1 Samuel 18 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

1 Samuel 18 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• Israel’s first king, Saul, was appointed in approximately 1050 B.C.

• The story of David and Goliath took place several years after Saul became king, probably around 1022 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• David – He was selected by God to eventually become the second king of Israel.  

• Saul – God selected Saul to be the first king of Israel. He was from the tribe of Benjamin.

• Jonathan – The son of Saul and the best friend of David.

• Michal – Saul’s daughter who married David.  

WHERE:

• This chapter discusses David’s victories over the Philistines.

• The Philistines lived in cities towards the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (Ekron, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Gath).

OUTLINE:

• DAVID AND JONATHAN BECOME FRIENDS (18:1-4):

  • After the defeat of Goliath, David and Jonathan became friends.

  • “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David” (18:1).

• DAVID’S SUCCESS AND SAUL’S JEALOUSY (18:5-16):

  • Saul set David over his men of war and David won several victories against the Philistines.

  • The women of Israel started singing about how Saul had defeated thousands, but David had defeated tens of thousands.

  • This made Saul very jealous and he worried David would take the kingdom from him.

  • Twice he tried to kill David with a spear, but David evaded him.

  • He demoted David to be the commander of only 1,000 men, but God blessed David in everything he did, and the people grew to loved him.

• SAUL TRIES TO TRICK DAVID BY OFFERING HIS DAUGHTERS IN MARRIAGE (18:17-30):

  • Sense Saul couldn’t kill David, he devised a plan to have Israel’s enemies do it.

  • He offered his daughter Merab to David in marriage in exchange for David fighting the Philistines.

  • He was hoping the Philistines would kill David, but the plan didn’t work, and he ended up giving Merab to another man.

  • When Saul found out his younger daughter, Michal, loved David, he offered her to David in exchange for 100 Philistine foreskins.

  • Saul hoped the Philistines would kill David before he collected 100.

  • David accepted the offer, brought Saul 200 foreskins, and married his daughter.

  • From that day on, “Saul was David’s enemy continually.”

APPLICATION:

• If God is against you, no amount of scheming, planning, or luck will help you succeed.

• Saul tried and failed several times to kill David, but he was fighting against a man who had God as his ally.

• You can’t fight against God and win. Better to join Him and serve Him, than to spend your life struggling pathetically against an all-powerful adversary.