1 Sam
24:1-5, 8-10, 16-17, 20-22 (ESV) 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. ….
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.' …
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. … 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.
NOTE: There are
three major points. One, David does not take things (his future) into his own
hands, even though he has opportunity to do so. David is willing to wait upon
God for his future. Secondly, David's righteousness has a calming influence on
Saul causing him to weep and repent of his evil intent. It won't last long, but
it is one of those rare moments in Saul's latter days where he shows a
semblance of wisdom and respect for truth. Because David lived his life doing
what was right, he had that effect upon others. Third, both David and Saul know
that David will someday be King. David pledges to protect Saul's family, which
is always a difficult thing to do where royal lines are involved. There will
always be people who think they have a right to the throne based on birth.
David leaves open the possibility of a back-stabbing, which will later happen,
but he does it because he made a pledge and it is the right thing to do. David
is good example of a man in touch with his emotions and his masculinity. He is
confident in who he is. He is committed to being a man of God. He cares for
others above himself. He truly is a great example of leadership, humility,
respect, and rightness of action.
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