1 Samuel 18:11
And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
This moment belongs to David's early life at Saul's court, when he was experiencing success and growing responsibilities alongside his friendship with Jonathan. At the time David was playing music before Saul to soothe him, and singing praises to God.
The act reveals Saul's marked character of strength and weakness combined, with contradictory elements bound up in him; he worked at cross purposes with God, with good and evil ever in collision in him and evil striving for the supremacy. Gifts of talent had been bestowed on him, but because he did not consecrate them wholly to God he dishonored himself by his own transgression. At times he revealed marked simplicity and tender sympathy toward those who pleased him, and then a jealous and overbearing spirit, becoming unjust and cruel toward his best friends.
When brought under the influence of sacred vocal music he would catch the spirit of devotion and pour forth impassioned expressions of lofty eloquence in ecstasies of praise and prayer, giving himself no rest day nor night in wild excitement and inordinate zeal until the reaction came and his strength failed in exhaustion. When the paroxysm had spent itself he revealed his old disposition, and when his will was crossed he fell into a fury with words and deeds dishonoring to himself and more dishonoring to God. His jealousy turned into an attempt to murder David, suddenly hurling his sharp-pointed spear at him with intent to kill him against the wall.
David recognized Saul's murderous purpose, sprang aside and escaped unharmed from the maddened king, and the weapon struck the wall where he had been sitting. God preserved David in the attack, with angels protecting him. David was a righteous man whom God had chosen to save Israel.
The attack showed Israel that God had left Saul to follow his guilty course, and that a king rebelling against God and ruled by his passions could sink to murder and extreme crime.