“Let the Hand of the Philistines”
“Let the Hand of the Philistines”
Blessings folk!
Saul!
Raving by evil spirits.
Hurling spears.
Full of fear.
Full of dread of David.
The horror of life separated from the Lord!
What was Saul to do with David?
The people loved David.
Saul’s servants loved David.
Read…
1Sa 18:17-19
Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab;
I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight the LORD’S battles.”
For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him,
but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
But David said to Saul,
“Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel,
that I should be the king’s son-in-law?”
So it came about at the time when Merab,
Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David,
that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
Bribes.
Coercion.
Manipulation.
Contriving
Saul did not care.
He would use his daughter.
He wanted rid of David.
He would give his daughter.
Saul was to give this daughter to whomever defeated Goliath.
He had yet to do so.
He would then send David to fight the Philistines with the hope that the Philistines would do David in.
But, Saul had not counted on the humility of David.
David was hesitant to be the king’s son-in-law.
“Who was he? Who was his family?” He stated.
Was David sincere in his demurring and self-deprecation?
Perhaps.
Was he being shrewd?
More likely.
The game continued.
When it was time to give Merab to David, she was given to another.
Merab, meaning “increase”, will appear again later…sadly…
Saul’s sins would continue to bear fruit upon his family…and Israel.
Power play.
Control.
Mind-games.
Nothing is new.
“Leadership” does likewise today, often “in the name of the Lord”.