When God Is For You: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 18:17-30)

I remember in my grade school years our next door neighbor who was a year younger than me and was stronger than me. When we played football or some other physical sport he would best me. Then one day I bested him. That little reversal of fortune was highly significant to me. I saw it as a testimony of my own growing power and was no longer afraid of him.

Saul is afraid of David. Try as he might, he can find no way to best him.

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.” 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?” 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.

Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 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.” 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.’” 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?” And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 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. 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, 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. But when Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.

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, ESV)

When God wants to exalt you there is no one who can stand in your way. Saul’s attempts to keep David from being a rival keep backfiring in his face. To make David his son-in-law is a definite step toward making him a potential replacement for Saul as king. Though it is expected that Jonathan would be the heir to the throne, should something happen to Jonathan, David might be next in line. Both David and Saul know the import of this promise Saul made to the one who slew Goliath. But he reneges on his promise with his daughter Merab by giving her to another in marriage. David does not complain because he humbly recognizes that he is too lowly a person to marry a king’s daughter.

But when Saul offers Michal to David as his wife if he can slay a hundred Philistines, hoping of course that David will be killed in the process, David sees this as a worthy deed to merit Michal, and with God’s power and the help of his men he succeeds. In fact, everything David does succeeds. Michal is in love with David. The Philistines fall every time to David’s army. Saul is scared and knows that Yahweh is with David.

Who is scared of you? It will not be your power that exalts you but God’s. If He wants you to be elevated, you will be.