1 Samuel

1 Samuel 24:1-7

When Saul returned from war with the Philistines he found out that David was at En Gedi.  He went after him with 3000 men.  We can see that Saul isn't messing around and he doesn't take the 600 mighty men of David lightly.  The canyon that drains into the Dead sea is full of caves.  What are the chances that Saul needs to attend to his bathroom needs at this exact cave?  This is no coincidence.  These caves must be rather large to be used for sheepfols; this particular cave hid 600 men without Saul detecting them. 

Saul probably had removed his coat when he entered the cave.  All David's men saw this as a gift from God; Saul was delivered right to them.  They saw this as the day when they no longer would be fugitives and their days of running would end.  They encouraged David to kill Saul but instead David cut the corner of the hem off his robe.  To cut off the hem was like cutting the insignia off the uniform of service personnel.  The hem was a mark of heritage, family, and authority.  Pressing the hem of your robe into a clay tablet was like a signature.  David knew it was sinful for him to kill Saul.  God's promise was sure and God would remove Saul when the time came.  We can imagine the disaapointment the troops felt when David returned with a piece of his coat and even felt bad about cutting that off.  Somehow David restrained his men.

1 Samuel 24:8

David still doesn't look to Saul as an enemy, but as his king.  David harbored no bitterness toward Saul in spite of Saul's efforts to kill him.  David even prostrates himself before Saul, honoring him. 

Imagine Saul's shock when he sees the cave from which David came from.

1 Samuel 24:8-15  

Imagine this moment when Saul stood there and David was face down.  Saul could have struck him down.  Then David tells Saul that he had been delivered into his hands; others wanted David to strike Saul.  But in spite of being encouraged to kill him, David refused.    David asked Saul to understand he had done no wrong.  David sought favor with Saul again by appealing to God to be the judge between them and see who has done wrong.  If God wanted Saul removed, God would do it.  David, however, would not harm him. 

We see that David understood how to wait on the Lord.  He could have seen this as a gift from God and justified killing him.  Instead he understood it to be sin.  Instead he used it to show Saul that he was faithful and had done no wrong. 

1 Samuel 24:16-22

Saul acknowledges that David was right.  He understands that David doesn't consider him an enemy because he didn't kill him.  He knows David will be king and asks that he not cut off his descendants when he is.  While David made this promise, it ended up being overrulled by God in 2 Samuel 21:8-9; and God was pleased with it (2 Samuel 21:14). 

It's worth noting that David had the wisdom not to return with Saul even though he sounded repentant.  It becomes obvious later that Saul wasn't really sincere, but only grateful for his life.

©2015 Doug Ford