Loving Your Enemies: David and Saul

An Old Testament Lesson on Grace and Mercy

One of the most famous teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount is to love your enemies. This is a command given to individual Christians to treat their enemies with grace.

Without a doubt, this is an important commandment that saved people OUGHT to follow.

Matthew 5:43-47 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Such a command has sadly been twisted to mean various things, including pacifism, political correctness, and refraining from preaching on sin, as well as condemning self-defense by deadly force or weapon ownership by Christians.

This is also mistakenly believed to be a New Testament teaching; false teachers such as John Piper have twisted it to teach that the New Testament’s teachings on love and forgiveness mean that Christians should be against violence and self-defense.

The Bible disagrees.

The Old Testament is often reputed to be a book of violence, hatred, warfare, judgment, and wrath. But what is often missed are its very teachings about grace and mercy that we find often in the New Testament.

David is such an example. He is an example of loving one’s enemies and treating those who have wronged you well.

Was David a pacifist? Far from it. He is known for having slayed Goliath, the Philistine giant, before the age of 20 years, the minimum age to serve in the Israeli army in the Old Testament (Numbers 1:1-3). He was nothing but the son of a shepherd, but with a sling and a stone, he killed Goliath and sent him to Hell. David also had a long and decorated military career, having led Israel to war countless times against her enemies even prior to assuming the throne.

Psalm 144:1-2 Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

But David is also an example of how one can love their enemies. The years of his life leading up to his kingship over Israel is such a valuable lesson for us all.

Who was his worst enemy? David led Israel to defeat her enemies in war countless times throughout his life, but for years on end, he lived with the threat of his own father-in-law, King Saul, over his head.

King Saul

As we have explored in previous chapters, King Saul ended his rule in disgrace, due to his blatant refusal to obey God’s commandments. In response, God rejected Saul from the throne and chose David as his successor.

David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, the oldest three of whom went off to war with Saul against the Philistines.

1st Samuel 17:13-15 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

The famous narrative of David defeating the Philistine giant, Goliath, with a stone and a sling, is extremely well-known. Afterwards, he took Goliath’s sword and beheaded the giant. In the face of such an impressive defeat, the Philistines fled in terror.

1st Samuel 17:48-51 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

This is amazing! David was a young man of average height at best, and he was not even 20 years old.

Mathematically, he was probably in his mid-teens at most. He was the youngest of 8 sons of Jesse, of whom the eldest three followed Saul to war, which indicated that they were probably in their early 20s, as 20 was the minimum age of military enlistment in the Israeli army (Numbers 1:1-3).

As the youngest of the five remaining sons, all of whom were under 20, seeing that they stayed behind, David was probably no older than 14-15 years of age. He was thus shorter and skinnier than all other soldiers, given that they were all over 20.

Such an impressive defeat frightened the Philistines to the point where they fled. The Israelites pursued them and killed off large numbers of them.

1st Samuel 17:52-54 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

1st Samuel 17:55-58 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is. And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

Here is where David introduces himself to Saul. He had spoken with Saul just before fighting Goliath, but it is here that Saul learns the name of the young man, who is none other than the youngest son of Jesse.

This, however, would provoke a long-standing tension between Saul and David, given the former’s envy of the younger man who would succeed him as king.

1st Samuel 18:1-4 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

Jonathan, the son of David, treated him well as if the latter was of his own blood. Saul took David in the same day that he slaughtered Goliath and led the Israelites to victory against the Philistines. Despite his young age, David behaved himself wisely, and he won the respect of the army, the people, as well as Saul’s servants.

1st Samuel 18:5-7 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

The women of the cities of Israel celebrated David and praised him, which earned the wrath and fury of King Saul, who disliked having someone being viewed more highly than himself. He wanted all the glory and honor, but it was taken from him. Saul should have wisely accepted that as God’s judgment on him for his wickedness and rebellion against him, but he refused, and instead, behaved as a petulant child who wanted everything that God gave to David.

1st Samuel 18:8-10 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.

Saul was tormented by an evil spirit from God. David played music to comfort the tormented monarch, who was about to lose his own power

1st Samuel 18:11-15 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

Out of envy, Saul threw a javelin twice at David, hoping to kill the anointed monarch. But God’s hand was protecting David from the wrath of Saul. It was not long before Saul made David a captain over a thousand, and the young man behaved wisely despite his youth.

If you are a young Christian, this is FOR YOU. This story is for YOU! Keep in mind that David was NOT EVEN 20 years old when he killed Goliath and rallied Israel to slaughter the Philistines, and he only took the throne at age 20.

Throughout the entire events of 1st Samuel, David was NOT YET 30 years of age, but he was shown to have remarkable levels of maturity and was a wise young man. If you are under 30 and especially under 25, this is an example for YOU to follow. According to the Bible, young people ARE capable of behaving maturely and wisely, and following the Lord God. They DO NOT have to sow their wild oats, live recklessly, and live in a worldly manner. David is such an example; his righteousness even drew the envy of Saul, who was much older and nearing the end of his life.

1st Samuel 18:16-19 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

Saul originally planned to give Merab, his eldest daughter, to David. He later broke his promise, however, and David ended up marrying Michal instead.

1st Samuel 18:20-21 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

Saul was still envious of David; he hoped that Michal would be a snare for David and that the Philistines would kill off the monarch-to-be for him.

Why? Saul was envious. He was unwilling to accept the fact that God had removed him from the throne and that his days were numbered. He wanted to cling onto power, but in doing so, he only humiliated himself and ended his rule in a humiliating manner.

1st Samuel 18:22-26 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law. And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David. And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.

In Biblical times, it was customary for the young man (the groom) to offer a dowry or payment in exchange for the bride. When Saul gave Michal to be married to David, the incoming monarch retained a humble spirit. He was quite flattered, as a shepherd’s son and a poor man, to have received the opportunity to marry the daughter of the king.

Saul demanded a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. His purpose, however, was to put David in danger and have him killed by the idolatrous Philistines. David, however, was unfazed, and took on the challenge with ease, killing off a total of 200 Philistines, double the number that Saul demanded.

1st Samuel 18:27-29 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

Saul was forced to hold onto his word and give Michal to David. The incoming monarch’s obedience to God terrified Saul; he became David’s WORST ENEMY. But the Biblical narrative of the conflict between David and Saul shows us the beauty of God’s love and how David treated his violent, envious father-in-law with grace and mercy, despite Saul’s wicked acts of trying to kill David.

If you are dealing with difficult and troublesome in-laws, this story is FOR YOU!

1st Samuel 18:30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.

David was a young man at this point; he was likely in his early 20s when he married Michal. Nevertheless, he behaved more wisely than not only King Saul, but also the monarch’s servants.

Saul, however, would continue to plot against David’s life, in an attempt to prevent him from taking the throne and keep his own power.

1st Samuel 19:1-3 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

Saul plotted to murder David. Jonathan, however, was a righteous man and delighted in David; he warned his brother-in-law of the plot conceived by his own father to have David slaughtered. Such shows the dangers of envy; Saul was unwilling to conceded that the Lord had stripped him of the throne because of his own sin.

Jonathan’s Loyalty

Throughout this whole ordeal, Jonathan, the son of Saul, proved to be a loyal friend.

1st Samuel 19:4-5 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

Jonathan pleaded with his father to not slay David, given that David had helped save Israel from the hands of the Philistines, their enemies. The Philistines were ruthless enemies of Israel who constantly tried to conquer them, subjugate them, and destroy them. The Lord raised up mighty men such as Samson and David to fight against them.

Fortunately, Saul relented and was willing to spare David, but this feud was not over.

1st Samuel 19:6-8 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.

David once again proved to be a great asset for the kingdom of Israel; he led the nation to once again defeat the Philistines in battle, saving the Israelites from slavery and subjugation. God, however, tormented Saul with an evil spirit; the latter continued to try to kill David.

1st Sameul 19:9-11 And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin: but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.

Saul made two more failed attempts to kill David, one with the javelin, and the other through his servants by slaying him at his home. This sent David on the run, and his wife helped him escape.

1st Samuel 19:12-17 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster. And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

David fled through a window and escaped. Michal lied to her father, claiming that David was ill. Instead, she put an image (a statue) in the bed and stuffed the bed with goat hair, before covering it all with a cloth.

David was now on the RUN from Saul, who would continue pursuing him in a vain attempt to end his life and retain his grip on the throne. But throughout all this, David behaved honorably and righteously, showing his father-in-law grace and mercy.

1st Samuel 19:18-20 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

David fled to Ramah and met up with Samuel. But even while there, reports were sent to Saul that his son-in-law was staying there. With the help of the Spirit of the Lord, both Samuel and David prophesied and preached to the Israelites about the truth of God.

1st Samuel 19:21-24 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah. And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

When Saul sent messengers to Ramah, they also prophesied. When the monarch himself went to Naioth in Ramah, he too was filled with the Spirit of God and prophesied, prompting people to wonder whether he was ALSO a prophet!

1st Samuel 20:1-2 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

Jonathan promised David that he would NOT face death at the hands of Saul. Not only that, we see his continued loyalty to David, and most importantly, to God. Given that David was God’s appointed ruler over Israel, showing loyalty to David was showing loyalty to God, and opposing David was opposing God.

Saul was ultimately in rebellion against God. David planned to flee Saul’s presence once more, and instructed Jonathan to cover for him.

1st Samuel 20:3-8 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him. Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

David instructed Jonathan to inform Saul that he was gone back to Bethlehem for the yearly sacrifice. He warned that any showing of anger on Saul’s part would mean that the disgraced monarch had wicked plans to kill his successor, given his multiple attempts on David’s life. David even made it clear that he would rather die at the hands of Jonathan than at the hands of Saul!

1st Samuel 20:9-16 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee? Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly? And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. And Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; The Lord do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father. And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not: But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies.

Jonathan promised to inform David about all the evil plots that his father could contrive or imagine. This once again demonstrated his loyalty towards the incoming monarch who was chosen by God. They swore a covenant to one another that they would be forthright with each other and have each other’s backs and support each other in the face of such a wicked plot from Saul, who was hellbent on killing David.

1st Samuel 20:17-23 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the Lord liveth. But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the Lord hath sent thee away. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.

The plot was that David would flee the palace for a period of three days, and then return to the place where he hid, right next to the stone Ezel. They devised a special plan of communication of whether there was a dangerous plot from Saul or not, in the form of firing three arrows and requiring a servant to retrieve them.

If the arrows were shot near and to be retrieved before returning, this meant that all was well. David would simply have to observe the movements of the lad (the young servant). If the young servant went for a short distance and retrieved the arrows before returning, this was a sign that the coast was clear and that there was no dangerous plot against David.

If, however, the arrows were shot far away and the servant was forced to run far away in order to find them, this would mean that there was indeed a devious plot against David from Saul, and this would be a sign for David to flee.

Such demonstrates the loyalty of Jonathan to David; he was a true man of God and willing to see God’s will come to pass.

1st Samuel 20:24-29 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day? And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem: And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

After two days of not seeing David at the table, Saul started feeling suspicious. Jonathan explained that David went home to his family for the yearly sacrifice. This, however, earned his father’s fury and anger, seeing that Jonathan was willing to side with Saul’s personal enemy, whom he saw as a threat to his power. In reality, Saul was rebelling against God and unwilling to respect God’s will.

1st Samuel 20:30-33 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

In his fury, Saul threw a javelin at his own son, which was originally intended for David, as he ordered Jonathan to fetch David to be executed. Throughout this entire ordeal, Jonathan kept everything secret from his father and protected David. Such a narrative is powerful; it shows that human authority has its limits and when man oversteps his authority and goes against God, we follow God rather than man. Jonathan, in this case, followed the Lord God over his own father.

1st Samuel 20:34–39 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

In order to warn his brother-in-law of the oncoming threat from Saul, Jonathan fired three arrows beyond the lad (the young servant), who was forced to run and fetch them. This was to serve as a sign to David that there was indeed a dangerous threat from Saul, and that David was to flee from his presence.

Saul had initially treated David well, but his envy got the better of him and he viewed David as an enemy to be destroyed and killed off. Jonathan, however, remained steadfast in his obedience to the Lord and His will.

1st Samuel 20:40-42 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

Such a secret method of communication between the two young men showed their loyalty for one another and their loyalty to God. In the face of all the adversity and the rebellion shown by his own father, Jonathan sided with the Lord. This is important for us believers; sometimes, our biggest obstacles to serving God are our own family members. Will you choose between them or God?

David Flees from Saul

1st Samuel 21:1-3 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

From Ahimelech the priest, David asked for five loaves of bread. The priest would sadly be slaughtered by Saul for his rebellion against the disgraced king of Israel, but he was acting in obedience to the Lord’s will.

1st Samuel 21:4-6 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

The shewbread was a type of bread that was always present in the Temple of God. The Lord had commanded such bread to be always available on the table of the tabernacle. Now that David was on the run from King Saul, he needed some food to eat along the way.

Exodus 25:30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

Not only did David gather some bread, he also armed himself with the sword of Goliath for his own personal protection. This shows that owning and carrying a weapon is VERY BIBLICAL; the people of God were shown to have owned and carried weapons for their own personal defense in the Bible and this was NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL!

1st Samuel 21:7-9 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

David was now officially on the run from Saul.

1st Samuel 21:10-13 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

David fled to Gath, where he was noticed by Achish’s servants, who knew of his great and mighty deeds. Fearing the king of Gath, David feigned craziness; he pretended to be insane!

1st Samuel 21:14-15 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

1st Samuel 22:1-2 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

David hid himself in the cave Adullam, where he gathered to himself 400 men who sided with him. This included those in debt and those who were unhappy about everything, including Saul’s plot to kill their incoming monarch. He brought his family into the land of Moab, where the king of Moab housed them. The prophet Gad, however, warned David to flee into the land of Judah.

1st Samuel 22:3-5 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me. And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold. And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

Saul was in hot pursuit of DAVID! He was determined to chase down his successor and kill him.

1st Samuel 22:6-8 When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;) Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

Saul was furious at his servants for not having warned him about the fact that Jonathan had indeed made an alliance with David to protect the incoming king. He attempted to win their support through promising them fields, vineyards, and power. None of this mattered; the Lord made it clear that He had rejected Saul from the throne and that any attempt to continue clinging onto power would be wasted effort. The honorable thing to do would be to step aside and honor God’s will.

1st Samuel 22:9-13 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he enquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

Doeg the Edomite was a scoundrel; he ratted out Ahimelech for having aided David in his escape. This led Saul and his men to confront the priest and kill him for such an act. In the eyes of Saul, this constituted rebellion against established authority. Ahimelech, however, pointed out that David was the most faithful servant of Saul.

1st Samuel 22:14-16 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house? Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

Saul pronounced the death sentence on Ahimelech and on all his father’s house for having helped David. At this point, however, even the foot soldiers who were with Saul refused to follow the order to kill God's priests for having supported David and for having helped Saul’s successor flee the wrath of the rejected monarch.

1st Samuel 22:17-18 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord: because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord. And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

Doeg followed Saul’s orders without question, killing off 85 priests who had followed God’s orders, including Ahimelech himself. He also massacred the city of Nob.

1st Samuel 22:20-23 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord's priests. And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house. Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

The only priest who survived was Abiathar, one of Ahimelech’s sons, who informed David about the slaughter. David foresaw everything; he foresaw that Doeg would rat him out to Saul and kill off the entire house of Abimelech. During all this, however, David trusted in the Lord. He had faced countless threats already at the hands of Saul, who kept trying to take his life and prevent him from ascending to the throne. Saul was a prideful man whose pride had gotten the better of him and led to his downfall.

The Battle of Keilah

While David fled from Saul, he continued to lead the Children of Israel to war against their enemies, scoring decisive victories with the divine intervention of the Lord of hosts.

1st Samuel 23:1-4 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. Therefore David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? Then David enquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

Keilah was facing an invasion at the hands of the Philistines. David enquired the Lord’s input; once again, the Lord was with David and he led a group of 600 men to defeat the invasion.

1st Samuel 23:5-6 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

1st Samuel 23:7-9 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

At that moment, Saul decided to take such an opportunity to kill off David. David, however, knew all about the plot, and demanded that Abiathar bring him the ephod.

1st Samuel 23:10-12 Then said David, O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up.

David is shown to be first and foremost a man of prayer; he SOUGHT the Lord’s will and asked whether God wanted him to do something before committing himself. Despite such an act of deliverance, the Lord warned David that the men of Keilah would deliver him into the hands of Saul, who was determined to slay him.

Once again, David was on the run from his father-in-law. He and his band of 600 men fled and escaped into the wilderness of Ziph, hiding in a mountain from Saul and his men.

Fleeing into Ziph

1st Samuel 23:13-15 Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

David and his army of 600 men fled into the wilderness, escaping the wrath of Saul. He had fled into the wilderness of Ziph into the woods.

1st Samuel 23:16-18 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

In the midst of this manhunt conducted by King Saul against David, Jonathan remained loyal to God, and he assured David that the Lord would be protecting him against such a wicked king. God’s hand was over David; in the midst of such odds and such danger, the Lord was shielding David from Saul.

1st Samuel 23:19-23 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand. And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me. Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

The Ziphites allied themselves with Saul and participated in the manhunt, hoping to find and kill David on his behalf. King Saul was planning on leading the manhunt throughout the land of Judah. Such a plot was bound to fail, and King Saul did nothing but waste his time. This, however, was an opportunity for David to show his grace and mercy towards his father-in-law, despite such wicked acts coming from him.

1st Samuel 23:24-27 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David; wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

David proceeded to flee into Maon, which is where Saul continued his pursuit. In the midst of the pursuit, however, Saul was warned about an invasion of the land by the Philistines.

1st Samuel 23:28-29 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth. And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.

David shows GRACE and MERCY

David was a man of war. We have seen numerous times already that he led the nation of Israel to fight against her enemies, the Philistines, and violently slew mass numbers of them in battle. But he was also a man of great love and mercy, showing the mercy of God towards his worst personal enemy, Saul.

The First Opportunity

David had a total of two opportunities to kill Saul. In both instances, he categorically refused. He trusted in the Lord; he KNEW that God was sovereign and had decided to anoint Saul to the throne. To kill Saul when he presented no immediate danger was wrong; David trusted in GOD and HIS timing. This is a good lesson for us Christians; we ought to trust in the LORD and HIS timing, not our own. David did NOT try to rush things unlike Abraham and Sarah, who decided to rush things by conceiving Ishmael with Hagar.

That did not turn out well, eh? The descendants of Hagar are the enemy nations of Israel (the Arabs) who commit grave acts of evil.

1 Samuel 24:1-3 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

After the battle against the Philistines (in which Saul prevailed), Saul led 3,000 men to find David in the wilderness of Engedi, where the latter was hiding with his men. Here is where David was presented with the first opportunity to kill Saul.

1st Samuel 24:4-6 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.

David had the opportunity to kill Saul. But did he? NO. He knew that God was in charge; Saul was STILL God’s anointed king and David KNEW that his time would come. It was wrong for him to kill off God’s anointed man. This is a great demonstration of FAITH by David; while he was a man of war and led Israel to fight her enemies, he was willing to show the utmost grace and mercy to his closest enemy, Saul, despite his numerous attempts on David’s life. David trusted in the Lord and His plans, and knew that God’s plan would come to pass.

1st Samuel 24:7-15 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.

When Saul rose and left the cave, David called after him. He showed Saul NOTHING other than mercy and grace, pointing out that while he had the opportunity to kill Saul, he chose NOT TO and instead, he only cut off part of Saul’s robe. David trusted in the LORD to take vengeance on his behalf. David trusted GOD to judge Saul, but refused to take matters into his own hands.

Such is an act of great mercy! People often believe that the concept of loving your enemies is a New Testament teaching. In reality, it is anything but so! David was faced with a wicked enemy, his own father-in-law, King Saul, who hunted him down and tried to kill him on numerous occasions. While David fled and protected himself as needed, he did NOT avenge himself. He had the opportunity to kill Saul himself, but refused to do so.

1st Samuel 24:16-19 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.

Saul was moved by such an act of mercy. David did NOT reward evil for evil; he rewarded Saul GOOD, even though Saul did NOT deserve such a thing. This is an example of LOVING YOUR ENEMIES; David was treated terribly by Saul, to the point where his life was threatened. Yet, he refused to avenge himself and return evil for evil; he allowed God to be the judge. God eventually DID judge Saul, and Saul fell in a most miserable manner.

1st Samuel 24:20-22 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

Saul acknowledged that David WAS INDEED the new king and that Israel would end up in his hands. David, however, promised to spare Saul’s children and family.

This, however, was not the last time that Saul attempted to end David’s life. He made one last attempt sometime later.

The Second Opportunity

David was presented with yet another opportunity to kill Saul.

Once again, he refused.

He forbade his own servant from killing Saul. This time, he was hidden in the hill of Hachlilah, which was also in the wilderness of Ziph.

Why? Because as before, David KNEW that God was in control of things and he refused to take matters into his own hands. He trusted the timing of GOD, who would set him on the throne when the time was right. For the time being, Saul was STILL the anointed king.

1st Samuel 26:1-3 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

Once again, the Ziphites aided Saul in plotting against David. An army of 3,000 men followed Saul in the manhunt, pitching on the hill of Hachilah. With the protection of the Lord, David saw this threat. This time, he was presented with yet ANOTHER opportunity to kill Saul; the outgoing monarch was lying right in the trench with his people around him.

1st Samuel 26:4-6 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

David and Abishai came to the camp where Saul was sleeping. He had an opportunity to slay Saul, who was not only plotting against his own life, but had given his wife to someone else.

1st Samuel 25:44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

1st Samuel 26:7-8 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

Abishai asked for David’s permission to kill Saul. Did David consent? NO. David KNEW that Saul, despite his wicked acts, was STILL God’s anointed, and to slay him would still be wrong. Saul posed no immediate threat; he was asleep. If Saul DID pose an immediate threat and tried to slay David with a sword, self-defense by deadly force would have been justified.

1st Samuel 26:9-12 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

Instead of killing Saul, David once again performed a subtle act, stealing Saul’s spear and a cruse of water (a water bottle). Saul and his men were in a deep sleep from the Lord, which prevented them from being aware of this act.

On a hill afar off, David called out to Saul and his men. He pointed out everything that he had done; while they were fast asleep, David stole Saul’s spear and cruse of water.

1st Samuel 26:13-16 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

Abner had long served as the captain of the hosts under King Saul; he was essentially the five-star general of the Israeli army. He was a loyal ally of King Saul, having supported the monarch on not only his combat missions, but also his hunt for David. But here, Abner is rebuked for having failed in his duty to protect Saul; David could have easily slayed his predecessor on the spot, but refrained from doing so.

1st Samuel 26:17-19 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.

1st Samuel 26:20-25 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed. And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

Saul acknowledged his wicked deeds and his sins. He promised to do no more harm to David. He recognized that David was indeed God’s anointed monarch and his successor; he repented of his wicked deeds.

1 Samuel 27:1-4 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

David fled to the land of Gath after this, where he stayed with Achish for a brief period of time, including with his two wives. While Saul heard the news, he never pursued David ever again. By this point, he had accepted that it was indeed God’s plan to put David on the throne.

1st Samuel 27:5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

David was given the city of Ziklag to dwell in, which, from that point onwards, belonged to the tribe of Judah. He then spent a year and four months in the land of the Philistines. His military career continued as he led his men to kill off the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites.

1st Samuel 27:8-9 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

He led his army of 600 men to not only smite the nations which were not completely destroyed by Israel when they entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, but also took their livestock, before returning to Achish.

1st Samuel 27:10-12 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines. And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

Achish believed that David had made his people, the nation of Israel, abhor him, and that he would dwell in Gath for the rest of his life and serve Achish. This, however, was not at all true. While Saul ceased from pursuing David after all those failed attempts, his wickedness did not end there; he continued to live wickedly until the very end.