24 March | EVERYONE

DAVID SPARES SAUL'S LIFE

"Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. And he said to his men, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.’” 1 Samuel 24:5-6

The canyon of En Gedi glided like a snake toward the west of the Dead Sea. Even today, you can see the stream flowing through the canyon, making En Gedi, with its waterfalls and vegetation, look like a tropical paradise in the middle of the desert. Along its path you can see the numerous caves that pierce the hills.

In one of these caves, David hid when Saul was hunting him down. The biblical account shows that the persecuting king was about to capture the soon-to-be king hen the Philistines arose to distract him. David's pursuit was suspended while the king and his army fought. Perhaps David thought Saul's harassment was over, but he forgot that in this life enemies stalk us incessantly. If not in one way, then in another, but life is the constant struggle against invisible enemies who wish to take away the peace of our hearts.

After defeating the Philistines, Saul continued to pursue David. He gathered three thousand warriors and went over the tops of the goats' rocks, and arriving at En Gedi, went one afternoon into the very cave where the persecuted young man was hiding. The hour of victory had come for David. The persecuting king was in his hands. His soldiers were outside, and no one would be able to defend him. David took advantage of the circumstances to cut off a piece of the king's cloak with his dagger.

However, taking hold of God's power, he gave up doing anything wrong to Saul. The Lord's anointed should be men of God. Sometimes, unfortunately, they choose paths of rebellion and evil. God had already rejected Saul as king. Despite this, David spared his life.

Take Action

After meditating on this incident, what lesson could you draw from it to apply to your life? Do you see there a victory of conscience over (apparent) convenience?