Click Here – 1 Samuel 18:17-30.
Once again we see a huge contrast between the selfish leadership of Saul, and the Godly leadership of David. Remember that one of the rewards for the man who would kill Goliath was the daughter of Saul as a wife. Yet David had not received that reward. Perhaps it was because Saul thought that David was too young to marry. Even though time had passed and David had shown himself as a warrior and a man, Saul still hadn’t allowed David to marry his daughter. Saul had gone back on his vow and promise (again).
So Saul tries to use David’s sense of loyalty against him. He tells David that the price to pay for his daughter’s hand in marriage would be 100 Philistine foreskins. (The foreskin was, well, the part of the male anatomy the Israelites did not have because they were circumcised…) In order to collect the prizes, the Philistines would have to be killed. Saul hoped that David would die in the process, but he didn’t. He returned with twice of what was asked of him.
Saul backed out of vows. David fulfilled his promise two-fold. Saul’s focus was on himself; David’s was on what the LORD would have him do. Saul’s actions actually led him to fear David more, while David’s led the people to praise him even more. Two types of leaders, which one are you?