seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Samuel 18:5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.
6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.”
8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.
10 The next day an evil[a] spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14 In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.
6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.”
8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.
10 The next day an evil[a] spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14 In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.
a. 1 Samuel 18:10 Or a harmful
I've been making "crazy" cracks for a few days. I knew Saul was going crazy.
Saul knows, the way things stand, his days as king of Israel are numbered. When he didn't wait for Samuel to intercede for him, he cooked his own goose. Saul, IMHO, is a megalomaniac. He's a spoiled pretty boy from a good family. He's not use to having good things taken from him. He's always been the center of his own universe. Samuel yelled at him and left him.... 1 Samuel 15:22-23.
When those girls started singing in the street... Saul would have been thrilled over all that magnificent revelry in his name... wait... they're singing for David.... oooohhh that just makes him crazy.
This is from Bible.org.
Do the women mean anything by what they are singing? I hardly think so. They are jubilant, rejoicing over the victory God has given them. Saul has contributed much in previous times; David has just contributed more. Saul, the man who was less than eager to become first in the land, is now greatly distressed that the people consider him second and David first. Here is a man who has been told that his kingdom will end, and he now has a very strong premonition (if the anointing of David has not become known to him somehow) that David is the one who will replace him. The women are singing and dancing, but Saul is not tapping his toe. His toes have been stepped on, and the song is not one that makes him wish to “sing along.” Everyone else is celebrating, joyful at the victory God brings about through David -- except Saul. There is now a very ugly look on his face, and from this moment on, he looks upon David with a suspicious eye.
We all know that Saul has some really bad days brought about by the “evil spirit from the Lord,” which comes on him from time to time. David is hired, part-time, to play his harp for Saul and thus to calm his troubled soul (16:14-23). David is now a full-time employee of Saul, and part of his duties are to continue playing the harp when Saul is troubled. The trouble with Saul’s troubles is that David has become his biggest problem (in his mind, at least). Saul’s jealousy turns to murder in verses 10-12.
Have you ever been on hold.... you know, that terminal hold that lasts so long you put the phone on speaker and lay it on a table while you get on with life.... and gone slightly insane with the wait. You know that horrible music they use.... the music that is supposed to soothe the soul while you are on terminal hold. You know how that music is no use after a while on hold.... and you feel like slinging that poor phone with the hardworking speaker option through a window. That's a blip compared with how crazy a man would have to be to pick up a spear and throw it at the musician. That music is designed to calm the soul while you are stuck on hold. David's music was to calm Saul's soul..... but David was so good at everything... that was driving Saul crazy....
Saul just can't stand being second.... He's the center of his own universe.... there is not room for David in that universe.... so David has to go. I know... it's crazy....
