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Do you face ridicule,
opposition, or persecution?
Are you trapped in a difficult situation
in which there seems to be little you can do
to change your circumstances?
If so, you are not alone.
The Bible tells us
that David experienced these things.
And David himself tells us how he coped.
His words are found at Psalm 62:5:
“I wait silently for God.”
Some scholars believe
that David was 15 years old
when he was anointed as king.
If so,
then he had to wait 22 years
before he became king over all Israel.
During several of those years,
King Saul chased after David,
seeking to kill him.
As a result,
David had to live as a fugitive,
at times in caves in the wilderness
and at other times in a foreign country
among the enemies of Israel.
David learned patience
—the need to wait on Jehovah.
Let’s consider three events
that occurred during that period in his life.
The first happened
in the wilderness of Engedi,
a place of rough mountains,
honeycombed with roomy caves.
King Saul, consumed with envy and hatred,
chased after David, intent on killing him.
David and his men hid from him
in an immense cave.
They couldn’t have been comfortable.
They had no luxuries;
they had to gather food, firewood, and water;
and they had to evade those
who wanted them dead.
But then came
a surprising and unexpected situation.
Let’s read about it.
Please turn in your Bible
to 1 Samuel chapter 24
beginning with verse 2.
I’ll give you a moment to find it.
First Samuel chapter 24
—we’ll begin reading from verse 2.
“So Saul took 3,000 men
chosen from all Israel
“and went to look for David and his men
“on the rocky cliffs of the mountain goats.
“Saul came to the stone sheepfolds
along the road,
“where there was a cave,
“and he went in to relieve himself
“while David and his men
were sitting in the recesses
“at the back of the cave.
“David’s men said to him:
“‘This is the day
on which Jehovah is saying to you,
“‘“Look!
I am giving your enemy into your hand,
and you can do to him
whatever seems good to you.”’”
Three thousand well-chosen
and highly trained soldiers
were on the lookout for David.
Imagine the astonishment of David and his men
when Saul himself,
alone and unprotected,
strolled into the very cave
where they were hiding.
Saul’s vision was adjusted to the light outside,
so when he peered into the gloom of the cave,
he didn’t see that there were men inside.
The men’s eyes, however,
were already accustomed to the dark,
so they could see Saul clearly
against the light of the entrance.
Now Saul was vulnerable,
completely in David’s power.
Should David do away with him?
His men whispered for him to do just that.
Surely Jehovah was giving Saul into his hand!
After all, it was God’s will
that David replace Saul as king.
And didn’t David have good reason
to kill him?
Saul was out of control.
He had killed priests at Nob
and wiped out the city
—men, women, children, animals—
all because the high priest, Ahimelech,
had given David bread for his men to eat.
If David killed Saul,
what would be the result?
Deliverance?
An end to his running as a fugitive?
No more hiding in caves,
immediate kingship?
Surely all this passed through David’s mind.
What would he do?
What would you have done?
Let’s continue reading from 1 Samuel 24:4.
“So David rose up
“and quietly cut off the edge
of Saul’s sleeveless coat.
“But afterward David’s heart
kept striking him
“because he had cut off the edge
of Saul’s sleeveless coat.
“He said to his men:
“‘It is unthinkable from Jehovah’s standpoint
“‘that I should do such a thing to my lord,
“‘the anointed of Jehovah,
“‘by lifting my hand against him,
“for he is the anointed of Jehovah.’
“So David restrained his men
with these words,
“and he did not allow them to attack Saul.
“As for Saul,
he rose up from the cave
and went on his way.”
David didn’t listen to his men.
Instead, he took advantage of the situation
to show that he wasn’t a rebel
and that he didn’t seek revenge
for Saul’s unfair and cruel treatment.
That took self-restraint.
It also required faith
—faith that Jehovah would correct matters
in his own time and way.
His thinking is reflected
not only in what he said to Saul
but also in what he wrote in Psalm 57.
Verse 3 of that psalm says:
“[Jehovah] will send help from heaven
and save me.
He will frustrate the one snapping at me.”
We at times may find it difficult
to exercise patience,
especially when we’re suffering unjustly.
Often, we can do little to change things.
But what if an easy way out presents itself?
We should be like David,
who first considered Jehovah’s viewpoint.
Sometimes we should act,
but sometimes it’s best to wait for Jehovah
to correct matters in his due time.
Let’s read what happened
after Saul left the cave.
We’ll start from 1 Samuel 24:8.
That’s verse 8.
“Then David got up and went out from the cave
“and called out after Saul:
‘My lord the king!’
“‘[David?]’
“When Saul looked behind him,
“David bowed down low
“with his face to the ground
and prostrated himself.
“David said to Saul:
“‘Why do you listen
to the words of men who say,
“‘“Look!
David is seeking to harm you”?
“‘This very day your own eyes have seen
“‘how Jehovah gave you
into my hand in the cave.
“‘But when someone said to kill you,
I had pity on you and said,
“‘“I will not lift my hand against my lord,
“‘for he is the anointed of Jehovah.”
“‘And look, my father,
“‘yes, see the edge of your sleeveless coat
in my hand;
“‘for when I cut off
the edge of your sleeveless coat,
“‘I did not kill you.
“‘You can now see and understand
“‘that I do not intend to harm you
or to rebel,
“‘and I have not sinned against you,
“‘whereas you are hunting me down
to take my life.
“‘May Jehovah judge between you and me,
“‘and may Jehovah
take vengeance on you for me,
“‘but my hand will not come against you.
“‘Just as the ancient proverb says,
“‘“From the wicked comes wickedness,”
“‘but my hand will not come against you.
“‘After whom has the king of Israel gone out?
“‘Whom are you chasing?
“‘A dead dog?
“‘A single flea?
“‘May Jehovah be the judge,
“‘and he will judge between you and me,
“‘and he will see
and will plead my case
and judge me
and rescue me from your hand.’”
By showing restraint,
David gave answer
to those who’d been telling Saul
that David was seeking to harm him.
He hadn’t lifted his hand against Saul.
Twice he told Saul that it would be Jehovah
who would judge between them.
Though Saul was hunting him without cause,
David did not speak abusively to Saul.
He was respectful and humble
as he told Saul he would wait for Jehovah
to set things straight.
What a powerful message that was
to all who learned of the matter!
Saul was stunned
to learn that David had spared his life,
and he called out to him:
“Jehovah will reward you with good
“because of what you have done
for me today. . . .
“I know that you will surely rule as king
and that in your hand
the kingdom of Israel will endure.”
The apostle Paul
may have thought of this incident
when he counseled Christians
in Rome centuries later:
“Do not avenge yourselves . . .
Keep conquering the evil with the good.”
Sometimes our good actions and speech
can have a positive effect
on those who oppose us.
Saul was deeply moved by David’s mercy,
but would he stop seeking to kill him?
We’ll see.
Because of our imperfection, though,
we at times fail to exercise patience.
And David was no exception.
One situation angered him so much,
he nearly acted in a way
that would’ve had terrible consequences.
Let’s read about it from 1 Samuel 25.
That’s chapter 25, now, and verse 1,
1 Samuel 25 beginning with verse 1.
“In time Samuel died;
“and all Israel gathered together
to mourn for him
“and to bury him at his house in Ramah.
“Then David rose
and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
“Now there was a man in Maon
whose work was in Carmel.
“The man was very wealthy;
“he had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats,
“and he was then shearing his sheep
at Carmel.
“The man’s name was Nabal,
“and his wife’s name was Abigail.
“The wife was discerning and beautiful,
“but the husband, a Calebite, was harsh,
“and he behaved badly.
“David heard in the wilderness
that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
“So David sent ten young men to him,
“and David told the young men:
“‘Go up to Carmel,
and when you come to Nabal,
“‘ask him in my name about his welfare.
“‘Then say,
“May you live long and may you be well
“‘“and may your household be well
“‘“and may all that you have be well.
“‘“Now I hear
that you are doing your shearing.
“‘“When your shepherds were with us,
we did not harm them,
“‘“and they found nothing missing
the whole time they were in Carmel.
“‘“Ask your young men,
and they will tell you.
“‘“May my young men find favor in your eyes,
“‘“because we have come at a joyous time.
“‘“Please give to your servants
and to your son David
whatever you can spare.”’
“So David’s young men went
“and told all of this to Nabal
in David’s name.
“When they finished,
Nabal answered David’s servants:
“‘Who is David,
and who is the son of Jesse?
“‘Nowadays many servants
are breaking away from their masters.
“‘Do I have to take my bread and my water
“‘and the meat that I butchered
for my shearers
and give it to men
who come from who knows where?’”
Sheep shearing
was a time of joy and festivities,
and Nabal had reason to rejoice.
He had many sheep,
and they had been protected
from bands of robbers
by David’s men.
Customarily, it would be expected
for Nabal to show
appreciation and generosity.
But when David’s men politely requested food,
not only did he refuse, he screamed insults.
Let’s see how David reacted
by continuing to read from 1 Samuel 25
beginning with verse 12.
“At that David’s young men returned
“and reported all these words to him.
“David immediately said to his men:
‘“Everyone strap on your sword!’
“So they all strapped on their swords,
“and David also strapped on his own sword,
“and about 400 men went up with David,
“while 200 men stayed with the baggage.
“Meanwhile, one of the servants
reported to Abigail, Nabal’s wife:
“‘Look!
“‘David sent messengers from the wilderness
to wish our master well,
“but he screamed insults at them.’
“‘[Oh, no!]’
“‘Those men were very good to us.
“‘They never harmed us,
and we did not miss a single thing
“‘the whole time we were together
with them in the fields.
“‘They were like a protective wall around us,
both by night and by day,
“the whole time we were with them
shepherding the flock.’
“‘[No!]’
“‘Now decide what you are going to do,
“‘for disaster has been determined
against our master
“‘and against all his house,
“and he is such a worthless man
that no one can speak to him.’
“So Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread,
“two large jars of wine, five dressed sheep,
“five seah measures of roasted grain,
“100 cakes of raisins,
and 200 cakes of pressed figs . . .
“‘[Here.]’
“. . . and put all of it on the donkeys.
“‘[Take these.]’
“Then she said to her servants:
‘Go on ahead of me; I will follow you.’
“But she said nothing to her husband Nabal.
“While she was riding on the donkey
“and going down under cover of the mountain,
“just then David and his men
were coming down toward her,
“and she met them.
“Now David had been saying:
“‘It was for nothing
that I guarded everything
“‘that belongs to this fellow
in the wilderness.
“‘Not a single thing belonging to him
went missing,
“‘and yet he repays me evil for good.
“‘May God do the same and more
to the enemies of David
“if I allow a single male of his
to survive until the morning.’
When David learned what Nabal had said,
he was furious.
Immediately, and without consulting Jehovah,
David told his men to strap on their swords.
Then they set out
to wipe out every male in Nabal’s household.
This was wrong.
Nabal was a despicable man,
but while David deserved compensation
for the protection he’d given to Nabal,
he had no legal right to Nabal’s property.
And there was absolutely no reason
to murder an Israelite brother
and his entire household.
Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants
discerned the imminent disaster
and had the courage
to report what had happened
to Abigail, Nabal’s wife.
He didn’t warn Nabal,
who wouldn’t have listened,
but he found a hearing ear with Abigail,
who was a woman of discernment
who loved Jehovah.
We know little of her background,
but life with Nabal must have been difficult.
He was harsh, unthankful, and arrogant.
Perhaps she was trapped
in an arranged marriage.
“Senselessness is with him,”
Abigail later said to David.
This spiritual woman
would not likely have said that
unless her husband had caused her to lose
the last vestige of love and respect for him.
Abigail listened to the servant
and realized
that something had to be done immediately.
But what?
Should she speak with Nabal?
No.
She couldn’t reason with him.
Should she run away?
If David was anything like Nabal,
that might have been the smart thing to do.
But Abigail knew
that David was a reasonable man
who loved Jehovah.
Quickly, she gathered food
and set out to meet him.
Let’s read the account
from 1 Samuel 25:23.
“When Abigail caught sight of David,
she hurried down off the donkey
“and threw herself facedown before David,
bowing to the ground.
“She then fell at his feet and said:
“‘My lord,
let the blame be on me;
“‘let your servant girl speak to you,
“‘and listen to the words
of your servant girl.
“‘Please,
do not let my lord pay attention
“‘to this worthless Nabal,
“‘for he is just like his name.
“‘Nabal is his name,
and senselessness is with him.
“‘But I, your servant girl,
“‘did not see my lord’s young men
whom you sent.
“‘And now, my lord,
“‘as surely as Jehovah is living
and as you are living,
“‘it is Jehovah who has held you back
from incurring bloodguilt
“‘and from taking revenge with your own hand.
“‘May your enemies
and those seeking injury to my lord
“‘become like Nabal.
“‘Now let this gift
that your servant girl has brought to my lord
“‘be given to the young men
who are following my lord.
“‘Pardon, please,
the transgression of your servant girl,
“‘for Jehovah
will without fail make for my lord
“‘a lasting house,
“‘because my lord
is fighting the wars of Jehovah,
“‘and no evil
has been found in you all your days.
“‘When someone rises up to pursue you
and seeks your life,
“‘the life of my lord
will be wrapped securely in the bag of life
“‘with Jehovah your God,
“‘but the lives of your enemies
“‘he will hurl away like stones from a sling.
“‘And when Jehovah has done for my lord
“‘all the good things he has promised
“‘and he appoints you as leader over Israel,
“‘you will have
no remorse or regret in your heart
“‘for shedding blood without cause
“‘and for letting the hand of my lord
take revenge.
“‘When Jehovah confers good upon my lord,
remember your servant girl.’”
Abigail’s words to David
were those of a wise and spiritual woman.
Her approach was humble
and deeply respectful,
but her message was clear.
She said that Jehovah had sent her to David
to prevent him from incurring bloodguilt,
from shedding blood without cause,
from taking revenge,
and from doing something
that would cause David regret and remorse,
casting a shadow on the rest of his life.
Abigail reminded David
of these important truths:
Jehovah would correct the wrong,
and David should not avenge himself.
Her appeal mirrored David’s reason
for not going against Saul at Engedi.
Perhaps she’d learned about how David
had spared Saul’s life in the cave.
Abigail’s message?
Be patient.
Let Jehovah sort things out
in his own time and way.
How did David respond to her?
The account continues from 1 Samuel 25:32.
“At this David said to Abigail:
“‘Praise Jehovah the God of Israel,
“‘who sent you this day to meet me!
“‘And blessed be your good sense!
“‘May you be blessed
for restraining me this day
“‘from incurring bloodguilt
and from taking revenge with my own hands.
“‘Otherwise,
as surely as Jehovah the God of Israel
“‘who held me back
from harming you is living,
“‘if you had not come quickly to meet me,
“‘by morning there would not have remained
“a single male belonging to Nabal.’
“With that David accepted from her
what she had brought him
“and said to her:
“‘Go up in peace to your house.
“‘See, I have listened to you,
and I will grant your request.’”
David listened.
In a society where men
did not welcome the advice of women,
this was noteworthy.
David listened,
understood, agreed,
and changed his course.
Perhaps David’s men
were eager to fight and to plunder.
But David held them back.
Like David, we too may set out
on a course that’s not wise.
Like David, we should listen
to those who try to correct us.
“About ten days later,
“Jehovah struck Nabal,
and he died.”
Afterward, Abigail became David’s wife.
But what of Saul?
Though he was humbled
by the events in the cave,
he didn’t give up on chasing David.
This time, David and his men
were in the wilderness of Ziph.
For the second time,
David was betrayed by the men of Ziph,
people from his own tribe.
Let’s read about it from 1 Samuel 26
beginning with verse 2.
“So Saul rose up and went down
to the wilderness of Ziph
“with 3,000 chosen men of Israel
“to look for David in the wilderness of Ziph.
“Saul camped on the hill of Hachilah,
“which faces Jeshimon, by the road.
“David was then living in the wilderness,
“and he learned that Saul
had come into the wilderness after him.
“So David sent spies
to verify that Saul had indeed come.
“David later went to the place
where Saul had encamped,
“and David saw the place
“where Saul and Abner the son of Ner,
the chief of his army,
“were lying asleep;
“Saul lay asleep in the camp enclosure
“with the troops camping all around him.
“Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite
“and Abishai the son of Zeruiah,
the brother of Joab:
“‘Who will go down with me
into the camp to Saul?’
“Abishai replied:
“‘I will go down with you.’
“So David and Abishai made their way
to the troops by night,
“and they found Saul lying asleep
in the camp enclosure
“with his spear stuck into the ground
next to his head;
“Abner and the troops
were lying all around him.
“Abishai now said to David:
“‘Today God has surrendered your enemy
into your hand.
“‘And now, please,
“‘let me pin him to the ground
with the spear just once,
and I will not need to do it twice.’”
In the cave,
Saul had come to David.
This time David came to Saul.
With him was his nephew Abishai,
a courageous warrior.
They moved stealthily by moonlight
through the ranks of Saul’s sleeping men
to the place where Saul was sleeping.
Now, for a second time,
Saul was in David’s power.
Abishai offered to pin Saul to the ground.
To him,
it seemed logical to do away with the one
who had so relentlessly been seeking
to kill them.
David would need to do nothing.
He could later credit the killing to Abishai.
Would David seize the opportunity
to get rid of his enemy once and for all?
To get the answer,
let’s continue our reading
from 1 Samuel 26:9.
“However, David said to Abishai:
“‘Do not harm him,
“‘for who can lift his hand
against the anointed of Jehovah
“and remain innocent?’
“David continued:
“‘As surely as Jehovah is living,
“‘Jehovah himself will strike him down,
“‘or his day will come and he will die,
“‘or he will go down into battle and perish.
“‘It is unthinkable from Jehovah’s standpoint
“‘for me to lift my hand
against the anointed of Jehovah!
“‘So now take, please,
the spear next to his head and the water jug,
“and let us be on our way.’
“So David took the spear and the water jug
“from next to Saul’s head,
and they went away.
“No one saw or noticed them or woke up,
“for they were all asleep,
because a deep sleep from Jehovah
had fallen upon them.”
David didn’t fool himself
into thinking it would be acceptable
for Abishai to act against Saul.
He recognized
that Jehovah would deal with Saul.
Once again, he waited on Jehovah
to correct the situation.
David considered how Jehovah might act
in his behalf in the future,
whispering to Abishai
that Saul might die in battle.
Over a year later, that’s what happened.
Life was stressful for David
during the years he lived as a fugitive.
But he never became impatient with Jehovah.
And he did what he could
under the circumstances.
As he was living among the Philistines,
for example,
David seized the opportunity
to protect Israel
by attacking the nation’s enemies.
When we face difficulties,
we too can make the best of our situation
by doing what we can,
confident that Jehovah will bring relief
at the best possible time.
Eventually, David did become king,
and he reigned for 40 years.
Toward the end of his life,
he wrote Psalm 37.
Perhaps the three events
that we’ve considered
were on David’s mind
as he composed that psalm.
He wrote about patience,
the need to wait on Jehovah,
and the certain fulfillment
of Jehovah’s promises.
That psalm contains
both counsel and encouragement for us.
Let’s conclude
by reading those inspired words.
Let’s turn to Psalm 37:1-7.
I’ll give you a moment to find that.
Psalm 37:1-7 says:
“Do not be upset
“because of evil men
“or envious of wrongdoers.
“They will quickly wither like grass
“and shrivel like green new grass.
“Trust in Jehovah
“and do what is good;
“reside in the earth,
“and act with faithfulness.
“Find exquisite delight in Jehovah,
“and he will grant you
the desires of your heart.
“Commit your way to Jehovah;
“rely on him,
“and he will act in your behalf.
“He will make your righteousness shine
like daybreak,
“and your justice like the midday sun.
“Keep silent before Jehovah
and wait expectantly for him.”

David Waited on Jehovah
- 

David Waited on Jehovah

Do you face ridicule,
opposition, or persecution?
Are you trapped in a difficult situation
in which there seems to be little you can do
to change your circumstances?
If so, you are not alone.
The Bible tells us
that David experienced these things.
And David himself tells us how he coped.
His words are found at Psalm 62:5:
“I wait silently for God.”
Some scholars believe
that David was 15 years old
when he was anointed as king.
If so,
then he had to wait 22 years
before he became king over all Israel.
During several of those years,
King Saul chased after David,
seeking to kill him.
As a result,
David had to live as a fugitive,
at times in caves in the wilderness
and at other times in a foreign country
among the enemies of Israel.
David learned patience
—the need to wait on Jehovah.
Let’s consider three events
that occurred during that period in his life.
The first happened
in the wilderness of Engedi,
a place of rough mountains,
honeycombed with roomy caves.
King Saul, consumed with envy and hatred,
chased after David, intent on killing him.
David and his men hid from him
in an immense cave.
They couldn’t have been comfortable.
They had no luxuries;
they had to gather food, firewood, and water;
and they had to evade those
who wanted them dead.
But then came
a surprising and unexpected situation.
Let’s read about it.
Please turn in your Bible
to 1 Samuel chapter 24
beginning with verse 2.
I’ll give you a moment to find it.
First Samuel chapter 24
—we’ll begin reading from verse 2.
“So Saul took 3,000 men
chosen from all Israel
“and went to look for David and his men
“on the rocky cliffs of the mountain goats.
“Saul came to the stone sheepfolds
along the road,
“where there was a cave,
“and he went in to relieve himself
“while David and his men
were sitting in the recesses
“at the back of the cave.
“David’s men said to him:
“‘This is the day
on which Jehovah is saying to you,
“‘“Look!
I am giving your enemy into your hand,
and you can do to him
whatever seems good to you.”’”
Three thousand well-chosen
and highly trained soldiers
were on the lookout for David.
Imagine the astonishment of David and his men
when Saul himself,
alone and unprotected,
strolled into the very cave
where they were hiding.
Saul’s vision was adjusted to the light outside,
so when he peered into the gloom of the cave,
he didn’t see that there were men inside.
The men’s eyes, however,
were already accustomed to the dark,
so they could see Saul clearly
against the light of the entrance.
Now Saul was vulnerable,
completely in David’s power.
Should David do away with him?
His men whispered for him to do just that.
Surely Jehovah was giving Saul into his hand!
After all, it was God’s will
that David replace Saul as king.
And didn’t David have good reason
to kill him?
Saul was out of control.
He had killed priests at Nob
and wiped out the city
—men, women, children, animals—
all because the high priest, Ahimelech,
had given David bread for his men to eat.
If David killed Saul,
what would be the result?
Deliverance?
An end to his running as a fugitive?
No more hiding in caves,
immediate kingship?
Surely all this passed through David’s mind.
What would he do?
What would you have done?
Let’s continue reading from 1 Samuel 24:4.
“So David rose up
“and quietly cut off the edge
of Saul’s sleeveless coat.
“But afterward David’s heart
kept striking him
“because he had cut off the edge
of Saul’s sleeveless coat.
“He said to his men:
“‘It is unthinkable from Jehovah’s standpoint
“‘that I should do such a thing to my lord,
“‘the anointed of Jehovah,
“‘by lifting my hand against him,
“for he is the anointed of Jehovah.’
“So David restrained his men
with these words,
“and he did not allow them to attack Saul.
“As for Saul,
he rose up from the cave
and went on his way.”
David didn’t listen to his men.
Instead, he took advantage of the situation
to show that he wasn’t a rebel
and that he didn’t seek revenge
for Saul’s unfair and cruel treatment.
That took self-restraint.
It also required faith
—faith that Jehovah would correct matters
in his own time and way.
His thinking is reflected
not only in what he said to Saul
but also in what he wrote in Psalm 57.
Verse 3 of that psalm says:
“[Jehovah] will send help from heaven
and save me.
He will frustrate the one snapping at me.”
We at times may find it difficult
to exercise patience,
especially when we’re suffering unjustly.
Often, we can do little to change things.
But what if an easy way out presents itself?
We should be like David,
who first considered Jehovah’s viewpoint.
Sometimes we should act,
but sometimes it’s best to wait for Jehovah
to correct matters in his due time.
Let’s read what happened
after Saul left the cave.
We’ll start from 1 Samuel 24:8.
That’s verse 8.
“Then David got up and went out from the cave
“and called out after Saul:
‘My lord the king!’
“‘[David?]’
“When Saul looked behind him,
“David bowed down low
“with his face to the ground
and prostrated himself.
“David said to Saul:
“‘Why do you listen
to the words of men who say,
“‘“Look!
David is seeking to harm you”?
“‘This very day your own eyes have seen
“‘how Jehovah gave you
into my hand in the cave.
“‘But when someone said to kill you,
I had pity on you and said,
“‘“I will not lift my hand against my lord,
“‘for he is the anointed of Jehovah.”
“‘And look, my father,
“‘yes, see the edge of your sleeveless coat
in my hand;
“‘for when I cut off
the edge of your sleeveless coat,
“‘I did not kill you.
“‘You can now see and understand
“‘that I do not intend to harm you
or to rebel,
“‘and I have not sinned against you,
“‘whereas you are hunting me down
to take my life.
“‘May Jehovah judge between you and me,
“‘and may Jehovah
take vengeance on you for me,
“‘but my hand will not come against you.
“‘Just as the ancient proverb says,
“‘“From the wicked comes wickedness,”
“‘but my hand will not come against you.
“‘After whom has the king of Israel gone out?
“‘Whom are you chasing?
“‘A dead dog?
“‘A single flea?
“‘May Jehovah be the judge,
“‘and he will judge between you and me,
“‘and he will see
and will plead my case
and judge me
and rescue me from your hand.’”
By showing restraint,
David gave answer
to those who’d been telling Saul
that David was seeking to harm him.
He hadn’t lifted his hand against Saul.
Twice he told Saul that it would be Jehovah
who would judge between them.
Though Saul was hunting him without cause,
David did not speak abusively to Saul.
He was respectful and humble
as he told Saul he would wait for Jehovah
to set things straight.
What a powerful message that was
to all who learned of the matter!
Saul was stunned
to learn that David had spared his life,
and he called out to him:
“Jehovah will reward you with good
“because of what you have done
for me today. . . .
“I know that you will surely rule as king
and that in your hand
the kingdom of Israel will endure.”
The apostle Paul
may have thought of this incident
when he counseled Christians
in Rome centuries later:
“Do not avenge yourselves . . .
Keep conquering the evil with the good.”
Sometimes our good actions and speech
can have a positive effect
on those who oppose us.
Saul was deeply moved by David’s mercy,
but would he stop seeking to kill him?
We’ll see.
Because of our imperfection, though,
we at times fail to exercise patience.
And David was no exception.
One situation angered him so much,
he nearly acted in a way
that would’ve had terrible consequences.
Let’s read about it from 1 Samuel 25.
That’s chapter 25, now, and verse 1,
1 Samuel 25 beginning with verse 1.
“In time Samuel died;
“and all Israel gathered together
to mourn for him
“and to bury him at his house in Ramah.
“Then David rose
and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
“Now there was a man in Maon
whose work was in Carmel.
“The man was very wealthy;
“he had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats,
“and he was then shearing his sheep
at Carmel.
“The man’s name was Nabal,
“and his wife’s name was Abigail.
“The wife was discerning and beautiful,
“but the husband, a Calebite, was harsh,
“and he behaved badly.
“David heard in the wilderness
that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
“So David sent ten young men to him,
“and David told the young men:
“‘Go up to Carmel,
and when you come to Nabal,
“‘ask him in my name about his welfare.
“‘Then say,
“May you live long and may you be well
“‘“and may your household be well
“‘“and may all that you have be well.
“‘“Now I hear
that you are doing your shearing.
“‘“When your shepherds were with us,
we did not harm them,
“‘“and they found nothing missing
the whole time they were in Carmel.
“‘“Ask your young men,
and they will tell you.
“‘“May my young men find favor in your eyes,
“‘“because we have come at a joyous time.
“‘“Please give to your servants
and to your son David
whatever you can spare.”’
“So David’s young men went
“and told all of this to Nabal
in David’s name.
“When they finished,
Nabal answered David’s servants:
“‘Who is David,
and who is the son of Jesse?
“‘Nowadays many servants
are breaking away from their masters.
“‘Do I have to take my bread and my water
“‘and the meat that I butchered
for my shearers
and give it to men
who come from who knows where?’”
Sheep shearing
was a time of joy and festivities,
and Nabal had reason to rejoice.
He had many sheep,
and they had been protected
from bands of robbers
by David’s men.
Customarily, it would be expected
for Nabal to show
appreciation and generosity.
But when David’s men politely requested food,
not only did he refuse, he screamed insults.
Let’s see how David reacted
by continuing to read from 1 Samuel 25
beginning with verse 12.
“At that David’s young men returned
“and reported all these words to him.
“David immediately said to his men:
‘“Everyone strap on your sword!’
“So they all strapped on their swords,
“and David also strapped on his own sword,
“and about 400 men went up with David,
“while 200 men stayed with the baggage.
“Meanwhile, one of the servants
reported to Abigail, Nabal’s wife:
“‘Look!
“‘David sent messengers from the wilderness
to wish our master well,
“but he screamed insults at them.’
“‘[Oh, no!]’
“‘Those men were very good to us.
“‘They never harmed us,
and we did not miss a single thing
“‘the whole time we were together
with them in the fields.
“‘They were like a protective wall around us,
both by night and by day,
“the whole time we were with them
shepherding the flock.’
“‘[No!]’
“‘Now decide what you are going to do,
“‘for disaster has been determined
against our master
“‘and against all his house,
“and he is such a worthless man
that no one can speak to him.’
“So Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread,
“two large jars of wine, five dressed sheep,
“five seah measures of roasted grain,
“100 cakes of raisins,
and 200 cakes of pressed figs . . .
“‘[Here.]’
“. . . and put all of it on the donkeys.
“‘[Take these.]’
“Then she said to her servants:
‘Go on ahead of me; I will follow you.’
“But she said nothing to her husband Nabal.
“While she was riding on the donkey
“and going down under cover of the mountain,
“just then David and his men
were coming down toward her,
“and she met them.
“Now David had been saying:
“‘It was for nothing
that I guarded everything
“‘that belongs to this fellow
in the wilderness.
“‘Not a single thing belonging to him
went missing,
“‘and yet he repays me evil for good.
“‘May God do the same and more
to the enemies of David
“if I allow a single male of his
to survive until the morning.’
When David learned what Nabal had said,
he was furious.
Immediately, and without consulting Jehovah,
David told his men to strap on their swords.
Then they set out
to wipe out every male in Nabal’s household.
This was wrong.
Nabal was a despicable man,
but while David deserved compensation
for the protection he’d given to Nabal,
he had no legal right to Nabal’s property.
And there was absolutely no reason
to murder an Israelite brother
and his entire household.
Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants
discerned the imminent disaster
and had the courage
to report what had happened
to Abigail, Nabal’s wife.
He didn’t warn Nabal,
who wouldn’t have listened,
but he found a hearing ear with Abigail,
who was a woman of discernment
who loved Jehovah.
We know little of her background,
but life with Nabal must have been difficult.
He was harsh, unthankful, and arrogant.
Perhaps she was trapped
in an arranged marriage.
“Senselessness is with him,”
Abigail later said to David.
This spiritual woman
would not likely have said that
unless her husband had caused her to lose
the last vestige of love and respect for him.
Abigail listened to the servant
and realized
that something had to be done immediately.
But what?
Should she speak with Nabal?
No.
She couldn’t reason with him.
Should she run away?
If David was anything like Nabal,
that might have been the smart thing to do.
But Abigail knew
that David was a reasonable man
who loved Jehovah.
Quickly, she gathered food
and set out to meet him.
Let’s read the account
from 1 Samuel 25:23.
“When Abigail caught sight of David,
she hurried down off the donkey
“and threw herself facedown before David,
bowing to the ground.
“She then fell at his feet and said:
“‘My lord,
let the blame be on me;
“‘let your servant girl speak to you,
“‘and listen to the words
of your servant girl.
“‘Please,
do not let my lord pay attention
“‘to this worthless Nabal,
“‘for he is just like his name.
“‘Nabal is his name,
and senselessness is with him.
“‘But I, your servant girl,
“‘did not see my lord’s young men
whom you sent.
“‘And now, my lord,
“‘as surely as Jehovah is living
and as you are living,
“‘it is Jehovah who has held you back
from incurring bloodguilt
“‘and from taking revenge with your own hand.
“‘May your enemies
and those seeking injury to my lord
“‘become like Nabal.
“‘Now let this gift
that your servant girl has brought to my lord
“‘be given to the young men
who are following my lord.
“‘Pardon, please,
the transgression of your servant girl,
“‘for Jehovah
will without fail make for my lord
“‘a lasting house,
“‘because my lord
is fighting the wars of Jehovah,
“‘and no evil
has been found in you all your days.
“‘When someone rises up to pursue you
and seeks your life,
“‘the life of my lord
will be wrapped securely in the bag of life
“‘with Jehovah your God,
“‘but the lives of your enemies
“‘he will hurl away like stones from a sling.
“‘And when Jehovah has done for my lord
“‘all the good things he has promised
“‘and he appoints you as leader over Israel,
“‘you will have
no remorse or regret in your heart
“‘for shedding blood without cause
“‘and for letting the hand of my lord
take revenge.
“‘When Jehovah confers good upon my lord,
remember your servant girl.’”
Abigail’s words to David
were those of a wise and spiritual woman.
Her approach was humble
and deeply respectful,
but her message was clear.
She said that Jehovah had sent her to David
to prevent him from incurring bloodguilt,
from shedding blood without cause,
from taking revenge,
and from doing something
that would cause David regret and remorse,
casting a shadow on the rest of his life.
Abigail reminded David
of these important truths:
Jehovah would correct the wrong,
and David should not avenge himself.
Her appeal mirrored David’s reason
for not going against Saul at Engedi.
Perhaps she’d learned about how David
had spared Saul’s life in the cave.
Abigail’s message?
Be patient.
Let Jehovah sort things out
in his own time and way.
How did David respond to her?
The account continues from 1 Samuel 25:32.
“At this David said to Abigail:
“‘Praise Jehovah the God of Israel,
“‘who sent you this day to meet me!
“‘And blessed be your good sense!
“‘May you be blessed
for restraining me this day
“‘from incurring bloodguilt
and from taking revenge with my own hands.
“‘Otherwise,
as surely as Jehovah the God of Israel
“‘who held me back
from harming you is living,
“‘if you had not come quickly to meet me,
“‘by morning there would not have remained
“a single male belonging to Nabal.’
“With that David accepted from her
what she had brought him
“and said to her:
“‘Go up in peace to your house.
“‘See, I have listened to you,
and I will grant your request.’”
David listened.
In a society where men
did not welcome the advice of women,
this was noteworthy.
David listened,
understood, agreed,
and changed his course.
Perhaps David’s men
were eager to fight and to plunder.
But David held them back.
Like David, we too may set out
on a course that’s not wise.
Like David, we should listen
to those who try to correct us.
“About ten days later,
“Jehovah struck Nabal,
and he died.”
Afterward, Abigail became David’s wife.
But what of Saul?
Though he was humbled
by the events in the cave,
he didn’t give up on chasing David.
This time, David and his men
were in the wilderness of Ziph.
For the second time,
David was betrayed by the men of Ziph,
people from his own tribe.
Let’s read about it from 1 Samuel 26
beginning with verse 2.
“So Saul rose up and went down
to the wilderness of Ziph
“with 3,000 chosen men of Israel
“to look for David in the wilderness of Ziph.
“Saul camped on the hill of Hachilah,
“which faces Jeshimon, by the road.
“David was then living in the wilderness,
“and he learned that Saul
had come into the wilderness after him.
“So David sent spies
to verify that Saul had indeed come.
“David later went to the place
where Saul had encamped,
“and David saw the place
“where Saul and Abner the son of Ner,
the chief of his army,
“were lying asleep;
“Saul lay asleep in the camp enclosure
“with the troops camping all around him.
“Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite
“and Abishai the son of Zeruiah,
the brother of Joab:
“‘Who will go down with me
into the camp to Saul?’
“Abishai replied:
“‘I will go down with you.’
“So David and Abishai made their way
to the troops by night,
“and they found Saul lying asleep
in the camp enclosure
“with his spear stuck into the ground
next to his head;
“Abner and the troops
were lying all around him.
“Abishai now said to David:
“‘Today God has surrendered your enemy
into your hand.
“‘And now, please,
“‘let me pin him to the ground
with the spear just once,
and I will not need to do it twice.’”
In the cave,
Saul had come to David.
This time David came to Saul.
With him was his nephew Abishai,
a courageous warrior.
They moved stealthily by moonlight
through the ranks of Saul’s sleeping men
to the place where Saul was sleeping.
Now, for a second time,
Saul was in David’s power.
Abishai offered to pin Saul to the ground.
To him,
it seemed logical to do away with the one
who had so relentlessly been seeking
to kill them.
David would need to do nothing.
He could later credit the killing to Abishai.
Would David seize the opportunity
to get rid of his enemy once and for all?
To get the answer,
let’s continue our reading
from 1 Samuel 26:9.
“However, David said to Abishai:
“‘Do not harm him,
“‘for who can lift his hand
against the anointed of Jehovah
“and remain innocent?’
“David continued:
“‘As surely as Jehovah is living,
“‘Jehovah himself will strike him down,
“‘or his day will come and he will die,
“‘or he will go down into battle and perish.
“‘It is unthinkable from Jehovah’s standpoint
“‘for me to lift my hand
against the anointed of Jehovah!
“‘So now take, please,
the spear next to his head and the water jug,
“and let us be on our way.’
“So David took the spear and the water jug
“from next to Saul’s head,
and they went away.
“No one saw or noticed them or woke up,
“for they were all asleep,
because a deep sleep from Jehovah
had fallen upon them.”
David didn’t fool himself
into thinking it would be acceptable
for Abishai to act against Saul.
He recognized
that Jehovah would deal with Saul.
Once again, he waited on Jehovah
to correct the situation.
David considered how Jehovah might act
in his behalf in the future,
whispering to Abishai
that Saul might die in battle.
Over a year later, that’s what happened.
Life was stressful for David
during the years he lived as a fugitive.
But he never became impatient with Jehovah.
And he did what he could
under the circumstances.
As he was living among the Philistines,
for example,
David seized the opportunity
to protect Israel
by attacking the nation’s enemies.
When we face difficulties,
we too can make the best of our situation
by doing what we can,
confident that Jehovah will bring relief
at the best possible time.
Eventually, David did become king,
and he reigned for 40 years.
Toward the end of his life,
he wrote Psalm 37.
Perhaps the three events
that we’ve considered
were on David’s mind
as he composed that psalm.
He wrote about patience,
the need to wait on Jehovah,
and the certain fulfillment
of Jehovah’s promises.
That psalm contains
both counsel and encouragement for us.
Let’s conclude
by reading those inspired words.
Let’s turn to Psalm 37:1-7.
I’ll give you a moment to find that.
Psalm 37:1-7 says:
“Do not be upset
“because of evil men
“or envious of wrongdoers.
“They will quickly wither like grass
“and shrivel like green new grass.
“Trust in Jehovah
“and do what is good;
“reside in the earth,
“and act with faithfulness.
“Find exquisite delight in Jehovah,
“and he will grant you
the desires of your heart.
“Commit your way to Jehovah;
“rely on him,
“and he will act in your behalf.
“He will make your righteousness shine
like daybreak,
“and your justice like the midday sun.
“Keep silent before Jehovah
and wait expectantly for him.”


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