DAVID MUST DIE! A Period Of Stalemate Is Followed By A Period In Which Saul Is Determined That David Must Definitely Die, Which Results In David Taking Refuge With Samuel. Saul, obsessed with jealousy and fears for his throne could only view David's continuing growth in popularity with suspicion.... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL IS DETERMINED THAT DAVID SHOULD DIE, BUT JONATHAN INTERCEDES FOR HIM AND HIS FATHER ALTERS HIS POSITION (1 SAMUEL 19:1). While his followers did not fully appreciate how bad he was Saul was now a very sick man. He was seriously mentally unstable, an instability almost certainly brought on by h... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL MAKES FURTHER ATTEMPTS ON DAVID'S LIFE (1 SAMUEL 19:8). David's great success in the wars with the Philistines continued so that Israel continued to enjoy their freedom from oppression. And when battle was again joined Israel were victorious and slew many Philistines with the result that the Ph... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL SEEKS TO HAVE DAVID ARRESTED WITH A VIEW TO EXECUTION (1 SAMUEL 19:11). This incident may well have occurred some time after the previous one. Saul has now determined that David must be got rid of. But the only problem that Saul had was that it had to be done legally. Thus his intention was pr... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID TAKES REFUGE WITH SAMUEL AT RAMAH AND WHEN SAUL TRIES TO TAKE HIM HE DISCOVERS THAT YHWH HAS OTHER MEANS OF PREVENTING HIM FROM DOING SO (1 SAMUEL 19:18). Recognising that Saul was seeking his life David turned to the only one with the power to help him, Samuel, the prophet of YHWH, who had e... [ Continue Reading ]