August 24, 2023

Opportunity to do evil is common, but do the uncommon thing of doing good instead of evil.

1 Samuel 24

Sean Shriver
Thursday's Devo

August 24, 2023

Thursday's Devo

August 24, 2023

Thursday's Devo

August 24, 2023

Thursday's Devo

August 24, 2023

Big Idea

Outward appearances can be deceiving. God looks at the heart.

Key Verse | 1 Samuel 24:17-18

He said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD put me into your hands."

1 Samuel 24

David Spares Saul's Life

1  1 24:1 Ch 24:2 in Hebrew When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats' Rocks. 3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. 2 24:3 Hebrew cover his feet Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. 4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. 5 And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. 6 He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

8 Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. 9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? 10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. 3 24:10 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew it [my eye] spared you I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed.’ 11 See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. 12 May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! 15 May the LORD therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”

16 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 Swear to me therefore by the LORD that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Footnotes

[1] 24:1 Ch 24:2 in Hebrew
[2] 24:3 Hebrew cover his feet
[3] 24:10 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew it [my eye] spared you

S2:164 1 Samuel 24

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Dive Deeper | 1 Samuel 24

When was the last time you noticed your heart wandering toward sinful thoughts or actions? You could have felt a temptation to let your eyes drift, to add a product to your shopping cart, or to sleep in and skip a work meeting. If any of these temptations ring true for you, you're in good company because these are mine! However, we know that Scripture says if we give in to them, we will not prosper. Every day we have the choice to do what is right or what is wrong, to move closer to the Lord or further away.

Saul had a kingdom and the same opportunity to follow the Lord. But because of Saul's sin, God rejected him from being king. In this chapter we see Saul search Engedi in attempt to find the righteous David and murder him. Meanwhile, David, hiding in a cave, hears a misleading statement from his men calling for vengeance: "'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" (1 Samuel 24:4)

David, however, is not misled. He knew that to take arms against the Lord's anointed was to put out his hand against the Lord (1 Samuel 24:10), and we see him restrain his men and let Saul escape unscathed. He knew it was better to be wronged than to take justice into his own hands. Saul then declares David's righteousness before all the men (1 Samuel 24:17-18). David was prepared with the truth of who God is and knew He would do what He said.

How are you doing at writing the truth of the Lord on your heart? If you're like me, it might be time that you revisit your memory verses so in the time of temptation you know what the Word says about money, work, purity, and more. Surround yourself with wise advisors, avoid making decisions in isolation, and take time to pray to the Lord for wisdom. When you feel tempted, remember that God is faithful and will help you endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13)!

This month's memory verse

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

– Mark 10:45

Discussion Questions

1. Quick, you're being tempted! Imagine you have to recite a memory verse to remind yourself of what the Word says about God and you. On the spot, can you recall and speak aloud the verse(s) to remind you of the truth of God's Word? If you don't have memory verses for your struggle, such as lust or the love of money, can you commit to memorizing just one in the next three days? Pray that the Spirit will remind you of these verses when the time of temptation comes.

2. In this chapter, David took the proactive step not only to avoid evil but to do good by speaking to Saul to give him a chance to repent. How are you spending your time and resources to do good? How are you doing at making disciples, making Jesus' name known, or giving with no expectation of earthly reward?

3. Are you regularly filling your heart and mind with reminders of God's compassionate love for you and growing your affection for Him? I recommend you read Psalm 103 if you want a reminder of the compassion of God! If you want a starting point, consider keeping a running list of the Lord's mercies in your own life.

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

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Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Sean,   Great devo and quite convicting. B.C., I gave in to most temptations.  I bought the lie that I was my own boss and that I had the freedom to do as I saw fit.   I love this from you; “How are you doing at writing the truth of the Lord on your heart?”  This is a great self-question I can put on a continuous loop.    Q1.  What verse in temptation?  Probably one of the first I memorized coming to Watermark, Proverbs 3:5-6.   "Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
     and do not lean on your own understanding.   In all your ways acknowledge him,
     and he will make straight your paths."   There is immense power and truth in each phrase.    Q2.  Prodigal and Summit are key activities.  But it’s not serving to me. It’s an amazing experience of learning God’s Word with God’s men.   Q3.  Sean, I love this question. “Are you regularly filling your heart and mind with reminders of God's compassionate love for you and growing your affection for Him?”  Wow.  It seems like every day I hear a voice replay of sermons telling me to “Seek to know the goodness and kindness of God as this reflects His character and nature.”  A very favorite passage is the call to unity in John 14-16 followed by the High Priestly prayer in John 17. 
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Hugh Stephenson

The key passage in this chapter for me is David and Saul’s interaction when they come out of the cave.  David initiates contact and then lovingly challenges Saul with the truth of his respect for God and God’s anointed.   In reflecting what God wants me to learn I came up with another 7 things.  Yesterday they were 7 P’s. Today they are 7 S’s.    Sometimes, the English major in me just takes over.   Suffering Sovereignty Similitude Strength Submission Surrender Satisfaction   SUFFERING - David has been harassed, threatened, and chased for a long time now.  Yet, I don’t see in any verse or passage where he cries out to the LORD, “HOW LONG!?!?”.  He knows who God is- His goodness and His kindness.  He knows he will be kind to Israel.  In a few days we’ll study 2 Samuel 7 where God promises and eternal house, kingdom, and throne.  Being a shepherd is a very tough job.  David used his hardships to learn to love and protect his herd of sheep, both the animals and the people.   SOVEREIGNTY - David understands that God has a plan and His plan is better than any David could devise.  Saul is God’s anointed. David respects and honors that and believes God promises.  He knows that, in His own time, God’s promises will be shown be true.   SIMILITUDE - David is a foreshadowing of his eventual descendant Jesus.  Paraphrasing Constable - Their two lives as God’s anointed entail rejection before acceptance and suffering before reigning.  God blessed them and they blessed others.    STRENGTH - David has great strength of character.  He stepped up to Saul and spoke truth in a way that was humble and respectful as well as kind but candid.  He did not go to the [people and slander Saul.  He had the moral and spiritual strength to go right to Saul himself.   SUBMISSION - Paraphrasing Constable again- David addressed Saul as lord, king, and father.  In this he willingly expressed submission as well as respect and affection. He embraced that he was under Yahweh’s covenant with Israel.    SURRENDER -  David surrendered to God’s authority.  He was totally reliant on God to save him.  Not passively with some magic wand but in full engagement of David to act and step into the mission.   SATISFACTION - David was fully satisfied in God’s role and rule.  I’m betting he had a huge temptation to get even.  Yet, He did not.  David did not try to force the timeline or path to Kingship.  He promised Saul what he had already promised Jonathan, no revenge.  In fact, we’ll see David go the extra mile with Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son.   ——————————————————    June 6, 1983.  With four years of college and three years of business school in the rear-view mirror…my professional career as a “stockbroker” began.  Studying  for 3 months for licensing exams then 30 days in NY to learn how the business works and to develop my own business plan.   My education in organizational politics came quickly.  It didn’t take long for me to hear and see that the local Managing Director was way more interested in getting promoted than he was helping us rookie brokers.    I saw that my time there was going to be short.    In March of 1985 I resigned to join another firm.  This was shortly after a co-trainee I’ll name as John McDonald was fired for gross misconduct.   It was a huge embarrassment for my old MD.    A few months later a random survey of client accounts came in the mail from my prior firm .  I returned it with a request that my account be reassigned to “John McDonald”.  In a snarky response I noted, “I hear he is one of your most promising young brokers.”    Not long after this I learned that the Holy Spirit could convict even dead-church-box-checkers.   I called up my old MD and owned my actions.  I apologized profusely for my immaturity and lack of professionalism.  Although he did respond with grace, he got a few barbs in as well.   In this incident I displayed the opposite traits of the 7 I listed above. Lesson learned?  Not quite.  It took a few more self-humiliating bad decisions before this part of me was minimized.    The life of David is a fascinating study.  I learn more and more each day as we walk through it.
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Hugh Stephenson

From the notes- https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/ot/1samuel/1samuel.htm   “In chapters 21—30 we see David's forces growing stronger and stronger while Saul's forces get weaker and weaker. This is a further demonstration of the fertility theme. However, these chapters also develop the motif of the proper response to Yahweh's anointed.”   “These chapters are highly instructive for us for two reasons. First, they help us see how the difficulties that God permitted David to experience refined his character and prepared him for the throne (cf. Heb. 12). Second, these chapters illustrate the sovereignty of God in working out His plans for both Saul and David. They help us see how God works and uses the choices people make to accomplish His will.”   “Interesting, too, are the parallels between David's experiences as the LORD's anointed and Jesus Christ's as the LORD's anointed. Rejection preceded acceptance, and suffering preceded reigning, in both cases. God blessed both servants personally, and they became a blessing to others because of their commitment to Yahweh and His Law.”   "The true servant of God must willingly suffer affliction with the full assurance that God is performing His purposes. Positions of prominence and prestige are not to be sought and worked for. Rather, the leader who desires Christ's blessing must wait patiently on Him for advancement and promotion to opportunities of greater service."   “Several of the Psalms have their backgrounds in these chapters (Ps. 18; 34; 52; 54; 56; 57; 63; 124; 138; 142; and possibly others).”   “Almost immediately David realized that his clever trick was inappropriate. Since Saul was the king, David had no right to tamper with his clothing. Furthermore, David realized that any attempt to take the kingdom from Saul, as he had taken the symbol of that kingdom, was contrary to God's will. Since Saul was God's anointed (v. 6), it was God's place to remove him, not David’s.”   “This little incident provides another window into David's thinking. David was acknowledging Yahweh's sovereignty by submitting to His authority in setting Saul up as king (cf. Prov. 24:21). David refused to take revenge for the trouble that Saul had caused him (Prov. 16:32). He remained sensitive to God's will, having committed himself to doing it.”   "Perhaps no greater example of wisdom practice is found than in David's response to Saul."   "David respected the office of king, although he may not have respected the man."   "When we take things in our own hands, we are no longer walking by faith. We are not trusting God. What we are really saying is, 'Lord, we cannot trust You to handle this the way we want it handled, so we are going to do it ourselves.' David, however, is going to let God handle Saul."   “It is interesting that God prevented David's enemies from assassinating him later, when he was Israel's king (cf. Gal. 6:7). Also compare Jesus' refusal to take vengeance on His enemies (Luke 23:34).”   "David told Saul the whole unvarnished truth; he told it to the person to whom it mattered most. Not to his comrades or to Saul's friends or to the people of Israel, but to Saul himself. He came to terms with the individual with whom there was the battle."   “By addressing Saul as his lord (v. 8), his king (v. 8), and his father (v. 11), David expressed respect, submission, and affection. People sometimes used the term "father" to imply a covenant relationship, and David may have had that in mind here (cf. 26:25).[507] He was Saul's son-in-law and successor ("son," v. 16) under Yahweh's covenant with Israel (cf. 18:3; 20:16, 42; 23:18; 2 Sam. 9:1).”
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Michael Sisson

Re: 1Sam 24:2 1Sam 24:2 (NASB) Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the >>>Rocks of the Wild Goats.<<< Saul is seeking to kill David (see 1Sa 24:11) out of his Heb. “sinas chinam” or Eng. “baseless hatred.” As I’ve pointed out previously on our journey, goat imagery can frequently be found in the story of the Despised Messiah’s approach (Num 24:17) and in the stories of his progenitors. Here Saul seeks David (a progenitor and type of Jesus) at the “Rocks of the Wild Goats.” Re: 1Sam 24:3 1Sam 24:3 (NASB) He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were >>>sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.<<< In keeping with a recurring pattern associated with the Despised Messiah (a concealment, a transaction, and a revelation), David is >>>concealed<<< in the back of the “Crags of the Wild Goats.” Re: 1Sam 24:4 1Sam 24:4 (NASB) The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” Then David arose and >>>cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly.<<< The recurring pattern continues as we see a transaction occurs when David >>>secretly cuts a piece from Saul’s robe<<< in the back of the “Crags of the Wild Goats.” Re: 1Sam 24:8 1Sam 24:8 (NASB) Now afterward >>>David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!”<<< And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. Here we see the remaining element of the recurring pattern when David revealshimself and the proof of his blameless. Re: 1Sam 24:17 1Sam 24:17 (NASB) He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while >>>I have dealt wickedly with you.<<< In seeking to kill David, Saul himself was despising G-d’s anointed (1Sam 24:20) and, by extension, the Son of David Who is Yeshua.
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Sue Bohlin

Super devo, Sean, especially your Discussion Questions! Today's story makes my heart swell with appreciation for how we see David manifest why he was a man after God's own heart. His trust in Yahweh despite circumstances teaches me how to do it. I love how he hears the bad counsel of his men and goes in the opposite direction because he is focused on the Lord and His timing. Some friends recently returned from a trip to Israel, and I saw their pictures of En Gedi on Facebook. It is a BEAUTIFUL oasis in the desert. So I went googling pictures, hoping to find the cave where David cut off a piece of Saul's royal garment. I found this wonderful 9 minute video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYQ-AeHCdgQ
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Greg Jones

A thought. 1 Samuel 24:4 doesn’t make a great case for “Surround yourself with wise advisors, avoid making decisions in isolation”. Not that that’s not great advice. Something that stands out to me in that verse, “here is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you” is not a case of the Word of God speaking to David. The context is men speaking about God’s word to David. The turning point in the wilderness/cave comes when David takes a moment to do some critical independent thinking. Then, the narrative of David’s actions highlights what I would consider the Word of the verse- “Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” It becomes about what an expectation David doesn’t meet. B thought-Do surround yourself with great advisors and avoid making decisions in isolation but in the process don’t abdicate any and all reason to critically think independently. C thought-David’s temptation in the cave in the wilderness and some of the details surrounding it remind me of Jesus temptation in the wilderness. Great dive.
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Michael Scaman

Big turning point with David. David spares Saul, Nabal and Saul again. Going forward, Leaving Saul in God's hands is settled in David's mind and Samuel dies perhaps God's purpose done for Samuel. David will write many psalms about his trying stressful experience Starting near the beginning of Psalms, Ps 3, David on the run from his own son and for his own sin (quoted by Jonah). Hiding in a cave (with 600 men) near the end of Psalms, Ps 142. The injustice of Doeg and Saul wiping out the city that gave David bread inspired God's judgement of the wicked is seen in Ps 52 David taking the desperate action o fgoing to the Philistines inspired Ps 56 and when David got away from the Philistines drooling on his beard, Psalm 34 (quoted about Jesus, the ultimate righteous one's bones not being broken) Some say the first road song to the temple Psalm 120 was written while David was fleeing Saul as perhaps not just Ps 142 about this time in David's life hiding in a cave but 140, 141 and 142 about siilar times of distress of David. The songs and prayers of David's life which can calm a troubled king Saul and do wonders for you as well are preserved by God to shape our feeling and thinking in prayer and point to Jesus. My favorites of those are Ps 34 David drooling on his beard to escape a dangerous Philistine king where he says "taste and see the Lord is Good' and 'the bones of the righteous will not be broken' quoted at the cross for the ultimate righteous one's bones not being broken. And Ps 3 when David was on the run, quoted by Jonah in the middle of his whale of a problem.
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Amy Lowther

1. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Prayer: God, thank for all of your words and your wisdom. May your Spirit always strengthen me. Amen. 2. I encourage anyone and everyone to do their best in everything they do. I help people believe in Jesus by inviting them to church or by encouraging them to attend their church consistently. It becomes great conversation. 3. Yes it includes everything from parents driving their kids to school to homeless people coexisting and helping each other.