1 Samuel 24:16-18
Verse 17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.”
We talked yesterday about how David went from feeling pride to showing humility. In turn King Saul seems to find some humility of his own. This is something we haven’t seen from the king in sometime.
Saul’s response to David’s confession and questions has the makings of a sappy movie, the king even seems to tear up as he calls David his son. What Jonathan and Michal had tried to convince their dad about was showing itself to be true, David was a man of honor. But the king doesn’t stop with the thought that this man was honorable, he goes to the point of seeing him as being righteous.
That would have been a humbling thought for this king who has spent so much time in rage against the man who had become more popular than himself in the kingdom. The king would have known the root of righteousness was David’s being in right standing with God and to see it in the man that he had spent so much time hating must have cut deep. Saul had been chosen by God and had known his favor, but then he had stepped out of righteousness and started making his own decisions even though he knew they didn’t please God.
More than that, Saul sees the truth of David’s character towards the king. David hadn’t done anything to hurt the king. Even when given the opportunity to kill the king, David had only confessed to cutting the corner of his robe. The kid felt bad about cutting his robe. Here the king had been chasing him all over the countryside and had even thrown his spear at him and the kid feels bad about a small patch of cloth. Yeah, the kid was living as a man of God.
The king can’t help but point out the obvious, the Lord had placed him where David could kill him, but he hadn’t. Saul saw this as more than an opportunity for David, it may have been the king was coming to understand just how far he had fallen from God’s favor. Saul seeing it as God’s work that he was in the place where David could kill him showed him that although God had been protecting the younger man from him, the Lord was placing the king not just in the same area as David, but in the same cave. God’s favor had obviously been removed from the king.
Making It Personal
Have you ever felt like you have stepped out of righteous living? What helped you see that you weren’t in right standing with God? Have you repented of that sin?
Making It Personal Kids
Why does sin cause stress in your relationship with Jesus? What do you have to do to fix it? How important is being in a good relationship with Jesus?
Closing Prayer
Father, being right with You is something we should all desire, please convict us when we are stepping out of line with You so that we can repent and continue in good fellowship with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Comments