David - episode 3

We return to talk about David’s story; we are in chapter 18 and following of the first Book of Samuel. Seeing that the boy succeeds in all enterprises that are entrusted to him, King Saul becomes increasingly jealous and he repeatedly tries to kill him. «Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. [...] Saul said, “You shall tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. The days were not expired; and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines one hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife. Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually». Other attacks against David are foiled by his wife Michal and by Jonathan, his friend for life and son of the king (Saul will harshly insult him for saving David). David himself has to start a wandering life, perpetually escaping from Saul’s threats. «Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men». Saul is even ruthless towards the priests of Nob, who hosted David unaware of the king’s rivalry. They will all be killed, except Abiathar, who takes refuge by the son of Jesse. David, conversely, has twice the possibility to kill Saul, in the desert, and always refuses to do it. «The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put forth my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed». Saul gives Michal his daughter to another man.

To find a little more stability David has to take refuge outside of Israel with his former enemies: the Philistines. Ironically, they host and protect Goliath’s slayer, a man who was their arch enemy in many battles. «It happened in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel», but David will be laid off, fearing that he would aid his people in fighting and he would not be faithful to his new allies. Meanwhile «Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Saul had removed the mediums, and spiritists, from the land. The Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. When Saul inquired of the LORD, The LORD did not answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets». Saul then decides to use a prohibited practice, which he himself banned from Israel. He asks his servant, a woman who has a familiar spirit, to evoke her Prophet Samuel’s spirit.

 

 

The woman’s attempt succeeds and Samuel speaks. «Why then do you ask of me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary? The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David. Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD, and did not execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the LORD will deliver Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will deliver the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines». It happens as the prophet’s spirit said. «Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines followed hard on Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together».

The king’s and his sons’ bodies are hung on the walls of the city of Beth Shan. Some valiant men of Jabesh Gilead, who in the past were saved from the Ammonites by Saul (1 Sam 11), manage to take them down and they bury them. This is the end of the first Book of Samuel; in the next post we will continue David’s story.