When King Saul realized that he had been rejected by God, and when he felt the force of the words of denunciation that had been addressed to him by the prophet, he was filled with bitter rebellion and despair. It was not true repentance that had bowed the proud head of the king. He had no clear perception of the offensive character of his sin, and did not arouse to the work of reforming his life, but brooded over what he thought was the injustice of God in depriving him of the throne of Israel and in taking the succession away from his posterity. He was ever occupied in anticipating the ruin that had been brought upon his house. He felt that the valor which he had displayed in encountering his enemies should offset his sin of disobedience. He did not accept with meekness the chastisement of God; but his haughty spirit became desperate, until he was on the verge of losing his reason. His counselors advised him to seek for the services of a skillful musician, in the hope that the soothin…
"And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel."
The EGW passage directly refers to Saul's rejection by God and his reaction to the prophet's denunciation. This is a clear reference to 1 Samuel 15:26, where Samuel tells Saul that God has rejected him. The connection is direct and explicit.
"When his services were not required at the court of Saul, David returned to his flocks among the hills and continued to maintain his simplicity of spirit and demeanor. Whenever it was necessary, he was recalled to minister before the king, to soothe the mind of the troubled monarch till the evil spirit should depart from him. But although Saul expressed delight in David and his music, the young shepherd went from the king's house to the fields and hills of his pasture with a sense of relief and gladness. PP 643.2"
"And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."
The EGW passage describes David playing the harp for Saul to soothe him when the evil spirit was upon him, and then returning to his flocks. This is a direct allusion to 1 Samuel 16:23, which describes the same scenario. The connection is clear and explicit.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
The EGW passage describes David returning to his shepherding duties, which thematically aligns with the idea of God as a shepherd in Psalm 23:1. The connection is not a direct quote or explicit allusion, but a parallel in the role of a shepherd.
"David was growing in favor with God and man. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he now set his heart more fully to do the will of God than ever before. He had new themes for thought. He had been in the court of the king and had seen the responsibilities of royalty. He had discovered some of the temptations that beset the soul of Saul and had penetrated some of the mysteries in the character and dealings of Israel's first king. He had seen the glory of royalty shadowed with a dark cloud of sorrow, and he knew that the household of Saul, in their private life, were far from happy. All these things served to bring troubled thoughts to him who had been anointed to be king over Israel. But while he was absorbed in deep meditation, and harassed by thoughts of anxiety, he turned to his harp, and called forth strains that elevated his mind to the Author of every good, and the dark clouds that seemed to shadow the horizon of the future were dispelled. PP 643.3"
"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."
Both passages describe a figure growing in favor with God and man. While the context is different (David's experiences at court vs. Jesus' general development), the parallel in the overall theme of increasing favor is present.