David, the early years - Part 10
A Corner of Saul's Robe
14th January 2012
David was Saul's most loyal subject and his most effective soldier. Yet David's success and popularity made Saul so jealous that David had to hide from him. Now, again, Saul set out to find David and kill him. He took 3000 chosen men, against David's 600.
1 Samuel 24v1-2
After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi."
So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the
Crags of the Wild Goats.
Saul needed to answer a "call of nature" so he went into a cave, not knowing that David and 600 men were hiding at the back of the cave:
1 Samuel 24v3-4a
He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his
men were far back in the cave.
The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands
for you to deal with as you wish.'"
How easily we can be tempted! And how strong can be the reasons to sin - just this once! David would be free - free from fear, free to come and go as he pleased. His parents would be safe. His wife would be returned to him. And he would be king. And how much good he could do if he were king! And hadn't God sent Saul to anoint him as king? And wasn't there a prophesy in which God said that "I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish"? Was this the moment for the prophesy to be fulfilled? And did the prophesy mean that - just this once - regicide would be OK?
How will we react if the opportunity presents itself to solve all our problems, and to live the sort of life we like to think God has promised us, and all we need to do is commit one sin?
I'm sure David believed the prophesy, and God had put Saul in a position where David could do what he wanted with him. But David didn't want to kill Saul. Saul was David's enemy but David wasn't Saul's enemy. David chose to trust God and not take his destiny into his own hands. May we do the same.
1 Samuel 24v4b
Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.
That's all he did. He didn't kill the king. But he did remind him that God had rejected him as king (see 1 Samuel 15v27-28) and even doing that made him feel terribly guilty:
1 Samuel 24v5
Afterwards, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe.
He then persuaded his followers not to harm Saul:
1 Samuel 24v6-7
He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift
my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD."
With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went
his way.
It may have seemed to David's men that he'd missed a great opportunity. In reality, he'd taken a great opportunity - an opportunity to trust God and not try to force God's hand, an opportunity to resist temptation, an opportunity to let God give him the kingdom and not try to take it for himself. It was also an opportunity to show respect to his enemy:
1 Samuel 24v8-15
Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!"
When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'?
This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD gave you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to
kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD's
anointed.'
See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not
kill you. Now understand and recognise that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged
you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.
May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand
will not touch you.
As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you.
"Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me
by delivering me from your hand."
With great humility, David bowed to the man who wanted to kill him, the man he could have killed, but wouldn't. And David made quite a speech. He emphasised God's call on Saul's life. He reminded Saul that he was not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. And he asked that the Lord would judge between them. He prayed, "may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me" , but he promised that "my hand will not touch you".
May we never seek revenge. May we trust in the Lord and His justice.
Saul's reply contains both insight and humility:
1 Samuel 24v16-21
When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud.
"You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.
You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD gave me into your hands, but you did not kill
me.
When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you
treated me today.
I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's
family."
But it didn't last. Saul soon returned to trying to murder David, as we see in the rest of 1 Samuel.
1 Samuel 24v22
So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
David kept his oath, although Saul continued to persecute him. Saul died in battle not many years later. David became king. And the prophecies spoken about him came to pass.
God is faithful in all He does. We can wait for Him to give us what He wants us to have and to take from us what He wants us to be free of. We can trust in His goodness and power.