King James Version
The Book of 1 Samuel
Chapter 26
Translate This Page
091Sa026.mp3
Commentary
by G. Neil Armstrong
One of the things I have noticed in previous chapters and in this one is that David refers to himself as a man of very low stature. In a previous chapter, David referred to himself as like a dog. In this chapter, David refers to himself as like a flea. David also refers to Saul as "my lord, the Lord's anointed". Saul had already made a covenant with David that neither would bring harm to the other. It only took a little bit of goading to cause Saul to pursue again after David. Some of the heathen nations are trying to sew discord between Saul and David. Maybe they want to see them destroy each other so that nation of Israel will be vulnerable. It is not clear why these nations try to cause Saul and David to war against each other. They know there is dissension between them, that seems certain. They know the songs that the People sing, "Saul slain his thousands, but David ten thousand".
Samuel had already told Saul that his kingdom has been lost to him because he was not obedient to God. Maybe the heathen nations know this and want to be the very ones to bring defeat to Saul's kingdom. David acknowledges that Saul is the Lord's anointed, even though Saul had sinned against God. this brings me to an understanding that when God anoints someone, it is God that will take action against the anointed, if the anointed is not obedient to Him. It is not the duty or the authority of any man to reprimand the Lord's anointed. We cannot come against a person who is anointed by God on any grounds at all, not even if we determine that the anointed one is in sin. We are not in a position to judge the Lord's anointed. We are not in a position to bring consequence to a person who is anointed, even if he is found in error, or great evil.
The hand of the Lord is no longer on Saul to protect him and to guide him in leadership, but His anointing is still on him until he is dead. The kingdom will not go to any of Saul's sons, or any relative of Saul's. The kingdom will go to David because God chose David and had anointed him king instead of Saul. David still has utmost respect for Saul so he won't put his hand to Saul to harm him. David could have killed Saul on at least two cases, for sure. Even though David only has four or six hundred men to battle with him, he can defeat Saul because he is anointed by God. However, Saul is anointed by God as well. These two men cannot come against each other to kill one another because they have a covenant between them and their descendants forever. David and Saul made the covenant and so did David and Jonathan. So it is spoken, so shall it be. Saul still don't show any evidence that he will keep the covenant. He comes after David when someone provokes him to it.
Even though David knows that he will be the next king, he will not allow himself to be the one who brings judgment upon Saul. He will not slay Saul, nor will he order it to be done. We have to respect the Lord's anointed, just like David did. Even if we find that person at fault for something, it is not in our authority to establish consequences. It is the Lord's business. God gives David opportunities to defeat Saul and utterly destroy him, but surely God won't try to cause David to break his covenant with Saul. It must be Gods intention to cause Saul to see the heart of David as he behaves with compassion and respect. David is a man after Gods own heart and I think God is trying to make Saul see that. I think God wants Saul to see what He wanted from Saul all along.
