7/03/19 

I Samuel 16:18
¹⁸ Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is with him.

This chapter in I Samuel seems to be out of place chronologically.  The events described are not in a time sequence with what follows.  This to me indicates that the events are a recap of things to come and are not intended to be viewed in chronological sequence.

There are two main points of information to be aware of in this account.

1.       The anointing of David as King by Samuel is of first importance.  Though this was clandestine it can hardly be called secret.  All of Jesse’s family was aware of this and they are not told to keep it secret.  So it is probable that there was some talk of it in that countryside.

2.      In vs 18 the description of David is rather extensive and he is an attractive gifted man.  This description seems to be somewhat later in his experience as he is described as, “a man of valor, a man of war”.

David and Saul’s relationship is hard to identify and follow as there is very little attention given to clear chronology.  But his genius is evident and his presence in Saul’s court is a certainty.  David’s gifts had separated him at an early age.  His genius and piety are equally appreciated.