1 Samuel 23:13-24:20.
Then David and six hundred men with him went into the wilderness to hide. Saul began to hunt for him, but the Lord graciously delivered him from his hand. While David was hiding from Saul, Jonathan went down to him in the woods. He told him that he knew he was to be king over Israel and, he said, “I shall be next unto thee.” Jonathan then returned to his own house, for the path of remaining with David was too difficult for him. Alas, poor Jonathan never had his desire—he did not reign with David when he became king. Instead he was slain upon the mountains of Gilboa, and died with his father whose company he had chosen instead of David’s. And so with us, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him,” 2 Timothy 2:12, but if we choose the easy path, we shall miss something of the joy of reigning With Him above Jonathan was a true man of faith, but he made a sad choice to his own loss. May we be careful not to do the same. Dear young reader, how is it with you? Are you choosing this happy path of following Christ in your youth?
Saul continued hunting for David, and the men of Ziph said they would deliver him over to Saul if they found him, but they were unable to do so. Men are powerless to do any more than God allows. At last, however, Saul had David and his men hedged in, but just then the Philistines invaded the land, and Saul returned to fight against them. This gave David and his men the opportunity to find another hiding place.
When Saul returned from fighting against the Philistines, he began to hunt for David again, and at last he came right into the very cave where David and his men were hiding. Saul could not see David in the darkness; this was David’s opportunity. His men suggested that the Lord had delivered Saul into his hand, and indeed he could very easily have killed him in “self defense.” Some of his men suggested that he should do so, but David went up quietly, without Saul’s knowing it, and cut a piece off Saul’s robe.
When Saul went out of the cave, David called after him saying, “My lord the king,” and bowed himself to the ground. After this he asked Saul why he had listened to men’s words, thinking that David wanted to hurt him, for he surely did not. He told Saul he could have killed him but would not because he was the Lord’s anointed. Then holding up the piece of robe, he showed it to Saul, telling him how he had cut it off while he was asleep in the cave. He went on to say that the Lord was the judge, and that Saul’s hunting for him was like hunting for a flea or a dead dog. This lovely humble spirit on the part of David is’ so beautiful, and it broke down the heart of even wicked king Saul. What a picture of the cross, where unbelieving Israel put the Lord Jesus, and yet it became but the occasion for Him to show out the wondrous grace and goodness of His heart. While hanging there He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Saul then called David his son and began to weep. He acknowledged his guilt too, and owned that David had rewarded him good for his evil. He said that the Lord would reward David for his kindness to him. He even admitted that he knew David was to be king after him. All this, however, did not change Saul’s heart. Admitting the truth is not enough—there needs to be a turning to God in true repentance, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
M 12/12/1954