The Action:
After Goliath’s death, Saul’s son and heir, Jonathan, honors David as his friend over himself and his family. Saul himself gives David command over Israel’s men of war.
Saul, though, hearing Israel’s women sing, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (18:7), grows jealous of David and fears his taking the throne. A spirit of evil from God moves Saul twice to try to try to kill David while he’s playing the harp to soothe Saul’s nerves.
Saul next promises David that, if he’s victorious in battle, he can marry one of the king’s daughters. Saul hopes that the Philistines will kill David for him. Saul first promises David his oldest daughter, Merab, but marries her to another man. Saul then promises David Saul’s daughter Michal if David brings him proof of the death of two hundred Philistine warriors. When David and his men have killed the Philistines, he marries Michal.
As David’s successes grow, Saul tells Jonathan of Saul’s plan to kill David. Jonathan warns David of the plan and, interceding with Saul for him, arranges peace between the two. The peace, though, is short lived, as, after another victory by David, Saul again tries to kill him.
Next, when Saul sends men to surround David’s house, Michal arranges a daring escape for him. (READ Psalm 59 to learn David’s response to this incident.) He flees for protection to the prophet Samuel. When Saul tracks David and Samuel down, the Spirit of God comes onto Saul and forces him to prophesy before Samuel. David is again saved — for now.
Main Lessons:
1. What are the contrasts in the character and behavior of David and Saul?
David was obedient and behaved wisely (18:5).
Saul was angry and had murder in his...
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...a and murder of Uriah the Hittite will wreck David’s life and his whole family’s.
3. What are some thoughts on Saul’s strange behavior at this lesson’s end?
Israel of Saul’s time had a school of prophets whose gift was forth-telling (speaking clearly a word from God), not fore-telling (predicting the future). Saul had met this school before and got caught up in its revival (10:10). He had also had God’s Spirit descend on him in I Samuel 11:6. The meeting with Samuel would be the last time when Saul felt the Spirit.
In an atmosphere of music, song, and dance, Saul experienced ecstasy, a sense of standing outside of himself. This ecstasy was not necessarily salvation. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21-23, not everyone who calls Him Lord or prophesies in His name will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Saul’s ecstasy was God’s means of letting David escape.
First, David’s mother gave him enough courage to keep hope his father would be all right after the Nazis arrested him. Because their own house was no longer safe from Nazi invasion, David’s family was staying with friends. However, Nazis burst into the house they were staying in on...
Loving God and hating his own mother kept David strong. David loved God, he prayed every night to God. He hated his mother so much he wanted to outthink her tricks, he did. He used different tactics like over exaggerating his pain when he got beat, putting a wet cloth over his mouth when his mother put cleaning products in a room with him. David kept counting time in his head in order to make the time pass faster.
David was the youngest of seven brothers and was in charge of tending to his father’s sheep while his father and three of his brothers went to war. The Israelites were at a standstill with the Philistines, but were too scared to fight because the Philistine army had a huge giant, named Goliath. David was a scrawny, young boy, but he told Saul that he wished to kill Goliath. He had never killed another human before, but his strength was in his faith that God would protect him. Even though he was offered armor and a sword, he took only what he was used to: a staff, a sling, and five smooth stones. In the end, David hit Goliath with a rock and then cut his head off with Goliath’s own sword. The rest of the Philistine army ran away in fear, leaving the Israelites
A loss of David’s innocence appears during his killing of a magpie. This “it can be done in a flick of the finger”. The particular significance about this plays an important part in his as he considers that he also is capable of committing such unfortunate yet immoral things. “Looking in the dead bird’s eye, I realised that these strange, unthought of connections - sex and death, lust and violence, desire and degradation - are there, there, deep in even a good heart’s chambers”.
This continued conflict would take off between Amnon (David’s firstborn and primary heir) and Absalom (David’s third son). 2 Samuel 13 tells the grisly tale that reads almost like a disturbed soap opera. Amnon raped Absalom’s sister, Tamar and, in revenge, Absalom kills Amnon. Once Absalom returned to Jerusalem, the ticking time bomb was set. Everything exploded when Absalom formed a coalition and turned it into a coup against King David. The Bible says, “And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy with the king for judgement, then Absalom called unto him… and Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.” Eventually, Absalom’s coalitions (forces) reached Jerusalem causing David to
David was a hero to the Israelites because he was able to kill Goliath, who had
The book of 1 Samuel, a part of the Old Testament, sparks the dawn of the United Kingdom of Israel by telling of its first king, Saul. Samuel is one of the first talked about pre-literary prophets in the bible perhaps because he anointed the first king of the United Kingdom. He is a prophet by definition because he possessed the ability to converse with the almighty Yahweh. Samuel and Saul are key players to the rise of the kingdom but Saul runs into trouble and disobeys God, which leads him to his own inevitable demise.
his father and dead mother. David's father has an idealized vision of his son as
David was always a type of person inclined to be melancholy. He was always a religious person. He made sure that he did everything right, because he was afraid of death. He performed all the duties of religion without a true conversion.2
David is the first king that God chooses to lead His people (Saul was chosen by the Israelites). God makes a covenant with him that there will always be a descendant of his on the
David also feels separate from Joseph, his father, and Chris, his brother, who are much different from him. David is inflicted with an emotional and physical scar which is never healed because of an incident with Chris .
Uncle Axel , and The Sealand lady are the three important people in David's life whose
...t his punishments. He knows that in order to be respected, He must follow His words and teach lessons. God develops David into a better ruler, a better man and a better example through punishment and forgiveness.
Uncle Axel , and The Sealand lady are the three important people in David's life whose
Like Moses, David was not a likely choice as a leader. David was a shepherd boy but he displayed incredible courage by killing Goliath. David had been faithful and obedient to God and God saw David’s heart. "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature: because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). David had opportunities to kill Saul but, never desired to do so. David later hand many transgressions during his reign. David had many flaws; he was an adulterer and murderer. He knew he was wrong and always repented and had the desire to please God. God knew none of his people were perfect but he favors those who are obedient. David’s love for God never wavered and was always spiritual and always praised the Lord. He was committed to God. Even when no one else knows if you are faithful, God knows. God has a plan for all of us and we just have to be patient. David was anointed by God. He didn’t compromise and only showed love. Therefore, David was shown favor over Saul by God.