Useful Bible Studies > 1 Samuel Commentary > chapter 18
After the defeat of Goliath, David could easily have become proud and foolish. He had defeated the enemy who caused King Saul and Israel’s whole army to feel fear.
Suddenly, David had become well-known and important. Israel’s women praised him in their popular songs. The king’s son, Jonathan, was his personal friend. David became a commander in the army, and the other important soldiers approved of him.
However, David did not act foolishly at this time. He acted wisely; and because he was wise, he carried out his duties well.
David was working in Saul’s army during a period when Saul was frequently acting in a wild and dangerous manner. 1 Samuel 16:14 says that an evil spirit was disturbing Saul’s mind.
During some of this time, David was able to bring comfort and help to Saul. David played sacred songs on his harp (musical instrument) while Saul sang. Afterwards, Saul was able to act and to think in a sensible manner. While this was possible, Saul’s officials urged Saul to keep David with him constantly.
However, sometimes Saul allowed evil thoughts to control his mind. When that happened, nothing could stop Saul’s dangerous behaviour. Saul tried to kill David on several occasions. In time, this behaviour became very frequent and, in the end, almost continuous.
That caused the people in Israel to want a new king. Their attention turned to David. However, David absolutely refused to fight against Saul because God had appointed Saul king. David remained completely loyal to Saul, even when Saul was trying to kill him.
Next part: The song about David’s success (1 Samuel 18:6-9)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.