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on how to keep his promise in the public eye without
having to actually perform it.
David was modest even when the daughter of Saul
was offered. "Who amIto become the king's son-in-law?
My family is nothing in Israel!"
So, when the time carne for the wedding, Merab,
Saul's daughter, was married to another.
All was seemingly settled, but complications set in.
Saul's daughter Micha! had been smitten with !ove for
David!
Saul was delighted to hear about it. He now saw how
to rid himself of David once and for all. He appeared to
be a ll for the marri age, encouraging the match. "Don' t
worry about the dowry, David, my son," soothed Saul.
" You have done enough forme and for Israel to deserve
her hand-all I ask for dowry is the foreskins of one
hundred Philistines!" There-that ought to solve the
problem. David might be able to slay one giant, but not
a hundred Philistines! Surely he would die seeking his
dowry for Saul's daughter's hand . He would fa ll in
battle. Saul would be magnanimous in mourning a great
and courageous fallen hero, would provide a big s tate
funeral, would shed crocodile tears-all the while hiding
his joy inside!
But unpredictable David jubilantly returned from a
Philist ine raid with
two hundred
Philistine foreskins.
Saul's plot failed. David's popularity soa red. Saul gained
a new son.
Drat! Back to squa re one!
Could it be that David, later recognizing Saul 's
clever plot to remove him by death in battle, refined
and used the same plot successfully against Uriah when
he had his own problems to face in the Ba thsheba
crisis?
Royal Games
ow a rnember of the royal house–
hold. David became more famous
and popular than anyone in
....__........_.__. Israel. He was a constant threat to
Saul, a thorn in his side, an ache
in his mind, a fear in his bones. No t being as clever as
his young antagonist , Saul resorted to direct means of
ridding himselfofhis menace.
Jonathan. Saul's own son, had become fast friends
with David . Micha!. Saul's own daughter, was David 's
wife. Saul was in a pickle! While feigning !ove and
praise for David in their presence and his, Saul boiled
with frustration and ha te within.
With the Philistines attacking again, and David suc–
cessful in every foray against them. Saul 's spi rits sank to
a new low. Tormented and despondent, he called on
David and. while he played and sang for him, atternpted
once again to pin him to the wall with his spear. Foiled
again! The spear was sti ll quivering jn the wall, and
David was gone!
Saul had David's house surrounded and sent his
troops to arrest him. Curses- foiled again ! Micha! saved
David from her father's thugs. She Jet him out the back
window and put an ido! in his bed. Saul's men slew an
aiready dead god instead of David!
Confronted with her demented father's rage, Micha!
The
PLAIN TRUTH August 1978
lied: " I had to, father- he threatened to kili me if 1didn' t
help him!"
God's Game
leeing to Samuel to seek advice on
~
~
how to act in this dread circum-
s tance, D avid hid in Naioth.
....__lllllilllllli--1
When his whereabouts were re–
poned to Saul, a contingent of
soldiers was sent to arrest him.
But a strange thing happened on the way to Naioth.
The soldiers met Samuel and the o ther prophets with
him prophesying. God's Spirit fell on them all-and the
soldiers forgot their mission and joined in the proph–
esying-no doubt saying things uncomplimentary about
their king, Saul.
Another squad of soldiers was sen
t.
Ditto.
A third group was dispatched. Same song, third verse;
could be better, but it turned out worse!
Saul, in an absolute lather by now, went after David
What good would it do his reputation
to kili this imp? What grea t victory
song could the women of Gath sing
about his crushing of a gnat?
himself. But the same fate befell him. Saul the king tore
off all his clothes (signifying his being stripped of all
authority) and lay naked all night prophesying right
along with his three units of soldiers-cum-prophets and
Samuel's men!
Everybody was incredulous! Sau l himself saying bad
things about himself. good things about David, foretelli ng
his own doom. praising God! The story was told with glee
throughout the land and so famous was it that a saying
remains today: " Is Sa ul a lso among the prophets?"
Playing games with God, His will , and His people ca n
be not only dangerous, but humilia ting as well!
Coming in the next installment: exi le, guerrilla war .
a troci ties!
o
(To Be Contínued)
MOSES ANO JESUS-
What Did They Have in Common?
To find out, write for the booklet
A Tale of Two
Prophets
by Senior Editor Jon Hill. Send your re–
quest to o.ur office nearest you
(see inside front cover for ad–
dresses), or phone us direct or
collect. The number is (800)
423-4444 . Residents of Cal i–
fornia, Alaska and Hawaii may
dial (213) 577-5225 collect.
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