Saul’s obsession with power and preeminence as king of the nation allowed no competition by others in these areas, whether intentional on their part, or unintentional as caused by a passage of events. A worthy definition of ‘envy’ is ‘pain or discontent excited by another’s superiority or success’. Surely this was proven in the first mention we have of Saul’s envy of David. After Goliath had been despatched, with the Israelites consequently triumphing over the Philistines, ‘the women came out of all cities of Israel singing and dancing, to meet king Saul … and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’. Saul found such unfavourable comparison with David more than he could bear, and became ‘very angry’. The seeds of gnawing envy had been sown in his mind, and they would bear a bitter and tragic harvest eventually.
The manner in which Saul’s envy developed would cast doubt as to whether he had, ever, a genuine love for David; cf. 16. 21. Fleshly man that he was, anything or anyone that impinged upon his selfish interests was viewed with suspicion, fear and hostility, all indicative of a spirit of envy, not love, within him, 1 Sam. 18. 9, 11-12, 15; cf. 1 Cor. 13. 4. Driven by his uncontrolled feelings, Saul determined to kill David, and made numerous attempts to do so. It was not only the record of David’s prowess that caused such offence to him, but also his ‘wise’ behaviour and evident popularity with all in Israel. It was the sure presentiment he had that the Lord was with David, and no longer with him, that added to this feeling, 1 Sam. 18. 12, 14-15. But above and beyond all these, it was the eventual realization of David’s appointment by God to be his successor that pushed him beyond the bounds of reason in his determination to destroy David. In such a deliberate and sustained course of action as followed, Saul showed himself as one who confronts and seeks to change the outworking of God’s established purposes – such action is the height of folly. Small wonder he was made to declare in the end, ‘Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly’, 1 Sam. 26. 21. The ever-practical James would remind us, ‘Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there’.
