Awkward Confrontation
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· 1 viewWe are to wait upon the Lord. Just because something is desirable and is available, does not mean that it is the Lord’s will for your life.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Series Recap
David anointed after Saul had sinned
David defeats Goliath, the giant who blasphemed God
David survived the attack from a jealous King Saul
Today - Awkward Confrontation
David will have the opportunity to kill king Saul while he is going to the bathroom
Three types of people
People that like to talk to other people while they’re using the bathroom
People that hate it
People that talk to the people who hate it simply because they hate it
But today’s passage is really not about talking or doing other things while you are going to the bathroom
Do we trust God to bring about his will and his promises, or does he need our help
at times we feel like we have to nudge him along, reminding him that this is what he is supposed to do
or at least what we want him to do
all this is laid right here, Lord… just do it
We hate being patient, but the Lord is not on our time line.
PRAY
We are to wait upon the Lord. Just because something is desirable and is available, does not mean that it is the Lord’s will for your life.
An Awkward Opportunity
An Awkward Opportunity
1 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness near En-gedi.”
Engedi is on the western side of the Dead Sea
you have Qumran to the north. This would have been where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found
You have Masada to the south, that is where the Israelites held up as long as possible in AD 70’s when the Romans were completely defeating them
Engedi has a hot spring, so with all this desert looking landscape surrounding it Engedi looks like an oasis.
has kind a tropical feel to it
It is this area, that David is running from Saul
why is he running
we saw last week, that Saul was trying to kill David, knowing that David was getting more and more power and fame
2 So Saul took three thousand of Israel’s fit young men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
3 When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave,
Saul took 3000 men to hunt for David
he just got done with a battle with the Philistines
instead of going home and celebrating his victory he chases after the one he perceives is his true enemy
He gets help in that…
he is told, David is hiding at Engedi (1 Samuel 25:29)
but 3000 men… seems overkill
it shows the fear that Saul has of David
a theme of Saul’s life always living in fear
causes him to overreact
causes him to sin and have the kingdom stripped from him
Do not get too awkward…
relieve himself, actual phrasing (cover ones feet) used as an idiom for going to relieve oneself
there are caves all over this area
what are the chances that the exact cave that David and his men are hiding from Saul is the cave that Saul chose to cover his ankles
4 so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’ ” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.
In the same way that Saul had voices telling him to chase after David, David has voices telling him to kill Saul
who could blame David if he kills Saul here
Saul has tried to kill him multiple times
Saul has chased David all over the country side to kill him because the previous attempts have failed
David has been anointed the next king of Israel!
who could blame him… God
Saul’s sin is against God
Vengeance belongs to me says the Lord
David has been anointed and told he will be the next king
he has not been told that he is supposed to make that happen
it is real easy to look at the circumstances around us and use them as excuses to do ungodly things
I have heard so many excuses made of opportunities in front of people so that they can do ungodly things
God wants me to be happy, this person does not make me happy anymore, I just met a real godly person that makes me happy, this is what God wants me to do
with a little whisper of the wrong voice in your ear and a desire in your heart, sin is so easily grabbed a hold of
Today’s world, we have political assassination attempts because we have made apposing political ideas the picture of evil
Harvard poll in 2025 showed that 40% of gen z (18-29 year olds) believe political violence is acceptable when the government infringes on your rights
we hear this language all the time
they are taking this right away
everything that I am wanting it is a right for you to have
The language by the writer is intentional
David got up… not know what he decided, it is meant to draw out the drama of the story
would he take the throne, his men watching and getting excited
David taking out his knife…
you can almost feel the let down when he cuts off the corner of his robe
5 Afterward, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.
6 He said to his men, “As the Lord is my witness, I would never do such a thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed. I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”
7 With these words David persuaded his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.
His conscience bothered him… Did he really do anything
I am sure that is what his men were thinking
you did not do anything…
you let the man trying to kill you live
you let the man who holds the position that you have been ordained to take, live
He has disgraced the one who the Lord has as leader of God’s chosen people
David explains to his men
Two different words translated “lord” in our text
first Yahwey; Jehovah the covenant God
second; used in several different ways, leader, master, lord, husband
what is he actually saying
Jehovah has put Saul in the position of king and David must honor him as such
The Lord has put all leaders in their position, they must answer to him on how the perform in that position, but as believers we are to honor them in the position that they hold
that does not mean that we cannot respectfully, lawfully disagree, but we cannot stand and disgrace the Lord’s anointed
An Awkward Conversation
An Awkward Conversation
For some it is awkward enough to have conversations in the restroom…
Now we have the conversation after Saul came out of the cave…
8 After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.
9 David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?
David is not giving a false honor here we just looked at the way he treated Saul and convinced his men to treat Saul
But he does question why he is listening to the voices that he is…
the voices that say David is coming after you
Can we just say, be careful who you allow to speak into your life
just because they are close to you does not mean that they have your best interests at heart
these telling Saul to kill David have a higher place in Saul’s kingdom with David gone
10 You can see with your own eyes that the Lord handed you over to me today in the cave. Someone advised me to kill you, but I took pity on you and said: I won’t lift my hand against my lord, since he is the Lord’s anointed.
11 Look, my father! Look at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Recognize that I’ve committed no crime or rebellion. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life.
I had the opportunity to kill you…
I had voices in my own ear telling me to do it
do not miss the contrast that is being laid out before us
Saul is listening to those under him living in fear that what the Lord has given him is being taken away
David is not listening trusting God
that God will elevate David at the proper time
that God will protect him from Saul
that God’s will will be done
I am not listening to those voices and I have not committed any wrong against you
uses two different words, no crime or rebellion
no transgression, no breach of trust
no rebellion, literally resistance to an established government or ruler
I have been loyal to you and the Lord and I will continue to be so regardless of what the voices tell me to do
12 “May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me, but my hand will never be against you.
13 As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness comes from wicked people.’ My hand will never be against you.
Faith is a funny thing… and we can talk ourselves into a lot of sinful things and use it as an excuse
David was not called to kill Saul just as the next King
Faith says the one who called me is the one who bring all this about
when God determines that Saul is done he will be done
everyone in this situation knows two things
Samuel has told Saul that that kingdom is being torn from him
27 When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the corner of his robe, and it tore.
28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
It has been told that the kingdom is going to somebody else…
everyone knows that it is David
faith in this moment for David is to wait
patiently for the Lord to do what he alone will do
expectantly, excited to see what the Lord will do
patience in the sense that we are not trying to create the situation for the Lord to do it
expectantly excited to see it happen
14 Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A single flea?
15 May the Lord be judge and decide between you and me. May he take notice and plead my case and deliver me from you.”
16 When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud
17 and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you.
Saul uses David’s name… through all of this, he has referred to him as Son of Jesse
when he is mad at his own son he does not call him by name
now refers to David as his son and calls him by name
Saul weeps tells David that he is the righteous one
it is a sense of repentance, but let me tell you why it is not
crying and admission of sin is not turning from your sin and chasing after God
spoiler alert, Saul does not after David at this time
but he will try again later
Saul will take 3000 men again and hunt for David
David will spare his life once again
Saul is not repentant, he is sad he was caught and confronted with his sin
Saul is giving us one of those nice political apologies that says I am not sorry for what I did but I am sorry that you are not happy about it
18 You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me.
19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed? May the Lord repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today.
20 “Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.
You are godly and kingly… I know more now than before that you will take my place
21 Therefore swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”
22 So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.
How much did David trust Saul after this…
he did not go with him, but went back to his men
Saul convinced that David will be king, tries again at a later date to kill him
Application
Application
1. David had to drown out the voices close to him and listen to the Lord
there are so many voices in the world that so much advice to give you
we must be people of his his word and through his Spirit listen to his voice
so many people say they cannot hear the voice of God
it is because we do not sit quietly and listen
we do not stop talking long enough to hear him
have you had one of those conversations with somebody that you came to talk to, before you finished talking they have already come up with a solution to a problem that you do not have?
that is us so often when we talk to the Lord
do not listen to the outside voices and sometimes that includes your own
but sit and listen for the Lord
2. David had to confront the evil in front of him
I am not saying that every evil thing that we see that we must go and confront it
Saul is not the evil in front of him, but the lie that David is after Saul
and the lie that David should take the throne himself
so he confronts the lies with the truth of God
He will decide between you and I
He will be the judge
3. David had to trust the Lord above him
this is more than listening to his voice…
but trusting that he will work all things out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes
this is I will serve where he has me now, until he places me where he has ordained me to be
this is the calling on every believers life
maybe you are waiting for God to place you in a position here in this world that you believe you are destined for
but each and everyone one of us has been called to be his child in his presence and we serve here longing to be in that place
expectantly, patiently waiting, longing for the the day when we can see him face to face
yet trusting in his timing and his ways until that day.
This is why David could sing in times like this
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes.
2 I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. Selah God sends his faithful love and truth.
If you have not placed your faith in him today be that day
that is the calling he is putting on your life now
that you would confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved!
