1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26:1-25

1 Samuel 26:1-25 Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah.The reproach of the enemy Dr. Maclaren is specially emphatic in connecting Psalms 7:1-17 with this part of David’ s history, and indicates its value in helping us to understand the rapid vacillations is Saul’ s behaviour.1. It is headed Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord. That is, it is an irregular ode; like a stream broken over a bed of rocks and stones, expressing by its uneven measure and sudden changes the emotion of its author. We have often to sing these Shiggaion metres; our songs are frequently broken with sighs and groans. Happy are they who can find themes for singing to the Lord in every sad and bitter experience! 2. The title proceeds, concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. Who was this Cush? The word means black. It may possibly refer to the colour of the skin and hair, and been given as a familiar designation to some swarthy Benjamite. Some have supposed that it was David’ s title for Saul.

Others have referred it to Shimei, the Benjamite, whose furious abuse of the king, in the hour of his calamity, elicited such plaintive resignation from him, such passionate resentment from Abishai. If the psalm be carefully examined, it will be found to hear a close resemblance to the words spoken by David, when Saul and he held the brief colloquy outside the cave at Engedi, and afterwards at the hill Hachilah. On comparison of psalm and narrative it seems more than likely that, Cush was one of Saul’ s intimate friends and constant companions, and that he was incessantly at work poisoning the king’ s mind with malignant and deliberate falsehoods about David. I. Search your heart to see if these slanders have foundation in fact. Perhaps those quick, envious eyes have discerned weaknesses in your character, of which your closest friends are aware, but they have shrunk from telling you. II. If there is no basis for them, rejoice! How thankful we should be that God has kept us from being actually guilty of the things whereof we are accused! We might have clone them, and worse. III. Take shelter in the righteous judgment of God. We are his servants, and if He is satisfied with us, why should we break our hearts over what our fellow servants say? It is, after all, but a small matter with us to be judged of man’ s judgment. IV. Abjure more completely the carnal life. Why do we smart under these unkind and slanderous words, which are as baseless as uncharitable? Is it not because we set too high a value upon the favour and applause of men? V. Leave God to vindicate your good name. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)

1 Samuel 26:7

1 Samuel 26:7 Saul lay sleeping within the trench. The danger of spiritual lethargy The circumstances of Saul, and the manner in which he was treated by David, may have a warning voice to unbelievers, careless, thoughtless, and slumbering in their sins. The King of Israel was bound to David by every tie of gratitude, as to the man who had saved his life and kingdom. Yet with all unthankfulness the most flagrant did he aim if possible to destroy him. With this unrighteous purpose, he had followed David into the wilderness of Ziph, and every malignant feeling was arrayed against the man after God’ s own heart. And what is the unbeliever’ s state in reference to God? Hath not the Most High visited him with providential and spiritual mercies?

Look how eternal love is manifested, in that “ Christ hath died for him, the just for the unjust, that He might bring him to God.” What is the result? Hath this flow of goodness softened and melted him into deep repentance, adoring gratitude, and holy reconciliation? No; look how the offender is pursuing the Lord to dishonour Him–mark how the carnal mind is enmity against God. The lips, to which God hath given language, ere opened to blaspheme Him. The feet, to which He hath given motion, walk in the way of scorners. In prosecution of his unrighteous purpose, Saul had pitched in the hill of Hachilah, whither David and Abishai his sister’ s son followed him.

And when they came, “ behold Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and the spear stuck in the ground at his bolster; but Abner, the captain of his host, and the people lay round about him.” His army, confident and well appointed, were at his bidding and hard at hand; he looked for no resistance, but expected soon and safely to possess and destroy his enemy, and he fell asleep in the fulness of security. In that warfare which the rebellious sinner wages with his offended Maker, how often doth self-confidence lull his soul to sleep in the trench! His heart is lulled to sleep by the deceitfulness of sin. The very forbearance he hath received serves to deepen his lethargy. Satan leads him blindfold into danger. Jonah slept in the storm; Samson slept in the lap of Delilah, while the Philistines were upon him; Sisera slept in the tent of Jael the Kenite; and thus doth the soul without Christ sleep amidst the terrors of impending wrath.

A deep sleep had fallen upon Saul “ from the Lord.” O tremble, lest, while ye are wrapped up in this insensibility, an offended God should continue and deepen the spirit of slumber upon you in judgment. Saul slept securely, but he was in the power of his enemies. David had good reason to regard him as a foe; and how shall God regard you who depart from him? Abishai said unto David, “ God hath delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day.” Is your spiritual slumber so deep that ye cannot hear Satan express a similar desire? Doth he not long to put, forth his hand for a first and final stroke against your lives? (R. P.

Buddicom, M. A.)

1 Samuel 26:9

1 Samuel 26:9 Destroy him not.Vengeance left with him to whom it belongs Our attention has been called to the fact that the first great victory achieved by David was over his own spirit. As we pursue his history, we are glad to find that his first triumph of this noblest kind was not his last. His cruel and implacable foe, who had come out with three thousand armed men determined either to take him prisoner or to hunt him to death, was now entirely in his hands. It was a golden opportunity, and David made a golden use of it, for he refused to avenge himself, and suffered his deadly enemy to depart in peace. For three years he had lived the life of a fugitive, and in many ways and places had sought to shelter himself against the unrighteous and pitiless wrath of Saul. There were many things to enkindle his resentment and make forbearance towards Saul a most difficult virtue.

Think of what be had lost, and what he had suffered! How strangely things combined together to make the worse appear the better course! The promise and the providence of God both seemed on the side of instant and complete vengeance! But David was versed in the Law of God: and in one of the earlier books of his incomplete, but precious, priceless Bible, he had read these commandments: “ Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 12:1-8; Leviticus 13:1-59; Leviticus 14:1-57; Leviticus 15:1-33; Leviticus 16:1-34; Leviticus 17:1-16; Leviticus 18:1-30). David’ s generous forbearance touched the heart of Saul, disarmed him of his rage, melted him into tears, and constrained him to become a suppliant at the feet of the man for whose blood he had been thirsting. This second display of magnanimity on David’ s part was a greater triumph of saintly principle than the first.

All the former reasons in favour of avenging himself still existed, and in greater force, because of the additional sufferings he had endured; and now there was to be added another reason of almost irresistible power, he had cast his pearl before swine which had turned again to rend him. His kindness had been shamefully abused, and evil had been returned for his good. The King’ s life, which he had nobly spared, was consecrated afresh to the work of securing his destruction. To spare it a second time was for David to sharpen the sword by which he himself would be slain; and that surely would be charity degenerating into fanaticism. It is evident that David’ s faith in God was one of the great roots out of which all these fruits of forbearance and patience and compassion grew. He was confident that God would in His own way and in His own time fulfil the promises which had been made; and, therefore, instead of taking the matter into his own hands, he could rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

They say that “ Revenge is sweet.” There can be no doubt of the truth of this, for perverted natures have perverted tastes, and loathe what they ought to love, and banquet with delight on what they ought to abhor. David had feelings in his heart which would have been intensely gratified if he had taken vengeance on his enemy; but would not his revenge have been like the book the seer did eat in the Apocalypse, sweet in the mouth, but bitterness in the belly? Patience and meekness and forgiveness are often very hard to exercise, but when they become matters of memory, are they not things of beauty, and a joy forever? The poet tells of one who sat by the grave of the friend from whom he had parted in anger, and wept at the remembrance of his former harshness:–“ Cruel, cruel the words I said! Cruelly come they back today.” Probably there are men now sleeping in the dust who in their lifetime wronged and injured you. If you forgave them, and prayed for them, and sought to bless them, does the memory of that Christ-likeness on your part ever give you a moment’ s sorrow?

Yes, revenge may be sweet, but, like all the pleasures of sin, it is but for a season. Mercy is God’ s delight. He who receives it through Jesus secures his passport to the skies. He who learns to imitate it, lays up treasure for himself in heaven. Happy he who by the grace of God so carries himself toward them that curse him and despitefully use him, that he does not invoke his own condemnation, when, in his daily prayer, he cries, “ Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us.” (C. Vince.)Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord and be guiltless?–David’ s magnanimity I. The persons here concerned are Saul and David and the state in which the text shews us these two was that of enmity. Consider, therefore, that the prince that was his captive now, and at his mercy had somewhile since descended so below himself, as to become the envier and detractor from his praise, was poorly jealous of the honours he had purchased, and tried to blast the laurels he had gathered, at the expense oil so much painful boil and hazard; and ‘ tis no little share of grace and goodness that can restrain a young aspiring hero from taking vengeance on the maligners of his praise, and from removing all impediments in his pursuit of fame and glory. When men’ s lives are so apparently sought after, they usually lay all respects aside, and listen to the dictates of unruly Nature. He was a false, perfidious prince. Nothing affects a generous mind so sensibly as being cheated under shew of friendship; and treachery is never viler than when ‘ tis covered with the mask of godliness.

But further, be was perjured. He had but lately taken a solemn oath before the Lord and Jonathan, David should not be slain. And when a prince has thus abandoned common honesty, broken the sacred cords that knit societies, and keep up governments and mutual correspondences, he is justly delivered into the hands of those whose innocence and good credulity he had imposed on, and abused almost to their destruction. Oh, what a mighty measure of God’ s grace must fill the heart of him that then could say, “ The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord’ s anointed.” There are some things besides our lives and persons, in which, if we are touched, we think ourselves extremely injured; and they are specially our friends, our fortunes and religion; and David was in every one of these affected more or less by Saul’ s implacable pursuit, and hunting after him. But notwithstanding all this, great as he was in court, great as he was in camp, and greater yet in favour of the people, he would not venture on the impious fact, still it was, “ The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord’ s anointed.” ‘ Tis surely with ambition, as with other passions, the imaginary joys are greater than the experienced and substantial ones: The hopes and expectations far exceed the pleasures of possession. Whatever cares belong to crowns, they lie concealed within their circles, and are more seldom seen than felt.

But this temptation found no place with David, young, and gay, and vigorous as he was and even so near the crown, Ahab by conniving at Abishai’ s blow, he might have been in full and sure possession of it; yet he suffered not himself to be transported beyond the bounds of rigid honesty and loyalty, and still cries out, “ The Lord forbid.” Now, to conclude, and to complete this character, and lastly, to these great advantages of being son-in-law, a mighty man of valour, and accepted in the sight of all the people, of knowing Saul rejected, and himself designed for successor, the greatest yet of all advantages, and that is opportunity; that without which all others signify but little; and that with which alone men serve their turns, and make up the defects of all the rest; that pander to all sin, and fatal snare of virtue! That has ruined many thousand souls and betrayed them into most detestable commissions. Opportunity, that few have virtue, few have strength sufficient; to withstand, and of all opportunities, none are so strong, and work so powerfully upon the minds of men as those that look providential ones, and seem to come from God. Yet this was David’ s opportunity, and yet withstood. II. Consider the reason David gave for his refusal of Abishai’ s and the soldiers’ proffer, “ It is the Lord’ s anointed.” The laws of God did certainly secure the lives of kings as well as other men’ s, if it did no more. The Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come, or he shall perish in the battle, that is, I leave him to God’ s disposal; let God, the Judge of all the earth, do with him as he pleases. And though we think the leaving wicked kings to God is the lightest and the kindest expression of nothing in the world that can be; yet we would quickly alter our opinions and be of David’ s mind, if we would give ourselves leave to consider:1. That he hates injustice more.2. That he is much more ready.3. Much more able to punish it than we can be. (W. Fleetwood.)

1 Samuel 26:21-25

1 Samuel 26:21-25 Then said Saul, I have sinned.Saul’ s second reconciliation When a man like Saul has wept, and spoken words so morally noble, it is but fair to credit him with sincerity and permanence. At the time of his reconciliation he meant every word he said. Yet in a brief period we find Saul going down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men to seek David, who had been reported as hiding himself in the hill of Hachilah. Then came the gush of emotion upon the part of Saul. The weapon which conquered him in the first instance conquered him also in the second. Forbearance was mightier than weapons of war. The sword has slain its countless thousands, but love holds the universe in sweet and glad captivity. I. It is proved that the deepest and sincerest emotion may be transient in its moral effects. We left Saul reconciled; we find him again in arms. There are two things which are often mistaken for Christian feeling.1. Selfish gratitude for unexpected preservation. 2. Admiration of moral nobleness in others. See bow this is applicable to hearers of the Gospel. Men hear of Jesus Christ’ s sympathy, love, beneficence, etc. Feeling may be exhausted. “ Past feeling.” II. It is shown that self-control is in proportion to the estimate formed of the Divine element that is in man. How was it that David withheld his hand when Saul was delivered over to him as lawful prey? Human nature said, Strike; another voice said, Forbear! Twice David might have slain Saul, and twice he spared his life. We want to know the secret of this marvellous self-control.

We find it pithily stated in the interview between Abishai and David. Abishai said, “ Thine enemy.” David said, “ The Lord’ s anointed.” Two different views of the same man! The one narrow, selfish, superficial; the other profound and true. So it is with every man: he is not to be measured merely by his personal relations to ourselves. Pray to see the highest and divinest aspect of every man’ s character. We shall thus be enabled:1.

To hope something even of the worst; and2. to do something in the negative work of sparing, even where we cannot do anything in the positive work of reclaiming. Paul had respect even for a weak man, not because he was weak, but because Christ died for him. By taking the highest view of man, he was enabled to do many things for the sake of the Christ that was in him. “ But when ye so sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.” III. It is shown how much better it is to trust our interests to the working out of Divine laws than to care for them with narrowness of spirit. “ As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him,” etc. Why fight with thy own poor weak fist? etc. Why prefer murder to Divine retribution? Why narrow down bureau life to a paltry duel? etc. The battle is not yours, but God’ s. Shall not God avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? IV. It is clearly shown that flight from danger is perfectly compatible with the highest courage. David was never chargeable with cowardice, yet he escaped like an affrighted man. “ If they persecute you in one city,” etc. There is a time to fight (Goliath); there is a time to fly (Saul). The one was an uncircumcised Philistine, the other was the Lord’ s anointed. Understand that there are differences of conquest. David conquered Saul as surely as he conquered Goliath. God sees His own image in us. To recover it he sent His Son. (J. Parker, D. D.)