We continue our journey through 1 Samuel in my Of Kings and Men series.

Same Sin, Different Time

The last time we saw Saul he was crying and recognizing that David would one day become king. (For my blog post on that check out Mercy on Your Enemies) David had just spare Saul’s life and Saul should have learned his lesson and changed his mind about trying to kill David. We each have our weaknesses. We each have our preferred sins. Like Saul, we should know better, many times we do, but simply knowing is not enough to keep us from indulging in our sin of choice. Saul was not even thinking about David, until the Ziphites approached him, no doubt hoping to win favor with the king, and told him where David was hiding. This information awoke in Saul his jealousy and sent him once again on an ill-planned mission to kill David.

Once again Saul starts on a path that ended terribly last time. He assembles 3,000 of the best fighting men in all of Israel and went to look for David in the wilderness of Ziph.

David Sees

And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.

So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him.
- 1 Samuel 26:3-5 NKJV (bold mine)

It is interesting to note how throughout this story David is alert and aware while Saul is asleep and unaware. While Saul is searching for David, David sees Saul, David understands what is going on, and Saul seems to be lost, in the dark. It is very clear that even though Saul is king and has 3,000 of the best fighting men in the country with him he is the one who is vulnerable in this story.

One Strike

If you have the opportunity to sin and apparently get away with it, does it mean that God wants you to do it?

Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”
- 1 Samuel 26:8 NKJV

God had allowed David and Abishai to come right up to Saul as everyone was asleep around him. With one strike Abishai could finish off Saul and end all of David’s problems. Abishai was aware of David’s unwillingness to raise his hand against Saul, but he didn’t have to this time, he just had to give Abishai permission and he would quickly kill Saul. Abishai even argues that since they have the opportunity to kill Saul it must be God’s will that they kill Saul.

However, David’s fear of the Lord kept him from killing the LORD’s anointed.

But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.
- 1 Samuel 26:9-10 NKJV

David had learned his lesson when he almost killed Nabal (Blessed are the Peacemakers a study of 1 Samuel 25) But just because David is not going to kill Saul it does not mean that he will do nothing. This is a great opportunity to end this conflict without the shedding of blood.

The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.” So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.
- 1 Samuel 26:11-12 NKJV

Here we also gain insight regarding God’s hand in all this. Indeed God had caused everyone to sleep deeply and that allowed David and Abishai to walk right up to Saul’s head. However, this did not mean that God wanted David to kill Saul. David comes up with a peaceful way to end the conflict. Here we discover that David’s ability to see or be aware of Saul’s movements and Saul’s inability to see or be aware of David’s actions are directly related to God. God was with David and not with Saul and that made all the difference.

Without his spear and water jug, Saul was completely helpless. The spear also represented Saul’s power, his social and military status while his water jug was his life-sustaining resource. Without either Saul was stripped of his social standing and life.

God had once again demonstrated his ability to provide exactly what was necessary to protect His servants and the futility of trying to harm one who God protects.

Fear and Lack of Faith

God never directed David to seek shelter with the Philistines, their bitterest enemies. In doing so David dishonored God. It was lack of faith that caused David to flee to his enemies seeking mercy and protection. The Philistines feared David more than Saul, and now, by coming to them for help David emboldened them in their oppression of Israel. David made Israel look weak to her enemies. David had been anointed to defend the people of God and God would not have David go to his enemies in hope of assistance. This made it seem like David no longer cared if the Philistines attacked Israel. Imagine the Israelites hearing about this. They probably thought that David had abandoned them and God to join the Philistines not only militarily but also in the worship of false gods. Many who may have held David in high regard would now be prejudiced against him.

By joining the Philistines David caused God’s enemies to rejoice.

David never turned away from God. He never worshiped the gods of the Philistines, but the damage had been done. David had not trusted God to continue to protect him and tarnished his character, which he had been carefully developing over many years. David continued to attack God’s enemies and destroy them since this was part of what God had called him to do. But David was not honoring God with his lies and deception.

Conclusion

Many times in my life I have thought I dealt with a specific problem for the last time. only to have to deal with it, or a similar problem, again in the near future. How many times I feel like I have learned my lesson and will now always trust in God, only to find myself struggling with my faith. In my mind, I know the truth. I know where it’s found, oftentimes I can even quote it to others. But living that truth, living that faith, trusting in God’s promises with my life, my family, and all that I have… well, that takes time. There are no quick fixes. We get stronger one trial at a time. Life is messy, it is difficult, challenging, frustrating. But there are no quick fixes. Waiting on the LORD is incredibly simple and surprisingly difficult.

The concept of having faith and trusting in the Lord is simple enough. Living a life of faith and trust is not easy.

But we serve a loving, merciful God who delights in saving. Let us trust in Him, and if we have sinned, let us turn to him today for He is willing to save.

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
- 1 John 2:1-2 NKJV

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- 1 John 1:9 NKJV

The story is not over, there are no quick fixes, but God never gives up on us. In my next post, we will continue this story.