Trivial

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. 1 Samuel 24:5-7

Here's what struck me the first off; David feared the Lord more than anyone or anything else.

David feared the Lord more than his own life.

David feared the Lord more than Saul.

David feared the Lord more than saving his men.

David feared the Lord more than getting revenge.

Then I realized the turmoil that was going on in David. Now, he spared Saul's life, but what he did wasn't trivial. The robe was a sign of the king and David "vandalized" it. It would be kind of like us going into the Oval Office and spray painting the Presidential Seal; it was an act of defiance.

In essence it was act of defiance against God. He raised his hand against God, because God was the one who made Saul king and it was God who would remove him.

That's why David was conscience-stricken I believe, his act was against God, and now he's realizes that.

Isn't that the way Satan works, he gets us to do the "little things" that seem like they are no big deal or even morally right at the time. David had the right to take out Saul, to save the lives of 600 men and he chose only to cut off a corner of the robe, hooray for David, he's so godly!

Wrong! David now realizes this. I think he gets angry with himself, here's why I think this, look at his reaction to his men. He rebukes his men; the literal translation would be he "tore them apart". He knows what He did was against God, even if it was a small thing and he lashes out of them, he knew better.

Are we conscience-stricken over the "little things" we do that go against God's will?

Or do we tend to think it's no big deal, or maybe worse we don't even think about it at all.

David didn't and I think that is when David feared the Lord the most in this passage.

Heart Check

Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe. 1 Samuel 24:4b

Remember "as you wish"? David did as he wished.

What would be going on in a man's heart not to take out his` enemy?

Well, David was a man after God's own heart, right?

Is your heart more in love with God and his ways, or is it more in love with self?

Let's do a heart check; test your heart as you read these verses.

38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

 43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor^[b] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies^[c] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt 5:38-48

 

26Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
      for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Love for Enemies

 27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

 32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

 37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:26-38

God may have brought Saul into David's hands as a test. God may have been testing David to see if he would be overcome with hatred and bitterness.

Are you passing the test?

God might have been training David to develop a heart of forgiveness and love, like that of Jesus.

Do you see your enemy as an opportunity to be trained?

Maybe you should view them as a treadmill for your soul, kind of like cardio for your character. Yeah, it's not fun, but it's good for you!

Here's our workout plan:

19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"^[d]says the Lord. 20On 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."^[e]
21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:19-21

If we take out our enemy we are conquered by evil, but if we obey God's commands we conquer evil with good.

What kind of shape is your heart in?

He’s all yours

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 ^[a] to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.' "1 Samuel 24:3-4

Ok, you've been running for your life and everywhere you turn there is Saul or his men trying to kill you. You are outnumbered 5 to 1, running for your life in the wilderness, the army is approaching quickly; do you stand and fight or do you take cover?

You spot a cave and all 600 of you crawl in. You hear them coming…shh, don't give it away! You move further back in the cave. Can you imagine how fast your heart is racing?

Shh, someone's coming!

Are you kidding? It's Saul!

His eyes haven't adjusted to the lack of light in the cave; he doesn't see you, yet.

What's he doing? Taking a leak, you've got to be kidding…is this a bad movie?

Think how your emotions change, the fear is leaving and the anger and rage are growing. Stupid Saul, the one who is trying to kill you walks
into your hands!

The men remind you of the prophecy "God told you He would put your enemy in your hand"; God is good!

Can't you see it; guys rubbing their hands together in anticipation, the smirks on their mouths, the nodding of heads, this is the moment.

What would you do?

Maybe you've had that kind of opportunity before.

Did you take out your enemy?

Did you take advantage of the situation, I mean come on, don't you have the right?

David did…he was to be king…Saul had attempted murder 6 times…he was evil…come on David, take him out!

David, he's yours, deal with him as you wish.

Not again

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. 1 Samuel 24:1-2

Saul just won't leave it alone!

Have you ever had something you just couldn't shake and it seems to get worse?

Think of David, how many times has Saul come after him. This time he's brought 3,000! David's outnumbered 5 to 1!

How many times does David have to be delivered from insurmountable odds?

This is less about David and more about you and me. When the attacks keep coming and it looks like another "no-win" situation, be reminded of how many David faced and how God delivered on His promises.

5 to 1 is nothing for God, are you living with that kind of confidence?

Nick of time

19 The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king."

 21 Saul replied, "The LORD bless you for your concern for me. 22 Go and make further preparation. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. 23 Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah."

 24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

 26 Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land." 28 Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth. ^[b]
29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi. 1 Samuel 23:19-29

Have you ever been in a place where God has to come through or you are doomed?

David was, he was surrounded and Saul was closing in. But, in the "nick of time" God used the unlikely, the Philistines, to deliver David from the hands of Saul.

Take some time to read through Psalm 107 and call out to him if it looks desperate for you. Or maybe you just need to thank God for he is your deliverer who came and will continue to come in the "nick of time".

1-3 Oh, thank God—he's so good! His love never runs out.
   All of you set free by God, tell the world!
      Tell how he freed you from oppression,
   Then rounded you up from all over the place,
      from the four winds, from the seven seas.

 4-9 Some of you wandered for years in the desert,
      looking but not finding a good place to live,
   Half-starved and parched with thirst,
      staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.
   Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.
      He got you out in the nick of time;
   He put your feet on a wonderful road
      that took you straight to a good place to live.
   So thank God for his marvelous love,
      for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
   He poured great draughts of water down parched throats;
      the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.

 10-16 Some of you were locked in a dark cell,
      cruelly confined behind bars,
   Punished for defying God's Word,
      for turning your back on the High God's counsel—
   A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy,
      and not a soul in sight to help.
   Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
      he got you out in the nick of time.
   He led you out of your dark, dark cell,
      broke open the jail and led you out.
   So thank God for his marvelous love,
      for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
   He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors,
      he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!

 17-22 Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,
      your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
   You couldn't stand the sight of food,
      so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.
   Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
      he got you out in the nick of time.
   He spoke the word that healed you,
      that pulled you back from the brink of death.
   So thank God for his marvelous love,
      for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
   Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
      tell the world what he's done—sing it out!

 23-32 Some of you set sail in big ships;
      you put to sea to do business in faraway ports.
   Out at sea you saw God in action,
      saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean:
   With a word he called up the wind—
      an ocean storm, towering waves!
   You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out;
      your hearts were stuck in your throats.
   You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk,
      you didn't know which end was up.
   Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
      he got you out in the nick of time.
   He quieted the wind down to a whisper,
      put a muzzle on all the big waves.
   And you were so glad when the storm died down,
      and he led you safely back to harbor.
   So thank God for his marvelous love,
      for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
   Lift high your praises when the people assemble,
      shout Hallelujah when the elders meet!

 33-41 God turned rivers into wasteland,
      springs of water into sunbaked mud;
   Luscious orchards became alkali flats
      because of the evil of the people who lived there.
   Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water,
      arid earth into springs of water,
   Brought in the hungry and settled them there;
      they moved in—what a great place to live!
   They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards,
      they reaped a bountiful harvest.
   He blessed them and they prospered greatly;
      their herds of cattle never decreased.
   But abuse and evil and trouble declined
      as he heaped scorn on princes and sent them away.
   He gave the poor a safe place to live,
      treated their clans like well-cared-for sheep.

 42-43 Good people see this and are glad;
      bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks.
   If you are really wise, you'll think this over—
      it's time you appreciated God's deep love. Psalm 107    

Went home?

18 The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh. 1 Samuel 23:18

This particular verse has meant
so much to me over the past year. Here's why.

I have some of those covenant relationships in my life. But, I was beginning to doubt whether I was upholding my end of the covenants. It's been almost two years ago that I got the call in my life to leave the church I loved, the one that God used to change my life, to physically leave the people that I walked with.

As I pursued the call
of God in my life and moved to Tallahassee, I watched as my friends faced persecution, lost their jobs, got involved in major accidents and the church I love split. I carried an incredible burden that I should be there with them in those crises.

But notice the verse above, Jonathan went home. Why? Wasn't he the one who made three eternal covenants with David? Why not stand and fight with him? Why leave?

Then it hit me. If I am a man of faith, then my faith tells me that there is a battle going on that is much bigger than me.

12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12

How do I fight in a battle like that?

13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Eph 6:13-18

This was a spiritual battle and all Jonathan could do was go back and pray for both David and his father.

My greatest weapon in this battle, the thing I can do best, is prayer, which I have done every day since I left.

Stand

17 "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." 1 Samuel 23:17

Fear causes you to forget who God is and His promises.

David forgot the promises of God and became afraid. What are you forgetting?

We need friends to point us to Christ, to push us to depend on God and not them.

Yesterday I wrote about Jonathan strengthening David's hand in God. He did it by reminding him of a promise that God had made and of his destiny.

He reminds David that he will be king after Saul.

Who does that for you?

How'd he know
that David would be king over Israel?

They were deep friends and so it is hard to imagine that David had not told Jonathan about the time when the prophet Samuel had anointed David as a boy to be king over Israel.

Do you have someone in your life that you share the secret stuff with? Someone who is safe enough to share the "crazy" things with? Think about it, how crazy would it be for the shepherd boy to say to the heir of the throne, "Samuel said I would be king." David trusted Jonathan enough to share everything.

"And I will stand with you."

Really? He intends to stand by David, a throne that should have belonged to Jonathan. What a picture of selfless, personal sacrifice; Jonathan is not jealous of David.

Who will you stand with?