Chronology of David

Willmington's Complete Guide to Bible Knowledge: OT People (Chronological Summary > David)

3. The kindness to Saul—On two separate occasions David spared the life of his mortal enemy Saul.

a. The episode in a cave (1 Sam. 24:1–22)

1. The restraint (24:1–7)

a. David established his headquarters in a cave near the Dead Sea in the wilderness of Engedi.

b. Upon learning that David was in that area, Saul led an army of 3,000 chosen men to capture him.

c. Totally unaware, Saul entered David’s cave to relieve himself.

d. David refused to grant his men’s request to kill Saul, but he secretly cut off a corner of the king’s robe.

e. Afterward, however, David’s heart “smote him” because he had shown disrespect toward the king.

2. The reprimand (24:8–15)

a. After Saul had left the cave, David called out to him.

b. He pointed out how easily he could have slain the king, showing Saul the piece that had been cut from his robe.

c. He then demanded to know why Saul was trying to kill him, for he was innocent of any wrongdoing or rebellion.

3. The remorse (1 Sam. 24:16–22)—“It came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept” (1 Sam. 24:16).

a. Saul acknowledged David’s righteousness in not killing him when he could have done so.

b. He said he knew David would soon become king over Israel.

c. Saul asked for and received David’s promise that he would not cut off his descendants or wipe out his name when he did become king.

b. The episode on a hill (1 Sam. 26:1–25)

1. David and Abishai—the courage involved (26:1–12)

a. Saul once again led an army of 3,000 chosen troops against David, hoping to capture him in the southeast part of the Judean desert.

b. Spotting the king first, David and Abishai secretly entered his camp one night and removed from the sleeping monarch his water jug and spear.

c. Again David refused to kill Saul.

d. God had caused the army to sleep deeply.

2. David and Abner—the contempt involved (26:13–16)

a. From a nearby hill David cried out and made his presence known.

b. He then heaped contempt upon Saul’s general, Abner, who had slept through everything. “David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster” (1 Sam. 26:15–16).

3. David and Saul—the confession involved (26:17–25)

a. Saul tried to reestablish his friendship with David. “Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?… Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly” (1 Sam. 26:17–18, 21).

b. David wisely decided to go his way with his men.

B. David, the sidetracked (1 Sam. 27:1–28:2; 29:1–30:31; 2 Sam. 1:1–27)

1. His backsliding—“David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand” (1 Sam. 27:1).

a. Thus, in time of discouragement, David and his 600 men, for fear of Saul, left Judah and settled in the Philistine city of Ziklag, given to David by Achish the king. Here he would live for 16 months (1 Sam. 27:1–7).

b. During this time David went out and raided many Canaanite cities, but deceived Achish into believing they were Israelite settlements (1 Sam. 27:8–12).

c. After awhile, King Achish prepared to do battle with Israel and requested that David and his men assist in the attack (1 Sam. 28:1–2).

d. Just before the battle, however, the Philistine military commanders, over the objections of Achish, refused to allow David to join their attack, fearing he would betray them (1 Sam. 29:1–11).

2. His bravery (1 Sam. 30:1–31)

a. Upon returning to Ziklag, David learned the Amalekites had attacked and burned the city and carried away into slavery all the wives and families of both David and his men.

b. David’s men, for some unrecorded reason, blamed him for their misfortune and threatened to stone him. “David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Sam. 30:6).

c. God commanded David to pursue the Amalekites, assuring his servant of total victory.

d. The Lord kept his promise, and David utterly routed the enemy (1 Sam. 30:9–20).

1. A captured slave agreed to lead David to the location of the Amalekite camp.

2. Finding them drinking and reveling over the destruction of Ziklag, David fell upon them, killing all but some young men who rode off on camels and escaped.

3. He then recovered all that the enemy had taken, including every single hostage.

e. For some reason 200 of David’s 600 soldiers were too exhausted to fight and were placed in charge of the supplies as the remaining 400 rode into battle (30:21).

f. Following the victory, the 400 soldiers did not want to share the spoils of war with the 200 men.

g. David, however, overruled this objection: “Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day” (1 Sam. 30:23–25).

h. David later sent some of the war plunder to his friends who were elders in Judah (1 Sam. 30:26–31).