Study Desk

Early the next morning he went to talk with Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to Carmel, where he had a monument built so everyone would remember his victory. Then he left for Gilgal."

"The army took them from the Amalekites," Saul explained. "They kept the best sheep and cattle, so they could sacrifice them to the Lord your God. But we destroyed everything else."

Rebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can't be king."

Please forgive me and come back with me so I can worship the Lord ."

Saul said, "I did sin, but please honor me in front of the leaders of the army and the people of Israel. Come back with me, so I can worship the Lord your God."

David went to Saul and started working for him. Saul liked him so much that he put David in charge of carrying his weapons.

and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed more than fifteen pounds. A soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield.

Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn't do a thing.

Some soldiers overheard David talking, so they told Saul what David had said. Saul sent for David, and David came.

Jonathan liked David so much that they promised to always be loyal friends.

One day, Saul told David, "If you'll be brave and fight the Lord 's battles for me, I'll let you marry my oldest daughter Merab." But Saul was really thinking, "I don't want to kill David myself, so I'll let the Philistines do it for me."

and he thought, "I'll tell David he can marry Michal, but I'll set it up so that the Philistines will kill him." He told David, "I'm going to give you a second chance to marry one of my daughters."

Saul ordered his officials to speak to David in private, so they went to David and said, "Look, the king likes you, and all of his officials are loyal to you. Why not ask the king if you can marry his daughter Michal?" "I'm not rich or famous enough to marry princess Michal!" David answered.

David and his men left and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought back the proof and showed it to Saul, so he could marry Michal. Saul agreed to let David marry Michal.

and he warned David, "My father is trying to have you killed, so be very careful. Hide in a field tomorrow morning, and I'll bring him there. Then I'll talk to him about you, and if I find out anything, I'll let you know."

Saul sent the guards back and told them, "Get David out of his bed and bring him to me, so I can have him killed."

If Saul wonders where I am, tell him, "David asked me to let him go to his hometown of Bethlehem, so he could take part in a sacrifice his family makes there every year."

Jonathan thought as much of David as he did of himself, so he asked David to promise once more that he would be a loyal friend.

So David hid there in the field. During the New Moon Festival, Saul sat down to eat

Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David so terribly. He got up, left the table, and didn't eat anything all that day.