Revenge… Most of us have thought about revenge a time or two in our lives. Someone has done us wrong, embarrassed us, took advantage of us, lied on us, or in some other way sinned against us and we think of just how nice it would be to see them get what was coming to them. This is especially true if they seem to have gotten away with it, or if they did us wrong for no fault of our own.
This is where David finds himself in the text. For no fault of his own, he finds himself being treated as an enemy by the most powerful figure in the land, King Saul. David has to flee for his life, and remember, he had done nothing to bring this hatred against himself.
Then the chance comes for David to get his revenge. Saul is right in front of him. He can get revenge and even get away with it. Observe what David does. Would you do the same?
1 Samuel 23:7–24:22 (MEV)
7 It was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand. For he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.”
8 Then Saul summoned all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 David found out that Saul was planning evil against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod near.”
10 And David said, “O Lord, God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on account of me.
11 Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.”
12 Then said David, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”
13 So David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and left Keilah. And they went wherever they could go. Now it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. So he halted the expedition.
14 And David remained in the wilderness in strongholds, and dwelled in mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
15 Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh.
16 Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose and went to David at Horesh. And he strengthened his hand in God.
17 He said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you. Saul my father knows this.”
18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul to Gibeah saying, “Is David not hiding himself with us in strongholds in Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon?
20 Now, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down. And our part will be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”
21 Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord. For you have had compassion on me.
22 Please go, make sure again. Investigate and see the place where his foot rests, and who has seen him there. For it has been said to me that he is very cunning.
23 So look and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself. And come to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it will be that if he is in the land, then I will track him throughout all the clans of Judah.”
24 So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the desert south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul and his men went to seek him, but they told David. Therefore he came down to the Rock, and lived in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the Wilderness of Maon.
26 Saul went on this side of the mountain and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away from Saul. Now Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
27 But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Hurry and go! For the Philistines have invaded the land.”
28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and he went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.
29 David then went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
1 When Saul had returned from following the Philistines, it was reported to him, saying, “David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.”
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the rocks of the wild goats.
3 He came to the sheep pens by the way and a cave was there. And Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the rear of the cave.
4 The men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘I am giving your enemy into your hand. You may do with him as seems good in your eyes.’ ” Then David arose and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.
5 Afterward David’s heart troubled him because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him. For he is anointed of the Lord.”
7 So David dispersed his men by these words and did not let them rise against Saul. And Saul arose from the cave and went on his way.
8 David arose afterward and went out from the cave. And he called after Saul saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David had bowed down with his face to the ground and paid homage.
9 David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men saying, ‘David seeks your harm’?
10 This day you have seen with your own eyes that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave. So that some said to kill you, but my eye had compassion on you. And I said, ‘I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is anointed of the Lord.’
11 See, my father! Look at the corner of your robe in my hand. Indeed, I cut off the corner of your robe, but I did not kill you. Observe and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hand. I have not sinned against you, but you are lying in wait for my life to take it.
12 The Lord will judge between me and you, and the Lord will avenge me on you, but my hand will not be against you.
13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness,’ but my hand will not be against you.
14 “After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? A single flea?
15 May the Lord be judge, and decide between me and you. And may He see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”
16 When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 And he said to David, “You are more righteous than I. For you have rewarded me with good, while I have rewarded you with evil.
18 And you have shown today that you have dealt well with me, when the Lord delivered me into your hand and you did not kill me.
19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him safely go away? Therefore may the Lord reward you well for what you have done for me this day.
20 Now, listen, I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.
21 Therefore swear to me now by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s household.”
22 So David swore to Saul and Saul went home. But David and his men went up to the stronghold.