Read: 1 Samuel 18:22-30
Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually. (v. 29)
To pretend to be someone’s friend even as you plan to betray them seems like the worst form of deception and treachery. Jesus knew this kind of betrayal himself. Judas Iscariot—his friend and disciple—kissed Jesus while revealing him to the authorities. Jesus asked him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48). While Jesus knew of Judas’s deception beforehand, the pain was still personal. It was the pain of being double-crossed by a friend.
Saul played at this same game, pretending to welcome David into his family, while plotting David’s death. His servants used flattery to make David open to the idea of becoming Saul’s son-in-law. Then Saul assigned a bride price that was an almost impossible task—the deaths of 100 Philistines in battle. That would put an end to David! Instead, David killed twice that number of Philistines. There was nothing left for Saul to do but to allow Michal to marry David. These events unnerved Saul to the point that he was “David’s enemy continually” (v. 29).
If David had an enemy in high places, he had a Friend in an even higher place! God was keeping David safe from his enemy—even as David was unaware of Saul’s treachery. How many times has he watched over us when we were unaware of danger? A secret enemy is no secret to the God who protects his own.
As you pray, thank God for his protection—even when you are unaware of the danger.
About the Author
Laura N. Sweet is a wife, mother, grandmother, and former Christian schoolteacher from Midland, Michigan. She writes devotional material for both adults and children, and her work has appeared in more than a dozen publications.
