January 23, 2013
1st Samuel 23:1-24:22
"David Still On The Run"
I Hiding From Saul 23:1-29
II David Spares Saul's Life 24:1-22
Sometimes, its very hard to keep on going, when we don't seem to be getting anywhere. William Barclay tell the story about Thomas Carlyle. It seems, that Thomas Carlyle, had just finished the first volume of his book, The French Revolution, when he gave the manuscript to his friend John Stuart Mill, and asked him to read it, so that it could be proofread.
It took Mr. Mill several days, to get through it, and as he read, he realized that it was truly a great literary achievement. Late one night, as he finished the last page, he laid the manuscript aside, by his chair, in the den of his home. The next morning, the maid came------ and seeing papers on the floor, she thought they were just discarded trash----so she threw them into the fire, where they became nothing but ashes.
The next morning, March 6, 1835---he never forgot the date---John Mill, had to go see Thomas Carlyle and tell him what had happened. In deep agony and heartfelt remorse, Mill told him, that his work had been destroyed. Carlyle felt so bad for Mill----so he told him that it would be alright, not to worry about it----- that he would just start over in the morning, and write it again.
Finally, after much apologising, John Mill left and started back home. Carlyle watched his friend walking away and said to his wife, "poor Mill, I feel so sorry for him-----I couldn't make him feel any worse than he already does, I didn't want
him to see, how crushed, I really am.
Then heaving a sigh, he said, "well the manuscript is gone , so I better get to work, it isn't going to write itself.
It was a long hard process, especially because his inspiration was gone. It's always hard to recapture the verve and the vigor, if a person has to do the same thing twice. But, he sat down and worked diligently and consistently, until he finally completed the work, a second time.
Thomas Carlyle walked away from disappointment. He couldn't do anything about a manuscript that was burned up---he just had pull up his bootstraps and keep on walking-----that's how it is with us, there are so many times when we just have to get up, and get going, and get on about our Father's business-----we can't argue with "it is what it is---we just have to trust "that whatever it is--- will be what God wants it to be".
Two frogs fell into a deep bowl of cream,
one was an optimistic soul;
but the other took the gloomy view,
"we shall drown," he cried, without more ado.
So with a last despairing cry,
He flung up his legs and said, "good-bye".
Quoth the other frog, with a merry grin,
"I can't get out, but I won't give in.
I'll just swim around till my strength is spent,
Then will I die, the more content."
Bravely he swam till it would seem
His struggles began to churn the cream.
On the top of the butter at last he stopped,
And out of the bowl he gaily hopped
What of the moral? tis easily found:
If you can't hop out, keep swimming around.
I Hiding From Saul 1st Samuel 23:1-29
While David was encamped with his men in the Forest of Hereth, word came to him, that the Philistines were terrorizing the walled city of Keilah, at the southern end of Judah-----they were attacking them at their most vulnerable
place----their food source and their livelihood----they were stealing the grain from their threshing floor----
Threshing floors were open circular areas, where the grain kernels were separated from their husks. (In order to separate the grain from the husk, farmers would toss their grain into the air. The wind would blow the husks away, leaving only the grain. The process is called winnowing.) By looting the threshing floors, the Philistines were robbing Keilah's citizens of all their food supplies.
This should have been Saul's problem-----but David was a born leader and he loved his people and had been trained to defend them against their enemies, especially against the Philistines----he was already thinking like the King of Israel should think.
Through the Urim and the Thummim, that Abiathar, the priest had brought, from the ransacked town of Nob-----David sought the Lord's guidance, before he took action. And he listened to God's directions----he asked him the same question twice, just to be doubly sure, and then he proceeded accordingly. (Rather than trying to find God's will, after the fact, or having to ask God to undo the results of our hasty decisions, we should take time to discern God's will beforehand. (Runway Lights) We can hear Him speak through the counsel of others, through His word, through the leading of the Spirit in our hearts (inner conviction), as well as, through circumstances.) Now David's men, weren't eager to come out of hiding---they were afraid of Saul, but they were even more scared of the well-trained, blood thirsty, pagan Philistines, so they tried to convince David not to go---- But, God told David that he would deliver the Philistines into his hand, and David believed Him----- and then, he convinced, his men to believe God too------and as a result---God gave a decisive victory, to David's rag-tag bunch, of misfit, malcontents. But their victory was a short-lived thrill, because it pinpointed their location for Saul.
And when Saul heard, that David was located in a walled city (one with gates and bars), he thought he had him trapped---- he thought God was putting David, at his mercy. Saul wanted to kill David so badly, that he would have interpreted any sign, as God's approval, to move ahead with his plan. Had Saul known God better, he would have known what God wanted and wouldn't have misread the situation. God would never have approved of cold-blooded murder.
Saul needed to realize, and so do we, that not every opportunity, that comes our way, is sent to us by God. We may want something so badly, that we can assume any opportunity to obtain it, is of divine origin. But, as we can see from Saul's case, this may not be true. An opportunity to do something against God's will, will never be from God, because God doesn't tempt us, He only directs us. When opportunities come our way, we need to double-check our motives. We need to make sure we're following God's desires and not just our own.
In addition, to God supernaturally, directing and guiding David----David must also, have had some incredible scouts, and private citizens, being his eyes and ears, because he was always one step ahead of Saul. When David got word of Saul's intent to trap him, he called for Abiathar to bring the urim and the thummim to him again, so that he could ask God what they should do----(you would have thought, that the towns-people of Keilah would be so grateful to David for having preserved their freedom, that they would have protected him----but they were too afraid of Saul's wrath (I'm sure they had heard what had happened at Nob)----God let David know, that Saul, would come, if David stayed there, and the people of Keilah, would turn him, over to Saul, when he got there. So, before that could happen, David left. He took his men into the desert, where they could hide in various strongholds, near the town of Ziph.
Saul wouldn't let up, in his search for David. It wasn't enough, that David wasn't the leader of his body guards, or even in the army, any more. It wasn't enough, that David had left his wife and his home, and was wandering from pillar to post, with no secure place to lay his head at night. And it wasn't enough, that Saul was using fear, to turn whole towns against David------Saul wanted David dead, he wasn't going to stop at anything less. Saul hunted him day after day, and God helped David elude Saul day after day-----David must have been so tired of the whole thing-----our commentary says "how discouraging it must have been for David-----constantly on the move, constantly needing food and water for six hundred men, constantly having to hide----innocent, yet hunted."
But God knew what would make David feel better----he knew what he needed---He always knows what we need------Saul couldn't find David----but God allowed Jonathan to find him. With all the bad news, that David had been receiving about the whereabouts of Saul----and the uncertainty of his day to day situation----what a pleasant surprise, it must have been, when Jonathan showed up, unexpectedly. We aren't told a lot about the reunion, but, what we do know, is significant------Jonathan did everything he could, to affirm David. And, it was more than a pep talk----because he helped David renew his strength in God. He encouraged David not to be afraid-----and he reminded him, that God was protecting him, because He intended for David to be Israel's next king. And Jonathan affirmed the truth of the fact, that he knew that he was secondary to David----and he reminded David that he was his most loyal servant and supporter. And they renewed their covenant with each other, one last time.
When life happens, and we don't know how or why it happened-----when it seems like we can't do anything right and the world seems to be winning, and we can't see any light at the end of the tunnel-----when we can't see God's hand in any thing----we need to go to the scripture, and there, in God's word, we will find hope for the future, and comfort for the present, and peace with the past. Romans 15:4 says," For everything that was written in the past, was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope." And because Jesus has charged us with taking care of each other------ as believers, it's our responsibility to support and encourage each other. 2nd Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us, in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble, with the comfort, we ourselves have received from God." That's what Jonathan did---which was the best thing he knew to do---- to support and encourage and comfort David-----he brought God's word to him, and it renewed David's heart…
This may have been the last time David and Jonathan were together. Their friendship was much more than just companionship, they truly enjoyed each other's faith in God, and trusted one another, with their deepest thoughts and closest confidences. Their relationship was strong and reliable and blessed, because it was rooted in their love for God.
Saul's pursuit of David continued-----and about that time, a group of Ziphites, reported David's approximate whereabouts, to Saul-----scripture doesn't tell us why----maybe they wanted to curry his favor, or maybe they wanted to avoid his wrath-----but whatever the reason was, their betrayal, was particularly grievous, to David, because they were from the same tribe that he was from, the tribe of Judah.
But this time, Saul was more calculated in his game plan. He didn't go rushing out with his army.
Since David had escaped his efforts several times already----it was making him look inept, so he wanted to make sure that he didn't come back empty-handed again. Saul instructed the Ziphites to watch David closely, and to make note of his habits and his hiding places, and that when he knew he would have success, Saul would close in on David, for the kill.
Again, God made sure that David was warned----and he and his men kept moving-----until the day came when David and his men found themselves on one side of the mountain, with Saul and his men on the other side. Just when it seemed like there was no way that David and company could escape-----God intervened, and sent a messenger to Saul, with the news, that the Philistines were attacking, and that he and the men were needed. Saul, thankfully, responded immediately, which allowed David to escape again.
II David Spares Saul's Life 1st Samuel 24:1-22
David and his 600 men moved to the wilderness of En-gedi, and found it a good place to hide, because of the many caves in the area, Those caves were used by local people for housing, and as tombs. For David's men, they were places of refuge. Some of them were large enough to hold thousands of people. (amazing) Many of them are still there today----and when you look up a description of En-gedi, it is described as an oasis-----so there must have been some beauty to the area.
As soon as Saul dealt with the Philistines, he returned to his pursuit of David----he took 3000 trained soldiers with him, to fight David's 600 men. But before Saul had found David, he stopped at a cave to have some privacy for a bathroom break. Little did Saul know, but he had chosen the exact same cave where David and his men were hiding.
David's men said to him, "Now's your opportunity! Today, the Lord is telling you, 'I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish'."
But scripture doesn't record, that God made any such statement to David, or to his men. The men were probably offering their own interpretation of some previous event, such as David's anointing or Jonathan's prediction, that David would become king, or God promising to deliver his enemies into his hands, meaning the Philistines, as well as other enemies. When David's men saw Saul entering their cave, they wrongly assumed that it was an indication from God, that they should act. (This was another example of thinking that something was from God, without any real direction from Him)
David had a great respect for Saul, in spite of the fact that Saul was trying to kill him. Although Saul was sinning and rebelling against God, David still respected the position he held as God's anointed king. David knew, that it wasn't right to strike down the man that God had placed on the throne, and he also knew, that his time would come to be king but that time wasn't yet.
And he knew, that if he assassinated Saul, that he would be setting a precedent, for his own opponents, to remove him, sometime in the future, if they didn't like him, or his method of kingship. Romans 13:1-7 teaches that God, has placed the government and its leaders, in power. We may not like it and we may not agree with them, but like David, we are to respect the positions and the roles, of the people that God has given authority over us to. But, there is one exception. Because God is our highest authority, we should not allow a leader, to pressure us, to violate God's law.
So, instead of yielding to the urging of his men, to kill Saul----David used the cover of darkness, and Saul's distraction, to slip up behind him and cut off a sliver of his cloak.
The means we use, to accomplish a goal, is just as important, as the goal we are trying to accomplish. David's goal was to become king, so his men urged him to to kill Saul, when he had the chance. David's refusal, was not an example of cowardice, it was one of courage----the courage to stand against the group, and to do what he knew was right. We should never compromise our moral or spiritual standards, or what we know the Lord would have us do, by giving in to group pressure or by taking the easy way out.
(Before the break-up of the Soviet Union, Christians were routinely persecuted for their faith, by the Communist regime. There are many inspiring stories of courageous Christians, behind the Iron Curtain, who were willing to die for their faith, during that difficult period in the world's history. But there is one story, about a house church, that testifies to the truth, of how important it is, to have the courage to stand up for what we know is right.
Their was a small group of believers, who gathered in a home, for church, who were afraid to carry their bibles, so they memorized large sections of the New Testament and then recited scripture to each other.
Every week they would arrive at the house, at different times, to avoid arousing the suspicions of KGB informers. On one particular Sunday, the church members were all safely inside the home, with the windows closed and the doors locked, as was their custom. They began the underground church service, by softly singing a hymn and praying.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and two soldiers, armed with automatic weapons, walked in. One of them shouted, 'Everybody up against the wall!!!!" and then he said, "anybody who wants to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ, you can leave now and no harm will come to you, but the rest of you stay!!"
Two or three church members left, and then another one, scurried out….
"This is your last chance! the other soldier warned, "either turn your back on this Jesus of yours, or stay and suffer the consequences.!!"
Another member left. Then, two more, covered their faces and slipped out, as quietly as they could. Nobody else moved. Parents, with small children, trembling and crying beside them, murmured reassuring words to them and kept their hands on them----even though they fully expected to be gunned down, on the spot, or at the very least, imprisoned for life.
After a few moments of silence, the soldiers closed the door and looked back at the church members left standing against the wall. One of them said, "keep your hands up----but this time, lift them high in praise to the Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters. We are Christians, too.
We were sent to another house church, several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers. But instead, we were converted, we didn't mean to frighten you, but we have learned, that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they can't be fully trusted ") We have to trust, that the Lord will give us the courage to stand up for Him and for what is right, when either a planned or an unexpected opportunity, presents itself.
David's men must have been shocked, when David refused to take advantage of the situation, to take Saul's life, and even more shocked when David felt remorse for just cutting off a piece of the royal robe. David, being a man after God's own heart, though, knew immediately, how wrong, what he had done, was. David's act, symbolically attacked, Saul's claim to the kingship ----he was implying the transfer of power from Saul, to himself. But more importantly, David recognized that he had struck a blow, not just at Saul, but also at the Lord. The Lord had placed Saul in his position and the Lord would remove him, in His time, and not one second before. David raising his hand against Saul, meant that he was rebelling against the Lord.
David, with unprecedented bravery, and a conviction about what was right, followed Saul out of the cave, out into the light, abandoning all efforts at self-protection or evasion. David addressed Saul, as his Lord, the king, and as his father, and he showed reverence and submission to Saul, by bowing low to him.
He begged to Saul, to set aside any rumors he might have heard, and to only judge David's guilt or innocence, for himself, based on David's actions.
Saul must have been astounded, when he heard David's familiar voice behind him. He quickly determined that David wasn't seeking his defeat or his death and that he wasn't attempting to gain the throne, by removing Saul from it. Saul could also see, the sliver of his robe, that David was holding up. His life had been in David's hands, but by coming out into the open, proving that he had nothing to hide, David was placing his life in Saul's hands. He quoted an old proverb, to convince Saul, that he was no threat to him or his kingdom----he compared himself to a dead dog with a single flea.
There is a difference in remorse and repentance-----remorse, is being sorry that you got caught, in your behavior-----and, repentance, is being so sorry for your behavior, that it changes you heart.
Saul's speech, makes me think he was suffering from remorse, but that he wasn't really ready for repentance…. his response to David, is a classic example, of what seems to be, sentimental, emotional spirituality. Saul conceded that David was correct in his assessment of what had transpired between them---- and he admitted that he knew that David was the rightful king, who would eventually take over the kingdom.
There was nothing in his words that suggested that Saul didn't feel and believe what he was saying, while he was saying it, at the time. But there was no character to back it up----and there was no covenant or agreement between him and David, on which they could have built an honest relationship, that was grounded in prayer and repentance and obedience and trust, like there had been, between Jonathan and David----- Saul, displayed heartfelt, religious emotions, but neither his life, nor his behavior changed one iota, which would lead you to believe, that his heart didn't either.
(In 1976 a little 10 year boy, from South Africa, named Julian, fell down while he was chasing butterflies in a field of tall grass. Soon afterward the boy's left eye started hurting, so he was taken to a doctor. The doctor couldn't find the source of the irritation, so he just gave the boy some ointment, and sent him home.
Eventually, Julian's eye problem went away, but about a year later, the boy started complaining of cloudy vision. His parents took him to an eye specialist, who was stunned by what he discovered.
Apparently, when Julian had fallen in the grass, a year earlier, a tiny grass seed had implanted itself into his cornea. Slowly, the seed had grown and had actually sprouted two little leaves in Julian's eye. The seed had to be removed immediately, in order to save the boy's vision.) When sin imbeds itself into a heart, like it had into Saul's---- over time, it can grow into something that can, gradually damage or destroy a person's soul. Sin can't be removed with ointment only Jesus can get rid of it----that's why He went to the cross-----but we have to be willing to recognize when sin is sin and yield ourselves to the Lord's surgical incision.
Our commentary directs us to 2nd Corinthians 7:10 which says, "For the kind of sorrow that God wants us to experience, leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death."
Worldly sorrow leads to death, but godly sorrow leads to repentance----a turning from sin and a turning to forgiveness and change. When it's godly sorrow, that grips our hearts, it will cause us to to want to be different and to take the steps to change. Sadly, the scripture never shows us any fruit, born of godly sorrow, in Saul. Is there something in each of our lives, that needs to be spiritually, surgically removed----some pattern of behavior or habit that needs to be changed or forgotten----are we hurting someone else by our refusal to give it up----we need to lay our hearts bare before the Lord and seek His forgiveness and His strength to accept it and move forward.
Saul, in his emotional vulnerability, wanted David to swear, that he wouldn't kill off all of his descendants. That was a common practice of the time---- for new kings, to kill off every other possible heir to the throne-----especially descendants of the preceding king. Saul didn't realize that David had already made that promise to Jonathan, and that that was why he had no qualms about making the same promise to Saul.
And David kept his promise----he never took revenge on Saul's family or descendants. Most of Saul's sons were killed later, by the Philistines and the Gibeonites. But David had promised to be kind to the descendants of Saul's son, Jonathan, and he kept his promise.
Saul may have responded to David for the moment, but David didn't trust him, so he didn't go back to his court. Saul went home and David and his men went back to their stronghold.
During times of adversity, there will be people who will attack us. They will slander us and seek to destroy our reputation, but we can turn to God and He will protect us and guide us and deliver us. David wrote two Psalms, during the time he was hiding out in the caves----in Psalm 57, it says that he cried out for mercy and then he said "…in You, my soul takes refuge…" and in Psalm 142, it says that he again cried out for mercy, and then he declared to God, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."
We are blessed that we have David's words written down, because we can take comfort and courage and strength from them.
As David's story continues, we can see that God was continuing to allow adversity, and David's own perseverance, to mold him, into the man that God knew that David was going to become.
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