Why is it so difficult to admit we are wrong? – 1st Samuel 26 & 27, Part 2

Do you like to admit you are wrong? The biblical concept of repentance involves admitting that you are wrong, and generally-speaking, we humans don’t like to admit we are wrong. As we have been studying the life of David through the account in 1st Samuel, for a few weeks now, we’ve been following the story of how King Saul has been hunting David, trying to kill him. Likely, Saul has been on the hunt, and David has been the fugitive, for multiple years, in the events of 1st Samuel chapter 26.

When you’ve been taking a specific course of action for years, it can be extremely difficult to evaluate that course of action as wrong. You’re invested. You’ve been invested, perhaps for a long time. To repent, to admit that your course of action is wrong would mean that your past few years have been a waste at best, an awful evil at worst. If you’re Saul, you don’t want to consider anything other than the viewpoint that your hunt for David has been a good thing. Maybe you, reader, have felt that way as well. I doubt that you have been on a wicked hunt to kill someone, at least I hope not, but I suspect you have made choices you later came to regret. My guess is that you have felt the pain and frustration of not wanting to repent.

In today’s post, we’re going to learn how David finally gets Saul to repent. As we learned in the previous post, David and Abishai sneak into King Saul’s encampment while everyone is asleep. Undetected, they grab Saul’s spear and water jug, similar to how David cut off part of Saul’s robe in the cave episode.  They leave the camp silently and walk to a nearby hill. 

From the hill, David and Abishai call to Saul’s top general Abner. Waking them up with taunts, David asks Abner, if he is such a man, why didn’t he protect his king? Abner was probably angry at David’s taunts, but then David holds up the spear and water jug. Saul and his men turn to look, and sure enough, the king’s spear and water jug are gone. Abner probably had a rush of nervous anxiety come over his body.  Abner is like the secret service and he totally failed his mission to protect the king.  When David says to Abner, “You and your men must die,” that is precisely what could have been Abner’s fate if Saul wanted. As we have seen numerous times in our study of the Life of David, King Saul can overreact with murderous punishment.

But before Abner can say anything, Saul calls out, “Is that you, David?” Just as David made a plea to Saul in chapter 24 at the cave, he again makes a plea to Saul to reconsider the fugitive hunt.  David’s plea carries weight because he is saying it now having had two easy opportunities to kill Saul.  Here we see the wisdom of David.  He is totally innocent.  He has also acted with mercy and restraint.  Will he get through to Saul?  Will Saul see that his life was in David’s hands twice and have a change a heart?

Look at 1st Samuel 26, verse 21, “Then Saul said, ‘I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.’”

Is Saul being serious? Last time this happened at the cave, Saul gave the impression of repentance, but David didn’t believe him.  David was right, because Saul kept hunting David.  But what about now?  Is this second merciful act of David going to have an impact?  It seems like it.  Saul even asks David to come back to him, promising that he will not harm David.  Let’s see how David responds.  Look at verse 22.

“‘Here is the king’s spear,’ David answered. ‘Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.’ Then Saul said to David, ‘May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.’ So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.”

Does David trust Saul?  He gives Saul’s spear back.  Saul seems genuine in his response of blessing to David.  But notice the conclusion.  David does not return with Saul.  Just as before at the cave, the two men go their separate ways.  David clearly does not trust Saul. 

But is Saul serious?  Is the fugitive hunt really over?  Is David a free man now? We find out in the next post.

For now, consider how David finally got Saul to repent. He showed Saul mercy. Twice. Through not killing Saul, when Saul wanted to kill David, it was as though David was holding a mirror up to Saul so Saul could finally see himself as he really was. Though it can be very painful, we need to see the truth about ourselves. We cannot become the people God wants us to be unless we have a true picture of ourselves. David gave Saul that true picture through mercy. Do you have a true picture of yourself?

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash