Saul in the hands of David

Hello:

In our text today, we pick up from the story where Saul stops pursuing David because Israel was under attack from the Philistines.  In our lesson today, the tables are turned and Saul falls in the hands of David.

Let’s look at the story:

I Samuel 24:1 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. 3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way. 8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

This is a famous account in the life of David.   Most people are familiar with this account.  Saul sets out to begin his journey of pursuing David again when he enters a cave to use the bathroom.   While he is there, David gets so close to him that he is able to cut a piece of garment.

David’s men are so excited because they feel that the Lord has given David his enemy into his hands and they want David to kill Saul.  Something so fascinating happens in the text.  David gets convicted that he even cuts a piece of his garment and tells his men that Saul is still God’s anointed and that he can not raise his hand to kill him. 

David actually calls out to Saul and bows before him and acknowledges him as king not as his enemy.  How powerful is that.   David was an amazing man and had such a heart and discernment for the things of God.   David has every right to end this madness, kill the man that is hunting him, and ordered all the priests killed and has attempted murder on him on several accounts.   People would have considered him justified in his actions but David felt that it was not the will of God for him to kill Saul seeing that he is still the man that God has in the position of the kingship though David had been identified by the prophet Samuel as the next king. 

WOW!!!!!!!!!  That’s pretty powerful.  David knew that God had not released Saul from the throne yet and though he would be Israel’s next King, David did absolutely nothing to ensure that he put himself in that position.    I love this passage.  It shows us that we don’t have to help God.   When it is our season to go forth and come into our destiny, then God will do it and prepare the way and move others out of the way if necessary.

It is all in the hands of God.  Our job is to be faithful where we are currently planted and be our best no matter what we are doing in life and God will honor our faithfulness and will cause all things to manifest in its season.

Tomorrow, we will see what David says to Saul after he has bowed down in reverence and respect to him.

 Be encouraged!

God Bless!!!!!!!

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

This entry was posted on 18. August 2009 at 01:58 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.