1-11 The Setting
- Philistines gather for battle at Socoh on one mountain; Israel on another, with a valley between them.
- The Philistines send out Goliath of Gath, 9 feet tall and heavily armed, challenging one Israelite to meet him in battle.
- Saul and all Israel are afraid of him.
- David's older brothers -- Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah - are among Saul's soldiers, while David is taking care of the sheep at home.
- Jesse instructs David to take bread to his brothers and cheese to the commander, and to bring back a report.
- When David gets there, Israel is preparing for battle, and as he talks with his brothers, he hears Goliath's challenge.
- At his request, soldiers tell David of the rewards for killing Goliath.
- David's reply: "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
- Eliab scolds David for his presumption and accuses him of coming only to see the battle.
- When Saul hears of David's inquiries, he sends for him, and David offers to fight the giant, citing his previous experiences of killing lions and bears.
- Saul offers him armor, but David is not used to them, so he takes them off and gathers his weapons: a staff, 5 smooth stones from the stream, and a sling.
- When Goliath sees him approaching, he scoffs and invites him to the challenge: "Come...and I will give your flesh to the birds..."
- David's reply: "You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD...the LORD will deliver you into my hand...that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's and he will give you into our hand." A lesson for our times -- wars between nations are not God's wars -- that is not his battleground.
- David runs toward Goliath, takes a stone from his bag, slings it, and strikes Goliath so that the stone sinks into his forehead, stunning him.
- David takes Goliath's own sword, kills him, and cuts off his head.
- The Philistine troops flee (so much for Goliath's promise of surrender), the Israelites chase them back to Gath, and David brings the head of Goliath to Jerusalem, putting Goliath's armor in his own tent.
- Saul asks Abner of David's father's name, which he does not know. Abner brings him to Saul, and David identifies his parentage. It seems that Saul, in his mental state, has either forgotten who David is, or who his father is. Maybe David has not constantly been in the king's presence since their first meeting.
1-9 Jonathan's Covenant with David
- After his victory over Goliath, Saul insists David be a part of his household
- Jonathan comes to love David "as his own soul," makes a covenant with him and gives him his robe, armor, sword, bow and belt.
- Saul appoints David over the army, and all the people approve.
- When they return from the Philistine battle, women come out to meet King Saul, singing "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands," which causes Saul to be jealous and suspect of David.
- Raving, Saul throws a spear - twice - at David while he's playing his lyre, but David twice eludes him.
- Even though it should be the reverse, Saul is afraid of David, because he knows God has left him and is with David.
- He makes him a commander of the army, at which David excels, and now Saul "is in awe" of David.
- Saul offers his daughter Merab to David as wife, and commissions him to fight, thinking that might be a way to get rid of David -- let the Philistines take care of him.
- David questions his right to marry a daughter of the king.
- I don't understand this: At the time when Saul's daughter should have been given to David she is given instead to Adriel the Meholathite. I didn't see an agreement in the previous verses that the marriage was going to take place.
- Another daughter, Michal, loves David, so Saul offers her to David in exchange for the foreskins of 100 Philistines, in hopes the Philistines will slay David in the process.
- Of course, David fulfills his part of the agreement, and Saul is even more afraid of David.
- Whenever there is a battle, David is the most successful of all the commanders, and his fame grows.
1-7 Jonathan Intercedes for David
- He speaks to his father about wanting to kill David, reminding him of the battle he won with Goliath and other great things he has done on the king's behalf.
- Saul promises not to try to kill David.
- After a battle that David has won, he is playing music for Saul, and once again Saul tries to pin him against the wall with a spear.
- David goes home, and Saul sets a watch on him, planning to kill him in the morning.
- Michal learns of the scheme and warns David to escape, letting him down through a window, and putting an idol in the bed and telling the soldier David is sick.
- Saul demands his presence anyway, and the soldiers discover Michal's deception.
- Michal claims David threatened her.
- David tells Samuel of all that has happened, and they move to Naioth.
- Saul sends 3 sets of messengers after David, and each group falls into a prophetic frenzy.
- Finally, he goes himself, and does the same thing, stripping off his clothes and lying naked the rest of the day and night.
- "Therefore it is said, 'Is Saul also among the prophets?'" It seems he has become a laughingstock among his own people. This happened before, too, I believe, when Saul was heading back from looking for the lost donkeys (1 Samuel 10:10-13).
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