David is an amazing example of how to deal with an individual who has been rejected and displaced. Throughout his encounters with Saul he does not react in retaliation or manipulation trying to speed along his access to the throne. Instead David shows an awareness that what God ordains, He controls and puts into effect.

Saul who had already been rejected by God due to his chronic disobedience finds himself displease because the people attribute 10s of thousands to David and only thousands to him. His displeasure of being displaced in recognition changes to anger, envy, jealousy and finally to malice. (Malice is the intent to cause harm.)  I believe throwing spears in your fits of anger qualifies. He stoops to using the people closest to him in order to keep his edge. Offering your daughter in marriage and using your son's friendship to keep control is more than a bit manipulative.

What a mess. Think about It.

Have you ever been called to something knowing it isn't the right time yet and have the current person in the position try and kill you off? How did you handle it?

Can you imagine how a daughter feels being used by a dad against her husband?

What about being used by someone that you are loyal to against a friend? Can you imagine Jonathan's feelings? He was walking a razor wire. He never betrayed the friend and he was loyal enough to continue to fight with Saul.

How often do we in our human nature grieve the Spirit of God? Malice in the body of Christ is destructive to so many. Very seldom does it just involve one or two. It spreads like the plague or wild fires, destroying whoever and whatever is in the way.

There is a path in the development of malice. It begins in many with rejection or feeling displaced.
God gives a point for his people to stop the process. As he did with Cain when He said, Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you but you must master it. He ignored the place of help and killed Able. Saul was given opportunity to repent the first time he disobeyed and ignored what was presented and disobeyed again.This phenomenon is called denial. After denial we start using who ever or what ever we can to accomplish our goal to pay back or get even.

Paul was speaking to the church in Ephesus when he wrote about putting away malice. We all need constant renewal of our minds through the Word so we may master the sin that crouches at our doors.