8/12/24 - 1 Samuel 24:1-7

1 Samuel 24: 1-7

Observation:

Saul has returned from fighting the Philistines and is informed that David is in the Desert of En Gedi. Saul takes 3,000 chosen men from all Israel to search for David. Saul enters a cave to relieve himself, not knowing that David and his men are hiding farther back in the cave. David's men interpret Saul's vulnerability as a God-given opportunity for David to kill Saul and fulfill what they believe is God's promise to deliver Saul into David's hands. David is conscience-stricken after cutting off a corner of Saul's robe. David tells his men that he would not harm Saul because Saul is the Lord's anointed. He expresses a profound conviction that it is not his place to harm the one chosen by God. David persuades his men not to attack Saul, and Saul leaves the cave unharmed.

Interpretation:

Providing some context, Saul, the King of Israel, has bene relentlessly pursuing David because he sees David as a threat to his throne. After a brief distraction from this pursuit due to conflict with the Philistines, Saul returns to his primary mission: finding and killing David. The mention of the Desert of En Gedi, a rugged and remote area with caves and strongholds, indicates that David has chosen a strategic location for hiding. After battling the Philistines, this sets the stage for the encounter between Saul and David. It highlights Saul's relentless pursuit and the imminent danger David faces, despite being delayed by the Philistine's attack. Saul selects 3,000 of the best soldiers to hunt for David, demonstrating his determination and the seriousness with which he views David as a threat. The "Crags of the Wild Goats" refers to a specific area within the Desert of En Gedi known for its difficult terrain. The large number of elite soldiers Saul brings shows the extent of his fear and obsession with David; it also shows and highlights the underdog position that David's is in. In an ironic twist, Saul unknowingly enters the very cave where David and his men are hiding. Saul decides to "relieve himself" indicating how completely unaware of any danger. This is also a test for David, as Saul's vulnerability presents a seemingly perfect opportunity for David to eliminate his enemy. David's men sees this a perfect and divinely orchestrated opportunity for David to kill Saul and claim the throne. The men also interpret the situation as a fulfillment of God's promise to deliver Saul into David's hands. However, David doesn't kill Saul; rather, he quietly cuts off a corner of Saul's robe, a symbolic act instead of an act of violence. By doing this, David shows restraint, respect for Saul's anointed status, and his unwillingness to seize power through violence. David's action demonstrates his faith in God's timing and his reluctance to take matters into his own hands, even when the opportunity seems to be handed to him on a silver platter. David's immediate regret shows his deep sensitivity and reverence for Saul's position as the anointed king. Even though he didn't harm Saul physically, he feels guilt for having disrespected the symbol of Saul's authority, in this case, Saul's robe. David's conscience is tenders, and he is deeply concerned about staying in line with God's will and maintaining his integrity. David explains to his men why he didn't kill Saul. He sees Saul as the "Lord's anointed," someone chosen by God, and therefore believes it is not his place to harm him. David's respect for Saul's position as king, despite Saul's attempts to kill him, shows David's deep respect for God's sovereignty. David recognizes that it is God's prerogative to remove Saul, not his. This reveals David's faith in God's justice and his commitment to righteous living. David not only refrains from harming Saul but also prevents his men from doing so. His stern disapproval shows leadership and commitment to doing what is right, even when it might be tempting to take advantage of the situation. It also reinforces the theme of trusting in God's timing and justice, rather than taking matters into one's own hands. Saul leaves the cave unharmed, unaware of how close he came to death, while David's decision solidifies his moral high ground.

Personal Reflection:

After reading this passage and writing the interpretation, the question constantly popped up in my mind of whether I have taken advantage of a situation that would allow me to gain higher status (social, wealth, etc.) even though it would have been questioning my integrity every step of the way. And the answer is "of course", if I said no then I know I would be lying not only to myself but also to God. Without having to go into specifics, while I reflect, it's the thought process that matters. There's the worldly standard of "better them than us" mentality or there's the high integrous standard that God puts before us. While the world standard may appear to be the easy way out, the repercussions may prove otherwise as there's no telling what the future may entail. Yet if we were to go with God's approach then we know for certain that first and foremost we are glorifying Him but also at the same time we are becoming more like Christ. Never in the bible did we see Jesus taking advantage of situations to gain favor with people, uplift his class status in terms of wealth or even be part of the Pharisees or even be a leader like Nicodemus and influence people using wealth or social status. Jesus was also tempted by Satan and still was able to refuse and resist all the temptations that were presented to Him. I remember in seventh grade when I received an A- on my science test but in actuality I was supposed to receive a C-. Not sure how that mistake came about, but when my friend grabbed hold of my test, she immediately called it out by stating that I should do the right thing and get it corrected. I, obviously, did not want to do the right thing as I felt it wasn't necessary and that it's not my fault I made the mistake of putting down the wrong grade. However, after a long arduous, painful debate of going back and forth on what is right and wrong, I knew deep down that I should do the right thing, and I went and informed my teacher of the mistake to which by my surprise he gave me a B- instead of a C- for my integrity. There are other examples that I have gone through myself were having high integrity and through God's sovereignty, grace and mercy, I was able to receive a reward regardless the size. However, there were times when I did take advantage of the situation namely because the situation called for it. For instance, there was a long line at a butcher shop where the line was going outside the shop and around the corner. I was standing in line outside the shop and a man in front of me asked me to hold his number for him as he forgot his wallet in the car. I agreed to it thinking it's harmless and I would want someone to do the same thing for me if I was in the same or similar position as the man. However, he was taking a lot longer than expected and for some reason the line was starting to move faster. After some time, I was now inside the shop with roughly 8-10 people ahead of me before our numbers were about to be called. The man eventually came into the shop and right when I was about to give him his number, the owner of the shop told the man in a sharp, stern voice, "No cutting in line! Get to the back!" The man was looking at me strongly believing that I would vouge for him but before I could say anything, the owner simply kicked him out and yelled at him to get to the back. The man distraught and ultimately defeated left the shop and I do not believe he went back to the line as I did not see him after getting my meat. I did try telling the owner about what took place but because of his lack of English, I do not think he understood anything I had to say other than the meats that I was requesting for, or he simply did not want to hear me out. 

Application:

Integrity is something that not a lot of people have. It's something that is extremely difficult because it typically leads to a road that's simply too tough and too difficult. If someone asked, "would you rather take an escalator to Mount Everest knowing that you will be guaranteed to get to the top and live or actually climb Mount Everest the usual approach with sherpas, oxygen tanks, climate acclimation, etc.?", most people would choose the first option. Why bother going through hell knowing the risks involved. People love shortcuts. I've been hearing the saying, "work smarter, not harder" all throughout my life. In some cases, I totally agree, but in others, I would confidently be against it. When I chose to have my daughter, I knew deep down that even though it was a difficult decision, it was the right thing to do. I know for a fact in my younger days, I would confidently make the wrong decision. There's definitely an on-going battle internally where one voice is telling me "who cares?" or "what about you?" or "everyone is doing it" while the other voice is providing rebuttals with "what would Jesus do?" or "that's not right" or "you know better." It's not an incredible struggle as it was in the past, but the biggest question that does come up in my mind is "if I was presented with an easy way out of my current situation would I take it?" I can see why God allows us to struggle. He wants us to rely on Him all the time. He wants us to focus on Him all the time. Because if we had everything in the world, then there's a strong and most likely inevitable chance that we would lose that focus. So, if it takes God being my moral compass so that I can not only be closer to Him but be closer to be 'like' Him then I would rather go with that. But it'll be a struggle :)