The Explanation

King Saul hated David. He took three thousand soldiers to hunt him down in the wild, rocky hills near En Gedi, where wild goats climb the cliffs. David was hiding there with his men.

Saul went into a cave to relieve himself, not knowing David was hiding in the dark at the very back of that same cave. David's men whispered, "This is your chance! God has given your enemy to you!" David crept closer, quiet as a shadow, and cut a small piece off the edge of Saul's robe. He did not touch Saul. He did not hurt him.

But right away, David's heart hurt him. "I should not have done even that," he said. "Saul is the king God chose. I will not lift my hand against him." He stopped his men from attacking Saul.

Saul walked out of the cave, never knowing how close he had come to death. Then David followed him outside and called out, "My king!" He bowed low with his face to the ground.

David held up the torn piece of cloth. "See this?" he said. "I could have killed you in that cave. Some of my men wanted me to. But I spared you, because you are the one God anointed to be king. Why do you keep chasing me? Why do you hunt me like I am some flea, some dead dog?"

Saul stood still. Then he began to weep. "Is that your voice, David, my son?" he asked. "You are better than I am. I have done you evil, and you have done me good." Saul admitted that David would one day be king. He only asked David to promise not to destroy his family afterward. David promised. Then Saul went home, and David went back to the stronghold.

What Does This Mean?

David had a perfect chance for revenge, and he did not take it. That took more courage than fighting would have. Anyone can swing a sword. It is much harder to put the sword away when you are angry and afraid, and someone else is wrong. David trusted that God saw everything and would judge fairly. He did not have to make things right by himself.

The Common Thread

David would not hurt Saul, God's anointed king, even though Saul deserved punishment. Many years later, Jesus, God's own anointed King, was hunted, hated, and killed, and he did not fight back either. He trusted his Father to judge rightly. David waited for God's timing instead of grabbing power for himself. Jesus did the same, all the way to the cross.

For You

Maybe someone has been unfair to you, a brother, a friend, someone at school. It feels good to hit back, to say the mean thing, to get even. David shows another way. You can choose not to hurt back, even when you could. You can trust God to sort out what is fair. Next time you want revenge, remember the cave, the torn robe, and David's hand staying still.

Talk About It

Why do you think David felt sorry even for just cutting Saul's robe?

Has someone ever hurt you when you had the chance to hurt them back? What did you do?

Praying Together

Dear God, sometimes I want to hit back when someone is unfair to me. Help me trust you instead, like David did. Thank you that Jesus did not fight back either, but loved us anyway. Amen.