Giving Back the Spear

Giving Back The Spear

And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”

I Samuel 26:22-24

In any given situation, someone has to act like the adult. Saul would not desist in his childish pursuit of David. A person may hold high office, have great authority, and yet behave in an immature and petulant manner. The person who is Christlike, has to act like the adult in such situations. On the particular occasion before us, Saul encamped in one location and was fast asleep. David entered into Saul’s encampment during the night hours. David could easily have killed Saul and ended the threat. Others around him urged him to do so ‘Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”’ David refused.  The line of thought he employed was, ‘“Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord ’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.”‘  Here David showed very Christlike restraint. He was willing to trust the Sovereign God to deal with Saul in due time. Instead, he took Saul’s spear and jug of water from beside his sleeping head to use as props to establish his own innocence, and to call out Saul for his irresponsible behavior. To that end, David awakened Saul, and had a pointed conversation with him about what he could have done, versus what he had done. He then returns Saul’s spear to him, thereby proving that he is in no way undermining his position or authority. David is Christlike, and therefore acts like the adult. So today, let us look to Christ, to enable us to deal with unreasonable people in a Christlike manner. His Way becomes our way.

Our Wise and Holy God,
we praise You, that You show us the way that is right and good.
We rejoice in Christ, our Example,
and in the Holy patterns, which He has established for us.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning