Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. And Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. So David went out wherever Saul sent him and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.
So the women sang as they danced, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him. And he said, they have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?
So Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times. But there was a spear in Saul's hand, and Saul cast the spear, for he said, I will pin David to the wall.
But David escaped his presence twice. Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from his presence and made him his captain over a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. Then Saul said to David, here is my older daughter Merib. I will give her to you as a wife.
Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul thought, let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. So David said to 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? But it happened at the time when Merib, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel, the Maholothite, as a wife.
Now Michael, Saul's daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. So Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, you shall be my son-in-law today.
And Saul commanded his servants, communicate with David secretly and say, look, the king has delight in you and all his servants love you. Now, therefore, become the king's son-in-law. So Saul's servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?
And the servants of Saul told him, saying, in this manner David spoke. Then Saul said, thus you shall say to David, the king does not desire any dowry but 100 foreskins of the Philistines to take vengeance on the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king's son-in-law.
Now the days had not expired. Therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michael his daughter as a wife.
Thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michael, Saul's daughter, loved him. And Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David's enemy continually. Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war.
And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, bless our time in the Scriptures now.
Help us to learn the lessons that you would have for us in the lives of Saul and David. God, give us grace and eyes to see as well David's greater son, even our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for giving us the written word. We thank you that it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.
And our genuine desire is that our hearts would be thoroughly furnished unto every good work. Forgive us again for all of our sins and send the Holy Spirit that we may rightly receive the word of truth. And we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Introduction
Well, in the last two weeks we saw David's battle in the Valley of Elah, specifically in 1 Samuel chapter 17, the preparation, all the things behind the scene that led into David going into that particular battle. Last week we saw David bring victory to Israel by judging, by crushing the head. of this giant from Gath, this champion. And here in chapter 18, now we continue to see the rise of David and resentment by Saul. As I prayed, we see lessons in this particular passage that are very pertinent to our spiritual growth.
In David, we see a man after God's own heart. He is not a perfect man, but he is a man that does strive to glorify God. He's a man who confesses his sins, He's a man who's closed with Christ. He is a man that lives dependent upon the grace of God.
Whereas in Saul, we see someone who's hardened their heart. He begins by steps in chapter 13. And by the time we get here to chapter 18, Saul is in a very bad state spiritually speaking. One commentator, David Samura, says with reference to the story of Saul and David in chapter 16 to 31.
He says, in the rest of 1 Samuel, God, the Lord of history, providentially guides the lives of two persons, Saul and David. The former's decline and the latter's rise. However, the emphasis is not so much on their political actions as on their internal conditions, that is, their spiritual relationships with God. Never forget that the record of history that we find in the Bible is theological in nature.
It is not just a rehearsal of facts and data and particulars. It's not just concerned with giving us a timeline for the earth, but rather it is theological in nature. It teaches us concerning God. It teaches us concerning His grace.
It teaches us as well something concerning our own hearts and our own lives. And I think if we are honest with ourselves, when we look into sections like these and we see Saul's decline, we ought to be very careful that we do not duplicate such things, that we do not try and redefine the Word, that we do not leave off of the means that God's ordained for our good, that we don't change them, that we're not innovators, but rather we want to be faithful men and women who follow God as He commands us in His Word. Well, as we take up chapter 18, we'll look at three R's. In the first place, the relationship with Jonathan, verses 1 to 5.
Secondly, the rise of David, which is punctuated throughout this chapter. And then thirdly, the resentment by Saul, in verses 6 to 30.
Relationship with Jonathan
Note in the first place, the relationship with Jonathan, beginning in verse 1, going through verse 4. We know that David esteems Jonathan highly and that Jonathan esteems him highly. We've just seen the battle in the valley of Elah. David has taken that sling and he has dashed that giant to the earth.
He has taken out that man's sword and cut off his head. And now David returns victorious from the field, from the battle lines, and we read verse 1. Now, when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. And Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
This is a beautiful statement concerning Christian fellowship. A beautiful statement concerning an allegiance that is built or founded, rather, upon the foundation that is God Most High. These two men enact a covenant together. It's probably a covenant of friendship, a covenant of allegiance, a covenant of loyalty, wherein they will have each other's backs, where they will pray for one another, where they will care for one another, where they will be there for one another.
But as well, we need to appreciate from Jonathan something that is absolutely amazing in this passage. It is his concern for the Kingdom of God. Now, up until this point, Jonathan, well, even beyond this point, Jonathan is the crown prince of Israel. Jonathan is the heir to the royal throne.
His father Saul is the reigning king. It is a dynastic principle, a dynastic monarchy. When the father dies, then the son rises up and he is enthroned upon the throne. So Jonathan is the crown prince to the throne of Israel.
But what Jonathan does when David returns from battle is truly an illustration of what the prophet says concerning God. God is the High and Holy One. God does inhabit eternity, but God looks upon him who is contrite and of a lowly spirit. God, in the language of Isaiah 66 too, looks upon those who tremble at his word.
Note what Jonathan does when David returns from battle. He takes off his royal robes, he takes off his armor, he takes off his sword and his bow and his belt, and he gives these emblems of royalty to David. Do you know what that underscores?
Jonathan's Kingdom-First Posture
For Jonathan, the crown and the throne of Israel was not his first priority. What was the first priority for Jonathan was for the advancement of the kingdom of God. And when Jonathan saw David, Jonathan didn't have that resentment rise up in him as Saul will in the rest of the chapter. Jonathan sees a victor in David.
Jonathan sees a champion in David. Jonathan sees a man that is fit. and meet and ready to occupy the throne in Israel, such that he takes his royal accoutrements and he gives them to David." This is truly an amazing picture of Matthew 6.33. We all cite it. We all talk about it, hopefully we all memorize it, but how many of us adopt the kingdom principle that we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then these things will be added to us.
I submit that in Jonathan, throughout the history that we have recorded in 1 Samuel, is that kind of man. He doesn't get his nose bent out of shape. He doesn't say, wow, that's unfair, he's on his way to the throne. Wow, that's not going to be a good thing, he's going to take my crown.
No, Jonathan says that if the God of heaven and earth has put his blessing upon this shepherd from Bethlehem, And if the God of heaven and earth is to use such a one to advance his kingdom, Jonathan can't get those royal robes off fast enough. For Jonathan, the glory of Yahweh is what mattered. For Jonathan, the glory of God was uppermost. For Jonathan, it wasn't about pride.
It wasn't about position. It wasn't about prestige. It wasn't about all of the royal benefit of being a son of the king. But for Jonathan, everything is willing to go if it means that Yahweh's kingdom advances.
This is a great attitude. This is a great mindset. It is most beneficial and blessed in a culture that has what we call celebrity preachers. Brethren, such things ought not to be.
There's one celebrity that we ought to be about worshiping and praising and glorifying and honoring. And it's our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever noticed that every hero in the Bible, God records for us their sins? and their shortcomings, and their problems, and their issues, and their challenges? Why does God do that?
Because from Genesis to Revelation, God wants all emphasis to be upon His Beloved Son. This is My Beloved Son, the Father says, in whom I am well pleased, hear Him. He is the hero of Holy Scripture. In fact, David, right now, looks beautiful.
David only does what is right in the sight of the Lord. David has that blessed, bold faith in chapter 17, who says, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that defies the armies of the living God? He is the one who says, the Lord has delivered me thus far from barren lion. Certainly He'll give me this Philistine into our hands.
He has this confidence and this determination and this bold faith that we all stand in awe of. In fact, I told you all over the last two weeks, who is it in 1 Samuel 17 that we want to be like? We don't want to be like Saul. We don't want to be like Eliab.
We want to be Davids. We want to dare to be a David. But by the time we get to 2 Samuel chapter 11, this man, after God's own heart, conducts himself in such a way that it brings shock to the system. I mean, do you ever not get to 2 Samuel 11 and 12 and say to your Bibles, David, please don't do this.
We know it's in you to do this and we've read it several times before. But David, if you can hear us through this means, please stop. Go out to battle. Go out when kings should go out.
Don't look upon that woman. Don't covet her. Don't lie with her. Don't kill or murder her husband in order to cover it up.
It's almost like the Nazi regime invades 2 Samuel 11 and 12. This is Israel. This is the holy people. This is the nation of our God.
This is typical of the kingdom of God. And David is conducting himself like a common thug. Why is that? So that when we get to 2 Samuel 11 and 12, we will refrain from having King David as my homeboy t-shirts.
And we will only praise and worship the one who never sinned, the one who never failed, the one who never faltered, the one who did not look upon a woman to lust, the one who did not commit murder, the one who went to the cross and gave himself for our sins. Brethren, an accurate reading from Genesis to Revelation will always produce in the child of God A self-renunciation and a Christ exaltation. It's just what we have in Jonathan. Here, take it, David.
Maybe David would have said, look, you're the royal heir. Take it. God's using you. God's blessing you.
Spurgeon on Welcoming Rivals
In his lectures to my students, Charles Spurgeon, in his chapter on conversion as our aim, he says, if you hear that a particular pastor is being used mightily by God, invite him to your pulpit. Invite him to preach. Make the Lord God use him in your pulpit so that others will be saved. There is a tendency in the heart of man, however, to not do that.
Well, wait a minute. If he's successful, then what does that mean about me? Or if God uses him, then what does that mean about me? Not so with Jonathan.
Jonathan says, let the name of Yahweh increase, just like the Baptist will say later in John 3.30. He must increase, but I must decrease. I submit, brothers and sisters, there is a world of illustration and a world of example in this man, Jonathan. Jobling says, the giving of his clothes was a virtual abdication by Jonathan, the crown prince.
And no one else in the chapter may have interpreted it this way. Certainly Saul does in chapter 19. Certainly Jonathan makes it absolutely clear in 1 Samuel 23. So at this particular point, Jonathan is willing to forego royal privilege for the glory of God.
The graph says, this deed on his part was an act of faith. Only faith makes us willing to be the lesser. Faith causes us to surrender the rights we pretend to have over against the Christ who is truly Israel's king. There's an interesting statement concerning this sort of a mindset in the prophet Jeremiah.
If you all are reading the McShane calendar, yesterday you read two chapters, 36 and 45. What happens in chapter 45? We get this little snippet about a man by the name of Baruch. And Baruch wanted some degree of greatness because God reproves him for this.
Baruch had seen a hard life. Baruch had seen trial. Baruch had seen difficulty. In many respects his life was just the opposite of his name, which means blessing.
You look at Baruch and you think blessing, but not with this particular Baruch. There was this in him, this desire in him to be something other than what he had been ordained to be. God essentially tells him Be happy that you have your life. You mean, God, you don't want me to reach my full potential?
You mean, God, that you disagree with all those out there that are telling us we've got to pursue our inner greatness? You mean, God, that I have to put on the back burner my longings and my desires and my cravings and be happy I'm alive? That is precisely what Yahweh meant to Baruch. This is Jonathan.
Rise of David
Take it, David. You belong on the throne. Now notice in the second place, the rise of David. All throughout the chapter, we have statements concerning his success.
Verse 5, with people and servants. Verses 14 and 15, with great wisdom. Verse 30, with esteem from people. David is on the rise.
And again, it's not because he has superior political savvy or he's been to a good school and learned military strategy. No, it's because he's a man of God. He is a man after God's own heart. Notice as well in the chapter, we're just glossing over several of these, the love 4.
David. He's loved by Jonathan, verses 1 and 3. He's loved by Israel and Judah, verse 16. He's loved by Michael, verses 20 and 28.
He's loved by the servants, in verse 22. And then notice, what is the key to his success? You know, you might see this businessman's meeting or an article in one of these entrepreneurial magazines. They say, what's been the secret for your success?
Well, I worked hard. I got up early. I got a good wife. I have good kids.
All those things might play a factor under the sovereignty of God, to be sure. I don't think you're going to prosper if you don't get up early. I don't think you're going to prosper if you're married. You don't have a good wife or a good husband.
I don't think you're going to prosper if you don't have nice children or well-behaved children. But what is the secret of David's success? Yahweh is with him. That's it.
It's punctuated. Verses 12, 14, and 28. Yahweh was with David. Conversely, every time it says Yahweh was with David, it tells us that Saul feared David all the more.
Saul was a man that should have feared God, but Saul feared the man who legitimately feared God. It truly is a terrible position that Saul is in, in this chapter, more in just a little bit. But consider this reality of the presence of Yahweh with David, the fact that everybody loves David, and the success of David.
David as Type of Christ
What is drawn in clear lines in 1 Samuel 18 is fleshed out in the Gospel records concerning David's greater son. What have we noted in our studies in the Gospel of Matthew? There are varying responses to the Lord Jesus. Now, David functions typically in this particular section of Scripture.
We have noted those things along the way. David killing Goliath with a fatal head wound. Harkens back to Genesis 3.15 and the seed of the woman that will crush the serpent. David is typical of his greater son, the Lord Jesus.
In this chapter, we see popular response to David is one of love, it is one of esteem, it is one of praise. But when we look at Saul, we see nothing but anger, resentment, envy, hatred, malice, rage. Jump to Matthew. Isn't that precisely what we see in the anti-typical significance?
Don't we see this in David's greater son? The popular response to Jesus is that they wanted to hear him. The popular response to Jesus is that many esteemed him. The popular response to Jesus is that they wanted to be near him.
What did the Pharisees do? They respond just like Saul in chapter 18. They resent him. They're angry with him.
They want to kill him. Their hearts are flooded with malice. They want to devastate him. And ultimately, they would do so.
So much similarity is the case that in this very chapter, what Saul will do with David, again, is typical of what will happen with our Lord Jesus. Saul does not want to kill David himself after that failed attempt with the spear throwing. But David reckons that if I marry him off to one of my eligible young daughters, then that will be the means by which he will come into contact with the Philistines. Saul is not an idiot.
He sees the popular esteem that is pointed toward David in this particular instance. Isn't that how the Pharisees responded to? They were put on horns of a dilemma. When the Lord Jesus says to them, John's baptism, was it from heaven or from men?
They don't want to answer. Why? Because if they say from heaven, they'll validate the thought or the claims of Jesus Messiah. But if they say from man, they feared the popular response because everybody started to see and esteem the Lord Jesus.
Saul is typical of the Pharisees. Saul and his rage against David looks precisely what we see, or looks like what we see when we get to Matthew's gospel and the other gospel narratives where the Pharisees are filled with this malice and this rage. Now, having said all that,
Call to Close with Christ
are you a Saul? Are you a Pharisee? You know, when you look at 1 Samuel chapter 18, I don't think it would be far off to suggest that anybody in their right mind should be voting for David. Now, maybe you're one of those few that say, no, David's a bad guy, he should get killed.
I think most of us on a basic reading of 1 Samuel 18 would say that David is the hero in this chapter and everything that Saul is doing is wrong, it's unkind, it's untoward, it's ungodly. Same thing, we jump to the gospel narratives and we see how the Pharisees respond to Jesus. I mean, what was Jesus crying? He went about doing good.
He healed people. He raised the dead. He gave vision to the sightless. He gave hearing to the deaf.
He gave those who were unable to speak the ability to speak. Jesus fed people. Jesus did most excellent things. And a fair reading, or just a basic reading of those gospel records ought to suggest to everyone here that that was unfair, that was unrighteous, that they would cry out, away with him, away with him, crucify him.
But you know there's not three camps in this world. There are those who are with Him and those who are against Him. If you, my dear friend, has not closed with Jesus Christ, you are with Saul. You are with the Pharisees.
You are with the opponents of the godly men that the Lord has put for us in the Scripture. Choose ye this day where you will stand. Is it going to be with this Saul-like rage against the godly David? or with the Pharisees who reject the Lord Jesus and cry out or lead the multitudes to cry out, away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him. There's no third position today.
So I think this is one of the biggest problems that man entertains. You're with Christ or you're against Christ. Some of you are not with Christ today, but you perhaps put yourself into this other category. Well, you know, I'm not as bad as others.
I'm not really as bad as Saul. I'm not really as bad as the Pharisees. If I was standing there that day, I don't think I would have been saying, away with him, away with him, crucify him. You are as bad.
You are as bad. You may not verbalize it, you may not vocalize it, but a failure to close with Jesus. A failure to believe on Him who is altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand. A resistance against gospel invitation.
A resistance against the glory of God calling sinners to be reconciled to Himself through foolish preachers. A failure to close with that promise puts you in the camp of Saul and the Pharisees. Matthew 12.30 couldn't be clearer. He who is not with me is against me.
There is no neutrality in this world. There is zilch, zero, nada. There is no neutrality. You say, well, Pastor Butler, you know, that's all fine and well, but we believe in the doctrine of predestination.
And if God doesn't lay the whammy on me, then I'll never believe. What do you think the doctrine of predestination needs? It is the blueprint. It is the decree set in order.
It is the foundation upon which men like me come and say, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You're not to question the blueprint right now. You're not supposed to look at the foundation. You're supposed to hear of a blessed Savior.
You're supposed to come and believe on Him. You're supposed to leave off your sin and close with the Savior. It's an amazing thing. We want to spend all this time debating predestination and election when we're not trusting in Jesus.
You know what the answer for you today is? Trust. Believe, synonymous words as we were reminded in this last hour, come to the Lord Jesus, receive him, and rest upon him. That's what the gospel says, or that is the response.
When you look at the book of Acts, notice what the apostles never do. They never go out and say, you've got to consider whether or not you've been predestined, whether or not you're elect. You know what else is intriguing against the Arminian view is that the apostles never once mentioned love in the whole book of Acts. Take your concordance out.
You may not believe me, but the word love never shows up in the book of Acts. Does that mean everybody hated each other? No, that's not what it means. The Arminian is wrong to conclude God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
That's not necessarily the case. Psalm 55 tells us God hates the workers of iniquity. The Arminian is wrong to reduce the gospel to the free will ism of man. But so is the view that thinks that the apostles went out and simply taught Bible studies concerning predestination.
They preached the gospel. Do you know what the gospel is? It's about the life and the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Such that the apostles themselves could say, everyone who believes will be saved.
Isn't it beautiful? Why do we make it more difficult than it needs to be? We can maintain the reality of sovereign grace and election and predestination and all those things that are simply beautiful and gorgeous, but we also maintain the reality that everyone who believes in Him will be saved. If you do, by God's grace, believe, all glory and praise and honor goes to Him.
Truly an amazing thing. Are you with Saul? Are you with the Pharisees? Are you with those who reject and oppose the servant of God, even our Lord Jesus Christ?
Don't let the sun go down today. You hear a lot of preaching in this church. If you come to the confession study, you hear a lot of teaching. You come to the Wednesday night.
You guys, all you do is teach and preach. Yeah, because that's what we need. That's what we need. We need to be reminded.
We need to have this recalled to us. We need to stand in constant recognition of what God's Word actually says. And by His grace, believe it.
Resentment by Saul
Now notice in the third place, the resentment by Saul. The resentment by Saul. In the return from the valley of Elah, verses 6 and 7. Of course, the ladies go out with tambourines, with joy, musical instruments.
The women sang as they danced, and they said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. Notice Saul's response. Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him, and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?
So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
Saul's Envy and Tyranny
Could there be a greater contrast between Saul and Jonathan? Jonathan throws his royal robes at David so that David can take the throne. And what Saul responds with is anger, with envy, with rage, with malice. He is going to take my kingdom.
I submit that that's probably where some of us find ourselves. God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Jonathan is one of the heroes in this particular chapter. Saul is certainly a menace to the good order of Israel.
One man says, the very fact that David was accorded equal treatment with the king in the song would be sufficient to arouse the suspicions of any monarch, and especially of one insecure in his position and jealous of his prerogatives. Insecure in his position and jealous of his prerogatives. Don't we see the political scene in 1 Samuel 18 as well? I argue with reference to this chapter, one of the problems of tyranny.
I mean, there's many problems with reference to tyranny, but a big one is simply what we see in this chapter. If Saul spent more time administering his kingdom rather than trying to get David, everyone would have benefited. When the tyrant puts his needs before the kingdom, when the tyrant craves that power, when the tyrant wants to eliminate any threat to that power, he is not functioning in behalf of the body governed. Tyranny is horrible.
Why would we take a proud man and give him that sort of control? Why would we readily hand a chimp a gun and stand in front of him? Brethren, in the final analysis, the chimp is going to pull the trigger. You don't do that.
You cannot trust men. Ever! Well, that doesn't make us feel good. I'm not saying wives and husbands can't trust each other and their kids.
But when it comes to power, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. You know who said that and with reference to what institution? It was Lord Acton with reference to the papacy. Power corrupts!
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. You put that funky hat on a man's head and there's no telling what's going to happen. in a few weeks, months, or years to come. You put a man in a position of authority who conducts himself like Saul, it's tyranny. Absolute, wretched, and abominable tyranny.
The political emphasis in this particular chapter underscores, and chapters subsequent, how often is Saul out to get David? Guess what he's not doing? He's not doing his job. And that is a bad, bad thing.
Saul's Attack on David
Now notice, verses 10 and following. His attack upon David, verses 10 and 11. Now, some would say, why would David sit before Saul again? I mean, didn't we go through this in 1 Samuel chapter 16?
Didn't Saul already try to throw spears at David? Didn't he? Let's just look back there for a moment. 1 Samuel chapter 16. I'm missing it.
Where's the time when the first swords were thrown? Is it 1 Samuel 16? Or is this the first time? Sorry, brethren, my mind wandered there for a moment.
Go back to verses 10 and 11. And it happened on the next day. Yes, I'm sorry. This is the first instance where the swords are thrown at David.
Some might say, why would David not ever avoid Saul after this. In other words, in 1 Samuel 19, David gets back together with Saul. David, again, has spears thrown at him. David doesn't understand the murderous malice and the intent of Saul at this particular juncture.
We know what the narrator tells us. We know what's going on. David, at this particular point, is a a servant of the court, specifically tasked with playing the harp. 1 Samuel 16, this is where David was identified as the man to play the harp before Saul. This distressing spirit from Yahweh would come upon Saul.
So perhaps this is the way David is thinking. He's just a little mad right now. The servants perhaps said he's a little worse today than normal. David at this point doesn't know Saul's trying to murder him.
It will be closer or clearer to David as the narrative progresses. But in this instance, David is doing his job. He was a court-appointed servant to come and play the harp when Saul would go into one of these frenzies. The prophesying here is probably not him getting a word from the Lord.
It probably has the idea that he's raving inside of his house. I think the ESV even translates it that way. He is raved within his house. So when Saul throws this spear at David, David does not conclude that Saul wants to murder him.
David doesn't know that at this point. He's just going to a man who's got a frenzy. He's going to a man who's a little off his rocker. He's going to a man who's a little out of his mind.
So, in subsequent narrative, when David comes back to Saul, don't fault David, David doesn't know what we know. So, in this instance, Saul goes, throws the spears at David as a response to this particular situation. Now, notice what we find with reference to Saul in verses 10, 12 to 16. He appoints David.
Verses 12 to 16, Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. Therefore when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. He removes him from his presence and he gives him charge over military troops. John Gill says, he made him his captain over a thousand, not out of respect to him and in honor of him, but partly to cover his malice and please the people, and partly in hope that he might be slain by the enemy at the head of his troop. Saul is not functioning here in a righteous manner.
Saul gives David this particular status to remove him from Saul's presence and to put David in harm's way.
Saul's Schemes Through Marriage
And that brings us to that final attempt, his antagonism in verses 17 to 30. I've already mentioned this. I know what I'll do. I'll give him my daughter. being the son-in-law of the king, having power over my military, not entire power, but having control over military troops, David will certainly be in harm's way.
I can usher him into battle so that the Philistines will ultimately shed his blood. Of course, it doesn't work out with Merib in the first place. Why did Saul give her to someone else or to Adriel? We don't know.
It says that Michael loved David. So Saul says, I know what I'll do, I'll give Michael to him. She will be a snare to him. Now what does that snare mean?
It means that David will come into close contact with Philistines. I mean, you can't come into close contact with Philistines when you're cutting, not come into that contact without cutting off foreskins. This was the test. I don't want a dowry.
I just want you to bring me 104 skins. I know that sounds odd to us, and I know that sounds bad, and I know it sounds unseemly on a Sunday morning. I mean, who would go out and, you know, take 104 skins? Well, in this instance, no one.
David will take 200. 200. Why? What does it mean? What is the significance here?
Saul thinks that if I place this on David, no dowry, but you bring me a hundred foreskins, that means David is going to have to come into contact with a hundred angry Philistines. Do you think they're going to willingly give up those foreskins? Do you think they're going to say, oh, Dr. David, do with us as you will?
No, these are angry men with weapons in their hands that are not going to stand for this. And Saul knows this. This is a means by which I get David into contact with the enemy. They kill him.
He's off my plate. Everybody's happy. And I look like the champion because it wasn't my hands that shed his blood. I'm a good guy.
I'm a great guy, Saul says. I gave him my daughter. Even in this, Saul didn't make good on the requirements. What was the promise in 1st Samuel 17?
To the man who kills Goliath, Saul will give the daughter and Saul will give tax-exempt status to his father's house. Saul changes up. Now Saul says, you gotta bring me a hundred foreskins from Philistines. This man cannot be trusted.
This man is full of rage and envy and murder and malice of heart. This is a wicked man and a picture of which is pointed or portrayed for us of what can be in our future if we don't stop in our sin. So this is the particulars. So what does David do?
Well, first of all, David's just humble, right? Who am I that I should marry the king's daughter? Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that why we love David?
He's like Jonathan too. David essentially says, I'm a wretch. Why would you let me marry your daughter? If there was any shred whatsoever of decency left in Saul, I hope that cut him like a knife.
Saul is handing his daughter over to him so that she will be a means by which David will die. And David says, you know, I'm not worthy of this. I am just a lowly servant. I am just a man from Bethlehem.
I have no pedigree. I have no heritage. I have no stock. That must have cut if there was a shred of decency in the man's heart.
So now notice, what does David do? He goes out and gets 204 skins. Now, you do know he did this by killing Philistines. The text is conspicuous.
What's the point? The kingdom of God matters for David. If my king says a hundred foreskins, I will get two hundred. If my king says go kill Philistines, I will kill them in duplicate.
If my king says I am to brandish the sword against the enemies of Yahweh, then I will certainly and gladly and happily do such a thing." That is precisely what David does. He arose and went, he and his men, verse 27, and killed 200 men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins and they gave them in full count to the king that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michael his daughter as a wife." Davis comments on this practice, some people are repulsed by such ancient barbarism.
But barbarism is as much modern, more so than ancient. Something a little history of warfare and persecution will make clear, or even five or six recent videos from Planned Parenthood. I mean, what they have just shown the world makes what David did here a walk in the park. He goes on to say, at least these Philistines were dead before they were mutilated.
Much warfare is not so merciful. Such practices were not uncommon in the Near East. Egyptians might count severed hands of their enemies. Assyrians might tally heads.
Egyptians sometimes cut off and counted the male organs of the sea peoples they killed in battle. Philistine males did not practice circumcision as did Israelites and others. Hence, Saul could ask for a hundred foreskins of Philistine dead. Or consider the atrocities perpetuated upon the people of God under the banner of a religion of peace.
Girls being terrorized, people being brutalized, murder happening at tragic and alarming rates in Syria, Lebanon, Middle Eastern places all over the world. Brethren, what David does here is an act of war. He killed 200 Philistines. He brings the four skins to show this to Saul so that he can live happily and forever after with Michael.
Now certainly that doesn't happen, but we'll save that for another day. The last few verses really summarize the chapter. We see the presence of Yahweh, Saul recognized it. We see the love of Michael, Saul recognized it.
The fear of David, Saul still had it. The enmity between them, the prosperity of David and the esteem of David by all those who were in Israel.
Application
Now in conclusion, I want to just draw out a couple of practical lessons and then we'll close.
Saul's Spiritual Declension
In the first place, the spiritual declension in Saul. We don't have time to go back to chapter 13 or 14 or 15. Remember in our Wednesday night Bible studies, I suggest that men don't typically just fall. Men typically take steps before they fall.
A man doesn't wake up on a Monday morning and renounce Jesus, typically. A man doesn't go on a Wednesday afternoon and say, you know, that's it, I'm done. No more Jesus. No more faith.
No more religion. No more for me. It typically happens in steps. We neglect a little here.
We neglect a little there. We put on a little there. We do this over here. It typically comes in a gradation. 1 Samuel 13, Saul's instructions were very clear.
You stand and wait for Samuel to arrive. That's it. That wasn't good enough for Saul. Saul said, no, I couldn't wait for you, Samuel.
So I went ahead and did the sacrifice. You're not supposed to do the sacrifice. You're not given that particular task in 1 Samuel 13. All you had to do was wait.
Oh, but my spirit was hankering and longing and yearning for this worship experience. And I didn't want to wait for you, Samuel. So I went ahead and did it on my own. That's always frowned upon by God.
God doesn't want his creatures to be innovative and creative. He wants them to be obedient. That may come as a shock to many of us because we love innovation and creation. Oh, your church is so boring.
All you do is what you always do. It's all right. We have biblical warrant for what we do. It's not innovation and creation.
It's obedience that God's after. Saul faltered, Saul failed, Saul rejected, Saul resisted. You say, wait a minute, that seems a small thing. Worship is never a small thing.
Worship is never a small thing. See how quick we are to say, well, you know, this man's failures were moral. He committed adultery. It was a terrible thing.
But how many guys get away with preaching heresy and being innovative and creative with reference to worship, such that the people of God, instead of worshiping in spirit and truth, are actually offering up strange fire to the Lord? Yes, the man shouldn't commit adultery, but a man tasked with preaching the Word needs to be exegetically correct, and he needs to lead the people of God to the proper worship that the Bible enjoins and not what man is hankering after. We all want what we want. Saul was that man.
What happens in 1 Samuel chapter 14? A Saul-imposed fast upon Israel. Another surefire sign that you're under tyranny when your leaders act like idiots. Israel is in battle.
Israel needs to fight. What you do is feed them and give them rest so that they have the vitality and the energy to engage the foe and to beat them. Not Saul. He imposes a fast upon Israel.
How foolish! You know what Saul was probably doing there? Something else that I think can occur in the evangelical church. Trying to impress God.
Well, I know we'll impose this fast and God will see our great intentions. God will see our great hearts. God will see our earnestness and our desire. And when God sees that, He'll reward us with victory.
No, he won't. Absolutely, he will not. We are to obey. If we pray to get from God, we're praying wrong.
If we worship to get from God, we're worshiping wrong. If we're living to get from God, then we need to rethink the way we approach things. We cannot gain or curry God's favor by our religious fastings, by the amount or number of our prayers, by how much scripture we have memorized. All those things are good in their proper place.
Certainly pray, certainly worship, certainly read, certainly memorize. But the moment that we adopt a mercenary spirit and think that somehow God will bless us as a result. That's not Baal. That's how the heathen got Baal to function.
In particular, do you know what a worship experience looked like at a Baal church? It looked like people fornicating. That's how they got Baal to reign on their fields. The idea was like priming the pump.
Way back in the day, I visited a cabin of my uncle's in Oregon, and they had one of those old hand pumps out there. Well, you didn't just get it going, you had to pour some water to prime the top of it, and then it would get going. The worshipers would copulate one with another in order to prime the pump. The idea being that Bale would then engage in that sort of activity with one of his consorts, and the result would be increased productivity in the land.
Yahweh is not like that. We do not put a quarter in Yahweh and pull the handle and out pops blessings. So much of our religion, unfortunately, has been reduced to that, at least, caricature. Oh, you Christians, you just treat God like He's a genie, like He'll do anything you want.
Our God is in the heavens. He does whatever He pleases. It's obedience that God is after. And in case we missed that, 1 Samuel 15 drives it home for the reader.
What happens there? Saul go in and kill the Amalekites. Take no prisoners, but kill Agag and the Amalekites. What happens?
Does Saul obey? No. He tells Samuel he does obey, and then Samuel says, well what of the bleeding of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen I hear? If you did your job, I wouldn't hear farm animals, Saul.
What's the matter with you? Well, it was the people. They suggested that we spare Haggag and that we keep the best spoils for ourselves. Probably in his mind so that we could offer it up to Yahweh.
You see, God's not impressed with our innovation when it comes to worship. So he's saying, wow, I see your heart and it's wonderful. Now God sees our hearts and they're far but wonderful. That's why his son had to come and live and die and rise again.
Would it be obedient? And what does Samuel underscore under that particular exchange? First Samuel 15. Verse 22, "...has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord.
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, He also has rejected you from being king." That's it, man. You can't continue to disobey God.
So by the time we get to 1 Samuel 18, the anger, the envy, the suspicion toward David, the duplicity in telling David now he has to go out and kill more people before Saul will make good on his promise to give him his daughter. And the fear that he has of David, a man who genuinely fears the God of heaven and earth. Now all that to outline this very simple thing. Typically men don't fall right now.
They're steps. There's steps. We'll leave off the Bible here. We'll leave off prayer here.
We'll leave off worship here. We'll leave off here. We'll start flirting here. We'll start doing this over here.
We'll start shaving off the perceived rough edges on our tax forms here. We'll start small. Does sin ever just stay small? I mean, maybe it does in your bosom, and praise God, I'm very happy for you.
I side with Owen. Owen said that if sin had its way, every lustful thought would end in complete filth. Every doubt would end in atheism. Brethren, you have to view your own heart with a great deal of suspicion.
We are typically not as strong as we like to think that we are. Our holiness doesn't rub off on others as much as we would like it to. Typically, the unholiness of others rubs off on us. Now, that doesn't mean you'll live on a pole.
You'll buy an island and sit there, because then you'll be fine. No, when you sit on an island, you're not fine. You've still got you. But you need to see from Saul this declension that ends in apostasy.
Sometimes people get content with declension. Well, I don't read my Bible like I used to. I don't pray like I used to. I don't attend church like I used to.
But you know, I'm doing all right. I'm doing all right. What does Paul say in Philippians 1? One of the most blessed statements in all of the Bible.
For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Did Paul say that after he'd just been converted? Did Paul say that after Bible camp? Did Paul say that after he went to a conference?
He heard one of the celebrity preachers bring it. Now he says, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. No, Paul said that after having been a Christian for about 30 years. A Christian who, by the way, saw his share of trials.
Brethren, that ought to be the heartbeat of all of God's people. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. That's what beat David's heart. That's what beat Jonathan's heart.
That's what godly men demonstrate in the scripture.
Providence Overrules Saul
In the second place, we ought to appreciate the providence of God. The more Saul opposes David, the more God blesses David. I know what I'll do. I'll give him Michael and she'll be a means to provide a snare to him.
Who delivers David in the next chapter? Michael. It's got to infuriate Saul that his son and daughter love the man he hates. Who delivers David later in the narrative?
Jonathan. Every time Saul tries to get David, God intervenes. Providence is truly amazing and glorious. Samarra says, once again, Saul's strategy in the marriage of David and Michael has backfired.
Instead of killing David, his attempt has given David honor in the eyes of all the people as the king's son-in-law, has given him someone who will protect him against Saul, and has strengthened his claim as Saul's successor.
Threats from Within the Kingdom
And a third observation is the danger posed to the kingdom. This is a grieving thing here, because in 1 Samuel 17 we expect blathering Goliath to yammer on about David. We expect blathering Goliath to yammer on about the nation of Israel. We expect threats from without.
It's those threats from within that are more pesky to God's true people. It's the problems in house. Perhaps this is why Peter said, judgment must begin in the house of God. Where's the threat in 1 Samuel 18?
It's not a giant. It's a king. The very king of Israel. The man who should be concerned with the propagation of Israel.
The man who should be concerned with the security and stability of Israel. You see, the church has its same nemeses today. We not only have the problems without, but we have problems within. 2 Timothy 4, we considered that on Wednesday night. Why does Paul tell Timothy to preach the Word?
Well, Paul's going to die and he wants faithful servants to take his place. But because the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. That's going to happen, Timothy. In the churches, you minister it.
Persons are going to turn a deaf ear to sound doctrine. But Timothy, you be faithful in all things. You fulfill your ministry. You do the work of an evangelist.
You endure afflictions. We noted there on Wednesday night, it wasn't the pagan persecution by Rome that Timothy had to endure by way of affliction. But it was the heretics within the professing people of God. There is a genuine threat posed within, and we need to be careful.
Dare to Be a David
And then finally, let us dare to be a David, let us dare to be a Jonathan. The king fears that David will take the kingdom. So it says in verse 8, Jonathan wants to give him the kingdom. Brethren, we ought to be a prayerful people that we would pursue humility.
Actually, That seems odd, because if we're pursuing humility, we're probably going to Facebook about it. We're going to put a Twitter update. You know, I'm really pursuing humility today. We need to kill pride.
You see, the killing of pride will leave in its wake humility. If we actually became humble, we'd write books. Humility and how I mastered it. Humility and how I attained it.
Ten easy steps to humility. Walk with me and I'll show you what... It's not the pursuit of humility per se. It's the death to pride.
It is cutting its throat. It's landing a rock in its forehead. It's taking a sword out of its belt and cutting off its head. We need to kill pride.
What will be found in its absence is that blessed sweet fruit of Christian humility. And if you are not a believer, pride is something that characterizes you. You may appear to be humble, you may appear to be lowly, but anyone who does not see themselves as God rightly says that they are, and one who does not flee to Christ as the only source of refuge and hope, is at heart a proud man, a proud woman, a proud boy or a proud girl. The only place that an unbeliever can find that back of pride broken is at the cross because the cross shows us our sin and the cross shows us God's grace.
Believe in Him and you will be saved. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for your word, and thank you for this narrative concerning Saul and David. Give us wisdom, God, to take from these things the lessons you would have for us. And go with us now, Father, and grant us grace to kill pride, to be like Jonathan, and to be like John the Baptist. And may it be our cry that Jesus must increase, but we must decrease.
And we pray these things through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.