Two Kings, Two Paths

They say, “timing is everything.” And you don’t have to be a musician to know that’s true — although if you’ve ever sung the wrong verse while everyone else moved on to the chorus, you know how awkward bad timing can be.

Think about how much of life depends on timing. Arriving five minutes late to the airport and your vacation becomes an unplanned staycation. Plant your garden too early and frost kills it; plant too late and nothing grows. Timing can make or break almost anything.

Now, imagine waiting not five minutes, not five months — but ten years for something you know God has promised you. That’s the situation David finds himself in. Between the moment Samuel anointed him king and the moment he finally took the throne, roughly a decade passes. Ten long years of caves, betrayal, and uncertainty. David knew what God had promised — but he didn’t know when it would happen.

And here’s the hard truth: most of us don’t either. We want God’s promises to unfold on our schedule. We’d prefer a microwave Messiah, not a slow-cooker Saviour. But as we’ll see in 1 Samuel 24, the real test of faith isn’t whether we believe God can do something — it’s whether we’ll trust when He chooses to do it.

From Anointing to the Cave: The Long Wait

Between 1 Samuel 16 and 24, David’s story unfolds in a dramatic contrast to Saul’s decline. In chapter 16, David is anointed by Samuel to be Israel’s next king, though Saul still sits on the throne. The Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul and comes powerfully upon David, marking the turning point of both men’s lives. David first enters Saul’s service as a harpist, soothing the king’s tormented spirit, and soon gains fame as Israel’s champion after defeating Goliath (1 Samuel 17). His military victories make him beloved by the people—“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands”—which sparks Saul’s consuming jealousy (1 Samuel 18:7).

From that moment, Saul’s paranoia drives him to hunt David down. David flees for his life, becoming a fugitive. He gathers a band of loyal followers, while Saul’s obsession with eliminating him grows increasingly irrational. Through these chapters, we see repeated opportunities for David to seize power by force, but he refuses to harm “the Lord’s anointed.” God uses this long period of waiting and wilderness wandering to shape David’s character—teaching him dependence, humility, and trust.

By the time we reach 1 Samuel 24, the tension between the two kings reaches a climax: Saul continues to grasp for control, but David, hidden in the caves of En Gedi, will demonstrate that true kingship is shown not by taking power, but by surrendering to God’s timing.

1 Samuel 24

David Spares Saul’s Life

24 [a]After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.

3 At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!

4 “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe.

5 But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” 7 So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.

David’s Refuge and Reverence

While David hides in a cave, Psalm 57 gives us a glimpse of his heart:

Psalm 57

For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!

I look to you for protection.

I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings

until the danger passes by.

David knows that his real refuge isn’t the cave — it’s the presence of God. Though his friends whisper that this is his moment to strike, David refuses to take Saul’s life. He trusts that God will fulfill His purpose in His time.

2 I cry out to God Most High,[b]

to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. (Psalm 57:2)

It’s easy to miss how remarkable this is. David has 3,000 trained soldiers against him, and yet when Saul walks right into the cave to relieve himself — talk about timing! — David holds back his hand. He cuts off a piece of Saul’s robe but won’t touch his life. He says, “The Lord forbid that I should do this… I will not harm the Lord’s anointed.”