1 Samuel chapter 24. Remember, we're in the larger section, beginning in chapter 16, to the end of the book, the story of Saul and David. Specifically, David is fleeing from Saul. Saul is in pursuit.
We saw last time when David was in the city of Keilah, and David spared the city, and then David was ultimately spared by the Philistines. Remember, at the end of chapter 23, Saul and his men were closing in on David, and in 2327 said, but a messenger came to Saul saying, hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land. Therefore, Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines, so they called that place the Rock of Escape. then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at Engedi." So God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform. He used the Philistines as the means by which David would be able to escape from the hand of Saul.
In chapters 24, 25, and 26, we see more of David's virtue in terms of his eventual accession to the throne in Israel. In 24, 25, and 26, David does not act upon impulse to take vengeance on his enemies. In 24 and 26, it's Saul. And in 25, it is Nabal.
And what we continue to see in David, at least thus far, is that he is a man who waits on the Lord, a man who takes vengeance certainly does not wait on the Lord. He takes matters into his own hand, and that betrays a godliness and a righteousness. As well, David has a respect for the rule of law. God indeed had stationed Saul as the king, and Up until this point, or at this point, Saul had not been deposed from his throne.
And if he would have killed him, this would have been regicide, the killing of a king. But David respects the rule of law. As well, he's not a vindictive man with reference to his own being. certainly cries out to God for God's vengeance and judgment upon the enemies of God. But David is exemplifying here and highlighting or showing forth various attributes or virtues that will certainly come in handy as he becomes king in Israel.
So I just want to read chapter 24 and then we'll look at the three sections and try to draw out some practical application along the way and at the end. Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Take note, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats. So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to attend to his needs.
David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave. Then the men of David said to him, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand that you may do to him as it seems good to you. And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe. Now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe.
And he said to his men, 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. So David restrained his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way. David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, My lord, the king.
And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed down. And David said to Saul, Why do you listen to the words of men who say, Indeed, David seeks your harm? Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today in my hand or into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eyes spared you, and I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.
Moreover, my father, see, yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For in that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you.
But my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancient says, wickedness proceeds from the wicked, but my hand shall not be against you. After whom is the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue?
A dead dog? A flea? Therefore let the Lord be judge and judge between you and me and see and plead my case and deliver me out of your hand. So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David?
And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. Then he said to David, You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me. For when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.
For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore, may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. Therefore, swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house." So David swore to Saul, and Saul went home.
But David and his men went up to the stronghold. Amen. Well, this is a highly charged and very intense chapter in scripture. Certainly, if we have been brought up on popular tales of revenge and getting back at our enemies, David's actions here certainly should surprise us.
David is poised and in a key position to take care of Saul once and for all, but he doesn't. He gives place to the wrath of God, and that is something obviously commendable, as we will see as we move through the chapter.
Introduction and Chapter Overview
There are three sections that I want to look at. First, the confrontation at En-Gedi in verses 1 to 7. Secondly, the appeal to God's judgment in verses 8 to 15. And then the response by Saul in verses 16 to 22.
Confrontation at En-Gedi
So let's look first at the setting under the confrontation at En-Gedi. It says in verse 1, now it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him saying, remember we have seen over and over again, Saul and David have quite a network, they hear about everything, without email, without phone, without text, without computer, without fax, without any of that, they are nevertheless kept abreast of each other's activities. The author doesn't tell us what happens to the battle with the Philistines. Remember back in 2327.
Hurry and come for the Philistines have invaded the land. Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. The author doesn't give us the particulars there because the focus is upon Saul's pursuit of David. and how this all plays out. Notice that when Saul receives this particular message, he takes 3,000 chosen men from all Israel.
Certainly, if he's instructed that David is at Ein Gedi, then he's been instructed with how many men that David has. David has a total of 600. So Saul wants to neutralize this threat, he wants to decimate David, he wants to destroy all of these men so that he can rid the world of this man that is ultimately going to replace him on the throne. Now note verse 3, it says, He came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to attend to his needs.
The new King James make something sound nice here by saying, attend to his needs. The literal is, he covered his feet, which is another nice way of saying that he evacuated his bowels. That is why Saul went into this particular cave And he probably had a nap afterwards, because what David does, certainly he had to find him at a position of disadvantage. So Saul goes in to cover his feet.
It's a euphemism for going to the bathroom. That would be the activity. One would cover their feet as they went about their particular business. I'm not trying to be crude here, but this is in the text, and it sets up the particular occasion wherein David makes this successful approach upon Saul.
And it is intriguing, as Vannoy points out, that David and Saul's roles were suddenly reversed for a short time. David, the fugitive, is unexpectedly given an opportunity to eliminate Saul, the pursuer. This is a classic case wherein the mouse has become the cat and the cat has become the mouse. Saul is at a position of great disadvantage and David and his men are not seen by Saul.
There's a parenthetical note at the end of verse 3. David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave. Now these are big caves. This isn't East Harrison.
This isn't a little cave that you walk into and then you can't move so you come back out. These are big, massive caves that a lot of people can fit into. And so David and his men are in the back. Saul comes in haphazardly.
No, we know that's not the case. It is in the providence of God. He comes in to relieve himself, probably takes a bit of a nap, and that then gives David the opportunity to make his approach to Saul.
David's Men and Providence
Now notice the particular plan that develops in verse 4. The men of David remind David that this is indeed the Lord's providence. You can almost hear them singing that song. This is the day the Lord has made.
Listen, verse 4. Then the men of David said to him, This is the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you." As far as they are concerned, they have just been handed a gift horse. They have been handed a basket with a ribbon tied on the top. Here is their arch enemy.
Here is their nemesis. Here is their foe. He has relieved himself. He's now probably taking a nap.
All that needs to be done is for David to take a knife, or a spear, or a sword, and cut Saul's head off. David can assume the throne, and the rest of Israel will live happily ever after. So the men remind David concerning Yahweh's plan here. But it's interesting, because up to this point in the scripture, it never tells us that this is God's plan. that he would kill David.
That's never been specified. The men urged David to do to Saul as it seemed good to him. Now, most likely what these men were urging David to do was to kill Saul. I mean, doesn't that seem to follow?
If you have a man that's hunting you like a dog, if you have that man in a position of disadvantage, if you can neutralize that threat, certainly David's men saw the wisdom in this particular proposal. David's men interpreted the providential appearance of Saul in their cave as a directive from the Lord to take Saul's life. They saw this providence of God and they made this particular conclusion. They made this particular implication.
For these men, the providence of God was obvious. But as we continue in the narrative and we see David's response and we see the subsequent chapters, we know that this was a wrong implication. In other words, just because Saul was there and at a position of disadvantage, that does not mean that David should slay him. That does not mean that David should kill him.
There is a lesson here for each and every one of us when it comes to the providence of God. We witness God's providence, but oftentimes it's difficult to make correct implications. Oftentimes it's very difficult to provide a good solid interpretation of the things that happened before our eyes. Listen to what Davis says.
Was this a temptation or was this providence? And how does one discern the difference? It was a searching test for God's servant. Only the principle of the sanctity of God's anointed answers the dilemma.
You see, for David, the way that you interpret providence is through the truth of God's word. See, this concerns me today because people want to interpret providence apart from the Word of God. Brethren, when you see something happen in your life that is providential, instead of trying to find a secret meaning or an implication that somehow benefits you, or it even seems to be a bit perplexing as to what you should do, do what you know to do, and that is obey God's Word. You see, these men were ready to push David to the point of killing the sitting king of Israel.
That would certainly not look good for this particular man in subsequent ages. One of the things that David does have to ultimately fight against, I don't mean physically, But is this common perception that he was a usurper to the throne? If he'd have followed these men's lead, that would have been precisely what he would have been. Regicide, the death of a king, and now David sits upon the throne.
Davis goes on to say, that was not so clear, seemingly, to David's men, the idea that God's anointed. must live. He says, for David, however, it was one thing to have the promise of the kingdom. David had that, didn't he? He knew that Samuel had anointed him in chapter 16.
He knew that Jonathan wanted to give him his royal robes in chapter 18. He knew, according to chapters 20 and again in chapter 23, that he would ultimately be the king in Israel. David knew that, but what David did not know was the how. How will he make it to the throne?
How the kingdom should come to him was another matter. God's will must be achieved in God's way. This is most crucial. The ends don't necessarily justify the means.
Just because David is going to be the king does not give him the warrant to go out and kill the sitting king. Do you understand that? There's a lot going on in this particular section in terms of providence. And as I said, we'll visit this again toward the end.
He says, God's will must be achieved in God's way. The end that God has ordained must be reached by the means that God approves. David's men do not see this. They claim to have God in their pocket and to know how he relates to this specific situation.
We can't ever claim to have an infallible interpretation upon God's providence. The only thing that we can ever know for certain in terms of God's mind revealed to us is what the scripture says. There's a whole host of interesting things that happened today that we might... Try to read the Providence and try to make a decision on, and it may be the case that we are wrong.
And that is simply unacceptable, brethren. We need to go according to the Word of the Living God. The secret things belong to the Lord our God. But the things that He has revealed to us vis-Ã -vis His Word are for us and our children.
Deuteronomy 29.29. So this whole idea of Providence and what these men saw as God's Providence was not necessarily the case in terms of how they should act upon it. It's a gift. Let's kill it.
That was their decision. David says, wait a minute, slow down. Let's think through this. David is an admirable, wise, godly man in this particular instance.
David Cuts Saul's Robe
Notice what David does do, however, at the end of verse four. And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe. For those who have been with us since chapter 15, you'll remember there is something symbolic about this particular activity. And the way that David feels remorse or regret after having done it seems to indicate that that was the symbolism that he attached to it as well.
In 1 Samuel 15, 27 and 28, Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe and it tore. So Samuel said to him, the Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. So in this instance, David cuts off a little bit of his skirt or a little bit of his robe at this particular instance. Now
David's Troubled Conscience
notice the remorse that David undergoes in verses 5 to 7. It says, now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe. You say, well, imagine how his heart would have troubled him if he would have cut Saul's head off. But you see, this is David, a man after God's own heart.
There's symbolism involved in this cutting of the robe. David Samora says it may be that while David cut off the skirt of Saul's robe in order to prove that he did not try to kill Saul, even though he could have done so, He was later struck in the heart because he had cut off the skirt of Saul, for cutting off a corner of the hem was often taken as a symbol of disloyalty and rebellion in the second millennium." So you see, what does the king wear that is a token and a visible emblem of his power or authority or his right to rule. It is his royal robe. And for David to cut that royal robe, certainly later in verse 11 he can say, Saul, I could have killed you.
But even at this small act, what we might consider to be an insignificant thing, David has regret here, David has remorse here, And David goes on to explain the reason why in verse 6. He said to his men, 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, thankfully, resisted the urge presented to him, or the temptation presented to him, by these men. Put yourself in this situation, as we've tried to do many times in our study of David.
What must it have been like? I mean, David was a normal, regular guy minding his own business in Bethlehem raising sheep for his father. David then gets called to play music to try and soothe and calm Saul. He does a fine job at it.
And then in chapter 17, David goes out and he beats the champion from Gath on the field of battle such that he's able to walk around with Goliath's massive head. And then from that point on, Saul is filled with rage and envy and malice toward David. And Saul has hunted David. Saul covertly tries to scheme so that David can be put to death by Philistines in chapter 18.
Remember the plan? I'll marry him off to one of my daughters, to Michael, and he'll have to get a hundred foreskins. Certainly while he's in the process of getting those hundred foreskins, one of those men who own the hundred foreskins is going to kill David and not allow him to do such things. By chapter 19, it becomes over.
He tells Jonathan, and he tells his servants, we need to exterminate David. And then he throws spears at David, and he goes to his house, and then he chases him all the way to Naoth and Ramah, where Samuel lives. You see, every step of the way in David's life has been filled with tragedy, and trial, and misery, and difficulty. And now Saul's laying there, probably asleep, and David has the perfect opportunity to kill him.
But he fears God. He doesn't love his own position, he doesn't love his own safety, he doesn't love his own stability, he doesn't love his own privilege or prerogative that is going to be his. He loves God Almighty and God Almighty has said, do not touch my anointed. Now, we need to understand what's involved here.
Vannoy tells us, in ancient Israel, the Anointed One, this is literally the Messiah, the Messiah of Yahweh, in ancient Israel, the Anointed One, whether priest or king, stood in the place of God before His people. So what does that mean? To attack an anointed one meant what? It meant to attack God Himself.
So David, being pressed by the men, cuts off the robe, and then David gets upset or feels regret, even having done that, And then he underscores the reality in verse 6. He says, 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. You see, that's what you want in a king.
He respects the rule of law. That's what you want in a king. He fears the God who has given that law. You want in a king a man who shows that sort of fidelity even when it costs him.
Because if David would have put the knife into Saul, David's life, at least temporally and humanly speaking, would have been zippity-doo-dah. They could have left the caves of En-Gedi. They could have gone back to wherever they wanted to go. They would be happy and whole and healthy.
But David is not going to lay his hand upon God's anointed. Now notice what verse 7 indicates. So David restrained his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.
This is literally David tore apart his servants with these words. The servants probably didn't just say, OK, David, we see. They were probably saying, David, we need to take care of business. David, we need to deal with Saul.
David, do you understand that gifts like these don't happen often? I mean, the fellow has come in here to relieve himself. He's gone to sleep. and you have perfect access to his neck, to disenfranchise his head from his body? David, do you not get the implications here?
This is of God, the Lord has delivered him into your... They're battling, brethren. And David has to tear them apart with these words to keep them at bay. Davis again says, the Hebrew text reads, so David, tore apart his men with the words, suggesting that David had to resort to violent and threatening language to cool their blood.
The scene is tense. You can hear it. You can hear these servants. Are you crazy?
We can kill him now. And David says, I am not going to touch the Lord's anointed. Remember who the bulk of these men with David are. They're men from the cave of Adullam.
These were the disenfranchised themselves. They were the discontent. They were rabble-rousers. They were men that were basically marginalized from society.
They probably didn't have a whole lot of respect for the sitting king of Israel. I mean, that's probably why they're holed up in the cave of Adullam. So they're back and forth with David, and David's back and forth with them, saying, we are not going to do this because he's Yahweh's anointed. You can hear them say, but Yahweh's anointed has tried to kill you, David.
Yahweh's anointed has treated you like a dog, like a fugitive. Yahweh's anointed has forced you into this place in En Gedi, where you've had to flee and hide. And David, nevertheless, is restraining them. Davis goes on to say, many commentators in seemingly some ancient versions think the word is too strong.
But I do not see why. It is the writer's very point. David had to tear them up or cut them down with his words in order to prevent the spilling of Saul's blood. That's what was at stake.
And then Davis says, meanwhile, Saul gets up and goes his way, oblivious to the fact that his premier enemy had just saved his skin. It truly is amazing, right? The mouse has saved the cat in this particular illustration. So Saul goes and David then addresses him.
The Appeal to God's Judgment
And that brings us, secondly, to the appeal to God's judgment. Notice in the first place David's question. In verse 8, David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, My lord the king. Notice the respect.
Notice the reverence. Notice, brethren, I think this is a great lesson for me. I notice when there's ungodly or unrighteous political leaders, I'm not always as respectful toward them, at least in my thoughts, as I ought to be. And yet David, being hunted by Saul, says, my lord the king.
Now notice, and when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed down. David's the real deal. David is a model here in terms of what Christian sanctification looks like. He's a godly, faithful, righteous man.
Now note his question. It says, and David said to Saul in verse 9, why do you listen to the words of men who say, indeed, David seeks your harm? Notice that David assumes, or he has the benefit of the doubt in this instance. Do we read anywhere in the preceding narrative that any man is telling Saul something ill about David?
I mean, Doeg the Edomite says, I saw him at Nob. I saw him there. He was, you know, getting food and he was getting weapons. There was a bit of an implication by Doeg placed on this report.
But nobody's been whispering in the ear of Saul. David's out for you. David wants to get you. David wants to take your throne.
This is all of Saul, and yet how David, with the benefit of the doubt, he assumes, or he says, why do you listen to the words of men who say, indeed, David seeks your harm? And note the irony. He assumes that Saul has men that are whispering in his ear to go and pursue David. That's not the case.
Saul is just doing it all on his own. David legitimately does have men who have urged him to destroy Saul in the preceding section. And David's resisted them. David's done what's right.
David hasn't taken matters into his own hand, and David hasn't gone based on emotion or experience or feeling, but rather he goes based on the truth of God's Word. that you touch not the Lord's anointed. Now notice the situation. David had a very blessed opportunity. Notice in verse 10.
Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave. David does not discount the providence of God. See, both David and the men of David recognized that Saul's being in that cave at that time was the providence of God. The implications drawn from that event significantly differ.
The men of David said, kill him. David said, no, I'm not going to touch the Lord's anointed. But David is here telling Saul what actually transpired. So this day your eyes have seen, verse 10, that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you.
But my eyes spared you, and I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed." I wonder how David was saying this. I don't think it was just David's probably impassioned here. He's still blown away that he's got to run from Saul. Remember in chapter 20, when David comes to Jonathan, he says, what have I done?
Why is your father hunting me? Why does your Father want to destroy me? There is that puzzlement going on in the mind and heart of David. He's probably got an impassioned plea here.
My eyes spared you when I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for He is the Lord's anointed. And it's interesting, back in 2314, remember we read that Saul sought David every day, but God did not deliver him into His hand. Soon as we get to David in the cave and in Getty, what does God do? He delivers Saul into David's hand.
David is showing Saul these things. David is underscoring these things for Saul. David is highlighting the reality that Saul is in a bad predicament. And then notice, Verse 11, he says, Moreover, my father, see, yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand.
For in that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, no one see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, yet you hunt my life to take it. You know, we oftentimes think we have problems, don't we? We do. We've got big bad trials and difficulties and problems.
Are you living in a cave and in Getty being hunted by Saul for nothing? I mean, most of the things that people have against us, they probably have good reason. David was innocent, and this is what he underscores here. I cut off the corner of your rope.
I did not kill you. No one see there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, yet you hunt my life to take it.
David's Threefold Appeal
Now notice David's appeal. David's appeal, and this is brilliant, it's threefold. First, he highlights his innocence. Secondly, his insignificance.
And thirdly, his insistence. Notice the innocence of David in verse 13. As the proverb of the ancient says, wickedness proceeds from the wicked, but my hand shall not be against you. What's the point?
I have not done wicked against you, therefore I'm not wicked. I'm innocent. Not completely. David knew about the doctrine of total depravity.
He wrote Psalm 51. He understands biblical Calvinism. But David, in terms of his relationship to Saul, is innocent. David is righteous.
He has done the right thing. every step of the way up to this point. And this is what he pleads, his innocence before Saul. Notice his insignificance. Verse 14, After whom has the king of Israel come out?
Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? David's saying, I'm nothing. I'm small potatoes.
I am not a threat. I'm not a menace. I'm not a usurper. I'm not going to attack you.
I'm not going to go for your throat. I'm not going to try to take the throne away. And then he goes on to underscore this. And he says, a dead dog, a single flea, that's how insignificant David is.
Maybe he's thinking, why don't you go deal with Philistines? Actually, this is what I'd be thinking. David's godly and we don't find this to be the case. But I'd be like, why are you looking for me, this dead dog in a flea, when we've got to deal with Philistines?
You've got to deal with inner turmoil within Israel. You've got to try and minister and breach up some issues and deal with the economy or deal with your foreign policy. Why are you spending this inordinate amount of time on a dead dog in a single flea? What's the problem?
So David's innocence, David's insignificance, but notice David's insistence. We find this in verses 12 and 15. For David, vengeance is mine, says the Lord. David is not going to take his hand against, or raise his hand against the Lord's anointed, But that does not mean that David is just going to lie down and play dead.
Notice in verse 12, we have something of a petition, and verse 15 is something of a declaration. Verse 12, let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. but my hand shall not be against you." You see what David does there? He is in perfect accord with Romans 12.19. You say, well, Romans 12.19 hadn't been written yet, but Deuteronomy had been written, and that's what Paul is quoting.
Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Paul tells the people of God in Rome, beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but give place to the wrath of God. You see that? So Christians today miss that, don't we?
We are not to take vengeance on others. I'd say all Christians at least have a rudimentary understanding of that. We fail on the give place to wrath part. Now, when Paul says that, Paul means that, and David exemplifies that in this position.
David is not going to raise knife against Saul, but as a result, or not as a result, but David does not then conclude, no wrath, no judgment, no justice should fall upon Saul. That's not what he concludes. He says just the opposite. Let the Lord avenge me on you.
He's giving place to the wrath of God. You see, that is legitimate and that is consistent in the lives of God's people. We are to pray to God to take vengeance on his enemies. Again, something that I think the church, in many respects, misses in our day-to-day lives.
Now, I'm not saying pray to God to pour out vengeance on the person who cut you off on Wellington, because that would be a long, all-day prayer. Convinced there's a stop sign out here that is invisible, because nobody stops there. If I prayed all day for people, you know, God to judge those who roll through that stop sign, I could just live there. No, it's the enemies of God.
David is praying biblically. This is something that we need to understand. David does not take vengeance into his own hand, but when we do not take vengeance into our own hand, that does not mean no vengeance. It just means the vengeance belongs to the one who is most excellent and most holy and most just and most wise in the execution of that vengeance.
And that's what David does in this instance. Now notice, Verse 15, Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see, and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand. Notice that this is, in many respects, David's appeal to Saul. But David isn't trusting that Saul is going to receive it.
David does not put his well-being into the hand of Saul. David does not say, I'm so sure that you're going to understand my argument in terms of my innocence and insignificance that you're going to just extend the right hand of fellowship and welcome me into the royal court again. David doesn't believe that for a moment. David understands that ultimate vindication and that ultimate safety belongs to God Most High.
So David entrusts himself to Yahweh and not to Saul. David, as it were, is simply rehearsing to Saul the reality of the situation as it had developed at En Gedi. There doesn't seem to be in David a great deal of confidence that Saul is going to repent and forsake and get things right. Now certainly if Saul did repent and forsake and get things right, knowing David as I think we know David, he'd probably forgive him and they would live happily ever after.
But you see, David's safety in times of trial, as we've seen many times, is in God alone. It's not in Saul. It's not in David's ability to argue. It's not in David's great rational argument.
I'm innocent. I'm insignificant. If Saul would have taken up the spear to throw at him in that point, David couldn't have said, well, wait a minute. My argument was so solid.
It was so foolproof. That's not what David hinges his safety on. It's not his argument, it's not Saul's repentance, it's God Most High who will ultimately vindicate his servant from this attack by Saul.
Saul's Response
Now notice, in the third and final place, the response by Saul. We saw remorse or regret in David. when David was caught to the heart because, or his heart was troubled because he had cut Saul's rope in verse 5. In my notes I have the remorse of Saul. I do not believe for a moment that Saul is legitimate, because as soon as we get past the Nabal incident into chapter 26, those wretched Ziphites again give David up into the hand of Saul.
The Ziphites are certainly pesky. We met them in 23. And they really had an axe to grind against David. Or they were just trying to curry favor with Saul.
But Saul's back at it again in chapter 26. That's the second time that David spares Saul's wife. Do you hear that? The second time David spares Saul's wife. life.
David is a long-suffering man. David is a patient man. David understands that justice and vengeance ultimately belong to the Lord our God. Notice, in 16, the remorse of Saul.
So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? This is one of those sections where I just say, Please! Come on, Saul, no one is buying. Nobody's picking up what you're putting down.
All throughout the narrative, David has been the son of Jesse. All throughout the narrative, Saul has kept David at a distance. He's the son of Jesse. And now he's my son, David.
And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. David Samura says, after this long speech by David, Saul responds to him with tears, which he probably sheds from self-pity rather than repentance. Gil says, and Saul lifted up his voice and wept, being affected with the kindness of David to him and with his deliverance from the danger he was in. And yet without true repentance of his sins, for there may be many tears shed where there is no real repentance, as in the case of Esau.
Don't let Saul's tears blind you to the reality that the man is still a brutal tyrant. that the man has been caught and found out. The man has been bested. Certainly this would have proved an embarrassment if Saul would have been hanging with other kings or even with his men. You mean they got so close to you that they could have killed you and yet they spared you?
This would be an embarrassing episode for a king, I suspect. And so Saul here has been found out. And notice what he goes on to say. He acknowledges what David has said.
Verse 17, Then he said to David, You are more righteous than I. He's only telling us what we already know and that he doesn't believe even as he's spewing it forth. You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil." I mean, really? Are we following this?
Are we like, oh wow, this is great! No, Saul is a wretch! Saul is gone, brethren! We saw Saul check out in chapter 16, when God departed, when the Lord departed, and He sends the distressing Spirit from the Lord to trouble him.
It has been constant judgment by God upon Saul all the way. And so Saul goes on to say, verse 18, you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me. For when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely?
You know, he's even preaching and teaching in all of this. It's just, I mean, just amazing. Yeah, he's got to remind us that how great and noble David is. David knows exactly what's going on.
David has done what David's done. Notice verse 19 at the end, Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. That's probably ringing as hollow as the benediction in 2321. Remember in 2321 to those wretched Ziphites, Saul said, Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me.
If you are being pronounced or you are receiving a benediction from Saul, you're probably in a bad state. Well, not necessarily. David's in a good state, but you gotta realize that that benediction doesn't mean anything. Saul just doesn't have the magic anymore, as it were.
Not that there's magic in benediction, but you know what I mean. And now notice in verses 20 and 21. And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. Now, this is packaged with self-pitying Saul.
But this is true, isn't it? Verse 20. This is true. Saul knew enough, at least in chapter 15, to realize that God was taking the kingdom from him and giving it to someone better than you.
That's what he says in 1 Samuel chapter 15. Saul knew the score. Jonathan has told David that my father knows that you will be king. So look at this.
In the midst of all this blathering by Saul, there is this nugget of truth that finds its way in here that will no doubt encourage David. Again, David has seen glimpses and glimmers of this idea that he is going to be the king in Israel. He's heard Jonathan say it. He's seen Jonathan demonstrate it by giving him his royal robes.
But there's been no coronation ceremony. Remember, he was anointed in chapter 16, but as soon as he was anointed, life took a spin for the worse. There's not been people praising David, putting crowns on David, putting robes on David. So you see, even in the midst of this, God has a choice word for his servant.
This is a word of affirmation, a word of encouragement, a word that would indeed help David. Now I know indeed that you shall surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand." The confirmation of God's word comes through David's enemy. The truth of the statement doesn't depend upon the moral character of the messenger. We just sang it.
God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever. If God can speak truth through Balaam's ass, if God can speak truth through Caiaphas the high priest, if God can speak truth through men that have moral blemish, it is nevertheless the case, truth. And this was a means to encourage David in his pursuit, or his life with reference to Saul.
And now notice, 21 and 20. Saul does what Jonathan did. In chapter 20, remember that Jonathan, when he covenants with David, says, spare my house. Spare my house.
Remember that? Because Jonathan knew that when a king became king, his first order of business was to kill the other king's family. That's just the way it was done. You didn't email.
You didn't clean the Oval Office. Go to your new bowling alley. I've heard there was one in the White House. I don't know if there's still one.
But you killed the other family. It's just what kings did. So Jonathan asked that you spare my family. Notice what Saul does in verse 21.
Therefore, swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house. So David swore to Saul. Incredible. Incredible!
David was a man of God. David didn't touch the Lord's anointed and David even covenants to spare the Lord's anointed's family. Truly is an amazing man. Well, a couple of things that we ought to appreciate before we close.
Waiting on the Lord for the Throne
In the first place, David's accession to the throne. I mentioned in the introduction, he waits on the Lord. That's evident throughout the passage. David waits on God.
He doesn't take matters into his own hand. He doesn't go out and take vengeance on his personal enemies, and he has respect for the rule of law. In many ways, what we have in 24, 25, and 26 is something of the moral character and virtue of David. Now, unfortunately in 27, he goes and hangs out with the Philistines.
We'll get to that later. But in 24, 25, and 26, he's not a blood-crazed or a death-crazed man that is seeking to eliminate anybody that gets in his way.
Interpreting Providence Rightly
And in the second place, I said we'd revisit that idea of providence in verse 4. The men of David said to him, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand that you may do to him as it seems good to you. The fact of God's providence, we all see it, we all witness it, but it's the implications that we draw that we need to be careful. And Robert Vannoy makes this very helpful application to the Christian church.
He says, there is much in the chain of events to ponder. David's men appealed to a surprising event as a sign that it was the Lord's will for them to do something they decided to do. A scenario familiar to most Christians, isn't it? You ever met that Christian?
Wow, this happened, and now I know what the Lord wants for me. It's hard to challenge that, isn't it? When somebody knows what the Lord wants for them, if you suggest otherwise, well, you're trying to block up the Lord's will and the Lord's work, the Lord's process. He gave me a sign.
Are you sure that that sign was to yield that implication? You see, this happens, brothers and sisters, probably far more than we'd like to even admit. We are not to be governed by our experience, by our emotional response, or by those things that are most advantageous to us. We need to be very careful treading into the interpretation of God's providence.
You might be walking home and see something and say, wow, now I know that the Lord would have me to do that. Have you ever operated that way and then you did it and it was really stupid and foolish? Has anybody ever drawn an implication from a providential happening and then ended up doing something stupid and foolish? I think we probably all have.
Can we say with exactitude that, yes, I know, that's what the Lord would have for me. We need to be careful. Vanhoy goes on to say, it is often difficult to argue with someone who says that in the view of certain circumstances, the Lord has led them to do such and such. But today, just as in this narrative, one must be exceedingly careful with an argument that uses divine providence as an equivalent for divine mandate. mandate is command, you see.
He goes on to say, one should always be mindful that it is never possible to infallibly interpret God's providence. For example, Saul clearly misread divine providence, remember? In chapter 23, when he heard that David was in Keilah, how did Saul interpret that providential event? Well, the Lord has delivered him into my hand because he's in a fortified city.
I will go in and I will take care of business. You see, Saul saw providence and then he made an incorrect implication. He goes on to say, Vannoy, we should guard against similar sorts of speculative tendencies in our own living and focus more on obeying the clear commands of God. You know, we all want to know, what is God's will for my life?
It's right here. What would God have me to do? Read your Bible. What does God want from study scripture?
It is the command of God that serves as the marching orders from God to God's people. And we need to understand that. Now, I'm not suggesting that when we see an act of providence, We can't mull it over and with wisdom and surveying scripture and doing those. I mean, that's what we're called to do.
There are providential occurrences in our lives, but there's no secret hidden meaning. There's no fortune cookie that drops out onto the path of accretion. We snap it open and take the particular position of it and then do whatever we want. That's just not biblical.
God has spoken to us, and our task is to obey the written word. That is an emphasis that I think needs to be sounded forth in Zion.
The Place of Vengeance
In the third place, the place of vengeance. I've already touched on this, but I want to flesh it out just a little bit more. David obeyed Romans 12, 19. He did not avenge himself. but he gave place to God's wrath.
Look how David gives place to God's wrath. Go to Psalm 54. I'm not suggesting David wrote these particular Psalms at this particular time, but I am suggesting that these particular Psalms give us a flavor of how David prayed in these kinds of times, okay? Everybody with me?
This whole idea. Paul actually says, do not avenge yourselves, but give place to wrath. If we were to hear David praying these, we might be offended. If David, in a prayer meeting, actually started to pray like this, some of us might get squeamish and say, can he do that?
Can he really say that? Is that okay? How else would David give place to the wrath of God without calling upon God? You know, sometimes people say, you know, with these Planned Parenthood videos, and I understand they're hard to watch, but I've heard people say, I can't watch them.
They're too terrible. I get that. I sympathize to a certain degree. But I make myself watch them so that I'll pray like David.
Because you see, when you see these sorts of things, what is the proper response? We need to give place to the wrath of God. I'm not holding myself out as a model, do what I... No, I'm just saying, this is a means by which the Psalms become precious to the people of God.
Notice in Psalm 54, verse 4, Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in your truth.
Notice in Psalm 58. Psalm 58, beginning in verse 6. Break their teeth in their mouth, O God. Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.
Psalm 109, David actually prays that his enemies become beggars. In the Trinity Psalter, we don't ever sing that psalm, but it says, may strangers steal his hard-earned cash. When the boys were little, we used to sing that song. We'd think about abortion.
We'd think about abortionists. We'd think about things like Planned Parenthood. And we would sing that song and dedicate it to those monsters. And I remember the boys always being taken up with that particular phrase.
May strangers steal their hard-earned cash. That's how David prayed. But back to 58. Notice in 58.6.
Break their teeth in their mouth, O God. Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord. So David's in our prayer meeting and this is him. This is how he's going.
Let them flow away as waters which run continually when he bends his bow. Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes. Like a stillborn child of a woman that they may not see the sun.
Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, as in His living and burning wrath. The righteous shall rejoice when He sees the vengeance. He shall wash His feet in the blood of the wicked, so that men will say, Surely there is a reward for the righteous. Surely he is God who judges in the earth.
Now, probably at this time, the elders would be escorting David out of the prayer meeting into the office and saying, how in the world can you pray like that? Because Paul, the apostle, tells me to give place to the wrath of God. And how better to give place to the wrath of God than in prayer. You see, perhaps Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry continues on unaffected because the Christian church never asked God to break their fangs.
The Christian church never asked God to stop them in their murderous rage. The Christian church says, defund Planned Parenthood rather than destroy Planned Parenthood to the Living God. We're calling upon the government to defund a wicked organization rather than calling on the Living God to destroy a wicked organization. Now again, this isn't your enemies on Wellington, this is the enemies of Yahweh.
This is the means by which, or a means by which, we give place to God's wrath. Davis says, if Yahweh's crushed and afflicted people cannot place their case in His hands and expect Him to bring just vengeance in their behalf, what hope can they have? Only a God who rights the wrongs of the inflicted on his people can be their well-proved help in troubles. Who can blame them if their cries are wrapped in emotion?
We commit vengeance to Yahweh. We commit vengeance to Yahweh. Amen. Brethren, that is something that David teaches us very clearly.
David as Type of Christ
And then one final application is the typical significance of David. We have seen this over and over again as we study David. We ought to make that legitimate leap between David and David's greater son. A similar instance occurs in Jesus' accession to the throne.
It is presented to him by the devil. In Matthew 4, verse 8, again the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their glory. And he said to him, all these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan, for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.
David was destined for the throne. David's men urged him to take a shortcut. David's men urged him to kill Saul so that he could take the throne. We get to the wilderness with David's greater son.
This greater son is destined for the throne. The devil comes and urges him to take a shortcut. The devil comes and tells him, take matters into your own hand and take possession of the throne. But in both cases they commit themselves to God Almighty.
In both cases, it's not only the what, the throne, but it's the how, God's means. And for David, that meant being hunted like a dog. For Jesus, that meant the humiliation of the cross. So David is functioning typically here in chapter 24 of 1 Samuel of his greater son that is going to exceed the throne.
He is going to sit upon the throne, but it's not going to be through the bloodshed that so many would expect. Messiah will come and destroy all of his enemies and set up his earthly kingdom. There would be bloodshed, but in this instance it would be the Messiah's And that would be the means by which he would assume the throne. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for the Word of God and we thank You for its clarity for us. I pray that You would help us, Lord, to receive these things and help us to learn from 1 Samuel, help us to learn from the life of David. Certainly there are many lessons in this passage that are instructive, not least of which is David's attitude and David's ability to resign himself to the will of God and to be patient and to realize that You would undertake on his behalf. I ask now that you would go with us and watch over us, grant us grace to glorify and honor you, and we pray through Christ our Lord.
Amen.