while David was playing on the harp he threw a javelin at him, intending to kill him. However, David escaped and Saul realized that the Lord was with David. This made Saul still more afraid of him. Sometimes when a person does a mean thing to catch another, and he is found out, he feels more afraid and more ashamed than ever, as Saul was here. Jealousy will cause one to do the meanest and most unkind things and we feel the importance of mentioning again the need of self-judgment about this horrible sin.
Saul decided to put David out of his presence, and so he made him a captain over a thousand of his men, hoping he would be slain by the Philistines. This position, however, only gave David still more favor before the people, and they loved him because of his faithfullness and courage.
King Saul did not want everyone to know that he was jealous of David, and yet the more the Lord blessed David, the more Saul wanted to get rid of him. He decided therefore to pretend that he wanted to honor David by giving him his daughter Merab to be his wife. This was nothing more than a cruel plan to cause David to be killed by the Philistines, for Saul asked for one hundred foreskins for the dowry. David brought two hundred, instead of a hundred, without being harmed whatsoever, but when the time came for him to marry Merab, Saul gave her in marriage to another man. However, Saul’s daughter Michel loved David, and so it was suggested to him that he marry her instead, which he did. David was very humble and little in his own eyes, as one always is who is seeking to please the Lord. He did not seek the honor of being the king’s son-in-law, and did not see Saul’s wicked plan in it Nevertheless when he became the king’s son-in-law, he won still more of the favor and confidence of the people, and Saul’s schemes only worked for David, instead of against him.
There is a very important lesson for us in all this. If we walk to please the Lord, Satan’s schemes against us will fail—indeed the Lord will instead turn them into a blessing for us. Surely this was seen in all its perfection in Christ, as man here, for all the wiles of the enemy only brought out the perfection of that blessed One who did not, and could not, sin. Satan’s worst act of malice in leading man to nail Him to the cross, became but the fulfillment of all that God had spoken before concerning Him, and the occasion to show out the love and grace of His heart in all its fullness. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Romans 5:20. May we seek grace to take all that God allows, as but an occasion to display the love of God.
Saul’s jealousy could not be hidden any longer, and he spoke openly to Jonathan and to all his servants that they should kill David. He had tried to do it secretly, but now his hatred comes out in full flame. In the same way the Jews hated Christ secretly, but at last that hatred came out openly. Jonathan, who loved David, warned him that Saul sought his life. Jonathan said to David however that he would speak to his father on his behalf, and so he did. He spoke well of David, telling of how he had been so good and kind, and had fought the Lord’s battles for him. Saul then promised Jonathan that he would spare David, and he brought him back into his presence again.
ML 10/24/1954