DAVID AND SAMUEL

David is introduced to us in three different stories. In the first, a wise man and soothsayer called Samuel has come looking for someone who will be God's chosen one. He chooses David over all his older brothers - and they did not like it.

In the second, David leaves the sheep he is tending and takes food supplies to his brothers in the battlefield. He offers to fight the fearsome Philistine giant Goliath, and he defeats this ogre by cunning rather than physical strength. (For more on David's use of lateral thinking, see Young People in the Bible

In the third story, David charms King Saul with his music and poetry, and is accepted into the inner core of Saul's court. Each of the three stories is significant, because they show a different aspect of David:

his ability to please the right people his use of cunning rather than traditional fighting methods - the Israelites were most successful in battle when they used guerilla warfare his great personal charm, which he used without scruple all his life.

DAVID REPLACES KING SAULDavid joined the court of Saul, but he constantly undermined the King. Saul saw what was happening. He ruled by public acclamation, and now David was drawing the popular vote to himself. Several times Saul tried to get rid of David, and in the end David was forced to flee.

But not before he had formed close relationships with two of Saul's children

Jonathan, Saul's trusted son and heir, and Michal, Saul's younger daughter who fell passionately in love with David.

In an attempt to lessen the threat David posed, Saul let Michal marry David, but it did no good, and eventually Saul made an open attempt on David's life. David, helped by Michal, fled from the court, becoming an outlaw.

David then acquired two additional wives, Abigail and Ahinoam, and a considerable number of seasoned warriors. They formed an outlaw group moving from place to place and living by their wits. He took this band of men and began fighting for his former enemies, the Philistines, but he did not actually take part in the battle in which Saul and all but one of his sons, including Jonathan, died. He did, however, send large gifts to the Israelite leaders as a conciliatory measure.

DAVID BECOMES KING

When David heard that Saul and his sons were dead, he went to Hebron. There he was anointed king by the men of Judah who had received his gifts.

One of Saul's sons remained alive, Ishbosheth, but he was murdered in his bed by two of his retainers who brought the boy's head to David.

David, now a king himself, sensibly killed the two retainers who had killed their king. He also took Michal back from her second husband, even though she was most reluctant to leave him - and he to leave her.

David now launched himself on the task of uniting Israel and extending its territory - by alliance or warfare. He moved his capital to Jerusalem, since it was more central to the northern provinces he now included in his territory.

JERUSALEM BECOMES DAVID'S HOLY CITY

He also brought the Ark from Hebron to Jerusalem, thus making his new capital a sacred city.

In the procession leading the Ark into the city, a lightly-clad David pranced at the head of the procession so that his genitals were displayed. Michal, conscious of the need for royal dignity, was contemptuous of his behavior and said so. He no longer needed the royal status she had given him so he relegated her, now an unnecessary thorn in his side, to perpetual chastity.

One of the first things that David did in Jerusalem was get an extended building program under way. He began to plan a suitable temple to house the Ark, and a palace for himself and his growing family.

DAVID AND SAMUEL

David is introduced to us in three different stories. In the first, a wise man and soothsayer called Samuel has come looking for someone who will be God's chosen one. He chooses David over all his older brothers - and they did not like it.

DAVID AND GOLIATH (New: Warfare - David and Goliath)

In the second, David leaves the sheep he is tending and takes food supplies to his brothers in the battlefield. He offers to fight the fearsome Philistine giant Goliath, and he defeats this ogre by cunning rather than physical strength. (For more on David's use of lateral thinking, see Young People in the Bible

In the third story, David charms King Saul with his music and poetry, and is accepted into the inner core of Saul's court. Each of the three stories is significant, because they show a different aspect of David:

his ability to please the right people his use of cunning rather than traditional fighting methods - the Israelites were most successful in battle when they used guerilla warfare his great personal charm, which he used without scruple all his life.

DAVID REPLACES KING SAUL

David joined the court of Saul, but he constantly undermined the King. Saul saw what was happening. He ruled by public acclamation, and now David was drawing the popular vote to himself. Several times Saul tried to get rid of David, and in the end David was forced to flee.

But not before he had formed close relationships with two of Saul's children

Jonathan, Saul's trusted son and heir, and Michal, Saul's younger daughter who fell passionately in love with David.

In an attempt to lessen the threat David posed, Saul let Michal marry David, but it did no good, and eventually Saul made an open attempt on David's life. David, helped by Michal, fled from the court, becoming an outlaw.

David then acquired two additional wives, Abigail and Ahinoam, and a considerable number of seasoned warriors. They formed an outlaw group moving from place to place and living by their wits. He took this band of men and began fighting for his former enemies, the Philistines, but he did not actually take part in the battle in which Saul and all but one of his sons, including Jonathan, died. He did, however, send large gifts to the Israelite leaders as a conciliatory measure.

DAVID BECOMES KING

When David heard that Saul and his sons were dead, he went to Hebron. There he was anointed king by the men of Judah who had received his gifts.

One of Saul's sons remained alive, Ishbosheth, but he was murdered in his bed by two of his retainers who brought the boy's head to David.

David, now a king himself, sensibly killed the two retainers who had killed their king. He also took Michal back from her second husband, even though she was most reluctant to leave him - and he to leave her.

David now launched himself on the task of uniting Israel and extending its territory - by alliance or warfare. He moved his capital to Jerusalem, since it was more central to the northern provinces he now included in his territory.

JERUSALEM BECOMES DAVID'S HOLY CITY

He also brought the Ark from Hebron to Jerusalem, thus making his new capital a sacred city.

In the procession leading the Ark into the city, a lightly-clad David pranced at the head of the procession so that his genitals were displayed. Michal, conscious of the need for royal dignity, was contemptuous of his behavior and said so. He no longer needed the royal status she had given him so he relegated her, now an unnecessary thorn in his side, to perpetual chastity.

One of the first things that David did in Jerusalem was get an extended building program under way. He began to plan a suitable temple to house the Ark, and a palace for himself and his growing family.

DAVID AND BATHSHEBA

He became engrossed in reform and administration, and no longer accompanied his military forces when they went into battle. Instead, he stayed in Jerusalem. One evening when he was walking on the terrace of his palace he saw a woman bathing after her menstrual period, and sent for her. She came, they had sexual intercourse, and in due course she discovered she was pregnant.

Since she - Bathsheba - was already married this posed a problem, which David solved by organizing the death in battle of her husband. She entered David's harem, the baby was born, but she later gave birth to another son who became King Solomon.

ABSALOM'S REVOLT

David seems to have had little control over his children. His heir apparent Ammon raped his half-sister Tamar and then refused to marry her marriage would have been the normal procedure at that time. Tamar's brother Absalom murdered Ammon, then later led a revolt against his own father, David, but was killed in battle. David's family life is not too far removed from Greek tragedy.

SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE

When David was old his sexual potency failed him. This was a serious problem since the potency of the king was still linked with the well-being of the country. A beautiful young woman was introduced, naked, into David's bed, but it did not good.

Seeing his chance, David's eldest remaining son Adonijah led an attempted coup d'etat against his father, to take power from the ailing old man. He was supported by his own brothers and by the general populace - the 'people of the land'.

But Bathsheba had other ideas - she wanted the throne for her son. If Adonijah became king, her own son Solomon and his brothers would almost certainly be executed.

She formed an alliance with various powerful groups in the country, religious and military, and replaced Adonijah with her son Solomon.

Soon after, David died - he 'slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years: seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three in Jerusalem'.