Events

Samuel has already anointed David as the future king. The Hebrew word messiah means “anointed one,” so David is the “messiah” of Judah at this time. But at this stage we can say that Saul comes to hate the coming messiah, the one who has been anointed to replace him. By contrast his own family Read More →

After Jonathan saves David from Saul’s wrath, David goes to the town of Nob and stays with Ahimelech, the priest. The interaction at Nob is in many ways beautiful because it shows God’s blessing of His messiah, David, the one who had been anointed as the next king. But it also gives a context Read More →

During their tense encounter in the cave, David and Saul showed themselves to be polar opposites: Saul was concerned with his reputation, his name, and his kingdom, while David was able to rest in the sovereignty and steadfast love of his God. David stands as a model for all of us of godly Read More →

The text starting from 1 Samuel 27 is called the “Accession Narrative” because it shows the downfall of Saul but the accession of David to the throne. Strange things go on in this narrative. David moves down with the Philistines and lives with them. He becomes a servant of the Philistine king, Read More →

For a final time during Saul’s lifetime the narrator shows the high qualities of David and the deficiencies of Saul. Instead of fighting against his own people, as Achish’s invitation almost forced him to do, David became involved in a more appropriate battle against Israel’s perennial foes, Read More →