1 Samuel - The Coming King Sample

Chapter 26 echoes chapter 24. The setting to the story is very similar to chapter 24, with, once again, Saul pursuing David to kill him, and David showing restraint as the Lord gives Saul into his hands. We see here that David has grasped something deeply which we all need to grasp: our rise and fall are in the Lord’s hands (vv. 9–10). Even while he is on the run, and in a position of weakness, David knows that the Lord is in control of everything. 

We see his faith at work in the story, as his actions prove to be even bolder than in chapter 24. Whereas in that chapter Saul happens to wander into the cave where David is hiding, here David deliberately enters the heart of the enemy camp where Saul is (vv. 5, 7). Convictions about the Lord’s sovereign control (which we see in vv. 8 and 12) give David courage and restraint in attacking Saul (v. 10). In fact, David is, to Saul’s humiliation, able to steal Saul’s spear. This spear was both a symbol of Saul’s power and the very thing that Saul had previously used to try to kill David (18:11; 19:9). The end result is a clear conscience for David (vv. 17–20) and the conviction of Saul’s conscience (v. 21). 

We should think hard about David’s words in verses 23–24. David knows that the Lord is the one who rewards, gives, values and delivers. If we believe that, we’ll be able to imitate both the courage and the restraint of David in our own lives. Innocence is one of the first casualties when we’re in conflict with people, but it’s worth fighting for. We can be courageous today because the Lord is in control of every enemy that threatens us. And yet, in being courageous, we don’t need to take the law into our own hands precisely because the Lord is in control.

REFLECTION

1. Give the Lord thanks today for all the ways in which he is in control of your life.

2. Do you need more God-centred restraint at the moment, or more God centred courage?