028 David Becomes King - A Bible Story for Children

1 Samuel 18-20; 24; 28; 31

After David killed Goliath, the army of Israel, with Saul and David at its head, was greeted with joy everywhere. In every town the women would come out and sing, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."

These words angered Saul. "They say I have killed thousands of Philistines and David has killed tens of thousands," thought Saul. "Soon the people will want to make him king."

From that moment on, Saul was jealous of David and kept close watch over him. One afternoon a dark mood came over Saul, and David played the harp for him, as he always did. But as Saul sat, holding his spear, he became angrier and angrier. Twice Saul threw his spear at David, but both times David jumped out of the way.

Seeing that the Lord was with David and protected him, Saul was afraid. Finally, he decided to make David leader of a thousand soldiers. Saul hoped David would be killed in battle, but David was a fine commander and was not killed. He acted wisely and succeeded in everything he did, and all Israel loved and respected him.

Then Saul thought of another plan. He knew that his daughter Michal loved David, and he promised David that he could marry her if he killed a hundred Philistines. Saul secretly hoped that in the battle the Philistines would kill David. Instead, David slaughtered two hundred Philistines, and Saul had to let him marry Michal.

Now Saul's son Jonathan was David's closest friend. The two young men were as close as any brothers. But one day Saul told Jonathan of his plans to kill David. Jonathan was horrified. "David has done nothing to hurt you," he told his father. "Why do you want to hurt him?"

Saul listened to Jonathan and promised not to kill David, but he could no longer control his anger and jealousy. After David won another great victory over the Philistines, Saul again hurled his spear at David, and this time David ran from the palace and fled to Ramah. While he was hiding from Saul, David went secretly to see Jonathan.

"What have I done?" David asked Jonathan. "Why is your father trying to kill me?"

"I am sure he does not want to kill you" answered Jonathan.

"He knows you are my dearest friend, so he has not told you," David replied. "But it is true."

"If this is true and I can help you," answered Jonathan sadly, "I will do whatever you want."

"I thank you," said David. "Tomorrow, I am to have dinner with your father, as I do at the beginning of every month. This time I will not join him. If your father asks you where I am, tell him I have gone to Bethlehem. If he is not angry, that means he does not want to hurt me. But if he does get angry, then we will both know that he thinks of me as his enemy."

Jonathan agreed, and the two young men swore before God to be friends as long as they lived. Before they parted, David asked, "How will I know whether your father is still angry at me?"

"Stay in these fields for two days," answered Jonathan. "On the third day, hide behind that pile of rocks. I will come and shoot three arrows toward the rocks, as if I were shooting at a target. I will bring a young boy with me to pick up the arrows. If I say to him, 'The arrows fell nearby; please go get them,' that means it is safe for you to come out of hiding. But if I tell him, 'The arrows are far away,' you are in danger and must escape at once."

When Jonathan joined his father at the dinner table the next day, Saul did not seem to mind that David was missing. But on the second day, when David was absent once again, Saul asked Jonathan where his friend was. Jonathan said David was visiting his family in Bethlehem.

"You fool!" Saul shouted. "You have chosen David over your family! As long as David lives, you will never be king. David must die!"

"But what has David done?" asked Jonathan.

Too angry to answer, Saul threw his spear toward Jonathan. Jonathan left the table in a rage.

The next morning, Jonathan went out to the field where David was hiding. "Bring back the arrows I am shooting," he told the boy with him. Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. "The arrows are far away," he called.

Jonathan then sent the boy home. As soon as he was gone, David came out from behind the rocks. Jonathan and David hugged each other and wept. "Whatever happens," Jonathan said, "let us be friends forever." Then he returned to the city, and David went into hiding.

So it was that David, whom God had chosen to be king of Israel, left his own country. His brothers and his father's household joined him, as did many other men who were unhappy. Altogether, there were about four hundred men, and David was their leader. They fought many battles, and David's fame grew.

As for Saul, he felt that God had abandoned him. He chased David and his men everywhere. Twice Saul's path crossed David's, and each time David could have killed him, but he chose not to. "The Lord will judge between us and decide who is right," David said to Saul after the second time. Saul wept and parted with David, saying, "You have given me good for evil."

After some time, the Philistines raised a huge new army against the Israelites. When Saul saw how many men they had, he feared for his life and for the lives of his soldiers. Samuel had died by this time, so Saul asked God directly what to do. But the Lord did not answer him.

Saul could neither eat nor sleep, as he frantically searched for help. Finally, he traveled to Endor, to seek a witch who knew how to talk to the dead.

"You must raise the spirit of Samuel," he told the witch of Endor. The woman cast her spell, and the spirit of Samuel rose from the earth.

"Why do you disturb me?" asked Samuel.

His voice shaking, Saul told Samuel that the Philistines were preparing for war and that the Lord would not answer his prayers. "What should I do?" Saul asked.

"Why do you ask me," said Samuel, "when the Lord himself is now your enemy? God has given your kingdom to David because you did not obey him at Amalek. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and your army will be at the mercy of the Philistines."

Weary from fear and hunger, Saul fell full length on the ground. He knew that the next day he and his sons would die and that the armies of Israel would be destroyed with them.

Everything happened as Samuel predicted. The armies of Israel fled before the Philistines, and all three of Saul's sons were killed. Wounded by arrows, Saul fell on his own sword and killed himself rather than die at the hands of the enemy.

When David heard the news of the battle and the death of Saul and Jonathan, he wept and tore his clothes. "How the mighty are fallen!" David mourned. "No one was braver than Jonathan, and Saul never turned away from battle. Weep for them, Israel--for Saul, whom God chose to be king, and for Jonathan, who was like my brother."

Then David became king of Israel in Hebron and ruled the country for forty years. During David's reign, the Israelites defeated their enemies and rebuilt their country, which had been torn apart by war. David also captured the city of Jerusalem and made it a holy city. With music and rejoicing, he brought to it the Ark in which were kept the laws that God had given Moses. In time, Jerusalem became known as the city of David. And David became the greatest king of Israel, for the Lord was with him.

Category: Children's Bible Stories