Title: 13
Author: JBG
Last saved by: PJ D
Company: GDC

David’s Heir		13-05-09.ES13-22 /

David’s Heir: Saul’s Attack on the Judaic Line: David Is Spiritual, Saul Is Cosmic; David Never Challenged Saul, Jesus Never Challenged Tiberius; David Prospered from Resident Doctrine, 1 Sam 18:5; Saul’s Anger Aroused by Triumphal Paeans, the 1st of 22 Sins Directed toward David, vv. 6–7; God Allows Evil to Continue until It is Revealed to All; David’s Popularity Displeased Saul & He became Suspicious, vv. 8–9; under Demon Influence, Saul Raves while David Plays the Lyre, v. 10
Saul’s Attack on the Judaic Line:
1.	1 Samuel 18 actually begins with verse 5 and introduces Saul’s attempts to murder David, an effort that will consume two chapters.
2.	Nothing infuriates a person in a position of authority more than having a subordinate display greater leadership skills than his.
3.	Saul is said to love David in 1 Samuel 16:21 which we established was a “friendly relationship between men.”

Gerhard Wallis, “bh^a*,” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, rev. ed., eds. G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, trans. John T. Willis (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977), 1:104.

4.	However, when a person is in reversionism he becomes very self-centered and projects wrongdoing on others whenever their actions are perceived as a threat to his status quo.
5.	David is completely innocent of any wrongdoing with regard to Saul.  He is a human illustration of the character of his Greater Son, Jesus Christ, whose wisdom and actions frustrated those who assumed He threatened their status quo.
6.	Get this: David never challenged Saul, his person, or his office because he understood that he was “the Lord’s anointed.”
7.	Get this: Jesus never challenged Tiberius, his person, or his office because He understood that he was “the Lord’s anointed.”
8.	Get this: Jesus Christ is the One that anointed both of them!
9.	David had displayed his loyalty to Saul, his love of country, and his duty to both through his actions in 1 Samuel chapters 16–17.
10.	David’s wisdom, personality, talents, efficiency, and leadership skills were manifested not only to Saul but also to the people of the nation and of Saul’s administration:
1 Samuel 18:5 -	So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war.  And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.  (nasb)
1.	Saul has promoted David to a position in the Israeli army, a commander of a unit of unknown size.  We can guess around 600 men since that is the number of irregulars he commanded when he becomes a fugitive.
2.	Whatever orders Saul issued, David and his man executed them brilliantly.  David is said to have “prospered” on these missions.
3.	The word “prospered” is the Hiphil imperfect of the verb lk^c* (sachal): “acted wisely, insightfully, successfully, prudently.”  The Hiphil stem narrows this down:
Hiphil.  a. Have Insight.  … the verb refers to a person’s insight in the general sense, to the use of common sense.  It means “be reasonable, act responsibly,” “be prudent.”  A prudent person knows how to act in certain situations.  Such persons acquire respect.  (p. 118)
d. Be Successful.  The form refers both to the “deed” and to the “consequence of the deed,” i.e., both to the state of being prudent and to the success deriving from such prudence; as such it can also mean “be successful.”  (p. 122)

K. Koenen, “lk^c*,” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, eds. G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry, trans. Douglas W. Stott (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004), 14:118, 122.

4.	The imperfect tense informs us that this was a continuous action on the part of David.  From this analysis we get the following translation:
1 Samuel 18:5b -	So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and was consistently successful from doctrinal insight …	
5.	David’s insight is from his orientation to the Word of God and his personal integrity enables him to make continuous application of its principles to whatever task Saul assigned.
6.	David’s resultant successes were evident to the people and to those in Saul’s administration.  They are said to be pleased by David’s successes, the Qal imperfect of the verb bf^y* (yatav): “to be good in their eyes /y]u^ (ʻayin).”
7.	This is an idiom referring to an approving public opinion toward David in light of his military successes and it also was true of Saul’s staff.
8.	Public approval is demonstrated by the parades given to Saul after his victories.  The women of the various cities through which Saul’s army passed would meet them dancing, playing instruments, and singing a triumphal paean which included a line that did not sit well with Saul:
1 Samuel 18:6 -	It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments.
v. 7 -	The women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”  (nasb)
9.	Saul’s KIAs sound believable but David’s smacks of hyperbole.  However, the word for “ten thousands” is the noun hb*b*r= (revavah): “a myriad, countless, a multitude, innumerable.”
10.	Ten thousand sounds big enough, but to assert that he has killed more than anyone can count is an even greater insult.  It is at this point that Saul’s depression takes an ominous turn:
1 Samuel 18:8 -	Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him, and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands.  Now what more can he have but the kingdom?  (nasb)
11.	This verse introduces the first two of 22 mental, verbal, or overt sins that will be directed toward David over the course of chapters 18 and 19.
12.	The first is the Qal imperfect of the verb hr*j* (charah): (1) “angry.”  The imperfect tense indicates that this sin would be a continuous mental attitude toward David which was motivated by the women’s paean.

Each of the 22 sins projected by Saul toward David will be indicated by numbers in boldface, red, and highlighted.

13.	Often individuals rise to power because they appear to be a person of honor, they look the part, and talk a good game.  Such was well the case with Eliab, who countenance was so impressive that even the prophet Samuel thought for sure he would be selected Saul’s successor.
14.	But the Lord informed him that man looks on the outward appearance while He looks upon the heart.  (1 Samuel 16:7)
15.	Most politicians make every effort to convince the electorate that they are honest and above board having the best interest of the people and the nation at heart.
16.	Once elected, they are what they are but if found wanting they are in office and the people are stuck with a fraud.  
17.	God has done the people a great service.  They demanded a king and in His infinite wisdom gave them a man that would demonstrate that not just any Tom, Dick, or Saul is cut out for the job.
18.	The man whom the people requested has been exposed as a failure, but the man the Lord anointed as his successor has demonstrated to the joy of the people that he is indeed a man after the Lord’s own heart.
19.	It was important that David’s application of doctrine be displayed for everyone to see.  It is one thing to have a high inventory of biblical principles, it is quite another to have the capacity and courage to apply that information when placed under pressure.
20.	Again David is presented as an illustration of his Greater Son’s application under pressure during the course of the Incarnation.
21.	Whereas David was applauded by the people, he was an object of Saul’s displeasure.  David was a hero, the people loved him, and sang songs of tribute.  Saul immediately discerns that David is a legitimate threat to Saul’s throne and to his bloodline.
22.	His anger is accompanied by displeasure which in the Hebrew is two words; first, the Qal imperfect of the verb uu^r* (raʻaʻ): to be evil in one’s opinion, plus the noun /y]u^ (ʻayin): “the eye.”  Together they form an idiom that means “to be evil in one’s eyes.”  The single word (2) “displeased” is used by all the modern translations and we will stay with that.
23.	You can be displeased with someone because he demonstrates poor behavior.  Here Saul’s displeasure with David is because he did perform so well the king suspects he will soon turn his eyes toward the kingdom.
24.	This suspicion is noted next:
1 Samuel 18:9 -	Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.  (nasb)
25.	The word “suspicion” is the Qal active participle of the verb /w^u* (ʻawan): “to observe someone with a critical and questioning attitude,” i.e., Saul was (3) suspicious of David without cause.
26.	Again we see a parallel with Jesus in his encounter with a man with a withered hand in Luke 6:6–10.  When he healed the man it upset the scribes and Pharisees:
Luke 6:11 -	But they [ scribes and Pharisees ] were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do with Jesus.
27.	Both Saul and the Lord’s religious opponents during the Incarnation will eventually come to the same conclusion: they will a try to kill their perceived adversaries.
28.	Absent the enduement of the Holy Spirit and ensconced in the throes of reversionism, Saul is vulnerable to demon influence:
1 Samuel 18:10 -	Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he (4) raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand.  (nasb)

© 2013 by Joe Griffin Media Ministries.  All rights reserved.	www.joegriffin.org