1 Samuel

Chapter Introduction

David discovers what it means to wait on the Lord.  He trusted the Lord and was aware of His sovereignty, but humans are not always good at waiting.  David’s life path led through suffering, trials, and tribulations.  Through them all, God was true and faithful.  David learned to trust and walk with the Lord through it all.  But those lessons didn’t come quickly and easily.

David spared Saul’s life in chapter 24.  Then the Lord dealt with the fool in chapter 25.  And again, in this chapter, David spares Saul’s life.  Are we to understand that God can deal with fools and tyrants without our help?  We are to remain faithful and leave vengeance to the Lord.

1 Samuel 26:1-4

David was in the stronghold in the Wilderness of Ziph.  The Ziphites had already betrayed David by informing Saul of his location in 1 Samuel 23:9, and they would do so again in this chapter.  It’s not hard to imagine that in a community of people, there would be some who would sell out anyone for their own benefit.  Spying for Saul was likely a lucrative, though limited, career. The Ziphites earned money and respect from Saul, but they also gained a reputation that lived beyond the king. 

Hachilah was opposite Jeshimon, about 18 miles west of the Dead Sea.  Saul had relented at the end of chapter 24, confessing that David had done nothing wrong and that he was a man of character.  He saw David’s mercy and kindness toward him.  He said David would sit on the throne and asked David to swear not to destroy his descendants.  Saul’s repentance was short-lived.  He couldn’t see the hand of God at work in David and thought he could maintain the throne by removing him.  Saul took 3000 men to find David. 

Saul arrived and camped at Hachilah, which means "dark and dusky," opposite Jeshimon, which means "waste or desolate place."  Saul’s only business was to murder David.  As a commander of the 600, it was David’s business to know what Saul was doing.  David knew Saul’s whereabouts while Saul could only find David accidentally, giving us the impression that the Lord concealed David from Saul and his men.

1 Samuel 26:5-8

David could have taken his men and gone to another location. Instead, he felt led to engage Saul in some fashion.  He could have assigned any of his men to this mission, but took the lead himself.  Abashai volunteered to go with him.  Interestingly, no response is noted from Ahimelech the Hittite. 

David and Abashai went down to the camp at night.  Saul was in the midst of the camp, surrounded by soldiers.  His spear was stuck in the ground next to him.  This spear has a history; its appearance marks trouble.  It is Saul’s scepter of sorts, ruling by murder and mayhem. 

Abner, David’s commander, was at his side.  It’s fascinating that a 3000-man army would not have lookouts.  Is this arrogance or ignorance on their part?  Either way, David and Abishai walked right up to Saul.  He slept with his spear next to his head.  Abashai declared that it was no accident that the Lord had delivered Saul once again into David’s hands.  Abishai offered to kill Saul so David could maintain innocence and keep his promise to Saul.

Abashai wants to put an exclamation point on the death of Saul with a bit of poetic justice.  He asked David to allow him to use Saul’s spear to pin the king to the ground in death. 

1 Samuel 26:9-12

David refused to let Abashai do this deed.  Saul was the Lord’s anointed, and only the Lord could remove him from the throne.  This would be a political assassination and would be no better than what Saul was trying to do.  David chose another way.  He yielded to God’s supreme power and divine right.  In a sense, Saul was the Lord’s problem.  If the Lord wanted David on the throne, He would have to protect him and remove Saul.  David’s throne was God’s plan to enact, not David’s. 

Instead, David and Abishai took the spear and water bottle.  To be without a weapon and water in this wilderness was a death sentence.  David sent a clear message that Saul’s life had been in his hands again. 

How could they walk right into the camp of 3000 soldiers and not be seen or heard?  Not one man woke up. The scriptures explain that the Lord had put them all in a deep sleep.  This shows us the Lord is with David, walking with him and protecting him. 

1 Samuel 26:13-16

David crossed to the other side, away from the remainder of his men.  If Saul and his troops attacked David, the six hundred would not be overrun but could pursue from the rear.  David went to the top of a hill some distance away to have time to retreat into hiding should Saul pursue him. 

David called out to Abner and pointed out his failure to protect the king.  This was deserving of a death sentence for failing in his way.  This was his primary objective: to protect the king at all costs, yet he slept while someone entered the camp. 

David showed Abner Saul’s spear and water bottle.  What an embarrassing situation for the military leader who was lying next to the king.  David suggested that he cared more for Saul than Abner did. 

1 Samuel 26:17-20

Saul recognizes David’s voice.  David respectively called Saul “my lord, O king.”   He called himself Saul’s servant.  David again asked Saul what he’d done. He challenged Saul’s thought process and asked him to figure out the source of this hatred.  Who was stirring up Saul’s heart with hatred? 

• Was it from the Lord (v.19)? It was clearly not from the Lord.  But David said if it was, an offering should be made.  Hatefulness is not sourced from the Lord.
• Were they the children of men?  If so, they should be cursed before the Lord because their actions had driven David out of his home and community.  David was not able to worship the Lord at the tabernacle.  He was not able to share in the inheritance of his people.  It’s as though they told David to go elsewhere and serve other gods. 

The source of hatred was Saul’s own disobedient and sinful heart, which was swayed by those around him. 

David considered himself a flea.  He was harmless and insignificant.  Yet Saul hunted him like a person hunting partridge.  This was done by beating the bushes and chasing the birds until they were exhausted.  The literal meaning of the Hebrew word partridge is “one who calls upon the mountain.”  This is what David was doing as he brought reproach on Saul.

1 Samuel 26:21-25

Saul responded, seeing evidence of David’s kindness as he held his spear and water bottle. Saul had a moment of clarity in his dark mind.   David could have easily ended the king’s life.  Saul confessed that he had played the fool. We see God dealing with the fool as suggested in chapter 25.  Saul admitted that he had sinned.  He promised not to harm David. 

As David saw value in Saul’s life, he asked that his life would be similarly valued before the Lord, and the Lord would deliver him from all tribulation.

Saul blessed David.  They went their separate ways.  They never saw each other again. 

The Big Idea

David did not need to help the Lord bring about his plan.  The Lord can weaken the strong, fool the wisest on our behalf, and quickly stumble the proud.  The Lord is never at the mercy of men, armies, willpower, pride, strength, or stubbornness.  Wait on His perfect time.

©2004 Doug Ford, Further Study and Revision 2015, 2024