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  The Great Bible Story #58
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David's conflict with Saul

Jacob Ninan
The people were quite excited about David's victory over Goliath. Women started singing praises saying Saul had killed thousands but David ten thousands! This made Saul quite jealous, and he began to want to kill David in order to preserve his kingship. Once he tried to throw a spear at David but missed. Finally David ran away from the palace and began to hide in different places. But Saul started pursuing him with his army.

At one time Saul went into a cave in a mountain to relieve himself, not knowing that David was in the inner parts of that cave! David's friends told him that this was a God given opportunity for him to kill Saul. David just cut off a part of Saul's robe, but afterwards felt guilty that he had tried to attack God's chosen one. After Saul left, David went out himself and shouted out to Saul telling him what he could have done. Saul felt bad that he had been going after such a man like David.

But Saul was back at it soon. One night when Saul and his army was sleeping in their camp, David crept in and took away Saul's spear and jug of water. He shouted out to Saul from a distance and told him what he could have done. This time Saul recognised the virtue in David's heart and blessed him.

The Philistines attacked Saul's kingdom again. Saul was really scared of them, and by this time Samuel was dead too. He had no one to turn to, and so in desperation he turned to a medium to find out what would happen. He asked her to 'bring up' Samuel so that he could find out what God had to say. Now God had given clear instructions not to contact mediums or to try and talk to the dead. It is really not possible to talk to the dead, and if anyone tries, usually what he gets is an evil spirit who impersonates the dead person. But this time God did an extraordinary thing and allowed Samuel himself to appear and talk through the medium to Saul. When the medium saw Samuel, she herself was shocked!

Samuel told Saul that because he had been disobeying God He had taken the kingdom from him and given it to another man. He also said that Saul and his sons would be killed in the battle.

Saul's sons were killed by the Philistines, and he himself was wounded severely. When he realised he was going to die, he asked his armour bearer to kill him. When he would not, Saul fell down on his up turned sword and committed suicide. Israel were thoroughly defeated that day.


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