A Fugitive Spares His Rival
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· 10 viewsGod's people are to trust in Him for justice and are to demonstrate grace, mercy and kindness to all.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Good Morning
Tension
You know I love stories that include a good chase scene, when one person who is typically bigger, stronger or just better resourced is looking to get their hands on someone else who is smaller and seemingly easy to catch…and yet they just can’t make it happen.
(?Hide and Seek?) (Robin Hood?)
When I was a kid…who am I kidding, even today I like watching cartoons like Tom and Jerry, Roadrunner and Coyote or Sylvester and Tweety. Anybody remember those? I especially liked the Roadrunner and all of the crazy things that the Coyote would order from the “ACME Manufacturing” company. The rockets with roller skates or rockets with glider wings or rockets with …just about anything that you can think of but he never even seemed to get close to that roadrunner and every one of his schemes seems to literally fall back on him. Then the roadrunner would just “meep, meep” and zoom on down the desert road.
Ok so I am showing my age there a little, or maybe just my maturity, but as adults we connect with this same enjoyment of the chase in movies like the Fugitive, Catch Me If You Can, and the Borne film series. And think all the different ways in which the Robin Hood story has been told in books and movies. We just can’t get away from it.... We like stories with a Chase. Stories where the plot line moves the pursuer so close to their rival that they almost have them, but then something backfires and the slip through their fingers, and the chase begins all over again.
chasee that if they had just went a step further they would have had them, but then something happens and they get away and the chase begins all over again.
But there is more than just the exitement of the chase in these stories, because along the way we learn so much about the character of those involved.
We learn how they react or respond to frustration, failure and defeat. Do they give up or persevere? Should they give up or persevere? (sometimes I start feeling sorry for the Coyote)
We learn from their cunning, their creativity, their discernment or lack there of in their plans, strategies and process
We see the importance of trust, because so often their success or failure can be traced back to something or someone that they placed their trust in.
or who they choose to trust in their mission in either capture or evade, and often those relationship decisions are key to the plot aren’t they
Tension
These elements are just as present in the Bible Story we are going to take a look at this week. We are continuing in our Gospel Project series where we are looking for the message of the Gospel as it is revealed throughout God’s Word, and the unit that we are currently in the time in redemptive history where God provided an earthly Kingdom for his people.
Two weeks ago we tackled one of the most well known stories in the Old Testament, the story of David and Goliath and we went deeper than our cultures understanding of that story. It is not just about the victory of an underdog, but about the helplessness of a people group against an enemy they could not defeat.
I think of the old cartoons or Tom and Jerry, or Coyote and the Roadrunner, or Cat and Mouse game with David and Saul until this point and then they had the longest quoted dialogue recorded in 1 Samuel.
We showed that the Gospel Message in the story of David and Goliath is not that we are all Davids that need to work hard to tackle the Goliaths in our lives, but that we are the helpless people who need a champion to defeat our greatest enemy. Remember that after David defeated Goliath then the people that had been cowering for weeks went forward and conquered the rest of their enemy. That is much closer to our story. Our champion Jesus has conquered our greatest enemy, the penalty of our sin which is death. So now we are free to march forward in the name of Jesus to rid our lives of the stain of sin and live our lives in glorious obedience to the Lordship of our champion Jesus Christ.
And we ended our teaching that week with this verse of celebration at the return of the champion:
6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
1 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
1 Samuel 18:1-7
This was a glorious celebration for everyone in the land…or at least it should have been. But there was one person who was not celebrating. As we keep reading in the very next verse it says:
1 Samuel 18:
8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?”
8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on.
And so the rivalry between Saul and David begins...
The next day the evil spirit that tormented Saul was back, but this time when David was brought in to play his Spirit-filled worship music to try and sooth him, Saul picked up his spear and tried to kill him with it. This was the first of many of his unsuccessful attempts to have David killed.
At first Saul tried to be somewhat diplomatic in his attempts to murder David, but just like the Coyote, it kept backfiring on him. He would “honor” David by sending him into these impossible military situations, hoping that David would be fail or better yet be killed in the battle, butthe Spirit of the Lord was with David, so he just kept winning victory after victory. He even won the loyalty and deep friendship of Saul’s own son Jonathan. So when David heard from Jonathan that Saul had sent men to assassinate him in the night, David fled…and the chase began.
At first Saul tried to be someone diplomatic about his plans to get rid of David, but it just kept backfiring on him. He would “honor” David by sending him into these impossible military situations, hoping that David would be fail and better yet be killed in the battle, but David just kept winning victory after victory. He even won the loyalty and deep friendship of Saul’s own son Jonathan. So when David heard from Jonathan that Saul had sent men to assassinate him, David fled…and the chase began.
If you like a good chase story, like I do. then let me encourage you to read through the rest of 1 Samuel this next week. It is a great read of seemingly certain captures followed by near death escapes. We don’t have time to go over all of the exploits between Saul and David today, so we are going to focus our attention on chapter 24 because it stands out amongst these stories as the longest recorded conversation between the two and the last time that Saul and David had a direct conversation of any length. So more than just the thrill of the chase, we will get a picture of the character of these two men as the chase rolls on.
In fact there is more quoted dialogue between King Saul and David here in this chapter then any other place in the book. So more than just the thrill of the chase, we will get a picture of the character of these two men as the chase rolls on.
The author surely wanted us to see not just the on going chase between these two rivals, but something of their character here.
Mercy is no
Probably the most striking quality in this part of their story is how David, the one who is being chased all over the Kingdom by King Saul and his much larger army, has an opportunity to get rid of Saul once and for all. The door seemed to open for this perfect opportunity and yet David did not walk through it. Everything lined up:
Saul was left unguarded.
The attack would have been unexpected.
David’s faithful companions told him that this situation was so perfect that God must have set it up for him
And David already knew that he would be the next King, it was just a matter of time. and King Saul had become so blood thirsty over chasing down David that he was willing to murder his own people if they spoke well of him. Saul had become an evil tyrant and David had the opportunity to free his people from his oppressive rule. But just as he took his position to strike, he has a change of heart. And he decides to show him mercy.
But just as he took his position to strike, he has a change of heart. And he decides to show him mercy.
This was Saul’s revealed character, but David revealed his character by humbly choosing mercy despite the opportunity that lay before him.
The question we have to grapple with is why? Why would David show mercy to his rival? King Saul clearly did not deserve it. He was anointed a King to help the people but instead he was harming, even murdering them to get to David. Someone like this does not deserve mercy, do they? Yet David shows it.
And more important then answering the question of “Why David showed Mercy to Saul?” is for us to grapple with the question of why we should show mercy to people in our life, especially when it is clear to us that they do not deserve it.
So if you haven’t already, open your Bibles with me to , page 246 in the Bibles in the chairs. I’ll pray and we will learn of this mysterious kind of “Mercy” together.
Saul recognizes that David will be King
Truth
Tension
Forgiveness of our enemies, (even before repentance?)
Even if everything else lines up, God’s Will never contradicts God’s Word.uth
36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Truth
God’s chosen one refuses an opportunity to defeat a rival ()
God’s chosen one refuses an opportunity to defeat a rival ()
Shows Mercy
1 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. 3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.
What a great set up for a story right? Here is the King of Israel dragging around his army of 3,000 “chosen” men. This term means the best his military has to offer. These are “Army Rangers” or the “Green Berets”. And why has brought together this stellar force? To hunt down one man, David, who had a band of maybe 600 men who followed him. Talk about a Big Cat going after a little mouse. That is a 5 to 1 ratio. It seems like unfair odds…but then the King goes into a cave to use the bathroom.
What a great set up for a story right? Here is the King of Israel dragging around his army of 3,000 “chosen” men. This term means the best his military has to offer. These are “Army Rangers” or the “Green Berets”. And why has brought together this stellar force? To hunt down one man, David, who had a band of maybe 600 men who followed him. Talk about a Big Cat going after a little mouse. That is a 5 to 1 ratio. It seems like unfair odds…but then the King goes into a cave to use the bathroom.
Can you imagine a less defensible position to be in? We are rarely more vulnerable then when we are in…doing our business. Case in point, that is why the bathroom is the indoor room in all our houses that has a lock on it. And so to protect their King and his privacy, they stand outside as their King goes into the cave. This is great idea…unless your rival is already in the cave!
So David could not have a better opportunity to rid the Kingdom of this wicked King, certainly his men thought so...
4. And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ ”
4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ ” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
We don’t know when God said this to David, but listen carefully to the wording here… “and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you”. The Lord told him that the opportunity will be there, but you will have to decide what you will do with it. This was not a command as much a it was a test to determine how the next King of Israel will treat the former King of Israel.
“Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.”
David just sneaks in there like a ninja without being noticed and cuts off the corner of his robe…but this is where the story gets a little fuzzy to us. When David returns with his prize he does not celebrate, he instead has this huge change of heart,
This is the perfect opportunity. At this point Saul has been hunting David for __________________ and now he can execute the current King and take his rightful place as King without any further bloodshed.
Significance of cutting off the “corner” of Saul’s robe
1 Samuel 24:5
5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
1 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. 3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. 4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ ” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
Seems a little strange to us doesn’t it? I mean at this point all he did was cut off a little piece of fabric. I mean it’s not like he stole all his clothes from his locker or something whats the big deal? Well the big deal was that the corner of a man’s robe was a sacred and symbolic thing. The embarrassment felt by an Israelite appearing in public like this was probably pretty close to what it would feel like to have to run out a locker room to go grab their pants off the flagpole. It was a terrible disgrace!
And this was not just a local custom, it was something that God laid out for his people. (corner=kanaph)
Seems like he is going a little over kill over just a little piece of fabric. I mean it’s not like he stole all his clothes from his locker or something whats the big deal? Well the big deal was that the corner of a man’s robe was a very sacred thing according to the Old Testament law.
Well the big deal was that the corner of a man’s robe was a very sacred thing for the Israelites. God had commanded every man to
38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.
Of course in one sense this was a very fitting act on David’s part as Saul was not obeying the commandments of the Lord and he was following after his own wicked heart, but still David’s heart was struck that he had done this to Saul, because Saul was the Lord’s anointed. And the law also said that...
key verse:
So even this small slight struck David’s heart, especially since law also said that...
28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
Exodus
5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
So even though this appeared to be a perfect opportunity to go even further and rid the land of a wicked King, the Spirit of the Lord that was with David would not allow him to go any further. Instead, David showed Saul mercy and he convinced his faithful men to do the same.
I don’t know what kind of decisions you are facing right now. Maybe there is someone in your life that has set themselves up as a rival. A coworker, a classmate, a neighbor who you does not treat you kindly. You have been praying about the situation, and now an opportunity has revealed itself in such a way that you can finally get back at them. Give them a piece of their own medicine, hoping it will you know set them straight. The old saying the “end justifies the means” comes to mind. But is that true? Does the end justify the means?
Maybe you have been praying that God would open a particular door, and hopefully it is a good and right thing that you are praying for. Something that you are certain is something that God wants for you or your family or community…and you see a small door opening where if you just bend the rules a little, you can get that good thing done. Sometimes we are tempted to agree with the World’s declaration that “the ends justify the means” but you will be hard pressed to hear that from the Lord.
Hear this Church, even if everything seems to line up perfectly the other way...
God’s WILL never contradicts His WORD
God will not call you to do something that contradicts what he has already commanded you not to do. He is not like us. He doesn’t change. He doesn’t forget what he says and he doesn’t ever say anything that he doesn’t mean. For those of us who desperately want to do God’s will this should drive us deeper and deeper into the study of God’s Word. It’s where we find the guard rails for God’s will in our lives and without it we could be heading in a horrible direction.
Jesus said, Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you
Just because a door is opened does not mean that God wants you to go through it. It could be a test to reveal your heart in what you will do in a situation like this. Like David, God might be saying, “Ok, here it is - what seems good to you”.
David’s heart was revealed to be faithful to God’s Word,
Understanding these things, David’s heart struck him and
6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
1 Samuel
The End. Well that is really just .
David shows mercy to God’s anointed
Saul recognizes that David will be King
Even if everything else lines up, God’s Will never contradicts God’s Word.uth
38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.
12 “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.
11 You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.
The opportunity had passed, and now we know the answer to the question of “what seems good to David”. When his enemy was placed in his hands - He showed mercy. But the story continues, and David’s Mercy continues much further than deciding to not harm Saul in such a vulnerable state.
God’s chosen one makes a promise to preserve a rival’s life ()
God’s chosen one makes a promise to preserve a rival’s life ()
8 Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. 9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? 10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. 12 May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! 15 May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”
8 Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. 9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? 10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it.
We are given a lengthy quote here from David, and what do you hear to be his tone? Just consider the words that he uses to address this man who has gathered this fighting force to kill him. He bows before him and calls him “my lord, the king, my father”. The humility that David displays here is so striking, and then contrast that to how he refers to himself.
In contrast look at the words that he uses to describe himself: Dog, flea. Not false humility on David’s part, this was his giving respect to the position of the annointed King of God. The King had better things to do then chase around someone who was loyal to him in a blind vengence. He had a kingdom to rule and protect and the LORD to serve.
And then contrast that to how he refers to himself.
12 May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!
After recognizing the honor due to the King of Israel, he refers to himself as a dead dog, or a flea. Understand that this is not exaggeration for emphasis nor false humility. David understood the significance of the role of the King of God’s people and his self depreciation was to show the King that he had more important things to do then to chase David around the Kingdom. He has not set himself up as the Kings enemy, but the Kingdom does has enemies. The King should be about securing the Kingdom against the real enemies, instead of dragging the army out against someone like David.
David is not underplaying his significance, he is reminding the King that he…is…the King. The King of God’s people has more important things to do then to chase after someone who poses no threat to the kingdom. David promises that he will not raise his hand against Saul, and more than words he has proven it because he had the perfect opportunity to usurp the throne and take Saul’s crown and he didn’t.
But don’t miss the greater statement here, David’s promise to have mercy on Saul’s life does not mean that he condones his behavior. David is not saying that because Saul is King he gets a pass and he can really do whatever he wants so who am I to say anything. Quite the opposite as a matter of fact and this is a key aspect in understanding his motivation for showing mercy, and ours. What he said in verse 12, he repeats again in verse 15
15 May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”
David is not condoning Saul’s actions, he is letting go of his right to judge Saul and leaving the judgement of those actions in the hand of the Lord. Paul gives us this same idea in the New Testament when he says:
But those of us with a leaning toward justice??? would object, saying that you can’t just let the King get away with this, you have to stand up for what is right and the King needed to be removed. We find the answer to this in And then David said probably the most profound thing in his entire speach. It believe that in it we find the key to understanding why he was able to show mercy to someone who clearly did not deserve it:
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
12 May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! 15 May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”
Romans
David was not condoning Saul’s actions, he was asking him to consider them and reminding him that the real question is whether or not God was pleased in the actions of this King.
And even more crazy then the scene of the potential “Bathroom Battle” is that David’s change of heart brought about a change in the wicked heart of King Saul. Grant it, it was only a temporary stay of his depravity, but in a moment of clarity Saul declares to everyone within earshot a blessing on David and then asks him to extend his mercy even further!
And in response we have a long quote from King Saul where he asks David to extend this mercy beyond Saul to his family. So our third and final theme this week is that:
is that it brought one for Saul. In what would prove to be a temporary perspective, Saul shows us what he could be as King. And with this new attitude toward David we see the King recognizing t that David will be the next King, and requesting something for his family. So our third and final theme this week is that:
God’s chosen one makes a promise to preserve a rival’s family ()
God’s chosen one makes a promise to preserve a rival’s family ()
16 “As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe?”
David was not his enemy, but Saul was treating him as one.
“So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. Samuel 24:19b-20
1 Samuel 24:16-
16 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
Wow! Not only does Saul bless David but he publically admits that David will be the next King, even though he dragged his elite army out to kill him. And then he asks the following:
“Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.” 1 Samuel 24:21-22
Now he is blessing David
16 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
This last act of Mercy on David’s part is arguably his greatest kindness to Saul so far. Saul is so convinced in this moment that David will be King that he begs David to not do what most Kings would do. When a King from a different family takes the throne the first thing he does is get rid of anyone who was ever loyal to the previous King. This would especially include his family members as they might one day claim that they are rightful heirs to the throne. So for David to promise this is to risk having his position as King stand threatened by one of Saul’s family members. Which is a bit ironic, because it is exactly this kind of threat that brought Saul to want to kill David in the first place.
Now he is blessing David
This is a great kindness that is undeserved - an act of Grace, undeserved kindness.
So for David to promise this is to risk having his position as King stand threatened by one of Saul’s family members. But one of the things that this story clearly shows is that David did not, would not, take the crown by force. God had given it to him and even Saul, in this momentary moment of clarity and mercy could see this.
In effect, Saul is asking David to do what he has been completely unwilling to do. Saul is trying to catch David because he sees David as a threat to his position, and now he is asking David to allow his family tince we elect those who govern over us we don’t really understand the weight of this last request, but the first thing that a new King would do after the leadership changed over was to rid the land of anyone who might lay claim to his throne. This would include anyone who was sympathetic to or related to the previous King. So for David to promise this is to risk having his position as King stand threatened by one of Saul’s family members. But one of the things that this story clearly shows is that David did not, would not, take the crown by force. God had given it to him and even Saul, in this momentary moment of clarity and mercy could see this.
But one of the things that this story clearly shows is that David did not...would not…even though the opportunity was there…he would not take the crown by force. God had given it to him and even Saul, in this temporary moment of clarity could see this.
Typically a new King would wipe out any trace of the old regime to keep from their being a later claim on the throne, but since David didn’t take the throne from Saul, since God gave him the throne, he did not have a threat of losing it.
God’s chosen one refuses an opportunity to defeat a rival
God’s chosen one refuses an opportunity to defeat a rival
God’s chosen one makes a promise to preserve a rival’s life
God’s chosen one makes a promise to preserve a rival’s life
God’s chosen one makes a promise to preserve a rival’s family
God’s chosen one makes a promise to preserve a rival’s family
This is all an act of MERCY!!!!
This is all an act of MERCY!!!!
The most important thing that David said was that God will judge between.
Gospel Application
So where do we see the Gospel Message in this lengthy dialogue between two Kings of Israel? Well the key is found in the nature of the act of “mercy”. When we show mercy to someone, we chose to not give them a punishment that they deserve. In other words they don’t deserve Mercy. They deserve to be punished, but then they aren’t. Can you see the Gospel connection in that?
This is the state that each one of us stands before God. We have violated his perfect creation in our sinful selfishness. And the wages or the punishment for our sin is death, but the good news of the Gospel is that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And it is not that God just said, forget about it, your sin is not a problem. I mean sure your sin is bad and all but I will just wave the fee, I’ll just forget about the punishment. Nope. God cannot do that.
It would go against his nature, because God is merciful but He is also just. He would not be a just God if he didn’t punish sin. So how can God show us both Justice and Mercy at the same time?
JESUS!
Jesus death on the cross paid the punishment that we deserved for our sin. The penalty wasn’t waived, it was paid…by Jesus. The wrath of God that we each deserved because of our sin and selfishness was placed upon Jesus on the cross.
Jesus paid a debt that he did not owe because we owed a debt that we could not pay.
And because he paid that debt, the justice of God has been satisfied, and so now the mercy of God can be given to you and to me.
in his death, burial and resurection Because God is Just and Merciful he could not just wave his hand and say, “Just forget about it” Sin is too grevious for that
I wanted to give us a moment to reflect on this reality this morning, so let me draw your attention to the truths presented on the screen. Video [Respond]
So where do we see the Gospel Message in this passage.
It is is the expected response from someone who has been shown mercy. They should show mercy. When we understand the Gospel we understand that we given the greatest act of Mercy every imagined, and now we respond in giving Mercy.
Video [Respond]
Part of the nature of showing mercy is that those who receive do not deserve it! Show mercy to people because they were made in the image of God - in that way w are all anointed not just clergy etc. It is not just because
36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Tr
David trusted God’s Word and did his will despite and apparent easier route.
Let me encourage you to take a few moments here to quiet you hearts, watch listen and respond to this truth, even as you explore the depths of the message presented on the screen. Video [Respond]
Jesus trust the Word and will of the Father despite their being an apparent easier route.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
We are all the Lord’s anointed in that we are made in His image and should be treated as such (Preachers Commentary)
Landing
We could never repay this debt that Jesus has paid for us, but we can respond. And how can we respond? We have been shown a great mercy even though we never deserved it, would it not be fitting and right to do the same?
Jesus said:
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:
36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Remember we were after the answer to the question of why should we show mercy to someone who doesn’t deserve it? The answer is because we have been shown mercy and we don’t deserve it. The only right and proper response is to leave the judgement of others into the hand of God and show Mercy for the offenses that have come against us.
But what about Justice? What about Parents giving their children good right and proper consequences for their bad behavior???