Saul, returned from his campaign against the Philistines, gathers three thousand chosen men to lay hold of David. Thus in the same pursuit he includes Israel’s enemies and her savior. An outward zeal for safeguarding the people of God may very well ally itself with a veritable hatred for Christ.
Saul enters a cave located near the sheepfolds to relieve himself and rest. At the back of the cave with his little troop is the man whom Saul wrongly esteems to be his enemy. God’s providence at this moment is delivering Saul, defenseless, into David’s hands. David’s companions in their ignorance conclude that God Himself is furnishing their master the occasion to avenge himself, but David’s spiritual intelligence is not fooled. His character as the rejected king is that of grace and not of judgment (it is the same with Christ), and divine providence here offers grace an admirable occasion to manifest itself.
There is also another reason for David to refrain from drawing the sword. As long as God has not Himself executed the sentence pronounced upon Saul he still bears the name “the Lord’s anointed.” Whatever the evil may be, we have no right to destroy that which God allows to subsist. Doubtless there must be full separation between ourselves and evil, but we are not called to set the bounds of God’s long-suffering. A spiritual Christian recognizes the authority which God has established even if it be enemy and apostate, and he leaves to God the care and the timing of executing judgment against it. Providential circumstances are not ordained to govern our conduct or to direct it, but to put our faith to the test. Such was the case with Moses at Pharaoh’s court where God’s providence had placed him. When the moment was come he refused to be part of that court and left Egypt, not fearing the king’s wrath (Heb. 11). It was faith that directed him and not the providential ways of God.
Nevertheless David cuts off the skirt of Saul’s robe. This was a token intended to give the enemy proof of the grace which was sparing him. David’s heart (not his conscience) reproaches him for even this act, for viewed outwardly, he had been lacking in the respect and deference due to the Lord’s anointed although down deep he was full of grace toward his persecutor.
“And David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul” (1 Sam. 24:7). His companions are formed by him and by his example, and in this way David’s character is reflected in all those who surround him and who have acknowledged him as their leader.
The skirt of this cut robe serves to vindicate before Saul the character of the servant whom he was misjudging and to open his eyes as to his own state: “For in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou liest in wait for my life to take it” (1 Sam. 24:11). Thus God often calls sinners through circumstances where His grace has preserved them by drawing their attention to the fact that their state deserved judgment. Nevertheless, if one hardens his heart after this he must know that judgment will not be delayed. “Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge me of thee” (1 Sam. 24:12).
A lovely feature of the character of the man of God comes out here. In his own eyes he is less than Saul, less than nothing: “After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a single flea.” In this vein Paul says of his dear Corinthians: “The ignoble things of the world, and the despised... and things that are not” (1 Cor. 1:28), and of himself: “Neither the planter is anything” (1 Cor. 3:7). But those who are nothing in their own eyes are something in God’s eyes, and this exalts and glorifies Him: “Jehovah therefore shall be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and do me justice in delivering me out of thy hand” (1 Sam. 24:15). “If God be for us, who against us?” The love of God for us: that is what glorifies Him!
“Saul lifted up his voice and wept” (1 Sam. 24:16). Seeing himself so miraculously preserved, he acknowledges (but for how long?) the grace and righteousness that are in David: “Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil” (1 Sam. 24:17). He even acknowledges that the kingdom belongs to David: “And now behold, I know that thou shalt certainly be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand” (1 Sam. 24:20). A reprobate heart—it is very serious to consider—may be softened in the presence of grace without being changed. God does not ask us for feelings, however righteous they may be; it is faith that counts, for faith alone is able to regenerate and save a sinner.
“Thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me!” (1 Sam. 24:18). How different is this “this day” from the words of an Abigail who through faith says, even before David had proved it to her: “Evil has not been found in thee all thy days!” (1 Sam. 25:28).
Saul goes so far as to count on David to preserve his seed. David, a beautiful example of grace, “swore to Saul” (1 Sam. 24:22), for grace will not be limited. Will Saul know enough to avail himself of it? No: “Saul went home.” Alas! godly Jonathan, his son, had done the same thing (1 Sam. 23:18). Whatever step the flesh may have taken, whatever truth the flesh may have acknowledged, there is always a point at which the flesh stops: the point where faith alone can act. Before “Come, follow me,” even the most amiable flesh turns its back, perhaps with sadness, but it prefers the “great possessions” of its home above the shame of Him who has no place in this world to rest His head! (Matt. 19:22).
How sweet it is to witness David’s feelings in Psalm 57 “when he fled from Saul in the cave.” He knows that “God... performeth” [The French says: “brings to a good conclusion”] all for him” (Psa. 57:2). His faith already takes hold of imminent deliverance: “He will send from the heavens and save me; He hath covered with reproach him that would swallow me up” (Psa. 57:3). “They have digged a pit before me; they are fallen into the midst thereof’ (Psa. 57:6). This fixes his heart (Psa. 57:7) and prompts him to trust himself completely to the hands of Him who “hath sent forth His loving-kindness and His truth” in order to save him. Prepared in this way, he does not seek to avenge himself, but he commits himself to Him who has said: “Vengeance is mine... saith the Lord.” Thus on every occasion David is prepared by the Spirit of God to commit his cause into His hands, thus free to be occupied only with the Lord and with His praise. “My heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing psalms... For Thy loving-kindness is great unto the heavens, and Thy truth unto the clouds!” (Psa. 57:7,10).