1 Samuel 24

CHAPTER 24

David Spares Saul’s Life (24:1–22)

1–7 David was given a marvelous opportunity to kill Saul; Saul had gone into a cave to relieve himself without knowing that David and his men were there. But David refused to harm Saul.⁹¹ God Himself had chosen Saul and anointed him (1 Samuel 10:1), and it was not David’s place to undo what God had done. David also had been anointed (1 Samuel 16:13), but Saul was still king; David rightly decided that God alone should determine what would happen to Saul.

8–15 As Saul left the cave, David called out after him; he wanted Saul to know that he had just had the opportunity to kill him but refused to take it. David also wanted to convince Saul that he had never been disloyal to him.

In these verses, David shows respect for Saul’s authority as king. In the New Testament, both Paul and Peter teach us that all authority is established by God and that we must therefore honor our leaders and submit to them (Romans 13:1–5; 1 Peter 2:1317). It doesn’t matter if a leader himself is evil; we must still honor his position. God never asks us to employ violence against our leaders. Yes, He ordered the Israelites to put to death other peoples’ leaders, but never their own leaders. Indeed, we are called to obey our leaders—with only one exception: we must not obey any command of a leader that clearly violates the written word of God (Acts 4:18–20; 5:29).

Then, in Saul’s hearing, David called upon God to judge between him and Saul. David said: “. . . may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me” (verse 12). Here, too, David was speaking correctly: he was leaving all vengeance to the Lord (see Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:17–21). He trusted that, in the end, God would vindicate him by delivering him from Saul’s hand (verse 15). It is always better to let God vindicate us than to try and vindicate ourselves. God is totally just; He will always vindicate the innocent and punish the guilty—if not in this life, then certainly in the next.⁹²

16–22 After David had spoken, Saul wept aloud (verse 16). He was filled with remorse over his wrongdoing, but he did not truly repent and turn from his evil ways (see 1 Samuel 15:24–25 and comment). A short time later he would be pursuing David again (see 1 Samuel 26:2).

Then Saul acknowledged that David would be the next king of Israel (verse 20); Saul remembered the prophecy that his kingdom would be taken away from him and given to another (1 Samuel 13:14). And, just as his son Jonathan had done earlier (1 Samuel 20:14–17), Saul asked David to swear an oath that he would not cut off⁹³ Saul’s descendants (verse 21).

David gave his oath and then, still not trusting Saul, he went back up to his stronghold (verse 22).