26:5-9Abishai showed great courage when he volunteered to go into Saul’s camp with David. In the heat of emotion, Abishai wanted to kill Saul, but David restrained him. Although Abishai was only trying to protect David, his leader, David could not hurt Saul because of his respect for Saul’s authority and position as God’s anointed king. Abishai may have disagreed with David, but he also respected the one in authority over him. Eventually he became the greatest warrior in David’s army (2 Samuel 23:18, 19).
Life Application Study Bible1 SamuelChapter 26
1 Samuel 26
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 452, 453, 454
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
261 Samuel 26
David Spares Saul Again
146 Now some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah to tell him, “David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which overlooks Jeshimon.” 2So0 Saul took 3,000 of Israel’s elite troops and went to hunt him down in the wilderness of Ziph. 3Saul camped along the road beside the hill of Hakilah, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness, the sent out spies to verify the report of Saul’s arrival. 5David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors. 6Who will volunteer to go in there with me?” David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother. “T'll go with you,” Abishai replied. 7So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him. 8"God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!” 8“No! 9David said. 11Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the LORD’s anointed one? Surely the LORD will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. 1 The LORD forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!” 12So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the LORD had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep. 13David climbed the hill opposite the camp until he was at a safe distance. Then he shouted down to the soldiers and to Abner son of Ner, “Wake up, Abner!” “Who is it?” Abner demanded. 15“Well, Abner, you're a great man, aren‘t you?” David taunted. “Where in all Israel is there anyone as mighty? So why haven't you guarded your master the king when someone came to kill him? 6This isn’t good at all! I swear by the Lor that you and your men deserve to die, because you failed to protect your master, the LORD’s anointed! Look around! Where are the king's spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?” ‘Saul recognized David's voice and called out, “Is that you, my son David?” And David replied, “Yes, my lord the king, 18Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime? *9But now let my lord the king listen to his servant. If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my offering. But if this is simply a human scheme, then may those involved be cursed by the LORD. For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the LORD’s people, and they have said, ‘Go, worship pagan gods.’ 20Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of the LORD? Why has the king of Israel come out to search for a single flea? Why does he hunt me down like a partridge on the mountains?” 21Then Saul confessed, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try 26:21 to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong. ” ei 22Here is your spear, O king,” David replied. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. 23The LORD gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the LORD placed you in my power, for you are the LORD’s anointed one. 24Now may the LORD value my life, even as I have valued yours today. Mayherescueme from 26:24 all my troubles.”. al 25And Saul said to David, “Blessings on you, my son David. You will do many heroic deeds, and you will surely succeed.” Then David went away, and Saul returned home. 26:23 1 Sam 24:19
5. Saul’s defeat and death
David among the Philistines
Life Application Notes 5 notes
26:8ffThe strongest moral decisions are the ones we make before temptation strikes. David was determined to follow God, and this carried over into his decision not to murder God's anointed king, Saul, even when his men and the circumstances Seemed to make it a feasible option. Who would you have been like in such a situation—David or David's men? To be like David and follow God, we must realize that we can’t do wrong in order to execute justice. Even when our closest friends counsel us to do something that seems right, we must always put God’s commands first.
26:9Why did David refuse to kil! Saul? God had placed Saut in power and had not yet removed him. David did not want to Tun ahead of God’s timing. We are in similar situations when we have leaders in church or government who are unfaithful or ‘incompetent. It may be easy for us to criticize or move against a leader oblivious to God’s hidden purposes and timing. Deter- Mining not to do wrong, David left Saut’s destiny in God's hands. While we should not ignore sin or sit back and allow evil leaders to carry on their wickedness, neither should we take actions that are against God's laws. We should work for righteousness while trusting God.
26:15,16David could have killed Saul and Abner, but he would have disobeyed God and set into motion possible cycles of vengeance and assassination. Instead, he took a spear and water jug, showing that he could have killed the king but had not done it. And he made the point that he had great respect for bath God and God's anointed king. When you need to make a point, look for creative, God-honoring ways to do so. it will have a more significant impact. Mediterranean ==we Saul winch —t. SAUL CHASES DAVID The men of Ziph again betrayed David to Saul, who was in his palace in Gibeah. Saul took 3,000 troops to the area around Horesh in order to find David. David could have killed Saul, but he refused. Saul, feeling foolish at David's kindness, returned to Gibeah, and David went to Gath.
26:25Saul had opportunities to kill David, but he never did. Why? First, every time David and Saul were face to face, David did something generous for Saul. The king did not want to respond to David’s kindness with cruelty in front of all his men. Second, David had a large following in Israel. By killing him, Saul would risk his hold on the kingdom. Third, God had appointed David to become king of Israel and was protecting him.