There is a lot to unpack in Saul and David’s story. Saul used to be a powerful King who mentored the young David. But soon, David began surpassing him. And instead of taking pride in his success, Saul grew to hate him.

So, when Saul began terrorizing David to keep him in “his place,” David felt betrayed and rejected.

The story of David and Saul is relatable for many of us. We’ve all felt Saul’s insecurity and David’s betrayal. So, what can we learn from their relationship?

The Story of David and Saul

1 Samuel 15-31 mentions David and Saul’s relationship. Between 1 Samuel 15 and 16, the Lord had rejected Saul. Then David is blessed to be the king in his place.

Saul becomes jealous of David’s accolades in 1 Samuel 18 despite David only showing loyalty. He stepped in to take the Goliath’s challenge and saved Saul’s army from humiliation. He also helped Saul when he was being tormented by an evil spirit. But Saul tried to keep himself in power through his tactics. David had no idea of Saul’s brewing hatred until Jonathan warned him of his father’s intentions.

The rest of 1 Samuel is David running from Saul. During this time, David wrote many of the Psalms (18, 57, 59, 63, 70, and 142). And on the climatic part of the narrative, David showed integrity and didn’t take Saul’s life in the cave. But Saul became the one rejected by the Lord. He lost his power by clinging to it.

David remained honorable after Saul’s death and kept his vow to preserve his family line.

What Can We Learn from Saul?

There are countless lessons to learn from both David and Saul’s perspectives. Saul’s story is a cautionary tale of the negative impacts of jealousy. Moreover, we learn that we shouldn’t have a self-centered view of power.

Saul could’ve been gracious, but he was scared of the way God was bestowing David. Instead of repenting and believing in the Lord’s plan, Saul tried to cling to his power.

What Can We Learn from David?

We learned about honor even after feeling betrayed from David’s story. The theme of David’s Psalms is to trust the Lord. Psalm 63 is especially helpful in reminding us that when we feel betrayed by those we trust, we should put our trust in God.

In the wilderness, David found comfort in the Lord. He also knew that God is the only ruler over his life. This is why David didn’t murder Saul in the cave. We should learn to believe that God will take care of us and deliver justice.

Do you want to nourish your faith by reading stories from the Bible? Visit Bible Issues for Bible study tools and resources. We list daily Bible verses, audio sermons, and articles that will help strengthen your faith in The Lord. All these resources are available for free online.

You can also find our books I Kissed Waiting Goodbye: 8 Myths that keep Christian Single and Small Devil, Big God, 8 Myths that keep Christians in Bondage on Amazon.