Another profound chapter in the midst of a profound book, I Samuel 26 has us watching David and Saul playing cat and mouse once again. But which is which? Saul pursues David, but despite this David always comes away with the upper hand. Who is chasing whom?
Saul is told of David’s whereabouts and seeks to track him down. Ultimately, David has the chance to take Saul’s life for a second time, but he relents. David again has to restrain a fellow soldier in Abishai, who desires greatly to kill Saul as he sleeps. Later, they will converse across a great distance, David speaking from the top of a hill.
In the big picture, David knew that it is not up to him to decide when Saul should be removed as King. This was of course up to God to determine. These events flow according to the pattern His will, under which nothing happens that He does not allow.
At this point, we can ask ourselves, to what extent do we behave like David and let events take their course, behaving righteously? Or do we sometimes take matters into our own hands when they are not ours to take? Naturally there are times when intervention is needed, and in these situations, we must not hesitate. But David knew that in this situation, and in the cave of chapter 24, it was not appropriate to act. How do we know the difference? How did David know the difference?
The answer is that David was close to God in thought, prayer, and action. Because of his closeness to God, his faith was great. Because his faith was great, he was better attuned to the right course of action, being sensitive to what was most appropriate and what was right or wrong. We can of course experience the same thing today, and we should strive for it every morning.
Notice that Saul, when speaking with David in verse 17, refers to him as “my son.” What does this say about Saul, when we consider the totality of his actions? Is this endearment sincere?
David, understanding how impressionably weak Saul is, appeals to Saul asking him if he is following the directive of God or of men when he decides to pursue David. It must have been surprising to David to find that Saul had pursued him yet again (with three thousand men). Surprising or not, David understands the foolishness in Saul’s pursuing him. He seems to have an understanding that Saul is motivated by jealousy and the chiding words of men close to him. He says openly to Saul in verse 20 that he is not worth Saul’s time: “So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
This statement is not based on the character of the two men, but rather on the fact that one has been chosen as king and the other, his subject. Now of course David knows, having already been anointed king by Samuel in chapter 16, that he would likely replace Saul. But until that time, David remains in full respect of God’s will and the natural flow of events as he sees them dictated by God.
Verses 23 and 24 encapsulate the highly righteous attitude of David. Who else but God’s true anointed could see events and capture them in speech so perfectly?
“May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.” I Samuel 26:23-24
Based off of these verses, here is what David knows:
- Man is repaid for his righteousness and faithfulness
- God rewards mercy
- To request mercy is not foolish
- The true giver of mercy is Almighty God
Saul’s meager rejoinder betrays a shallow heart and lips that want to please. It is difficult not to see Saul as a hollow man because that is exactly what he appears to be based on his words and actions. Saul was a long way from the condition Paul expounds on in Ephesians 4 as he addresses kingdom unity, for Saul was “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind…” Saul was not swayed by doctrine however, but by the persuasive words of evil cohorts.
Saul is a great case study of how not to act, how not to think, and who not to listen to. When we seek God as our primary source of truth and excellence, we ourselves put on the attributes of truth and excellence, much like the armor of God of Ephesians 6.
This would be the last meeting between Saul and David.
Monday Night Bible Study 