 |  |
Let us now examine these sub-divisions and seek to learn the lessons that await us.
Beginning at the first verse, we read:
"And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul; there is
nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines"
(I Sam. 27: 1).
It would be difficult for any writer to speak words of censure or condemnation with
regard to David's attitude, without at the same time censuring and condemning himself.
Only as we treat of these passages with an eye upon our own frailty can we dare to speak
of them truthfully. It is in the spirit of Gal. 6: 1 "considering our own selves", that we
speak here of David's declension.
In chapter 24:, we find Saul halting in his persecution, and confessing that he is
wrong. David cuts off part of Saul's skirt, and expostulates with him, and Saul seems to
repent. Soon, however, he is once more seeking David's life. On one more occasion
David spares the king's life, and once again expostulates with him as in chapter 24:
Again Saul makes a wonderful confession, but David is growing weary, and feeling sick
at heart. "And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day at the hand of Saul."
We can surely sympathize with David here, even if Scripture forbids that we should
condone. We should probably have given up long since.
David now goes to Achish King of Gath, with his two wives, and asks for and
received Ziklag as a residence. It is interesting to notice here that, although we read of
David finding grace in the eyes of Achish, there is no mention of the Lord. David and his
men now invade the Geshurites, the Gezrites and the Amalekites and destroy their cities.
It is true that these cities were originally devoted to destruction (Josh. 13: 13; 16: 10;
and I Sam. 15:), but David did not answer Achish truthfully when he asked, "Whither
have ye made a road to-day?" We read that David "saved neither man nor woman alive",
so that no tidings should reach Gath and thus imperil his relationship with Achish. "And
Achish believed David." How sad to think that David should be so compromised with
evil, and how he must have shrunk inwardly when Achish manifested his trust so far as to
make him "keeper of his head for ever" (28: 2).
From David's temporary lapse, we now turn to the fatal step taken by Saul
(I Sam. 28: 3-25). Samuel was dead, and so could not be consulted, and Saul had put
away the wizards and those that had familiar spirits. When he enquired of the Lord, "the
Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets". In his despair
he takes the plunge foreseen by Samuel when he warned Saul at the beginning that
"rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft" (15: 23). "Then Saul said unto his servants, Seek
me a woman that hath a familiar spirit." Such a woman was found at Endor, and Saul,
disguising himself, went by night, and demanded that her familiar spirit should be
brought up. There has been considerable debate as to whether Samuel himself actually
appeared to Saul, or whether a spirit impersonating him gave the message. It is
impossible for anyone to be absolutely certain. All that we can do is to seek to
understand what is written according to the analogy of the faith. Scripture teaches that