I Samuel 26:1-25
Phil walks into his boss’s office one day and says,
“Sir, I’ll be honest with you. I know the economy
isn’t great, but I’ve got three companies after me,
and I’d like to ask for a raise, respectfully.”
After a few minutes of haggling, the boss finally
agrees to give him a 5 percent raise, and he happily
gets up to leave.
“By the way, ” the boss asks as Phil leaves his
office, “which three companies are after you?” Phil
replies, “The electric company, the water company
and the phone company.”
Today we are going to check back in on David.
Three weeks ago we saw David spare Saul’s life in the
cave of Adullam when Saul came in to relieve himself.
David showed mercy on Saul and we are going to see a
second instance of David showing kindness as we look at
I Samuel 26.
I Samuel 26:1-4
Treachery Abounds
We have seen the treachery of the Ziphites before when
they betrayed David and told Saul where he was hiding
back in chapter 23. These folks were from the tribe as
David, they should not have been disloyal to him.
We also see Saul’s treachery. After David spared his life
in chapter 24 Saul wept and said to David “you are more
righteous than I,
”
But now we read that Saul has come back with 3000 men
to seek David. We know Saul isn’t coming to have a civil
conversation with David, he wants to kill him.
David hears that Saul is nearby, so he sends out some
spies to see if Saul is really there.
I Samuel 26:5-12
David’s Discernment
Based on the spies’ information David knew exactly
where Saul was camped. It would not have been that
difficult since there were 3000 of them. He saw Saul and
his commander Abner and all the soldiers.
David asks Ahimelech and Abishai which one wants to go
with David to Saul’s camp. Abishai volunteers to go with
David and they set out that night.
When they arrive they find Saul sleeping in the camp
with his spear in the ground by his head. Abner was not
keeping watch, nor was anyone else. They were all
asleep.
You could argue that God was giving David a second
chance to kill his enemy. But that is not what is
happening.
Abishai tries to convince David that God has given Saul
into his hand. And he offers to Kill Saul for him.
David rebukes Abishai saying “who can put out his hand
against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?”
David knew the difference between temptation and
an opportunity.
Henry Blackaby says, “Not every open door is from God.”
It took discernment on David’s part to recognize that
vengeance was not a door he was supposed to walk
through.
He knew God had chosen him to be the next king, but he
also knew it was not his time yet. And he was not going
to get in the way of God’s timing.
David then told Abishai that he knew that Saul would die.
He offered three possibilities for Saul’s death
● The Lord would strike him
● He would die naturally
● He would die in battle
David then told Abishai to grab Saul’s spear and his jug
of water so they could get out of there.
God’s Providence
Notice God’s Providence during their time at the camp.
No one woke up, no one saw them and no one knew they
were there. God put them all to sleep so that David could
go in the camp and take Saul’s spear.
I Samuel 26:13-16
David Mocks Abner
Remember in chapter 24 after David cut off the corner of
Saul’s robe, he went out and called out to Saul to have
him look at his robe.
This time, David addresses Saul’s commander. He
questions his manhood and his ability to protect the king.
He reminds him that failing to protect the king is
punishable by death. By falling asleep, he has neglected
his duty.
Everyone knows that you can’t allow everyone to fall
asleep at the same time. There has to be someone
keeping watch.
David then tells Abner that he has taken Saul’s spear and
water jug.
The spear was a symbol of his strength and the water a
symbol of life sustaining resources.
Abner doesn’t respond, but Saul does.
I Samuel 26:17-20
David Attempts to Reason with Saul
Saul recognizes David’s voice and calls out to him like he
did at the cave of Adullam; “Is this your voice, my son
David?”
David responds without calling Saul his father, just his
lord and king.
David then asks Saul why he keeps chasing him when he
has done nothing wrong.
He tells Saul that he is willing to offer a sacrifice if the
Lord has stirred him against David.
Then he tells Saul if men have stirred him against David
then they may be cursed before the Lord.
The last part of verse 19 is interesting because it is
referring to the belief that some people held in that day
that the god you worshiped was limited to the territory of
the people who worshiped it.
It was believed that if you moved you would need to
worship the god of that territory. So, if someone
worshiped the God of Israel and moved from there they
would have to change gods.
David did not believe this of course.
David then compares Saul to someone seeking a single
flea or a partridge in the mountains.
Partridges don’t like to fly. They run in order to save
themselves and when they get tired their pursuers hit
them with a stick.
I Samuel 26:21-25
Saul’s Insincere Apology
Saul admits his sin against David and asks for him to
come back.
He also promises not to harm him and says he made a
mistake.
Saul acted how the world expects us to act.
Apologize because you got caught, not for doing
something wrong.
David is too smart to fall for this.
He tells Saul to send one of his men to collect his spear
and water jug.
David has seen that spear up close and personal three
times, he isn’t interested in seeing it a fourth time.
David reminds Saul that the Lord rewards righteousness
and faithfulness.
He knows that the Lord brought Saul into his hand and
he showed mercy and kindness to his enemy.
David did the opposite of what Saul would have done.
David wrote about the Lord rewarding righteousness in
Psalm 18:20-24
The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all his rules were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
So the LORD has rewarded me according to my
righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his
sight.”
APPLICATION
David used discernment and chose to show kindness to
his enemy. It’s not the easiest choice, but is the one God
desires from us.
Our application from the text this morning is to;
Choose Righteousness over Revenge
We must always remember that vengeance belongs to
the Lord.
It is never ours.
We should live each day seeking to be righteous because
we are filled with the Holy Spirit.