2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
We continue our examination of the events which unfolded after David and Jonathan had entered into a covenant of friendship uniting their families and themselves with God and each other. These events will eventually have a major impact on Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, which will be seen toward the end of this section of our messages on “transcending generations.” By taking the time to look carefully at these events, we can see some basic truths of covenant theology asserting themselves in them. The carrying out of God’s promise of protection for King David is nothing short of remarkable. It takes the form of God conveying wisdom to David to work his way out of the jams that Saul brings about in persecuting him, the giving of strategic logistic information directly to David, and the transmittal of guidance directly effecting the decisions and behavior David exhibited in response to his circumstances. The other side of this remarkable series of events is David’s obedience and faithfulness. As we look at 1 SAM 24, we will see that David is presented with numerous opportunities to take Saul out, but consistently obeys the terms of his covenant with Jonathan (and God) and chooses not to give in to the desires of his flesh.
1 SAM 24: 1-3, “When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness near Engedi. Saul took three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks. Saul came to a cave close to some sheep pens by the road and went in to relieve himself. It happened to be the very same cave in which David and his men were hiding far back in the cave.” David’s men told him, “now is your chance,” meaning he could kill Saul. David turns from what must have been a fleshly urge to take their advice, and crept over to where Saul was. Without Saul being aware, David cut off a piece of his robe (4). David’s mind set is clearly seen in (5-6) in his comment to his men, “May the Lord keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the Lord chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the Lord!” David convinced his men not to attack Saul. Afterward, David went out of the cave and called to Saul. He showed Saul the piece of cloth he had cut from Saul’s robe in order to demonstrate that he had the chance to kill him and didn’t take it. (10-11). 1 SAM 24: 12-13, “May the Lord judge which one of us is wrong! May he punish you for your action against me, for I will not harm you in the least. You know the old saying, ‘Evil is don only by evil men.’ And so I will not harm you.” In these words that David spoke, one can see the obedience to God, the acknowledgment to God’s sovereign right to give and take away life, and his acceptance of God’s sole authority to judge. Never once does David try to usurp God’s power.
Saul’s response to David’s words must have been borne out of a shock that brought him back, at least temporarily, from his insanity. 1 SAM 24: 16-19, “When David had finished speaking, Saul said, ‘Is that really you, David my son?’ And he started crying. Then he said to David, ‘You are right, and I am wrong. You have been so good to me, while I have done such wrong to you! Today you have shown how good you are to me, because you did not kill me, even though the Lord put me in your power. How often does a man catch his enemy and then let him get away unharmed? The Lord bless you for what you have done to me today!’”
Saul’s words in (20) are very significant, more than I’m sure he ever understood. “Now I am sure that you will be king of Israel and that the kingdom will continue under your rule.” Saul then pleaded with David to spare his descendants and not let his family name be forgotten. David promised that he would (21-22). Afterward, Saul returned home, and David went back to a hiding place with his men. The great lesson of this chapter is the long-range consequences that result from David’s obedience and God’s ability to carry out his will. If we never understood before why Christ was to come from the royal line of David, we can now. Saul’s inadvertently prophetic words in (20) allow us to have faith in God’s ultimate sovereignty, patience, and compassion for mankind. When we read 2 SAM 7: 12-13 and PS 89: 3-4 which are statements of the Davidic covenant, we realize that God will most definitely keep His promises to establish His permanent Kingdom in our future. David could also have no idea of the long-range consequences of his obedience. This raises a question for each of us to answer: How do we know that our personal obedience to God in seemly insignificant situations might not also have huge implications in the carrying our of God’s plan for the salvation of mankind? This question, as yet unanswered, gives us sufficient motivation to turn from our fleshly desires, trusting and obeying the Lord Who loves each of us so much.
PRAYER: O Lord, this chapter of the book of 1 SAM is far from just a narrative of events. In it we see Your love for those who love You, the same love that You inspired Paul to write about in RO 8: 28. When Saul turned from You, he set himself on a course to his own destruction. On the other hand, David’s valiant refusal to give into the desires of his flesh and to kill Saul when he had the chance had huge long-term implications for all of us. Without that kind of obedience, the royal line of David would not have been established, Christ would have not come out of this line, and it is possible that establishing Your Kingdom in our future might have been compromised. Saul’s response when David showed him the piece of cloth cut from his robe is reminiscent of the reaction of Judas after he expressed remorse without repentance after he betrayed Christ [MT 27: 3-5]. We must understand that Your will shall be done, and that Your righteousness demands that unchecked sin lead to negative consequences for the sinner who refuses to repent. Our personal choice not to sin is a gift You gave us when we came to faith. We dedicate ourselves to obeying You both accurately as Your will dictates and in a timely fashion. For all the many blessings you have given us and continue to bring to us as a part of keeping Your covenant agreements, we offer you in humility our worship, adoration, loyalty, diligence, glory, honor, trust, obedience, praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow we will continue looking at more examples of David’s keeping his covenant promises in passing up opportunities to kill Saul. All over this entire story, it is hard to miss the many examples of our Abba’s love for us. He is a clear and present Comfort to us when we have faith in Him. We do not have to go through the challenges our lives, even as severe as the attacks that occurred on 9-11-01 on our country alone. He is there for those who believe to protect and to love each of us unconditionally. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn