the daughters

15. July 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

Our story picks up today with another attempt by Saul to kill David.  Let’s look at the text:

I Samuel 18:17 Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!” 18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19 So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. 20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21 ”I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.” 22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.’” 23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.” 24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

Saul tries to use the promising of his daughters to David in his strategy to get David killed.  Saul’s first attempt was to make him his son-in-law with his oldest daughter and he asked David to fight bravely for the battles of the Lord with the hope that David would be killed in battle.

David declined the offer because he felt that he was not worthy to be a King’s son-in-law so Saul married off his eldest daughter to someone else.   Saul later found out that his daughter Michal was in love with David and he now has a second opportunity to make David his son in law.  In this attempt, Saul decided to put a price on his daughter since David felt he was not worthy to be a king’s son-in-law.   Saul sent a message to tell David that he wanted a hundred Philistine foreskins for the price to marry the king’s daughter.   Saul knew David could not meet this challenge and he assumed David would be killed in his attempt to meet the challenge.

Tomorrow, we will see what happens when David goes to fight the Philistines.

God Bless you and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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