Taken from: 1 Samuel 24: 1-22
Foreword:
God wants us to respect human life. With God’s help, I can respect life….(This teaches that each person God makes is remarkably and wonderfully made. This is why it is so important to treat others with respect. When we respect ourselves and respect others, we honor God because we respect the lives that God created. We respect life by the way we treat others and by the way we take care of ourselves.)
Respect for human life means more than not taking a life. It also means not destroying a spirit.
Respecting life means treating each life as something that is of value and worth. It often means resisting the immediate cheap thrill and looking instead at long term results.
In today’s Bible story we will see several examples of how David respected life.
Fleeing for his life…….I Samuel 24: 1-3
After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of Engedi. So Saul chose three thousand special troops from throughout Israel, and went to search for David and his men, near the rocks of the wild goats. At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding in that very cave.
Let’s see what we read means:
Saul intended to kill David, and David was fleeing for his life. David had 600 men with him, but Saul had 3,000 troops in hot pursuit. David and his men hid in a cave in the wilderness of Engedi (en-GED ih). The desert hills in the Dead Sea area are picketed with caves, some large enough to comfortably hold thousands of people. It wasn’t hard for David and 600 men to melt into the landscape.
Think about it:
When you know someone is “out to get you,” how do you feel? Do you have a friend who often belittles you? How do you show respect for those who do not respect you? Keep reading and see how David did it.
Sparing a life…….I Samuel 24: 4-15
“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today is the day the Lord was talking about when he said, “I will certainly put Saul into your power, to do with as you wish.” Then David crept forward and cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. “The Lord knows I shouldn’t have done it,” He said to his men. “It is a serious thing to attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” So David sharply rebuked his men and did not let them kill Saul.
After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.
Then David shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave, and some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm him. He is the Lord anointed one. Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me. The Lord will decide between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. As that old proverb says, “From evil people come evil deeds. So you can be sure I will never harm you. Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a flea? May the Lord judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”
What did we read:
Saul and his troops searched the area near the Rocks of the Wild Goats when they arrived at Engedi (en-GED ih). While his troops were spread out over the valley, Saul stepped away for a moment and found a discreet spot just inside one of the caves. The private spot in which he chose for himself just so happened to be the very cave where David and his men hid.
Unprotected, Saul at his most vulnerable was placed right within easy reach. The men felt sure God was providing the ultimate solution for their leader. Spurred by their persuasion, David crept toward the unsuspecting Saul. However, David could only go as far as slicing the corner from Saul’s robe before he slipped back to where his men were hiding. David felt instant remorse. David knew that God would never provide an opportunity that would go against His own standards.
David explained his reasoning to the men. Anointing was symbolic of God’s power being placed upon a priest or king. With it went a sense of honor and respect.
David almost succumbed to peer pressure, which would have been a mistake that could have jeopardized his success as future king of Israel.
Think about it:
How many times have you prayed for a solution and assumed that the first one that presented itself was from God? How did David’s relationship with God help him know what action would truly honor God?
David went to the mouth of the cave and called out to Saul as he was leaving. David showed Saul the bit of cloth. Can you imagine the reflex Saul must have had? Maybe he jerked the hem of his robe around to check for the missing piece, and then looked in shock at the piece hanging in David’s hand. Saul had been intent on killing David, but in an ironic twist, David had just passed up an opportunity to kill Saul.
Respecting Life……I Samuel 24: 16-22
Saul called back, “Is that really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry. And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. Yes, you have been wonderfully kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it. Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. And now, I realize that you are surely going to be king, and Israel will flourish under your rule. Now, swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”
So David promised, and Saul went home. But David and his men went back to their stronghold.
What did we just read:
David’s words and action had a great impact on Saul. Saul’s response shows that he was amazed and humbled that David had not taken his life. Saul knew that, had the situations been reversed, he would have killed David. Saul recognized that David had chosen the course that honored God, and because of that, God would bless David.
Saul even acknowledged what God had already ordained. One day David would be the king of Israel.
Saul feared for his descendants. The custom in the ancient Near East was to exterminate all of the descendants of a deposed dynasty. Saul begged David to promise to respect the lives of his family just as David had respected Saul’s life.
David promised. He kept this promise to Saul and a similar one he made to Saul’s son Jonathan.
Think about it:
How many times have you heard someone tell with pride about a snappy comeback they had made that put someone in his place? Have you ever thought what damage that comment may have made in the long run? David chose to pass on the golden opportunity and honor God by respecting life. Even his speech to Saul was not hateful or rude. Who knows how many lives David saved that day by choosing to respect God’s anointed.
David not only respected Saul’s life by not killing him, but David showed respect for King Saul in other ways. He spoke respectfully to Saul because David knew that God had chosen Saul to be king. David did not make fun of Saul, but tried to carefully prove to Saul that he was wrong about him.
Questions
Where were David and his 600 men hiding? _____________________________________________________
How many men did King Saul take with him to pursue David? __________________________
What did David do without King Saul knowledge? ____________________________________________
When King Saul realized that David could have killed him, what did he say? ____________________________________________________
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