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Lessons from the life of
David, King of Israel
"A man after God’s own heart."
1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22

Part III
DAVID -- THE FUGITIVE
 

Outline

On the Run
Escape #1
Escape #2
Escape #3
Principles for us

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David's victory over Goliath made him popular with King Saul, with his army, and with all Israel. The King immediately drafted him into military service. David's shepherding days were over. God gave David the same success as a soldier in full-time service that he had the day he defeated Goliath. So Saul made David an commanding officer in the army, "which pleased Saul's officers and all the other people." (1 Samuel 18:5)

David's sudden popularity made Saul jealous:

After David had killed the Philistine, he and the men returned home. Women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul. They sang songs of joy, danced, and played tambourines and stringed instruments. As they played, they sang, "Saul has killed thousands of his enemies,

but David has killed tens of thousands."

 The women’s song upset Saul, and he became very angry. He thought, "The women say David has killed tens of thousands, but they say I have killed only thousands. The only thing left for him to have is the kingdom!" So Saul watched David closely from then on, because he was jealous.

The next day... David was playing the harp as he usually did, but Saul had a spear in his hand. He threw the spear, thinking, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David escaped from him twice.

The LORD was with David but had left Saul. So Saul was afraid of David. He sent David away and made him commander of a thousand soldiers. So David led them in battle. He had great success in everything he did because the LORD was with him. When Saul saw that David was very successful, he feared David even more. But all the people of Israel and Judah loved David because he led them well in battle. (1 Samuel 18:6-16, New Century Version)

 David's best friend during this time was a young man named Jonathan, Saul's oldest son. It upset Jonathan to see his father so hostile against David. So Jonathan tried to speak to his father in David's defense. Then Saul became very angry with Jonathan. He said, "You son of a wicked, worthless woman! I know you are on the side of David son of Jesse! You bring shame on yourself and on your mother who gave birth to you. As long as Jesse's son lives, you will never be king or have a kingdom. Now send for David and bring him to me. He must die!"

Jonathan asked his father, "Why should David be killed? What wrong has he done?" Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, trying to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father really wanted to kill David. (1 Samuel 20:30-33 NCV)

 From that time on David went into hiding. The rest of 1 Samuel reports several times when David the Fugitive escaped capture or death at the hand of King Saul. But we will look at three of them.

(1) Saul and his men went to look for David, but David heard about it and went down to a rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard that, he followed David into the Desert of Maon.

Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul, because Saul and his men were closing in on them. But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking our land!" So Saul stopped chasing David and went to challenge the Philistines. (1 Samuel 23:25-28)

 (2) After Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." So he took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and began looking for David and his men near the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Saul came to the sheep pens beside the road. A cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself

 Yes, Saul went into the cave alone to go to the bathroom, as we would say today. But Saul was in for a little surprise. Now David and his men were hiding far back in the cave. David's friends encouraged him to kill King Saul, but David refused. He said to his men, "May the LORD keep me from doing such a thing to my master! Saul is the LORD's appointed king. I should not do anything against him, because he is the LORD's appointed king!" So instead... David crept up to Saul and quietly cut off a corner of Saul's robe. When Saul was finished going to the bathroom, he put his robe back on, unaware that part of the robe was missing. As soon as Saul had rejoined the rest of army, David also came out of the cave, holding up the piece of Saul's robe. When David came out of the cave, he shouted to Saul, "My master and king!" Saul looked back, and David bowed facedown on the ground. He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when people say, 'David wants to harm you'? You have seen something with your own eyes today. The LORD put you in my power in the cave. They said I should kill you, but I was merciful. I said, 'I won't harm my master, because he is the LORD's appointed king.' My father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe, but I didn't kill you. Now understand and know I am not planning any evil against you. I did nothing wrong to you, but you are hunting me to kill me. May the LORD judge between us, and may he punish you for the wrong you have done to me! But I am not against you. There is an old saying: 'Evil things come from evil people.' But I am not against you..."

When David finished saying these words, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he cried loudly. He said, "You are a better man than I am. You have been good to me, but I have done wrong to you. You told me what good things you did. The LORD handed me over to you, but you did not kill me. If a person finds his enemy, he doesn't just send him on his way, does he? May the LORD reward you because you were good to me today. I know you will surely be king, and you will rule the kingdom of Israel. Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not kill my descendants and that you won't wipe out my name from my father's family."

So David made the promise to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to their hideout. (1 Samuel 24, New Century Version)

 (3) The third escape was similar to the second. Saul led his army in pursuit of David. Then David went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, were sleeping. Saul was sleeping in the middle of the camp with all the army around him.

So that night David and Abishai went into Saul's camp. Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the army were sleeping around Saul. Abishai said to David, "Today God has handed your enemy over to you. Let me pin Saul to the ground with my spear. I'll only have to do it once. I won't need to hit him twice."

But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill Saul! No one can harm the LORD's appointed king and still be innocent! As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD himself will punish Saul. Maybe Saul will die naturally, or maybe he will go into battle and be killed. But may the LORD keep me from harming his appointed king! Take the spear and water jug that are near Saul's head. Then let's go."

So David took the spear and water jug that were near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw them or knew about it or woke up, because the LORD had put them sound asleep.

David crossed over to the other side of the hill and stood on top of the mountain far from Saul's camp. They were a long way away from each other. David shouted to the army and to Abner son of Ner, "Won't you answer me, Abner?"

Abner answered, "Who is calling for the king? Who are you?"

David said, "You're the greatest man in Israel. Isn't that true? Why didn't you guard your master the king? Someone came into your camp to kill your master the king! You have not done well. As surely as the LORD lives, you and your men should die. You haven't guarded your master, the LORD's appointed king. Look! Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"

Saul knew David's voice. He said, "Is that your voice, David my son?"

David answered, "Yes, it is, my master and king." David also said, "Why are you chasing me, my master? What wrong have I done? What evil am I guilty of? My master and king, listen to me. If the LORD made you angry with me, let him accept an offering. But if people did it, may the LORD curse them! They have made me leave the land the LORD gave me..."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Today you respected my life, so I will not try to hurt you. I have been very stupid and foolish."

David answered, "Here is your spear. Let one of your young men come here and get it. The LORD rewards us for the things we do right and for our loyalty to him. The LORD handed you over to me today, but I wouldn't harm the LORD's appointed king. As I respected your life today, may the LORD also respect my life and save me from all trouble."

Then Saul said to David, "You are blessed, my son David. You will do great things and succeed."

So David went on his way, and Saul went back home.

 

Principles for us

First, David showed loyalty and respect for King Saul, not because Saul earned it, but because David knew that it was God who made Saul king. Only God could remove Saul. David didn't really have ambitions to become king.

David teaches us how to have respect for someone in authority over us, who, by his attitude or actions has not earned respect. We show respect and loyalty for his office, his position, regardless of his personality.

Second, David shows us how to forgive someone who is unrepentant. Even though Saul was out to destroy David, David's message to Saul was, "I will not be guilty of the same offense against you of which you." Rather, David release Saul into the hands of God - either to bless him or to judge him. Forgiving an unrepentant offender does not mean, "What you did is okay." Rather, forgiving such a person simply means letting go of personal responsibility for either punishing, correcting, or transforming the offender. Forgiving such a person means emotionally letting go of that person and trusting God to deal justly or mercifully with both you and the offender as He knows is best.
 

This is a powerful lesson we learn, not only from David, but more importantly, we learn from David's greater son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and gave you an example to follow. So you should do as he did. "He had never sinned,
and he had never lied." People insulted Christ, but he did not insult them in return. Christ suffered, but he did not threaten. He let God, the One who judges rightly, take care of him. Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. And you are healed because of his wounds. You were like sheep that wandered away, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your souls. (1 Peter 2:21-25 NCV)  
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