David Marries
1 Samuel 18:17-30
17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
18 And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”
19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall now be my son-in-law.”
22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”
23 And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?”
24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.”
25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired,
27 David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife.
28 But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him,
29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30 Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
The trajectory of David’s life seems to take him ever closer to the throne. Even as Saul plots against David’s life, God moves people and situations so that David is living out His will. While Saul moves this way and that, David seems to just go with the flow. It is an interesting tug-of-war.
One of the “prizes” to the man who would defeat Goliath was the hand of Saul’s daughter in marriage. (see 1Samuel 17:25). That person was automatically grafted into the royal family. So far, Saul has not followed through with that promise. But now he suggested a marriage between David and his oldest daughter. David declares he is not worthy and the woman is given rather quickly to another man. Saul’s sketchy character remains predictable as he reneges on a promise. But Saul’s second daughter, Michal, is in love with David. She is actually the only woman in all of the Scripture (with the exception of Song of Solomon) of whom it is said she loved a man. So Saul’s daughter has a crush on the young, good-looking national hero. Saul uses this as yet another opportunity to see David go into battle. David declines again, stating that he doesn’t have the money for the bride price. (The bride price was paid to the father as compensation for the daughter he would lose and to insure her provision should the husband die.) Saul excuses David of a financial bride-price and asks instead for 100 Philistine foreskins: (sorry, but that’s just gross) the assumption being that no man would give up his foreskin without a fight, thus insuring that David goes back into battle once again. David, being the over-achiever that he is, brings back 200 foreskins with ease. Thus he is given Michal in marriage. What we see in David is that while he doesn’t appear to be too terribly interested in a wife, he is always ready for a battle and jumps at the chance. (Michal isn’t all that great as a wife and never does give David any children. God is not going to allow the family of Saul to continue on the throne in any way.)
No matter how Saul schemes, the plans of God will not be derailed. This is tough because we think our machinations are so very effective and worthwhile. But in God’s sight they are puny and easily dispatched should the run counter to God’s sovereign will. Saul believed he could manipulate any situation to work out the way he wanted it to, but God stood in his way at every turn. Our lives are the same. We can either walk with God or we can walk counter to God. The end result is always going to be the same. God gets His way. We can go with the flow or we can swim upstream and exhaust ourselves. Which will it be? Each day we get to decide if it’s going to be God’s way or our own. Our own way can be painful and tiring and will ultimately end up where God wants us anyway. God’s way may prove challenging but will be filled with blessing along the way. Are you going to be a Saul or a David today?
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