Power Up - The Power of Loyalty - 1 Samuel 24 and 26 - July 25,2010

Bible Study – Power Up – The Power of Loyalty – July 25, 2010
 This is our final lesson in the series on “Power UP.”


Our scripture is 1 Samuel 24:20-22; 26:1-6, 7-20, 21-25.


As mentioned in last week’s lesson, after David was anointed as the replacement king for Saul, it took fifteen (15) years before David was crowned King of Judah and another seven (7) years before he was made king over all of Israel. Called of GOD for a special purpose but it was no easy road. Yet, David remained faithful to his call through very difficult circumstances.


This is a message to Christians today. We are called to serve our LORD through our relationship with CHRIST. Often the going gets tough as GOD builds Spiritual character within each of us during the Spiritual growth and maturing process of sanctification. It is vital that Christians have and maintain the right relationship with CHRIST during these often difficult days.


As a young person and even now it is exciting to read of David sneaking up on Saul without getting caught and not doing him harm except to his ego. Of course, this revealed David’s unswerving loyalty to King Saul. David could have taken matters into his own hands and eliminated Saul but he trusted that GOD would take matters into HIS hands when the time was appropriate. This is a strong message to Christians today. Wait upon the LORD and trust HIM to provide according to HIS plan and purpose. This is easy to say but very difficult to do.


Let’s review some background leading up to our today’s scripture.


1 Samuel 24:1-19: (Background leading up to our scripture.)


David Spares Saul


1 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness near En-gedi (en GEH dee).” 2 So Saul took 3,000 of Israel’s choice men[1] and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself.[2] David and his men were staying in the back of the cave, 4 so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the LORD told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. 5 Afterwards, David’s conscience bothered[3] him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.[4] 6 He said to his men, “I swear before the LORD: I would never do such a thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed. [I will never]* lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”[5] 7 With these words David persuaded[6] his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way. 8 After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed to the ground in homage. 9 David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’? 10 You can see with your own eyes that the LORD handed you over to me today in the cave. [Someone]* advised [me]* to kill you, but I[7] took pity on you and said: I won’t lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed. 11 See, my father! Look at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Look and recognize that there is no evil or rebellion in me. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 “May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you for me, but my hand will never be against you.[8] 13 As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness comes from wicked people.’[9] My hand will never be against you. 14 Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A flea?[10] 15 May the LORD be judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver[11] me from you.” 16 When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud 17 and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you.[12] 18 You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the LORD handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed?[13][14]May the LORD repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today.


Saul took three thousand (3,000) choice soldiers with him into a wilderness area known to have many caves in search of David to kill him. King Saul had to relieve himself as stated in verse 3. Of all the caves Saul could have gone into, he chose the very cave where David and his men were hiding. David must have thought, “This is too good to be true.”


David positioned himself such that he could cut a corner off of Saul’s robe. David could have concluded that GOD delivered Saul to him to kill him since Saul was trying to kill David. In fact, one of David’s men quoted a statement GOD must have revealed to David sometime earlier in his life in verse 4. Again, GOD knew the heart of David and GOD had a plan, which I think included giving Saul an opportunity to repent and change his heart toward David. We see in verse 16 that Saul wept. GOD had to be dealing with his heart. GOD gives us opportunities to make things right between us and someone we may have a problem with. Will we take it?

David had the opportunity to kill King Saul. David must have delighted in cutting off part of Saul’s robe. Yet, after he did, his conscience bothered him. He must have entertained the idea of taking advantage of the opportunity or the fact that he did what he did, dishonored the king. Yet, he spared Saul’s life. Often it is better to show people who want to do us harm that we had the opportunity to them harm but we chose not. After David revealed to Saul that he was so close to him that he cut part of his robe off, Saul acknowledged that David was a man of integrity and honor. He was grateful to David for sparing his life. Notice that David called Saul father and Saul called David son.

Why did David do what he did? He was loyal to the king whom Samuel anointed as GOD had instructed him. GOD had placed Saul in the position of being king and David trusted that GOD would remove him at the proper time. He knew he was the heir-apparent to the throne and it was a matter of GOD’S timing. After this close encounter with David, Saul knew that David could have taken his life but didn’t. GOD had chosen David to succeed him as king. Again, GOD knew the heart of David and David had the right relationship with GOD. David trusted GOD. Do we trust GOD? Does GOD know our hearts? Yes, HE does but have we revealed to HIM the most intimate details of our hearts? HE already knows them but in order for us to have a loving intimate relationship with HIM, we need to reveal our most intimate secrets to HIM. We need to confess any wrong doing and ask HIM to forgive us. Relationship building begins with truth and honesty from both parties entering a relationship.

Saul left that area with the knowledge that he had a close brush with death and that David would be the next king, as confirmed in our next scripture.


Let’s read 1 Samuel 24:20-22; 26:1-6:


1 Samuel 24:20-22:


20 “Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established[15] in your hand.[16] 21 Therefore swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” 22 So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.


Saul confirmed the fact that GOD had found favor with David and that David would be his successor. Saul pleaded with David that when the day came and he was crowned king, he would spare his descendants. Saul wanted his blood line to live on. When one king defeated another king the first thing they did was to completely wipe out all of the defeated king’s bloodline. This was to ensure that none of his descendants would one day rise up to reestablish the defeated king’s kingdom.


David agreed and Saul went home. David returned to the stronghold. David returning to the stronghold was a clear indication that he still did not trust Saul, as we will soon learn.

1 Samuel 26:1-6:


1 Then the Ziphites (ZIFF ights) came to Saul at Gibeah (GI Bee ah) saying, “David is hiding on the hill of Hachilah (huh KIGH luh) opposite Jeshimon (juh SHIGH muhn).”[1] 2 So Saul, accompanied by 3,000 of the choice men of Israel,[2] went to the Wilderness of Ziph (ziff) to search for David there. 3 Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon. David was living in the wilderness and discovered Saul had come there after him. 4 So David sent out spies and knew for certain that Saul had come. 5 Immediately, David went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general of his army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp with the troops camped around him. 6 Then David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab’s brother Abishai (ah BISH a eye) (son of Zeruiah (zeh roo EYE ah), “Who will go with me into the camp to Saul?” “I’ll go with you,” answered Abishai.


[Abishai (ah BISH a eye) was the oldest son of Zeruiah (zeh roo EYE ah), David’s half-sister, and brother of Joab and Asahel. He was David’s nephew. He was also one of the David’s mighty men. He was head strong and impulsive but he maintained absolute loyalty to David.]


Saul was told where David was hiding. So Saul selected three thousand (3,000) crack soldiers to go after David. Of course, three thousand (3,000) men moving along the roads were not done discretely. David was alerted of the coming army and that Saul might be with them. This intrigued David and it was confirmed that Saul was indeed accompanying these men.


David’s plan boggles my mind, yet it intrigues me. He had courage but he also had GOD on his side. It is important that we keep in mind that when David previously encountered Saul, he did him no harm. GOD knew David’s heart and gave him special protection to do the deed, as stated in verse 12 in our next scripture. This act sent a message to Saul, Abner, Saul’s army, David, Abishai and David’s men. It is also a powerful message to Christians today.


Saul and his men needed rest. So they made camp. In order to protect Saul and his general, Abner, the three thousand (3,000) soldiers surrounded them. That was about as good protection as anyone could get. David asked for a volunteer to go with him into the camp that night. Abishai agreed to go with David. These men had courage but GOD had a plan. Let’s see what happened.


Let’s read 1 Samuel 26:7-20:


7 That night, David and Abishai (ah BISH a eye) came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops were lying around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has handed your enemy over to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won’t [have to strike]* him twice!” 9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be blameless?”[3] 10 David added, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will certainly strike him down: either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 However, because of the LORD, I will never lift my hand against the LORD’s anointed.[4] Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.” 12 So David took the spear and the water jug by Saul’s head, and they went their way. No one saw them, no one knew, and no one woke up; they all remained asleep because a deep sleep from the LORD came over them. 13 David crossed to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance; there was a considerable space between them. 14 Then David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner: “Aren’t you going to answer, Abner?” “Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner asked. 15 David called to Abner, “You’re a man, aren’t you? Who in Israel is your equal? So why didn’t you protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? 16 What you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die since you didn’t protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around; where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?” 17 Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, my son David?”[5]“It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said. 18 Then he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?[6] 19 Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the LORD who has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. But if it is people, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD, for today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD saying, ‘Go and worship other gods.’ 20 So don’t let my blood fall to the ground far from the LORD’s presence, for the king of Israel has come out to search for a flea, like one who pursues a partridge in the mountains.”


This is such an exciting story. GOD made it possible for David and Abishai to silently maneuver through those three thousand choice soldiers guarding Saul by causing a deep sleep to come over them in Verse 12. This allowed David and Abishai to be able to get Saul’s spear and water jug, which were by his head. Abishai wanted to kill Saul but David said no. It would be a logical conclusion that since they were able to make it to Saul and Abner without being detected GOD must have been on David’s side. Again, GOD knew David’s heart. Saul needed to know again that David could have killed him but did not. David tells Abishai not to kill Saul but instead to take Saul’s battle spear and water jug. The battle spear was a symbol of Saul’s authority. David wanted to prove his loyalty to Saul by taking his spear and water jug.


In essence, David defeated Saul without killing him. Saul was humiliated. Saul knew without a doubt that David and Abishai had the opportunity to kill him. Abishai was a trained warrior and could have killed Saul silently with one thrust of Saul’s own spear. He would have never made a sound. Again, David wanted Saul to know that he was loyal to him and was no threat to him.


Once David was a safe distance away, he shouted to wake them up. He asked Abner about his ability to guard the king. King Saul recognized David’s voice. David instructed Abner to look for Saul’s spear and water jug that were by Saul’s head. Notice that David addressed King Saul in a courteous manner and assured him that he was no threat to him. David returned Saul’s spear and water jug to him as we see in the following scripture.


Let’s read 1 Samuel 26:21-25:


21 Saul responded, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.” 22 David answered, “Here is the king’s spear; have one of the young men come over and get it. 23 May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against the LORD’s anointed, even though the LORD handed you over to me today.[7] 24 Just as I considered your life valuable today, so may the LORD consider my life valuable and rescue me from all trouble.” 25 Saul said to him, “You are blessed, my son David. You will certainly do great things and will also prevail.” Then David went on his way, and Saul returned home.


The event sent a powerful message to Saul. Saul wanted David to come back. David knew that Saul’s word was empty. As proof of what he had done and as an expression of good faith, David sent Saul’s spear and water jug back to him. This was undeniable evidence to Saul, Abner, Saul’s soldiers, David, Abishai, David’s men and to all who read this story throughout the ages of GOD’S power and mercy.


David left the death of Saul up to GOD as stated in 1 Samuel 26, verse 10. The events that David participated in were orchestrated by GOD to reveal to Saul that GOD was with David. Saul had a choice whether or not to pursue David. The events were also confirmation to David that he was in the will of GOD.


Often, it is difficult to be loyal to those who wish to do you or your family harm. David left to avoid a major problem. GOD gave him opportunity to reveal his heart and character to the person trying to do him harm. How would we respond to such opportunities? What does that reveal about our heart?