1 Samuel 26

“But David said to Abishai, ‘Don’t destroy him, (Saul) for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be blameless?’ David added, ‘As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him down: either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. However, because of the Lord, I will never lift up my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.’” 1 Samuel 26: 9-11 (HCSB)

The emphasis of today’s passage falls on the conversation between David and Abishai. It can be expected that Abishai assumed he was signing up for a commando raid, wherein Saul (and perhaps Abner as well) would be assassinated. In any case, in a scene reminiscent of the last time David spared Saul’s life, the soldier was convinced the Lord had led David to sleeping Saul for the express purpose of killing him. Abishai whispers theological advice to David, “Today God has shut your enemy up into your hand - and now let me nail him to the ground with my spear. I won’t need more than once.” David corrects Abishai’s theology, “Don’t destroy him, for who can put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed and remain innocent?

David must have learned something back in chapter 25 with Nabal’s death. The Lord struck down David’s enemy when David relented from acting foolishly. David learned that the Lord can handle such matters when left into His hands. David suggests the Lord may operate in the same manner with Saul, or He may not. There are numerous possibilities for how the Lord may work. What David really needed to focus on was not the Lord’s method of punishing Saul but his own faithful obedience.

We would do well to learn a lesson here! Our primary goal in life should be to seek God’s Word and obey it. We must not run ahead of God’s timing. Rather, we should wait on The Lord to accomplish His purposes in and through our lives.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

David pondered the same thing: How did they sneak past those army guards? Surely, it was the Lord!

“So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a sound sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.” 1 Sam 26:12 (NASB)

I believe David knew Who had allowed their stealth passage and that there was a high probability that God would have awoken every soldier in the camp if David and Co. had sinned by attempting to kill Saul! The practical life of a believer, complicated as it may seem at times, can be summed up into two simple components: Seek God’s Word and obey it. They are companions to the two principles of Scripture that Jesus said on which the Torah and the Prophets hang.

“He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 (HCSB)