HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 632
1 S A MU EL 1 9
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.
David Marries Saul’s Daughter
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.”
18 “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel
• Jealousy
1 SAMU E L 1 8 :7 -1 2
Saul’s appreciation for David turned to
jealousy as people began to applaud
David’s exploits. In a jealous rage, Saul
attempted to murder David by hurling his
spear at him. Jealousy may not seem to
be a major sin, but in reality it is one step
short of murder. It begins by destroying a
person on the inside and then manifests
itself in harmful actions. Be aware of the
little jealousies that spring up in your life.
Deal with them before they lead you into
words and actions you will regret.
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that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David
exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!”
19 So* when the time came for Saul to give his
daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave
her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.
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!”
22 Then Saul told his men to say to David,
“The king really likes you, and so do we. Why
don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his
son-in-law?”
23 When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a
humble family afford the bride price for the
daughter of a king?”
24 When Saul’s men reported this back to the
king, 25 he 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.
26 David was delighted to accept the offer.
Before the time limit expired, 27 he and his men
went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his
daughter Michal to David to be his wife.
28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with
David and how much his daughter Michal loved
him, 29 Saul became even more afraid of him,
and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of
his life.
30 Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful
against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers.
So David’s name became very famous.
Saul Tries to Kill David
Saul now urged his servants and his son
Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David,
2 told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must
find a hiding place out in the fields. 3 I’ll ask my
father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to
him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I
can find out.”
4 The next morning Jonathan spoke with his
father about David, saying many good things
about him. “The king must not sin against his
servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never
done anything to harm you. He has always
helped you in any way he could. 5 Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill
19
18:6 The type of instrument represented by the word cymbals
is uncertain. 18:10 Or an evil spirit. 18:19 Or But.