Sarah
Saul had stopped chasing David because he had to go fight the Philistines. But as soon as the battle was over, someone came running with news.
“Your Majesty! David is hiding in the wilderness of En Gedi!”
The moment Saul heard David’s name, he was energized again.
“Finally! This time I’ll catch him!”
Without wasting a second, Saul selected three thousand of Israel’s finest soldiers.
Not just ordinary troops—these were the best warriors in the nation.
Together they marched toward En Gedi.
En Gedi was a rugged place filled with steep cliffs, rocky caves, and wild mountain goats.
Saul and his men searched everywhere.
After a while Saul thought,
“I need to step aside for a moment.”
He spotted a cave by the road and went inside by himself.
What Saul didn’t know was this:
David and about six hundred of his men were hiding deep inside that very cave.
The cave was dark.
Saul was near the entrance.
David was only a short distance behind him.
David’s men could hardly believe what they were seeing.
They whispered,
“David!
Look who it is!
The Lord has delivered him into your hands!
Now is your chance!”
To them, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Surely God had arranged everything.
But David said nothing.
He quietly stood up.
Step by step…
Slowly…
Carefully…
Without making a sound.
He moved behind Saul.
Everyone held their breath.
They thought,
“Saul is finished.”
Then—
David pulled out his knife.
Slice…
He cut off a small corner of Saul’s robe.
Then he quietly returned to his place.
His men were stunned.
“What?
David…
Why didn’t you kill him?
He was standing right in front of you!”
But something unexpected happened.
As soon as David sat down, his heart was troubled.
The Bible says,
His conscience was stricken.
He said,
“No…
I shouldn’t have even cut off part of his robe.
No matter what Saul has done to me,
he is still the king the Lord has anointed.
God has not given me permission to harm him.
I will not raise my hand against him.”
Then David stopped his men.
“No one touches him.
No one will harm Saul today.”
Although they didn’t understand, they obeyed.
When Saul finished and walked out of the cave, he had no idea what had happened.
He continued down the path.
After Saul had gone a safe distance, David came out of the cave and called after him.
“My lord the king!”
Saul turned around.
It was David.
David immediately bowed low to the ground in respect.
There was no arrogance.
No challenge.
Only humility.
David called out,
“My lord the king,
why do you listen to people who tell you that I’m trying to harm you?
Today you have seen the truth with your own eyes.
The Lord placed you within my reach inside that cave.
The men with me urged me to kill you.
But I refused.
Because I will not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.”
Then David held up the piece of Saul’s robe.
“My king, look!
This came from your robe.
If I had wanted to kill you,
I wouldn’t be holding a piece of cloth.
You would already be dead.
I only want you to know that I have never intended to harm you.”
David continued,
“Why are you spending your time chasing me?
I’m only your servant.
Am I really worth bringing three thousand soldiers after?
I have done nothing against you.
I leave my case in the Lord’s hands.
May He judge between you and me.
May He defend me.
But I will never take revenge with my own hands.”
As David finished speaking,
the entire valley became silent.
When Saul heard David’s words,
he broke down.
Tears filled his eyes.
He began to weep aloud.
“David…
You are more righteous than I am.
You have treated me with kindness,
while I have treated you with evil.
Today the Lord handed me over to you,
and anyone else would have killed me.
But you spared my life.
You have shown me mercy,
and you truly fear God.”
Then Saul sighed and said something remarkable.
“I know that one day you will surely become king.
The kingdom of Israel will be established under your rule.”
This was the first time Saul openly admitted
that David would one day be Israel’s next king.
Saul had one final request.
“David,
when you become king,
promise me one thing.
Please don’t wipe out my family.
Don’t let my family’s name disappear.”
David answered without hesitation.
“I swear before the Lord,
I will not do that.”
Saul returned home with his men.
David, however, did not go back with him.
He knew that although Saul was moved in that moment,
human hearts can change.
So David stayed in the strongholds with his men, continuing to trust the Lord for His timing and protection.
兄弟们！这章的重点是，不是大卫有机会杀扫罗。
而是有能力报仇，却选择交给神。
换成一般人，早就寻思：
“你追杀我这么长时间，今天可算轮到我了！”
可大卫明白：
神给的机会，不一定就是神允许你干的事；能做到，不代表应该去做。
真正敬畏神的人，不是靠拳头证明自己，而是把审判交给神，把怜悯留给别人。
有句话说得挺好：
有本事的人，未必急着出手；真正有信仰的人，更知道啥时候该放手。