SAUL FEARS DAVID Saul, who once “loved David greatly, and made him his armor bearer” (1 Samuel 16: 21), began to envy him, as he saw him succeed in every thing he did (1 Samuel 18: 5), and became glorified more than him (1 Samuel 18: 7); For “the Lord was with him, but departed from Saul” (1 Samuel 18: 12). Now, he, in vain, is trying to get rid of him. 1- A covenant between Jonathan and David 1 – 5. 2- Glorifying David more than Saul 6 – 8. 3- Saul tries to kill David 9 – 16. 4- David becomes Saul’s son-in-law 17 – 30. 1- A COVENANT BETWEEN JONATHAN AND DAVID Saul promised to give his daughter in marriage to whoever would kill Goliath, and take away the reproach from Israel; Yet when David realized his demand, Saul did not fulfill his promise, and gave his older daughter ‘Merab’ in marriage to ‘Adriel the Meholathite’; and instead of honoring David, he began to envy him, and to seek to get rid of him some way or another. He deprived him of the reward he promised him; yet the Lord did not forget David, but granted him more abundantly than what Saul promised him: a- Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David as his own soul (1 Samuel 18: 1 - 4). b- David succeeded in every thing he did, to be admired by all the people and by Saul’s men (1 Samuel 18: 5). c- Women came out of the cities of Israel to sing and dance, giving David more dignity than they gave Saul (1 Samuel 18: 6, 7). d- A distressing spirit came upon Saul, to become in need of David’s music to refresh him (1 Samuel 18: 10 - 12). e- Saul deprived David of marrying his daughter ‘Merab’; yet ‘Michel,’ his other daughter loved and married him, and protected him against her father (1 Samuel 18: 20 - 30). In other words, although the world opposes the children of God, assuming that, in its authority, it can deprive them of the fruit of their righteousness and strife, and that it is capable of humiliating them; but “The scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity” (Psalm 125: 3). God, Himself would more abundantly grant them their reward. St. Augustine says: [In the present time, the righteous indeed suffer to a certain extent; and the scepter of wickedness, rests for sometime on the land allotted to the righteous; yet that will not last for long. Christ will come and gather all the nations before him (Matthew 25: 32, 33). You will see several slaves among the sheep, and several masters among the goats and the other way round... For not all slaves are good, and not all masters are wicked1]. Let us get back to the first gift that God gave to David to make up for the promise broken by Saul; namely, Jonathan’s amazing friendship, rarely heard of in history, not even in novels and fiction. Jonathan, Saul’s son, had been a brave man of valor, greatly admired and beloved by the people (1 Samuel 14: 1 - 15). Although he had been the crown prince, he loved David, who got more favor in the sight of the people, as well as of the members of the royal court, more than his own father. His 1 On Ps. 125. 2 father warned him that David might take away the kingdom from him; yet his love, and friendship, were in his eyes, greater than any kingdom. His friendship to David in the Lord, has been in his eyes, more valuable than his obedience to his father outside the Lord! It was said that “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his soul” (1 Samuel 18: 1). Jonathan expressed his inner love for David, of which man can be deprived, even within his family relationships, by giving him the robe that was on him, his sword, bow and belt. He gave him his robe of honor, that he ordinarily wears, as well as his war armor; as a sign of their attachment under all circumstances: in war as well as in peace. The history of the Church presents us with living portraits of friendship in the Lord, through which certain saints were bound together during their spiritual strife, and enjoyed together the fellowship of love in the Holy Trinity. Friendship could not be strong, unless you attach yourself to your friend, by that kind of love, poured by the Holy Spirit that is given in us. St. Augustine1 As those who sit close to the sellers of spices and fragrances, gain some of their fragrance, so we should likewise get close to the wise, teachers, and persons of virtue, in order to follow their example in goodness. St. John Chrysostom2 He who gets attached to men of God, will get rich in God’s secrets; while he who gets attached to the ignorant, and the proud, will get separated from God, and will be hated by his fellow men. There is nothing that inserts purity in our souls, like the company of those people, pure in heart; such friendships would awaken the soul to life. Friendship with active saints, will fill you with God’s secrets. St. John Saba3 If you can not personally be rich with God, get attached to him who is, in order to get as happy as he is, and to learn how to walk according to the Bible. St. Pachomius4 2- GLORIFYING DAVID MORE THAN SAUL After killing Goliath, together with many of the Philistines, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, joyfully singing and dancing to meet the returning warriors, with tambourines and other musical instruments, saying: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18: 7). In stead of being happy for David’s achievement, Saul was very angry and displeased, and “eyed David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 18:9). 3- SAUL TRIES TO KILL DAVID Under the influence of anger and envy, Saul sought to get rid of David, who saved him from his enemies, turning to be an ill-famed bad example. In the apostolic law, it came: [Do not hasten to anger, envy, foul temper, etc., so as not to end up like Cain (Genesis 6), of Saul (1 Samuel 18), and of Joab (2 Samuel 3: 20)5]. . 1 للمؤلف: الحب الأخوي، 1964 ، ص 465 . 2 المرجع السابق، ص 467 . 3 المرجع السابق، ص 467 . 4 المرجع السابق، ص 468 5 Const. of the Holy Apostles 7: 1. 3 Through envy, Saul lost his inner peace, and tried to kill David by any means, even after falling in David’s hands, who refrained from harming him; He even tried to kill his son Jonathan, who tried to defend his friend (1 Samuel 20: 22); killed the priests (1 Samuel 22), and struck ‘Nob’ the city of priests with the edge of the sword (1 Samuel 22: 19). What did envy do to Saul and David? A distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, that made him lose his peace and his mind inside the house; while David, filled with peace, he poured it even over Saul himself, as he played his music to refresh him. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, as though a scepter of the kingdom; and through envy, he cast it twice toward David to kill him, but God saved David (1 Samuel 18: 11). Although David had neither the power nor the weapon to oppose Saul, yet Saul was afraid of him. He felt inferior to David, and his throne shook before that pure young man. Thus, envy would harm him who envies, and not him who is envied! It makes him lose what is inside and outside him, of graces, blessings, and capabilities. Tell me, you who envy others: Why do you envy your brother? Is it because of the earthly blessings he has got? Are they not from the Lord? It is thus obvious that, by your envy, you make God the object of your animosity’; as He is actually the Grantor of that gift. Can you see now the extent of the evil you are committing, and how you are gathering for yourself a crown of sins?! and can you see the pit of revenge you dig for yourself?! St. John Chrysostom1 The adulterer gets a temporary pleasure during his act, then he rejects it... But he who envies, tortures himself, even if he is not harmed by the other party; That is why the sin of envy is the worst and most horrible of sins. St. John Chrysostom2 Envy often alienates wives from their husbands, who forget the good statement of their father Adam: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2: 23). Envy has even destroyed great cities, and strong nations. St. Clement3 Through envy, Saul removed David from his presence; Yet, because he feared the anger of the people and even of the members of his own court, who loved him, he made him captain over a thousand, hoping that he would eventually die in war. David, on the other hand, behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. How wonderful is the phrase: “All Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them” (1 Samuel 18: 16). People like to see their leader going out and coming in before them, and not confined to his own quarters surrounded by a hallow of worldly glory and vain dignity, and by compliments of hypocrites. They like to see him partaking of their life with all its troubles and sufferings; to see him put his life in danger for their sake. What was said here about David carried a shadow of what had been realized in the Person of the Lord Christ (the Son of David). He was loved by all Israel and Judah; namely, by men of the two Testaments: the Old (Israel) and the New (Judah). .398- 1 الحب الأخوي، ص 397 . 2 الحب الأخوي، ص 399 . 3 الحب الأخوي، ص 400 4 All of them looked at Him as the Hope of nations and the Savior of the world; who would recon ciliate humanity with heaven. As to the saying that he “went out and came in before them”; The Lord Christ (went out) to the world to dwell among us; He became the Son of Man to carry us in Him, to renew our nature, to heal our ailments, to fulfill all our needs, and to uproot the devil and all his works, out of us. When He was told: “Everyone is looking for you,” He said to them: “‘Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth’’; and he was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons” (Mark 1: 37 - 39).. He also said: “For I proceeded forth and came from God” (John 8: 42); “I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world. Again I leave the world and go to the Father” (John 16: 42); “They have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me” (John 17: 8). He is “The Sewer who went out to sow” (Matthew 13: 3), His life in us, to carry Him in our depths by His Holy Spirit, the secret of our renewal and sanctification, in order that we are lifted up with Him to His heavens, and inherit the everlasting glory; and there, we would eternally enjoy the Father’s bosom. He also went out of Jerusalem to get crucified on the Mount of Calvary so that “when He is lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Himself (John 12: 32). And as he went out to us, so also He returned to enter, with our nature into His heaven; as He was risen, and ascended to His heavens, “To raise us up together, and to make us sit together in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 2: 6). In short, that is the way of His Kingdom: He went out and came in, to reign in us and we to reign together with Him; “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrew 13: 3), that He would enter with us in Him, to enjoy His glory, and to reign forever. 4- DAVID BECOMES SAUL’S SON-IN-LAW According to Saul’s promise, it was David’s right to marry his older daughter ‘Merab’; But Saul asked him, as a condition, to fight the Lord’s battles; namely, the battles commanded by the Lord; He thought, “Let my hand not be against him, but let the hands of the Philistines be against him” (1 Samuel 18: 17, 18). To this David humbly said to 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?” (1 Samuel 18: 18).He tried by that to quench the fire of envy in Saul’s heart; although David, who was anointed a king by the prophet Samuel, secretly among his brothers, could boast to Saul that he has killed Goliath, and saved the people of God. David humbled himself before Saul, who broke his promise to give him Merab in marriage; and gave her instead to ‘Adriel the Meholathite’ (that means: God is my support); who was called “Meholathite” in reference to ‘Abel Mehola,’ meaning (Place of dancing), in the valley of the Jordan (1 Kings 4: 12). Nowadays it is thought by some to be where ‘Ein-El-Holwa’ is located, 9 1/2 miles south of Bissan. Michel, Saul’s daughter, loved David (1 Samuel 18: 20); yet not as much as Jonathan. After marrying David, Saul gave her to ‘Palti, the son of Laish’ (1 Samuel 25: 44); Yet when David reigned, he got her back (2 Samuel 3: 12 - 16). She criticized David when she saw him leaping and whirling before the ark of the Lord, and despised him in her heart about which David rebuked her on account that her feelings did not demonstrate zeal toward the Lord (2 Samuel 6: 16 - 23). Shrewdly, Saul commanded his servants to communicate with David secretly, concerning his marriage to Michel his younger daughter. Saying that he is poor and lightly esteemed man; and unable to pay the dowry of a king’s daughter, he was told 5 that “the king does not desire any dowry, but 100 foreskins of the Philistines, within a certain period of time. Saul thought to make David fall by the hands of the Philistines; but David and his men killed 200 men before the designated time, and married Michel who loved him. Saul seeing that the Lord was with David grew more afraid of him, and became his enemy continually.
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