October 21, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Cavemen Drama

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Opening Prayer

Great and Loving God, prepare me for the unexpected. Open me to a fresh touch from You today.

Read 1 Samuel 24:1-22

[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. [3] He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. [4] The men said, “This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. [5] Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. [6] He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” [7] With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way. [8] Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. [9] He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? [10] This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’ [11] See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. [12] May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. [13] As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you. [14] “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? [15] May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.” [16] When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. [17] “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. [18] You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. [19] When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today. [20] I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. [21] Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” [22] So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

“The idea of keeping in step with the Spirit reflects Paul’s word in Galatians 5:25. It carries the thought of walking in line, holding to a rule, and thus proceeding under another’s control” (James I. Packer). This keeps us on God’s timeline.

This incident would make good theater. We have a dramatic role reversal (Saul was now the vulnerable one); the humor (Saul squatting in the cave unaware he’s sharing it with his quarry); the stealthy creeping up to cut the robe (one can imagine the giggles in the background); and all the melodrama that followed. There’s more to it than that, however. Royal garments in the ancient Near East had symbolic significance (1 Sam. 15:27,28): the loss of a kingdom was portended. To take part of Saul’s robe was tantamount to seizing power. David, who had prided himself on resisting the temptation to rid himself of Saul (10), had succumbed to that of deliberately exercising power over him while he was still king. No wonder David was stricken with remorse (and took out on his men his anger with himself, vs. 5-7)!

And yet we instinctively rally to David’s support. We all know how easy it is for temptation to strike from an unexpected direction just as we think we’ve won a battle. David had waited for so long… How hard it is to keep waiting for God to make a move–and not try to hurry things along a little!

David had to wait. It was not yet God’s time for him to wear his own kingly robes (see 18:4)–and Saul’s change of heart didn’t last long, either (26:51). To cap it all, David was about to lose his supportive spiritual mentor, Samuel (25:1). There are times when we may wonder if anything will ever come right again; the waiting seems interminable. Those are the times when we are perhaps most vulnerable to the temptation to help God out–to engineer things a little. We would do well to remember David’s own words on another occasion: “I trust in you, Lord … my times are in your hands; deliver me…” (Psa. 31:14,15).

Apply

How do you handle the authority figures in your life? Have you ever sought revenge on another person? If so, take ownership of it and confess it to the Lord. Pray for that person.

Closing prayer

Sovereign Lord, my times are in Your hands. Give me the wisdom to know when I should act in my circumstances or wait for You to act. I trust in You, Lord.

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