July 24, 2025
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Reading along with us in 1 Samuel and Mark? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Samuel 24 (NIV)
David Spares Saul’s Life
1 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.….Continue Reading
What a great chapter! What a model of grace, humility, forgiveness and honoring authority David is here. Saul did not deserve to be spared, but David was right to consider him God’s anointed. But David is also not shy to say it like it is and show everyone what his heart is to Saul and how Saul has no justification to do what he is doing. David also expresses a useful concept to us when he says let God judge between you and me, and although I will not lay a hand on you, I hope God does. It is all in the spirit of vengeance is mine saith the Lord. This keeps us from doing wrong in our hearts or our actions but then leaves things for God to handle in the way He sees fit. And like Saul, when we express that attitude to others, they usually can’t help but be humbled and see the justice of our cause. It is even more amazing that Saul actually admits that David will be king. That is something either to be humbled by or threatened by. Here he is humbled, but he has been and will continue to be threatened by it and continue to pursue David. It shows there is some light in Saul’s dark heart, which just reenforces the reality of our free will and that we become what we choose to become. And regardless of where we find ourselves, there is always a path for us to be transformed into the person God wants us to be. But we have to want it, choose it and work at it.
1 Samuel 24
1 Samuel 24
13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.
This is such a contrast to man’s typical justification of sin. Someone did something wrong first justifying a sin in return. David had reason and opportunity to kill Saul, he had been pursuing him with intentions to kill him for some time now and for what reason? jealousy? pride?
But when given the chance, David recognizes that killing Saul makes him no better. Killing Saul would be his own sin, taking a life that was not his to take. David recognizes that judgement is for God and God alone. When he explains all this to Saul and shows him that his intentions toward him have always been pure, it is nice to see Saul reflect on his behavior and feel grief for how he had been acting and even acknowledge that David was to be king, however, we know with Saul it is just a matter of time because he really isn’t following God with the same humble spirit that David is.
1 Samuel 24
1 Samuel 24 -27
David walks the line between self-defense and vengeance. He certainly could have justified killing Saul as justice and self defense, but it really would have been vengeance. His heart didn’t seek his own revenge, but trusted the Lord.
”And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. Therefore swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.” So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.“
I Samuel 24:20-22 NKJV
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1Samuel 24