Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” – 1 Samuel 18:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 27, 2016): 1 Samuel 18

In Jim Collins book “Good to Great,” Collins talks about the need for companies to get the right people on the bus, and then to make sure that these right people are sitting in the right seat – that place in the company where they make a difference by making the most of every opportunity, a place where they can lift the company to best place possible. Having the right people in the right seat has an exponential effect on any company, and it is absolutely essential in making a good company, a great one.

Saul becomes jealous about the way that the people proclaim David’s accomplishments, and especially how the accomplishments of David compared with his own. According to the cheers, David had killed his tens of thousands while Saul had killed his thousands. At first glance, the cheers of the people exalt both of the warriors. In the eyes of the people, there are only two true warriors in Israel – and one of them is the king. There is something significant about a king who does not just pretend to be a warrior, but rather who leads the nation from the frontline of the battle instead of directing the conflict from a boardroom back at the palace. There can be no doubt that the people knew that Saul was a significant player in Israel.

But so was David. The people proclaimed that David had killed his tens of thousands. (Okay, it probably doesn’t need to be said, but this is likely an exaggeration. The reality was that David had killed Goliath, and had run several very successful missions in the service of Saul. But tens of thousands, probably not.) David had quickly become a second significant player in the kingdom. In the eyes of Jim Collins, the credit for David really belonged to Saul. He had discovered the right person, recruited him onto the bus of Saul, and then made sure that David was in the right the place, or right seat, the place where David could make the greatest difference. The result was exponential, and even the people recognized that.

But Saul didn’t possess the humility to understand that, and ultimately that lack of humility would be a demon that would ruin his legacy and cause his downfall. In Saul’s defence, if that is possible, Saul understood what Samuel had told him. His kingdom was soon going to be handed over to another. And he was watching for the one who Samuel said would become king after him. And right now, with David’s star on the rise, there could be none other than him. David would never reign as king at any time during the life of Saul. But in Saul’s mind, David was God’s king – he was the one who was going to receive the kingdom - and Saul had resolved that Saul wasn’t going to go quietly.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 19