The Ziphites went next to Saul to tell him that David was now near their section, in the hill of Hachilah, to the west of En-gedi (chapter 24:1), and Saul's actions show that he was still quite ready to kill him. With his three thousand picked soldiers he went down to the hill to seek David. How entirely the latter was cast upon God! Only his few personal followers seem to have been faithful to him; the nation at large entirely was in the hands of Saul, the agent of Satan. In Psalm 11 we find David saying,
"In the Lord put I my trust; how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? The Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth." (verses 1, 5).
David displayed no fear of Saul (verse 5) when he got the news of the king's whereabouts. He went to the place where Saul and his soldiers were encamped, and when night had fallen, he went into their camp with Abishai, one of David's thirty-seven bravest men (2 Samuel 23:18-39). Abishai proposed to kill Saul as he lay asleep, but "David forbade him, unwilling to leave the place of entire dependence on God which he had learned to occupy. Happy the Christian who leaves all his circumstances with God
This was the second time when, judging by outward things and the opinions of his followers, God had put Saul in David's hands, but he knew better than to act without the explicit word of God. How few do, in our day! God was David's resource; in Him he trusted: He would visit Saul in due time (verse 10).
So David and Abishai merely carried away from the sleeping king's side, his spear and his dish or flask of water. A deep sleep from God was fallen on the entire camp, so that no one heard or saw the two visitors come or go. What a strange and unheard of call for one reckoned an enemy, to make on his foe while helpless in his hands! The power of God was with David.
It was now time to arouse Saul, and David went to the top of a distant hill and shouted to Abner, the king's chief army officer (chapter 17:55). This awoke Saul, who recognized the voice as David's, and moved by the humble and godly tone of his appeal, confessed that he had sinned, asked him to return, promising- that he would no longer do him harm. We may notice in David's words the evidence of spiritual growth through the trying circumstances he had known, and was yet in; he brings God in now more fully than before. ( Compare verses 19-20 with chapter 24:10-15). But we see nothing about Saul to show anything but the unchanged child of nature; he could appreciate the largeness of heart of the young man he hated, but the chasm between them was never crossed. The one served Satan and the other the Lord. So is it with men and women today. Whom do. you serve, reader?