”Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” So David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.“ I Samuel 18:17-19 NKJV
a. Here is my older daughter Merab: Saul had promised to give his daughter to the man who killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17:25). Now, Saul made good on the promise, offering his older daughter Merabto David.
b. Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him: The marriage offer seemed like a gesture of kindness and goodness on Saul’s part. David was supposed to believe, “Saul has forgiven. He has let bygones be bygones. He threw two spears at me before, but all of that is over now.” But Saul didn’t think that way at all. In his heart was a different motive.
i. This was a trap because of the dowry that Saul would demand. In that day, a dowry was required whenever a man married. The dowry was paid to the bride’s father, and the more important and prestigious the bride and her family, the higher the dowry price. Since David was from a humble family, there was no way he could pay the dowry for the daughter of a king. Saul knew this and will demand that David kill 100 Philistines as a dowry. Saul figured that the job was too big and too dangerous for David, and he would be killed gaining the dowry to marry a king’s daughter.
c. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles: Saul works as a clever manipulator. He takes advantage of David’s loyalty and patriotism (only be valiant for me). He takes advantage of David’s courage and heart for the LORD (fight the LORD’s battles).
d. So David said to Saul, “Who am I…that I should be son-in-law to the king?”David was not out-maneuvering Saul. David had no idea what was going on in Saul’s heart. David simply had a humble heart before the LORD, and God protected him against Saul’s manipulation.
i. The question “Who am I?” shows David’s humble heart. He was nationally famous. All Israel loved him. All Saul’s staff loved him. Jonathan the crown prince loved him. All over Israel women sang and danced in his honor. Yet when the hand of Merab is offered to David he didn’t think, “Well, this is about time. I’m glad someone noticed.”
e. At the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel: When David was initially hesitant to marry Merab, Saul tried another strategy. He suddenly gave her to another man, to try and make David angry or jealous.
i. Saul “treacherously withdrew the offer as the time of nuptials approached - the intention being to arouse his ardent spirit to retaliate, and so become liable to the charge of treason. But all his efforts failed to arouse even a transient impulse for revenge.” (Meyer)
(Guzik)
Humble Heart ❤️
Saul was plotting against a man after Gods own heart!
”And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’“ Acts 13:22 NKJV
Have you ever been outside in the dark of the night and looked up at the stars and the constellations in awe and wondered what it was like for David as a shepherd boy guarding the flock and talking to God?
How can anyone look at these and say, there is no God?
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/
Blessings
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