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 members love, honor, and commit to the coming messiah. Their distinctive commitment to David is a picture for those who will embrace God’s plan as opposed to those who reject it.