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III. Saul and David
Chapter 13
[Saul was…years old when he became king and he reigned…-two years over Israel.]
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Samuel Anoints David. Samuel did as the Lord had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is your visit peaceful, O seer?”
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Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. Then Samuel set out for Ramah.
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David Wins Saul’s Approval. The spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and he was tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord.
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David Made Armor-Bearer. Accordingly, Saul dispatched messengers to ask Jesse to send him his son David, who was with the flock.
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Then Jesse took five loaves of bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.
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Thus David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul became very fond of him and made him his armor-bearer.
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Saul sent Jesse the message, “Let David stay in my service, for he meets with my approval.”
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Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, for the evil spirit would leave him.
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When Saul and all Israel heard this challenge of the Philistine, they were stunned and terrified. David Comes to the Camp.
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David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah who had eight sons. In the days of Saul Jesse was old and well on in years.
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David was the youngest. While the three oldest had joined Saul,
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David would come and go from Saul’s presence to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
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Now Jesse said to his son David: “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves for your brothers, and bring them quickly to your brothers in the camp.
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Early the next morning, having left the flock with a shepherd, David packed up and set out, as Jesse had commanded him. He reached the barricade of the camp just as the army, on their way to the battleground, were shouting their battle cry.
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David entrusted what he had brought to the keeper of the baggage and hastened to the battle line, where he greeted his brothers.
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While he was talking with them, the Philistine champion, by name Goliath of Gath, came up from the ranks of the Philistines and spoke as before, and David listened.
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David now said to the men standing near him: “How will the man who kills this Philistine and frees Israel from disgrace be rewarded? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should insult the armies of the living God?”
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When Eliab, his oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he grew angry with David and said: “Why did you come down? With whom have you left those sheep in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and dishonest heart. You came down to enjoy the battle!”
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David protested, “What have I done now? I was only talking.”
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The words that David had spoken were overheard and reported to Saul, who sent for him.
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David Challenges Goliath. Then David spoke to Saul: “My lord should not lose heart. Let your servant go and fight this Philistine.”
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But Saul answered David, “You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.”
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Then David told Saul: “Your servant used to tend his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or bear came to carry off a sheep from the flock,
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David continued: “The same Lord who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul answered David, “Go! the Lord will be with you.”