NBBC SS: 1 Samuel 26-27

Introduction:

1 Samuel 26 “1 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?” 2 So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having with him three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, beside the road, and David was staying in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, 4 David sent out spies, and he knew that Saul was definitely coming.

Does this not shock us here?

Didn’t Saul and David make peace back in 1 Samuel 24?

Didn’t Saul learn his lesson from that interaction where David had the opportunity to kill Saul when the latter was pursuing David?

Brothers and sisters, I believe that we’re meant to ask these questions as we approach the passage this morning.

Doing this before nearly cost Saul his life.

Therefore, we expect that same to result from this encounter.

In answering “why?,” the passage will go on to explain this to us.

Thus, we need to keep reading in order to understand why would Saul, to his own peril, continue pursuing David when he told David in 1 Samuel 24 that he wouldn’t harm him.

5 David then arose and came to the place where Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp, and the people were camped around him. 6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” 7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”

Take a look at Abishai.

This guy is dependable, otherwise David would not have singled out he and Ahimelech for this task.

This guy is brave, otherwise he wouldn’t volunteered to go with David.

This guy is family, David’s nephew through his sister Zeruiah.

This guy is loyal to David when others are expressing loyalty to Saul (i.e. the Ziphites).

This guy is confident, believing for certain that the Lord has delivered Saul up to death by his own hand.

How did Abishai come to this conclusion?

By his own reasoning based on his circumstances.

This sounds just like what David’s men said to him in 1 Samuel 24:4 concerning similar circumstances.

Unfortunately, Abishai did not apparently learn from the previous encounter between David and Saul.

What does Scripture teach us about relying on our reason, or “our own understanding?”

We’re warned against it in Proverbs 3:5.

It can prove destructive, even fatal in Proverbs 14:12 (cf. Pr 16:25).

It’s foolish (Pr 12:15; 28:26).

Ultimately, brothers and sisters, it’s foolish to rely on our reason on account of two realities.

Our sinfulness that taints our reason.

And the Lord’s wisdom that He readily makes available to us (cf. James 1:5).

Brothers and sisters, this is why we cannot determine what we should do based on circumstances alone.

Applying our reason influenced by sin to trying to figure out what we should do in response to circumstances can be destructive.

Even in the moment, let us posture our hearts to seek the Lord Who is full of wisdom that He willingly and readily makes available to those who seek Him.

9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be without guilt?” 10 David also said, “As the Lord lives, surely the Lord will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 “The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go.” 12 So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a sound sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

Thankfully, rather than acting on his reason, Abishai heeds David’s word.

Rather than acting impetuously based on reason, David acts on principle here (Wiersbe).

What’s the principle here that David lives by?

God will justly render to each person according to their actions.

Specifically, as he reasoned in 1 Samuel 24, killing God’s anointed renders one guilty.

What empowered David to act on principle instead of reason?

The Lord was in charge of Saul’s life, not David (cf. 1 Sam 26:10).

In other words, David’s confidence in God’s sovereignty empowered David to restrain himself.

As it relates to us, brothers and sisters, we establish our principles or convictions on God’s Word.

We ask the Holy Spirit to empower our living so that we would not be swayed by circumstances.

Instead, that we would live to please the Lord according to His Word.

What’s really fascinating is the reference from the Holy Spirit in 1 Sam 26:12.

Who was in charge of this whole circumstance?

The Lord.

Brothers and sisters, Saul may have come against David with a force seemingly ready for whatever the latter might concoct.

However, no amount of preparation could have stayed the Lord’s hand from acting in this circumstance.

Brothers and sisters, military might is nothing compared to the Lord’s control over circumstances.

You can have enough artillery to take out a city.

But you can’t control the Lord’s choice to make you sleep so soundly that your enemy has the chance to nail you to the ground.

This truth takes on more significance as we consider David’s address to Abner in the next set of verses.

13 Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance with a large area between them. 14 David called to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?” 15 So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord. 16 “This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you must surely die, because you did not guard your lord, the Lord’s anointed. And now, see where the king’s spear is and the jug of water that was at his head.”

So Who was responsible for the sleep of the guards?

The Lord (cf. 1 Sam 26:12).

Yet, who was responsible for guarding Saul?

Abner and the choice men.

Brothers and sisters, Abner failed to protect the king because he was asleep, a sleep that the Lord caused upon him and the others.

What we have here is the Lord’s sovereignty and human responsibility.

These men could not resist the Lord’s sleep.

Yet, Abner failed in his responsibility to protect the king.

Both are true and point to God’s active sovereignty and man’s accountability to the Lord.

Importantly, this passage does not seek to reconcile these truths with one another.

Instead, the passage presents them both as true simultaneously.

Therefore, while our minds may wrestle with this paradox, we land where the passage does: God is sovereign and man is accountable.

It will be David who will voice for us how one ought to respond to God’s sovereignty as we continue through the passage.

After this condemnation, the conversation turns to David’s justification.

17 Then Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.” 18 He also said, “Why then is my lord pursuing his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? 19 “Now therefore, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it is men, cursed are they before the Lord, for they have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20 “Now then, do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea, just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

In David’s humble pleading here, he gives us the reason for Saul’s continued pursuit of David.

Did you catch it?

David presents Saul with two scenarios.

First, David may indeed be guilty and he needs to repent and receive the Lord’s forgiveness.

David has now spared Saul’s life twice.

Therefore, we can eliminate this option.

Second, people are stirring up Saul against David.

What do we call it when you speak what is false about another in order to affect that person’s perspective negatively about the other?

Slander.

Brothers and sisters, David has insightfully hit the nail on the head.

Saul has surrounded himself with people and invested trust in them to the extent that when they say something negative about David, he believes them and continues to act on these false reports.

And, these false reports have led to some significant encounters where Saul turns from being the threat to the threatened.

It’s interesting, we’re not told why these individuals slandered David to Saul.

We could speculate that it was related to Saul’s authority.

But the reason remains hidden to us.

I believe that the Spirit does this to highlight that anyone could be slandered for any reason.

In other words, you don’t have to be David in order to be slandered.

This slander that Saul believed prompted a foolish response on his part.

He put himself in harm’s way twice!

Ultimately, this scene helps us to understand the consequence of believing slander can lead to looking like a fool and even mortal danger.

Brothers and sisters, this is why we need the Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to help us cut through the lies, rejecting what is false, and empowered to believe what is true.

Notice how Saul’s and David’s interaction progresses.

21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again because my life was precious in your sight this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have committed a serious error.” 22 David replied, “Behold the spear of the king! Now let one of the young men come over and take it. 23 “The Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I refused to stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 24 “Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the Lord, and may He deliver me from all distress.” 25 Then Saul said to David, “Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.”

Notice how David characterizes the way that he treated Saul.

He treats Saul in such a way that it is clear that David wants to please the Lord.

There are two things that David identifies as the foundation for how he treated Saul.

The Lord deals fairly with all people (1 Sam 26:23).

God’s sovereignty forms the basis for David’s conviction to live to please the Lord (1 Sam 26:24).

The above elements are crucial for our understanding.

We normally think in terms of what one deserves.

Yet, David is thinking about how he treats others in light of God’s character and abilities.

And so should we.

And, David is entrusting himself to the Lord’s sovereignty (cf. 1 Sam 26:24).

Brothers and sisters, this is the response that we are to have to God’s sovereignty.

If the Lord can control the actions and sleep habits of men, then surely He must be trusted in everything!

Though the passage ends on a hopeful note, how the next passage begins is somewhat bizarre.

1 Samuel 27 “1 Then David said to himself, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.” 2 So David arose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow. 4 Now it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.

What does David’s reasoning here help us to understand concerning what he believes about his last interaction with Saul?

He doesn’t believe that Saul was genuine.

And, he has no reason to believe that Saul was genuine given Saul’s past actions.

David recognizes that Saul cannot be trusted.

It turns out that Saul attempted another search but called it off.

It seems like David’s plan worked, right?

Where does the passage specify that David sought the Lord in these plans to live among the enemies of Israel, the Philistines?

It doesn’t!

What we’re going to find is that this choice carries with it more consequences than what David could have anticipated.

What part of David’s reasoning could David be confident in?

Was there anything in David’s reasoning that he could be confident of?

Brothers and sisters, when David says that he would one day die by Saul’s hand, there’s no way that David could know that this was true!

And David couldn’t know that this was true because he didn’t know the future!

Yet, he was acting as if he knew the future and made his choices based upon it!

In other words brothers and sisters, because David believed that he would one day die by Saul’s hand, he chose to live among the Philistines.

That is, David made a reasonable assumption but lived as if it was reality.

While David’s scheme worked in turning Saul away from pursuing him, David couldn’t know for certain that Saul would be successful in killing him.

The truth is, brothers and sisters, this happens every day.

We believe something that we assume will happen to be true and we make our choices based upon that potential reality.

Instead, we need to make our choices based on our conviction of what pleases the Lord.

Another question that comes up is, isn’t this the same Achish that David feigned insanity before a few chapters ago?

It sure is!

So, how was David able to secure Achish’s confidence after his crazy episode?

It would seem reasonable to conclude that since Saul had made David his enemy, Achish is only practicing, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Though this is reasonable, the passage does not state this specifically.

However, there’s something that David does by the end of the passage that may give us a clue.

Look at what David is able to secure next from Achish.

5 Then David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” 6 So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

David secures for himself a town.

This town, as the passage reminds us, became a permanent possession of the kings of Judah.

If you thought that it was bad enough that David was living among the enemies of his people, it only gets worse.

Notice David’s specific phrasing in the request of this town.

What does David reference as the basis for the king giving David this town?

If David has found favor in Achish’s sight.

How did David “find favor” with Achish?

What David is referencing here is a transaction.

David is committing to serve Achish.

In return, David has requested a town and receives Ziklag.

Notice, the passage does not specifically rebuke David for this action.

However, it seems pretty suspicious.

What is seems like is compromise with the enemy of God’s people in order to preserve his life.

8 Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. 9 David attacked the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. 10 Now Achish said, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David said, “Against the Negev of Judah and against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites and against the Negev of the Kenites.” 11 David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, “Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, ‘So has David done and so has been his practice all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’ ” 12 So Achish believed David, saying, “He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.””

What stands out to us about David’s and Achish’s interactions here?

David is lying to Achish, again!

And, Achish falls for it, again!

Brothers and sisters, lest you think that we are going to revisit our discussion from several weeks ago concerning lying, I want to point out something related to David’s justification of coming to this moment.

When David considered his option of fleeing to Philistia, his justification was focused on escaping Saul’s grip.

And, David was successful.

But, was David victorious?

In other words, is David’s response here faithful to the Lord?

Unfortunately, the Spirit does not record David having sought the Lord.

Therefore, we assume that David relied on his reason here.

This becomes clearer not only on account of the silence of the Spirit on this.

But also because the only voice that the Spirit records here is David’s.

This is especially striking when we consider David’s prior example of intentionally and diligently seeking the Lord (cf. 1 Sam 23).

Brothers and sisters, David escaped Saul but went to the enemy.

And it had consequences that led to further difficulties, even more deception.

While the passage does not rebuke David for these choices, David’s circumstances get murkier with the choice to live among the Philistines, serve their king culminating with David’s continued deception of the latter.

Though seeking the Lord does not guarantee escaping hardship, it does equip us to respond faithfully, even when in the presence of those against us.

The temptation here is to condemn David.

However, brothers and sisters, we too face similar temptations to compromise that can lead to murkier circumstances.

If we are going to live faithful to the Lord, we must trust the Lord rather than depend on our reason to determine that best course in a given circumstance.

David lived by principle when interacting with Saul in 1 Samuel 26 but followed his reason when choosing to live and serve the Philistine king in 1 Samuel 27.

Conclusion: