”So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him. Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him. Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”“ I Samuel 26:5-8 NKJV
a. Now Saul lay within the camp: The King James Version says that Saul lay within the trench. That translation is accurate from the Hebrew but gives the wrong idea. The idea is that the perimeter of Israelite army camp was marked by the tracks of their wagons, and it was within the perimeter of the camp that Saul slept. Saul lay within the camp is a good translation of the idea.
b. So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped: The last time David and Saul met, David was simply hiding from Saul, and Saul happened upon the place where David hid. This time David actively sought Saul out.
i. So David arose means that David himself went. He could send any of his 600 men to do this job, and from a military perspective it made more sense to send someone else. Why should David go on such a dangerous mission? The fact that David did this shows his boldness and courage; the outcome of it all shows God was leading him in it.
c. David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army: As the entire army slept, Saul slept near the commander of his army. Then David, with a trusted assistant (Abishai the son of Zeruiah), secretly crept down to where Saul and Abner slept. With Saul’s spear stuck in the ground by his head and all asleep, Saul was completely vulnerable.
d. Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day”: As with the last time David could have killed Saul (1 Samuel 24:4), David’s associates pointed out that this circumstance was not an accident but designed by God – and the design was for David to take righteous vengeance upon Saul.
i. Abishai made it easy for David: Please, let me strike him at once with the spear. David would not raise his hand against Saul, but Abishai would do it, and not feel bad about it in the slightest way. David could say to himself and everyone else, “I did not kill Saul.”
ii. Abishai also weaves into the matter an element of poetic justice: the spear used to kill Saul would be the king’s own spear, stuck in the ground by his head. The spear that was thrown at David in attempted murder before (1 Samuel 18:10-11 and 19:9-10) would now be used as the instrument of the LORD’s righteous judgment. It all might have seemed to be perfectly given from the hand of God. (Guzik)
Poetic Justice
We can see in a sense an element of poetic justice happens to the evil people.
If it doesn’t happen in this world, righteous judgement is coming from God!
”His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.“ Psalms 7:16 NKJV
God’s Righteous Judgment
”in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.“ Romans 2:16 NKJV
”For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”“
Hebrews 10:30 NKJV
David wouldn’t judge and kill king Saul who was Gods anointed.
Neither should we when we are wronged.
Ask yourself, WWJD?
Blessings
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