TAKING SAUL’S SPEAR
Our topic today discusses how David went about taking Saul’s spear. It is an adventurous, insightful story. As we have previously explained, this is one of David’s most suspenseful moments of trusting God.
We explored the basic bones of this story from the scriptures found in 1 Samuel, Chapter 26. In last week’s lesson. We only touched the surface. Today we want to go deeper into the meanings of this chapter.
This story of David explains how patient David is while waiting on God’s timing to become King. David could have easily killed Saul several times. He could have taken control into his own hands. However, David understood that all decisions concerning the nation and it’s King were up to YHWH. He trusted this. David was very careful that everything got done in God’s perfect timing.
WHY WAS DAVID TAKING SAUL’S SPEAR?
But why did David feel the need to take Saul’s spear? What did that achieve? Though it might have seemed like a childish prank, that wasn’t actually the case.
In taking the King’s spear, David hoped to awaken Saul to the truth. He was showing Saul that he was not the enemy. David wanted Saul to repent. He hoped Saul would turn back to obedience to God. Maybe David thought this plan worked. It seemed so when Saul acknowledged his sin aloud. This is a very rare moment of truth. Rarely ever did Saul confess if he did wrong.
Apparently, Saul was one of those people who could never bring himself to say, “thank you.” You never heard Saul say “I was wrong.” He didn’t have the vocabulary. “I am sorry I did that” was like a foreign language to Saul. This second time David spared Saul’s life was yet another chance for Saul to turn from his evil ways. David wanted to give him every opportunity. He clearly respected God’s anointed and did not want to harm Saul.
I find it refreshing and amazing that David holds absolutely no hate or bitterness toward this wayward King. Saul never gave up on destroying David. David did not hold this against Saul. He did not hate him. David wanted no revenge. He respected God’s anointed.
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Yeshua taught us to love our enemies. Perhaps this story we are reviewing today is an early example of the same thing. Maybe today’s story was meant to teach us more about how this characteristic of “loving our enemies” should be done.
We find the words of Yeshua expressed in Matthew 5:43-48. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Let’s be sure to notice Yeshua’s words. We are told to love our enemies. Nothing is said about loving our enemies as long as they love us back. This is a form of unconditional love. We love simply because YHWH first loved us. As followers of Yeshua, our actions should always imitate His perfect actions.
LIVING WITH THE ENEMIE
David spared Saul’s life for the second time in the desert of Ziph. Bedouins lived in the area. They were all loyal to Saul. These Bedouins desired to capture David. They wanted to turn him over to Saul for a reward.
It was not easy for David and his men to live in that area of the country. Living there put them under constant threats and danger. Neither is it easy for for followers of Yeshua to live in the midst of God’s enemies today. We live under the constant threats and dangerous temptations of Satan. He choses to remain the enemy of God. In this pursuit, he merely uses us like slaves.
TRUSTNG GOD FOR PROTECTION
Yet, somehow, David is able to surround Saul’s camp. He walks right into the place where the King is sleeping. Further, David walks out of the camp carrying the King’s sword and water jug. How do you explain how he got away with these actions?
What David did compared to a suicide mission. Saul slept in the middle of 3,000 men. The Commander of his army was sleeping beside him. David and Abishai walked past everyone without being noticed. They had no trouble reaching the sleeping King. Nor was it hard for them to walk away with the sleeping King’s possessions.
ABISHAI WAS A LOYAL WARRIOR
Abishai was the only one brave enough to sneak into the camp with David. He did not hesitate to volunteer. It was a pleasure for him to risk his life for his friend. His loyalty is admirable.
However, Abishai did not have the same clear discernment of this mission as David. Once they reached the King, these words were whispered to David: “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won’t strike him twice.”
Abishai’s understanding of the plan did not transpire. This is because David stopped him. Abishai must have been shocked to find David wasn’t going to allow him to kill Saul. We see Abishai acting out of the natural instincts of the human heart. The human heart is often unable to see the higher ways of YHWH.
WALKING IN GOD’S MERCY AND FORGIVNESS
David, however, was acting out of the place of God’s mercy and kindness. His answer to Abishai was. “Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” David was wise enough to realize this was not God’s will. It wasn’t Saul’s time. The proper time for defeating Saul was completely up to God, not David.
So, David said to Abishai; “The LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed.”
David, acting on his own, would destroy the evidence that God was the One who would make him King. The people would have put their trust in a man named David. They would not be trusting in The One True God of Heaven and Earth. Men will always disappoint us and fail us. God never fails. In his heart David knew he was not to avenge himself. Vengeance was and is always up to God.
A SHADOW OF YESHUA’S LOVE
Think of Yeshua being led to the cross. He was terribly abused. Yeshua never defended himself. Like David in today’s story, Yeshua was trusting in God’s timing. He gave vengeance over to YHWH. There was no room inside his heart for hate. Only love prevailed.
He knew his mission was to do God’s will. That never includes taking matters into our own hands. It never includes seeking our own selfish revenge.
When the time is right, God brings the desired results. This type of faith takes great patience and courage. It is a patience that requires dying to our own desires. Such patience means accepting God’s perfect will in every situation and circumstance.
MAN’S LOGIC VS. GOD’S LOGIC
Though loyal and willing to defend David at all cost, Abishai was probably regretting his participation in this situation. What thoughts do you think ran through his brain on the way back to David’s camp? How would he assess the success of this day later?
They carried Saul’s spear and a jug of the King’s water. These were the only evidence of their mission. That was all. In his way of thinking, Abishai must have assumed David had finally lost his ability to reason. He might have thought David had turned completely crazy. Further, when David topped the hill and shouted back for Abner (Saul’s Commander) to wake up, Abishai must have panicked.
Abner might have been trembling with fear too. He was awakened from a very deep sleep. Suddenly he is finding out that David seemed more capable of defending Saul than he and his sleepy army. I’m sure Abner was completely confused.
You have to wonder how shocked Saul was. He woke to find proof that David had once again spared his life. Surely Saul noticed that Abner and his army had slept through his near-death experience.
LIFE ISN’T ALWAYS FAIR
To David, Saul’s pursuit of his life was insane. Once again, his wise actions prove this point. David is nothing but a loyal servant, warrior and son-in-law to Saul. Yet, he lives in constant danger of Saul taking his life. This was the pattern for many years.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation?
Maybe you are a friend to someone, and they constantly turn their back on you. You forgive them. With mercy and grace you try to continue the friendship with no avail. Perhaps this person harms you for no particular reason. These actions make no sense to you. Your friend’s actions are totally illogical.
Yet, you can feel The Holy Spirit of God within your spirit. It is urging you to move on through the situation showing mercy and forgiveness. This happened to David. The same situations happen to all of us. The green-eyed monster called jealousy. which is usually caused from false insecurities, is a favorite tool of the devil.
How strange it can seem to the human mind that it isn’t our place to defend ourselves. You will do much better in the end to trust God to be the judge. Let YHWH handle the problem. He knows the beginning from the end. You can only see from the place where you are standing in the moment.
So, you smile at your friend and offer forgiveness in silence. God will know. He ALWAYS has your back. YHWH will protect you as He protected David. You must trust His timing in order for His perfect will to happen.
MORE SHADOWS OF YESHUA
Totally trusting YHWH was David’s choice. The very same trusting pattern was repeated by Yeshua on the way to the cross. Both trusted YHWH to bring about His perfect will, even to the point of death. So too must we. I can’t help but remember the words of Psalm 23, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Was this experience what provoked David to write this Psalm? I wonder.
DOING THE HARD THING
These circumstances are perfect examples for all who have the patience and endurance to continue to follow Yeshua. He called such followers “overcomers.” Life on earth is never fair. Still, we must show mercy and forgiveness. We must always trust God’s faithfulness and timing to bring about the answers to our problems. It is never an easy task. However, it always brings the best results.
This brings us to yet another conclusion about David’s character and lifestyle. The conclusion actually answers one of my questions about David’s life. Why is it always said that David was a “man after God’s own heart”? I finally think I know the answer.
It was David’s humble obedience that YHWH loved. In spite of David’s very human flaws, he trusted God. He submitted himself to God. No matter what. Obviously, David’s obedience came from sheer love and not duty. Duty would have compelled him to kill Saul. Love for YHWH compelled David to trust God to solve his problems with Saul. David loved God enough to endure the years in the wilderness. It was a love that was willing to die for YHWH’s will. David trusted God through loss-after-loss. The victories were never about David. They were always for and about the glory of God.
My friends, if you desire to capture YHWH’s heart, this is the way to live.
PRAYER: Lord, teach us to have the same humble obedience you found in David. Help us to be patient. Teach us to be courageous. Help us to wait on your will. Show us your desire in every situation. Protect us from our own human errors of judgment. For You, O God, are the one and only judge of the universe.