THE KING’S BUSINESS
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camp." One of those to whom David spoke was a Hittite. The Hittites were Canaan- ites (Gen, 10:15-20), but more than one of these outcast people had found a place in David’s army (cf. 1 Sam. 23:29). Many a despised heathen has become a valiant war rior for our David. Abishai was David’s nephew (1 Chron. 2:15, 16), and one of David’s most valiant heroes (2 Sam. 18:5;) 3:18). The question that David put to Abishai and Ahimilech, “Who will go down with me,” is the very question that our David is putting to every one of us today. Abishai’s heart response, “I will go down with thee,” is the answer we should make to our David. v. 7. "So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and behold, Saul lay sleep ing within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head.” Christ will come upon His enemies just as David came upon Saul and his hosfcstisud- denly, unexpectedly, by night, and find them sleeping (1 Thess. 5:2-4; Rev. 16:15). v. 8. “Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thine ; hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at one stroke." Abishai was right in judging that God had delivered David’s enemy info his hand (cf. v. 23; ch. 24:18, 19; Josh. 2:44; Judges 1:4), but he was wrong in his judgment of what David should do with this enemy, whom God had delivered into his hand. God gives our enemies into our hands that we may save them, not for us to destroy them. v. 9. “And David said to Abishai, De stroy him not: for who can put forth his hand against Jehovah’s anointed and be guiltless?” For the second time, David shows the greatness of his character. The genuineness and depth of David’s magna nimity comes out in that he not only refused to slay Saul himself but he would not even permit another to slay Saul. The death of Saul would mean the end of all David’s troubles and his accession to the throne, but David will not accept deliverance and glory by questionable means. ' He proved him
self to be truly a man of faith. If his con science had been less keen and his spiritual perceptions less clear, he could easily have satisfied his conscience by saying, “I did not kill him,” but David’s conscience was not of that sort. It is true that Saul had been rejected by Jehovah, nevertheless, the fact stood that he was “the Lord’s anointed,” and “the anointed of Jehovah” were sacred in David’s sight. No one can stretch forth his hand against “the Lord’s anointed” and be guiltless (cf. Ps. 105:15). It is well to remember in the application of this principle, that in the present dispen sation all Christians are the Lord’s anointed (1 John 2:20, 27 R. V.). David’s respect for the anointed of Jehovah, even if the anointed one was his personal enemy, was deep and abiding (ch. 24:6, 7; 2 Sam. 1:16). v. 10. “And David said, As Jehovah liv- eth, Jehovah will smite him; or. his day &hall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish.” , David was entirely content to leave the avenging of his wrongs and the establishing of himself in the place to which God had appointed him entirely' in God’s own hands (cf. Ps. 94:1, 2, 23; Rom. 12:19). If we know that God has ap pointed us to any place, we may rest as sured that God will see to it that we get it. We never need to use questionable means to carry out God’s plans; to do so does not show energy, but lack of faith. David’s faith in the living God lay back of his gen erous treatment of Saul. v. 12. "So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s head; and they got them away; and no man saw it nor knew it, neither did any awake.” David took the spear and the cruse of water »simply to show Saul that he had been in his power and that he had spared him (cf. ch. 24:4, 5, 10, 11). “For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Jehovah was fallen upon them.’’ It was God who had put Saul and all his soldiers to sleep. It was a little thing and quite a natural thing after a long day’s march, but the hand of God was back of the natural even and this little and natural
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