The Merciful Judge

1 Samuel 24

Immanuel – 7/2/23

The kings that would reign over Israel in the centuries following 1 Samuel were unbelievably evil: treacherous, greedy, unjust, even sacrificing their own children to demonic gods. Compared to them, Saul was not so bad. Generally speaking, and especially in the beginning, Saul was actually quite devout.

But things were not as they seemed. For though Saul was religious, he did not know Yahweh. Instead of a relationship with God, Saul was driven by selfish interests; even while he masked it in a pretense of piety.

Saul was much like the self-righteous of Paul’s day:

They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. -Romans 10:2

Saul was passionate for God, but he did not know Him. It’s not because God did not make Himself available: He certainly did! It’s because despite God making Himself available, Saul chose His own self-interests. Consequently, God rejected Saul as king.

This did not mean that Saul’s throne was immediately taken. It meant that Yahweh no longer supported Saul. Saul would wither on the vine. Meanwhile, God promised to raise up a better man, a man after His own heart: David. As Saul withered away, David would become stronger and stronger.

One of the places this reality is most stark is right here in our passage today.

Purpose

1. See how Saul begins to diminish while David increases.

2. In David we see shadows of Jesus and in Saul we see shadows of us.

3. Identify a pattern of conviction and repentance.

Remember from last week, there was no joy in Saul’s heart towards David; even after David had just rescued the Judean city of Keilah from the Philistines. No. Saul was flooded with a merciless hatred of David. Instead of celebrating David, Saul mustered the army of Israel to hunt down and kill David and his 600 men.

Last week we saw the people of Keilah prepared to betray David into Saul’s hand. Then the Ziphites actually did, and informed Saul of where David was hiding. A perilous game of cat and mouse then ensued: Saul the hunter and David the hunted.

Just as Saul was closing in on David, about to overtake David with overwhelming force, Saul received word that a major Philistine force had invaded Israelite lands back north. Since the entire military was with Saul, he had no choice but to abandon his pursuit of David and confront the invaders. At the very last moment, wielding the will of nations, God had rescued David.

Of course, Saul did not recognize the hand of Yahweh in the events that surrounded him. Again, all he could see was his fear and rage. For after swiftly defeating the Philistines - it would seem – Saul again takes up the hunt.

Read vs 1-2

The Philistines have been dealt with and, apparently, Saul returns to the wilderness of Ziph with his army, hoping David’s trail hasn’t gone cold. It hasn’t, very likely because of the Ziphites. It’s my guess that they again inform Saul of David’s whereabouts: the wilderness of Engedi.

The wilderness of Engedi is this broken landscape along the western edge of the Dead Sea. It’s filled with cliffs, mountains, and caves; impossible terrain for maneuvering an army. So Saul sheds the bulk of his army for an elite fighting force of 3,000. These are his special forces. And 3,000 still vastly outnumbers David’s 600.

Read vs 3a

Inside the Cave

As I have mentioned, the very many cliffs of Engedi are broken by countless caves. Some of these caves were large enough, and conveniently located enough, that nomadic sheepherders would use them as sheep pens, or sheepfolds. It's one of these caves that Saul wanders into, thinking the cave was empty.

Obviously, Saul separates himself from his men in order to get some privacy. The English polishes this up, but the Hebrew wording indicates Saul is going number 2. I point that out because it would be a lot harder to sneak up on a standing number 1. And if the Biblical author isn’t afraid to say it, why should I be?

Read 3b-4

Don’t let the humor and the irony escape you. Saul has scoured the wilderness looking for David, entirely unable to find him. Here, in this awkward moment, David has found Saul, never having looked for him.

Ever since David has been introduced in 1 Samuel, he has been in a position of vulnerability while Saul has enjoyed the position of power. Now, in this random cave, the power dynamic switches for the first time. Saul is vulnerable, exposed, compromised; and the text is not afraid to point out the embarrassing nature of it. David, on the other hand, has the upper hand. He has the power.

To David’s men, it couldn’t be any more clear: Yahweh had delivered Saul into David’s hand. This is the moment to eliminate the man driving Israel’s army to hunt them. In an entirely unexpected and providential way, this is the moment of victory.

David’s men then twist the words of Yahweh and point them at Saul. They finish with, “Do to him as it shall seem good to you.” To us their language is cloaked, but David knew exactly what they meant; for they use a common euphemism of the time. They are encouraging David to kill Saul. The kingdom has just been served up on a platter, and David’s own men tempt him with it.

Notice the foreshadowing. David is in the wilderness being tempted with the kingdom, if he would only take it. Jesus went into the wilderness to pray and fast for 40 days, and to face temptation. One of Satan’s temptations was to take an easy throne: Receive the kingdom without dying.

Back in the cave, at the urging of his men, David sneaks up on Saul with a ready knife. Right in this moment, David is in the position of judge, having the power to execute Saul for his injustices.

David responds to the temptation of his men, and yet he does not succumb. He knows it’s wrong. He knows the throne cannot come to him through murder. Instead he opts for a playful gesture, and slices off a piece of Saul’s robe. David’s immediate judgment is not death, but to show mercy.

Though I speculate, it is possible that Saul took off his outer robe and laid it aside in order to comfortably do his business. This would make it much easier for David to secretly cut a piece from Saul’s robe.

Why does David choose to do this to Saul’s robe? Though there are practical reasons for this move, there is the more symbolic reason. Remember, in 1 Samuel robes are symbols for the kingdom of Israel. David does not kill Saul, but by taking a piece of his robe he is symbolizing that he will take the kingdom from Saul.

And he immediately regrets it.

Read vs 5-7

David is the man after God’s own heart, and that heart is immediately struck by its own folly. How quickly he grieves doing what was right in his own eyes! The kingdom was not Davids to take. It was the Lord’s to give.

This whole scene in the cave is meant to remind of the time when God rejected Saul.

And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.” -1 Samuel 15:26-28

Here you can see, the Lord will give the kingdom to David – the better man. And because David is a man after God’s own heart, he knows in his heart that it is not his to take what God has promised to give.

What a lesson that is for us! All of our sins are us trying to prematurely take what God has promised to give. You want pleasure, Psalm 16:11 says everlasting pleasures are in God. You want significance: God names you His son or daughter and gives you the new heavens and new earth to rule with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You want wealth: God calls you His heir and empties heaven of all that He has for His children.

But to truly experience the fullness of these glories, you must wait. You must wait upon the Lord’s timing. Such is the nature of our faith. Believe in God’s promises and live in faithful obedience while you wait: for the fullness lies yet ahead.

With incredible clarity, that’s exactly what David understood; and that is what so thunderously struck his heart.

Notice also the rapid nature of conviction and repentance that followed David’s sin. Immediately his conscience was convicted and immediately he repented: Not just a repentance of words – though they are present – but a repentance of action where he held back his ready troops.

To be after God’s own heart is to have a conscience that is sensitive to sin. I don’t mean being sensitive to other people’s sin, but be sensitive to your own sin. Lack of sensitivity to your own sin means that you are becoming desensitized to sin. Or, to put it another way, you are searing your conscience.

Time in God’s word, time communing with your Father through prayer, time with the saints, time obeying God and serving others; all of these will help to soften and rightly calibrate your conscience.

And when your heart is convicted, you are realizing that a fissure has grown between you and your Heavenly Father. To a person after God’s own heart, this is intolerable! So a person after God’s heart, that has deviated from God’s heart, immediately wants to get back to God’s heart. You want repentance, to turn away from that sinful thing, even if it hurts; and you take action to run back to God.

As followers of Christ, that’s the pattern we all want to – need to – adopt. And that’s the pattern we see David rapidly adopt.

Read vs 8

Outside the Cave

Notice the humility, the contrition, the repentance of David as he bows to the earth and calls the enemy who mercilessly hunts him, “My lord the king!”

Who among us has such respect? If our president holds different views than us, passes laws we disagree with, then we say, “He is no king of ours!” But David’s king hunts him; and he earnestly, humbly bows himself to the ground before Saul and pays him homage – publicly honoring him.

Did not Jesus say we must give to Caesar what is his? Did not Jesus pray for those rulers and authorities who persecuted him? Did He not ask His Father to forgive his enemies as they nailed Him to the cross? Truly He did. And David, here in the Engedi, prefigures the meekness of the Son of God.

Imagine Saul’s surprise when he hears his name, whips around towards his primitive restroom, and sees David face down on the ground.

Only after displaying profound loyalty to Saul, does David address him.

Read vs 9-11

David’s speech hints of an ancient courtroom. But David is the one on trial, contending for his own innocence. He positions Saul as the judge.

“You have listened to the testimony of so many voices, but what have I done to harm you? How have I sinned against you?

(David’s sin was in his own heart and violated his relationship with God. He brought no harm to Saul, so he can rightly say that he has not sinned against Saul.)

David says that even with an opportunity to harm Saul, he did not pounce. Then he presents a piece of Saul’s robe as evidence.

But when he presents this piece of evidence, notice the shift in David’s language in verse 11. He calls Saul his father. Technically it’s true: David is married to Saul’s daughter and Saul is his father-in-law. But this is not how David means it. David shows that despite all these terrible events, and the injustice that threatens to drown him, he still loves Saul like a father.

David is not posturing. He loves this enemy as his own family. Do you see Jesus here? Jesus said:

“I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”

-Luke 6:27

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends.” -John 15:13-14

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. -Romans 5:10

We were enemies of God, like tragic Saul. But while we were enemies, God loved us so much that He died to make us His friends.

Back to 1 Samuel 24:11. There David effectively says, “Though you mercilessly seek my life, I have mercifully spared yours.” Again, David wants Saul to consider, “What have I ever done to harm you?”

Then David reminds Saul, and the nearly 4,000 men that are listening, who is truly the Judge over them all.

Read vs 12-15

When David cites the ancient proverb, out of the wicked comes wickedness, he is not saying this against Saul – though there is certainly that indirect indictment. David is saying that if he is wicked, then where is the wickedness coming out of him? What has Saul to cite against David, besides the rumors of wicked men?

David then asks Saul to consider a second argument. “Why do you hunt me? Who am I? I am as insignificant as a dead dog: Even lower, a flea!” In other words, what possible threat does David pose to Saul? He has not harmed Saul, he is loyal to Saul, he loves Saul. The king should see David as threatening as a flea.

Sandwiching this argument, David says, “May the Lord judge.” God will sift them both, and David knows that God will deliver his vindication. He knows Saul’s own action will be Saul’s undoing. As Scripture says, vengeance is the Lord’s (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19). David need not take it; he need only wait.

The only thing David asks for in his whole speech – besides Saul’s considerations – is that Saul stop pursuing him.

Read vs 16-19

The gravity of David’s actions crashes mightily upon Saul. He responds to David’s “my father,” by calling David, “my son.” Saul is reminded of better times, he cannot miss the power of David’s love and loyalty and meekness undeservedly given to him, and he weeps.

As one commentator writes, “[Saul] weeps because he must now face what he has long known. He weeps because he must now confront the truth he has avoided. In the moment of confronting the reality of David, Saul must face the truth of his own life.

No wonder he must cry, for he must acknowledge not only that David will win and that he will lose but that this whole effort to be faithful, effective, and powerful, and even ‘righteous,’ has failed.”1

Right here, as Saul weeps, we see Jesus Christ and all humanity. God calls all of us to allow the reality of Jesus to confront the truth of our own lives. Our attempts to self-justify, to be effective in this life, to be good enough, all of them will fail us when we come before the Judge of all the earth. But Christ will stand. He is truly righteous. In all the ways we have fallen, Christ has overcome.

But if we come to Jesus, trust in Him, then the forgiveness He prayed over His enemies will be ours. He will bring you into His family. He will cover you with His robes of victory and righteousness and acceptance. Whether you have believed for decades or never before, come; and by faith receive such glories from this merciful and meek King.

After publicly spending his tears, Saul then responds to David.

Read vs 20-22

We finally hear Saul say it, “I know.” The people of Israel know David will be king. The Philistines have said it. Saul’s son Jonathan has said David will be king. Jonathan has even said that Saul knows it. But now we hear it from Saul’s own mouth. David will be king. It’s the final and consummate admission in 1 Samuel.

Saul weeping has been truly sincere. From the mouth of the rejected king, David is declared Yahweh’s anointed. This admission is far more than what David asked of Saul.

Saul only asks that when David comes to power, he not destroy Saul’s family. It was the way of the world. The new ruler would seek to erase the memory of the ruler he has just displaced. History is filled with such stories of bloodshed. Saul asks that David show his lineage mercy.

Saul now wholly admits, publicly, the inevitability of David’s rise. David must increase while Saul must decrease. David agrees to Saul’s request, but it is nothing new. David already promised Jonathan that he would love Jonathan and his offspring forever (1 Samuel 20:42).

Saul receives his promise and admits defeat. He gives up the hunt and heads home. Sadly, the Bible shows us that Saul is a tragic figure; for though he was momentarily stricken by the cave, overflowing with emotion, speaking and thinking with truth, these things are just temporary for him. It’s not true repentance. Just two chapters later, Saul will take up the hunt again.

Let that be a warning. Sincerity, emotion, confession; none of that means true repentance. They are all factors in repentance. But true repentance is one that is followed by obedience, by faithfulness to God, by continuing to trust in God’s promises rather than in what you can take for yourself.

A life you try to take for yourself will take everything from you: like gaining the whole world and losing your soul. Deny yourself – die to yourself.

Repentance must be followed by trusting in Jesus. Following Him because He loved you and gave Himself for you – and you love Him. That’s the fruit of repentance.

That’s the type of repentance that floods the Almighty Judge’s heart with abounding mercy.

1Brueggemann, W. (1990). First and Second Samuel. Pg 171. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.