Rev. Don Campbell
1 Samuel 21-24
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, April 14, 2019
“LETTING GOD SETTLE ACCOUNTS”
The dye is cast; God has chosen a man after his own heart to succeed the Saul. David was willing to patiently wait for God’s plan to take its course, but Saul was not. The battle between Saul and David took on Robin-Hood-like qualities, as David and his men seem always one step ahead of Saul. Anyone whom Saul perceived as giving aid to the enemy paid dearly. Ahimelech the priest had fed David and his men with the bread of the Presence (1 Samuel 21:1-6). It not only cost him his life but the lives of all who lived in Nob, the city of the priests. Even at Saul’s command, no Israelite soldier would put their hands against the priests, so Saul ordered a mercenary named Doeg, who was an Edomite to do the dirty work. Doeg obliged and killed 85 priests, plus men, women, children, infants, and animals (1 Samuel 22:18-19).
Saul relentlessly continued to pursue David who had taken refuge in the wilderness of Engedi. David and his men were hiding in a cave when Saul came in to relieve himself. David’s men saw this as David’s opportunity to strike a blow for God himself who had given the kingdom to David. David refused to do so but cut off the corner of Saul’s rob. David followed Saul out of the cave, showed him the piece of his robe, pointing out that if he had wished to do so, he could have killed Saul. David then said, “See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you” (1 Samuel 24:11-12). David was willing to let God settle the account between himself and Saul.
Let’s fast forward to Saul’s final battle. It was not with David but with the Philistines. Badly wounded by an arrow Saul asked his armor-bearer to finish him. He refused, so Saul fell on his own sword (1 Samuel 31:1-7).
When David heard the news, he and his wept and fasted for Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:11-12). Lesser men would have boasted something like this: “Didn’t I say that the Lord would judge between me and you?”
David mourned, because he was a man after God’s own heart and God does not rejoice even in the death of the wicked: “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11).
David’s son, the wise king Solomon teaches, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him” (Proverbs 24:17-18).
CONNECTIONS
1. It is easy—at least sometimes—to say, “I’ll let God judge between me and my enemies,” but harder to not rejoice when God decides in our favor. Do you ever struggle with this or are you one of those super-saints who has no enemies?
2. Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.” What kind of world would we enjoy today if we truly tried to make our enemies our friends?
