Lessons from the Life of David – #7
Dealing with our Enemies
1 Samuel 24:1 to 2
Samuel 1:27
In
our last lesson we looked at several chapters of the Bible describing David on
the run. In that section, 1 Samuel
chapters 18 to 23, as far as scripture says, David never had a situation where
he had the upper hand against Saul. How
did David respond over and over again when he was in danger?
We
resume our account of David and Saul where we left off, David and his men are
hiding among the rocks and caves at En Gedi. Read 1
Sam 24:1-4. David is given the
opportunity to take revenge. What does
he do instead?
Have
you ever taken an opportunity to do some little thing back to someone who has
been bothering you?
5-7 David’s conscience bothers him for doing
this. Why does this bother him?
Whom does David really fear that he
has insulted?
8-15 Moreover, after David and Saul leave the
cave, what does David try to do?
How does the way David addresses
Saul show his feelings toward him?
Has there ever been someone in your past who caused a great deal of affliction to you? If so, did you take opportunities to help
that person see his/her offense? Did you
respond as David did?
16-22 This unexpected act of kindness affects
Saul greatly. What promise does David make
to Saul?
What promise does Saul make to
David?
Compare Saul’s blessing of David in verse 19 to his
blessing of the Ziphites in
How do we know David did not trust
Saul’s repentant words?
We will consider chapter 25
after chapter 26.
26:1-4 The people of Ziph betray David a second time. What does David say about their
character? Psalm 54:3
5-7 What do David and Abishai
find when they sneak into Saul’s camp at night?
See v 12. Why was
this possible?
8-12 David is given a second opportunity to kill Saul. What is his reason for not doing so?
Looking at the circumstances, could David have reasoned
that it was God’s will that Saul be killed?
Would David have been justified for killing Saul, had he done so?
9 What line of reason is David following that causes him to
spare Saul again?
13-16 Why does David call out to Abner first?
17-20 What does David once again try to do?
21-25 What was God trying to do to Saul through
David in these encounters where David has the upper hand?
What is God trying to do to David through these actions
of Saul?
How does David’s behavior
toward Saul conform to God’s Word in 1 Timothy 5:1?
Chapter 25: David’s dealings with Saul are contrasted
with his dealings with another man, Nabal, who also
mistreats David, as Saul did.
25:1-8 We might at first
find it strange that David sends men up to a perfect stranger and has them ask
for some animals to use for a festive meal.
But what had David and his men been doing, v 21?
9-13 What is David’s natural response to Nabal’s refusal?
14-19 In our society, where we have grown up
thinking that the exchange of money is what makes things fair and proper, we
might not understand the insult that Nabal had given
David. But Nabal’s
wife understood. How does she set the
matter right?
20-22 Good thing she did. What had David been thinking?
26-31 What things does Abigail say to David
which shows her faith in God?
38-39 So through Abigail, God kept David from
taking matters into his own hands and taking revenge on Nabal. How did God further resolve the matter?
Compare this incident to the advice all Christians are
given in Romans 12:17-21
Compare David’s example to Jesus’ words in Matthew
5:43-48
In chapters 27–30, we see
more examples of Saul departing from God, and David doing the Lord’s work.
31:1-6 Finally it is God’s
timing that Saul should die, and David should be king. Why does Saul commit suicide?
7-10 How is Saul humiliated after his death?
11-13 The people of Jabesh
Gilead admired Saul for the help he gave them earlier (see chapter 11). What did they risk their lives to do to
prevent further humiliation?
2 Sam 1:1-10 An Amalekite
comes to David with the news of Saul’s death.
His story is different from the account in chapter 31. Why might his reason be for lying to David?
11-16 What was David’s response?
17-27 Now that the danger is over, and peace has come to David and his
men, David writes a lament, a psalm of sorrow over Saul and Jonathan. What words of praise for Saul does the lament
contain?
What words of revenge or humiliation for Saul does the
lament contain?
What lessons can we learn
from the way David regarded his enemy Saul?