1 Samuel 24
The Philistines may have slowed Saul down from pursuing
David for a little while but He’s back at it here in chapter 24. David and his
men have been pushed to their physical limits while they have fled from Saul
and yet still he has trusted that God would protect him and one day put him on
the throne. Now David’s endurance will be tested in another way.
This time
Saul isn’t just close to capturing David, but he is unwittingly in the very
cave that David and his men are hiding in. However, while David and his men are
in the cave in order to hide, Saul has simply sought some privacy in order to
relieve himself. You heard right, you couldn’t have made this up if you tried.
As you might imagine this leave Saul a bit, umm….vulnerable. Is this David’s
chance to kill his nemesis? Is this God directing him to take matters into his
own hands? Could this be his chance to stop running for his life and take hold
of what God has promised him? If we are honest with ourselves, many of us
wouldn’t even hesitate in taking an opportunity like this to benefit ourselves.
While David surly is not a perfect man, we see him care far more about God’s
timing than his own. Saul is still the king that God put on the throne and
David refuses to undercut that authority in this way.
Although
David lets Saul do his “business” unhindered, he does have the hutzpah to cut a
piece off of Saul’s robe so that he can prove that he had ample opportunity to
kill Saul if he wished. In fact, when Saul is a safe distance from the entrance
of the cave, David calls out and shows the peace of robe that he had taken.
David makes it clear by what he says here that although he has shown Saul
mercy, he expects God to exact justice on Saul for his wrong doing.
It’s
interesting that Saul sounds very contrite for what he has put David through
and even acknowledges that God has called David to be king. He even asks David
to spare his family when he sets up his kingdom. David agrees and they go their
separate ways. This was very counter-cultural to let the family of your opponent
live and shows great mercy on David’s part, even further displaying his faith
in God to protect not just his present but his future.
Notice that
although Saul is sounding repentant, David in no way lets his guard down. In
fact he heads strait to a fortified place where he and his men can defend
themselves. Saul may warrant some respect because of the position that God has
placed him in, but he has lost his right to be trusted. David’s trust in God is
not dependent on his trust in Saul.
Lessons:
We should constantly be evaluating
our lives in a way that seeks God’s glory in the decisions we make, even as we attempt
to do his will. Doing God’s work doesn’t automatically mean that we are doing
work for God. We need to humbly and faithful do what God wants from us, even if
it might mean waiting where we are at or being faithful in an uncomfortable
position. He wants us to be faithful and to trust in Him, not to be comfortable
for our own sake.
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