1 Samuel 24:1-22 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 24:1-22. As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first. See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
1 Samuel 24:1-4 (NIV)
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.
On verses 1-4: What was the significance of David cutting the corner of Saul’s robe? It showed how easily David could have killed Saul if he wanted to. This grace and mercy David showed Saul foreshadows the grace and mercy God would show us. God could easily have killed us in His wrath, yet in His loving self-control, He withheld and instead laid His wrath upon His own Son Jesus so that we could be forgiven and set free.
Also, the Jewish law required Israelite men to attach tassels to the corner of their robes as a reminder of God’s Word. Just as David cuts off the corner of Saul’s robe (which represented the Word of God) instead of killing Saul himself, one day God would cut off his own Son — Jesus, the Word of God — instead of cutting us off.
There’s another level of meaning to David’s act of cutting off the corner of Saul’s robe. Some scholars say that the corner of an Israelite man’s robe was a symbol of that man’s power, status and authority. Apparently, kings and other rich, powerful men would wear long flowing robes with corners that were especially ornate and expensive. By cutting off the corner of Saul’s robe, David was — as some scholars conclude — making a statement that he was taking away Saul’s power and status. This caused David to be conscience stricken and we’ll see why below.
1 Samuel 24:5-11 (NIV)
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.
9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’?
10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’
11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.
On verses 5-11: Even though Saul was looking to kill David, David refused to lay a hand on Saul. In fact David was “conscience stricken” (that is, he felt guilty) just for cutting of the corner of Saul’s robe. Why was David so conscience stricken? After all, wasn’t Saul trying to kill David? Wasn’t David justified to kill Saul first?
David was conscience stricken for two reasons.
The first reason is because David had great respect for the king — not for Saul as a person, but for the office that Saul held. Because David respected those whom God has anointed and placed over him, David would:
– continue to call Saul by titles like “my master” (v6), “the Lord’s anointed” (v6) and “my lord the king” (v7);
– bow down and prostrate himself before Saul (v8);
– refuse to lay a hand on Saul or even speak a critical word of Saul (v10)
even when Saul was trying to kill David!
What can we learn from this? Part of respecting and honouring God is respecting and honouring the authority figures God places in our lives, even when those authorities are far from perfect.
Perhaps there is a person in your life that the Bible calls you to honour (a parent, a leader, a boss). You might think, “That person is not worthy of my respect and honour”. Yet even if you do not respect that person, you need to respect that person’s office, or their God-given role in your life.
In the U.S. military there is the idea of “saluting the uniform”. That is, you might not respect the person wearing the uniform, but because you respect the office (the role) that the uniform represents, you still treat the person in the uniform with respect and honour.
Remember this: Jesus Christ was the perfect human being. He was God in the flesh. Yet Jesus still submitted to the authority figures God placed in His life, even when they were far less perfect than him. Jesus submitted to his earthly parents Joseph and Mary, who made many mistakes. He even submitted to a corrupt Roman governor in Pontius Pilate. He also submitted to His Father’s will, not because His Father was more perfect than He was, but out of loving submission and respect for His authority. That’s why Jesus would say to His Father, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Because Jesus humbled himself and related to authority with humility and respect, His Father gave Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:5-11). In fact, one of the unsung reasons why other leaders like David, Daniel, Joseph in Genesis, Abigail, and Nehemiah were all exalted is because they submitted to, respected and honoured their God-given authorities.
It goes to show that God watches the way we respond and relate to the authorities He places over us, because how we relate to them reflects how much we trust and honour God. God watches the way you respond to authority and blesses you accordingly.
1 Samuel 24:12-15 (NIV)
12 May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.
13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.
14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
15 May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”
On verses 12-15: There is a second reason why David was conscience stricken when he cut Saul’s robe. It’s because David trusted God as his avenger and defender. As David would say, “may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me” (v12). David knew that God was on his side, that God had his back. When David asks Saul, “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?”, David is basically saying: “Saul, you’re not going to succeed trying to chase me down like a dead dog or a flea. For God is with me. You attacking me is like you attacking God. You’re not going to win.”
Because David trusted God to be His defender and His avenger, there was no need for David to get his own hands dirty or to retaliate sinfully against his enemy.
Likewise, maybe there is someone in your life who has hurt you badly. Your natural inclination may be to want to hurt them back, to sin against them the way they sinned against you. Yet from David’s example, we learn that when we take matters into our own hands and seek revenge, we only feel worse, but when we trust God to be our avenger and defender, we are blessed. As Romans 12:19-21 says:
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Samuel 24:16-22 (NIV)
16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud.
17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.
18 You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me.
19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today.
20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
21 Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”
22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home…
On verses 16-22a: Saul is touched by David’s refusal to lay a hand on him, even when he had an easy opportunity to do so. In a moment of clarity, Saul weeps and refers to David tenderly as “his son” (v16). He praises David for his nobility (v17-19) and even affirms that one day David will be the king (v20). He asks David for mercy and a promise from David that he would not wipe out his family. But unfortunately, as we will see, Saul’s moment of clarity would not last. That’s because, as verse 22 says, “Saul returned home”. I believe this can be interpreted figuratively to mean that Saul not only returned physically to his house, but that Saul returned to his old ways of thinking and feeling.
What can we learn from this? It’s not enough just to have an emotional encounter with God where you see that you have sinned and that you need His forgiveness. Even more, you need to walk in repentance. Repentance is not simply feeling sorry for your sins. It’s agreeing that your old way of living was wrong and taking steps to move in a new, healthier direction. Because Saul simply felt bad and then “returned home”, the hopeful change in Saul would not last. Praise God that He allows us to have emotional encounters with Him so that we can walk in a new way with Him.
1 Samuel 24:22 (NIV)
22 …but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
On verse 22b: After Saul and David seemingly have made amends, David wisely still goes to the stronghold, just in case Saul changes his mind (which he would).
What can we learn from this? Forgiving someone and trusting someone are two different things. God commands us to forgive those who hurt us, but He doesn’t command us to trust everyone who hurts us. Forgiveness is free, but trust is earned. If someone has hurt you, you need to forgive them, but you should consider that person’s character and track record when deciding whether or not to trust that person again.
Thank You, Father, for sparing my life when You could have easily destroyed me in Your wrath. Thank You for Your mercy which I encounter every day. Because You showed me mercy, may I show mercy as well to those who hurt me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
