May the Lord Be Our Judge

1 Samuel 24:1-22

Key verse 24:15

“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.”

Introduction

The first Adam failed to reach God’s glory for he chose what seemed to be an easy and quick way. But it turned out to be wrong way. The second Adam (Jesus Christ) was offered an easy way by the devil at the beginning of his public ministry to bypass the life of suffering. But he refused the offer and chose to live a life of cross according to God’s will. In the same way David shows a good example in choosing God’s way. 

1. Read verses 1 - 4. What does Saul hear about David after returning from pursuing the Philistines? (1) What does Saul do in order to look for David and his men? (2) What do the men suggest to David when Saul goes in the cave to relieve himself? (3-4a) What does David do to Saul? (4b)

1-1) Read verses 1 - 4. 

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^[ HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+24&version=NIV" \l "fen-NIV-7844b" \t "_blank" ^b] 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.

1-2) What does Saul hear about David after returning from pursuing the Philistines? (1)

After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 

1-3) What does Saul do in order to look for David and his men? (2) 

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.

3000 vs 600

1-4) What do the men suggest to David when Saul goes in the cave to relieve himself? (3-4a) 

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.’”

David’s men asked him to take advantage of this opportunity. 

It reminds us of Jesus’ brothers who asked Jesus to go to Jerusalem to show up himself in public for popularity. (John 7:3-4) But God’s will was different! Jesus ignored what he had said and continued to obey God’s will through denying himself and taking up his cross.

1-5) What does David do to Saul? (4b)

Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

2. Read verses 5 - 7.  How does David feel about cutting off a corner of Saul’s robe? (5) What does David say to his men? (6) How does David rebuke his men? (7)  What do you notice about his example? (Psalm 2:2b)

2-1) Read verses 5 - 7.  

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.

2-2) How does David feel about cutting off a corner of Saul’s robe? (5)

⁵ Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 

2-3) What does David say to his men? (6)

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.” 

2-4) How does David rebuke his men? (7) 

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.

2-5)  What do you notice about his example? (Psalm 2:2b)

i) David might have said to himself, "I won't kill Saul; instead I will just cut off the corner of his robe"? 

David knew God's promise for him which said, "You will inherit the throne of Israel." He knew that Saul was in the way. 

But he believes that it’s up to God to take care of Saul. 

David refused to try and fulfill God's promise through his own disobedience.

ii) Sometimes, when we have a promise from God, we think we are justified in helping the promise to be fulfilled even through sinning.

David would have found many excuses to justify killing Saul by saying, "It was self-defense. It's all right, because God promised me the throne anyway." 

"This is a God-given opportunity and I should take it." Or even, "I'm just so tired of running away and fighting Saul. Enough is enough." 

But David refused to make any such excuses, and had an obedient trust in God.

iii) David knew how to wait for the LORD. "We wait on the Lord by patience and submission."

In all this, we also see that David's heart didn't store up bitterness and anger towards Saul. 

Even as Saul made David's life completely miserable, David kept his heart from the hurt and the bitterness. 

Otherwise he wouldn't tolerate to resist the temptation to kill him at such opportunity.

iv) David's heart troubled him: What a conscience David has had! Many people would only be troubled because they did not take the opportunity to kill Saul if they were David. 

David only cut off the corner of Saul's robe, yet his heart troubled him. Why?

It is because the robe was a symbol of Saul's royal authority, and David felt that he was against God’s appointed authority. (Ps 2:2b)

David expresses this when he said, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD's anointed . . . seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

v) David knew better than anyone that Saul was a leader having a lot of problems, yet it was up to God’s authority - and David would not put his hand on him.

So David restrained his servants with these words. David not only kept himself, but also restrained his servants also. 

In this way he helped his men to obey God too. 

When David's men saw how godly David was, and how much he wanted to please God in everything, their hearts were moved and restrained.

3. Read verses 8 - 15. What does David do? (8) What does David say to Saul? (9-11) What does David ask God to do? (12,15) What does David tell Saul? (13-14)

3-1) Read verses 8 - 15. 

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 listenwhen 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 wrongedyou, but you are hunting me down to take my life. ¹² May the LORD judgebetween 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 decidebetween us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicateme by delivering me from your hand.”

3-2) What does David do? (8) 

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. 

David could have simply remained in the cave. But he showed himself. 

David showed great submission to Saul: My lord the king . . . David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed twice. 

Saul might have tried to kill David easily at that moment, but David trusted that if he did what was right before God, God would protect him and fulfill the promise.

3-3) What does David say to Saul? (9-11) 

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.

David speaks in the way that others are accountable for this happening instead of Saul himself and he called Saul as his father. 

Love covers sins. David approaches him with God’s love.

3-4) What does David ask God to do? (12,15) 

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. 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.”

Let the LORD judge between you and me: David referred the matter to the LORD. David would let God be his judge. 

It was inevitable that Saul would be judged, and that he would lose the throne. But it was absolutely God's business to do it. 

Jesus established the same principle in Matthew 18:7 

“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!”

3-5) What does David tell Saul? (13-14)

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? 

David personally believed in God’s sovereignty. He believed that the LORD would be the judge and judge all things righteously.

2 Peter 2:9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

If he killed Saul, according to an old saying, “from evildoers come evil deeds,” David himself would commit evil. Therefore David entrusted it to the LORD. 

Again he waited with patience in suffering. He could do so because he believed in God’s sovereignty. 

David did not try to change his situation or become a king by eliminating Saul. Instead he sought for God’s will while suffering unjustly. 

He was God-centered; his heart was seeking the ways to serve God’s will. 

The most important things for those who serve God and for those who want to be God’s servant are honoring God and having faith in God’s sovereignty. 

4. Read verses 16 - 22. How does Saul respond to David? (16-19) What does Saul say about David? (20) What is Saul’s request? (21)  What does David do? (22a)  Where does Saul go, and where does David go? (22b)

          

4-1) Read verses 16 - 22. 

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 deliveredme 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.

4-2) How does Saul respond to David? (16-19) 

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 deliveredme 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. 

Both David's obedience to God and his pure love to Saul made all the difference in softening Saul's heart.

Every change David could have hoped for in Saul has happened, and Saul really seems sincere about it at least now. But it was a beginning.

4-3) What does Saul say about David? (20)

²⁰ I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.

Saul knew it all along (1 Samuel 23:17), but now he really confesses it.

4-4) What is Saul’s request? (21)  

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.”

4-5) What does David do? (22a)  

²² So David gave his oath to Saul. 

4-6) Where does Saul go, and where does David go? (22b)

i) Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

David could have gone to Saul’s palace or at least his own house.

But he chose to not do so in order to pray and know what the Holy Spirit directed him to do. 

Although Saul did repent of his sins and soften his heart at this time, but who knows? David went through such experience in Chapter 19:8-10. 

David wants to see the true repentance in Saul’s deed and life. 

ii) Likewise when we engaged in raising disciples, we better not deceive ourselves in trusting in our sheep according to their lip service. 

We must put certain distance and be prayerful until the right fruit comes out and God’s time comes for God’s approval/qualification. It is a hard life for godly love!

In conclusion)

This passage shows how to win the battle through David’s good example. Instead of finding an easy way out of his trial, David did the harder thing - he trusted in God to deliver him. And instead of trusting in himself, he absolutely believes God’s provision and authority for God is Sovereign Lord over all. Often times we are tempted to despair with so many negative things happening in making disciples. But David’s attitude inspires us a lot in that we may serve the Lord absolutely to bear fruit for his own glory. May the Lord help each of us to live according to the guidance of the absolute truth and the Holy Spirit without compromising or merely waiting for opportunity. 

One word: Let the Lord judge!