Please start with me this evening to 1 Samuel 26. We read the entire chapter this evening as we again continue to flee with David from the hands of Saul. Again we notice a second time Saul seeks to strike David, pursue David to take his life and a second time Saul's life is spared. And in this way, 1 Samuel 26 kind of sounds a lot like 1 Samuel 24. But there's a lot of novelty. There's a lot of new material in 1 Samuel 26. This is a second occurrence, a second situation in which David spares Saul's life. And the Lord teaches us plenty through this passage this evening. Let us therefore turn our attention to 1 Samuel 26. 1 Samuel 26, beginning in verse 1. This is God's holy word. Hear it with faith. Now the Zephites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Then Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Zeph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Zeph. And Saul encamped in the hill of Hekila, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road, But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies and understood that Saul had indeed come. So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay. And Abner the son of Nair, the commander of his army, Now Saul lay within the camp with the people and camped all around him. Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with you. So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head, and Abner and the people lay all around him. Then Abishai said to David, God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please let me strike him at once with a spear right to the earth. and I will not have to strike him a second time. But David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his end against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? David said furthermore, as the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his days shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed. But Lise, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head and let us go. So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul's head, and they got away. And no man saw or knew it or awoke, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them. Now David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them. And they called out to the people and to Abner the son of Nair, saying, Do you not answer, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who are you calling out to the king? So David said to Abner, Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king, for one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king? This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head. Then Saul knew David's voice and said, Is that your voice, my son David? David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against Me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord. For they have driven Me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go serve other gods. So now do not let My blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a petridge in the mountains. Then Saul said, I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed, I have played the fool and erred exceedingly. And David answered and said, Here is the king's spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness. For the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David, May you be blessed, my son David. You shall both do great things and also still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. Let's start our reading of God's holy word. Let us pray together. Almighty God in heaven, we thank You once again for Your Word and we pray, Lord, grant us minds to understand, ears to hear. Grant us, O Lord, that we may see the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in these words we have read tonight in 1 Samuel 26. Help us as well, O Lord, to walk our Christian walk according to the righteousness clearly revealed in this text. May you, O Lord, apply your word unto our hearts and lives. May you visit us warmly and powerfully, comforting us and guiding us unto all righteousness through the power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, Lord, we pray. Amen. As we return then to another episode of David, Not only being persecuted but sparing Saul's life. We can't help but notice how the devil seeks to undermine and to twist. How the devil seeks in all sorts of ways to destroy the anointed of the Lord. It was not the first time, as we already know, that Saul not only pursued David, but also repented of pursuing David. And here we find King Saul again doing the very same activity of which he repented before. What a great discouragement to David that could have been. What a great temptation at the second time to say, well, you had no repentance on you. Well, now it's time for payback. But what we notice in 1 Samuel 26 is that David, despite of the hardships and trials and tribulations, David continues in the path of righteousness. So many times in the book of 1 Samuel we notice David falling, David sinning against the Lord, but in 1 Samuel 26 we notice how the Lord sustains him, how the Lord provides for him, how the Lord sustains his faith and leads him to keep a path of righteousness. And therefore, Christian, let us be greatly encouraged tonight as we meditate upon these verses. Because just as David stands before and under the protective arms of the covenantal Lord, so do we. The same way David faced those who assault him and unfairly and unjustly accuse him, so do we in different circumstances in our lives. But our Lord is the same. While the tribulations are the same, our covenantal God is also the same. He's also with us, sustaining and upholding us, and granting us the confidence and the perseverance that we stand in need of to bring glory to His name. And that's what we learned then as we focus on these verses this evening. That despite of persecution, despite of hatred, and despite of opposition, despite of all the pressures that surrounds the believer, we must remain confident in our Lord. Christian, be reminded of this tonight. Keep your eyes focused on your covenantal Lord. Nothing can frustrate His plans. Nothing can frustrate His designs. Remain confident in Yahweh and remain always walking in His ways. These are the two main thoughts we've considered tonight. We notice in verses 1-12 that the anointed remain confident in Yahweh. The anointed remain confident in Yahweh. And secondly, we notice in verses 13 through 25 that the anointed remain walking in the path of righteousness. The anointed's confidence and the anointed's righteousness is evidenced even when he's surrounded once again by pressure. So in verses 1 through 4, we notice that a new report comes to Saul, the kind of report that we already know Saul is always craving for. Perhaps for some period of time, he manages to subdue his desire to persecute, to pursue David. But it just needs a little sparkle, just need a little trigger to bring this all back again. This is a man who is not subduing his sin. This is not a man that actually is going to and fro in his repentance. He's very convicted one moment, but right after that, he goes back following to the very same sin. that he repented before. The Zephites know that, as we learn in verse 1, and they bring the report, David is again in the region of Hakeilah, opposite to Jeshua. And again, Saul gathered together his special forces, 3,000 men, 3,000 chosen men, as we notice in verse 2, and begins his pursuit against David. Well, different from what we read in 1 Samuel 24, a completely different narrative, we notice that in chapter 24, David was hiding himself in one of the caves with his men not here. Notice how David courageously and bravely seeks not only intel, but seeks to meet Saul in the midst of the camp where he is located. Verses 5-7, narrates, tells us about this call to a risky mission, if you will. David, as a wonderful commander, is not willing to place the life of his men in danger, but he himself gets involved into the mission and he says, who will come up with me? to where Saul is, a very risky, perhaps a suicidal mission, if you will. Here is the king surrounded by 3,000 men, as we read in the coming verses, and one raises his hand. Abishai, the text tells us. Now, this must look like something very trivial, with a superficial reading of the text. But for us to understand the depth of this text, it's very important for us to answer the question, who is Abishai? Is this simply another commander? Is this simply another of the valiant men of David? You see, in 2 Samuel 2, especially in verse 18, we learn that Abishai is David's nephew. David is Abishai's uncle. It is family bond that we see here in verses five through seven. It is a nephew that comes alongside his uncle and supports him in a mission as the anointed of the Lord, the one who will inherit the kingdom of Israel. And you see right from this moment, we notice how important it is family relationships in the pursuit of God's plan for his people and in the pursuit of the will of God, isn't it? What a delight it is. David has no son yet, but here comes Abishai, a nephew, with his uncle to together pursue the will of the Lord and fight the battles of the Lord together. Family bond. What a precious, precious element. Christian, do you understand that tonight? Do you understand the importance, the vitality of nurturing, developing, Family bonds, training, family ties, so that when the day of battle comes, we don't fight the battles of the Lord alone. Let us have this in mind as we go through this text. David goes to this risky mission with a family member. He goes with a nephew that voluntarily joins his uncle in a suicidal mission. Two valiant men bonded together with one thing in mind, to honor the Lord, but also to protect the anointed of the Lord, David himself, as he goes down to see what's going on in the camp. Verse 7 we read, David and Abishai came to the people by night and there was Saul. Saul was there surrounded by the 3,000 men. And what we learn in verses 8-12 is how this family bond, pay attention to this, how this family bond become a setting for theological training. Let me say this again. This is very important. Really, mom, dad, please pay attention to this narrative tonight. Not only mom and dad, but uncles and aunties and those who are family members here tonight. Notice, Abishai immediately expresses to David, perhaps in whispering, probably whispering, and they are surrounded by 3,000 men, his view on God's providence. Abishai seems to have not learned what David had taught his soldiers back in 1 Samuel 24, and he repeats the very same words that David's men said to him in that chapter. He said, God delivered your enemy into your hands. Now, here's what's interesting. Back in 1 Samuel 24, the soldiers suggest that David to kill Saul. Here, Abishai seems to know that David has some scruple in pursuing that path. And then he asks permission. Do you notice that in verse 8? He says, please let me strike him. It's almost as if Abishai is saying, David, look, I know you have a problem with killing the anointed of the Lord, but I have no problem at all. I can terminate this problem right now, right here. The Lord has delivered this man unto our hands. Let's go on and pursue this path. And here comes the theological lesson. Instead of going with the youth impulse of Abishai, David uses this moment to remind him, do not destroy him. For who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? Notice, it's not that David is not expecting that the Lord himself at some point will give him justice. Look at the remainder of the text. It says, well, there will be a moment when the Lord will strike him. Perhaps the Lord will make him die. Perhaps he will die at battle. But it's the Lord who will do this, not me or you. We are not to interfere with the affairs of the Lord, but we are to patiently wait the timing of the Lord. And it is precisely in this context that David trains and theologically teaches Abishai how to understand the providence of God and how to act in accordance to God's will. Now that they have decided that Saul's life must be spared, there is a symbol or two, if you will, that they will take regarding their presence. The text tells us that a spear was there and a jug of water was there. Some commentators say that the spear is a symbol for death, that the jug of water is a symbol of life. Perhaps that's what is the intent of the original writer. Definitely, they are symbols of the presence of David at that occasion. And it's really interesting that when David returned these items, he only returns the instrument of death, not the instrument of life. He returns the spear, but not the jug of water, as if he was saying, any death threats or death attempts is returned to you, I remain with the Lord of life and with the path of life. So that's a possibility. But the point, very clear in the text, is that David here is confident that Yahweh will fight his battles for him. There is a time appointed, says David. Maybe it's when he's old age, or maybe it is when he's in the battle and he will perish. But one thing is very clear. This is not God's providential moment in which I will take his life because I would be breaking the sixth commandment. This would be murder. I would be breaking the fifth commandment. This would be a dishonoring authority. Although this man, although the king, Saul, is indeed Before me, all other aspects of God's revelation tells me that this is not the moment and the Lord has not placed me in this circumstances to break His precious and holy law. Godly patience in times of pressure. Godly patience in time of hardship. Isn't that what we need, Christian? Isn't that what we stand in need of so much, even at this time? Think about the different circumstances we may live, not only in our personal lives, but in the life of this country. Aren't we in a time when we need to cling to the Lord and be reminded that it is up to the Lord? to raise up leaders and to tear down leaderships. It is up to the Lord to bring seasons of hardship but also seasons of refreshment. We await patiently in the Lord. David expresses this confidence so clearly. But as we move in the text, we also notice that in addition to confidence, We see that it is precisely as he exercises this patient trust in the Lord that he trails a path of righteousness. You see, impatience like Abishai's impatience would lead the whole group of David to be responsible for a murder. and for dishonoring authority. Impatience would lead them to sin, but patience in the Lord leads us to a righteous path. And that's what we see in the second portion of this text, isn't it? Verses 13 through 17 reminds us how David was a righteous soldier. How David was a righteous soldier? Because he begins his call to Abner, pointing his failure as the king's protector. Do you notice that? How bravely David says, Abner, aren't you the man responsible for the king's security? Aren't you the man who was supposed to keep the king safe? You are a treacherous man and your treachery, your failure to pursue your duty should lead you to die. You deserve the death penalty. Look at verse 16, he says, you deserve to die because you have not guarded your masters, the Lord's anointed. David here in his verses are expressing how seriously he takes not only Saul's position, but also a soldier's duty. He's a righteous soldier, the righteous fighter. But notice in the next section of the verses, verses 18 through 20, that David is also the righteous Israelite. He's not only the righteous soldier, but he's the righteous Israelite who desires true reconciliation and honors the king and miss, miss the worship of God. Notice verse 18, he says, what have I done with you or against you? What evil is in my hand? Actually, he says, let me know and I will indeed seek forgiveness. I will offer sacrifices unto the Lord. Look at verse 19, he says, if the Lord has steered you up against me, let him accept an offering. You see how he's a righteous Israelite who desires to pursue a path of godliness and seek reconciliation. Tell me. Point my sin against you. Now remember that this is a conversation that is taking place publicly. The 3,000 men, including Abner, the commander of the forces, of Saul's forces, they're all listening to this speech. They have a desire to be in peace with the king, although the king himself has only hatred and animosity towards him. Secondly, he is a righteous Israelite because he desires to worship with God's people. If there is one thing that was really affecting David clearly through these words is that he had been forbidden to worship in the midst of the people of God. We learned that at the last portion of the second half of verse 19. He says, who are enticing you against me, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go serve other gods." The strife that the Zephites and other men were enticing between Saul and David, Abner added to this whole group, was making David to abandon the worship of the Lord in the context of God's people, the inheritance of the Lord, and saying, you want to worship? Go worship with the Philistines. You want to praise a God? Go praise with another group, not with us. You're not welcome here. You see, David's desire is to be in peace with God's people and to adore and worship in peace with God's people, including Saul. That's the desire of his heart. Is that your desire, Christian? Is that how you're stepping into a righteous walk? The desire for reconciliation, the desire to praise the Lord in the covenant community of the Lord. Lastly, notice how He is a righteous Israelite because He honors the King. Verse 20, he says, So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a petridge in the mountains. Now, a petridge is a kind of a bird that is very easily struck. You could easily hunt a petridge in the mountains. And notice how David humiliates himself before the king's presence. He says, this is what I am. I'm like a flea. I am like an animal that is easy to be killed, easy to be hunted before the King of Israel. Why would you seek to struck me? For what reason are you pursuing this path of unrighteousness? Despite of the pressures, despite of the hardships, Despite of the temptation to fall into a path of sin and unfaithfulness to God and His law, the Lord sustains David and does not let his foot sleep. The Lord maintains his faithful anointed in the path of righteousness. Lastly, What we notice in this text is David is this righteous believer, a righteous believer. He continues to pursue a path of righteousness. And verses 21 to 25, we notice that Saul speaks back. And again, we see another apology and acknowledgement of sin. Look, oh, I sinned. I have sinned. He says in verse 21, I have played the fool. I erred exceedingly. And I wonder if the 3,000 chosen men of Saul is not saying, didn't you say that before, two chapters ago? Didn't you express the very same conviction? Here you are doing the very same thing again. You see, here in this passage we are reminded of what the Lord Jesus taught us in Matthew 7, verses 21 to 23. Would you please turn with me briefly to Matthew 7? The Lord Jesus reminds us in that text how we are to be careful with those who use the name of the Lord. They talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk. They use Christian language, they use biblical jargons, but their lives are a wreck. Matthew 7, verse 21, the Lord Jesus reminds us, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. You see how the Lord Jesus traces a parallel and a contrast here between the doers and the sayers. You see, Saul is really a terrible illustration of a sailor who is not pursuing the path of a doer. The Lord Jesus continued, "...many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." Saul is really a talker. He knows how to ask for forgiveness. He has done that towards David several times, but he continues in his downward spiral of insisting in assassinating an innocent man. You see, Christians, in this season of self-examination before the supper, isn't that a great warning for us tonight? Because perhaps you sit here tonight and you're just like Saul. The season comes and you see all your sins. The season comes for self-examination and ready you are to say like Saul, I have sinned. I have been a fool. I have erred exceedingly. You are precious before my eyes, Lord Jesus. Save me and please forgive my sin. And the Lord assures us when there is true repentance and confession, there is forgiveness. But here is a good reminder for us of what true repentance is. True repentance is not to live in an endless cycle of acknowledgement of sin and committing the very same sin over and over again. True repentance is to break that cycle and turn away from sin and turn to Christ and live by Christ's grace. Saul stands as an awful illustration of one who is lost in the downward spiral of sin. May the Lord deliver us from that, every single one of us tonight. May our lips be ready to cling to the Lord in true confession and true desire of abandon our sin, not repeating them. But as for David, notice how he's a righteous believer. Despite the words of Saul and despite at this very same moment, David could say, well, you said that before Saul and here you are again. How am I supposed to believe you? Verse 23 tells us where David's heart is. David is looking to the Lord. And you see, Christian, this is the crucial path of deviating for sin, is when our eyes are fixed in Yahweh. Let me say this again. To deviate us from sin is to keep our eyes fixed on Yahweh. Look at verse 23 with me. May the Lord, the Lord, not me, may He in His righteousness, may He in His justice, may the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness. For the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed. Look at the very end of verse 24. He says, be valued much in the eyes of the Lord. I'm not seeking public praise. I'm not seeking public acclamation. I'm not seeking you, Saul, to lift me up and to confirm that I will be king. I don't need none of those things. What I need is that just as my eyes are fixed in Yahweh, that His eyes will also be fixed upon me. And He will, look again at verse 24, and He will deliver me. out of all tribulation. And you see, Christians, how can we apply these words to our lives this evening? Let me just briefly touch on two points, two points very briefly. Number one, let us be reminded this evening how important it is to face tribulations and hardship, false accusations, persecutions with our eyes fixed on the Lord. Had David's eyes been fixed on the hurt? Had David's eyes been fixed on Saul's frailty and on Saul's sin? Perhaps Abishai would have had a day. That day killed Saul. But David was focused, confident in the Lord. And with his eyes turned towards the Lord, the Lord keeps his feet without sleeping or slumbering. The Lord keeps his anointed in the path of righteousness. You see, perhaps you sit here tonight and you are surrounded by very similar circumstances like David. Pressure, opposition, false accusations. Look to Yahweh and say with David, Let my life be valued much in the eyes of my covenantal Lord. May the Lord judge between me and you. May the Lord take upon His hands my case, and may the Lord deliver me from all my persecutors and all tribulation." You see, this text is an invitation, is a call, is a call for you, Christian, to rest in your Lord. knowing that in His hands you are perfectly safe. Although enemies rise, although circumstances may oppress us and squeeze us, in the Lord, and as we keep our eyes fixed on Him, that's when we find peace. And that's how we maintain our feet in the path of righteousness. Was that not what the Lord Jesus also did? Please turn with me to 1 Peter 2, very briefly. 1 Peter 2, as we are reminded, that's exactly the path that the Lord Jesus walked so that we would walk after Him. 1 Peter 2 verse 23, the apostle describes the Lord Jesus with the following words. And he says, regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, beginning in verse 21, For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving as an example that you should follow His steps. who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth, who, pay attention to verse 23, who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to Him who judges righteously. You see, David, as the anointed of the Lord, is pointing us to the greater than David that is the Lord Jesus. as he commits himself to Yahweh, saying, may Yahweh be the one who judges between the two of us. May my life be valued upon Yahweh's eyes and may He deliver me out of tribulation. David was shadowing the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, that was to come. But he was also, like our Savior, illustrating for us how do we face pressures, how do we face trials and tribulations. We face them with our eyes fixed in Yahweh, relying upon Him with the assurance and certainty reminded to us this morning through baptism that our Father in heaven will avert all evil or turn it to our good. Let us, therefore, in faith, Christian, continue to walk in the path of righteousness. But secondly, very briefly, please observe once again the sad, heartbreaking illustration we have in Saul here tonight. The downward spiral in repetitive, almost addictive, sinful acts is that you're sitting here tonight. Perhaps you came here tonight and you were dressed in your best, you placed your Christian mask very, very well, and no one knows the secret spots in your heart but you and the Lord. The Lord calls you tonight to search your heart, especially as you prepare to partake of the table of Christ, as you prepare yourself to put your hand in the plate of Jesus. May we not be found as souls, those who continually go back to the vomit that they said, I don't want it anymore. But may we truly abandon sin. May the Lord grant us, may we beg, may we ask the Lord for true repentance. The one who indeed washed us, justified us, and sanctified us. so that we may walk in newness of life. Let us cling to Him and to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Let us pray together. Great God in heaven, we thank You for Your Word and for reminders You give us tonight. Lord, we pray that You would lead us as Your righteous people, a people that You've made righteous for Yourself. And despite of the pressures of our lives and of the circumstances that we live on, Lord, may we continue to thread a path of righteousness for your sake, through your strength, because of Christ's sacrifice for us. Lord, deliver us from being like salt, like the dog who returns to its own vomit. As we, O Lord, confess our sins unto you, may we be found as those who truly abandon them. experiencing true repentance, that powerful work of your Holy Spirit in our hearts that lead us to live like Christ. Be merciful with us tonight, O Lord, and prepare us with much self-examination to partake of your supper next Lord's Day, if it is your will. In your name we pray.