1 SAMUEL 26

1 ¶ And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?

• There is a period of time of up to 2 years between the account of Saul and David in the cave and this encounter tonight. One commentator pointedly writes, the green-eyed monster of jealousy rises up and engulfs him.
• This green eyed monster of jealousy that Saul has towards David is obviously stirred up by the Ziphites.
• Saul is right back to where he was with David 2 years ago. If sin be not dethroned and mortified, it will soon recover its strength and when a suitable temptation is presented, break out again with renewed force. A.W. Pink, The Life of David

2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

• Saul arose- Though he had otherwise resolved. Saul’s tearful confession in 24:17–21 did not last, for it was not from his heart.

• Isn’t this the same Saul who after David spared his life in the cave said that David was more righteous than he was and essentially vowed to do him no harm?
• David had already been in Ziph. The men of Ziph had betrayed him once before (1 Samuel 23.19). So why would he go back to Ziph?

Our text gives us no answer as to what David was thinking. But we do have revelation about the state of his heart at this time… Psalm 54 was written during this time.

• Ps 54:1<<To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?>> Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. 3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah. 4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. 5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth. 6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good. 7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
• If I were in David’s sandals, I think I would be saying that this being hounded and hunted by Saul is getting pretty old. Dodging spears. Having your wife taken away from you out of spite. Saul is living in a palace, and David is living in a cave.
• With all of his trials, David could have become bitter and chronically depressed. Instead, we find in this Psalm as in many others that he was a man of praise. What can we learn from this?

3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.

• Agape believe all things. David would not believe that Saul would deal so basely with him till he had the utmost evidence of it.

5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.

• Abner is the first cousin of Saul. And he is Saul’s military general or commander of the armed forces. And a very key person in the life of Saul and his administration as far as military matters are concerned.
• Back in chapter 17, we read that when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, it was this very same Abner that took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
• Saul lay in the trench. Saul slept in the middle of the circle of the camp. The camp was laid out in a way that protected the king in case of a night-time ambush.

6 ¶ Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah (David’s sister), brother to Joab (and Asahel), saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

• Ahimelech knows that it is better to be a live chicken than a dead duck so he just keeps his mouth shut, he just zips it quick and says nothing.

7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

• It would seem God had given David an opportunity to get rid of his enemy. But it wasn’t an opportunity. It was a test for David to prove whether he would take things into his own hands or wait upon the Lord.
• Abishai would not urge David to kill him himself, because he had declined doing this before when he had a similar opportunity; but he begged earnestly that David would give him leave to do it, pleading that he was his enemy. Abishai is a scrapper indeed. We will see further on that when a man named Shimei is cursing David and hurling stones at him that this same Abishai asks David if he could go up there and knock that guys block off! Honestly speaking, in some cases, it’s good to have a brother like that around!
• This is a test. Once again, David is presented with the opportunity to have his enemy destroyed. But this time, the temptation is unlike that which he presented with in the cave. In this case, Abishai is ready and willing to destroy Saul.
• What would you do if you were David? Go for a walk and come back in half and hour? Abishai basically said, “you missed your first opportunity, so don’ miss this one.”
• Selah: Circumstances that would seem to indicate that God is approving of some course of action are not in and of themselves reliable sources of the will of God. Yes, in the providence of God, Saul was in a very vulnerable position, and it would have been possible to justify killing him in light of Saul’s previous venom towards him. However, David knew that when circumstances contradict the clear teaching of the Word of God, our course of action must be determined by the will of God and not our circumstances…..thus, David’s response in the next verse.

9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?

10 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

• As the Lord lives. An oath usually associated with life-or-death matters. The sovereign God would decide when, where, and how Saul would perish, not David.
• David recognized God's sovereignty over the life of Saul and believed that God would remove him from office in His own perfect time.—Ryrie Study Notes

11 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

• David is a different man than he was when Nabal insulted him and his men. If it weren’t for Abigail stepping in, David would have gone on to murder Nabal and all of the men in his house.
• Remember when Nabal had a heart attack and ten days later he was dead? David learned that when you leave it in God’s hands and He will take care of it.

• Here, like when Saul was in the cave and vulnerable, David acts according to a Biblical principle instead of his flesh. Instead of taking matters into his own hands, he prays and leaves the matter entirely in God’s hands. In fact, that is exactly what David writes about in Psalm 54.2-5.

12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.

• Spear and the jug. Like the corner of Saul’s robe (24:4), these were taken as proof that David had Saul’s life in his hand (cf. v. 16). a deep sleep from the Lord. As with Adam in Gen. 2:21 and Abraham in Gen. 15:12, the Lord caused Saul to be unaware of what was taking place around him.
• It was a deep sleep from the Lord, who has the command of the powers of nature, and makes them to serve his purposes as he pleases. How helpless do Saul and all his forces lie, all, in effect, disarmed and chained! How easily can God weaken the strongest, befool the wisest, and baffle the most watchful! Matthew Henry

13 ¶ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:

14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

• David tells Abner that since he and the rest of the army have failed in their responsibility to protect the king, they all deserved to die.
• The spear and cruse of water-David had removed these items to prove that he had no intentions of doing anything to harm Saul, is spite of the opportunity to do so.
• David’s boldness reminds us of the boldness of some of the great men of God in history. I think particularly of Martin Luther who was asked to recount his heresies that he had written in his books and he replied before the doubt, “Unless I am convinced of error by the testimony of Scripture, and by clear reason, I cannot and I will not recant anything. For it is neither safe nor honest to act against one’s conscious. God help me. Amen.DR. S. Lewis Johnson Jr.
• Prov 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?

• David insists upon his own innocency: What have I done or what evil is in my hand? He had the testimony of his conscience for him that he had never done nor ever designed any mischief to the person, honour, or government, of his prince, nor to any of the interests of his country.

19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.

• Let Him accept an offering. David would be willing to offer an atoning sacrifice to God if there were any offense on his own part. If the Lord has stirred your heart to punish me because I’ve been wrong, if you are the instrument of chastening because I’m out of line, I need to bring an offering of sacrifice to the Lord,” David said. “My heart is to be right with the Lord.”

·      But if men (i.e., evil men) were the cause of Saul's hostility toward him, they should be judged.

·      It is as if David is asking Saul the question, is it God that is telling you to chase me or men?

·      Go, serve other gods. David believed that his exile from the land (the inheritance from God) was equivalent to forcing him to abandon the worship of the Lord, for there were no sanctuaries of the Lord outside Israelite territory.—Ryrie Study Notes

20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

• The flea represents something that was worthless and the partridge is a harmless bird, which, when attempts are made upon its life, flies if it can, but makes no resistance. Saul was wasting his time with his pursuit of David.
• Let not my blood fall to the earth; do not attempt to spill my innocent blood like water upon the ground.

21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

• I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won’t harm you, for once again you have proven that you intend to do no harm to me at all.  As in 24:17, Saul confessed his sin and wrongdoing.
• I have sinned.Pharaoh made this profession (Ex.9:27); & so did Balaam (Num.22:34); Achan made this profession (Josh 7:20); & so did Judas (Mt.27:4). True repentance is not about forming the correct words in your mouth, but meaning them with your heart! Godly repentance always results in a change of actions and attitudes.
• I have played the fool. Alan Redpath makes this very sobering comment on the words of Saul that I have played the fool:
• What is the use of saying ‘I have played the fool,’ if he goes on playing the fool? What use are his tears and confession before David if he doesn’t act upon his remorse? We sometimes see people streaming down the aisle in an evangelistic meeting with tear-stained faces. But what difference does emotion make if it does not lead to obedience? What profit is it that a heart has been stirred, unless from that moment the man lives in submission to the will of God. Indeed, it does make a difference, for if a man is emotionally upset as Saul was and awakens to his condition, but only weeps about it and still doesn’t obey God, his second state is a thousand times worse than the first. Emotion that does not lead to action only leads deeper into sin and rebellion

22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.

23 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed.

• David once again acknowledges the sovereign hand of God in the events regarding him and Saul. David also states that God does reward those who are righteous in His sight and faithful to Him.

24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

• As your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD. When David said, “I valued your life today,” he was really saying, “I risked my life for you.”

25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

• Saul owned there was a glorious future before David, for he who humbleth himself shall be exalted. There was a clear conviction in the king’s mind that David was favored by God.
• As far as Scripture is concerned, Saul and David would never meet again.

The life and writings of David prove his trust in God and compliance to His appointments.