Study Desk

Saul told them, "Say this to David, ‘David, the king doesn't want you to pay money for his daughter. He wants to get even with his enemy, so the price for marrying his daughter is 100 Philistine foreskins.'" That was Saul's secret plan. He thought the Philistines would kill David.

he and his men went out to fight the Philistines. They killed 200 Philistines. David took these Philistine foreskins and gave them to Saul. He did this because he wanted to become the king's son-in-law. Saul let David marry his daughter Michal.

He saw that the Lord was with David and he also saw that his daughter, Michal, loved David.

Saul told his son Jonathan and his officers to kill David. But Jonathan liked David very much,

Jonathan talked to his father Saul. Jonathan said good things about David. He said, "You are the king. David is your servant. David hasn't done anything wrong to you, so don't do anything wrong to him. He has always been good to you.

He risked his life when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and you were happy. Why do you want to hurt David? He's innocent. There is no reason to kill him."

Later, in Saul's house, David was playing the harp. Saul was there with his spear in his hand. Then an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul.

Saul threw his spear at David and tried to pin him to the wall. David jumped out of the way, so the spear missed him and stuck in the wall. That night, David ran away.

The men went and told Saul, but he sent the messengers back to see David. Saul told these men, "Bring David to me. Bring him lying on his bed if you must, even if it kills him."

Saul even took off his clothes. He lay there naked all day and through the night. So even Saul prophesied there in front of Samuel. That is why people say, "Is Saul also one of the prophets?"

If your father notices I am gone, tell him, ‘David wanted to go home to Bethlehem. His family is having its own feast for this monthly sacrifice. David asked me to let him run down to Bethlehem and join his family.'

So Jonathan made this agreement with David and his family, and he asked the Lord to hold them responsible for keeping it.

On the next day, the second day of the month, David's place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why didn't Jesse's son come to the New Moon celebration yesterday or today?"

Jonathan asked his father, "Why should David be killed? What did he do wrong?"

But Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father wanted very much to kill David.

Jonathan became angry and left the table. He was so upset and angry with his father that he refused to eat any food on the second day of the festival. He was angry because Saul humiliated him and because Saul wanted to kill David.

He said to the boy, "Run. Go find the arrows I shoot." The boy began to run, and Jonathan shot the arrows over his head.

Then he shouted, "Hurry! Go get them. Don't just stand there." The boy picked up the arrows and brought them back to his master.

Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to go back to town.

When the boy left, David came out from his hiding place on the other side of the hill. David gave a formal greeting by bowing to the ground three times to show his respect for Jonathan. But then David and Jonathan kissed each other and cried together. It was a very sad goodbye, especially for David.