1 Samuel 18 (Saul Resents David)

David and Jonathan’s Covenant Friendship

Okay let's turn to 1st Samuel chapter 18. 1st Samuel 18. This chapter really marks a turning point in the relationship between Saul and David. Things are going to go south really fast but it also marks the beginning of another relationship and that's the friendship that David has with Saul's son Jonathan.

And then there's another relationship that's going to form in this chapter and that's David's marriage with Saul's daughter Michal. It's not Michael okay it's Michal. I should call her Michelle just so there's no confusion but yeah so a lot of relationships forming and breaking in this chapter.

So if you have the New King James Version it titles 1st Samuel 18 Saul resents David. So David and Saul have a falling out and really it's just that Saul becomes paranoid and then he tries to kill David and I think we can call that a falling out can't we?

But as we go along and look at this chapter I just want to challenge you to view it this way. View David and Saul as two examples. One cares about and is interested in loving God, serving God, obeying God.

The other you know Saul he just cares about himself. So these two men in that way represent two paths. Two ways to live your life. Two paths to walk down. So we obviously want to emulate David and not Saul.

So we're gonna look chapter and the things that result from it. So let's listen along 1st Samuel 18.

We'll listen to the whole chapter. Now when 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. Saul took him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore.

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

So David went out wherever Saul sent him and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. Now it had happened as they were coming home when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines with joy and with musical instruments.

So the women sang as they danced and said Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry and the saying displeased him. They have ascribed to David ten thousands and to me they have ascribed only thousands.

Now what more can he have but the kingdom. So Saul eyed David from that day forward and it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul and he prophesied inside the house.

So David played music with his hand as at other times but there was a spear in Saul's hand and Saul cast the spear for he said I will pin David to the wall. But David escaped his presence twice. Now Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.

Therefore Saul removed him from his presence and made him his captain over a thousand and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways and the Lord was with him.

Therefore when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them. Then Saul said to David here is my older daughter Merab I will give her to you as a wife.

Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul thought let my hand not be against him but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. So David said to Saul who am I and what is my life or my father's family in Israel that I should be son-in-law to the king.

But it happened at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David that she was given to Adriel the Maholothite as a wife. Now Michael Saul's daughter loved David and they told Saul and the thing pleased him.

So Saul said I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time you shall be my son-in-law today. And Saul commanded his servants communicate with David secretly and say look the king has delight in you and all his servants love you now therefore become the king's son-in-law.

So Saul's servants spoke those words in the hearing of David and David said does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man. And the servants of Saul told him in this manner David spoke thus you shall say to David the king does not desire any dowry but 100 foreskins of the Philistines to take vengeance on the king's enemies.

But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. So when his servants told David these words it pleased David well to become the king's son-in-law. Now the days had not expired therefore David arose and went he and his men and killed 200 men of the Philistines and David brought their foreskins and they gave them in full count to the king that he might become the king's son-in-law.

Then Saul gave him Michael his daughter as a wife. Thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michael Saul's daughter loved him and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David's enemy continually.

Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war and so it was whenever they went out that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul so that his name became highly esteemed. I don't know.

About you but if I were David I don't think I'd want to be Saul's son-in-law. Have any of you ever had a father-in-law that's threatened to kill you or tried to kill you? I didn't say wanted to kill you I said tried probably not.

Godly Friendship and the Meaning of Being Knit Together

This is a bad situation but let's start at the beginning verse 1 chapter 18 verse 1 starts out with the great friendship between David and Jonathan. It says now when he had finished speaking to Saul the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David.

That's not a term that you hear very much. What's it saying? I mean they were really close obviously. So the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. So what do you think it was that turned them into such great friends?

You know why now? Because they've known each other presumably for a little while at this point. What explains it is to go back to chapter 14. So if you followed along with this study you remember in chapter 14 remember that time Jonathan and his armor-bearer they attacked the garrison of the Philistines and they killed 20 men just just the two of them.

So obviously Jonathan is a bold you know brave warrior and when he sees that David by himself killed Goliath he said you know this this guy and me we got something in common. So once David kills Goliath Jonathan notices that and I think that's really what brought them together.

They were both fearless warriors. So let's turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 4 but they become very close friends. Very close. Okay in verse 2 as you're turning there verse 2 and 1st Samuel 18 says that David from now on basically he's living with the royal family.

They make a gift so they're a team from now on. This is gonna serve David well in the future. Now I'm just gonna bring this up I'm not gonna say much about it but today you know in the perverse age that we live in liberal scholars from some of the mainline denominations you can probably guess what they do with this relationship between David and Jonathan.

So you know and it's not even worth bringing up except to say that yeah a lot of liberal scholars try to make this into something that it isn't. But that's so absurd again it's barely worth bringing up.

Just sort of a sign of the times that people would even try to insert that into the story. But Jonathan and David yeah their souls were knit together. I mean they're like brothers from another mother as as people say.

Look at Ecclesiastes 4 9 through 12 because this all speaks to the importance of having godly friends. It's important to have friends but it's really important to have friends that also love the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 4 9 through 12 says two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up.

Again if two lie down together they will keep warm. How can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another two can withstand him and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. So we've all heard the expression two are better than one.

Well that comes from this chapter right here. But then it goes on to explain what are the reasons for that. Matthew Henry wrote this about the threefold cord. He said where two are closely joined in holy love and fellowship Christ will by his spirit come to them.

Then there is a threefold cord. So if you think of it that way I know when a lot of couples get married they have that you know those ropes that you tie together one represents the husband the other the wife and the third cord represents who?

The Lord. And that's really what binds not just married couples together what should bind them together but also friends. So it just again speaks to the importance of having godly friends because when you have a friend a close friend who's a Christian you don't just have a shared belief in you know the same God.

It's a shared belief in the way a shared you know outlook in the way you view the world right the way you look at life and the meaning of life the purpose of life. Our faith should touch really every area of our mind our whole being.

So being like-minded regarding Christ and all things pertaining to Christ and Christianity this is really important. Proverbs 27 verse 17 says as iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

So we need Christian friends to encourage us we need Christian friends to counsel us to challenge us and even to hold us accountable because if you have a friend who's maybe of the world they're not going to hold you accountable in living a godly Christian life but having a really close Christian friend they can do that and that's something that's very beneficial.

Something I've noticed as a pastor if a person starts going to church but they don't have a lot of Christian friends outside of church rarely do they stick around but if a person has many Christian friends in their lives Christian friends and family members I mean that just brings so much extra stability not to say that a person can't do it I'm just saying generally speaking it's something I've noticed.

So who your friends are this is very important we can all think of you know kids especially young people that having the wrong friends can lead them in the wrong direction. That can happen with adults as well so having Christian friends so vitally important.

So that's I realized David and Jonathan don't call each other Christians. I realized that term isn't you know there yet but that's the way we're looking at them sort of a picture of just two great friends who are believers.

So Jonathan will be a great friend to David and vice versa this isn't going to be an easy thing though because we already saw what happened in the chapter Jonathan's father Saul now he despises David so that's going to be difficult but who is Jonathan more loyal to?

Is Jonathan more loyal to his father the king or to David? Why is he more loyal to David? His soul's knit but it's because of God. If his father the king were the godly man then it would be natural to be more loyal to your father he should be and you know if all things were equal but it's because David is a man of God so that's definitely part of their relationship and even after Jonathan dies if you know the whole story David will then look to show honor to that friendship because he will seek out one of Jonathan's relatives Mephibosheth and he will show kindness to him because of Jonathan.

So the great importance of having Christian friends you say well I don't really have too many Christian friends. Well you know a friend must show himself friendly so go out of your way and be friendly and if you don't have them now you'll make them okay.

Saul’s Jealousy, Fear, and the Distressing Spirit

1st Samuel 18 verse 2 you can go back to 1st Samuel 18. David is not going back to his father's house. So David's life as a shepherd it's probably been over for a little while at this point but now it's official.

David is not going back home. His time tending the sheep is over. You could say that David has been drafted into the military because Saul tells him you're not going home kid you're staying here. But I think that's okay with David.

David wants to serve God and just the dispensation they're living in given the situation. This is how you serve God at this point. Or at least it's one way to serve God by fighting for God's people Israel.

So verse 5 David is sent out on a mission or several missions. David is making all of the right decisions. The Lord is with him. He's getting victory after victory. After victory. You know sometimes you read the Bible from one verse to another one chapter to another.

And you don't really know how much time is passing. Like sometimes it seems like all this is the next day or something. Well months could have gone by. We don't really know how much time is passing. Certainly after David defeated Goliath he is an instant celebrity.

Like everybody in the nation knows who David is now. But now he's really able to prove himself to demonstrate that he's not just a one-hit wonder. David is acting. He's proving himself as a warrior. And he's getting national recognition that yeah he's just battle after battle.

He is growing in fame and popularity. And that leads to this. So verse 6 it says. And it happened as they were coming home when David was returning from the slaughter of 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.

So notice this isn't just one woman. I don't even think this is just a group of women. It's like this song is being sung in all the cities. It seems like this is what this is spreading all around. And what's this song that they're singing.

Well tells us verse 7. So the women sang and they danced and they said Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. Now here's the thing that probably isn't even true. I mean given the time that Saul has been king and been a warrior and the time that David's been in the military I highly doubt this isn't even even an accurate statement.

What is it then. Well it's possible. But I think it's probably the women. Just you know David is remember how many times it says he's he's good-looking. I think the women of Israel are just falling in love with David and they just they're just singing his praises.

And when Saul hears this instead of being happy for David that hey my right-hand man is really doing a great job. Saul hears this. And what's his response. Yeah he is angry he is envious. So now Saul his his instant concern is that David could he could have the kingdom.

He has all the hearts of the people. Now you know the only thing left for him is he could stage a coup. I mean this is the way Saul is thinking. If David wanted to he could take power. So Saul says in verse 8 they have ascribed to David ten thousands and to me they've only ascribed only thousands.

I mean he's he's pretty upset about this. So David has popular support. And now is this true. Was David really planning to you know stage an overthrow of the name. No this is not. It's not gonna happen.

Even when David later on has that opportunity does he do it. No so Saul he's really just imagining all of this at a thin air. Why is that. You know people who are bitter and envious. I mean they can cook up all sorts of things in their mind that aren't even real.

I think that's this situation. Saul is really unbalanced. Right. Like later on we talked about the story where he tells David to go out and get a hundred four skins. I mean what is that all about. Like this.

This is not normal behavior. So David wasn't interested in doing any such thing. But Saul that's what he's worried about. He can't be happy for David. He craves all the attention and praise for himself.

So remember these two men as examples. David the man of God serving God obeying God. And Saul is just obsessed with his own his own self. He needs to he needs to be the center of everything. So these are sort of the two paths that people follow.

Either serve God or serve who you know you might think would be either serve God or serve the devil. But I mean hardly anybody in the world said I'm gonna serve Satan for my life. People really what they do is they serve themselves.

It's what I want to do. But if you're not serving God by default yeah you're not serving God. So we should ask ourselves though considering Saul's response being envious how do we respond when we see somebody sort of outshining us.

If somebody is blessed beyond measure something really wonderful happens to somebody else. Maybe you wanted that thing you wanted that thing to happen to you. But it happens to someone else. When we see other people blessed do we rejoice with those who rejoice.

Or do we get angry. And we're upset because how come how come I didn't get that thing. Do we respond that way. Some see if we're honest sometimes you at least have those thoughts that how come this didn't happen to me.

So we should we should learn from this envious people. Here's the thing envious people tend to look at other people's wins as their losses. Is that true though it's been said that life isn't a zero-sum game right.

Just because somebody else wins doesn't mean you lost. Like this really is a win-win for Saul. David is a great warrior. He's in Saul's army. This is a good thing. But no that's not the way Saul sees it.

So instead verse 9 it says that Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it's because of this ungodly behavior and attitude. I think it's the direct result that we see this in verse 10. And it's because it says it happened on the next day.

So no no detail in the Bible is just there just because I think there's a reason. So the very next day what happens. Remember that evil spirit that distressing spirit that demon. We think this is probably a demonic spirit.

All of a sudden the demon comes back and it says the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul. And then this interesting detail says he prophesied in the house. See in the past we've seen people filled with the Holy Spirit and then they prophesy.

But now you see that people can be filled with a demon and they prophesy when they're filled with a demon. This is just a thought that just came to my mind. You know when we went through the series on the cults you know and there are these charismatic leaders who out of nowhere just some random guy from New York or whatever.

All of a sudden he has this following of thousands of people and they're just enthralled and listening to his every word is preaching. And is that what happens when cults form. That these people are actually empowered by a demonic spirit.

I don't know but it's it's possible because people that are possessed or at least afflicted here influenced with the demonic spirit says that Paul or Saul excuse me Saul prophesied inside the house. So what does it mean to prophesy to one of two things either to foretell right.

Or to foretell. So the fact that Saul is prophesying it doesn't mean that he's predicting the future. That's one thing it could mean. But basically Saul is preaching. He's in his house and he's preaching.

And probably what this is. It's like the rantings of a madman. Saul is now a tyrant. He's acting unhinged and who knows what he's saying. He may be declaring things about God and God's will that aren't even true.

But it says he's prophesying. So what do they do when Saul is afflicted by this evil spirit. What's the solution. Remember his his team. They figured out what are we gonna do when Saul's like this call for David.

So that's the last thing Saul needs. Really. So David shows up to soothe his soul with his music and it says so David played music with his hand as at other times. But there was a spear in Saul's hand that day.

So here's what Saul is thinking. Well David can't have the kingdom if he's dead. So here he throws the spear or the javelin and he says I will pin David to the wall. But David escaped his presence. Not once.

How many times. Twice. So somehow it's like Saul had him trapped. He should have been dead. But David escaped. I'm reminded of the story in Luke chapter 4 when remember when Jesus went back to his hometown and it said the crowd seized Jesus and dragged him out of town and they were just about ready to throw Jesus off a cliff.

And then it says he passed through the midst of them and went his way. It's like they had him they got him. They're gonna throw him. Jesus just walks walks through the man. It's like a supernatural thing.

I don't know how that worked but it did. And maybe that's what happened with David. Either way. David you realize David is untouchable right now. David is chosen by God. He's walking in God's will. David is untouchable.

Nobody can do anything to Dave. There's only one man who can mess up David's life right now. And who's that. David himself. And that's. And he does do that later on. And that's sort of a lesson for us.

And I realize we don't we don't know the hidden counsel of God. But the safest place to walk is where right smack in the middle of God's will. If you're doing the right thing by God that's the safest place to be.

So again David right now he is untouchable. Isaiah 54 verse 17 says. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. So as long as David is doing the right thing he's safe. And then it said you know the thing that keeps getting repeated in this chapter the thing that Saul is realizing more and more and more is that the Lord is with David.

Look at verse 12. Now Saul was afraid of David. Why. Because David was bigger than him stronger than him mightier than him. No yeah he was afraid because the Lord was with him. But the Lord had departed from Saul.

So I think Saul is is recognizing this. Now the right thing to do would be to repent and humbly ask David's forgiveness and start doing the right thing. But to Saul do that. No he doesn't want to admit he's wrong.

He's stubborn stiff neck. So he's going to continue on the road that he's on verse 13. Therefore Saul removed him David from his presence and he made him his captain over a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people.

And David behaved wisely in all his ways and the Lord was with him. Therefore when Saul saw that he had behaved wisely he was afraid of him. But all Israel in Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them.

So Saul to promote David after trying to kill him I don't know about you. What's your take on this. To me this seems crazy. Saul tries to kill him. And oh let's make him a commander in the military. Does that seem like a rational to me that doesn't seem reasonable.

Why would you do that Ray. Yeah yeah. Yeah. Anyone else have a different thought. Yeah that is one thing I thought of. Yeah. What's the saying. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. I don't know.

That's a quote from the Godfather. Right. But I don't know if it's now you're gonna think I'm worldly. I'm sure that's a well-known saying from history it is a strategy. But really he just wants he wants David gone like I don't want David around.

So we're just gonna send him out on the the battlefield. And I think Ray's right because he sort of alludes to this later on that if David's out on the battlefield all the time guess what the chances of him getting killed are going up.

But really there's no chance of that. Because why the Lord is with him. Okay. So David because he's now a general or whatever a high-ranking military man. Now he's out there winning victories and he's just he's just climbing up the ladder.

Right. He's becoming more and more loved by the people. He's now being viewed as like the nation's top military man. Not only is he not killed in battle this really helps solidify his position among the children of Israel.

So Saul I think in a moment of clarity he realizes he has to do something. He has to try to repair things. Because this whatever Saul is thinking whatever he's trying it's not working. So how do you repair a situation like this.

Well if David's my son-in-law that's got to help things out. Right. So Saul offers David his daughter. Look at verse 17. Then Saul said to David here is my oldest daughter Mira and I will give her to you as a wife only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles.

You know like that takes some nerve to say that like this is what David has been doing. But for Saul thought let my hand not be against him but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. So in other words if I kill David Saul realizes if I kill David I'm gonna look bad.

You know everyone's gonna turn on me. So I can't touch him. Hopefully the Philistines will get him. But you know if you did want to try just in case that doesn't work if you do want to repair relations it helps to have him married to your daughter.

So this is something that Kings would do royalty even today I'm sure it still happens. If there's two nations and they want to have peace then you know the daughter of the king will marry the the prince of this king over here.

And you know when Solomon had the was at 700 wives 300 concubines. You think. Wow that's a little excessive but a lot of that was probably you know establishing relations between nations. So that's a very common thing.

Like I said that still goes on. So that's one part of it repairing the relationship. But this whole idea hey I will give you my daughter if you fight the Lord's battle. What's the problem with this. Let's think back to the last chapter.

What's the problem. He's already promised David his daughter. Right. Wasn't that the agreement. Whoever kills the giant gets my daughter her hand in marriage. And then David kills the giant. And guess what.

No no daughter. Okay. So what is Saul doing. He's reneging on his promise. So this is another thing that shows you who Saul is. You know he's not keeping his word. Verse 18. Well David responds with humility for this offer.

So David said to Saul who am I. And what is my life or my father's family in Israel that I should be son-in-law to the king. I mean not too long ago I was just a shepherd boy. Nobody even knew me. Who am I to be the king's son-in-law.

So I suppose you could look at it this way. The way I read this at first Dave is just no. I don't deserve this. Like I do not want to be in this situation. So he's sort of giving an excuse. But I don't.

I don't know that's it. Because he does accept the second offer. So I guess that's not not at all. That's what I would probably try to do. So Saul does offer his other daughter and this time David agrees.

So when David fought Goliath remember he wasn't. He wasn't really doing it for the wife. David was doing it. Why. I mean David was just he. I don't want to say he's looking for a fight. But he was looking for any opportunity again to serve the Lord.

This is how David was serving God by fighting against the enemy. And he was gifted to do this. So I think part of it. When Saul gives this offer. Okay you can have my call but you have to go out and kill a hundred.

David is just he's just looking to kill a hundred Philistines. I think that's really what David is interested in most of all. But look at verse 20 he jumps at the opportunity. Verse 20 my call Saul's daughter.

It says love David. And they told Saul and the thing pleased him. So Saul said I will give her to him. Why. So even now Saul is okay. I offered my daughter. I'm gonna do the right thing. No he has some other motive that I will give her to him that she will be a snare to him.

Now what is a snare. Yeah it's a trap. It's like you're luring David in. It's like bait. So what's the bait. Well I'm gonna send David on this mission. And I don't know why Saul thinks that this this mission is gonna get David killed.

But that's that's his reasoning. So verse 21 Saul said I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time you shall be my son-in-law today and notice it's a back and forth through messengers.

Right. Saul and David are not on speaking terms. They have to send messengers to go and relay the message. So look at verse 25. Then Saul said thus you shall say to David the king does not desire any dowry.

Oh thanks because you over to me. Right. Saul is unbelievable. But the king does not desire any dowry except he does 100 foreskins of the Philistines to take vengeance on the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

So Saul doesn't think that David is going to survive. I think part of it is I mean this this is a bizarre thing. This was not a common thing to do in battle. So what's David doing. He would have to disfigure the bodies of the Philistines and the other Philistines are going to find their bodies and see what the Israelites did to them.

So even if David survives it they're gonna want to seek revenge because he's like mutilating the corpse. So Saul figures either way. This is gonna put a target on David's head. I think that's why Saul did it.

And again he's he's deranged too. So that plays into it because this is a strange thing. Right. But Saul is a strange guy at this point. But this is one of those stories where you know atheists critics skeptics they read the Bible.

What kind of book is this with stuff like that. And here's the thing about a story like this. Because some people maybe are bothered by the story just because something's in the Bible it doesn't mean God approves of it.

Right. There is a difference between passages of Scripture that are descriptive and passages that are prescriptive. So this is just describing it's descriptive. It's just telling you the details of what happened.

Saul the madman told David to go out and get a hundred foreskins. It's not prescriptive. God isn't telling the Israelites to go out and do this. Right. You see the difference the Ten Commandments that's prescriptive.

God is saying thou shall do this. But that's not what this is. So it's just it's just telling you what happened. Nothing more. But David does go out and instead of getting a hundred foreskins for Saul maybe he really liked Michael after all because he thought she was worth 200.

So he he goes out and he gets 200. Also it's another way of confirming that the Philistines were dead. Right. Because David. David wouldn't do this because he was an honest man but he could come back and say I killed him.

But how does Saul know. So you would have to take something back to show that you actually killed them. So that plays a role. But verse 28 thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michael Saul's daughter loved him.

And Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David's enemy continually. So even though David did what Saul said it just made him hate David that much more. So in starting to wrap this up I thought of James chapter 1 verse 8 that says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

I think that really describes Saul right now you know he loves David then he hates David. He's trying to kill David. Then he wants to make peace later on he's gonna kill him again then he's sorry. This is back and forth back and forth.

So we can see sort of the insanity of the King's behavior. Not just because we're removed from it. We get to read in this book and and see this click. No we see his insanity because we're in church we're reading the Bible we're hearing from God.

We're seeking to follow Christ and understand the importance of humility and honoring and obeying. We see this for what it is. Does Saul see it. No to Saul. This is all normal. And for the person how does Saul get in this situation.

One sin led to another to another to another and now he's doing super bizarre things. But people who keep getting deeper and deeper into sin the Christian can look at them and say what are you doing. You're destroying your life.

What you're the decisions you're making and not making any sense we can see that. But for the person who is in that situation it all seems normal. So in conclusion this is one of the reasons why we need to continue walking with the Lord.

If we sin we need to confess that right away repent of it. Don't go down this road because there's two roads in life doing things God's way doing things your way. And Saul is doing things his way and we see the result.

We'll close with verse 30 it says. Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war and so it was whenever they went out that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So that his name became highly esteemed.