I Samuel 18
Wednesday, 2nd August 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
V1-3 ‘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.’ Saul could not remember who David was despite of how David has been serving before him and playing the harp for him. On the other hand, Saul’s son Jonathan loved David, and was willing to offer his life for David.
V20-21 ‘Now Michal, 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.”’ Saul wanted to kill David, he was plotting against David, but David was simple, he only saw things on the appearance, and he was happy to be uplifted by Saul, his king. And God is faithful, God granted David victory against the Philistines. We don’t have to be afraid of people, just be simple and be who God places us to be, no matter how people treat us, when we focus on God, then we will always be on the winning side.
V25-27 ‘Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred 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 Michal his daughter as a wife.’ Saul only asked for 100 foreskins of Philistines but David went and got 200. He was young and he was in an urge to show off himself. God still protected him and granted him victory, but we know that later in David’s life, he came across many troubles, then he learnt to rely on God and always seek God before every battle.
V28-30 ‘Thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, 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.’ David treasured what God gave to him, the slingshot and he defeated Goliath. When we received God’s blessings, do we complain, or do we really see them as treasures in our lives that can bring us to victory? On the other hand, Saul did not treasure what God gave to him, he was jealous of David l, he pushed away David and he was also afraid of David. God has left Saul, and he continued to live in fear and darkness until the end.