David and Saul

When we think of David we usually pair him.
David and Goliath
David and Bathsheba
David and the Psalms
But the interactions between David and Saul intrigue me on a number of levels.

When we first meet Saul we're told that he was " an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites". He has been sent by his father to find some missing donkeys. He meets up with Samuel, who has been warned by the Lord to watch for him, and Samuel anoints him as king somewhat privately.

Saul starts out humble...hiding amongst the baggage when he is to be introduced as king...but pretty quickly stumbles about in the early days of his reign with his most significant early failure described in 1 Samuel 15 - 16 where he fails to destroy the Amalekites as instructed.

When we first meet David we're told that we was "ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features". He has been out in the fields caring for his father's livestock. He meets up with Samuel, who has been sent by the Lord to find him, and Samuel anoints him as king somewhat privately.

Immediately following David's anointing by Samuel we find Saul described as being tormented and the solution to the problem is to find a musician to calm his spirits. Scripture tells us that David is recommended and then we have this:
"David came to Saul and entered his service/ Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him." 1 Samuel 16:21-22

Now compare that with this tidbit that comes AFTER David defeats Goliath:
1 Samuel 17:55-58
"As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, 'Abner, whose son is that young man?'
Abner replied, 'As surely as you live, O king, I don't know.'
The king said, 'find out whose son that young man is.'
As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistines head.
'Whose son are you, young man?' Saul asked him.
David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.'

Saul is apparently clueless, completely missing the spiritual reality that is before his eyes...David the harp player/armor-bearer whose playing calms the kings spirits is now David the military hero. This servant of God has been in his midst and yet Saul can't seem to see beyond the momentary physical realities.

Reading through this this time I was struck by the parallels to Moses and Pharaoh.
Pharaoh's heart is hardened by a spirit from the Lord just as Saul is tormented by a spirit from the Lord.
Pharaoh is given signs pointing to the fact that Moses comes from God just as Saul should have seen the signs of David's coming from the Lord.
Pharaoh chases Moses and the people out of Egypt into the wilderness just as Saul will chase David out into the wilderness.

It seems to me that there are deeper truths to be mined from these stories of David and Saul than the stories we get on the flannel graph. (Although I love those too.) Truths about leadership and the paths that lead to it. Truths about how God establishes leaders and what happens when He takes His hand away. Truths that circumstances on the outside often belie spiritual truths on the inside.

I think I'll mark this as one of those places...yet again... that is worthy of much further digging