I Samuel Chapter 18 "Saul's
Fear and Hostility to David [12-19]." This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription is provided with written permission by http://www.theseason.org We have been given the key of David, and that key always fits the lock to open the doors of our mind to where we will never have to be deceived. God's Word becomes understandable when we see the flow of truth released, revealing the stones, which are the genealogies not only of David, but also of Cain. Understanding who the Kenites are in these final days is the key to the understanding of how and why those events spoken of in Revelation will take place. The Kenites are those that claim to be of the the Jews, where in fact they are not, but of the synagogue of Satan. David had fought the giant Goliath and killed him. Saul had promised that who ever killed the giant would receive his daughters hand in marriage, be rich, and his father's land would be free from taxes. The question in this eighteen chapter is whether Saul would hold true to those promises. I Samuel 18:1 "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Jonathan was the first born, or prince of Saul's kingdom and it was his right to inherit the throne. Jonathan loved David, just as all the people loved David. Jonathan was not jealous of David, but cared and respected him because of his courage and talents. Jonathan liked David's style [soul], which is the real person within your body. Your spirit is the intellect of your soul, and reveals the character that you really are. I Samuel 18:2 "And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house." This is one of the things that Samuel the prophet warned the people of when they were crying out for a king. Samuel told the people that a kings would take your sons and daughters and put them in his servants, and not allow them to return home to the duties of their family's home. I Samuel 18:3 "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul." This was done to show David his confidence that he had in David, and to give David his brotherly love. Remember that Jonathan was the chief prince of Israel, and for Jonathan to have done this for David shows just how much love Jonathan had for David. There was a separation between the government, which was the judgeship of Israel, and the church or priesthood. God made that separation when the people cried out and asked for a king to rule over them. Jonathan was to be first in line to the throne over all Israel. However David had also been anointed by Samuel to be king in due time, but there still was no jealousy between these two men. The act of making this covenant would be sealed by the exchanging of garments and things that were held in great value, such as the robes and sword. I Samuel 18:4 "And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle." I Samuel 18:5 "And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself 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." This means that David always used common sense no matter where he was, or what he was doing. You can never go wrong when you use your good common sense to guide your actions. David was a person that could be trusted, and Saul set David over his entire army, as well as the servants that were in his service. This was the highest rank that could be achieved in Israel, accept for being the king, and all those that saw David and were under him, loved and respected David. I Samuel 18:6 "And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick." I Samuel 18:7 "And the women answered one another as they played, and said, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." " This was the start of trouble, for Saul was the king. Saul's own people were claiming that David is ten times greater than Saul. This was the start of the jealousy wedge that will come between Saul and David. I Samuel 18:8 "And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "Then have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom." As dumb as Saul was, a man that couldn't keep track of his father's donkeys, now has figured out that things are just not right. When Saul adds the numbers up, he finds that the people consider David ten times greater than he. Saul knew that he was the king, and that he himself had put David in this elevated position in Israel. Satan has sent an evil spirit upon Saul and Saul is listening to that evil spirit. Jealousy is one of Satan's favorite tools, for he can take two good Christians and put the wedge of jealousy between them. Then in no time at all have those two people fighting between one another, just like the heathen do. They will take small innocent things and elevate the most innocent words to the point of hatred between them. Satan uses his evil spirits to move people that are not focused on what is happening around themselves. It seems that the first thing that we do when we are jealous over something is to take it out on the one that we love the most. And when we do this, Satan has won his victory, for he has made a chump out of the one that is open to and will listen to his evil spirits. I Samuel 18:9 "And Saul eyed David from that day and forward." Saul placed the evil eye upon David, the eye of jealousy. I Samuel 18:10 "And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand." God didn't cause the evil spirit to come upon Saul, but He allowed it. Satan's evil spirits were there with Saul, and Saul was open to the temptations of Satan's evil spirits. The demonics captured Saul this time, and when David played on the harp for Saul, just like the other times, Saul took the javelin in his hand. I Samuel 18:11 "And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, "I will smite David even to the wall with it." And David avoided out of his presence twice." In the phrase "...avoid out of his presence twice"; is in reference to another attempt of Satan to thwart Jehovah's purpose, as written in Genesis 3:15. The purpose was to prevent the "Seed of the woman", who is Jesus Christ, from coming into the world. Genesis 3:15 "And I [God] will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman [Eve], and between thy [Satan's] seed [the Kenites] and her Seed [Jesus Christ]. It [Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan's] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise His [Christ's] heel." Eve's Seed is our Lord Jesus Christ, while Satan's seed through Eve were the Kenites. The Kenites are the religious leaders that took the life of Jesus on the cross, and when Jesus gave up his life, the judgment that God placed on Satan back in the first earth age, became final. Through the cross Satan was defeated, for Satan is death and God defeated death on the cross. This is the start of understanding both the "parable of the fig tree", and the "Key of David". In all the Gospels Jesus warned us to "Learn the parable of the fig tree". Hebrews 2:14 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself [Jesus Christ] likewise took part of the same; that through death He Jesus the Christ] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" Satan's evil spirits have been working all through this earth age of the flesh, and those that don't believe in evil spirits are blind to many things that are going on in the world. Today you can even call it negative thought, and it is present and real. There isn't a spirit behind every bush, but you had better be awake and recognize them when they come in your presence. When evil spirits come around you, order them back to where they came from, in the name of Jesus. God has given us power over all of our enemies, and those evil spirits must flee in your presence, when the Holy Spirit is within you and around you. Of course when Christ is in you, Satan will run from you, for you and the Holy Spirit do the battle with him. So don't let Satan and evil spirits fool around with you, your family and those near to you through jealousy, strife, envy or any other tool that Satan uses to perform his work. Saul did not call on God's Spirit, but played around with evil spirits. I Samuel 18:12 "And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul." Saul knew that the Lord was with David, because when David went up against the giant, David let it be know that it was the Lord that delivered the enemy into his hand. You see just how stupid Saul was in all his actions, from his job on the farm, to seeking a holy man to tell him where his donkeys were. Saul's entire life displayed his ignorance, and stupidity. When the people cried out for a king, Saul was the man that God sent to them, and the people loved Saul at the beginning. Saul was the keeper of asses, which are unclean animals, where as sheep are clean animals, and the symbol of our people. David was the keeper of sheep, and he defended those sheep from what ever harm would come to them. When one would be under attack by a lion or bear, David would slay the attacker, and defend his sheep. Saul was unable to even keep track of the few donkeys left in his care. We can see a great difference in the personalities of these two men. I Samuel 18:13 "Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the People." Saul demoted David when he could not slay him. Saul demoted David to litter more than a company commander, for his prior position as supreme commander of all the forces. Before David was head over all the army, as well as the servants. Saul made it known that David was no longer the top man in the military to all the people, and David did not complain at all. We will see that David will do quite well even with his thousand men. We are to follow the Lord no matter what position we are placed in, and we are to trust him in all our duties. God knows what He is doing, and you are put in the place where God wants you, when you are in His will. I Samuel 18:14 "And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him." You just can't go wrong when you behave wisely, and stay in the ways of the Lord. With God's blessings and by using good common sense, we are always to think ahead in all that we do. Pay attention to what is going on around you, for when our heavenly Father's Word is in our forehead, which is our minds, we will know what to expect. I Samuel 18:15 "Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him." I Samuel 18:16 "But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them." The People watched as this was all taking place, and they saw in David a sincere man. David never displayed jealousy, but accepted the role that he was in. Everybody loved David. God blessed David and it showed in all areas of his life. God is the same today as He was in David's day, and He will bless you when you are in and doing His will. I Samuel 18:17 "And Saul said to David, "Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles." For Saul said, "Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him." Saul tried to kill David and he failed, so he decided to send David into the heat of the battle against the Philistines. Let the Philistines kill him, and David's blood will not be on my hands. This is what Saul was plotting against David. I Samuel 18:18 "And David said unto 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?" David was a humble man, and he knew his role and the place of his family in the community. Saul was offering David a spot in the royal family, and David sincerely did not see himself as a prince of the land. The son in law to the king was a very high position, with many honors and wealth. I Samuel 18:19 "But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife." This is the only time in all Scripture that Adriel is mentioned, and the only thing that we know of him was that he was a resident of Meholah, which in the Hebrew means "to dance". It is obvious that Saul is not a keeper of his word, but there is nothing new in politics. I Samuel 18:20 "And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him." "Merab" had a younger daughter, only this other daughter of Saul's loved David. In marriage to Michal, David will still be the son in law of Saul. I Samuel 18:21 "And Saul said, "I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Wherefore Saul said to David, "Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain." "In the one of the twain" refers to the fact that Saul is still trying to keep his word to David, however now Saul is going to require two things of David before he can marry Michal, the king's daughter. The first promise by Saul was that he would give his daughter to the one that killed Goliath, and David had already done that, so now another requirement or condition to be met is added to that promise. I Samuel 18:22 "And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, "Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and the king's son in law." " This, of course, is a lie for Saul in his state of jealousy did not have any delight in David. In fact Saul hated David and everything about David. Saul was trying to talk David into going out against the Philistines to do battle with them, for the sake of having the Philistines kill David. See the plot that Saul is trying to drum up to kill David? I Samuel 18:23 "And Saul's servant spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, "Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?" David's father was a rich man, but because David was called into the service of the king, David was not rich like his father. David is rich, however, because of the blessings that God has given to him. David has already been anointed by Samuel, chosen by God as a man after God's own heart. David is within the Father's family a far greater man that Saul was. The true King is still the Living God, and He has always been our King and always will be our King. David was the man that the true King will come into this world in the form of flesh, and that is far greater than just being the son in law of this earthly king called Saul. Knowing the lineage of Jesus Christ is part of the "key of David", that unlocks the knowledge of all the Scriptures to us. Even though David was a champion of the People, take note of how humble David was through all that was happening here. Even this is part of the "key of David", for David always gave God all the credit for all the victories that he had. With the "key of David" you will be able to unlock many doors that most people just can't see. I Samuel 18:24 "And the servant of Saul told him Saying, "On the manner spake David." " I Samuel 18:25 "And Saul said, "thus shall ye say to David, `The king desireth not any dowery, but an hundred forskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies.' " But Saul thought to make David fall by hand of the Philistines." Saul wanted David killed in the act of acquiring these hundred foreskins of Philistines soldiers. Saul knew that the act of getting these foreskins would be a great insult to them. I Samuel 18:26 "And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired." This looses a little in the translation, but it means that the days given to him that he would accomplish this, had not started very good. However David was anxious to get it done, and take Michal for his wife. In short this is saying that David did not delay in getting this job done. I Samuel 18:27 "Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife." I'm sure that when Saul saw David walking in with two hundred foreskins of Philistine soldiers, he was shocked. David gave Saul the full story as to how they were taken, and thus Saul had to give Michal to David to be his wife. I Samuel 18:28 "And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him." I Samuel 18:29 "And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and became David's enemy continually." The lesson to learn from this chapter is, when you know that someone around you has an evil or mean spirit, be wise and cautious of them, and their actions. Use intelligence and common sense when you are around them, for though they may sound good and boast you up for a while, but you can be assured that they are plotting and looking for the chance to tare you down. Don't allow them to use your words against you. Satan's method of operation is to compliment and build you up to the point that you let your guard down, and then attack when you are at your weakest moment. When you have friends like that, you don't need enemies. When you are in God's Spirit and use common sense, God will give you the unction to see through those that would do you harm. Be alert and use the key of David to discern the evil spirits that are trying to do their work around you. The point here is that you be aware of those things, and not worry about it. This also does not mean that you have to be a second class citizen, and allow people to take advantage of you twice. You can give the opening to a person to take advantage of you once, but don't let it happen to you again by that same person. I Samuel 18:30 "Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by." The people came to rely on David's words, and David was in a position to where he had to act wisely. David was anointed by God to be the next king, and he knew it. David knew that God wanted to be the people's King, and David did not want to step into a place that God had reserved for Himself. This is just the start of the battle that will continue between Saul and David. From this point on, David will have to be on guard continually against the evil plots of Saul.
Home .~ Plough .~ Seeds .~ Vine .~ Potter .~ Seasons .~ Sonshine .~ Rain .~ Field |