1 Samuel 18:20-27 – God protects His own

Fear and threat operate in the realm of the mind. When a person is plagued by them, he will do whatever possible to remove the source even though it only exists in his mind. This was the condition of Saul. He first used his daughter Merab to try and get David to fight the Philistines with the hope of getting rid of him. It was unusual for a king to want to destroy the hero of his own nation, but Saul was unperturbed by his intention. In verse 20, we are introduced to Michal, another daughter of Saul. It was said that she loved David. By right when Saul learned of it, one would expect him to explode in anger, but he didn’t. Instead, he sought to do a re-run of what he did earlier with his eldest daughter. So verse 21 tells us that he said to David, “For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.”

Remember how David responded when he was offered Merab? He said, “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?”  Saul must have recalled that, so he was ready to counter David. He arranged for his servants to persuade him gently. He commanded that they try to convince David  saying, “Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now, therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.” David, being a down to earth man, responded somewhat like before. This time he said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?” He surmised that as a shepherd he wouldn’t be able to raise the bride price. So why should he entertain the opportunity of marrying the king’s daughter? When what he said was reported to Saul, the king immediately knew how to make David agree. He thought of another diabolical plot to get rid of David. He sent words to David saying, “The king does not desire any dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.”  Sinisterly, Saul must have thought that it was one thing for David to face one man as he did Goliath, but it would be quite another to face a hundred. His goal was to have David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

When David was told what the king said, he was pleased. He was alright with the king’s offer and acted swiftly. Instantly, he brought his men and went in search of the Philistines and killed not only a hundred but two hundred. He then brought their foreskins, more than what the king wanted so that he might be the king’s son-in-law. We can only imagine the shock and disappointment in Saul, though we are not told. He knew his plan had failed again. Whether reluctantly or not, now he had to keep his word and give Michal to David as a wife. So David became the king’s son-in-law, and also one step closer to the throne that he was destined to eventually ascend.

When we walk with the Lord and are found to be in the center of His will, we walk in safety and security. All we need is to do what we can and leave God to do what we cannot. The promise in Isaiah 54:17 still stands for us who serve the Lord. It says, “‘No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the Lord.”  Let’s take heart and do our best, and leave God to take care of the rest. Praise the Lord!