David’s Mercy to Saul: Repaying Evil with Good
August 27, 2025
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
1 Samuel 24
Introduction: Setting the Stage for Mercy Amid Pursuit
Have you ever had a moment where it seemed like everything lined up perfectly for you to take matters into your own hands? The door swung wide open, the timing felt right, the people around you were saying, “This is it!” Maybe it was a career move, maybe a chance to speak your mind, maybe a way to get even. And yet, deep in your spirit, you knew: This is not God’s way. This is not God’s time.
That’s exactly where David finds himself in 1 Samuel 24. Saul has been hunting him like an animal. And then, in one of those moments that seems almost scripted by God for revenge, Saul walks right into David’s hiding place — vulnerable, alone, completely unaware.
This chapter unfolds in the Desert of En Gedi, a place of crags, caves, and wild goats—symbolic of the harsh wilderness where God often refines His people. At its core, 1 Samuel 24 is about mercy: choosing not to strike when you have the power to do so. It's about honoring authority, even when it's flawed, and leaving vengeance to God. In a world rife with conflicts, cancel culture, and wars, this chapter couldn't be timelier.
And we need this word today. Think about the world we live in: Our culture glorifies instant gratification — “Take it now, because you deserve it.
But the Spirit of Christ calls us to something different: to lay down the sword when everything in us wants to pick it up, to trust God’s justice instead of grabbing it for ourselves. True strength is not seizing power when you can, but trusting God’s timing and showing mercy — even to those who wrong you.
The Pursuit Begins Anew (verses 1-2)
1 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks.
Saul is relentless. Remember that he left David at Ziph to respond to a Philistine invasion. He is fresh from a military campaign against the Philistines, redirecting his energy toward his obsession over David after hearing that David is hiding in En Gedi. The Desert of En Gedi, with its steep cliffs and hidden caves, represents a natural fortress for David, but also a trap if cornered.
So without hesitation, he mobilizes three thousand chosen men to hunt down one fugitive with a ragtag band of about six hundred followers. That’s five-to-one odds. Overwhelming force. Saul is so consumed with destroying David that he treats him like a national security threat, even while the real enemies of Israel — the Philistines, the Amalekites, the surrounding nations — are still a constant menace.
Saul represents the tragic picture of a man consumed by misplaced hatred. He should have been defending the people of God. Instead, he was hunting the man anointed by God. This is what happens when jealousy and fear take root in our hearts: we create enemies out of allies.
Now, step back and look at what Saul was doing: he was chasing the wrong enemy. The Philistines were the real threat to Israel’s borders, but Saul poured his energy into hunting David. That’s what jealousy does — it flips the script and blinds you to the true danger.
I can’t help but see the same dynamic in our culture today. Political polarization has become Saul’s spear in America. The Left and the Right both want us convinced that our neighbor is the greatest threat — the Republican across the street, the Democrat at work, the independent who won’t pick a side. They fuel suspicion, stoke resentment, and make us believe that if “the other side” wins, civilization collapses tomorrow.
It’s the same playbook the enemy of our souls has been running since Eden: divide, deceive, destroy. Meanwhile, the real threats — the moral decay of our culture, the breakdown of the family, the rise of lawlessness, the spiritual battle raging unseen — go largely ignored. Just like Saul ignored the Philistines, our leaders are distracted by vendettas while the walls crumble.
An Unexpected Encounter (Verse 3)
3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.
This verse is almost comedic in its humanity—Saul, the mighty king, steps into a cave for a private moment, unaware that David and his band are hiding deep inside. It's appears to be a divine setup: God delivers the enemy into David's hands, but not for destruction.
In ancient times, caves were places of refuge and revelation (think Elijah or Jesus' tomb). To David’s men, this was providence with a capital “P.” Their whispers rise up: “David, this is the day! God Himself has delivered Saul into your hands.” Instead, it's a test of character and David knows it.
Here’s the danger: when we want something badly enough, we can justify our desires with religious language. David’s men interpreted circumstances carnally.
Personally, I've had "cave moments" in arguments where I could have escalated but chose silence. It reminds us that God orchestrates encounters for growth. Our focus is on walking with God, not for God.
The Temptation and the Cut (Verses 4-5)
4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ ” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
David's men interpret this as divine permission to kill Saul, twisting God's promise. David sneaks up, cuts the robe's hem (a symbol of authority), but immediately regrets it. This shows the pull of peer pressure and the Holy Spirit's conviction.
In life, it’s tempting to cut corners — literally, like David did with the robe. The shortcut might feel harmless, but it reveals a deeper heart issue: Do I really trust God’s timing?
Maybe you’ve been tempted to “cut the robe” at work to get ahead. Or in a relationship, forcing something instead of waiting on God. Every shortcut whispers: “Why wait when you can take it now?” But every shortcut steals something from the integrity God is forming in us.
The Theology of Restraint (Verses 6-7)
6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
David's response is remarkable: He honors Saul as God's anointed, refusing to usurp. He rebukes his men, modeling leadership through restraint. This echoes Romans 12:19 “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.”
Notice the clarity: he doesn’t say Saul is worthy. He doesn’t excuse Saul’s corruption or tyranny. He simply acknowledges a deeper truth — Saul is still God’s anointed. Until God removes him, it is not David’s place to do so.
This is the theology of restraint:
• Just because a man is wicked doesn’t mean I get to play God.
• Just because I’m anointed doesn’t mean I get to advance on my own timeline.
• Just because the opportunity is there doesn’t mean it’s ordained.
David had to choose between two kingdoms:
The kingdom of the flesh — grab power, end Saul, crown yourself.
The kingdom of God — wait, trust, submit
Here’s what this means for us:
• Restraint might mean holding your tongue
• Restraint might mean refusing to retaliate
• Restraint means letting God set things right
And don’t miss this: Saul walked out of that cave alive because David trusted God more than he trusted himself.
Confrontation with Evidence (Verses 8-15)
8 Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. 9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? 10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. 12 May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! 15 May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”
Picture the scene: Saul steps out of the cave, dusting himself off, rejoining his army of 3,000. And then, suddenly, a voice rings out from behind him: “My lord the king!” Saul whirls around, and there stands David, not with a sword raised but with a heart bowed. The text says he “bowed with his face to the earth.” Don’t miss that — David bows before the man who is trying to kill him. That’s humility. That’s trust in God’s sovereignty.
Then David makes his case: “You think I’m your enemy? Look at the evidence. Here’s your robe. I could have ended your life, but I didn’t. I will not lift my hand against the LORD’s anointed. May the LORD judge between us.”
Notice what David does:
• He appeals to Saul’s conscience. “See for yourself.”
• He denies the lies. “I’ve not sinned against you.”
• He defers to God’s justice. “May the LORD judge between me and you.”
• This is the essence of faith: leaving room for God to settle accounts.
In December 1943, U.S. Army Air Forces pilot Charles “Charlie” Brown was flying a B-17 bomber when his aircraft was severely damaged. Alone, wounded, and separated from his squadron, Charlie braced for death. But his life was spared by Franz Stigler, a German Luftwaffe fighter ace.
Fast-forward almost half a century. In 1990, Charlie began searching for the German pilot who spared his life. After a relentless four-year search through pilot associations and directories, he received a decisive letter: “I was the one,” it said. The two pilots finally met, discovered the deep respect underlying their actions, and formed a lasting friendship that endured until both passed away in 2008
David’s choice echoes down the ages: when we choose mercy, we unleash ripples of God’s character that outlast the moment.
In your marriage, mercy is stronger than retaliation.
In your workplace, integrity is stronger than shortcuts.
In your relationships, trust in God’s justice is stronger than defending your pride.
Friend, hear this: you don’t have to swing the sword to win. Sometimes the greatest victory is sheathing it
Saul’s Conviction Without Conversion (Verses 16-22)
16 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
When David finishes speaking, Saul breaks down. He lifts his voice and weeps. He admits, “You are more righteous than I… I know you will surely be king.” For a moment, it looks like Saul has had a change of heart. But as the story continues, we’ll see this was emotion, not transformation. Saul will return to his old ways of jealousy and pursuit.
David, for his part, swore not to cut off Saul’s family line, showing mercy once again. Then they went their separate ways — Saul to his palace, David back to the stronghold. The tension remains, but David has passed the test. Don’t mistake conviction for conversion. The world is full of Sauls who cry without changing.
Trust God with justice. David walked out of that cave vindicated, not because he swung the sword, but because he trusted the Lord.
Just as David spared his enemy, Jesus spared us while we were still His enemies. When you sheath the sword and trust the Lord, you preach the Gospel louder than a thousand battles.
Friends, 1 Samuel 24 calls us to mercy's cave—where we choose grace over grudge. David sparing Saul in the cave points us to a greater Son of David, Jesus Christ. When He had every right to strike us down as His enemies, He chose instead to lay down His life and show us mercy. If Christ has spared us, then we are called to go and do likewise.
