1 Samuel 18:10-19:710And 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. 11And 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. 12And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him. 15Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. 17And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. 18And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? 19But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. 20And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain. 22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law. 23And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? 24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David. 25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired. 27Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. 28And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him. 29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually. 30Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by. 1And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. 2But 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: 3And 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. 4And 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: 5For 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? 6And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. 7And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. (1 Samuel 18:10‑19:7).
Saul’s jealousy was truly “cruel as the grave,” Song of Sol. 8:66Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. (Song of Solomon 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 5:2020Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But 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