David Honors Saul
Book of 1 Samuel Chapters 24 and 26
Since our manual skips so much of 1 Samuel, lets highlight some of the things that took place from Chapter 21 through Chapter 23.
In Chapter 21:
We see where David had to flee from King Saul who had become full of envy and jealousy.
This was a picture of desperation and God’s deliverance from that desperation.
Most all us humans will face circumstances that cause distress in our lives at one point or another and probably more than once.
These things will cause us much pain and agony when there seems to be no way out of these things.
The comfort of the Lord Jesus can get us through these things.
David later wrote in Psalms 34 that it was the Lord who delivered him from all these things.
In Chapter 22:
We see that many of the soldiers of Saul’s army deserted and came to join David, including his own brothers who became concerned that King Saul would cause them and their family’s harm.
David hides his father Jesse and his mother in another nation to keep Saul from causing them harm.
We can see that corrupt leaders will do anything to get their way and we are witnessing it firsthand in our own nation today.
Even as our own leaders have a set of laws for themselves and a set of laws for the people.
Our lesson is that we should do what we can to take care of our parents.
We also see that God will guide us in every decision if we include Him in our life.
We desperately need the guidance of God.
We also see where King Saul caused the slaughter of the High Priest and much of the priesthood for no good reason, other than they obeyed the Word of God.
We could see this happen in our own nation at any time!
There is terrible evil, injustice and murder going on in our nation!
God saved Abiathar the new High Priest and sent him to David.
This is the same Abiathar who later turns on David.
We know that lying and deception are the traits of the Devil, and they cause devastating consequences!
Chapter 23:
We see the courage of David.
Even though David is a fugitive from injustice, he takes the time to protect his nation from the Philistines.
David was fearless man after God’s own heart!
We must realize that when the enemies of God attack us, we need what David had and that is courage.
If we give in to fear, we will never be delivered from the oppressions and enemies of this life!
Any person or anything else that works to defeat us in this life, stands as our enemy and an oppressor, and are the enemies of God.
We must develop a Spirit of Courage within us.
Our enemies will always find us, but the power of God will work to help us!
It is Jonathan the son of King Saul that reminds David that he (David) will one day be the King of Israel.
We may get some help from those related to our enemy, but we may also see our friends betray us.
Our Protector and our Helper is our God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now Chapter 24 where find our lesson today:
The life of King Saul is mercifully spared by David who had more than one opportunity to end the life of Saul.
David had respect for the office of the king.
David knew to honor those who God had put in place.
As much as we dislike him, we must still pray for our president.
We ask ourselves how we can love someone who seems to be so evil according to the Word of God.
It is not a simple thing to repay good for those who are evil, but it is the command of God.
To do good to someone who is evil does not say we are compromising with their evil and we must avoid that for this is not God’s intent.
It is only our Lord God who can change the heart of our president and those that council him!
Our president has surrounded himself with wickedness and wicked people and these are the ones pulling his strings.
*1Sa 24:1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.
David’s hideout had been discovered.
David had found no safety on the western desert side of Judah because of spies, many of the Ziphites were spies for King Saul.
The Ziphites were afraid of King Saul.
Engedi was located east of Hebron close by the Dead Sea and had an oasis within it with plenty of fresh water and fruitful vineyards.
It was also a place of rugged terrain where wild goats roamed.
*1Sa 24:2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
1Sa 24:3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
Saul gathered three thousand chosen men and again went in pursuit of David like he was some criminal, when David had done nothing to deserve such a thing.
We can see just how much Saul hated David seeking after him so soon after a war with the Philistines.
David later wrote about this event in the Book of Psalms.
Psa 57:4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Psa 57:6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
Unknown to Saul, David, and those with him were hiding far back in that same cave.
Some of David’s men felt that the appearance of Saul was the providence of God, which it was, but not for the reason’s that they assumed.
They felt that God had placed David’s enemy into his own hand, and it did seem that way, but God was surely testing David and David passed this test.
*1Sa 24:4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
1Sa 24:5 And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.
1Sa 24:6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
1Sa 24:7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
You see, our character and our integrity are far more important than our revenge.
David refused to take the life of King Saul and in faith, trusted God and to prove to Saul that he was not his enemy.
David actually condemned himself for cutting off a piece of his robe, as a lack of respect for God’s anointed.
David had spared his enemy and only David understood why he had done such a thing.
David was a man of war, and brave as a lion.
David was made of nobler stuff than assassins are made of.
David could not find it in himself to kill his king while he was asleep.
David felt that if God wanted him to be King of Israel, then it would not be by his own hands, and He left it in God’s hands.
We should clearly understand that if God has a special calling for us, He does not need our help to get there, He just needs our willingness to serve.
If we want to remove our president, then it must be by the vote and not by assassination or any other means such as that.
*1Sa 24:8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
We must understand that sin hardens the heart.
Sin makes the unbeliever hate the Word of God!
Sin makes the unbeliever despise the mercy of God.
In a world that is rotten to the core, they misunderstand the vengeance of God against them.
They certainly have no understanding of God’s “grace”!
David exhibits God’s “grace” to a man who has relentlessly been after him, to slaughter him.
David was innocent of all the charges against him, but Saul wanted to murder him because of envy and jealousy.
David humbled himself again and said to Saul that he only ran to protect his life and that he was still a humbled servant to his king.
David bowed to the earth saying, “my master”.
David extended every courtesy to King Saul as his king, with respect and honor.
The proof was that as Saul was sleeping, David could have killed him, but he had too much respect for God to do such a thing.
David had the evidence that this was true with that piece of Saul’s robe.
*1Sa 24:9 And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
1Sa 24:10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’S anointed.
1Sa 24:11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
1Sa 24:12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
We now see that David has set a dynamic example for the Church in his humility and his loyalty.
Saul had been anointed by oil by God’s prophet Samuel at God’s command.
In this, he was certainly a type of Christ though in his life he turned to sin and rebelled against God.
It was Saul who was rebellious and not David.
In America today it is our president and his officials who are rebellious and not the true Church and not most of the secular people.
Saul needed to acknowledge this simple fact.
David warned Saul of the “judgment” of God.
Today as we watch the news, we see that it is our own government that is rebellious and not the Church and not most of the average people.
We have allowed liberalism to rule in our government and we can see the results with our own eyes.
Liberalism is filthy, wicked, and immoral!
We need to warn our government of the “Judgment of God” even if they will not listen.
In fact, this is the message we should have to our family, our friends, and all those we meet.
Our presidents’ councilors are some of the most degradable people in our nation and they are proud of it!
The Bible would say they were “worthless fellows” and “vain”.
The Kingdom of Israel had been assured first to David and then, to the Son of David by birth, the Lord Jesus Christ.
David was showing patience because we all must rely on God’s timing, because all these things will take place according to the patience of God.
2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
We must show the same patience because both these things are Divinely assured!
David decided he could wait upon God’s timing, and we must do this also.
It is not our job to force the issues that are in the hands of God!
We see that Saul shed tears and made vows, but we also know that Saul never repented.
Without repentance there will be no forgiveness!
Saul was quick to fall back into his old sin of envy.
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Jas 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
We are to live lives of humility and not lives of envy.
In Chapter 25 we see after his many years of service beginning as a child, Samuel died.
Samuel had served as Prophet and Judge and Samuel was the last “Judge” of Israel.
The death of Samuel reminds us of all that one day we will die unless the “Rapture takes place before our death.
It can in our case, as the Rapture is the next major event on God’s calendar.
The Era of the Judges ended and the Monarchy of Israel had begun.
The monarchy of Israel will end with Christ Jesus sitting upon the throne of Israel for one thousand years.
We know that David retreated even farther away from Saul’s pursuit.
David found a new wife in Abigail.
Abigail was a precious example of a woman of courage and character but David was wrong to make her his wife.
The same need is here today, not only for women but for all God’s children.
God’s judgement fell upon Nabal, and it cost him his life.
David also had another wife, which again he should not have had.
Ahinoam a woman from Jezreel we know nothing about, and Michal, who had been given by King Saul to another man but was still married to David.
We see that David was a man after God’s own heart, but he was not a perfect man and none of us are.
*1Sa 26:1 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?
1Sa 26:2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
1Sa 26:3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
1Sa 26:4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.
We see the Ziphites betrayed David for a second time.
David was hiding on the hill of Hachilah which was in a desert and a wasteland and the Ziphites made Saul aware of this place of David.
This hideout gave David the advantage over his approaching enemy.
Saul came with three thousand of his best troops and David sent out spies to verify these things.
*1Sa 26:5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
1Sa 26:6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
1Sa 26:7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
Because of the terrain and the fact that David knew this wilderness better than Saul, David was able to sneak up on the camp of Saul.
Remember this was a place of Mountain Goats.
David had a sister named Zeruiah and her sons would play an important part in the history of David’s reign over Israel.
They had also gone to David because they were afraid that Saul would also cause them harm and their families.
David and his nephew sneaked into the camp of Saul and again David could have taken Saul’s life had he so chosen to do so but he would not.
Abishai would one day save David’s life in one of his wars with the Philistines.
2Sa 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
No matter what we think, David had the assurance that he would be the next King of Israel and we can believe that this made him a little bolder in his actions toward King Saul, but he would still not take his life.
Today, we know that the Lord will return, and Armageddon is a real war, but we should never try to do things that might hasten these things to come about, even if we could, when it is impossible for us to know the schedule that only God knows.
Abishai said to David to allow him to kill Saul and he would guarantee that he needed only one blow with his spear and Saul would not be able to cry out, but David would not allow it.
David said let us take his spear and his canteen of water.
God would say:
1Ch 16:22 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
*1Sa 26:8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
1Sa 26:9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?
1Sa 26:10 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
We must understand God’s does not need our help when it comes to His vengeance.
We absolutely cannot do the things God has planned for those who hate Him!
The only thing we can do, if we try to take vengeance on those that hate God is, multiply sins against ourselves!
This is a thing we must avoid!
David refused to cause harm to Saul because he was God’s anointed.
David realized he was never to cause harm to anyone God had anointed.
To be anointed is to be set aside for God’s use.
This is why we are to pray for the leaders of our nation.
Only God knows the purpose for which He has called our leaders.
David said he could not cause harm to Saul because he was God’s anointed.
David said he could not cause harm to Saul because the Lord Himself would judge Saul.
David feared the Lord and what the Lord would do to him if he caused harm to Saul.
These reasons are good enough reasons for us to use.
*1Sa 26:11 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
1Sa 26:12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
David and Abishai sneaked back out of Saul’s camp unnoticed, but they took Saul’s spear and his canteen of water.
Once again, he confronted Saul with the proof that he could have killed him.
David had demonstrated the utmost respect in allowing God’s anointed to live.
Our lesson is that whether we like them or not, we need to show respect to our leaders, maybe not to the person themselves but for the position they hold.
This includes the ruler of our nation.
This includes the preachers of the Gospel.
This includes the supervisors we work for and others we consider to be leaders.
We do not have to like them, but we should respect the position and maybe not so much the person.
When a leader is corrupt, his corruption is to be opposed but his office is to be honored!
We are not to indulge in the corruption of any leader for then, we are giving him a license to continue in his or her corruption.
This is what is happening in America today!
Many of our presidents’ councilors are just as corrupt as he is or more and along with at least two previous presidents.
They are urging him to go even further in his wickedness.
This is the greatest problem we have in America today.
We have corrupt leaders and far too many who are indulging in their corruptness.
They are just piling on sins to themselves!
God will take vengeance upon corrupt leaders, but the people who encourage him are just making Hell much much worse when they get there.
Hell will be much hotter for those who indulge in corruption.
God will not accept the prayers of those who serve corruption.
2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Those around our president have encouraged him to continue in his corruption, and both him and they will suffer in damnation and the vengeance of God.
This is the clear teaching of the Word of God!
It is the same for every corrupt leader in this world!
We must remember, it is God who decides who will lead our nation and He does this for His own reasons.
This does not mean we are to sit at home refusing to vote, because this is our opportunity to express our voice over wickedness and corruption.
When God says certain thing are to happen, they do not require us to sin to get them accomplished!
There is never a good reason to go against the Word of God!
This is the clear teaching of the Word of God!
Amen
LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD 