Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. (Galatians 5:25-26)
Many of us know what happened between King Saul and David. David was upright before God, and always faithful to King Saul, but King Saul was not. Initially, King Saul liked David, because David killed Goliath, the formidable Philistine giant. Goliath threatened the entire Israel, and insult the nation, the Israel people and God, but nobody dared to confront Goliath. David who was filled with God’s spirit confronted Goliath in faith. David proclaimed before the impossible enemy of Goliath:
“You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1 Samuel 17:45b)
As Goliath, who was in anger, moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. This is one of the most triumphant moments in the entire Bible. Give thanks to God, who gave the victory to David over Goliath, which has been one of the most remembered and recited encouragements to countlessly many believers who were confronted at impossibilities in life.
The most important fact that we want to remember is the killing of Goliath was not done by the power of David, but the power of God. This pivotal moment quickly changed the entire battle with Philistine. Bible records
Then the Philistines saw that their champion [Goliath] was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. (1 Samuel 17:51b-52)
God’s power was magnified and His will was done through one person David’s faith. The entire nation was trembled before Goliath and the Philistine army, but it was a mere illusion of eyes of both Israel and Philistine people. God brought the huge victory to Israel again because of one person David’s faith. God blessed David. However, there was an unexpected consequence.
Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. (1 Samuel 18:5-9)
Yes, a jealousy came into King Saul’s heart. Indeed, Jealousy is a terrible sin. It quickly holds of a person’s heart and rules over it. A small jealousy of one’s mind becomes a source of a bigger sin. King Saul’s jealousy over a single praise to David by the Israel people made King Saul practically a monster, who became insane and attempted to kill David multiple times including directly throwing at David a spear while David was singing for King Saul’s soul to regain peace in his soul. King Saul was in fact tormented by his jealousy over David in his heart. David had to flee. King Saul chased down David with his army of soldiers. From that point, his life purpose was killing David to defend his own kingdom and his kingship.
However, God was always with David, while King Saul pursed David David was on run, but God constantly protected David. (This is also our faith in Him now.) David was also a man of God’s heart. Even God provided opportunities to David so that he was able to kill King Saul, but David spared King Saul’s life twice. David did not personally avenge King Saul who falsely accused, but David put all his trust before God while waiting for His Hand and His indication. This is another lesson that we believers should learn from David and practice. David firmly believed God was always in charge, and he won the victory in faith.
God chose David as King of Israel instead. But the kingship for David come quickly like snapping a finger. It took years. David even had to fled to a neighboring country to avoid King Saul’s sword. In the country, he pretended to go crazy, pounding his head on the city gate and foaming at the mouth, spit dripping from his beard. Achish, king of Gath took at David, and sent David away, while telling, “Can’t you see he’s crazy? Why did you let him in here? Don’t you think I have enough crazy people to put up with as it is without adding another? Get him out of here!” David barely sustained his life.
However, David had never forgotten God’s promise, and cried out to God in faith and hope:
Come with great power, O God, and rescue me!
Defend me with your might.
Listen to my prayer, O God.
Pay attention to my plea.
For strangers are attacking me;
violent people are trying to kill me.
They care nothing for God.
But God is my helper.
The Lord keeps me alive!
May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them.
Do as you promised and put an end to them.
I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you;
I will praise your name, O LORD,
for it is good.
For you have rescued me from my troubles
and helped me to triumph over my enemies. (Psalm 54:1-7)
David cried out in agony, and God heard David’s cry. In fact, God always hears His people and cries because God never forgets His children. God even tells us:
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15)
It is not thinkable that a mother forgets a crying baby. Even if this impossibility were happening, God would not forget His people. This is the promise and hope in Him.
Sadly, King Saul had never returned to God, and continued his own path. On the other hand, David was always before God with faith and hope. God could not bear with King Saul anymore. Philistines attacked Israel. For this time, God was not with King Saul. The men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.
Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.”
But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
This was the end of King Saul. Once he was a humble king, but a small jealousy in his heart about the higher praise of David over him made him slowly deviating from the paths of righteousness of God. He then became a monster who relentlessly pursued David to satisfy his jealousy in his mind. He summoned his best general with the best army of soldiers to chase down to wildernesses with one purpose to find and kill David. How terrible a small jealousy became! King Saul’s small jealousy drove him completely insane, and put the entire nation in turmoil. The entire nation was hunting one innocent man, David.
However, David endured in faith and hope in God. God lifted David up and made David King over Israel, His nation.
And when he had removed him [King Saul], he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22)
What’s the result of one’s small jealousy? We know the end of King Saul, which is God’s warning to us. Today we hear God’s voice and do not harden our hearts. Then carefully listen to Him, and soften our hearts while removing those poisonous stones of Jealousy in our hearts.
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. (Song of Songs 8:6)