QT 18 Aug 18, 1 Sam 26:15-21, Saul lacks conviction and direction because he has no true heart for God or his word

1 Samuel 26:15–21 (ESV) — 15 And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. 16 This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.” 17 Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” 18 And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? 19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.” 21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.”

NOTE: Twice now David has had opportunity to kill Saul and he has refused to lift his hand against God's anointed. David argues that he has done nothing wrong and he is not worth the King's time. Technically, the only person worth this effort would be a usurper, and David has definitely proved that his is not. Actually, David is a threat, not to Saul, but to Saul's line (which doesn't seem to bother Jonathan), and even more importantly, to the tribe of Benjamin. If David is not eliminated, in time, the tribe of Benjamin will lose their power and their cushy jobs to the tribe of Judah. That is how the system works, although David will try to parse out jobs to others besides fellow Judahites when he is king. No, the real reason for this emphasis on getting David is probably being fueled by other Benjaminites. They are a bad effect on Saul's feeble psyche. Saul is like a leaf blown to and fro by the wind. In this passage, Saul confesses his sin as he has done on other occasions, and except for David's next steps (he runs away to the Philistines), he would be back to the task of hunting down David shortly. Saul lacks stability. Unlike David, the word of God is not important to Saul. He has no heart for God and as such he is directionless.