”And David said to Saul: “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’? Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”“ I Samuel 24:9-15 NKJV
a. Why do you listen to the words of men: David showed great kindness and tact to Saul. David knew very well that Saul’s fear of David came from Saul himself and not from anyone else. But David put the blame on nameless others so that it was easier for Saul to say, “They were wrong” instead of “I was wrong.” Even in confrontation, David covers Saul’s sin.
i. “He prudently and modestly translates the fault from Saul to his followers and evil counsellors.” (Poole)
ii. Some might have said, “David, lay it on the line! Tell it like it is!” and David will, to some extent. But even as he does he will show mercy and kindness to Saul. David will fulfill Proverbs 10:12: Love covers all sins, and 1 Peter 4:8: Love will cover a multitude of sins.
b. I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed: This principle of not striking out against God’s anointed leaders is good and important but sometimes has been misused.
i. The phrase touch not the Lord’s anointed is in vogue among some Christians and among many leaders. Often to them it means: “You should never speak against a pastor or a leader. He is above your criticism or rebuke, so just keep quiet.” Sometimes it is used even to prevent a Biblical evaluation of teaching. But when David recognized that Saul was the LORD’s anointed and refused to harm him, what David would not do is kill Saul. He did humbly confront Saul with his sin, hoping Saul would change his heart. But it is entirely wrong for people to use the idea of touch not the Lord’s anointed to insulate a leader from all evaluation or accountability.
c. See the corner of your robe in my hand! This was proof that David had full opportunity to kill Saul but did not take that opportunity. As David showed Saul the corner of his robe, Saul must have heard the Spirit of God speaking loudly in his heart.
i. Through this cut robe, God sent a message to Saul. The robe was a picture of Saul’s royal authority, and through this God said, “I am cutting away your royal authority.”
ii. In 1 Samuel 15:27-28 the prophet Samuel rebuked Saul for his hard-hearted disobedience to God. In his distress, Saul tried to keep Samuel from leaving, and grabbed his robe, and a portion of the prophet’s robe tore away. When Saul was left holding the torn piece of Samuel’s robe, Samuel said to him: The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. Now, when David confronts Saul with the torn robe, Saul must have been reminded of this incident, and God’s message to him was loud and clear.
d. Let the LORD judge between you and me: David didn’t need to do anything more to defend himself before Saul; he referred the matter to the LORD. David would let God plead his case and be his judge. David didn’t just say, “My hand shall not be against you,” he proved it by not killing Saul when he had the opportunity.
i. The Living Bible gives a good sense of 1 Samuel 24:12: Perhaps he will kill you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. In fact, David protected Saul by restraining his men.
ii. It was inevitable that Saul would be judged, and that he would lose the throne. But it was absolutely God’s business to accomplish that and it was the business of no one else. Jesus established the same principle in Matthew 18:7 when He said, offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! God’s judgment is God’s business. We put ourselves in a bad place when we make ourselves instruments of God’s judgment.
e. Wickedness proceeds from the wicked: David used this proverb to make a point. “Saul, if I was really as wicked as your advisors say I am, if I really was out to kill you, I would have done that wicked act in the cave. Because no wickedness proceeded from me when I had the opportunity, it shows my heart is not wicked towards you.”
f. Therefore let the LORD be judge…and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand: David told Saul, “I’m still trusting God, that He will deliver me out of your hand.” Instead of finding a way out of his trial in the flesh, David did the harder thing – he trusted in God to deliver him instead of trusting in himself. (Guzik)
Trusted in God
“Instead of finding a way out of his trial in the flesh, David did the harder thing – he trusted in God to deliver him instead of trusting in himself.” (Guzik)
Life is hard because we live in a sinful world where men trust in themselves instead of trusting in God.
If Jesus is the King of peace, then why do we murder men in our hearts?
We will have a trial in the flesh until the day we die, but we will do well to do the harder thing like David, “trusted in God to deliver him instead of trusting in himself”.
Do you trust in God?
Blessings
