Saul Becomes Jealous of David
1 Samuel 18:1-16 NLT
18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
5 Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals 7 This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10 The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
12 Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. 13 Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.
14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.
15 When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.
Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 18:1-16 NLT
Saul Becomes Jealous of David
18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul,
It appears that David may have had a lengthy conversation with Saul after killing Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:57 NLT
57 As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul …
he met Jonathan, the king’s son.
David and Jonathan had a lot in common.
Both were military heroes.
Both had a strong faith in God.
Both had a claim to the throne.
As Saul’s oldest son, Jonathan was heir apparent to the throne.
David had been selected by God (1 Samuel 16) to become the King of Israel.
There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.
More about this in verse 3.
This love went both ways.
2 Samuel 9:1 NLT
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
9:1 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
- When David and Jonathan met, there was an immediate and long lasting bond between the two men.
2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home.
This was self-serving on Saul’s part.
Samuel warned the Israelites that this would happen.
1 Samuel 8:11 NLT
11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots.
David had previously served Saul on a “part time” basis.
1 Samuel 16:23 NLT
23 And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.
1 Samuel 17:15 NLT
15 but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.
Now David was in a position where Saul could “keep an eye on him”.
- David was exposed to the duties and responsibilities of a king.
First as a shepherd.
Now in the palace of the king.
God’s sovereignty is manifested through these events in David’s life.
3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David,
Jonathan iniated this pact.
19:1 … But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, …
20:8 … for we made a solemn pact before the Lord …
20:17 And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
20:42 At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.”
22:8 For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse.
23:18 So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord.
because he loved him as he loved himself.
Mark 12:30-31 NLT
30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
- The pact between Jonathan and David appears to a pledge of mutual loyalty and friendship.
4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
Jonathan gave David items that symbolized his official status as the king’s son and heir to the throne.
- Jonathan symbolically (perhaps unintentionally) gave David his right of succession to the throne.
Later:
1 Samuel 23:17 NLT
17 “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”
5 Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully.
Refer to verse 14.
14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.
- David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.
So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals
7 This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
This may have been Hebrew parallelism.
Meaning Saul and David together have killed many thousands.
However, this is a song that Saul hated.
8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands.
“It is a measure of Saul’s insecurity and jealousy that he read the women’s intensions incorrectly and took offence.” (NIV Study Bible)
Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
- Saul was jealous of David.
10 The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman.
- A tormenting spirit caused Saul to act and speak irrationally.
1 Samuel 16:14 NLT
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
Another example of Saul’s irrational behavior:
1 Samuel 20:33 NLT
33 Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.
David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
Clearly God was protecting David. Saul was a seasoned warrior skilled with using weapons of war.
- The Lord was with David, but He had left Saul.
12 Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul.
- Saul was afraid of David.
13 Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.
What Saul really wanted was for David to be killed.
1 Samuel 18:17-25 NLT
17 One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”
20 In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. 21 “Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”
25 he (Saul) told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.
1 Samuel 19:1 NLT
19 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David.
- Saul wanted David to be killed.
Joseph (a similar experience)
Genesis 50:20 NLT
20 You (Joseph’s brothers) intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
Isaiah 55:8 NLT
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.
15 When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him.
James 4:1-3 NLT
4:1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.
- All Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.
