September 8, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 1 Samuel? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Samuel 18 (NIV)
Saul’s Growing Fear of David
1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.........Continue Reading
Wonderful to see such a close relationship between two seemingly very different people…Jonathan the son of a king next in line for the throne and David the youngest son of a farmer. Yet they shared a heart for God that brought them this close relationship. Like Pastor recently said we are all equals in the eyes of God and money, power, and possession doesn’t matter to Him.
Not surprising that Saul is starting to resent and hate David and even envisioning himself killing him. I am sure it must have been hard to see God’s favor upon David and success in everything he did but unfortunately that did not make Saul reexamine his relationship with God and try to fix what was broken, instead he just gave into the anger and disobedience trying to put David in harms way constantly in hopes of his death.
1 Samuel 17-20
1 Samuel 18-20
It is challenging as a leader to see others have more success than you. One is only protected from the jealousy that normally ensues through faith in God and the humility that comes from following Him. The biggest problem is Saul doesn’t really have a heart for God so he is left to his own devices…and when that happens to any of us, things can get ugly. What a tremendous juxtaposition there is between Saul and David in this chapter. And it is not about success in battle but the nature of their character. Just see how humble and selfless David is. He is humble and does not presume he is worthy of being a member of Saul’s family. He knows his station and accepts it for what it is. All Saul can think about is protecting his position and his stature. But it is an uphill battle when we are fighting against the will of God. Saul needs a little of Eli in him right now…what God has willed is good, and I will take my lumps. Something tells me that is not what Saul is about though…..
“And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.”
Because of David’s humility and relationship with the Lord, it seems there is nothing he can’t do.
I was interested in the verses about the relationship of David’s soul to Jonathan’s soul. “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. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.”
I looked up the word in blueletterbible – some definitions that seemed to apply:
soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
living being
the man himself, self, person or individual
seat of emotions and passions
This is a beautiful expression of a deep friendship. Tyler said that he thought Frodo and Samwise Gamgee are a good example of this relationship. I thought of Captain Kirk and Dr. Spock. 😀