Saul Attempts to Get David Killed

Saul’s attempts to kill David had failed, as had his effort to get him out of the public eye, David’s increasing popularity began to be a real concern for Saul, but it was apparent any open attack would turn people against him.  Believing David was trying to take over the kingdom, Saul decided to use his ambition to destroy David, in I Samuel 18:17.    “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.”

 

Like most selfish people, Saul did not love even his own, children, just using and manipulating them to get his way,  David was not interested in marrying Saul’s daughter to gain power, so Saul broke his promise, trading her for benefits from someone else, as I Samuel 18:18-19 describes.  “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?  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.”

 

David had not been interested in Saul’s oldest daughter, but his youngest developed a crush on Him and Saul decided to use it against him, in I Samuel 18:20-23a.  “And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.  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.  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.  And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. …”

 

David liked Michal, but he didn’t feel like he could afford the dowry he would need to marry the king’s daughter.   Saul had his servants tell David that he would accept proof that he had killed a hundrd Philistines would be payment enough., in I Samuel 23b-25.  “…And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?  And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.  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.”

 

David liked Michal and the offer sounded Good.  Not being conniving like Sau, he never thought that the offer was made in the hopes that in trying to kill a hundred Philistines within a set amount of time, one of them would kill him, so David agreed, fulfilling and exceeding the agreement, in I Samuel 18:26-27.  “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.  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.”

 

David’s success in killing not just one hundred but two hundred Philistines and his growing popularity made Saul more jealous of him.  He became increasingly concerned that David would kill him and seize the kingdom, as I Samuel 18:28-29 describes.  “And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.  And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.”  Saul became obsessed with trying to get rid of David.