Jonathan is David's friend. Saul is his enemy. 1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. 5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. 11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. LECTURE 480. The growth of envy and jealousy in the heart. Jonathan had for his part gained no less remarkable a victory than David. How pleasant to find, that this instead of tempting them to be rivals, disposed them to be friends! And yet it was not when David had first slain Goliath, but when "he had made an end of speaking unto Saul," that "the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." How remarkable a proof, that his humility was more to his honour than his victory! How useful a hint to us, in choosing friends, to be guided, not so much by their distinguished actions, as by their not being elated by distinction! "And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle." With those hands that were so lately spoiling enemies, he now strips himself, that he may enrich his friend. Oh happy they who are ready to give such tokens of regard, to all whom they have been instructed to treat as friends; who instead of spoiling others are apt to deny themselves, that they may have the more to give to them that need! But if David has quickly found a friend in Jonathan, he is soon also to find an enemy in Saul. For "it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." This praise of his great action, injudiciously set forth in Saul's presence, and to the disparagement of Saul's own successes, fills the heart of the king with anger, envy, and jealousy. This shews us what care we ought to take, lest we minister temptation to these evil passions, by our want of consideration and discretion. And it shews us also, how watchful we ought to be over our own hearts, lest we be tempted by any such praise given to our brethren, to be angry, envious, or jealous, ourselves. "And Saul eyed David from that day and forward." Have we never been inclined thus to look with an evil eye on those, whose eminence, as we suppose, interferes with ours? Has their praise never been unwelcome to our ears? Is not their success even now a grievance to our hearts? Let us see in Saul what comes of cherishing tempers such as these. "It came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house." He spoke now under a supernatural influence for evil. He raved in his phrenzy. And when David, as in former times, tried to soothe him with his harp, he cast the javelin, and thought to smite him even to the wall. He failed; and he was the more afraid of him. He removed David to distant service. But David still "behaved himself wisely;" for "the Lord was with him." And the better he behaved himself, and the more he was esteemed, so much the more did Saul both fear him, and also again afterwards seek his life to destroy it. Let us beware then of the beginnings of envy. Let us watchfully suppress the first thought of jealousy. And if we find that we cannot hear the praise of others without pain, let us know that we are entering upon a path, which will soon bring us, unless we instantly turn back, to hearing even of their death with joy. Saul giveth David his daughter Michal to wife. 17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. 18 And David said unto 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? 19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. 20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain. 22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law. poor man, and lightly esteemed? 24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David. 25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired. 27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. 28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him. 29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually. 30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by. LECTURE 481. 23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a The connexion of humility and a meek temper. When Goliath was defying Israel, it was said amongst the Israelites, probably on Saul's authority, "it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.” Ch. 17. 25. The thought of turning this promised reward into a snare to compass David's death, was worthy of the evil spirit which now dwelt in Saul. And there can be little doubt that it was on the ground of fulfilling this promise, that Saul proposed to give, first his elder daughter Merab, and afterwards Michal his younger daughter, to David, to wife. "But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines." Thus he thought, when he fixed upon the slaughter of one hundred of the enemy, as the dowry by which David was to win the hand of Michal. And in like manner, when he proposed to give him Merab, he had said in his heart, "Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him." When we are prompted to seek our ends by a crooked path, we have reason to suspect, that they are such as we ought to be ashamed to seek at all. And if, after promising to confer a benefit, we should feel inclined to make it the occasion of injury or affront, we may be sure that there must be an evil spirit at work within our hearts. Saul could not well have put a greater slight on David, than after promising him his daughter Merab, to give her straightway to another husband. We may well therefore observe here David's meekness of temper, in submitting patiently to this aggravated insult, and in receiving afterwards without distrust and without reproach the offer of Saul's younger daughter's hand. In both cases he referred to his own lowly condition in life, as unfitting him to be son in law to the king. And when in the latter case the dowry which he was to give was fixed, for it was then the custom to give a dowry to the father of the bride, he immediately fulfilled the proposed condition twice over; as not doubting that Saul would keep his word, not reproaching him for having broken it once before, and not pleading, as he justly might have done, that he had already amply earned his wife's hand, by slaying Goliath of Gath. See the close connexion between a meek temper and humility. See how much it helps us to put up with affronts from others, if we are accustomed to think humbly of ourselves. What can they say of us, worse than we think of our own unworthiness? How can they manifest a more unfavourable opinion, than we are accustomed to entertain, of our own failings, and faults? However dark a spot they may point out in our character, whether truly or falsely, we could tell them of something which appears to us still darker. Rate us as low as they will, they cannot rate us lower than we stand in our own eyes. And therefore instead of taking offence at their wrongful usage, and unkind words, we are only thereby reminded the more forcibly, how infinitely beyond our deserts we are kindly spoken to, and mercifully dealt with, by the pure and perfect God. Saul is reconciled; but soon 1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. 2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. 4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: 5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? 6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain. 7 And Jonathan called David, andJonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. again seeketh to kill David. 9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. 11 Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. 12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. 13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. 15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. 16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster. 17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee? LECTURE 482. 8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew Of overcoming falsehood by truth. Jonathan sets in the right view his father's purpose; it was sin: |