I guess that in a lot of ways this sort of thing is why stories like David's are included in our Bible. Over the last 3 weeks or so we've read about the testing of his faith: by the time we arrive at 1 Sam. 26, David has spent probably 10 years more or less in exile, hiding from Saul's erratic attempts to hunt him down – never mind that David was anointed as king way back before all of this began! To boot, chapter 26 marks the second time in recent memory (ch. 24 being the first) where David's self-control is put directly to the test. 

The scene reminds me in a lot of ways of the testing of Abraham recorded in Genesis. Abraham was forced to choose between what he wanted—the life of his son, and by extension, the fulfillment of God's promise of descendants as numerous as sand on the seashore—and God's will as explicitly given to him. Same thing for David: he must choose between what he no doubt wants deep down—revenge and retribution for his mistreatment, as well as ascension to the throne he was promised many years before—and obedience to God's will as made evident by the fact that Saul is still around. Compound that by the fact that God has arranged the situation so that David is presented with the perfect opportunity to take matters into his own hands (Saul's entire army is out cold, according to v. 12), and, on top of everything, he has the proverbial “devil on his shoulder,” in the form of his nephew Abishai, egging him on (v. 8). Tough call. 

David, like Abraham, of course, makes the right decision; Saul lives, David once again protests his innocence of any- and everything Saul wants him for, Saul acknowledges David's fitness for great things, and they part ways again. It's easy to think of this as the inevitable outcome, David being the quintessential “good guy” in Israel's history and all, and that's how I read it at first. But a bit more reflection bears out a more complex story. We saw yesterday that David is far from invincible. Without God's intervention, in fact, he nearly made a critical misstep in a very similar test of his character. So David's choice here is real, not scripted, and holds definite significance. 

Stepping back to survey where we stand in 1 Samuel, it seems to me like the writer wants us to understand why David really is the right man for the kingship, and why Saul isn't. But even over and above that, he's showing us how David, in the crucible of hard experience, became fit for the job. In a sense I think his trial here is iconic for the life David has lived thus far, and the development of character that he has undergone in his growth from a pious shepherd boy to a God-honoring leader ready to take the throne. The testing David has undergone really has produced a bumper crop of maturity and faithfulness, and we can see its results here. 

 

All of this encourages me that God really is in the business of building people up, even in the midst of difficulty. It makes me realize how short-sighted I tend to be; I think most of why I have trouble recognizing the spiritual growth I'm experiencing is just because I tend to expect it to come in defining moments, in leaps and bounds. But, as with David, maturity for us today is a product of God's work over time, and while it can be proven in specific instances, it is built over seasons. I hope you'll join me in accepting to live challenging life of faith God has given us patiently, and, as Paul says in Ephesians, may we together “grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ Jesus.” 

 

Your fellow traveler, 

 

Jeremy