How did one of the servants of Saul know that the Lord was with David in 1 Samuel 16:18?
I think the best indication of what the young servant of Saul meant when he said "the LORD is with him" is found in the rest of the quote: "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”
This servant saw several distinguishing characteristics in David:
- He was a skillful musician.
- He was brave, a man of valor.
- He was skilled with weapons, a man of war.
- He was prudent, or wise, in his speech.
- He was "a man of good presence," someone who has charisma and obvious leadership potential.
The servant thus concluded that a man this gifted must be blessed by the Lord, and so he wrapped up his assessment by saying "the Lord is with him." In other words, I don't think he was claiming any prophetic insight into David's destiny, but making a theologically informed assessment of David's character and abilities as evidence of being blessed by God.
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Could you please re-frame this as a question? If you are suggesting a possible "conclusion" - it is actually appropriate to post it as an answer, separately from the question, (below). – elika kohen Jun 30 '17 at 1:16
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David found a favor of God, he also found favor of Saul and Jonathan as we see in the 1 Samuel. – Mandira Dangol Jun 30 '17 at 8:44