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"And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul's
daughter, loved him. And Saul was yet more afraid of David: and Saul became David's
enemy continually" (I Sam. 18: 28, 29).
In the sections E and E in the Structure, the two attacks made upon David by
Saul, are balanced by the two occasions on which David spared the life of Saul:
"Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily" (I Sam. 24: 4).
"So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster" (I Sam. 26: 12).
It is significant that on both these occasions Saul was asleep. In the second reference,
this fact is emphasized by the words: "A deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon
them" (I Sam. 26: 12).
On seven different occasions Scripture records the fall of a "deep sleep" (Heb.
tardemah). These references, which are given below, seem to indicate that the Lord uses
this "deep sleep" when He wishes to deal with man in some great crisis.
A | Gen. 2: 21. ADAM. For blessing.
B | Gen. 15: 12. ABRAHAM. Righteousness by faith.
C | I Sam. 26: 12. SAUL. To warn.
B | Job 4: 13. JOB. Is mortal man righteous?
C | Job 33: 15. JOB. To hide pride from man.
A | Prov. 19: 15. SLOTH.
\ Judicial blindness
Isa. 29: 10. JUDGMENT. /
(Rom. 11: 8).
In this deep sleep Saul received from God his final warning. He is so far moved as to
confess: "I have sinned" (I Sam. 26: 21) and to acknowledge that David should
"prevail" (I Sam. 26: 25), but this does not prevent him from resorting to the Witch of
Endor.
Balancing the two confessions of 18: 5 - 19: 17 in the Structure, we have the two
confessions of 21: 10 - 26: 25. One of these we have already quoted above, and the
other is found in 24: 7-12.
Although much of interest has necessarily been passed by without comment, we trust
that the main theme of our passage has been discovered and presented, and we therefore
conclude with Saul's confession in chapter 24::
"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 showed this day how that thou
hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand
thou killest 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. 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."