In the middle of barren desert, scouts could easily detect approaching troops. 2. Striking at God – 1 Samuel 22:6-23 (Saul kills the priests of Nob) Find Strength in God – 1 Samuel 23:1-29 (Keilah, Ziph and Maon) Returning Good for Evil – 1 Samuel 24:1-22 (David spares Saul) The Wise, the Rash and the Fool – 1 Samuel 25:1-44 (Abigail, David and Nabal) Leave It Up to God – 1 Samuel 26:1-25 (David spares Saul again) In that day, when one royal house replaced another it was common for the new royal house to kill all the potential rulers from the old royal house. is in vogue among some Christians and among many leaders. I know indeed that you shall surely be king, : Saul knew it all along (1 Samuel 23:17) but now he, Therefore swear to me know by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Many times, a person repents and claims to recognize their sinful ways just like Saul did. It was an opportunity given to David to exercise faith and patience. “Jonathan” was the eldest son of Saul, the first king of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin. But the overruling providence of God frustrated all his vigilance. To be human is to have enemies. So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there, a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. The First Book of Samuel, Otherwise Called the First Book of the Kings Commentary by ROBERT JAMIESON CHAPTER 24 1Sa 24:1-7.DAVID IN A CAVE AT ENGEDI CUTS OFF SAUL'S SKIRT, BUT SPARES HIS LIFE. Even more, we need to be like Jesus, who didn’t take Satan’s offer to “win back the world” at the expense of obedience (Luke 4:5-8). But when David recognized that Saul was the LORD’s anointed and refused to harm him, what David would not do is kill Saul. And he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he, the anointed of the LORD.” So David restrained his servants with, words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. Is this your voice, my son David: Saul responded so emotionally because Saul lived on the delusion that David was out to get him, and David’s refusal to kill Saul when he had the chance proved beyond doubt that this was false. Apparently, on some previous occasion God promised David, “, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you. #In Hebrew texts 24:1-22 is numbered 24:22-23. He owned the justice of what David said, acknowledged his own guilt, and begged kindness to his house. But it was absolutely God’s business to accomplish that and it was the business of no one else. 1 Samuel 24:1-15 Faith Waits on God; 1 Samuel 24:16-22 Can Others Trust You? What is the use of saying, ‘I have played the fool,’ if he goes on playing the fool? a. he also showed great trust in God, because he made himself completely vulnerable to Saul. Emotion that does not lead to action only leads deeper into sin and rebellion.” (Redpath), © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . But even as he does he will show mercy and kindness to Saul. The wilderness of En-gedi. A Time to Kill, or Not (1 Samuel 24:1-22) 22. 24 [] After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi. David decided to spare Saul because he knew that God’s promise said, “You will inherit the throne of Israel.” He knew that Saul was in the way of that promise. Whom do you pursue? For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? David also arose . Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. This is, . David Saves the City of Keilah. John Trapp Complete Commentary. But the validity of repentance and a changed heart isn’t demonstrated by the emotion or sincerity of a moment. God will fulfill His promises, but He will do it His way, and do it righteously. 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! But David wouldn’t do that, and he restrained his servants. Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, “Take note! . : Since the Bible is a real book, dealing with real people living real lives, we aren’t surprised to see it describe Saul’s attention to his personal needs. He did humbly confront Saul with his sin, hoping Saul would change his heart. Rocks— Which the wild goats used to delight in and climb over. In this chapter David had a fair opportunity to destroy Saul, and, to his honour, he did not make use of it; and his sparing Saul's life was as great an instance of God's grace in him as the preserving of his own life was of God's providence over him. HE URGES THEREBY HIS INNOCENCY. When Saul Slings His Spear, Jonathan Gets the Point (1 Samuel 20:1-42) 18. Therefore swear now to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.” So David swore to Saul. That is the only permanent victory we will find. (1 Samuel 24:1). David would let God plead his case and be his judge. But even when we have victory and they are sent away, they come back, and will keep coming back until we go to glory with the LORD. 2 Once Saul was back from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, 'David is now in the desert of En-Gedi.' Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. The fact that Saul went in to attend to his needs also meant that he went into the cave alone. Often to them it means: “You should never speak against a pastor or a leader. Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. The Living Bible gives a good sense of 1 Samuel 24:12: Perhaps the Lord will kill you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. In all this, we see that David knew not only how to wait, the Lord by prayer and supplication, looking for the indication of his will; we wait, the Lord by patience and submission, looking for the interposition of his hand.” (Meyer) David was determined that when he sat on the throne of Israel it wouldn’t be because. b. Some might have said, “David, lay it on the line! i. Saul must attend to his personal needs at the very moment he passes by the very cave where David hides. Yet you hunt my life to take it. b. David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe: We can imagine David listening to this counsel from his men and with his sword creeping quickly towards Saul, covered by the darkness of the cave. He seems to have been naturally susceptible of strong, and, as in this instance, of good and grateful impressions. David Spares Saul’s Life. iv. (16-19) Saul honors David’s mercy towards him. A list of the best commentaries on 1/2 Samuel ranked by scholars, journal reviews, and site users. 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. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Every change David could have hoped for in Saul has happened, and Saul really seemed sincere about it (Saul lifted up his voice and wept). 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. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The expostulation of David, followed by the visible tokens he furnished of his cherishing no evil design against either the person or the government of the king, even when he had the monarch in his power, smote the heart of Saul in a moment and disarmed him of his fell purpose of revenge. 1 Samuel 24:1. Ver. : David took a big chance here, because he could simply remain in hiding, secure in the fact that Saul had not found him. But he told not his father." got Saul out of the way. c. David’s heart troubled him: This is a remarkably tender conscience in David. David wanted the promise to be fulfilled but he refused to try and fulfill God’s promise through his own disobedience. One Step Forward and Two Backward (1 Samuel 27:1-28:2) 25. And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Now, when David confronts Saul with the torn robe, Saul. David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.” A Bible Study in EasyEnglish (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of 1 Samuel. .” David knew better than anyone that Saul was a troubled and corrupt leader, yet it was in God’s power to take him away and David wouldn’t do what was only the LORD’s to do. to seek David . i. 1 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. Anne Lamotte said "You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." “What a miserable picture Saul is! Chapter 24 We have hitherto had Saul seeking an opportunity to destroy David, and, to his shame, he could never find it. The men of David said to him: David’s men were excited at the opportunity and believed it was a gift from God. He had a promise of the kingdom, but no command to slay the king. : David used this proverb to make a point. Saul could have killed him very easily at that moment, but David trusted that if he did what was right before God then God would protect him and fulfill the promise. As David showed Saul the corner of his robe, Saul must have heard the Spirit of God speaking loudly in his heart. Introduction. During this time Saul and his men fell asleep hard and David’s men caught him and they desired David to kill him. Instead, we need to be like Abraham, who obeyed God even when it seemed to be at the expense of God’s promise, willing to sacrifice the son of promise (Genesis 22). David steadily opposed the urgent instigations of his followers to put an end to his and their troubles by the death of their persecutor (a revengeful heart would have followed their advice, but David rather wished to overcome evil with good, and heap coals of fire upon his head); he, however, cut off a fragment from the skirt of the royal robe. Sidlow Baxter - In the Hebrew manuscripts, 1 and 2 Samuel form but one book, as also do 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles. You can also change some of your preferences. . He is above your criticism or rebuke, so just keep quiet.” Sometimes it is used even to prevent a Biblical evaluation of teaching. Apparently, on some previous occasion God promised David, “Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.” They believed that this was the fulfillment of the promise and that David needed to seize the promise by faith and by the sword. David didn’t just say, “. . Saul . But when David recognized that Saul was, and refused to harm him, what David would not do is, Saul. 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 2. Many men in the same situation, would say, “Well, I won’t kill Saul now, but if one of my servants does, what can I do?” and therefore leave the door wide open for Saul to be killed.