1 Samuel 26
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
YOU know, my dear children, that Saul had left off looking for David, after David had spoken to him. But Saul soon began to hate David again. One day some wicked men came to him, and said, 'We can tell you where David has hid himself.' Was it not very unkind of the men to tell Saul where poor David was? David had done them no harm: yet they behaved in this manner to him. Saul was glad to hear where David was, and he took a great many soldiers with him and went to the place where he heard David was. Saul did not know the very place where David was, but he knew that David was hid in some place near.
Saul desired his men to set up their tents on a hill, and he desired them to dig a deep ditch all round the tents, that nobody might come to the tents to hurt them. In the night Saul and his men would sleep in their tents, and in the daytime they would look for David.
David heard that Saul was come to look for him. How sorry David must have been to hear this! He could scarcely believe it; so he sent some men to go, and look to see whether Saul was really come: and the men came back and told David that Saul had come.
Then David went with some of his friends near the place where the soldiers were, and he said to his friends, 'Who will go with me where Saul is?' And one of David's friends said, 'I will go with you.' Then David and his friend went in the night, but no one saw them or heard them: for all the people were fast asleep, for God had made them sleep: even the people whom Saul had told to watch, to prevent anybody coming, even they had fallen fast asleep. God did not choose that David should be hurt: therefore he made the people sleep.
David got over the great ditch that had been dug: for there was nobody watching to hinder him.
Where do you think David went? He went to find Saul. He found him sleeping: and by his pillow he saw his spear stuck into the ground, and a jug of water; and he saw other people, who ought to have watched him, asleep around him.
Saul little knew that David was so near him, looking at him as he slept.
Then David's friend said to him, 'Let me take this spear and kill Saul; I will pierce his body through in a moment.'
Would David kill Saul?
`No,' said David, 'do not kill him: it would be very wicked to kill the man whom God has made king. When God chooses him to die, God will make him die, but I will not kill him. Only take the jug of water and the spear, and let us go.'
So they took the jug of water and the spear, and they went away from the tents: and nobody woke while they were passing.
Why did David take the jug and the spear? You remember why he had once cut off some of Saul's clothes. It was for the same reason he now took the jug and spear. He wished to show Saul that he had been near his bed while he was asleep, and that he might have killed him, if he had wished.
Then David went down the hill where Saul was, and went up another hill: so there was a great way between Saul and him. Then David cried out with a very loud voice to the men that were sleeping round King Saul, and said, 'Why did you let people come near the king while he was asleep?'
You know, my dear children, why they had not watched; God had made them fall asleep.
Then David showed the people the king's spear and the jug of water. When Saul heard David's voice, he remembered it, and wept. He said, 'Is this thy voice, my son David?'
And David said, 'It is my voice, my lord, O king. Why do you go on looking for me? What wickedness have I done? Have any wicked men told you that I wish to hurt you?'
Then Saul said, 'I have sinned. Go to your home again. I will never hurt you again, because you did not kill me to-day, when you might have done it. I have done very wickedly.'
Was Saul very sorry for his wickedness? O no. He did not pray to God to forgive him, and make him good.
Then David said, 'Here is the king's spear. Send one of your servants to fetch it.'
Why would not David bring the spear to Saul himself? He could not trust Saul; he was not sure that Saul would not kill him.
Saul said, 'Blessed be thou, my son David.' And then Saul went home, but David went into the part of Canaan where the Philistines lived, that Saul might not be able to hurt him; and God made the Philistines kind to David.
David ought not to have gone to live with the Philistines, because they worshipped idols. David ought to have trusted in God to have kept him safe among the caves and hills.
When Saul went home this time, did he pray to God to forgive him and to keep him from Satan and from hating David again? If Saul had done this, God would have kept him. Let me tell you again that this is the way to grow good. It is not enough to say, `I will be good: I will not do that naughty thing anymore'; you should always pray to God to keep you from wickedness. For Satan is a great deal stronger than you, and unless God is with you, Satan may tempt you to do wicked things. So, my dear children, if you wish not to obey Satan, ask God that you may be born again, and He will put His Holy Spirit into you.
Questions on Lesson 12
Did Saul come to look for David again, after David's kindness in not killing him in the cave?
Did David go to Saul's tents in the night, or in the day?
Why did Saul and his soldiers sleep so soundly? Why did David take away Saul's spear, and his jug?
Why did not David bring them back to Saul himself?
Why did David go and live with the Philistines? Why was it wrong in David to go and live with the Philistines?