David Spares Saul's Again
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Overview
The Ziphites were not friends of David…in fact they were related to Nabal from the last lesson. They located David and gave that information to Saul. David figured out where Saul and his men would be staying the night
The Ziphites were not friends of David…in fact they were related to Nabal from the last lesson. They located David and gave that information to Saul. David figured out where Saul and his men would be staying the night
At another time I would recommend looking at []. You will find a nearly identical story told in scripture. There are a couple of options
These were two separate stories placed in scripture at different times maybe years apart, without editing or acknowledging the duplication
This was was the same story told and recorded twice. But then why didn’t it get caught?
He is my conclusion...
I am a Biblical Literalist… If scripture says it, I believe it. So…these are two separate events at two different times that are very similar.
David determined to enter the camp of Saul that night. The two invaders found the entire camp of Saul asleep.
God had put the camp asleep.
Abishai took Saul’s spear and offered to kill him with it. David said “no.”
After they awoke David taunted Saul from across the valley, displaying the articles of Saul and David had taken.
David and Abishai were able to escape from Saul’s camp undetected. Yahweh had caused all the troops of Saul to sleep with a sound sleep. The two men crossed the road and climbed the mountain on the other side. From that distance David shouted to awaken Saul’s camp. He first addressed Abner. He accused Abner and his troops of being guilty of dereliction of duty worthy of death for failing to guard the life of the king. He then displayed the spear and jug which proved that security in Saul’s camp had been breached (26:12–16).
The time we involve the Ziphites, this was a group of Calebites or Son’s of Caleb that followed and supported Saul.
David then addressed Saul. He asks why are you pursuing me.
Once again David’s words struck a responsive chord in Saul.
He confessed his sin. Saul summarized his life with serious self-condemnation: “I have played the fool and have committed a serious error.”
He invited David to return. He promised not to harm him because David had spared his life that day.
So we begin in
The Ziphites again reported to Saul that David was hiding in a hill, Saul led his three thousand troops to the vicinity of that hill. David took evasive action when he saw tghat Saul was on his trail again.
David determined to enter the camp of Saul that night. Abishai, brother of Joab, volunteered to go with David on this dangerous mission. The two invaders found the entire camp of Saul asleep. No one was guarding the king. Abishai sought permission to take the spear which was stuck in the ground near the king and run his enemy through. David, however, had qualms about striking Yahweh’s anointed. Saul would die a natural death, or be smitten by Yahweh, or die in battle. David would not touch him. Instead, David told Abishai to take the king’s spear and jug of water (26:6–11).
1 The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?”
David and Abishai were able to escape from Saul’s camp undetected. Yahweh had caused all the troops of Saul to sleep with a sound sleep. The two men crossed the road and climbed the mountain on the other side. From that distance David shouted to awaken Saul’s camp. He first addressed Abner. He accused Abner and his troops of being guilty of dereliction of duty worthy of death for failing to guard the life of the king. He then displayed the spear and jug which proved that security in Saul’s camp had been breached (26:12–16).
1sam
David then addressed Saul. He asked why his father-in-law was pursuing him. Was it Yahweh who had stirred Saul up against David? Perhaps a sacrifice by the two of them would suffice to placate him. Was it his advisers who had stirred up Saul against David? Let them be cursed before Yahweh. These advisers were attempting to drive David from “the inheritance of Yahweh,” i.e., from Israel. They could care less if David rendered devotion to the gods of one of the surrounding nations. David did not wish to die on foreign soil, and he pled with Saul not to hound him into foreign exile (26:17–20).
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Once again David’s words struck a responsive chord in Saul. He confessed his sin. Saul summarized his life with serious self-condemnation: “I have played the fool and have committed a serious error.” He invited David to return. He promised not to harm him because David had spared his life that day (26:21).
David then invited one of Saul’s servants to come and fetch the royal spear. He further expressed his confidence that Yahweh would reward his righteousness and faithfulness in not taking the life of the king that day. Yahweh would regard David’s life as precious just as he had regarded Saul’s life. David concluded his speech by expressing his desire for Yahweh to deliver him from distress. Saul responded by pronouncing a blessing on David. In it he expressed confidence that David would both accomplish much and surely prevail one day in receiving the crown. After these words, the two men went their separate ways never to see one another again (26:22–25).
Ziphites are related to the Calebites. Remember Nabel from Chapter 25, the “fool” was a Calebite.
3 His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.
Ziphites are related to the Calebites. Remember Nabel from Chapter 25, the “fool” was a Calebite. So once again, Saul had chosen terrible advisors, and people to associate with.
4 he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.
4 While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
in the valley and was in the process of scheming to once again kill David.
Clear back in the very first part of [1Samuel] we read that Samuel, bypassed all of the brothers and anointed David as the next king…
There is NOTHING that was going to stop David from becoming King…NOTHING.
HERE IS OUR BIG IDEA FOR THIS WEEK...
ULTIMATELY GOD WINS!
Why? Because scripture says He does
I believe scripture says that God has made available salvation for all…but only some will accept this freewill gift. Others will perish.
Scripture says that Christ is the only way to Heaven [period]
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Scripture says that one day, Judgement will come to all people, to us. We will stand before God and Christ will intervene on our behalf and we will NOT suffer in eternity without God, Jesus and the Spirit.
Finally, our world as will know it will one day cease to exist…It will be replaced by a New Heaven and a New Earth, one that restores the original, Genesis perfection that has been so corrupted.
GOD WINS!!!
AND GOD WINS!!!
David is more than a cog in this gigantic wheel…We know that David’s Kingdom will be established…He was the anointed one, Samuel anointed him.
We know that one day, one day Jesus will sit on this throne, The throne of David.
Jesus will sit on the throne and we, all, believers for all time will rule the earth with him for 1000 years.
It will be His earthly Kingdom.
The whole book of 1 & 2 Samuel is written to introduce us to David.
The whole book of 1 & 2 Samuel is written to introduce us to David.
Note:
David is not perfect
If we needed perfection we would’ve given up long ago.
David is quick tempered and at times is impulsive.
David is tempted and gives into that temptation
5 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.
1sam26.5,7
7 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.
1Sam 26.
David found Saul, very vulnerable. He could have sneaked across the valley and killed him…quickly...
But that was not the final plan for Saul and David.
The Spirit still lead David and he would not give in to evil and sin.
8 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 his cousin spiritualized the murder...
“God Has Delivered...” Go for it!!
I don’t know if God is delivering but Saul seems to end up in compromising positions…ALL THE TIME!!!
Abishai says, I will take him out…You will be done with him forever! I’m sure that David was tempted to take the shortcut to his God-intended throne.
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.
11 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.”
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.
David finds his inner King. He finds his way back from the brink of sin. He once again finds the inner strength to do the right thing and say “No”
1Sam
David finds his inner King. He finds his way back from the brink of sin. He once again finds the inner strength to do the right thing and say “No”
I have had those victories where I have said, “No” but I have also said, “yes” and wagged my finger in the face of God…still He loves me, still he died for me, still one day he will say, “well done good and faithful servant” to me.
Not because of me but because of Jesus. At the intersection of the Cross and Grace is where I choose to live my life.
He has an affair with the gal next door
The gal gets pregnant
David tries to kill her husband
David is “called out” by a prophet and comes clean with his sin.
There are severe consequences to this sin
Still David is called “A man’s after God’s own heart.”
How is this possible? How is this possible?
After all of the sin that I have committed in my life how could God ever love me?
I have wagged my finger in the face and God and said, I’m going my own way.
God still loves me.
When I come back to Him, a mess, defeated, a shell of the person I once was, He is the one that pulls me out of my personal hell, brushes me off, looks me in the eyes and says… I Love You!
He welcomes me back as the Prodigal Son…He celebrates, He puts out a feast, He forgets about my sin and sees my redemption. That is the God we serve!!
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To defeat evil we must stand strong in opposition, we must personally refuse to participate or evil will overcome us.
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What is going on David in this next passage???
13 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.
Well he had his booty… He had Saul’s spear and water jug. And he had to gloat a bit.
14 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?”
Abner had failed himself and failed his king.
There are some lessons for us in these failures
Sinful people make excuses, refuse to accept responsibility and project blame on others.
Sinful people make excuses, refuse to accept responsibility and project blame on others.
Forgiven people acknowledge their failure, ask for forgiveness and move on.
After this “LESSON” David get’s back to the issue at hand
SAUL, why do you keep pursuing me and trying to kill me? This is a legitimate question...
Saul continued to pursue because
He was jealous of David, his looks, his credibility with the people, his military prowess, his standing with God.
At the heart of jealousy is covetousness…someone else has something that I want. Think about your motives before you go down this road.
Let’s move on...
19 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.’
The loss of worship at the Tabernacle was a big spiritual loss for David.
The loss of worship at the Tabernacle was a big spiritual loss for David.
Often times we put the material issues over the spiritual issues…peal away the material and get to the core of matter. Keep the main issue, the main issue.
Ultimately, God’s desire is for us to confess, repent and make it right.
21 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.”
But is this a confession, is this repentance, is this really? Is this just for a show?
Saul refuses to submit to God. He refuses to speak truthfully to David. He is NOT Sincere.
The best place to start any conversation like this is the four most difficult words to say in the English language
Please forgive me, I’m sorry.
Don’t dodge and evade, don’t taunt from across the valley. Just fess-up. “I’m sorry.”
This is just one of the many times that Saul is moving in opposition to David and God. It’s going to continue. This time
21 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.”
1sam 26
I have acted like a fool…come back.
Then note
“I will not TRY to harm you again”
But if I do, it will be an ACCIDENT
Finally
23 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.
Like has been said before...
Don’t step in and play God; there’s only one God and you are not Him.
As soon as we step out of our lane into his, problems are not far off.
Let’s go back to the big idea and see what we’ve done with it.
It was some proverbial principles from the lives of David and Saul.
Let’s go back to the big idea and see what we’ve done with it.
HERE IS OUR BIG IDEA FOR THIS WEEK...
ULTIMATELY GOD WINS!
God and His will and way for his throne. For who would occupy it is allowed by God. His plan will come to pass. I want to be a part of that plan and not moving against that plan.
The principals we discussed today, should guide our whole lives, our business dealings, the interactions with our children, our neighbors. All of these are profitable for us for all time.
As a final stab at this…let’s review
Sinful people make excuses, refuse to accept responsibility and project blame on others.
Forgiven people acknowledge their failure, ask for forgiveness and move on.
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At the heart of jealousy is covetousness…someone else has something that I want. Think about your motives before you go down this road.
----------------------------
Often times we put the material issues over the spiritual issues…peal away the material and get to the core of matter. Keep the main issue, the main issue.
------------------------------
The best place to start any conversation like this is the four most difficult words to say in the English language
Please forgive me, I’m sorry.
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Don’t step in and play God; there’s only one God and you are not Him.
jp