Loving Your Enemy Series

Let’s read it - 1 Sam 26:1-25.

I believe you have this feeling that you read this before. This encounter is very similar to the one in chapter 24 when he was in the cave in En Gedi.

• David got so close to Saul he could cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. In this chapter, he took Saul’s spear and water jug.

• Both times David could have easily ended his misery by taking Saul out, but he did not.

It was a CHOICE he made. He was not coerced into making it. It was a deliberate decision on his part.

• The guiding principle is clear – this is not God’s will. He says, “He does not want to raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed.” (cf. 24:6)

MAKE CHOICES THAT REFLECT GOD’S WILL

If David can do that, we can do that. By God’s grace, choose to do God’s will. It not only glorifies God, it will bless you.

The Ziphites informed Saul that David was hiding nearby and he came with 3000 men to comb the area.

• He had been taking his huge army in pursuit of David. This is really sad.

• David took 600 men to fight their real enemy, the Philistines and defend Keilah (1 Sam 23) but Saul took 3000 men to hunt down one of his own.

David got news that Saul has come and encamped nearby. Here is the interesting part - he decided to infiltrate the camp.

• He took one of his men ABISHAI and sneaked into Saul’s camp at night.

• Everyone was in deep sleep and Abishai said, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won’t strike him twice.” (26:8)

‘I will do a neat and clean job. This is God-given opportunity.’

• We cannot blame him; this is the natural impulse in all of us.

• David has SIX reasons to kill Saul that night: (1) Saul is the guilty one (David is the victim of wrongful treatment), (2) he has a good opportunity, (3) he has the weapon needed, (4) he has the man to do it, (5) he has the support of his comrades, (6) he has a high chance of success.

Everything screams at him to JUST DO IT. The Nike’s call.

• But that’s everything that comes from the FLESH, the desires of the flesh.

• Gal 5:16 says DO NOT GRATIFY the desires of the flesh. WALK by the Spirit.

RELY ON THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GUIDANCE

David was against it. He wasn’t there for this! This is not his goal, neither is this the will of God! Listen to what he says (sense the tone, it’s a reprimand):

• 26:9-11 “9But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless? 10As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed.”

This is similar to what he said in chapter 24 when he cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He was conscience-stricken by it (24:5). He rebuked his men for such a thought (24:7).

Clearly, killing Saul wasn’t his goal. He gave two reasons:

• (1) It wasn’t his place. “Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” The answer is, NO ONE.

• Even if Saul is ungodly or corrupt, he is still God’s anointed and no one can take his life without guilt.

• (2) It wasn’t the right time. “The LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed.”

• I don’t know WHEN and HOW God will do it, but one thing is sure, it’s not MY JOB.

It is not our place to take revenge, even if we are wronged.

• We cannot be sure WHAT is considered a RIGHT judgement or WHEN is it a RIGHT time.

• This explains why God does not want us to take revenge.

• Leave that to Him. He is perfectly capable of righting the wrongs done to us, in His own way and time.

Instead, David asked Abishai to take Saul’s spear and water jug.

• Imagine this, Abishai must be thinking, “Yah, right. We come all the way here, through all the dangers, just to steal his water bottle!”

• Why do you think David take such a risk when killing Saul isn’t his objective?