David kills Goliath, and the Israelites win a great victory, BUT David’s relationship with Saul is poisoned beyond repair:

As they returned home, after David had killed the Philistine, the women poured out of all the villages of Israel singing and dancing, welcoming King Saul with tambourines, festive songs, and lutes. In playful frolic the women sang, Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand! This made Saul angry—very angry. He took it as a personal insult. He said, “They credit David with ‘ten thousands’ and me with only ‘thousands.’ Before you know it they’ll be giving him the kingdom!” From that moment on, Saul kept his eye on David. (1 Samuel 18.6 – 9, MSG)

Saul attempts to kill David twice. (You have to wonder why a guy has a spear in his hand while sitting in his own home!)

The next day an ugly mood was sent by God to afflict Saul, who became quite beside himself, raving. David played his harp, as he usually did at such times. Saul had a spear in his hand. Suddenly Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall.” David ducked, and the spear missed. This happened twice. (1 Samuel 18.10 – 11, MSG)

Saul keeps sending David into battle hoping the Philistines will kill him. That doesn’t work, and chapter 19 opens with Saul ordering his servants to kill David, but Jonathan talks his father out of it.

Saul listened to Jonathan and said, “You’re right. As GOD lives, David lives. He will not be killed.” (1 Samuel 19.6, MSG)

But Saul gets into another bad mood, throws his spear again, and David escapes out the window of his house at night. Good thing, because Saul sent soldiers to kill him the next morning. David goes to Samuel in Ramah, and Saul sends men to kill him there, without success (1 Samuel 19.9 – 23).

Jonathan and David are good friends, but Jonathan seems to have a hard time understanding that his father is trying to kill David:

David got out of Naioth in Ramah alive and went to Jonathan. “What do I do now? What wrong have I inflicted on your father that makes him so determined to kill me?” “Nothing,” said Jonathan. “You’ve done nothing wrong. And you’re not going to die. Really, you’re not! My father tells me everything. He does nothing, whether big or little, without confiding in me. So why would he do this behind my back? It can’t be.” But David said, “Your father knows that we are the best of friends. So he says to himself, ‘Jonathan must know nothing of this. If he does, he’ll side with David.’ But it’s true—as sure as GOD lives, and as sure as you’re alive before me right now—he’s determined to kill me.” (1 Samuel 20.1 – 3, MSG)

So the two devise a plan for Jonathan to discern his father’s intentions. David stays away during an important series of feast days, and we have this exchange:

But the day after the New Moon, day two of the holiday, David’s seat was still empty. Saul asked Jonathan his son, “So where’s that son of Jesse? He hasn’t eaten with us either yesterday or today.” Jonathan said, “David asked my special permission to go to Bethlehem…That’s why he’s not here at the king’s table.” Saul exploded in anger at Jonathan: “You son of a slut! Don’t you think I know that you’re in cahoots with the son of Jesse, disgracing both you and your mother?… Now go get him. Bring him here. From this moment, he’s as good as dead!” Jonathan stood up to his father. “Why dead? What’s he done?” Saul threw his spear at him to kill him. That convinced Jonathan that his father was fixated on killing David. (1 Samuel 20.27 – 33, MSG)

Duh. Saul tries to spear Jonathan, too. “That convinced Jonathan…” He reports to David, and David begins his exile.

Jonathan said, “Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in GOD’s name, saying, ‘GOD will be the bond between me and you, and between my children and your children forever!'” David went on his way and Jonathan returned to town. David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the Priest. (1 Samuel 20.42 – 21.1, MSG)

How would it feel to be anointed the next king and then have to run for your life from the present king who is a lunatic? A good question, but we don’t have to wonder. David has left us a record of how he feels in the Psalms. We’ll try to match them up as we go along.

To the choirmaster: according to “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me…But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. (Psalm 59. Introduction, verses 1 – 3…16 – 17, ESV)