“So Saul said to his servants, ‘Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring him to me.’ Then one of the young men said, ‘Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.’ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, ‘Send me your son David who is with the flock'” (1 Sam 16:17-19).
While the parallels between David and Joseph continue to pile up in 1 Samuel 16, there is also an unanticipated twist in the plot (as we shall soon see). By describing David as a skillful musician who can alleviate Saul’s tormented soul, the author portrays David as a Spirit-filled prophet since music and prophecy are closely associated in the Hebrew Bible (1 Sam 10:5; 16:13; 2 Sam 23:2). But as a Spirit-filled wise man (in Hebrew, “navon”), David is portrayed as a second Joseph (compare 1 Sam 16:18 and Gen 41:33; 1 Sam 16:13 with Gen 41:38). Like Joseph, David is a “handsome man” (compare 1 Sam 16:18 with Gen 39:6), and like Joseph, “the LORD is with” David (compare 1 Sam 16:18 with Gen 39:2, 21).
And now for the twist in the plot: since Saul is the king who chooses the Joseph-like David to serve in his court, Saul is portrayed as a new Pharaoh who is enslaving the people of Israel. The parallelism between Saul and Pharaoh highlights the tragic consequences of Saul’s decision not to obey the Lord in 1 Samuel 15. From being the LORD’s anointed, Saul is now portrayed as public enemy number one.
What can we learn from Saul’s fall from grace? God has given us the freedom to choose our actions. But we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. Even though we may try to minimize or even justify a sinful decision, just like Saul, we will eventually have to face the music (this pun is intended). May God give us the prophetic foresight to carefully weigh the outcome of all our choices, be they good or bad. Because God’s gift of salvation does not make us immune to the consequences of our choices!
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal 6:7-8).
