1 Samuel 24 – (Verses 1 – 7) David couldn’t ask for God to put Saul right into the palm of his hand any better. He chose to use the bathroom in the very cave where they were hiding. Caves in that region are numerous, and many are quite large. I don’t know if all 600 of David’s men were hiding in that one cave, or if perhaps they were in a number of different caves, but Saul, by God’s design, entered the one where David was. No one would blame David if he saw that as his opportunity to get rid of Saul. I honestly don’t know if killing Saul in that situation would be classified as sinful, since it could be seen as self defense. Regardless, David trusted God’s promise that he would be king, and that he wouldn’t have to take matters into his own hands to make it happen. The “prophecy” spoken of by the men in verse 4 is most likely their interpretation of a promise given to David. In their minds, if God was going to make David King he would eventually give Saul into his hand. As more evidence that this was their thinking rather than a clear word of God, David rebuked them for wanting to harm Saul. His respect for “the LORD’s anointed was so great, he would not raise his hand against Saul.
(Verses 8 – 15) The incident gave David the opportunity to prove to Saul that he was not his enemy, as Saul believed. What an impact it must have made on Saul when he saw David come out of the very cave where he had just been (and in a very vulnerable position), with a piece of his robe in his hand. (I think we can assume that Saul took his outer robe off while relieving himself, and that David did not cut it off while it was still on Saul.) Verse 13 encouraged Saul not to judge David by here say or his own imaginings of David’s malicious intent, but to judge David by what he sees David doing. David’s quote of the proverb, “from evil doers come evil deeds” is similar to Jesus’ words, “A good tree bears good fruit…a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17 – 18).”
(Verses 16 – 24) Though Saul felt temporary (and apparently genuine) remorse, it didn’t last long. Yet David, in spite of Saul’s actions, was true to the promise he and Saul agreed to in verses 21 and 22, as we’ll find out in 2 Samuel 9.
1 Samuel 25 – A lengthy note on 1 Samuel 25 from the Concordia Self Study Bible (p. 410), is worth reproducing here:
Nabal, the “fool” (see v. 25), lived near Carmel, where Saul had erected a monument in his own honor (see 15:12) and had committed the act that led to his rejection (see 15:26). The account of Nabal effectively serves the author’s purpose in a number of ways: 1. Nabal’s general character, his disdainful attitude toward David though David had guarded his flocks, and his sudden death at the Lord’s hand all parallel Saul (whose “flock” David had also protected). This allows the author indirectly to characterize Saul as a fool (see 13:13; 26:21) and to foreshadow his end. 2. David’s vengeful attitude toward Nabal displays his natural tendency and highlights his restraint toward Saul, the Lord’s anointed (this event is sandwiched between the two instances in which David spared Saul in spite of the urging of his men). 3. Abigail’s prudent action prevents David from using his power as leader for personal vengeance (the very thing Saul was doing). In this way the LORD (who avenged his servant) keeps David’s sword clean, teaching him a lesson he does not forget. 4. Abigail’s confident acknowledgement of David’s future accession to the throne foreshadows that event and even anticipates the Lord’s commitment to establish David’s house as a “lasting dynasty” (v. 28; compare 2 Samuel 7:11-16). 5. Abigail’s marriage to David provides him with a wise and worthy wife, while Saul gives away David’s wife Michal to another, illustrating how the Lord counters every move Saul makes against David.
1 Samuel 26 – David must have felt as if everyone had turned against him. The Ziphites probably turned him in thinking they were doing the right thing. Who knows what kind of rumors must have been going around about David, some maybe perpetuated by Saul himself?
What David does in this chapter, boldly going into Saul’s camp, seems a little foolhardy, or like the act of someone with great faith. David’s life at this stage really illustrates what it’s like for a person to be so connected to God that they are able and ready to respond to His leadings. Something told David (it could have been the Urim and Thummim – the way of casting lots given by God himself that Abiathar the priest administered) to go down into Saul’s camp, and one of his great fighters, Abishai (we’ll learn more about his exploits later) accompanied him.
Abishai offers to kill Saul in his sleep, but again, David spared his life. It’s interesting that they have this conversation while in the camp. I have to imagine that they’re hiding some distance away from Saul in a place within the camp where they could not be easily heard as the spoke in whispers to each other. (It wouldn’t have mattered, since God had put the whole camp into a deep sleep – v. 12.) Similar to taking the corner of Saul’s robe in chapter 24, this time David took Saul’s spear and water jug as proof that he had been in the camp.
Saul must have been wondering why David was continually able to do this to him – to catch him unawares when he had David so vastly outnumbered. Again, Saul is remorseful and returns home. You can see that God is trying to get Saul’s attention – trying to help him understand that He is with David and is no longer with Saul. Even at this point, if Saul would have seen the light, God would have forgiven him. Though the kingship would not have been restored to his family line, he could have had a good relationship with David for the rest of his life, and more importantly, a good and eternal relationship with God.
1 Samuel 27 – It seems odd that Achish would allow David to live in his realm of Gath, when just back in chapter 21 David had to pretend to be insane to escape from Gath with his life. But, loyalties were fickle in those days, and when Achish heard of strained relations between Saul and David, perhaps he thought he had won a powerful ally in David. And it’s also likely that the LORD made Achish favorably disposed towards David for his protection. I have a feeling that David may have even achieved legendary status among the Philistines, especially Gath, defeating the champion of their own city when he was seemingly so overmatched, and winning victory after victory over a variety of enemies. They probably thought there was no beating him, so they might as well join him, or at least welcome him when he joined them.
David fed Achish’s false understanding by telling him he had gone raiding against his own people, when in fact he had gone raiding against the Geshurites, Girzites and Amalekites. (In this way, Achish began to think that there would be no going back for David, and that David would be his ally for life.) We know about the Geshurites and Amalekites from elsewhere in the Old Testament. These were nations set aside by God for destruction, as they had continually and stubbornly rejected him and gone their own way. Nowhere else in the Old Testament are the Girzites mentioned. It’s likely that these were a smaller sub-group of one of those other two.
1 Samuel 28 – It was time for David to prove his loyalty to Achish. He was going out to raid Israel and insisted that David and his men fight along side him. David’s response is intentionally vague. “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.” What indeed would David had done had he been compelled to march out with the Philistines. Thankfully, he would never have to find out, as other Philistine disagreed with Achish. Ultimately David was sent away.
The approaching Philistine army frightened Saul. He inquire of the Lord in every way he knew, but the LORD did not answer. Saul still didn’t understand that that following the LORD meant a daily dedication to Him, not just when it’s convenient or when in need.
The whole episode with the medium is mysterious. There are two main possibilities regarding what happened there. 1. God allowed the spirit of Samuel to be called up by the medium. 2. An evil spirit disguised as Samuel appeared, deceiving both the medium and Saul. Either way, this account shows that God can use whatever situation he wants to get his word across, as he did to Saul here.
1 Samuel 29 – Fortunately for David, the other Philistine commanders objected to him being in the Philistine army, and wisely so. What they had said was very true. When Achish sent David away, David appears to be disappointed. Most Bible commentators assume that he is only pretending to continue his strategy of deception, and that is most likely true. It seems hard to believe that David would use this opportunity to take Saul’s life and battle (when he had refused to take his life twice already) and fight against his friend Jonathan. One of David’s statements is again ambiguous. “Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
If David would have gone into battle with the Philistines and then turned on Achish and his men in the heat of battle, it appears David would have had a moral dilemma. Here’s a man who trusted him (Achish), and David would turn on him? But remember, the Philistines were the Israelites bitter enemies. David might have thought of his role as spy and infiltrator, to take the Philistines unawares.
1 Samuel 30 – If Saul had completely destroyed the Amalekites as God had commanded him through Samuel, none of the events in the next chapter would have happened. Seeing their opportunity when the Philistines marched off into battle, Amalekite raiders attacked the Philistine towns and Ziklag, where David had been living. Probably by the protection of God, they had not killed any of David’s men’s wives or children. David’s men were so upset, they talked about stoning him. The end of verse six is significant: “David found strength in the LORD his God.”
As usual, the first thing David did was inquire of the LORD what he should do, and unlike Saul, David received an answer. God lead them to victory and they were able to recover all that they had lost.
Some might say the Amalekites were more humane than God’s people the Israelites, because when David conducted raids, he left none alive. In God’s eyes, humane actions are important, but obedient actions to God are an even higher ideal. The nations David destroyed were by the will of God, and the fact that these same nations didn’t kill his men’s wives and children was also by the will of God.
1 Samuel 31 – Saul and his sons come to bitter end at the hands of the Philistines. Jonathan, who had proven so valiant and unbeatable at other times, died when the Philistines “pressed hard after” them, presumably meaning that they were hopelessly outnumbered. This served God’s will in two ways. Jonathan, the faithful one of Saul’s sons, would be in God’s house forever, and no heir of Saul would be left for the people to make king instead of David.
When Saul had been wounded beyond hope of recovery, he took his own life so that he wouldn’t be tortured by the Philistines. What if a Christian were in a similar circumstance – facing torture as a prisoner of war, for example? Would it be against God’s will to take one’s own life in such a situation? I don’t think a blanket statement can be made to cover ever situation. On the one hand, with the LORD there is always hope, and those who have survived torture and have been rescued are thankful that they are still alive today. On the other hand, I wouldn’t question a Christian’s faith if they were in a seemingly hopeless situation, as Saul was, and took their own lives to avoid further abuse and suffering at the hands of their enemies. Such a “suicide” is not as much taking one’s own life as much as hastening what appears to be inevitable.
When the Philistines came upon Saul’s body, they made a show of it in the customary way of the heathen nations, stripping it naked and cutting off his head, impaling it on the wall of Beth Shan. Valiant men from Jabesh Gilead, remembering Saul’s kindness to them (see chapter 11) came and managed to take back the bodies. They came under cover of darkness apparently, and were able to do it with hopefully minor casualties. They burned Saul’s body, which was not customary for the Israelites, but maybe to prevent any future abuse at the hands of the Philistines. That no disrespect is intended by the burning is clear, as his body was only partially burned. The more hardy bones, which burn at higher temperatures, were left in tact for burial. And so ends the era of Saul, the first king of Israel, a complicated figure who on occasions acted with great nobility and faith, but was overcome by his own demons. |
