Let’s read it - 1 Sam 26:1-25.
I believe you have this feeling that you read this before. This encounter is very similar to the one in chapter 24 when he was in the cave in En Gedi.
• David got so close to Saul he could cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. In this chapter, he took Saul’s spear and water jug.
• Both times David could have easily ended his misery by taking Saul out, but he did not.
It was a CHOICE he made. He was not coerced into making it. It was a deliberate decision on his part.
• The guiding principle is clear – this is not God’s will. He says, “He does not want to raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed.” (cf. 24:6)
MAKE CHOICES THAT REFLECT GOD’S WILL
If David can do that, we can do that. By God’s grace, choose to do God’s will. It not only glorifies God, it will bless you.
The Ziphites informed Saul that David was hiding nearby and he came with 3000 men to comb the area.
• He had been taking his huge army in pursuit of David. This is really sad.
• David took 600 men to fight their real enemy, the Philistines and defend Keilah (1 Sam 23) but Saul took 3000 men to hunt down one of his own.
David got news that Saul has come and encamped nearby. Here is the interesting part - he decided to infiltrate the camp.
• He took one of his men ABISHAI and sneaked into Saul’s camp at night.
• Everyone was in deep sleep and Abishai said, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won’t strike him twice.” (26:8)
‘I will do a neat and clean job. This is God-given opportunity.’
• We cannot blame him; this is the natural impulse in all of us.
• David has SIX reasons to kill Saul that night: (1) Saul is the guilty one (David is the victim of wrongful treatment), (2) he has a good opportunity, (3) he has the weapon needed, (4) he has the man to do it, (5) he has the support of his comrades, (6) he has a high chance of success.
Everything screams at him to JUST DO IT. The Nike’s call.
• But that’s everything that comes from the FLESH, the desires of the flesh.
• Gal 5:16 says DO NOT GRATIFY the desires of the flesh. WALK by the Spirit.
RELY ON THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GUIDANCE
David was against it. He wasn’t there for this! This is not his goal, neither is this the will of God! Listen to what he says (sense the tone, it’s a reprimand):
• 26:9-11 “9But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless? 10As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed.”
This is similar to what he said in chapter 24 when he cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He was conscience-stricken by it (24:5). He rebuked his men for such a thought (24:7).
Clearly, killing Saul wasn’t his goal. He gave two reasons:
• (1) It wasn’t his place. “Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” The answer is, NO ONE.
• Even if Saul is ungodly or corrupt, he is still God’s anointed and no one can take his life without guilt.
• (2) It wasn’t the right time. “The LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed.”
• I don’t know WHEN and HOW God will do it, but one thing is sure, it’s not MY JOB.
It is not our place to take revenge, even if we are wronged.
• We cannot be sure WHAT is considered a RIGHT judgement or WHEN is it a RIGHT time.
• This explains why God does not want us to take revenge.
• Leave that to Him. He is perfectly capable of righting the wrongs done to us, in His own way and time.
Instead, David asked Abishai to take Saul’s spear and water jug.
• Imagine this, Abishai must be thinking, “Yah, right. We come all the way here, through all the dangers, just to steal his water bottle!”
• Why do you think David take such a risk when killing Saul isn’t his objective?
David has something else in mind. They crossed back to the other side of the valley and shouted at them to wake them up!
• David woke Abner up first, he is Saul’s commander.
• Paraphrase 26:14-16: “You are a lousy guard. You fell asleep when you were supposed to be protecting the king. What were you doing? You and all your men deserve to die. Just look around. Where is the king’s spear? Where is his water jug?”
Twice Saul could have died, once in the cave and now in this camp.
• His men were not capable of protecting him. What an irony. The one who can – David, Saul’s fervent supporter and faithful defender – is now his enemy.
• Saul is out to kill the one who is most capable of protecting him!
• How foolish. Foolishness marks the one who has no fear of God in his heart.
David then spoke with Saul. This is the CLIMAX and the HEART of this chapter.
• David WANTS TO talk to Saul. Listen to what he says in 26:18-20.
• “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? 19 Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the LORD has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the LORD! They have now driven me from my share in the LORD's inheritance and have said, `Go, serve other gods.' 20 Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea-as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
After all these years (4 years?), David still does not understand WHY Saul hated him so much. He has done Saul no wrong.
• We don’t always suffer for our own sin. We sometimes suffer because others sinned, and most of the time, for no apparent reasons. We just don’t know.
• David (26:19b): “If the LORD has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering.”
• Meaning: “If I’m guilty of some wrongdoing and God is using you to discipline me, then I am willing to confess my sin and offer a sacrifice to God.”
• And “If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the LORD!”
TRUST GOD FOR THE UNKNOWNS
There is no simple answer for David. He does not have the answers to all the WHYs.
• But one thing David is sure. 26:23 “The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness.”
• We trust that God knows what He is doing, and He will reward us according to our righteousness and faithfulness.
One thing is clear in all these years of running, David did not lose faith in God.
• He stays righteous and he stays faithful to God. He did not take matters into his own hands. He let God be God.
David’s trust in God makes all the difference. He WAITS for God to work out His plan, even if it means running for his life. Same experience apostle Paul had.
• There will be some UNKNOWNs in life but we know that they are NOT unknowns to God. That’s where trust comes in. God will rewards the righteous and faithful.
Saul was moved by David’s kindness. “I have sinned. Come back, David my son.” (26:21)
• Was he sincere? Did he really mean it? We are not sure. But Saul did stop his pursuit of David after this. This was to be their last meeting.
Let me close with this thought. David went into the camp with a purpose in mind.
• It was unlike chapter 24 when Saul stepped into the cave by chance. Sneaking into the camp was deliberate and planned for.
• WHY? Not to kill Saul, obviously. We’ve already established that.
• Was it to prove that he could have killed Saul but did not? Possible but quite unlikely, because he had already done that in the cave. Why would he risk his life to prove the same point?
David has something in mind, and it seems to me that he is seeking a chance to talk to Saul. He wants to off-load something in his heart.
• And that comes out in his words, best sums up by the very last sentence he said to Saul: “I valued your life today…”
I don’t think it means, “You see, I did not kill you today…” The sense is that David wants Saul to know that he really cares about him. He is NOT his enemy.
• “You are important to me. Your life matters to me…” In short, David loves Saul!
• He risked his life to find a chance to MAKE THIS POINT.
• He wants Saul to know that despite all that has happened, he still loves him.
Did Saul get it? We cannot be sure. But Saul’s words to David here are the most tender words we’ve heard from him so far.
• This “son of Jesse” has become “David, my son.” David’s love changed him!
David loves his enemy. That’s the love of Christ. And that’s a CHOICE we make.
CHOOSE TO LET HIS LOVE FLOWS
David set us a great example.
• How often do we go out of the way to tell someone we care about him?
• How willing are we to show grace and do good to those who offends us?
• 1 Pet 3:9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
Is there someone you need to love today?
