30: David’s progress in the school of brokenness ( 1Samuel 26:1 – 25)

David spared Saul’s life for a second time. Will this pattern continue? What might motivate him to keep sparing Saul?

👉 Read 1Samuel 26:1 - 25

Q1. When David realized that Saul had come out to seek him, he sent (            ) to verify that Saul had indeed arrived. He set out and went to the place where Saul was camped. He saw the place where Saul and his army (              ). David and Abishai approached the army at (            ) and found Saul lying (           ), being surrounded by his soldiers (             ). Abishai said, “Today (           ) has delivered your enemey into your hands.”

When David realized that Saul had come out to seek him, he sent ( scouts ) to verify that Saul had indeed arrived. He set out and went to the place where Saul was camped. He saw the place where Saul and his army ( were sleeping ). David and Abishai approached the army at ( night ) and found Saul lying ( sleeping  ), being surrounded by his soldiers ( sleeping  ). Abishai said, “Today ( God  ) has delivered your enemey into your hands.”

David did not flee this time; instead, he sent scouts and advanced toward Saul’s camp. After years of evading capture and engaging in minor skirmishes, he had honed essential military skills such as scouting, ambush tactics, and covert operations.

Q2.Though Saul tried to kill David, David did not prioritize Saul's demise. What was his primary concern, as expressed in verses 9 and 11?

David's primary focus was to ensure that he did not personally kill Saul, the Lord's anointed. This meant that he was prepared to continue living in hardship for many more years, waiting for Saul to die a natural death, if the Lord’s willing, rather than taking matters into his own hands.

Indeed, the Lord delivered Saul into David's hands, but this did not necessarily imply divine permission for David to kill Saul. If we assert that God orchestrated this situation, God was testing David to see if he would honor the Lord even at this point. Just because God opens a door does not always mean that entering it is aligned with His will.

Q3. After the anointing, God placed David in the school of brokenness. God is the principal, and Saul was hired as a villain according to God's curriculum. Through the course of the training, David's approach toward unfair situations changed. Compare the following verses to see this change.

20:1, 8: David was frustrated that Saul sought his life without reason. He said to Jonathan, "What is my (          )?" He wanted instant justice by asking (        ) to kill him if he were guilty, rather than taking him to Saul.

24:9 – 15: David asked Saul not to listen to those who maliciously accused David before Saul. By cutting off a piece from Saul's cloak, he tried to persuade Saul that (               ). (v11) David asked (          ) to judge between him and Saul.

26:18-20, 23-24: David recognized God's sovereignty, stating that he would accept his suffering if it was from (       ). For David, what truly saddened him was being distanced from (          ). In terms of judgment, David looked forward to a future (       ) from God. He hoped that God would value his (      ) and protect him from all future dangers, just as he had valued (       ). Such words reflect David's confidence in God's protection against Saul.

20:1, 8: David was frustrated that Saul sought his life without reason. He said to Jonathan, "What is my ( offense )?" He wanted instant justice by asking ( Jonathan ) to kill him if he were guilty, rather than taking him to Saul.

24:9 – 15: David asked Saul not to listen to those who maliciously accused David before Saul. By cutting off a piece from Saul's cloak, he tried to persuade Saul that ( David didn’t plan to kill him ). (v11) David asked ( God ) to judge between him and Saul.

26:18-20, 23-24: David recognized God's sovereignty, stating that he would accept his suffering if it was from ( God ). For David, what truly saddened him was being distanced from ( the Lord’s presence ). Regarding judgment, David looked forward to a future ( reward ) from God. He hoped that God would value his ( life ) and protect him from all future dangers, just as he had valued ( Saul's life ). Such words reflect David's confidence in God's protection against Saul.

David's shift in mindset is evident in the following transitions:

• From seeking to prove his innocence to admitting God's sovereignty.
• From a cause-and-judgment perspective, which interprets situations based on past actions, to an integrity-reward outlook that anticipates future compensation. 

• From seeking instant justice to patiently waiting for God's time.

The map of David’s journey.

What about God's (good) will for Saul? Saul was rejected as king but not as one of God’s people. Through David’s sufferings, Saul’s sins were disclosed and admitted (21), thus, God’s righteousness was also highlighted (23 - 24). Eventually, Saul seemed to accept God’s will for David (25). Throughout the years of pursuing David, God waited for Saul to come to terms with His will.  

David learned to entrust everything—even his life—into God’s hands in the school of brokenness. That must be one of the goals of our spiritual journey: to entrust today’s journey to the Lord, no matter what may happen. 

In following Jesus, our suffering will convict the world of sin and reveal the salvation of forgiveness. Meanwhile, we will anticipate the day of the Lord's righteousness. It was the ministry of our Lord Jesus.  And it is of the Holy Spirit for now.