As we read in the last chapter, David fled to the wilderness of En Gedi after narrowly escaping from King Saul and the army of men hunting him. Saul eventually hears of David’s location, chooses three thousand men to accompany him, and seeks David in En Gedi.
As coincidence would have it, the cave that King Saul chooses to relieve himself is the very cave where David and his men are hiding. David does an interesting thing here. Saul, most likely setting his robe down, is vulnerable. If David were evil, he could use this opportunity to take advantage of King Saul by hurting him, capturing him, or killing him. Yet all David does is cut off a corner of his robe. David had to restrain his men from attacking Saul. In doing so, he neatly explains why he refrains from violence towards the king in verse 6: “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”
David’s respect for King Saul ran deep and was of more than one dimension. David had respect for Saul in that they shared a history together. Recall when David used to spend time with Saul and play music for him. Saul was also David’s father-in-law. More important than these two bonds, David perhaps respected Saul most because Saul was the king that was chosen to lead Israel by God. Far be it from David to presume to murder he whom God had placed. David’s strong and impressive faith has many facets, granting us many opportunities to learn and be inspired. It makes one wonder, would I have the same respect for an enemy of my own? Remember that David did nothing to King Saul to attack him outright. Instead, it was David’s repeated display of strong leadership in battle and his influence of the people that provoked Saul to hunt him down. Saul also likely had those that whispered in his ear that David’s goal was to usurp the crown and the power of the king.
But instead we see David, a humble servant of God, prohibiting himself from avenging anything with the king and instead respecting the one that God put in power. Do we think and act the same ways towards those that lead us?
When David comes to Saul, he does not at first disclose his identity. But through the words he speaks, Saul comes to know who he is. David reasons honestly with Saul, drawing attention to the ones that speak evil of David in Saul’s ear. David humbly reveals the corner of the robe as proof that he bears no ill will towards Saul. It is an effective tactic, as it cuts through Saul’s desires to harm David and instead has him saying, “And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.”
Even proud, wicked, and evil, Saul knows righteousness and goodness when he sees it. He may have known deep down that David was the same faithful man all along. But power and pride clouds wisdom and judgment, and Saul was not one to seek righteousness or listen to sound counsel. Instead, Saul makes a fool of himself, demonstrating bad leadership to Israel while hunting David. But when David shows him the corner of the robe Saul finally gets it. As Saul admits that David is more fit to be king, and predicts that he will be king, he makes a single request of him: do not kill my descendants and do not remove my name from my father’s house.
Even though brief, this chapter teems with modern lessons for us. Let us meditate on them:
- Steadfast righteousness has eventual rewards
- Impresses goodness upon others
- May result in deliverance from affliction
- Restraint is a virtue
- It is very important to use sound judgment while making decisions under duress
- Be an influencer while restraining yourself; lead others in restraint
- Open and direct honesty inspires mercy
- Interpersonal conflict or other disagreement: bare your heart without reserve
- Practice the same when in prayer: what’s the use of hiding anything from God? He knows everything about you and what is in your heart and your mind. Be honest in your prayers and wait for answers from God
Instances like the conversation in this chapter prove the statement that David was a man after God’s own heart.
Monday Night Bible Study 