WHOSE SPEAR?

1 Samuel 26

Saul was paranoid. Rather than repenting after the Lord rejected him, he brooded that David was plotting against him to seize his kingship. Thus, when he was in one of those moods, he threw his spear to pin the other to the wall. The danger drove David to become an outlaw, and like in the old West, Saul rounded up a posse to chase him down.

Note David’s attitude toward the king as God’s man. He kept this view even when he was king and forced to leave Jerusalem during Absalom’s revolt. Twice when he had sure opportunities to kill Saul, he refused to, stating he would not touch “God’s anointed.” He knew Samuel had anointed the king, just as he anointed the young shepherd.

On this particular occasion David got a report that Saul and his men had encamped at a particular place. So he took a scouting party and night and found they indeed were nearby. The enemy had apparently gone to sleep during the night, perhaps over-confident. Abishai, later one of his “mighty men” volunteered to go with him. Both men quietly entered the camp in the dead of night and found the king and his general, Abner, asleep in the middle of the camp.

Abishai grasped the opportunity and asked David to let him dispatch Saul with one spear thrust. David shook his head, but they took Saul’s spear and water jug with them. Then, safely on top of the hill, David called loudly to Abner to taunt him.

“General! Saul should have you executed! You let us come in right under you nose – everyone asleep! No guards posted! Inexcusable! And Saul! You think I want to kill you? If I did I sure could have! Look! Here is your spear and water jug. I’m no threat to you. I’m like a flea you could swat, or a partridge. I’m harmless to you, God’s anointed.

Saul’s mood swung back to more positive. He recognized the worth of what David had done and said. He confessed to acting the fool in pursuing him and vowed he would be safe if he came back. Instead, David told him to send someone to recover the king’s property, which he apparently did.

Amazingly, Saul blessed David, and both of them went home.