For many years, David has been one of my favorite Bible characters. He has become a friend to turn to, and his life has encouraged mine. I especially resonate with his earliest years; the ones spent preparing for his leadership role in Israel. Many of those years were spent on the run, and the sweet psalmist of Israel penned many of his best works during that chaotic time. Because the texts explaining his life are precious to me, I am going to write a series of articles on the early years of David's life (1 Samuel 16-2 Samuel 1), with some snapshots of his later years on the throne (2 Samuel 2-24) and I will release these teachings once per month. As always, thank you for reading and I pray God ministers to your heart as we inspect His word. You can find all articles here.
David was a God-hearted man, and his defeat of Goliath was evidence of his deep love and reverence for the Lord. David believed in God when no one else would and was willing to fight for God’s reputation and name. He trusted in the living God. While Israel fixated on the giant they could see, David focused on the God they could not.
As grand as David’s victory over Goliath was, it did not propel him to the throne of Israel. Goliath may have been God’s way of demonstrating to the nation what was in David’s heart, but over a decade lay between Goliath and David’s coronation. Those years were not wasted with God, for He used them to shape and refine David’s heart and nature. A young man who was in love with God, David needed the refinement that only a walk through the valley of the shadow of death with His shepherd could give him. So God shaped David, and our next episode in his life is emblematic of that shaping process.
God desires to shape all His people. “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed,” the Bible says, “into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). In other words, as we spend time with Jesus (for He is “the glory of the Lord” we are to behold), we are changed into the same image and become increasingly like the One we worship and love. He shapes us and refines us, using everything at His disposal to do so.
And so it was with David. God would use everything at His disposal to shape His man. Friends and foes, evil plots and assassination attempts, pitfalls and successes would all be used by God to develop His man.
Shaped by a Friend (1-4)
1 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. (1 Samuel 18:1-4)
Fresh off the battlefield, David met the son of Saul, the prince of Israel, Jonathan. Immediately, Jonathan’s heart was knit to David’s (1 Samuel 18:1). He loved David as his own soul (1 Samuel 18:1, 3). There was something in David that Jonathan respected, something he could relate to, something which drew him to give his life and friendship to David.
Jonathan was drawn to David because they shared the same value system. We should not forget that God had given Jonathan was a successful warrior for God, just like David. The Philistines, from whom Goliath had come, were a perpetual problem for Israel. For Jonathan, the enemy wasn’t manifest in a singular giant but in a fortress from which the Philistines could suppress Israel. The men of Israel hid and refused to fight, but one day, Jonathan spoke to his armor-bearer, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6). They ran into battle, just the two of them, and were empowered by God for a miraculous victory. Seeing Jonathan’s success emboldened all of Israel, and men came out of their hiding places to pursue the Philistines in victory.
So when Jonathan heard of David’s victory over the Philistine, he could relate, for God had given him a similar victory in years past, one that had emboldened the fearful men of Israel. Perhaps Jonathan had been looking for a man with a similar view of God. Upon hearing of David, Jonathan realized he had found his man. Lovingly and sacrificially, Jonathan took off his princely garments and weapons, gave them to David, and made a covenant with this young man. In so doing, he laid down his own life in submission to the plan of God. This covenant was Jonathan’s way of yielding the future throne of Israel to David and, because of Saul’s resistance, it would cost Jonathan his very life. Jonathan’s father, Saul, resisted God's plan, but Jonathan submitted to it. Like John the Baptist after him, Jonathan could say, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
Jonathan’s covenant of friendship would prove to be true and lasting. He would keep his vow to David to the point of death. Time and time again, he would serve as God’s instrument to encourage or uplift David. In times when David despaired, Jonathan would speak life into his heart. In times when David was in danger, Jonathan would protect God’s man. Jonathan was a friend greater than a brother to David.
God shaped David through Jonathan’s friendship, and He wills to do the same with you. It is a simple reality that the people in your life will shape you. Therefore it is vital to allow godly people to befriend you. Paul spoke of the human construct as spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Before Christ comes into a life, the spiritual side of that person is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-4). But when salvation comes in, that person becomes born of the Spirit, alive to God (Romans 6:11). After our new birth, we fight to allow the spiritual part of us to become dominant. Before Christ, we spent our whole lives listening to the desires of the body and soul; Christ wants to renew us to become awake in the spiritual dimension. For this quest, we must find friends like Jonathan -- men and women who are godly, alive to the things of God.
“Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). Jonathan would bring that sharpening into David’s life. A little older and more experienced than David, Jonathan’s faith would be an encouragement to David. Godly friends can remind you of grace, demonstrate Christlikeness, and refocus you on the mission of the gospel. For the duration of our lives, we need brothers and sisters in Christ who will point us upwards, shaping us into the Christlikeness God has for us.
Shaped Through Success (5-7)
5 And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:5-7)
So David has returned from battle, and God has given him a friend, a brother like he'd never had, a man truly committed to his welfare. But Jonathan’s love for David was not the only positive reception David received. The nation rocked with joy over David, and this was typified in the song of the women of Israel. With delight, they sang, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). David’s had defeated Goliath. David had been courageous in God. David had been victorious. All the nation noticed; they celebrated his ascension.
Consider, though, the pressure of the song. David is in his late-teenage years at this point. Quietly and privately, he has walked with God. But now, his life is incredibly public, known to all, and when the women of Israel sing, they sing of David. At other times in Israel’s history, similar scenes would unfold: the women would come out with tambourines and a song to celebrate a military victory. But in those other moments, the song was usually about a victory God had given. At the Red Sea, they magnified God, not Moses, for they understood who had given them the victory. Here, however, the song is about Saul and, mostly, David. At this point in their history, Israel's eyes were on man, for that is how they’d gotten a king in the first place; they wanted to be like all the nations around them (1 Samuel 8:20).
Imagine the pressure on young David at this moment. That he could handle this level of adulation is remarkable. As demonstrated in one of his psalms, David did not feel he was the king of glory, but that God was -- “Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory!” (Psalm 24:10). David’s heart was true before the Lord. In a moment of success, he stayed grounded, for he knew God was the One who should receive the honor and praise.
God will shape you as He shaped David, and here He was shaping David the trial of success. I call it a “trial” because success is a test. Indeed, we are often tested through the pains of life, but our successes are another kind of test. Often, success breaks a man or woman. The same person who came running to God and His gospel when in despair will often run from God and His gospel when life is at ease. The gospel is a lifeline, of course, but it is also a way of life. Jesus is the hero of our souls, and He must remain that hero all our days. But often, wealth or career success or the growth of a family, or the fruitfulness of a church will decrease a peoples’ dependence upon God. This ought not to be. Even in moments of success, moments where God is clearly blessing our lives, we ought to run to Him in celebration, recognizing Him as the lifter of our heads.
Shaped Through the Downward Pull (8-16)
8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on. 10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. (1 Samuel 18:8-16)
When Saul heard the song of the women of Israel, he grew jealous. He ought to have been flattered they included him in the song at all --he had not been courageous enough to go into battle with Goliath. He had done little. But rather than celebrate what God had done through this new man, Saul began to rage. “They have ascribed to David tens of thousands,” he thought, “And to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” (1 Samuel 18:8). With this, Saul began to eye David. Refusing to resist the envy growing within, Saul soon fell under a harmful spirit. As at other times, David would come with his lyre to soothe Saul's soul, but Saul could not handle those tunes. Instead, as David held his instrument, Saul clutched his spear. Finally, he burst, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” Twice, he threw his spear. Twice, David evaded him.
Saul did not know how to handle David’s success, and his jealousy over David threw him into deeper madness. All he could do was promote David, hoping this new, young hero would die in battle. But death never came, and Saul grew increasingly afraid of David, standing “in fearful awe of him” (1 Samuel 18:15).
In all this, Saul serves as an excellent picture of the struggle modern believers find themselves in. When we come to Christ, we exit condemnation and come under the law of the Spirit. This law, Paul taught us, “has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). So instead of the law of sin and death, believers are under the law of the Spirit, “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Romans 8:4). Paul does not mean that Christ fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law for us. Christ has done that, of course, but Paul had already taught that in the book of Romans (see Romans 3:21-23). By Romans 8, Paul was teaching about the Spirit's power in our lives today -- believers are under this law of the Spirit. He does something in us that we could never do before Christ came into our lives. The law of the Spirit is pulling us up to live in accordance with God’s righteous requirement. In other words, the Spirit is elevating God’s children to live righteous lives.
But, for this upward pull of the Spirit, there is the downward pull of the world system, the devil and his powers, and our own bodies of sin. Saul is emblematic of that downward pull, for as the Spirit of God is elevating David, Saul attempts to pull David down. In the same way, as the law of the Spirit seeks to elevate us, the world, devil, and flesh all seek to pull us down. But God was able to redeem the downward pull of Saul to shape David, and He can redeem the downward pull from inside and outside you for His purposes. Still, we must allow Him the time and space. We must open ourselves up to Him that He would have access to pull us up despite the downward pull yanking against us.
Through Redemption (17-30)
17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall now be my son-in-law.” 22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” 23 And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?” 24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’ ” Now 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. Before the time had expired, 27 David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. 28 But when Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually. 30 Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. (1 Samuel 18:17-30)
The next story, though strange to the modern reader, would’ve spoken loudly to Israel. Determined to exterminate David, but without the means to do so, Saul decided the only option for David’s death would be the Philistines. They had vexed Israel for many years, seeking to eliminate the Hebrew people, the very people who would serve as God’s delivery system for the Messiah, the Christ, so the battle between them was of the highest importance. But Saul merely hoped to use the Philistines as a means of slaying David. His spears had not worked, so he thought the Philistines could do the deed.
Saul’s means of putting David in the Philistines’ line of fire was by eventually giving his daughter, Michal, to David as a wife. David, a humble man through and through, confessed that he could not pay the culturally expected bride price for Michal. David was only a poor shepherd, but Michal was a princess, so David felt she was out of his league. But Saul, through messengers, informed David, “The king desires no bride price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.” It sounds brutal to the modern reader. And it is. This was war of the most gruesome kind. Saul’s thinking, however, was that David would certainly die trying to kill a hundred Philistines. But David proceeded to go out with his men and slay two hundred. It seems God’s man could not be stopped, and David’s marriage to Michal went forward. Saul, vexed in his attempts to end David’s life, watched helplessly as the nation, not to mention his own daughter, fell into deep love with David.
The ancient reader would have seen a beautiful truth in this portion of David’s journey. Saul had a plan for David’s demise, but God had a plan for David’s exaltation. God, in His sovereignty and power, proceeded with His plan, using Saul’s plan for His own glorious purposes. His sovereignty was powerful enough to not only resist Saul’s plans but to repurpose Saul’s plans in accordance with His own.
God shaped David by redeeming Saul’s plan for him, and God wills to do the same in you. He is able to take the obvious plans of the enemy to destroy and devour us and redeem those plans for His own purposes. Saul had a plan, but God also had a plan. God’s plan won, so much so that God actually used Saul’s plan to further His own. The Philistines, Saul thought, would kill David. Instead, the Philistines were redeemed to help exalt David. And our enemy often operates in the same way towards us, believing a form of abuse, sickness, abandonment, betrayal, or pressure will break us. But “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
I proceed with caution on this point, for too much light and flippant teaching has been hastily thrown at the deep hurts in humanity. Rape and murder and disease and oppression and abuse are real embodiments of evil on earth. To brush them aside with trite platitudes will not help. We must be sensitive to the reality that the enemy of our souls has come to steal and kill and destroy. He fights dirty, and though God is working to redeem us, it is sometimes a long and hard road.
But we must believe there is a God who can redeem the plan of the enemy. Saul willed to kill David, but God willed to exalt David, so God used Saul’s plan for His own purposes. Like Joseph said to his brothers, brothers who had sold him into slavery, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph’s slavery led to eventual imprisonment, but God indued him with an ability to interpret dreams, and by interpreting dreams in prison, he eventually was given the opportunity to interpret dreams in the palace, for Pharoah, which led to Joseph’s promotion as the right-hand man to Pharoah. In that role, Joseph navigated Egypt to prepare for seven years of famine -- years they would not have survived without Joseph’s insight and wisdom. Truly, what his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good.
We must believe this. And we ought not to say it tritely, but we must believe that God works all things of life together for the good of those He has called, His children (Romans 8:28). It may be a process we have to engage in, a long and difficult journey, but the payload is beautiful, for our God is a redeemer. He can take the plans of Saul and use them to further His own. He can shape us.
