Study Desk

David replied to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven's Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord 's battle, and he will give you to us!"

(David took the Philistine's head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man's armor in his own tent.)

The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand,

and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.

But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.

One day Saul said to David, "I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord 's battles." For Saul thought, "I'll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself."

"Here's another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!" Saul said to himself. But to David he said, "Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!"

he told them, "Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want." But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.

Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David,

But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the Lord suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp,

Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.

Then Saul sent troops to watch David's house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't escape tonight, you will be dead by morning."

But Saul sent the troops back to get David. He ordered, "Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!"

But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat's hair at its head.

he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men, and they also began to prophesy.

When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time.

But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth!

Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, "Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won't tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?' But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!"

David replied, "Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I've always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I'll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day.