“I Will Not Touch The Lord’s Anointed” 

1 Samuel 24:1-22                 Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 24:6                    edited 4-24-15

^“ He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the

LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.”

In this passage, Saul came after David with an army of 3,000 men. In one instance Saul placed himself in vulnerable situation where David could have easily killed him. David might have thought that this was his God-given opportunity to get rid of his enemy. But David didn’t do it. He restrained his men. He respected Saul’s life because he feared and loved God who had anointed Saul as king. In this passage we will learn the truth that the Lord honors those who honor him (2:30). We can love and honor God by respecting those whom God has raised up around us. We will also learn the secret of being able to control our desire for vengeance in order to reveal Jesus to others. Hint: It is by trusting God’s judgment and his sovereignty and not out own judgment on others. Let’s see.

Part  l: David Trusts God’s Judgment and Sovereignty (1-15)

God helped David at a very crucial moment. Look at verse 1 and 2. Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines and came after David with an army of 3,000 men. He pursued them to the Desert of En Gedi. This was a great hiding place because of its many caves. These caves were used by the local people for housing and as tombs. Some are large enough to hold thousands of people. (These caves can still be seen today.) There were also many spacious, private places for a person to use as a latrine, as Saul discovered. It may have been while David was hiding in this cave that he wrote Psalm 57 and or Psalm 142.

In order to get a glimpse of what was on David’s heart, we can read Psalm 57:1-11, “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. 3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me— God sends forth his love and his faithfulness. 4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 6 They spread a net for my feet— I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves. 7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. 10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” (NIV) Obviously God and his wonderful grace was first and foremost on David’s heart.

Saul did not know that David and his men were hiding in the back of a cave when he went in to relieve himself. His life was in mortal danger. David’s men could not believe what was happening. There he was, their arch enemy, right before their eyes! They wrongly assumed that this was from God and they should act and act quickly. They said, “This is the day the Lord spoke when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” (4)

David was not so quick to interpret the events as they did. David was determined to spare Saul’s life. But David took the opportunity to do one thing. He crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe while Saul was going to the bathroom. This is like sneaking under a bathroom stall in public washroom and cutting off a piece of someone’s clothes while tey are sitting on the pot. David did this in order to make a point. It also could have been a symbolic gesture. The hem of king was unusually ornate. When David cut off a piece of the robe, he was implying that God was cutting off Saul’s kingship and giving it to David. If David had killed Saul while he was relieving himself, he would have been branded as an assassin. The foundation of his kingdom would have been built on vengeance and spilled blood. Furthermore, he would have lost his spiritual quality as a man after God’s own heart. But the core reason why he spared Saul’s life is because David feared and loved the God who had anointed Saul as king. Indeed, God graciously saved David from his worldly impulses when he was in a spiritual crisis.

After cutting off the piece of the robe, David was conscience stricken. Why? Verses 6-7a read, “He said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.’ ⁷ With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul…” Here we can see David’s viewpoint of Saul and God. He referred to Saul as his “master.” He also calls him, “The Lord’s anointed.” By referring to him as father, he was acknowledging that he was in a type of covenant relationship with Saul and he was going to be Saul’s successor. By calling him the Lord’s Anointed, David was acknowledging the fact that God had indeed raised up Saul. Saul was trying to kill David. He was almost insane. But David unconditionally respected Saul because God chose to raise him up in the position of a king, and until God removes him, David was going to respect him. He felt that cutting off the hem of his robe was a sin. Many people say, “I am not going to respect that person until they have earned my respect.” They say this even about the president, their teachers or even their own parents. But such a statement is not Biblical, but worldly. We must respect whom God raises up, simply because God chose them.

After this, David went public with his deed. He called out to the king, in full view ot everyone, appealing to Saul’s conscience in verses 11 and 12, “See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrong doing or rebellion. I have not harmed you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will no touch you.” He actually called Saul father. How could David talk to Saul in such a calm and graceful fashion?

First, David was confident in his own innocence before God. Look at verse 11, “Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrong doing or rebellion. I have not harmed you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.” Many people, out of their defensiveness, falsely claim their own innocence even though they are guilty of sin. Even when faced with the facts, they still argue their innocence groundlessly. David was not like this however. When he said, “I am not guilty of wrong doing or rebellion”, it came after much soul searching and honest self reflection before God. He might have asked himself, “Have I done something to bring this on? Can any of this be my fault?” Maybe he offered up his own repentance to God. But God made it clear to him that Saul’s pursuit of him was not because of any wrong he had done, but because of Saul’s sin. We may be innocent of some accusations, but it is still advisable to take the route of humility and self-reflection before the word of God, before we declare our innocence. Look intently into the mirror of the word of God and see who you are. (James 1:25) Then take the position of a forgiven sinner living by the grace of God alone.

Second, David trusted in the absolute judgment of God. Look at verse 12 again, “May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will no touch you.” And David also says in verses 14 and 15, “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? ¹⁵ May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.” David was tempted to take matters into his own hands and take revenge on the one who was making his life and the lives of his people so miserable. Though David must have been incited to do so, he was not a man who followed his emotional feelings. His faith helped him to stop and reconsider. (Most of the time.) He remembered the truth of God, written in the book of Deuteronomy, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.” (Deut 32:35) May we not become victims of our own desires for revenge, but rather, may we learn to trust in the sovereignty of God and leave all matters of judgment to God. (Matt 5:38-40) Then we can begin to love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us.

 Third, David trusted in the sovereignty of God. He had a fundamental faith that God knows what he is doing and he was going to trust God, even when that meant that Saul was established as the king. This is basic Biblical faith. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 13:1 about our attitude towards the governing authorities that God has raised up. It reads, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Christians must acknowledge the governing authorities as God’s instruments on earth. Christians must submit to their authority. However, there is a temptation for God’s people to despise governing authorities, especially when they are unbelievers. For example, Jewish people did not want to acknowledge Roman rule and rebelled against it in many ways. One national symbol of Israel is the plateau fortress of Masada. When Jerusalem was laid waste by the Roman legions in A.D. 70, about 1,000 Jews retreated to Masada in a last ditch effort to preserve their nation. They fought fanatically, and repelled Roman attacks for two years. When it was obvious that the fortress would fall, they all committed suicide rather than submit to the Roman army. They were rebels with a cause. Yet their rebellion begat only death and destruction.

In Romans, Paul urges Christians to be different. Christians are not to rebel against governing authorities. A Christian’s basic attitude must be to submit to the authorities. Look at verse 13:1 again. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  This is difficult for sinful mankind, who is filled with a spirit of rebellion. By repetition, Paul nails down the imperative of Christian submission. Christians must submit to the governing authorities for our God is the Sovereign Lord.

Why is this so? It is because they have been established by God. Even pagan rulers, and rulers like Saul have been established by God. For example, God told Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for this very purpose…” (Ro 9:17). Pharaoh did not know God, nor credit God with establishing him or the Egyptian Empire. But God plainly said that he did so. Later God would bring the Egyptians low.

The book of Daniel clearly reveals God’s sovereign rule of nations and their rulers. One night God gave Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, a dream. It summarized the future rise and fall of world powers, symbolized by a statue containing various materials (Dan 2). God holds world history in his hand and he revealed his plan in advance. Surely, God is ruling history, especially the leaders of the nations. Therefore, we can say that the Roman Empire was established by God. After Roman military power conquered the world of the time, Roman law, Roman peace and Roman roads established an environment for worldwide travel and trade. God used the Empire to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Paul understood God’s plan for world salvation through Roman roads. So Paul eagerly wanted to visit Rome and preach the Gospel there. He strongly encouraged the Romans to fulfill God’s purpose for them.

Peter had the same view as Paul. Peter said, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men…” (1Pe 2:13). As men of great spiritual influence, Peter and Paul could have led their followers into a rebellion against Rome. Many would have supported them. But they did not. They taught God’s people to submit to authority as their obedience to God. Peter and Paul practiced what they preached. According to tradition, they were both martyred in Rome by Emperor Nero. They did not resist. They submitted to martyrdom without stirring up a spirit of rebellion. Thus, they sealed their testimony about Jesus with their blood. They followed Jesus’ example and sacrificed their lives for the sake of revealing the Gospel to the world. Their submission has born everlasting spiritual fruit and will continue to do so. Peter and Paul were true spiritual victors in the Christian faith. If we visit Rome today, there are so many statues of Peter and Paul. But Nero has become synonymous with tragedy. Some people name their dogs after him.

The best example of submission is our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he is, in very nature, God, he submitted himself to the civil authorities as his submission to his Father in Heaven. He accepted suffering, and the most painful death by crucifixion, because it was the will of God. When Jesus was on trial, the Roman governor Pilate thought he held Jesus’ life in his hand. He said to Jesus, “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (Jn 19:10,11). Then Jesus went to the cross. As he breathed his last, he said, “Father, into your hand I commit my spirit” (Lk 23:46). Jesus’ submission was not merely to governing authorities; Jesus submission was to the will of God for world salvation. Jesus’ obedience brought eternal life to all who believe in him. Jesus’ obedience destroyed the devil and established the kingdom of God. To sum it up, though it may be very hard, we must submit to the authorities because they are serving a purpose. We must submit to the authorities as our submission to God to carry out his will for world salvation.

However, we must not submit to governing authorities blindly. We must do so prayerfully. There are times when Christians may be called to obey God, not the authorities. Because God is our highest authority, we should not allow a leader to pressure us to violate God’s law. According to Exodus, Pharaoh, king of Egypt–ruler of the world power nation of the time–wanted to control the Israelites, who were multiplying quickly. So he issued an edict that all the Israelite boy babies be killed at birth by being thrown into the Nile River. This edict carried a penalty of death for disobedience. Moses was born at this time, but his parents did not obey this edict. Hebrews 11:23 says, “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” Moses’ parents did not obey Pharaoh. This did not come from a rebellious spirit, but from their faith. They wanted to obey God and carry out God’s will on earth at the cost of their lives.

As another example, when the apostles preached the gospel in Jerusalem, they were arrested and put in prison. By the intervention of God’s angel from heaven, they were freed. The angel instructed them, “Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people the full message of this new life” (Ac 5:20). When they did so, they were arrested again and commanded by the Jewish Sanhedrin not to speak in Jesus’ name any longer. The apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men” (Ac 5:29). They disobeyed Jewish leaders to obey the will of God. In this part we learn our basic Christian duty is to submit to authorities. But we must do so prayerfully. Our ultimate submission is to God.

David also trusted that God would give him the kingship in God’s time and in God’s way. He could have easily made a play for the throne at this time. He could have tried to make it happen by his own human efforts.

Part ll: Saul Knows That David Will Be King (16-22)

Saul was convicted of his sin, for a short time. Look at verses 16-19, “ ¹⁶ When David finished saying this, Saul asked, ‘Is that your voice, David my son?’ And he wept aloud. ¹⁷ ‘You are more righteous than I,’ he said. ‘You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. ¹⁸ You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. ¹⁹ When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today.” David’s words and actions convicted Saul of his actions (v. 17), and the king wept tears of remorse (v. 16). He referred to David as his “son” (v. 16), Saul confessed David’s superior righteousness (v. 17) Saul then confessed that he realized that David’s ultimate succession to the throne of Israel was inevitable (v. 20; cf. 23:17). Saul even called on the Lord to reward David with blessing for his treatment of the king (v. 19). There is no more powerful tribute than one that comes from an adversary. Saul’s remorse was evidently genuine, but David had learned that it would probably be only temporary. When Saul departed and returned to Gibeah, David again sought protection in “the stronghold,” probably one of the refuges near Engedi. He sensed that his “run-ins” with Saul were not over yet.

Saul made a request of  David. He knew that David would become king. But he could not stop resisting what he knew was clearly the work of God. Yet he asked David to not cut off his descendants when he came to power in verses 20-21, “I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. ²¹ Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” As noted earlier, it was customary in the ancient Near East for a new king to kill all the descendants of the ruler whom he replaced. This prevented them from rising up and re-establishing the dead king’s dynasty. David had already promised Jonathan that he would not kill his descendants (20:14-17), and he now made the same promise to Saul in verse 22a, “So David gave his oath to Saul. …” David kept his promise. He never took revenge on Saul’s family or descendants. Most of Saul’s sons were killed later, but not by the hand of David. They were killed by the Philistines (31:2) and the Gibeonites (2 Sam 21:1-14). David had promised to be kind to the descendants of Saul’s son Jonathan (20:14,15), and he kept this promise when he invited Mephibosheth to live in his palace (2 Samuel 9) It is very important that Christians be true to their word, even when it hurts.

This chapter helps us deal with the common temptation to “get even” by showing us David’s example of trusting God’s judgment and sovereignty and not retaliating. We see David’s spiritual strength in this chapter. He declined to kill Saul, determining to trust God. God rewarded David for his trust and obedience by giving him a peaceful conscience and establishing his kingdom on a righteous foundation. He was given great victory. May you decide to trust in God’s judgment and his sovereignty in all things and respect all those whom God has raised up in your life, both on the church and in the world. After all we don’t know everything. May the foundations of your life, family and ministry be based on faith in God, show godly restraint and bring glory to Christ.

Part l: David Trusts God’s Judgment and Sovereignty (1-15)

1. Where was David and his men hiding? (1,2) What did Saul intend to do? How close was he to

finding David and his men? (3) How did David’s men interpret this opportunity? (4) Were

they correct in their assessment? Why not?

2. What opportunity did David have to kill Saul? (5) Why didn’t he? What does it mean that he

was conscience stricken? (6) How did David view Saul? (6,8,10,11) Did David like Saul and

agree with Saul?

3. How did David try to convince Saul to halt his pursuit of him? (11b-15) What was the basis

of the case he presented to Saul? What did David believe about God? (10b, 12a, 12b, 15a,

15b) Describe David’s trust in God? How must Christians view leaders, spiritual and political,

in their lives? (Romans 13:1-7; (see also 1 Timothy  2:1,2; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13,14))

Part ll: Saul Knows That David Will Be King (16-22)

4. What shows that Saul’s heart was moved? (16) What were his revelations concerning David?

(16, 17, 20) What did he see in David’s act of sparing him? (18,19)

5. What request did he make of David? (21) What was David’s response? (22) What was the

result of this event? How did David keep his side of the oath? (31:2;  21:1-14; 20:14,15; 2

Samuel 9) What does this event teach us about David?