Today, I only have a few notes regarding some verses from 1 Samuel 18 that stood out to me.

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?”

1 Samuel 18:8 (NIV)

Pride is always hungry and never gets its fill. It lies to us and gives us a distorted view of reality. Instead of Saul being content with his accomplishments, he looks upon David with envy. Without a doubt, many soldiers hadn’t slain as many of Israel’s foes as Saul. This is why Scripture reminds us that “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else” (Galatians 6:4 NIV). If we really think about it, we will realize that we don’t even own our accomplishments for I see them as the “good works” God has prepared for us to do in advance (Ephesians 2:10). 

They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”

1 Samuel 18:23 (NIV)

Saul wanted to give David his daughter’s hand in marriage because he had promised it to the man who slew Goliath (cf. 1 Samuel 17:25). When Saul eventually offered his eldest daughter Merab to David to wed. David turned Saul down because he didn’t consider himself or his family worthy of the union with Saul’s family. At least that’s something we can infer from the text (cf. 1 Samuel 18:25). I wonder whether or not that was the whole story because of what we’re told regarding Saul’s other daughter, Michal. 

Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.

1 Samuel 18:20 (NIV)

Often people married for political reasons, establishing connections between different houses. So, when we are told Michal loved David, I see it as something a bit more out of the ordinary and not so much a political alliance but a union based on love. Although David didn’t consider himself worthy of a union with Saul’s family, there was the very real issue of the bride price. What we could consider a dowry of sorts. However, the concept of a dowry today is quite different. In those days, the man paid a price to the bride’s family in either money or through other compensation. We see evidence of this with Jacob and his proposal to Rachel (cf. Genesis 29:18). Jacob didn’t have any money, so he promised to work for Laban for seven years. In David’s case, Saul asked for the foreskins of 100 Philistines (cf. 1 Samuel 18:25). 

It’s in David’s response I see the possibility of a love for Michal he didn’t have for her sister Merab.

When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

1 Samuel 18:26-27 (NIV)

This verse tells us a couple of things that indicate David had a love for Michal. First, we are told that David completed the task “before the allotted time elapsed.” This tells us that Saul had set a time limit on David’s task. Likely because he wanted the Philistines to kill him. The second point of note is that David got twice the number of foreskins than what was required. David didn’t do this out of pride because years later when he wants Michal back, he only mentions the price he paid for her, not what he actually did (cf. 2 Samuel 3:14).

Thanks for stopping by! I pray that you enjoy the rest of this day that the Lord has made. 

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