Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Friday,
Have you ever found yourself in that difficult situation where the choice you face could have very significant consequences and you don’t have much time to think before a decision must be made?
Today let’s look at a situation like that with young David and king Saul, and it happened in the dark of a mountain cave. The story is found in 1 Samuel 24
The previous several chapters of 1 Samuel recount various stories about king Saul’s determination to find and kill young David. Why? What had David done to deserve death? Nothing! In fact, David had been a faithful servant to king Saul and a successful leader in Saul’s army. But Saul was jealous of David’s growing fame, and Saul was fearful that other men with ‘low moral character’ like Saul, might band together and kill Saul, then crown David as their king. Have you ever been around an insecure leader who suspects their subordinates are vying for the leaders’ position?
On one occasion David and the men he was leading found themselves trapped by Saul and his army in the rugged cliffs and canyons territory down near the Dead Sea. Seeking cover out of the bright and hot sun, David and his men hid in a deep cave in the cliffs. King Saul, seeking a place to relieve himself in private, entered the very same cave unaware David and his men were hiding in the dark, far back in that cave!
Suddenly David was presented with the perfect opportunity to take revenge on Saul for all the times Saul had attempted to kill David. Several of David’s men urged him to quickly advance in the dark and kill Saul in his vulnerable moment. David approached Saul in the dark slowly, quietly, thinking, praying. Revenge or reverence for the king? Saul had no idea. David’s men held their breath. What would you have done?
1 Samuel 24:4 says: “David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of king Saul’s robe.” Obviously, David could have done much more than simply cut a piece of cloth, David could easily have killed defenseless, vulnerable Saul on the spot. The record tells us that as Saul left the cave, David’s conscience was stricken and David said to the men who had urged him to kill Saul: “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is anointed of the LORD.” (1 Samuel 24:6) Now, what does it mean and what is the lesson for you and me today, more than 3000 years later!?
Now, let’s remember…
* Saul had been God’s selection for Israel’s first king. (1 Samuel 9:17)
* At God’s direction, the old prophet Samuel had anointed Saul to be Israel’s king. (1 Samuel 10:1)
* The Holy Spirit of God had come upon Saul and empowered him to be king over God’s people Israel! (1 Samuel 10:6-10)
* Saul had begun his kingly leadership well, (1 Samuel 11:12-15) but soon thereafter Saul turned away from God in rebellion and God had withdrawn His Spirit from Saul. (1 Samuel 15:26)
* God allowed Saul to continue as Israel’s king but without God’s anointing, guidance or blessing, in part as a harsh lesson for the people of Israel who had demanded a human king and rejected God’s kingship over them. (1 Samuel 8:19,20)
* Saul failed miserably as a leader and David was often the focus of Saul’s anger and leadership failure, YET David was very careful to NOT presume upon God’s plan and purpose. WHY??
David lived in great reverence for God’s sovereignty and David refused to do anything that might interfere with what God was doing. While Samuel had anointed young David to be Israel’s FUTURE king, (1 Samuel 16:13) Saul was still alive and was Israel’s CURRENT king.
David deeply respected the fact that while Saul was a miserable failure and had turned away from God, because God had appointed Saul to be king, until or unless God removed Saul, David respected God’s appointment of Saul to that office, and David refused to lift his hand against Saul, God’s appointed King. Pause… did you get that? Now that’s a very important life truth for us to grasp. Why?
Because all of us have been disappointed in leadership and sometimes we’ve felt unheard, or disrespected, or unappreciated, or unfairly treated by what we believe to be failing leaders. And maybe we’ve even rebelled by quitting or stirring the pot of discord or starting a rebellion! Pause… what is the Spirit of God saying into your heart and mine right now? What advice can you and I give our children and grandchildren about responding to bad leadership?
I urge us to carefully read the remainder of 1 Samuel 24 taking careful note of what David did with that piece of Saul’s robe in his hand, and how God used that powerful encounter to shape both David & Saul and the thousands of men who were witness that day.
Let’s ask God to search our hearts right now. Perhaps it was about this time that David wrote Psalm 139 and especially these words: “Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23,24) What lessons does God want you and me to learn here?
Additional study and reflection notes are available at the “Grand Narrative” link below and as always, I’ve searched to find a significant worship song that fits with this event that will draw us to God in worship. That song link is below, and I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow, my friends…
Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 24.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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