On the Run, Again!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
David continues to wander in the wilderness of Israel. He continues to be accompanied his ragtag army of 600 men.
David moved back into the desert of Ziph. If you have your Bibles I want to encourage you to turn with me to 1 Samuel 26 and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.
The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?”
The men of Ziph go to Saul again, at Gibeah.
They tell Saul that David is hiding back on the hill of Hakilah.
This is apparently enough information to get Saul to forget the last promise he made to David back in chapter 24.
Saul On the Move
Saul On the Move
So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand select Israelite troops, to search there for David.
Saul marches to the Desert of Ziph.
He has his elite, hand selected men.
And there is 3,000 men.
Saul is there to search for David.
Once again, Saul and his army out number David and his men 5 to one. So Saul and his forces are not easy to hide. Look at verse 3.
Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul had followed him there,
Saul and his men camp along the road that traversed the hill of Hakilah, with the camp facing Jeshimon.
David on the other hand remained out in the wilderness-out in the desert of Ziph.
David’s Response
David’s Response
But David wants to know what’s going on. Look at verse 4.
he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.
So David sends out scouts.
Their assignment is to know for sure Saul had actually arrived in Ziph.
David’s Plan
David’s Plan
So David comes up with a plan!
Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him.
David goes to spy out Saul’s camp.
He saw where both Saul and Abner (the commander of Saul’s army) were sleeping.
So the layout of the camp was simply. Saul and Abner (and any other high ranking officials) would sleep in the center of the camp, while all of the men would be camped around them. Thus they thought no one could get close enough to the king to harm him.
Now, we’re going to find out David’s plan.
David then asked Ahimelek the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?” “I’ll go with you,” said Abishai.
He has two men with him: Ahimelek the Hittite, and Abishai the son of Zeruiah (who was Joab’s brother).
David asks which one of them will go with him down into the camp of Saul.
And Abishai says he will go!
So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.
So David and Abishai sneak into Saul’s camp.
They get right up to where Saul and Abner are sleeping.
And all the soldiers are lying around them sleeping.
Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”
Abishai tells David that God has giving him a second chance to kill Saul. All he has to do is take Saul’s spear and pin him to the ground. After all there is no way he can miss!
But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?
STOP—this is David’s response to the thought of killing Saul!
Who can kill Yahweh’s anointed and remain free from guilt? Answer, No One!
As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.
The Lord—Yahweh—Himself will:
—Strike Saul down,
—Or he’ll die naturally,
—Or he will die in battle
But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”
But David is not going to kill Saul himself!
Instead they are going to grab his spear, and the jug of water that are right beside Saul’s head, and then leave the camp!
So David took the spear and water jug near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.
And that’s exactly what they do!
—David grabs Saul spear
—And they grab the water jug
—And the two of them leave
No one in Saul’s camp saw ANYTHING!
No one in Saul’s camp knew about their little “raid.”
We are told that the reason David could do this was because the Lord had put the entire army into a deep sleep!
David’s Surprise
David’s Surprise
Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them.
So David crosses back over to the other side, and stood on top of the hill.
There is a good deal of distance between where David is now standing and where Saul is sleeping.
He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?” Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?”
David yells across the valley! And he kind of taunts Abner.
“Hey Abner!” Abner! Hey Abner, aren’t you going to answer me? I’m calling you, Abner!
David is calling to Abner, because he was the one who was in charge of protecting the King. It was David—Not Abner—that protected the king from an enemy—Abishai.
Abner calls back, asking who it is that is addressing the King.
David said, “You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king.
First question—Abner, you are a great man, right?
Second question—Abner, there is no one more mighty than you, right?
Third question—Then Abner, why weren’t you the one who protected the king when someone came to kill him?
What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men must die, because you did not guard your master, the Lord’s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”
Abner, you messed up!
In fact, you messed up so badly that both you and your men deserve to die!
Because you failed to guard and protect the king when someone came to kill him!
Now here’s the proof!
Where is the king’s spear—David asks this while Abishai is holding the spear in his hand.
Where is the water jug—again Abishai holds up the king’s water jug.
Abner, weren’t both of these laying at by the king’s head?
At this point Saul enters into the conversation. Look at verse 17.
Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, David my son?” David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.”
Saul recognizes David’s voice but still asks, “David is that you, my son?”
I love David’s answer, “Yes it is, my lord king.” David still shows respect to Saul’s position.
And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of?
Saul, why are you chasing me? I serve you!
What have I done?
What am I guilty of?
The obvious answer is that David has done nothing against Saul!
Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
David pleads with Saul to listen to him.
David says that if Yahweh has caused Saul to pursue him—then he prays that Yahweh will accept David’s offering.
However, if the people—specifically the men of Ziph, because this is the second time they incited Saul to pursue David (ch 23)—may they be cursed by Yahweh!
They deserve God’s punishment because:
—They have driven me from my home.
—They have said that I should go worship other gods, pagan gods.
Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
I don’t want to die far from the presence of Yahweh.
Why does the king of Isreal chase after someone so insignificant as me.
Why does the king hunt me like I’m a partridge hiding in the mountains?
Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.”
Saul’s Response
Saul’s Response
Saul confession—“I have sinned”
Saul’s request—“Come home”
Saul’s promise— “I will not try to harm you again” He said this because David spared his life!
Saul’s admission—“I have acted like a fool, and have been terribly wrong”
David’s Reply
David’s Reply
“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it.
“Here’s your spear, send one of your young soldiers over to get it.”
The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.
David’s trust in the Lord!
Yahweh rewards each person for their righteousness and faithfulness! This is a lesson that we need to learn today. That’s why I made it our Memory Verse for this week. David understood that it is God that keeps the record books. It wasn’t up to David to make it all happen. He wasn’t supposed to grab the kingdom away from Saul—but rather he was to trust God to place it into his hands when God was ready to do so!
David admits to Saul that he could have taken the kingdom from him, by killing him, but he refused to do any harm to the man God anointed king of Israel.
David’s prayer!
As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”
May Yahweh value my life like I valued your life!
And may Yahweh deliver David from all trouble!
Saul’s Blessing
Saul’s Blessing
Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.
May Yahweh bless David.
May Yahweh allow David to do great things.
May Yahweh give David victory.
Then David went back into the wilderness. And Saul returned back to Gibeah.
So What?
So What?
1. First thing we need to learn is that God keeps the record books. God keeps track of everyone’s offenses.
One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”
2. The second thing we need to learn is that God takes care of those who trust in Him! Like David, we don’t need to take matters into our own hands! Remember our Memory Verse?
The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.
The opposite is also true—the Lord can take down the unrighteous, and unfaithful.
3. Thirdly, God’s plan happens in God’s timing! Look again at verse 10.
As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.
Still it is not up to us to take matters into our own hands and mke things happen in our timing!
So the question this morning is simple. Can you trust God to protect your reputation? Can you trust in His timing to fulfill His purposes?
