(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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1 Samuel 24:1–8, “And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.”
David escaped when the Lord intervened and the Philistines attacked Israel. There are some people who don’t believe that the Lord will use someone like the Philistines to further His purposes, that was the major issue that troubled the prophet Habakkuk when the Lord used to Babylonians to take Israel into exile but he understood what the Lord was doing and finished his prophecy with these words; “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.” (Hab 3:17–19) David was saved at that stage. However, Saul became increasingly obsessed with eliminating David as he was overcome, more and more, by the evil spirit that the Lord sent to him. Saul went down to Engedi, where David was hiding, in the hope of finally capturing David. Engedi was known as a place of the wild goat kids, that’s why we read that Saul and his three thousand men went to find David in the rocks of the wild goats. They came to a place where the sheep where penned near the oasis and Saul needed to have a comfort stop so he went into a cave, as is appropriate for a king. David and his men were hiding in the back of the cave while Saul was taking his comfort. David’s men wanted to kill Saul while he was there but David had great respect for the Lord and the fact that the Lord had anointed Saul king over Israel. Even though Saul had proven himself to be disobedient to the Lord David didn’t see that as on opportunity for him to disobey the Lord. However, David cut of part of Saul’s coat as he was occupied in the cave. When Saul went out of the cave, David repented that he had done something that might humiliate the Lord’s anointed. He went out of the cave and called out to Saul and treated the king with the correct royal protocol by bowing down to the king.
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