Read 1 Samuel 24.
Running for his life with 600 men, David turned south to the
wilderness areas of Israel . First, he hid in Ziph, then Moan, and in this
chapter he was hidden in a cave
of Engedi
Of all the places Saul could have selected to "relieve
himself" he walked right into the cave where David was hiding. This could have been David's opportunity to
do away with Saul, seize the throne, and put an end to this awful chapter of
suffering in his life. Indeed, his own
men wanted David to do that very thing.
To prove a point, David sought only to embarrass the king by sneakily
cutting off part of Saul's robe while he was indisposed. After his success in doing so, his conscience
bothered him so badly that David became the one to experience embarrassment for
what he had done.
David took a huge risk coming out of the cave and calling to
Saul. When the king realized what had
happened and that David did not harm him in any way, deep conviction came upon
him. Saul wept and confessed his actions
as evil. Further, he admitted that he
knew David would be the next king.
David's turn will come and Saul will be dealt with in God's
time. In the meantime, note how David
treated the God-given authority over him, even when the authority was wrong.
1. Respect.
David referred to Saul as "the LORD's anointed". That did not mean he agreed with Saul or was
in anyway accepting of Saul's behavior.
The respect was for Saul's position of authority in his life. To have such respect requires one to look
beyond the person and see the ultimate Authority, the One who has all power in
heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:19-20.
2. Honor.
David bowed down and paid homage to his king. This is closely coupled with respect, of
course, but honor goes one step farther.
One may be forced to show respect but honor must come from within.
3. Humility.
In verse 14 David humbled himself by comparing his life and
stature before the king as a "dead dog" and a "flea." This was the opposite of what David could
have demanded, but he did not. All he
wanted to do was serve. True humility is
best demonstrated when we voluntarily give up our rights in order to do what is
right.
The Apostle Peter wrote, "Servants, be subject to your
masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the
unjust. For this is a gracious thing,
when mindful of God, one endures sorrow while suffering unjustly." 1 Peter 2:18-19.
No comments:
Post a Comment