Scripture
God has rejected Saul as king over Israel, and David has been anointed as the future king over Israel. Later, the Philistines gathered their armies for battle against the armies of Israel. At this time young David killed the giant Goliath. The armies of Israel then routed the armies of the Philistines and chased them all the way back to their own territory. After that, Saul’s son, Jonathan, became a life-long friend of David. But, it wasn’t long before Saul became extremely jealous of David.
Let’s read about David and Saul’s jealousy in 1 Samuel 18:6-30:
6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on.
10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall now be my son-in-law.” 22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” 23 And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?” 24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired, 27 David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. 28 But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30 Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. (1 Samuel 18:6-30)
Introduction
The story is told of two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other’s business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival.
One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers and said, “I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?”
The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, “Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!”
We smile at this humorous illustration. But jealousy is really a terrible trait. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines jealousy as being “envious of someone else’s possessions, achievements, or advantages.”
The Lord had chosen David to be his anointed servant and future king over Israel. The Lord had set Saul aside as king, and Saul became increasingly and violently jealous of David.
Lesson
1 Samuel 18:6-30 shows us Saul’s jealousy of David’s success and efforts to kill him.
Let’s use the following outline:
1. Saul’s Jealousy (18:6-11)
2. David’s Ascendancy (18:12-16)
3. Saul’s Schemes (18:17-27)
4. David’s Success (18:28-30)
I. Saul’s Jealousy (18:6-11)
First, let’s notice Saul’s jealousy.
Verses 6-7 say of the men returning from war, “As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.’ ”
This past week we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France. A year after D-Day, the Allies won World War II and the troops returned home. We have seen media presentations of the ticker tape parades for the returning troops. Well, this is a little of what David experienced as he returned from striking down the Philistine, that is, Goliath. There was antiphonal or responsive singing by the women of Israel, who sang, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” The ESV Study Bible notes, “Because thousands/ten thousands is a common parallelism, the general meaning of the song is, ‘Saul and David have killed many thousands.’ Yet naming two distinct people in a number parallelism is unusual, and Saul interpreted it in the worst possible light.”
In fact, in verses 8-9 we read, “And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, ‘They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?’ And Saul eyed David from that day on.” Here is where we see Saul’s jealousy. Saul was envious of David’s achievements as expressed by the women who came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, and lauding David’s achievements over Saul’s.
Saul’s jealousy escalated rapidly, because the next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice (18:10-11).
Saul’s jealousy dominates this chapter. Instead of celebrating David’s achievements, he was envious of David. He compared himself unfavorably to David. The Bible warns us of the folly of comparing ourselves to others in Galatians 6:4, “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.”
Let me ask you: are you envious of someone else’s possessions, achievements, or advantages? If you are, I urge you to repent of it. Ask the Lord to give you a contentment with what you have. Because if you allow jealousy to continue in your heart, it will eat at you as it ate Saul.
II. David’s Ascendancy (18:12-16)
Second, let’s observe David’s ascendancy.
As David ascended in the eyes of the people, Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul (18:12). In fact, three times in this chapter the text says that Saul was afraid of David (here in verse 12, and also in verses 15 and 29). Of course, Saul’s fear of David was unjustified because David was completely loyal to Saul.
Nevertheless, everyone seemed to love David. There are six references in this chapter to “love,” with David as the object of that love. Saul’s son Jonathan loved David (18:1, 3); Saul’s daughter Michal loved David (18:20, 28); all Saul’s servants loved David (18:22); and all Israel and Judah loved David (18:16). In fact, we are told that a long time earlier even Saul loved David, and he “loved him greatly” (1 Samuel 16:21).
Saul was so consumed with jealousy against David that he removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand (18:13a). Saul thought that by giving David a position of military leadership he might be killed in action against the enemies of Israel. But, instead of being struck down and killed, David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of David (18:14-15).
David’s ascendancy was because the Lord was with him. Saul was jealous of David’s ascendancy. He hoped to stop it, but he could not do so. I am reminded of another Saul, Saul of Tarsus, who on the road to Damascus to rout out the Christians there, was struck by a light from heaven, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14).
Let us not be jealous of those whom the Lord is blessing.
III. Saul’s Schemes (18:17-27)
Third, let’s see Saul’s schemes.
Commentator Richard Philips says, “But there were other ways to arrange a funeral, and one of them was by dangling the prospect of marriage before the young hero.” So Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” (18:17). Saul thought that if the Philistines killed David, his hands would be clean of David’s blood.
But David knew that he came from a poor family. Moreover, he had a non-Jewish ancestor (his great-grandmother, Ruth, a Moabitess). So, David was humbled to think that a lowly person such as himself could be married to a woman of such high standing as Merab, the daughter of the king. But instead of giving Merab to David, Saul gave her in marriage to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife (18:19b), perhaps to mess with David’s emotions.
But then Saul came up with another scheme to have David killed when he heard that his daughter Michal loved David (18:20). When David again humbly demurred from becoming the king’s son-in-law (because of his lowly estate and poverty), Saul said to David (through his servants), “The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies” (18:25a). Saul was sure that David would be killed, as the text says in verse 25b, “Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.”
But Saul did not reckon that the Lord was with David. David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines (18:27a). The text does not say how these foreskins were presented to Saul. But, reluctantly, I am sure, Saul gave David his daughter Michal for a wife (18:27b).
Saul’s schemes show that he was desperate to kill God’s anointed servant. His schemes also show how far he was in rebellion against God. My friend, if you are in rebellion against God, you must realize that your plans will never succeed.
IV. David’s Success (18:28-30)
And finally, let’s observe David’s success.
Verses 28-29 say, “But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.” David’s success is clearly stated in verse 30, “Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.” This is in fact the fourth reference in this chapter to David’s success. The other three references are in verses 5, 14, and 15. Moreover, David’s success is attributed to the fact that “the Lord was with David,” and this is asserted three times (18:12, 14, and 28).
There really are three primary figures in this chapter. First, there is Saul, who pictures the person who is in open rebellion against God and God’s anointed. Second, there is David, who demonstrates true humility and dependence upon God that leads to God’s protection and blessing. And finally, there is God himself, who providentially orchestrates everything, as the answer to “What are God’ s works of providence?” in the Westminster Shorter Catechism states, “God’ s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving, and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.”
Conclusion
Therefore, having analyzed 1 Samuel 18:6-30, we should see that David was successful because the Lord was with him.
Let me close with some concluding comments.
First, David acted humbly. Though everyone loved David and praised him, he did not let that go to his head. He continued to serve Saul and the people for their own good, and he humbly looked to the good of others.
Second, David acted wisely. In all four instances where the text says that “David was successful” (18:5, 14, 15, 30), it can also be translated that “David acted wisely.” David continued to do what the Lord had called him to do. He played the lyre for Saul. He went on military expeditions for Saul. David fulfilled the duty to which he was called.
Third, David never retaliated. When Saul hurled his spear at David, David simply evaded him, twice. Even when “Saul was David’s enemy continually,” David did not react in kind.
And finally, David remembered his anointing. David knew that he was the Lord’s anointed servant, and that he would one day become king. And so he constantly prepared for the service he would render to the Lord.
David points us to his Greater Son, Jesus Christ.
Like David, Jesus acted humbly. Even though he had many enemies, he served them to the very end.
Like David, Jesus acted wisely. Jesus did everything the Father called him to do.
Like David, Jesus never retaliated. Especially at his crucifixion, where Jesus paid the penalty for our sins (and not his own), he did not retaliate against the cruel treatment he received.
And like David, Jesus remembered his anointing. Jesus was the anointed servant sent by his Father to save sinners such as ourselves.
The Lord Jesus Christ was successful because God the Father was with him. Let us thank God for David’s Greater Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
