David And Saul (3)

by Robertson, A. B. | Category: The Life And Times Of David | Mar 1972

That God intended Israel to have a king is plain from what Jacob says of Judah (Gen. 49:10), and from the words of Moses in Deut. 17:14,15. But Saul, the first king of Israel, matched the people's view of kingship, physical size and strength, in contrast to Samuel's, spiritual and intellectual greatness. Saul suited Israel's estimate of the times, and Saul himself saw no further. As he saw it, founding a dynasty (which became his chief preoccupation) depended on his matching the people's idea of kingship, with little thought for God's purposes for His chosen and established nation.

The remarkable things which happened to Saul when he met Samuel should have influenced him for life. Never should he have assumed the arrogance which gave him to feel self-sufficient. God had saved His people and was now renounced

-a humbling rather than an inflating circumstance for Saul. But man of the flesh that he was he set himself to be the arbiter and leader in all Israel's activities.

"He did valiantly ... and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them" (1 Sam. 14:48). But although Saul was a notable warrior his restraint in the matter of Amalek was a disaster and all that follows derives from that. He failed to be God's instrument and thus lost a glorious place in Israel's history. It had been prescribed, "Write this for a memorial in a book... that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven" (Exod. 17:14). Saul should have known God's purpose but he was out of tune with divine purposes, and from this point "the LORD repented that He had made Saul king over Israel". in the Song of the Bow, David says of Saul and Jonathan, "They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions", and it may be that Saul's defects were covered by the valour of Jonathan.

Certain it is that the discredited, frustrated man for whom David played the harp had missed his opportunities because he was self-centred not God-centred, carnally-minded not spiritually-minded. The contrast between David and Saul at their first meeting was indeed great-the big, violent tormented king (now feared by Samuel) and the handsome shepherd boy with his harp. Of all David's gifts (and they initially commended David to Saul), cunning in playing, mighty in valour and prudent in speech, the most important thing is found in the significant statement, "the LORD was with him". He was such a man who could have benefited Saul immensely, and in many fields of activity, but David's ready acceptance of the God's place for him was not matched by a similar subjection to the LORD by Saul.

Variously, it says of Saul's attitude towards David, "He loved him greatly" when they first met (1 Sam. 16:21). After the slaying of Goliath "he eyed David", saying "what can he have more but the kingdom?" when they ascribed to David the slaying of "ten thousands". "Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him... he stood in awe of him ... and Saul was David's enemy continually" (1 Sam. 18:12,15,29).

Saul's unwillingness to accept David, or tolerate that there was room in Israel for David's gifts and ability, had far-reaching effects for king and people, for they had to follow the king's lead and David was outlawed. It is clear that for a man to fill a useful place amongst God's people there must be a readiness in others to make room for him. Especially is this required of leaders. Personal ambition consumed Saul, and he sought to elevate himself in his own eyes by denigrating David. Saul's initial fondness for David would have grown to Saul's personal benefit, but the fearful deterioration in Saul's attitude and affections resulted from his refusal to accept God's choice and purposes for himself or anyone else. If he would not listen to Samuel (1 Sam. 15:26-29) about God's will, then events and the personal achievements of David should have taught him to go carefully. Sad that he did not live by the opinion he later expressed in 1 Sam. 24:20,21, "I know that thou shalt surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand".

Yet love of the self-abasing sort is not natural to us, and the New Testament epistles keep this much before the people of God today. It is hard for proud men to esteem others better than themselves, yet it is what makes for co-operation and success in a common task. We must learn about each other the place God has for each, and as the Lord shows in John 15, and Paul in 1. Cor. 13, love is the key.

It is especially important that leaders, overseers and any who can influence the lives and activities of others should make all feel they have a place in divine service, and even set about finding activities in which the Spirit of God may use all. Saul tried to deny to David the place of usefulness that was his, and worse, he denied to the people the benefit and blessings of David's service. Who can tell what blessings would have come to all if Saul and David could have spent those years in harmony instead of bitterness? Much surely, and to God's glory among the nations.

Both Saul and David were instructed by Samuel and knew that God spoke by the seer. Saul quickly stopped listening, but David always valued Samuel highly. It was primarily need of understanding and comfort that sent David to Samuel in 1 Sam. 19 to tell "him all that Saul had done to him", but remarkable things happened t6 Saul when he came seeking David, then staying with Samuel. "The spirit of God dame upon him ... and he prophesied" which so astonished men that they said, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" His life and nature were so much at variance with this. David conferred often with Samuel it seems, and 1 Chron. 9:22 throws light on the benefit to king and people in priestly matters that Samuel's advice and experience had-"David and Samuel the seer did ordain".

Their respective attitudes to divine service and a house for God were widely disparate. Such was the poverty of heart in Israel that the ark and house had no importance for them in Saul's time. Saul had clothed the daughters of Israel in scarlet and put ornaments of gold upon their apparel, as David said in 2 Sam. 1, but did nothing to promote the worship of God. His slaying of the priests accords with his view of their importance. All Israel supported him and there was nothing for God. In contrast, amongst the first of David's royal commands was to bring back the ark and give divine service the place of prominence in Israel. Certainly his great desire was a house for God and bringing Israel to a condition consonant with God's longing for a holy nation. His psalms must have filled the homes and hearts of Israel with new thoughts and values.

Although David fell in the way men will who give in to carnal motives, the way to God in contrition was open to him, and the humbled figure of Psalm 51 is not matched by anything in Saul's life. Rather his reaching out to the evil spirit world of witchcraft, while showing he felt personal insufficiency, displays the depravity of mind to which his pride and rebellion had brought him. He could only die on the battlefield. After resorting to witchcraft there was no place left for him to go to.

Saul's indictment is that his pride and rebellion brought shame on himself, his family and the people. He brought ~ear and dismay on the godly, while strengthening God's enemies. At his end was poverty and shame. How full, by contrast, was David who gave his treasure at the last, "a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it unto the house of my God". Saul was a man trapped in the confines of his pride while David was free to reach the heights of faith's achievements. David was plainly the man after God's heart.

Robertson, A. B. | Mar 1972
The Life And Times Of David