Story 85: Da'vid Spares The Life Of Saul ll

   He then went on to say, "The skirt of your robe which I hold in my hand is proof that I bear no ill-will against you, although you wickedly seek my life." Referring to his own feeling of unworthiness to meet the armies of Is'ra-el in battle, he added, "I am as harmless as a flea, and as insignificant as a dead dog, and should be regarded as beneath the dignity of your pursuit." Appealing to GOD'S Justice, Da'vid ended his sublime words of defense by saying, "May the LORD judge between me and you, observe the injustice of your pursuit upon my life, and deliver me out of your hand."
   Saul was overcome by these words of Da'vid and by the mercy shown by one whose life he had sought. His cruel, hardened heart was melted by the forgiving spirit of the noble exile, and for a moment his sense of justice was awakened. When he realized that his life had been spared by Da'vid's mercy to a bitter foe, he said, "You are a better man than I, for you have returnt me good when I had done you evil. When the LORD placed me within your power, you did not kill me; and may GOD give you a good recompense for your kindness. I know that you are to be king of Is'ra-el, and I beg that you give me an oath that you will not cut off my sons after me, and that you will not destroy my name in the annals of Is'ra-el's history."
   Saul then gave up the war against Da'vid and he and his men went home. Sad to say, however, his confession of guilt and shame were not sincere, for he soon renewed his determination to kill Da'vid and all who befriended him.

Story 85: Da'vid Spares The Life Of Saul l

   Da'vid took advantage of the rest provided by Saul's engagement with the invading Phi-lis'tines to escape into the wilderness of En-ge'di, a region filled with steep mountains, deep ravines, and hundreds of caverns, on the western shores of the Dead Sea about thirteen miles northwest of Ma'on. As soon as Saul's armies had succeeded in driving off the Phi-lis'tine raid, the angry king sent three thousand picked soldiers in pursuit of Da'vid. It was during this pursuit that there occurred one of the two incidents in which Da'vid showed his nobility of character by sparing the life of the king when it was placed within his power by a strange Providence.
   Da'vid and his men were hiding among the rocks and caverns of that region, which was so steep and dangerous that only wild goats lived there. It so happened that Saul laid down to sleep at the entrance of one of the great caverns in which Da'vid and a few of his bravest men were taking refuge. While the king slept, unaware of his danger, Da'vid's men urged that he be put to death. They declared that the LORD had given them this opportunity of vengeance upon the wicked king who had sought to kill them without just cause.
   How many strong, but conflicting desires must have throbbed in the heart of Da'vid! Apparently GOD had placed his cruel enemy in his power, and the urge to take revenge must have been hard to resist. Had not the time now come to bring peace to the land by ending the reign of a king who had been rejected by the LORD? Would he not bring a blessing to the entire nation by carrying out the sentence which had long since been pronounced upon the man who had been unfaithful to the LORD? Should he not take advantage of a remarkable opportunity which seemed to make it possible for him to become king at once?
   Against these natural feelings of Da'vid and the urgent persuasions of his men, who insisted that he rid himself at once of his chief enemy, there remained the fact that Saul was still the king of Is'ra-el, and that Da'vid had never lifted up his hand against "the anointed of the LORD." Da'vid, therefore, gave up all thought of revenge, and forbade his men to harm the king. The fear of GOD held first place in his heart, so every idea of harming Saul was overcome by the teachings of True Religion. Da'vid merely cut off a small part of the king's robe, intending to show it to Saul at some later time as proof that he had spared his life when he might easily have taken it.
   Later, when Saul awoke from sleep and renewed his search for the young exile, Da'vid ran after him, waving the piece which he had cut from the king's robe, and calling him to to stop. Da'vid then made a wonderful speech in his own defense, declaring anew his loyalty to the king, and denying that he had ever rebelled against him.
   Never has there been a man with better reasons for deserting his leader than Da'vid. He deserved Saul's deepest gratitude, but was shown nothing but ingratitude and cruelty. He was a loyal subject of the king, and his flight had been one of self-defense rather than defiance. While he could not honor Saul as a man, he respected his position and authority as king of the nation. In his moving defense of his own conduct, Da'vid appealed to Saul's reason and to GOD'S Justice. Addressing him as "My lord the king," he said:
   "Why do you give heed to the people who tell you that Da'vid seeks you harm? See how the LORD has this day delivered you into my hand, and my men urged me to kill you; but I have spared your life and will not put forth my hand against my lord, for you are the LORD'S anointed."

Story 84: Da'vid Pursued By Saul lV

   No sooner had Saul been informed of Da'vid's capture of Kei'lah that he formed a plot by which he hoped to entrap Da'vid and his men within the walls of Ju'dah. Again Da'vid turnt to the LORD for guidance, asking whether the men of Kei'lah would protect him or yield to the demand of Saul that he and his men be given to him as prisoners. When told that they would give in to the will of Saul, Da'vid led his men out into the wilderness of Ziph, moving from place to place among the rocks and isolated spots of that wild territory
   When Saul was told that Da'vid had fled from Kei'lah, he gave up his plans to attack that town, but continued his pursuit of Da'vid and his men. Every time that news came to him of possible hiding places for them in the mountains he would send an army to search for his enemy, but the Providence of GOD kept Da'vid out of the way of the pursuing armies. Even the treachery of the Ziph'ites, who proposed to find Da'vid's hiding place and aid the army of Saul in capturing him, was brought to failure by the Hand of GOD.
   At last, when it appeared that Saul's armies had caught Da'vid and his men in a trap, a messenger told the cruel king that the Phi-lis'tines were attacking his home country, and that he must send the army back at once to meet the invasion. Thus victory over his hated rival was denied Saul, and he was forced to turn his armies from the pursuit of Da'vid to the defense of their own land.
   It was during these perilous days in the wilderness of Ziph, just after the shameful conduct of the men of Kei'lah, and just before the treachery of the Ziph'ites, that Da'vid was given strength by a friendly visit from Jon'a-than. Moved by his great love for Da'vid, this noble young prince ran the risk of death at the hands of his father by making a secret visit to his friend in exile. He urged Da'vid not to be afraid, for the LORD would not permit him to be captured by Saul, and assured him that he was soon to become the king of Is'ra-el. With deep religious feelings on the part of both, the covenant of friendship between these two great souls were renewed, and Da'vid's hopes for the future were made much stronger.

Story 84: Da'vid Pursued By Saul lll

   Meanwhile Da'vid performed an act of kindness for his father and mother which clearly proves the nobility of his character. He secretly crossed the river Jor'dan just north of its entrance to the Dead Sea, went up into a mountain fastness in the land of Mo'ab to the southeast, and arranged for his parents to have a home where they would be secure from the anger of Saul during these troubled times. He may have appealed to the Mo'ab-ites for this favor in the name of his great-grandmother Ruth, who had been a member of their nation, and it is possible that his parents  were lodged in the home of some of the descendants of Ruth's family.
   About this time the Phi-lis'tines were making new invasions into the territory of Ju'dah, and the LORD planned to have Da'vid put an end to these raids. He, therefore, sent Da'vid a prophet named Gad to tell him to go at once into Ju'dah, for Saul was too greatly disturbed in mind to be of service in checking these attacks from the ancient foes of Is'ra-el.
   The town of Kei'lah in Ju'dah, not too far from He'bron, had been captured by the Phi-lis'tines, who had robbed the people of their grains and fruits. Da'vid inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and smite these Phi-lis'tines?" God answered his prayer by telling him to go and save the town. Da'vid's men hesitsted to make this effort, for they were in danger of attack from both the Phi-lis'tines and the armies of Saul. When Da'vid inquired again of the LORD, and was given the same command, his men rallied to his leadership and won a great victory over the Phi-lis'tines. Large quantities of war-spoils were taken, and Kei'lah and its inhabitants were saved.

Story 84: Da'vid Pursued By Saul ll

   Even though A-him'e-lech explained that he had befriended Da'vid without knowing that he was an outlaw, and denied that he or any of the priests were disloyal to the king, and even though the soldiers refused to slay the priests, Saul was not to be baffled in his hatred toward anyone who showed the slightest kindness to Da'vid. Do'eg was ordered to slay the priests, and that day saw the murder of eighty-five religious leaders of Is'ra-el. Only A-bi'a-thar escaped, and he joint Da'vid at the first opportunity.
   It must have pained the heart of Da'vid to learn of the terrible outcome of his visit with the priest at Nob, and perhaps he felt somewhat to blame. He received A-bi'a-thar with great kindness, and assured him that his life would be safeguarded. Not satisfied with the slaughter of the priests, Saul had sent his men to Nob and utterly destroyed the town.
   Feeling that it was no longer safe for him to remain anywhere in the land of Is'ra-el, Da'vid then fled into Phi-lis'ti-a and sought refuge in the city of Gath. He probably thought that he would no longer be recognized there as the one who had slain the Phi-lis'tine giant, and that these people would be glad to welcome anyone who was fleeing from Saul. He was recognized, however, and saved his life only by pretending that he had lost his mind.
   Da'vid then fled back across the border of Is'ra-el into the hill country and took refuge in the limestone cliffs and caverns in a place called A-dul'-lam, which was in the region southeast of Beth'le-hem. His brothers and kinsmen learnt where he was hiding and hastened to join him. Many people in the land who had suffered from Saul's failure to protect them, or who had been oppressed by him, rallied to the cause of Da'vid. Before long he had a company of four hundred men, many of whom were noted for their bravery and devotion to the right.
   It was while Da'vid was hiding in the cliffs of A-dul'lam that he was joint by some of the men who were later known as his "mighty men" or heroes. Among them were his nephew Ab'i-shai, who became a famous general; Be-na'iah, whose great strength was shown in slaying a lion single-handed, and in killing two lion-like men of Mo'ab; E-le-a'zar, who once smote the Phi-lis'tines until his hand was so weary that it clave to his sword; and Je-hoi'a-da, who slew an E-gyp'tian with his own sword after tearing it from the hands of his enemy.
   Among the brave followers who joint Da'vid at this time was a band of Ga'dites, who swam the Jor'dan when its banks were overflowed and scattered all enemies who tried to halt their march. When the time arrived for Da'vid to leave his hiding place in A-dul'lam, his band of loyal friends had grown to six hundred men, all noted for their courage and patriotism.

 

Story 84: Da'vid Pursued By Saul l

   When Da'vid said farewell to Jon'a-than and went away in exile, never to return to the house of the king, he must have known that Saul had been rejected by the LORD, and that he was destined to occupy the throne of Is'ra-el. Instead of leading a revolution, however, he merely sought to protect his own life. He went away, not as a rebel, but as a loyal subject of the king whose unjust hatred and murderous envy had forced him to flee.
   During the trying times which followed he may have done some things which seem far beneath the nobility of character and uprightness of conduct which had marked his career up to this time, but never was he guilty of the slightest act of treason or disloyalty to the king. Even while he was being sought by Saul under the false charge of outlawry, he led his followers in war against Is'ra-el's enemies, and on more than one occasion saved his nation from attacks by invading heathens. Twice he spared the life of Saul when the king was completely in his power.
   Soon after leaving Jon'a-than, Da'vid visited a place called Nob, which was not far from Je-ru'sa-lem on the road to the north. A priest named A-him'e-lech was in charge of the place of worship in this little town, and his son A-bi'a-thar acted as an assistant. Da'vid was very hungry, but did not think it safe to ask the townspeople for food; knowing that the priest would not betray him to Saul, he asked for bread. The priest replied that the only food he had was the shewbread which was being removed from the sacred table, the time having come when it must be replaced with fresh bread. It was unlawful for anyone except the priests to eat this bread. However, A-bi'a-thar was so touched by Da'vid's urgent need that he gave him the shewbread, and the conduct of both Da'vid and the priest was approved hundreds of years later by the SAV'IOR.
   Da'vid thought it best not to tell A-him'e-lech that he was fleeing from Saul because the king sought his life, but did say that he had left the king's house in such haste that he had failed to provide himself with a sword. He probably knew that the weapon which he had taken from Go-li'ath after their memorable combat had been placed in the shrine at Nob for safekeeping, and for this reason asked the priest for a sword. The priest told him that this was the only sword at hand, and gladly gave it to him.
   The visit of Da'vid to Nob was followed by a sad event in which Saul was guilty of a terrible crime. An E'dom-ite named Do'eg, a chief herdsman of Saul, happened to be present when Da'vid was given the shewbread to eat. He reported the incident to Saul, and the angry king summoned A-him'e-lech and all the priests of his family to come to Gib'e-ah at once. After accusing them of befriending an enemy of the king, Saul commanded his guards to slay them, but the soldiers shrank in holy fear from laying violent hands upon the priests of GOD.

Story 83: Jon'a-than's Arrow Warns Da'vid Of Saul's Anger ll

   Jon'a-than and Da'vid arranged a clever plan by which the latter could be secretly informed of Saul's feelings toward him. On the day following the close of the festival Da'vid was to hide behind some cliffs in the shallow valley between Gib'e-ah and Nob, while Jon'a-than was to take his bow and shoot three arrows in the direction of Da'vid's hiding place. If the arrows were shot beyond the hiding place, it would be a sign of danger; if they fell short, it meant that Saul intended no harm toward Da'vid. A boy was to be brought along to pick up the arrows, and Da'vid was to learn the message from his friend through the directions given to the boy.
   On the first day of the feast Da'vid's place was vacant, but Saul made no inquiry. On the second day the king noticed the absence of Da'vid and asked Jon'a-than why he had not been there on either day of the festival. Jon'a-than mentioned Da'vid's wish to attend the service at Beth'le-hem, and told his father that he had given him permission to go. Saul was so vexed with his son for taking the part of Da'vid that he hurled a spear at him. He accused the young prince of forming the strongest ties of friendship with a rival to the throne, and tried to turn him against Da'vid by appealing to his own ambition and self-advantage. Saul then declared with vehement anger, "As for Da'vid, he shall surely die"; and ordered his men to see to it that the young officer was brought to him at once.
   On the following day Jon'a-than went to the place agreed upon with Da'vid and shot the arrows beyond the place of hiding, shouting to the boy he had brought with him, "The arrow is beyond thee!" Then he sent the boy away and went into the field to meet Da'vid. The two devoted friends embraced and kissed each other on the cheek, weeping bitterly as they faced a separation which might be long. Da'vid, who seems to have been the more deeply affected of the two, clung to Jon'a-than a long time before he could bear to let him go; then he said, "Go in peace, the LORD shall be between me and thee, and between my children and thy children forever."
   From this time to the end of Saul's reign, Da'vid led the life of a roaming exile and hunted outlaw. He wandered over the country, spending most of his time in the wilderness south of Je-ru'sa-lem, constantly pursued by the soldiers of the angry king.