|
36. David secretly
enters Saul's Camp.
The noble hero David
cannot be loved enough. As much as Saul persecuted him and sought his
life, David always kept a loyal and pious heart toward him. He never
forgot that he was his king, his father-in-law and the father of his
friend Jonathan.
One day Saul came out against him again with three thousand men and
camped for the night on the hill of Hachilah. He lay on the outside of
the chariot camp, and the camp was not guarded, for he thought David was
still far away. But he was near him. David was bold enough to sneak up
to the king's camp at night with a confidant, Abifai. Everything was in
a deep sleep. He came into the chariot castle, where the king was lying
and his men around him, and his spear was stuck in the ground at his
head. The two guards and God stood among the sleeping men, and Abishai
wanted to stab the king with the spear. But David resisted him. “Far be
it from the LORD that I should lay my hand on the LORD's anointed!” So
they took the spear and the king's cup of water from his head and came
out again without shouting.
David went up on a hill opposite the camp and shouted to the people and
the king's captain of the host, “What kind of men you are to guard your
lord the king like this! Behold, here is the spear and the king's cup in
my hand!” Saul heard David's voice and said, “Is this not your voice, my
son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king. Why are you
persecuting me? What have I done, and what is wrong in my hands?” Saul
said, “I have sinned, my son David. Come again! I will do you no more
harm.” But David knew well that he could never trust the old, strange
man. He sent the king his spear and his cup back to the camp. “The
Lord,” he said, ”will repay each man according to his righteousness and
according to his faithfulness, for you have been in my hand today, but I
would not lay my hand on the Lord's anointed.”
This was the last time David saw Saul and spoke with him, albeit from a
distance. He saw him no more afterward. Saul could not defeat David with
all his might. But David defeated him and bowed his heart with a
magnanimous act and departed from his enemy with a conscience without
guilt.
So will I one day part from all my enemies.
|